Demo vs Early Access at a glance
| Steam Next Fest demo (Oct 19–26) | Early Access (from Nov 3) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $29.99 — see price |
| World | A small part of Diamond Shores | Most of Diamond Shores + Gylden Ruins + Astron Plains — 60+ areas, ~20× the demo |
| Quest content | About 2–3 hours | Story and side quests across three regions, 1,000+ exploration and collection points |
| Classes | All four, two weapons each | All four, two weapons each; female Warrior and Gladius planned for December — see classes |
| PvP | Unlocked early, from the first Nui Statue | Normally after the early game — see PvP |
| Housing & trade | Not in the demo | Included |
| Bonus dungeon | Throne of Hinnon (hidden key) | Each region has its own bosses and dungeons |
| Progress | Wiped | Fresh start — nothing carries over |
What changed after the demo
XLGAMES read the Next Fest feedback and listed fixes for Early Access (October 29 letter):
- Launch & connection: a shader compilation screen replaces the black screen on first launch; fewer disconnects and login errors; no more launch failures with some antivirus software.
- Servers & parties: region picked automatically; Brazil and Singapore servers added; parties stay together across Peace and Conflict channels; dungeon progress survives a disconnect.
- Balance: Wall of Fire damage cut, bosses resist max-HP-scaling skills more; Wavesword, Longbow Fire Arrow, Warhammer, Hatchet, Elemental Staff lightning and the Berserker’s Forceful Lunge tuned.
- Quality of life: rebindable UI shortcuts, camera Y-invert, smooth camera rotation, ladders no longer cost stamina, more character presets, a chat language filter.
- Not rushed: the core combat feel (stamina, hit stun, movement speed), soft-lock targeting for ranged attacks and party aggro — a dedicated combat team will tune these during Early Access.
How the demo did
- It opened at #1 on Steam’s Top Demos and finished as one of the five most-played demos of the festival.
- SteamDB shows the demo peaking at roughly 20,000 concurrent players.
- Common complaints: dodge-roll delay, skills that can’t be cancelled, wide monster hitboxes, gender-locked classes, and worries that it feels less like an MMO — see vs ArcheAge.