Why Early Access?

“We have always been at our best when working with our community. We rely on player input to course correct all the way through development, and we have a decade-long record of including players meaningfully in the journey. We're transparent. We listen. And we act on that input.

This is the legacy we built with TerraTech, and that's why we still have an active player community, 9 years on from launch. Of course, time and expectations have moved on, and we know that a higher standard of quality and completeness is expected, even for an Early Access launch, in 2024 - and that's why we have taken extra time to establish the fundamentals before launching TerraTech Worlds.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We could say "until it's done", but Payload games aren't done until players are finished with them! As TerraTech remains to this day, TerraTech Worlds will be actively maintained, extended and evolved for years beyond Early Access.

We estimate about 18 months to bring all the core features and content to a state we feel good about calling 1.0. That means the game will feel solid and polished, with hundreds of hours of gameplay ready to go - but with thousands more still to come as we embark on a multi-year, post 1.0 content roadmap.”

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

“In a nutshell, at 1.0 the core of the game will feel fully established and polished. Key features and content that we have announced will be in place and will not feel like work in progress. This includes features carried forward or reinterpreted from TerraTech (like airborne travel and creative mode), new signature features in TerraTech Worlds (like terrain modification, water travel, base building and automation, with blueprints), and core content such as world events, boss battles, and the narrative and world-building framework behind them. And yes, there will be multiple worlds in TerraTech Worlds!

Our public roadmap will list these key points; we will regularly update this and post in-depth discussion of upcoming areas of development, factoring in the additions and changes in direction that we'll inevitably make through the Early Access process.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The game is still very much in development.

This is not the 'feature complete Beta with some content switched off' style of Early Access release that has become increasingly common. We are still working stuff out. This is how we work, and we've always done our best work this way - ask TerraTech players what they think about that!

Right now, there are things that are missing and things that are unfinished. We want to hear what you think about them while there's still time to incorporate feedback. We WILL listen, and we WILL make changes. But make no mistake, this is still a fun game, not a broken bug-fest, and that's how we will keep it throughout this process. The core gameplay is in place, you can play co-op, there will be dedicated server support, and there are already dozens if not hundreds of hours of play in there to enjoy.”

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

“We do anticipate a price change at 1.0 to reflect the scope and quality of the experience. However, we will evaluate this during Early Access and communicate any changes prior to a 1.0 release.”

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

“Deeply! Community-driven development is in our DNA. We take feedback on every channel - the Steam forums, social media, and especially Discord where our team is active and talks to players.

We have already executed multiple community playtests prior to launching on Early Access, and will continue in this vein with experimental Steam branch access, and direct feedback on in-progress development - which directly affects the evolution of the game. We'll be updating regularly, posting transparently about our decisions and reasoning, and discussing any & every aspect of the game in depth with players on Discord.

By joining this process you become part of a close-knit and welcoming community that feels a strong sense of ownership, and a real connection to the game and the team. And if that's not your thing and a few posts on Steam Community is all you have time for, that's just fine because it all helps.”