Outward 2 is coming to early access

Nine Dots Studio has confirmed that Outward 2 will launch in early access on PC on February 8, 2027, through Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG. The date was announced with a new trailer during the Triple-i Initiative showcase on October 8, 2026. It replaces the original July 7, 2026 target, which the studio pushed back in June to work on stability and performance after beta feedback.

What the early access build includes

Nine Dots expects early access to last 12 to 18 months before version 1.0, though that window could stretch depending on player feedback. At launch, players get three fully playable open-world regions in Aurai, plus a fourth that is playable but will be improved over time. There are three starting scenarios, each in a different city, and three questlines with three missions each out of the seven planned for 1.0. Six trainers teach skills, and players can specialize in up to three classes at once. Character creation includes personality traits such as Hoarder, Gourmet, and Lone Wolf, which affect dialogue, starting gear, and initial aptitudes. Early access will be discounted compared with the full release, though no price has been announced.

Survival and co-op

Outward 2 keeps the original's grounded approach. You play an ordinary adventurer with no innate magical affinity, and there are no mounts, no fast travel, and no scaled encounters. Hunger, thirst, exhaustion, and weather can kill you as readily as monsters can. Backpack weight matters, and you can drop your pack mid-fight to stay nimble. Constant auto-saving discourages reckless decisions, and an optional Hardcore mode gives every defeat a 20% chance of deleting your save. Co-op works online and in split-screen, with drop-in, drop-out play but no matchmaking.

PC system requirements

The minimum spec is Windows 10, a Ryzen 3 1300X, 8 GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 960, and 25 GB of storage. The recommended spec is Windows 11, a Ryzen 5 5600X, 16 GB of RAM, and a GeForce RTX 3060, with the same storage requirement. Nine Dots also offers a Potato mode for hardware below the minimum. The studio does not guarantee full gameplay parity but says the game should be playable.