When Towerborne exits Early Access and Xbox Game Preview for its 1.0 launch on February 26, 2026, it won’t feel like a standard update, because the release is positioned as a full redesign of what the game is and how players engage with it.
Towerborne’s original direction leaned toward a free-to-play, always-online live-service model with systems built around constant connectivity, an in-game shop, and the kind of recurring progression hooks you’d expect from a long-term service game.
For version 1.0, Stoic is switching gears and turning that model into a premium buy-once release with offline support, while still offering online co-op as an option, positioning Towerborne as a game you can own and return to long-term instead of one tied to always-on servers and live-service pacing.
What Did Players Actually Get During the Preview Period?
Stoic’s Early Access messaging suggests the studio never viewed the preview as a soft launch, but instead used it the way it did on projects like The Banner Saga: inviting players into development early so feedback could influence pacing, balance, and long-term systems.
In practical terms, Towerborne’s Early Access version already laid down the foundation: four classes you can swap between outside combat—Pyroclast (warclubs), Sentinel (sword and shield), Rockbreaker (gauntlets), and Shadowstriker (daggers)—alongside multiple danger tiers, a large pool of repeatable missions, dungeon-style Venture runs with bosses and lieutenants, and a consistent loop focused on earning gear, weapons, and build modifiers (“aspects”) to shape your loadout.
The point of releasing this version early was to test what worked, identify friction (especially in progression and difficulty), and iterate alongside the community through Discord feedback, surveys, and regular updates.
What Is the Biggest Change Coming with Towerborne 1.0?
Towerborne’s full release shifts both its business model and the structure behind it, because instead of going free-to-play at 1.0 as originally planned, it will launch as a paid premium game priced at $24.99 for the Standard Edition and $29.99 for the Deluxe Edition.
That’s a major reversal from the earlier expectation that the game would rely on microtransactions to sustain itself.
This wasn’t a simple change, because Stoic reportedly needed an extended development stretch to rework systems originally designed for constant online access into something players could fully own and run independently.
The end goal is a more accessible version of Towerborne that doesn’t force players to be connected to servers just to play, which many people in the community discussion see as a huge win in an era where games can become unplayable once service support ends.
What Happens if You Already Bought in During Early Access?
Stoic’s FAQ makes it clear that Early Access ownership automatically converts into the Standard Edition once Towerborne exits Early Access.
Players also keep their Founder-exclusive rewards, along with any curio unlocks and premium items they already obtained.
On top of that, progression carries over and the game supports multiple save slots, so you can keep your current character and loot while still starting a new run to experience the revised story and progression from the beginning.
Put simply, players won’t lose what they earned in the switch to premium, since it’s presented as part of the full launch.
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