The Dead We Knew Release Date: Out Now in Early Access, Price and Launch Reviews

The The Dead We Knew release date has arrived: MAY19 STUDIO's zombie survival game THE DEAD WE KNEW: Open World Survival is out now in Early Access on PC via Steam, as of October 22, 2026. It costs $22.50 / £22.50 / €22.50, with a 15% launch discount ($19.12 / £19.12 / €19.12) until November 5. You build a shelter, hunt and farm for food, and fight zombies and hostile humans, alone or with up to three friends in online co-op.

The launch has been rough, though. The game went into launch day with more than 250,000 wishlists, but by the evening its Steam reviews were Very Negative. Here's what's in the Early Access version, what the studio plans to add, and what players are saying.

The Dead We Knew at a glance

Is The Dead We Knew out now?

Yes. THE DEAD WE KNEW: Open World Survival released in Steam Early Access on October 22, 2026. MAY19 STUDIO's "out now" post went up at about 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST, and around 770 people were playing at once on Steam on launch evening.

A few hours before launch, the studio also apologized for going quiet. It said it had been "fully focused" on development and hadn't given the community "the attention and communication it deserved". It promised to follow the Steam discussions from now on, answer questions and post regular progress updates.

Is The Dead We Knew co-op?

Yes. You can play solo or in online co-op with up to four players. MAY19 STUDIO's pitch is simple: "Explore together, defend together, build together, and fight to stay alive." Steam lists single-player, online co-op and adjustable difficulty.

What kind of game is The Dead We Knew?

It's an open-world survival game built around three loops: build, eat and survive the fog. Everything below comes from the official Steam page.

Build a shelter from a cabin upwards

You scavenge abandoned buildings, the forest and the wider world for materials, then start with a simple cabin and gradually turn it into "a stronger, larger, and more livable base". You organise the shelter, craft what you need, make a place to rest and prepare for what comes at night. As the studio puts it: "every wall you build will determine your chances of survival."

Hunt, cook and grow your own food

Hunger is as dangerous as the zombies. You can hunt animals such as deer in the forest, process the meat and cook it over a fire. When ready-made food runs out, you work the soil and plant vegetables such as tomatoes, then use what you grow to cook more nutritious meals, from "a simple bite to a warm bowl of soup".

Fog, weather and a day-night cycle

The world runs on a 24-hour day and night cycle with changing weather: the wind shifts, rain can start suddenly, and dense fog can wipe out your visibility. The fog is also a warning sign. When visibility drops, zombies "can become more aggressive and attack from within the darkness and fog".

Zombies and hostile humans

The threats aren't only undead. The store description and content notice mention combat with zombies and hostile human groups, plus hunting and butchering animals. Steam's content notice also warns of violence and blood, so this one isn't for younger players.

Watch The Dead We Knew teaser trailer

The official teaser from the game's YouTube channel. A full "Official Gameplay Trailer" is also on the Steam store page.

How much does The Dead We Knew cost?

The Early Access price on Steam is $22.50 / £22.50 / €22.50. As an introductory offer it's 15% off, at $19.12 / £19.12 / €19.12, until November 5.

The price won't stay there. In its Early Access FAQ, MAY19 STUDIO says it plans to "gradually increase the price" as it adds content, and will announce each change in advance. Buying early locks in the lower price.

How long will The Dead We Knew be in Early Access?

About one year, according to the studio, though it says that "is not a fixed deadline" and could change. The Early Access build already has the core loop: exploring the open world, fighting zombies and hostile survivors, gathering resources, crafting, building and defending shelters, and managing hunger, thirst and energy. You can also swim and use boats to reach other parts of the map.

The main additions planned before the full release are:

• New weapon types and more combat options
• More to do at sea, including fishing
• Vehicles
• New settlements and locations across the map
• Optimization, fixes and gameplay changes based on player feedback

No dates have been given for any of these yet.

Is The Dead We Knew on PS5 or Xbox?

Not at launch. Only PC (Steam) has been announced. There's no Game Pass listing either.

The Dead We Knew PC system requirements

These are the specs on the Steam page at launch. There's still no processor listed. Steam doesn't list controller support either, so plan on playing with a mouse and keyboard for now.

What are players saying about The Dead We Knew?

Not much good so far. On launch evening, only 9% of 237 Steam reviews were positive. These are players' opinions from their Steam reviews, not things we've tested ourselves:

• Early Access isn't an excuse. Beefhammer summed up many reviews: "I Really Wanted to Love This Game. The Game Had Other Plans." They say they knew it was Early Access, but it was still too rough.
• Crafting and combat. ToMaToSaFlaMe calls it "extremely janky". They point out that you can't fight with your bare hands, and that the rope you need for an axe uses brush you can't gather yourself. Several reviews also say there's no unarmed melee.
• Dying hurts. GroomLakeGaming | TTV says there's no map and no marker to find your belongings after you die, and that stamina and health drain far too quickly.
• Co-op drops. yeagermeister12 bought it for co-op but couldn't play "more than 5 minutes" without being disconnected from a friend. They hope it's just a launch-day server problem.
• Some see potential. Slade recommends it, saying "the core ideas are creative and the initial gameplay hook is solid". They still think it lacks basic settings and quality-of-life features for the price.

Other reviews mention sound cutting out, having to click several times to loot or use items, and no controller support. MAY19 STUDIO hasn't released a patch or a list of known issues yet. We'll update this page when it does.

What languages does The Dead We Knew support?

English has full audio. Interface and subtitles are listed in French, German, Italian, Spanish (Spain and Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Russian, Turkish, Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

More upcoming survival games on iGame Magazine

• DayZ Badlands release date – the biggest zombie survival launch this month
• Project Zomboid Build 42.21 – the zombie survival sandbox's latest update
• ATMOSFAR release date – another co-op survival game entering Early Access in late October
• Blight: Survival release date – co-op PvE survival for up to four

The Dead We Knew FAQ