The short answer
Steam lists September 25, 2026 for Early Access. The September open playtest ended September 14 at 08:00 UTC. Kingy has not found a confirmed demo/playtest save-transfer method in the reviewed official announcements.
Choose the current release, not the expired invitation
The live PC listing still marks the game as coming soon at this check. A launch date does not establish an unlock hour, and the old Request Access invitation does not guarantee another test window. Recheck the current store and official announcements before planning a session.
Sources for this section
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: Wild West Pioneers on Steam · Checked 2026-09-22
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: September open playtest window · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-02
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: Early Access roadmap · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-14
Keep your test save separate
Changes to starting resources and quest order are documented. Their effect on an existing save has not been verified here; a new game may be useful for comparison, but is not presented as a required fix.
- Identify whether the save and walkthrough you have are from the demo, September playtest or Early Access.
- Keep the original save intact while checking for an explicit transfer statement.
- On release, inspect the current objective, tent unlock and early costs before resuming an old route.
Sources for this section
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: September playtest hotfix · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-09
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: Playtest retrospective · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-18
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: September open playtest window · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-02
First release checks
| Question | What settles it |
|---|---|
| Does Residents’ Needs advance? | The tent unlock and completed objective in the release build |
| Did the early budget change? | Displayed building and Journey costs |
| Can I trim a road in the middle? | A release-build action and resulting connection state |
| Will my old save transfer? | Current official instructions or a preserved-copy successful test |
Sources for this section
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: September playtest hotfix · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-09
- Empire Craft Studios / Toplitz Productions: Playtest retrospective · Checked 2026-09-22 · Published 2026-09-18
Your checklist
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Research checked 2026-09-22. This is a source-based guide; Kingy has not independently play-tested these steps. Evidence and coverage.