Beyond These Stars releases October 16, 2026 on Windows PC, and it arrives as a finished 1.0 game rather than an Early Access build. That last part matters more than it sounds: the studio cancelled its Early Access plan in March 2026, which means the October release includes the full galaxy, the complete story and the endgame content that would have been patched in over a year or more.

When Beyond These Stars Releases

The release date was announced on August 20, 2026 as October 15, then adjusted by one day on September 15. The current, official date is October 16, 2026. The developer lists October 17 in its local New Zealand time — that is the same launch window, not a second date.

Beyond These Stars is the second game from Balancing Monkey Games, the New Zealand studio behind Before We Leave (2021). It is published by Hooded Horse, the strategy-focused publisher whose catalogue includes Manor Lords, Against the Storm and Terra Invicta.

Because the game ships as 1.0, there is no "the game will get better later" caveat attached to launch. The systems that the studio spent 2026 detailing in its Dev Blogs — peep strikes, sickness and mourning, celebrations, sandbox mode, settleable planets — are all part of the October 16 release rather than future updates.

Platforms, Stores and Game Pass

Platform Status Notes
Steam (PC) Day one Wishlist and demo are live now
PC Game Pass / Ultimate Day one Included at launch, listed in the October 2026 lineup
GOG Day one DRM-free release
Epic Games Store Day one Also on the Microsoft Store
Consoles Not announced No Xbox or PlayStation version confirmed

If you plan to use Game Pass, check the current listing and the subscription you hold before launch. Store availability and access through a subscription are different purchase decisions; neither guarantees how quickly community guides will be updated.

The game is single-player only, with no co-op or multiplayer component announced. No code-redemption system has been announced either, so a codes page is not part of this site's plan for launch.

System Requirements

Component Minimum Recommended
OS Windows 10 (64-bit) Windows 10 (64-bit)
CPU Intel Core i5-6600 / AMD Ryzen 3 3200G Intel Core i5-9600 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
RAM 8 GB 16 GB
GPU GTX 960 (4 GB) / RX 570 (4 GB) RTX 2070 (8 GB) / RX 6600 XT (8 GB)
DirectX Version 11 Version 12
Storage 7 GB available 7 GB available
Additional notes SSD recommended SSD recommended

These figures were checked against the official Steam store page on October 13, 2026. They replace the earlier requirements previously listed here. Store requirements can change before release, so compare your hardware with the live listing before purchasing.

The Demo, and What It Does Not Cover

A free demo is available on Steam right now. Per the developer, it contains the opening of the story up to the point of travelling toward the next solar system. In practice that means the demo teaches the settlement layer — housing, food, water, early production and the basics of keeping Kewa healthy — and stops before the galaxy-scale content: settleable planets, advanced industries and the late-game story.

If you are weighing a purchase, the demo is the single best use of your time before October 16. It runs on the same system you will play the full game on, and the early-colony problems it shows you are the same problems the first hours of 1.0 will show you. See the demo guide for what to test while it is free.

Pro tip: If you plan to start on launch day, spend 30 minutes in the demo first and read the beginner guide — arriving on Kewa already knowing how to read the resource bar and pollution overlays saves the most common first-day restart.

What to Watch Before Launch

Release information for a game this close to launch changes by the day, and two things are still open at the time of writing: the price, and any post-launch patch schedule. Both will be posted on the official Steam news feed first, and anything reported elsewhere is usually a summary of that announcement.

For now, the reliable checklist is short: wishlist the game if you want the launch-day notification, play the demo, and check back on October 16 for the 1.0 release build.

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