SteamDB listed 3,309 games tagged Early Access with a 2026 Steam release date when checked on November 5, 2026, the largest yearly total in its records going back to 2013.
This page covers early access games on Steam statistics for launch volume, completion rates, 1.0 revenue, top sellers and how graduates rank in 2026 reviews.
Early Access Games on Steam Statistics
How Many Early Access Games Are on Steam in 2026?
SteamDB counts 3,309 Early Access games released on Steam in 2026 as of November 5, 2026. The full-year totals were 2,357 for 2025 and 1,898 for 2024.
The 2026 count stood at 2,924 in mid-October, according to GamesIndustry.biz reporting on SteamDB data. SteamDB’s cumulative tally since 2013 now reaches 16,079 releases.
Source: SteamDB, Steam Early Access Game Releases by Year, checked November 5, 2026; GamesIndustry.biz, October 2026
Valve publishes its own numbers. Its GDC 2025 talk put 2024 Early Access launches at 2,897 and the number of games currently in Early Access at more than 14,000.
SteamDB’s series is filtered by its Early Access tag, and the two counts do not match. Treat them as separate measurements.
Source: Valve GDC 2025 presentation, as summarized by GameDev Reports, March 2025
Early Access Share of All Steam Releases
Early Access titles made up 13.7% of Steam releases in 2026, based on SteamDB data cited by GamesIndustry.biz.
| Year | Early Access share of Steam releases |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 11.3% |
| 2026 (to mid-October) | 13.7% |
Source: GamesIndustry.biz using SteamDB data, reported October 2026
Valve’s GDC 2025 slides tell a different story: an Early Access share between 13% and 19% in every year since 2013, with a drop in 2024. The two sources disagree on the level.
Both shares depend on total release volume, which these Steam platform statistics track separately.
Source: Valve GDC 2025 presentation, as summarized by GameDev Reports, March 2025
60.6% Reach 1.0: Steam Early Access Completion Data
A FinalBoss analysis published October 14, 2026 tracked 10,141 games that entered Early Access between 2013 and 2023 and had at least 10 user reviews. Of those, 6,144 had reached version 1.0.
Another 26.3% had gone at least a year without an update, and 6.9% were removed from sale. FinalBoss notes the shares total 99.9% because of rounding.
Source: FinalBoss, Steam Early Access status snapshot, published October 14, 2026
The review filter lifts the headline rate. FinalBoss reports completion falls to roughly 51% once smaller games are counted.
A second snapshot looked only at games still in the program. Of 12,320 listings, 6,989 (56.7%) had gone more than a year without an update.
Steam began showing a notice on Early Access pages with no update in over a year in February 2025, as SteamDB first reported.
Source: FinalBoss, October 2026; Engadget, February 2025
Early Access Games on Steam After 1.0: Revenue by Graduating Year
| Metric | 2025 graduates | 2026 graduates (to May 19) |
|---|---|---|
| Games tracked | 225 | 91 |
| Earned more at 1.0 than at Early Access launch | 20% (45 games) | 21% |
| Median time in Early Access | 437 days (about 14 months) | 1 year and 3 months |
| Average time in Early Access | 643 days (about 21 months) | Not reported |
| Median 1.0 month revenue vs median Early Access launch month | About 40% | Not reported |
Source: GameDiscoverCo, 2025 graduates (published December 9, 2025) and 2026 graduates (published May 19, 2026)
Both cohorts compare the first 30 days of Early Access with the first 30 days at 1.0. The 2026 set covers paid games with over 5,000 copies sold, or free games with over $10,000 in revenue, during their first Early Access month.
Valve’s GDC 2025 data shows more than half of games spend under a year in Early Access. That covers every Early Access game, while GameDiscoverCo’s medians cover tracked graduates only.
Soulmask led 2026 graduates by 1.0 revenue, which GameDiscoverCo partly credits to a $20 DLC launched alongside 1.0. Timberborn, Shapez 2 and Terra Invicta also ranked high.
