Why Early Access?

“Hitflag is a chase game, and how it plays depends on the people you chase. The core works, but much of the game is still open, and two of us can't settle it alone: how hard a hit should land, how long a flag should stay with one car, which streets make the best chases, how the four modes balance, and what brings players back every day. We want players to decide these with us, and to build the rest of the game, the place of the day, city rivals and progression, on what they actually enjoy rather than on our guesses.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We expect about 9 to 12 months, depending on what players tell us. We would rather leave Early Access when the game is ready than on a fixed date.”

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

“We plan to bring Street Race and Hitzom online; to add city rivals, characters in real neighbourhoods whose cars you can win; a place of the day where online players meet, with players voting on the places; a daily solo run with leaderboards and medals; more places and cars, and more ways to customise your car and your garage; and seasons shaped by what players play most. We also plan to keep improving the driving, the bots, performance and stability. These plans will change with what we learn from players during Early Access.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“Playable, and changing every week. Today you can play Flag Capture, Street Race (Sprint, Circuit, Drift and Drag), Demolition and Hitzom with 2 to 8 cars and bots in every empty seat, on Istanbul's Taksim & Cihangir, New York's Times Square, Neon Mesa or any street you pick on the world map. Flag Capture and Demolition (Wreck and Last Car Running) also play online or on a local network; Street Race and Hitzom are offline for now. Much is unfinished: Street Race, Demolition and Hitzom are newer than Flag Capture and their rules and balance will change; streets built from the map can have broken spots; the bots are still learning; the place of the day has only just begun and its vote is not in yet; city rivals, cars to win and most of the progression are not in yet. Expect bugs and big balance changes between updates.”

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

“We plan to raise the price somewhat when Hitflag leaves Early Access, as the game grows, so that early players get it for less. We do not plan to charge Early Access players again for what we add to the base game.”

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

“Players' feedback will decide what we work on next. We read the Steam discussions and every bug report, post notes with every update, and hold regular playtest sessions where we play with you. The big choices, such as which places and modes come next, we plan to put to a vote.”