7 Days to Die is finally leaving Early Access in June but the fans aren’t sure it’s the right move

After twelve long years, 7 Days to Die is finally set to leave Early Access in June 2024. While this change has been very anticipated, many are doubting whether it is the right move for the game right now.

As someone who has played many Alphas of the game, I can say that 7 Days to Die has undergone a lot of changes compared to where it started 12 years ago. The 1.0 launch comes with big art changes (I am excited about all of the new animals that they keep teasing on 7 Days to Die Discord) and a bunch of optimizations. However, even with these positive changes, is it enough to justify leaving Early Access?

Everything you need to know about 7 Days to Die 1.0

The fans have been expecting Alpha 22 in 2024, but instead, we are getting version 1.0 and an official launch. This is something that I didn't really think I'd see in the next few years, so it does come as a big surprise, but I'm not sure how pleasant it is.

Honestly, this change feels quite rushed, despite Richard Huenink, the co-founder of the Fun Pimps claiming they have always planned for Alpha 22 to be version 1.0. One Reddit user, Alt_SWR, said, 'I mean, sure, it's technically leaving EA, but it's not actually if you ask me. A lot of the MAJOR features are going to be missing in the "1.0" release.'

For many of us, this is exactly where the negative feelings stem from, on top of the comments on the Alpha Exodus: The Road to 1.0 YouTube video being switched off. That's never a good look.

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Will there be many improvements? Yes. But a lot of the big changes that have been promised for years will only come after the launch. As a game that won't get the many-times-delayed Bandits until Q2 of 2025 and a story mode until Q4 of 2025, it is really asking a lot from its fans, especially with the price increase to $45.

Do I think the increase in price is worth it? Not really, at least not at the 1.0 launch with many of the Kickstarter goals still left to be fulfilled after. Especially if you consider how many times the game has been on sale, almost every few months in the past year alone. If you are looking to start playing 7DYD, then your best choice is to grab the game on its final 76% sale from April 22 to April 29.

If you already have the game, then nothing will really change for you. You can keep exploring Navezgane as you have been so far. TFP also promises that we will be getting a bunch of free updates along with DLCs and expansions, which I will have to see before I can form an opinion. I've been playing this game for years, I really hope it's a positive one.

7 Days to Die Roadmap

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The 7 Days to Die roadmap explains everything that will happen after the 1.0 launch. TFP claims they will commit to the set deadlines, with some delays possible. From experience, the community doesn't have much trust in these deadlines, and TFP will have to work hard to prove us wrong.

• Storm's Brewing in Q4 2024 - This update will add a big overhaul to the weather system and biome progression as well as add a wardrobe system. But the most important part coming with the update is the crossplay function, allowing the new console players to connect with their PC friends (or other consoles).
• A New Threat in Q2 2025 - An official promise to finally add the Bandits, the long-awaited NPCs, to the game. They've been delayed so many times that I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this time, it's the real deal. Additionally, 7DYD will introduce an event system and a new Quest type. As someone whose primary role in my team is completing Quests for the traders, I am very excited to find out about the new one.
• The Road Ahead in Q4 2025 - The road will lead us to even more Quest types, but what is most important is that we will be getting a story mode. The game has had the scaffolding for a story made for so long, and it's going to be incredible to finally see it fleshed out.

The roadmap is promising, but it's also bittersweet that many of these features aren't available on 1.0's launch. I'll still be playing the game for many years to come, but the developers will have to work hard to justify the new game prices to new fans who might want to play it.

If you want to stay current with all the game's new changes, check out the 7 Days to Die Patch Notes on Pro Game Guides.