Towerborne release date, early access, trailers, gameplay, and latest news

When is the Towerborne release date? This colorful co-op beat 'em up is the latest venture by Stoic, the indie developer best known for 2014's The Banner Saga. However, Towerborne is shaping up to be quite a bit different from the turn-based strategy that came before it.

Instead, Towerborne takes elements of action RPGs and platform games to create a side-scrolling adventure in an original fantasy world. It takes place in the City of Numbers, where monsters lurk outside of the safety of The Belfry. You take on the role of Ace, a hero born from the spirit realm imbued with the power to cleanse the land. If this sounds right up your alley, we're here to get you up to speed with the Towerborne release date, early access, and gameplay.

Towerborne released into Steam Early Access on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, and is now available on Game Pass.

Stoic maintains Towerborne will only leave early access "when it's ready." We know that the studio was affected by budget cuts from Microsoft earlier this year, with eight members of the team laid off. This upheaval could account for the ambiguity surrounding the launch date in recent months.

Towerborne is an Xbox exclusive available on Windows PC and Xbox Series X/S. According to Stoic, it includes "30-60 hours of play that will expand throughout the early access period." Players who wish to opt into early access must purchase Founder's Pack or play on Game Pass, which includes a free item per month throughout the pre-launch period.

Towerborne will become a free PC game once it leaves early access, transitioning from a crowdfunding venture to a live service. However, Stoic maintains that "weapons, gear, or any and all forms of power-progression will never be behind a paywall." Instead, Towerborne's post-launch microtransactions will only extend to cosmetics and convenience items, ensuring a level playing field for all.

Towerborne trailers

The Towerborne announcement trailer establishes The Belfry, a sanctuary for the remnants of humanity, as four characters set out to explore the world surrounding the tower. As the map zooms out, we can see a grid-like system to conquer and neutralize areas, making them safe for citizens to leave the tower.

The early access trailer expands upon Towerborne's co-op functionality, depicting a team of Aces running, fighting, and even dancing together. It concludes with Towerborne's tagline: "Fight as one."

Towerborne gameplay

Towerborne is available for online co-op with up to three friends or you can play solo and recruit companions to help you battle enemies and keep you company on your journey in the world surrounding The Belfry. There are four weapon types and classes: Warclub (Pyroclast), Gauntlets (Rockbreaker), Dual Daggers (Shadowstriker), and Sword and Shield (Sentinel).

You and your team can create builds and setups that best fit how each party member plays. You can also switch danger levels depending on how challenging you find the gameplay, too. This plays into Stoic's big push for approachability, though this low skill floor is balanced against skill and build expression. You also have to consider the risk/reward of whichever weapon you choose and how to navigate it.

Seasonal content is also coming to Towerborne, with "new enemies to battle, regions to discover, abilities to master, and lore to uncover." As the game evolves, new content will be added to Towerborne based on what the fans want. Lead concept artist Jeff Murchie expands on this, saying that "the more we create, the more we realize we can iterate and make new, compelling options for all players."

We've already seen major gameplay leaps during Towerborne's early access. Towerborne update 2 added a new boss, gear, and group finder, whereas update 4 introduced a host of improvements to UI, drop rates, and combat readability. Towerborne update 6 brought it to Game Pass, alongside a class progression system revamp and even more missions.

In our own hands-on interview with the creative leads at Stoic, it seems that approachability is a top priority, so we expect to see many more changes to arrive before Towerborne's full launch.

Stoic addressed early adopters in a one-year anniversary announcement that included a full overview of all nine updates implemented in Towerborne. "We're proud of the progress we've made together," Stoic said. "At the same time we know there's still more to do."

Now that you're up to speed with the Towerborne release date estimate, check out our top picks for the best co-op games to play with a pal. If you prefer to go it alone, we've also got recommendations for the best action games to slay between bouts of Towerborne.