Release & roadmap
Release date and the road to 1.0
ZeroSpace entered Steam Early Access on 20 July 2026. There is no announced 1.0 date. This is the official roadmap, transcribed feature by feature.
Timeline
- Kickstarter and crowdfunding — the project was funded ahead of development, which is why "zerospace kickstarter" is still a live search.
- Playtest and demo builds — both ran before launch. Neither is on the Steam store any more.
- 20 July 2026 — Early Access launch on Steam, Windows only.
- Day one patch — targeted performance, crashes and UI.
- 1.0 — not dated. Starlance has published a feature roadmap but no date.
What shipped in Early Access
Transcribed from the official Development Roadmap. Green items are done, amber are in progress, red are not in yet.
| Area | Feature | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign | 11 Missions | Shipped |
| Full Feature: Meta Progression | Shipped | |
| Faction Reputation | In progress | |
| Save and Load | Coming soon | |
| Character Relationships | Coming soon | |
| Co-op | 3 Commanders | Shipped |
| 10 Missions | Shipped | |
| Meta Progression | In progress | |
| Galactic War Special Events | In progress | |
| Stronghold Mission | Coming soon | |
| Versus | 4 Main Factions (Xol Beta) | Shipped |
| 6 Mercenary Factions, 15 Heroes | Shipped | |
| 12 AI Difficulty Modes | Shipped | |
| Versus AI, 2v2, FFA Game Modes | In progress | |
| Replays, Spectator Mode | In progress | |
| Limited Dedicated Servers | Coming soon | |
| Special Features | Unit Test Map | Shipped |
| Customizable Hotkeys | Shipped | |
| 1k+ Units Supported | Shipped | |
| Survival Game Mode | In progress | |
| Player Profiles | In progress | |
| Unique Unit Voicelines | In progress | |
| Polish Pass: VFX, SFX, Lighting | In progress | |
| Polish Pass: Animation | In progress | |
| Polish Pass: Icons, In-Game UI | Coming soon |
What is held for 1.0
| Area | Feature | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign | Complete Campaign | Planned for 1.0 |
| Multiple Endings | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Customizable Ship Layer | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Companions | Planned for 1.0 | |
| New Game+ | Post-launch | |
| Co-op | New Commanders | Planned for 1.0 |
| New Missions | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Galactic War Seasons | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Guilds | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Versus | Full 2v2, 3v3, FFA Modes | Planned for 1.0 |
| 7th Mercenary Faction | Planned for 1.0 | |
| New Maps | Planned for 1.0 | |
| New Units, Heroes | Post-launch | |
| Active Balance & Design Updates | Post-launch | |
| Special Features | Galactic Editor | Planned for 1.0 |
| Gamemode Variants | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Onboarding Tools | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Additional UI Customization | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Clan System | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Profile Customization | Planned for 1.0 | |
| Controller Support | Post-launch | |
| New Game Modes | Post-launch |
Reading the roadmap honestly
Two things stand out, and both are to Starlance's credit. First, the roadmap does not pretend — it marks unfinished Early Access features as unfinished rather than burying them. Second, the 1.0 column contains things many studios would have shipped as day-one features, including full 2v2/3v3/FFA modes, replays polish, a clan system and controller support.
What it does not contain is a date, or a commitment to additional playable campaign factions. If either of those is your deciding factor, there is nothing published to plan around.
Frequently asked
Questions people actually ask about this, pulled from the Steam discussion boards and search data.
When did ZeroSpace release?
ZeroSpace launched into Steam Early Access on 20 July 2026, on Windows PC.
When is the ZeroSpace 1.0 full release?
No date has been announced. Starlance has published a feature roadmap for 1.0 but has not attached a timeframe to it.
When will the Xol enter ranked?
No date. The Xol shipped as a beta faction and are held out of ranked matchmaking pending further community balance testing. The roadmap does not date their promotion.
Will there be a seventh mercenary faction?
Yes — a 7th mercenary faction is explicitly listed in the 1.0 column of the official roadmap. Six are available in Early Access.
Is controller support coming?
It is on the roadmap as a post-1.0 live-service item, not an Early Access feature. There is no controller support today.