The Wild Eight comes to Steam Early Access in February

The Wild Eight, the cooperative survival sim about a plane crash in Alaska that leads to the discovery of something sinister and decidedly not the product of natural evolution, will launch on Steam Early Access on February 8. Publisher Hypetrain Digital announced the date today, saying that it expects the game to be in Early Access for just three months before it's ready for full release. 

B-weekly updates are planned following the initial launch, and along with the usual bug fixes and balance tweaks, the updates will add new side quests and objectives, a more advanced combat system (including shooting, which I guess won't be present at first), a better UI and map, more languages, and support for Mac and Linux. Multiplayer will be available from the start.

Hypetrain also warned that much has changed from the pre-alpha demo that was released last year. The upgrade system has been completely redesigned, as has "the technical side of the multiplayer," although that doesn't sound like it will have any impact on game mechanics. 

"One and a half years ago it was even hard to imagine the possibility of developing a game here in Yakutia that will attract so much attention all over the world. It's already a big success for us and we want to thank everyone who believed in us during the Kickstarter campaign and everyone who is awaiting the release," developer Ed Gotovtsev said. He also announced that his studio has changed its name from 8 Points to Fntastic (yes, "Fntastic," no missing letters), which he said "stands for breaking the boundaries and art of imagination."

Maybe that translates better in Russian. In any event, The Wild Eight will go for $20 at launch, with a "special cosmetic reward" for Early Access players. Find out more at thewildeight.com.