Xbox’s Towerborne sheds its free-to-play status, gains offline mode as it exits early access

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The developers of Towerborne, Stoic and Xbox Game Studios, have announced the game is officially launching on February 26th after a period of testing through the Game Preview program. Players can now experience the complete version of this side-scrolling action RPG.

Since it was first announced and released in early access, the plans for the full launch of the game have changed considerably. Originally, Towerborne was intended to be a free-to-play game available only on Xbox consoles. Now, the 1.0 update will be released on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Steam. Players can purchase the standard edition for $24.99 or the deluxe edition for $29.99.

Towerborne was initially designed as a game you’d always need to be online to play with others. However, the developers have changed course. When the full version of Towerborne (version 1.0) releases, you’ll be able to buy the game once and play it offline. While online cooperative play will still be available, Stoic wants to offer players a game they truly own, which is a bit unusual in today’s world of digital games and subscriptions.

In a recent post on Xbox Wire, Trisha Stouffer, CEO and President of Stoic, explained that the change in plans for the game’s launch meant a major overhaul of its core systems over the past year. Originally, the game was built around always being online, but now it’s been rebuilt to be more robust, easier to access, and more enjoyable for players. This resulted in a better version of Towerborne.

What’s new for Towerborne with 1.0?

As we fully launch Towerborne’s premium version, we’re really completing the story we set out to tell. Players will experience a full narrative arc, leading to a huge final battle against the main villain. And it’s not just that final boss – we’ve added *two* new bosses, along with some challenging lieutenants and umbra enemies. You can take them on solo, or team up with friends – it’s up to you!

Towerborne’s version 1.0 will introduce a completely updated world map, including a brand-new environment, tougher battles, and lots of fresh challenges. Players can also look forward to new equipment, skills, and a crafting system to customize their gear’s stats.

Stoic now features a completely revamped difficulty system, with rebalanced gameplay and a new ‘Brutal’ mode for players seeking a truly demanding experience.

The 1.0 update for Towerborne will include many improvements to the player experience. One major change is that the game will launch as a full purchase, rather than being free-to-play. Originally, the developers at Stoic planned to support Towerborne with optional cosmetic purchases, but they listened to player feedback and decided a premium launch would be better.

The team needed to figure out how to transfer the benefits players earned from the original Founders Packs to the new launch plan. The old in-game currency, Belfry Bucks, will be replaced with Writs. Stoic is calling this conversion process ‘Stepstones,’ and players will receive one Stepstone for every 500 Belfry Bucks they earned during Early Access.

Towerborne will be changing how it’s funded, moving away from selling cosmetic items for money. Because of this, the in-game store for premium cosmetics will close on February 26th. Players who bought items during Early Access will still be able to use them, but Stoic will stop selling Founders Packs when the game officially launches.

Towerborne will officially release on February 26, 2026 for $24.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, PlayStation 5, and Steam. You can play it on Xbox and PC with Xbox Play Anywhere, and it will be available to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass subscribers.

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2026-01-09 05:39