It’s finally happening!
After nearly 12 years of development, the acclaimed and widely-followed open-world zombie survival game 7 Days to Die finally leaving Early Access and stepping into 1.0. For longtime fans of the title, there are likely a lot of questions that come to mind along with this announcement. Fortunately for us, the game’s developers, The Fun Pimps, recently released a Q&A to give their reasoning behind the switch and provide details on their plans for the game’s future.
In this article, we’ll summarize the major points from the Q&A and then dive into the roadmap of future updates. Let’s get into it!
Article summary
- At least 7 Days to Die is approaching its 1.0 release and leaving Early Access.
- The price of the game will increase after the 1.0 version. PC Early Access owners will get the full version for no extra cost, but legacy console players will have to purchase the new completed title.
- The developers have a battery of new updates mapped out for the game over the next year.
Why leave Early Access now?
7 Days to Die has been in Early Access for so long that many had begun to believe that it would never be fully released. Despite this, a steady trickle of large-scale updates kept the game fresh and allowed the devs to experiment with different systems.
When asked why the developers chose to leave Early Access now, they said they felt satisfied with the current quality of the game and want to focus their future efforts on committing to their planned updates and keeping all versions of the game at the same level of progress and polish.
What does 1.0 mean for 7 Days to Die?
For a fanbase that has lived in the world of experimental and alphas for as long as 7D2D, it’s natural to have some concerns and lots of questions about what sorts of changes will be coming to the game with the alpha exodus.
Price change
First and foremost, the price of the game will be going up after the 1.0 Update. The current price of around 25 USD on most platforms will increase to 44.99 on all platforms, so those who haven’t snagged the game yet and still want to should jump on the lower price while they still can. Those who own the Early Access PC title will get the 1.0 version at no additional cost.
Console edition
Though a version of 7D2D has been available for consoles for many years now, console gamers have had to wait significantly longer for updates and suffer through a rather severe drop in quality. Though the 1.0 console version is set to release a few weeks after the PC stable drop, once players have their hands on it the devs promise it will have simultaneous updates to the PC version and the same level of quality.
However, console players should note that the legacy version of the game will not be updated to 1.0, and they will have to purchase the completed title anew. The developers also mentioned they are working with Sony and Microsoft to provide a discount to legacy owners when purchasing the new title.
What about Alpha 22 and Kickstarter Goals?
Though many new features were initially planned to release with Alpha 22 and future alphas, the devs have instead lined that content up to be integrated as part of their future roadmap. Players will still be able to access older alpha versions on Steam after the full release, but console versions will not have this feature.
As for Kickstarter Goals, there are still some stretch goals yet to be reached, and the developers have mentioned that they are still hoping to fulfill those goals. They have also said that some of the promised content may come after the 1.0 release, but they are devoted to making sure all of the promised content is available for the backers.
Future content roadmap
Alongside their announcement of the game’s exodus from alpha, the 7D2D devs posted a roadmap of future content updates that will be added to the game over this year and the next. Note that these updates are tentative and subject to change in both release time and content.
1.0 Release – July 2024
Slated for this summer, the 1.0 release will not only implement all of the changes we mentioned above but will also open the floodgates of new content for the game. Here are just a few of the updates planned for the 1.0 release:
- Remade Vehicle Assets
- New Points of Interest
- New Animals
- New Gore System
- Zombie Variants
- All New Challenge System
- Updated VFX and Graphics
- Updated Controller Support
Storm’s Brewing Update – Q4 2024
Set for Q4 of 2024, this update focuses on remastering the current environments and visuals of the game. Some of the features for this update include:
- Weather Systems Overhaul
- Biome Progression Overhaul
- New Wardrobe System
- Crossplay
- Random Generation for Consoles
- Additional Zombie Stages
A New Threat Update – Q2 2025
Planned for the second quarter of next year, the New Threat update brings in long-awaited NPC enemies and brand-new challenges to overcome. Some of this update’s features include:
- Bandits!
- UI Overhaul
- Events System
- New Quest Types
The Road Ahead Update – Q4 2025
At the end of 2025, the devs want to wrap up their plan with updates focused on story and progression. A few of the new features might include:
- Story Mode
- Trader System Overhaul
- Support for Steam Workshop and Mods
- More New Quest Types
A long-awaited arrival
7 Days to Die is a survival game similar to many others but with a unique concept. Fans have waited patiently for years, some begrudgingly expecting the title to never be fully released and others perfectly content to explore the voxel wastes in Early Access.
Though this sudden shift in direction is unexpected, it isn’t unwelcome. The planned content additions are still planned, though shifts in content and price changes may rub some legacy users the wrong way.
It’s unclear what the devs have planned at the end of their released roadmap. Are they planning a future title? An expansion to the current game? Or will the steady roll of updates continue for another decade? Whatever it is, we’ll be here to watch how it all unfolds.
