Why Early Access?

“This game is already fun to play and supports solo and multiplayer games. I think it's a huge leap forward from the original. I have a lot more features planned in the backlog. As a solo dev working on this game, I want and need help from the community to help complete this game, I want to make sure the direction I am taking is really what people actually want and to determine the right balance for the gameplay.

This game is multiplayer focused, it needs to be build an online community in order to succeed. I believe that Early Access is a way to start building a community of people that care about the game, that can help me with direction & features and have some fun along the way.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“My plan is to get this get into full release within 6 months. But I do not plan to be done with this game when it hits 1.0.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The core mechanics of the gameplay will be the same as they are today. I want to keep it primarily a strategy/tactics focused soccer game, that's designed for multiplayer. The key difference between EA and the final version will be refinements towards those goals, tons of polish, and lots of balance.

My hope is that a community will develop and help guide the direction of the final game, but there are a ton of features I consider must haves for the full 1.0 release - special player moves, customizable player stats, tournaments, resumable games, game replays, ranked play modes, full steam deck support, improved sound effects, interactive tutorial and an improved AI.

Beyond those base level features I want to add support for player leagues, referees, steam work integration to allow the community to build their own player uniforms and player heads. I'd like to add support for Co-Op games where players can control half of the team with a friend.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Playable and fun. You can play solo games either with or without an AI, and you can play multiplayer games against friends and other steam players. The multiplayer code has been play tested by players in 3 countries and is working really well right now.
The kicking and goal keeping mechanics are very close to where I want them to be.

What needs work next is the game UI and the solo AI (it's functionable but very easy right now, and it clusters players way too much).”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“50% discount will apply initially during the Early Access period. I may decrease this as it gets closer to the release.

This game needs a community to build a good multiplayer base. I'd like to reduce the barrier as much as possible at the start to encourage players to try the game, hopefully get hooked and get involved.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“I read every comment, every reply, every review and take all feedback to heart.
I intend on publishing a backlog to show the features that I have planned, and where possible allow the players to drive the priority of those features. One of the good/bad things about being an indy dev is that you (the players) only have to convince me that something is a good idea for the game, and it can happen.

The primary reason I am doing Early Access is to get the community involved.

I am very active on the discord server and I work on this game most days - publishing changes frequently. There is a beta branch setup that I ship the latest code to, once it's been tested I move it to the main branch usually once a week. I have been working on this game in my free time for over a year.”