Why Early Access?

“Hack Protocol is a systems-driven multiplayer game that benefits from real player feedback. The core gameplay loop is already playable, but balancing progression, economy, difficulty, and multiplayer interactions is much easier with an active community. Early Access lets us improve the game based on how people actually play, not just internal testing.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We expect Hack Protocol to remain in Early Access for a while as we expand content, improve balance, and refine core systems. The exact timeline will depend on development progress and community feedback. We want to leave Early Access only when the game feels meaningfully broader, more stable, and better balanced than the current version. We hope to release 1.0 just before christmas 2026”

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

“We plan for the full version to offer a larger and more polished experience. This may include more progression systems, additional missions and world content, deeper multiplayer features, more hacking tools and defensive options, improved onboarding, stronger long-term goals, and overall balance and UI improvements. We also plan to keep improving stability, quality-of-life features, and the overall depth of the hacking simulation.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The current Early Access version already includes the core gameplay loop. Players can manage their own server, create and upgrade software, hack 50+ NPC and player targets, complete (100+) missions, interact with in-game systems such as banking and logs, and play in solo or multiplayer modes. The game is playable and feature-rich, but still under active development, with balancing, polish, content expansion, and refinement still needed.”

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

“We plan to gradually increase the price as development progresses throughout Early Access. The game will launch at a reduced price, reflecting its current state, and will receive small incremental price increases as we introduce major content updates and features.

Our goal is to reward early supporters while ensuring the price better reflects the full scope of the game over time.”

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

“Community involvement will play an important role throughout development. We will actively use player feedback to guide balancing decisions, quality-of-life improvements, usability adjustments, and feature prioritization as the game evolves during Early Access.

We will closely monitor player discussions, bug reports, and suggestions via the Steam forums, where a dedicated bug reporting section will be available. Members of the development team, along with community moderators, will be actively present to ensure feedback is acknowledged and addressed.

In addition, we will maintain an official Discord server where players can engage directly with the developers, share ideas, and participate in discussions about the game’s direction. We also plan to host live development streams, offering insight into ongoing work and providing opportunities to answer community questions in real time.”