ZeroSpace Update #15: Release Timeline, PvP Fest, Next Fest, & New Art Reveals!

[p]Hey commanders, we’re excited to kick off February with some major announcements and share an update on our progress![/p][p][/p][h2]Steam PvP Fest (February 9–16)[/h2][p]Our Steam PvP Fest demo starts tomorrow, running from February 9–16![/p][p]This open playtest will spotlight our competitive side, with a focus on Versus mode, but don’t worry, Co-op and Skirmish will still be available for anyone who prefers those, or wants something more relaxed than ranked.[/p][p]
The demo will feature:[/p]

• [p]Versus (Ranked 1v1)[/p]
• [p]Co-op (3 new maps!)[/p]
• [p]Skirmish (1v1 & 2v2 with friends or AI)[/p]
• [p]On February 15th Artosis and Mapu will be hosting a tournament, sponsored by ZeroSpace (more details to come during the demo)[/p]

[p]This will be on the ZeroSpace Demo App, which you can download for free on our Steam page when the festival begins.[/p][p]This is what the demo app will look like in your Steam library (It has a blue icon)[/p][p][/p][p]For those interested in the patch notes since the last public playtest, those can be found here[/p][p][/p][h2]Steam Next Fest (Summer, June 15–22)[/h2][p]Steam Next Fest is one of the most important visibility opportunities Steam offers developers before release. Given the importance of making a great first impression with new players, we’ve decided to continue improving and refining the game so that we can participate in the June Next Fest, instead of the February event, giving us extra time to polish the experience to the highest possible level.[/p][p][/p][h2]Early Access Release (Summer 2026)[/h2][p]We’re confident enough in our development timeline to begin planning for an Early Access release this year.
[/p][p]We’re still pinning down the exact date; we’d like to aim for shortly after Next Fest, but we need to avoid the Summer Sale and other Steam takeovers that massively reduce the visibility of newly released games. We’re sure many of you understand the importance of timing![/p][p][/p][p]Planned Early Access Content:[/p]

• [p]Xol release[/p]
• [p]Act 1 of our campaign, including 12 Campaign missions[/p]
• [p]Expanded co-op missions, commanders, and co-op meta progression[/p]
• [p]Full skirmish mode (1v1, 2v2, & FFA with friends or AI)[/p]
• [p]Full versus mode (Ranked, 1v1, 2v2)[/p]
• [p]Revamped survival mode[/p]

[p]Our current plan is to release 1.0 about one year later with the complete campaign, additional mercenary factions, and more. We know many of you have been waiting for us to complete the game for quite some time, and we appreciate your patience. We don’t want to rush things by releasing the game before it’s ready. Early Access should be a very exciting time for you to be a part of ZeroSpace growing and improving as we’ll be releasing new features and content throughout the year.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]In-Game Building: Endari Tavern[/h2][p][/p][p]This Endari creature flies to its target location anywhere on the map before turning into a stone mercenary tavern.[/p][p][/p][h2]Cinematic Model: Sofia[/h2][p][/p][h2]In-Game Unit: Legion Stormcaller[/h2][p][/p][p]We felt and got feedback that Legion was lacking abilities and AOE damage outside of Heroes.[/p][p]That is where the Stormcaller comes in. The Stormcaller is in an alpha state. For now, it shares a lighting attack with the Fanatic and is able to cast "Lighting Storm"; a powerful radial AOE damage ability. In the future, Lighting Storm will be a channeled ability and the Stormcaller will swap its auto-attack for a channeling debuff that siphons life force out of enemy units, slowing their move and attack speed.[/p][p][/p][h2]Map Objective: Koru Heart (Name likely to change)[/h2][p][/p][p]You’ll discover the importance of this objective in the campaign mission: Leviathan, where you’ll also encounter the Cha’Kru for the first time.[/p][h2]
Future Art Updates:[/h2][p]We’re working on a full Protectorate model refresh to bring the faction to a higher quality bar.[/p][p]We’re working on replacing all of our icons and 2D assets in the game from the placeholders they are now, to faction-specific designs for better UI clarity and immersion.[/p][p][/p][p]These updates are part of our push to deliver a visually stunning RTS experience. More to come soon![/p][p][/p][h2]Thank You![/h2][p][/p][p]A massive shoutout to our backers and community for the ongoing enthusiasm, your feedback from past playtests has shaped ZeroSpace into something special. We're gearing up for an amazing year ahead![/p][p]Follow us![/p][p]Wishlist ZeroSpace on Steam: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Join our Discord: http://discord.gg/zerospace[/p][p]Follow us on X: https://x.com/playzerospace[/p][p]Join our Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayZeroSpace/[/p][p][/p][p][/p]