The Dead We Knew Release Date
THE DEAD WE KNEW unlocks in Early Access on Steam on October 22, 2026. The confirmed date, every missed date before it, and why sites still disagree.
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THE DEAD WE KNEW: Open World Survival is coming to Steam Early Access on October 22, 2026. That is the date the live Steam store page shows today, and after two missed dates it is the only one worth planning around. If you are reading a page that says the game already launched, that page is out of date — the store page has never flipped to "released", no price is live, and there are zero player reviews.
The date, in one table
| Milestone | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Original advertised date | August 24, 2026 | Official promo posts on Instagram and Facebook |
| Re-announced date | September 17, 2026 | Developer announcement on the official Discord; retail listings |
| Current Steam date | October 22, 2026 — coming soon | Live Steam store page |
Why some sites still show a different date
Three date variants circulate: August 24 (the original promo claim), September 17 (the re-announced date that most retail listings picked up), and October 22 (the current date on the live Steam page). The game did not unlock on either of the first two dates, and third-party listings have updated at different speeds — some still describe the game as released in September, which is not what the store page says.
The root of the confusion is simple: the game moved its date more than once, and aggregators updated to different snapshots — some to dates that never happened. Our delay timeline walks through each change in order with its source.
What "coming soon" means right now
The store page is live and wishlisting is open, but the purchasable game is not. Today you can: watch the official trailers, check the system requirements against your PC, and wishlist the game so Steam notifies you at unlock. You cannot buy it, play it, or read player reviews yet — all of that becomes possible on October 22 if the date holds.
The launch is into Early Access, not a 1.0 release. The core survival loop — exploring the open world, looting abandoned places, building a shelter, producing food, and surviving alone or in 4-player co-op — is what the store page commits to. For what that label does and does not promise, see Early Access explained.
Common questions
Is there a demo? No demo has been announced. Steam's standard two-hour refund window is the practical way to test the game on your hardware once it is out — check the system requirements first.
Will the October 22 date hold? That is what the live Steam page says, and it is the only official source. After two missed dates, healthy skepticism is reasonable — we will date-stamp any change in the launch tracker the day it appears.
Will there be a 1.0 release? The Early Access label implies one, but no target date has been published. To be confirmed — the developer has not shared a roadmap yet.