Study shows how prolonged early access can hurt sales of Steam games and player counts

Companies are increasingly relying on Steam early access periods to market and develop games. However, extended previews can result in disappointing post-launch player counts. A new study narrows down the ideal early access length to keep gamers engaged.

Automaton highlighted a Newzoo report that considered early access console and Steam games between 2021 and 2024. The same titles also saw a final version surface during the same three years. Games that finished development within four to nine months saw the highest player counts after release. Narrowing down the data further, game makers should target a six-month timeframe for the best chance of success.

The data firm is careful to note that many other factors influence support following early access. Establishing trust with players at the start of the process is critical to player retention. Constant communication and regular updates can avoid gamers doubting the future of a project.

The dangers of early access

Paid early access has become more common with Steam games and console titles. That raises expectations for developers to offer a functional and feature-packed experience. Still, in these cases, gamers may wonder what the objective of companies is other than to gain revenue and beta testers. AAA publishers usually have the funding to complete development without community involvement.

Palworld is an example of an early access game that arrived with as much content as some final releases. Yet, the 1.0 version may struggle to attract the massive Steam player counts seen during its January 2024 debut. After about six months, which matches the Newzoo’s suggestion, peak counts fell from over two million to 30,000.

Some gamers prefer titles that aren’t finished because they have more influence over the final product. Palworld critics like journalist Chris Scullion claim that the game has been essentially complete for quite some time. They argue that its continued early access label is a way to insulate Pocketpair from criticism. Regardless, companies have dramatically different reasons and strategies for this introductory period.