Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for sticking with us, for your wishlists, comments and patience while we’ve been quietly rebuilding Horizon Journey behind the scenes. Over the last months we’ve expanded the dev team and taken a very honest look at scope, timing and what we can deliver with the quality you deserve.
That process has led us to a new development direction for Horizon Journey’s Early Access launch. This was a tough but necessary decision, and we are confident it is the best path to ensure the best version of Horizon Journey from day one. The core fantasy is absolutely the same:
“You land on Mars, fight to survive, explore what happened before you arrived, and take the first steps toward humanity’s long term terraforming efforts.”
What’s changing is how we deliver that journey to you.
We want to walk you through that without spoilers:
TL;DR
Early Access will launch as a structured, story supported experience set in a hand crafted region of Mars.
You will still explore, survive, face dangers and build a base, but in a more guided arc rather than a fully open sandbox from day one.
The big, open ended sandbox and deeper colony systems are not cancelled. They are planned as post launch Early Access updates built on top of this foundation.
We are not going into story spoilers here. Think of this Early Access release as the larger Horizon Journey vision, focused on atmosphere, pacing and polish.
What’s Changing?
1. Campaign first, sandbox later
Originally we talked more about a very open sandbox from the moment you step onto Mars. After expanding the team and digging into production realities, we decided the best path is:
Early Access launch focuses on a strong, structured experience that follows the expedition on Mars.
You will land, secure a foothold, explore the region and work toward a key mission milestone.
The campaign introduces systems, tools and dangers step by step so the world and mechanics feel cohesive and readable, not overwhelming or half finished.
Think of it as laying the narrative and systemic bedrock that the future sandbox will stand on.
2. A tighter, more hand crafted slice of Mars
Rather than trying to do “everything everywhere all at once”, Early Access will focus on:
A specific operational zone on Mars, with landmarks you will learn to navigate and slowly reclaim.
Hand authored missions and events designed to keep tension and curiosity high as you explore and piece together the past.
Dynamic threats and conditions at night that make the planet feel hostile and alive.
It is still very much about exploration and discovery, but with more intentional pacing and less “empty miles”.
3. Base building with some guardrails (for now)
Base building remains a core part of Horizon Journey, but its role at Early Access launch is changing slightly:
What you can expect at launch:
Building up and expanding a primary hub and its surroundings.
Managing power, resources and upgrades as you stabilize your foothold.
Unlocking new structures and tools as you progress.
The initial guardrails are in place to ensure stability and performance, with more features planned as part of the post launch sandbox phase, once the campaign arc and systems are battle tested.
4. Under the hood: systems and UI revamp
Alongside this shift, the expanded team has been:
Reworking core systems to improve stability, performance and flexibility for future content.
Rebuilding major UI and UX flows so menus, panels and in game prompts are clearer and faster to use.
Tightening up controls, feedback and the overall feel of moving, gathering and building on Mars.
These are less glamorous to talk about, but they are crucial if we want Horizon Journey to grow over time instead of collapsing under its own weight. This work will mean fewer bugs, higher (and smoother) FPS, and a stronger foundation to build upon in the future.
Why we made this call?
In short: time, quality and honesty.
Trying to ship a huge, completely open sandbox on day one of Early Access would either mean:
Spreading the team too thin and launching something rough, confusing and unstable, or…
Delaying for a very long time while expectations keep growing.
We would rather:
Deliver a focused, polished experience that shows you clearly what Horizon Journey is about.
Use that as a solid, test driven foundation for the larger sandbox vision.
Keep you in the loop as we expand, instead of promising everything at once.
Your wishlists and feedback have real weight here. They’re exactly why we chose the route that gives us the best chance to finish what we started instead of cutting corners.
What this means for you as a player?
If you’ve already wishlisted or followed the game:
You are still getting a story rich survival journey on Mars with exploration, base building and tension filled nights.
You’ll be able to play through a full Early Access arc that reaches an important turning point in your mission.
After launch, we plan to share a clearer roadmap for how and when sandbox and longer term systems will roll out during Early Access.
If your heart is set purely on an infinite sandbox:
We want to be transparent that the very first Early Access build is more guided and story driven.
The open ended sandbox layer is planned, not removed, but it will arrive as part of future updates, not on day one.
What’s next?
As we get closer to Early Access, you can expect:
More developer updates showing systems, UI improvements and gameplay
A dedicated post launch roadmap once the first wave of players have landed and we’ve gathered data and feedback.
Thank you again for your support and patience.We’re excited about this new structure, and we can’t wait to show you what life on Mars feels like when Horizon Journey touches down in Early Access.