Source: GameDiscoverCo, May 2026; Valve GDC 2025 presentation via GameDev Reports, March 2025
2025 Graduates That Gained or Lost the Most
| Game | Early Access first-month gross | 1.0 month revenue vs Early Access launch month |
|---|---|---|
| Tainted Grail | Not stated | +1,272% |
| Escape the Backrooms | About $500k (2022) | +189% |
| Mars First Logistics | About $300k (2023) | +181% |
| News Tower | $350k | +138% |
| Hades II | Not stated | -75% |
| Slime Rancher 2 | Not stated | -85% |
| Backpack Battles | $6.7m | -87% |
| Supermarket Simulator | $10.7m | -95% |
Source: GameDiscoverCo estimates, 2025 Early Access graduates, published December 9, 2025
Hades II hit an all-time high of 112k concurrent players at 1.0. GameDiscoverCo still estimates its first 1.0 month brought in about $11 million, 75% below its Early Access debut.
Mars First Logistics is the clearest 1.0 jump in the set, and GameDiscoverCo links part of it to adding many new languages.
Which Early Access Games Sold the Most on Steam?
Schedule I and R.E.P.O., both Early Access launches from 2025, topped Alinea Analytics’ list of new 2025 indies by Steam gross revenue. Alinea estimates Schedule I at $151 million and R.E.P.O. at $147 million.
Alinea also put R.E.P.O. at 19.6 million players by December 2025, and its R.E.P.O. player count history shows how that audience has held since launch.
Source: Alinea Analytics, 2025 estimates published December 19, 2025
AppMagic’s 2025 numbers count R.E.P.O. at 18.5 million copies and Schedule I at 9.1 million, both among Steam’s 10 best sellers by copies. Alinea and AppMagic use separate models, so their figures are not combined here.
The same AppMagic list includes PEAK at 15.4 million copies, and PEAK’s concurrent player trend is tracked separately. AppMagic puts average day-30 retention for these co-op titles at around 3%.
Source: AppMagic, 2025 data, as summarized by GameDev Reports, April 2026
Paralives sold 250,000 copies in its first 8 hours after its May 2026 Early Access launch, according to developer Alex Masse.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz, as reported by WN Hub, October 2026
Steam Early Access Graduates in the 2026 Ratings
Six of the 10 top-rated new Steam releases of 2026 are Early Access graduates, based on Steam250 rankings reported on September 22, 2026. Palworld and Valheim lead the list after their 1.0 launches.
TCG Card Shop Simulator (#5), Fields of Mistria (#7), Timberborn (#8) and Scrap Mechanic (#10) complete the group. Steam250 weights positive review share by review volume.
Palworld’s 1.0 also changed how players connect, covered in this guide to how Palworld handles cross-platform play.
Source: Steam250, as reported by GamesRadar, September 22, 2026
Valheim spent more than five years in Early Access before 1.0, per GamesRadar. Its 1.0 launch player numbers show the jump that release produced.
Earlier Valve data points the same way: 28% of the most successful Steam releases of 2024 started in Early Access.
Source: GamesRadar, 2026; Valve GDC 2025 presentation via GameDev Reports, March 2025
Iron Gate CEO Richard Svensson estimates players expect about 20% less from an Early Access game than from a full release, but still expect a polished game.
Source: 80 Level, citing GamesIndustry.biz, October 29, 2026
FAQs
How many early access games are on Steam?
SteamDB lists 3,309 Early Access games released on Steam in 2026 as of November 5, 2026, and 16,079 since 2013. Valve said more than 14,000 games were in Early Access in March 2025.
What percentage of early access games get finished?
About 60.6%. FinalBoss found 6,144 of 10,141 games that entered Early Access from 2013 to 2023, each with 10+ reviews, reached 1.0. Counting smaller games, the rate falls to roughly 51%.
Do early access games make more money at 1.0?
Usually not. GameDiscoverCo found 21% of 91 tracked 2026 graduates earned more in their first 30 days at 1.0 than in their first Early Access month. The 2025 figure was 20%.
How long do games stay in early access on Steam?
Tracked 2026 graduates spent a median of 1 year and 3 months in Early Access, per GameDiscoverCo. The 2025 cohort had a 437-day median and a 643-day average.
Are most Steam early access games abandoned, as Reddit threads often claim?
Not most. In FinalBoss’s 10,141-game dataset, 26.3% went a year without updates and 6.9% were removed, 33.2% combined. Among 12,320 listings still in Early Access, 56.7% lacked updates for over a year.