The Early Access approach has existed in the gaming industry for just over a decade now, and despite some controversies over the years, it shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Since the early 2010s, the term "Early Access" has been used to describe a game that's released in an unfinished state, similar to an Alpha or Beta version of a game, with the intention that it'll be released in full at some point in the near-future.
While some of the most notorious Early Access games have ended in disaster, such as Earth: Year 2066, the vast majority of the time it's a great way to attract early fans at a cheaper price and fine-tune the game to perfection before its full release. And hopefully in 2023, three Early Access games will finally hit that big development milestone
Three Big Games Could Leave Early Access in 2023
The biggest profile Early Access game on this list is Overwatch 2. Releasing in Early Access in October of last year, Overwatch 2 may feel like a finished game for some, but it's actually missing a significant amount of content when compared to Blizzard's original pitch for the hero shooter sequel. Originally, Overwatch 2 was going to ship with a full PvE campaign, along with a slew of new maps, modes, and playable heroes. Rather than release it all at once, Blizzard decided to adopt a more live-service-like approach, where Overwatch 2 is being updated continuously every few months.
That being said, Overwatch 2 is set to hit its full release in 2023, with that title presumably c oming with the addition of Overwatch 2's long-awaited PvE mode. While there's no confirmed release date for this mode just yet, Blizzard's Aaron Keller has recently confirmed that a 2023 release date for PvE is still intended, so hopefully Overwatch 2 will leave Early Access in 2023, though it's likely to be toward the end of the year.
The surprisingly popular Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley-inspired Disney Dreamlight Valley is also set to hit the big time at some point in 2023. Eager fans could purchase the Early Access version of Disney Dreamlight Valley back in September 2022, but when the game finally releases fully, it's set to be free-to-play. Disney Dreamlight Valley's 2023 roadmap is already packed to the brim with exciting new content updates, from adding new iconic characters like Simba and Belle, to new locations, furniture, and cosmetics. Though the developer didn't specify a full release date on the game's 2023 roadmap, fans are just assuming that development is moving along at a steady pace, and that it'll leave Early Access in 2023.
The final heavy-hitter set to leave Early Access in 2023 is Valheim. Released in Early Access all the way back in February 2021, Valheim is the oldest game on this list, but it also features the smallest development team by far, with just five team members on board at the time of its original launch. Back in 2021 when the game first launched, the devs released a general roadmap that detailed a few planned content updates and gave a general 2022 release date for full access. However, in order to prioritize bug fixes over new content drops, the team decided to push back Valheim's full release date, never again specifying a new one. Though fans are more inclined to believe that it'll take at least another year or two for Valheim to be fully complete, it's more than possible for the game to release in full by the end of 2023, making it the third big game to leave Early Access in 2023.