Anime-Inspired Starsand Island Reveals Early Access Launch Date
- Ellie
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Ever since I played the demo for Starsand Island back in October's Steam Next Fest, I've been impatiently waiting for this cozy life sim and after a tumultuous few weeks we finally have a confirmed launch date for their Early Access release.
Starsand Island will be launching into Early Access on PC and Xbox Game Preview on the 11th of February with full launch coming Summer 2026 on PC, Xbox Series consoles, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.
But what features are confirmed for Early Access and what won't be available until the full 1.0 release?
Starsand Island Early Access Details
1. Four Seasons System
Starsand Island will have a four-season system, with each season bringing its own distinct scenery, atmosphere, and seasonal activities.
Celebrate with the NPCs with two new seasonal events, the joyful Chinese New Year and the lively Summer Beach Festival!
2. Core Gameplay
All the professions have reached their full potential with several tiers for you to complete as you play through the game:
a. Farming
There are nearly 100 crops in total in the Early Access version of the game and a brand new hybrid-splicing feature that lets you breed unique blossoms for your farm.
In the late game you'll be able to build your own greenhouse, allowing you to grow your favourite crops year-round unrestricted by season.
b. Ranching
There are now over 10 new species for you to raise, including cows, alpacas, and more, with over 40 subspecies and colour variants for you to discover as well.
c. Fishing
Off the farm, there's lot to get up to as well!
A new fish trap system has been added to the game to compliment the actual in-game fishing, and there are now over 100 aquatic creatures to collect from the various waterways around the island.
3. Interactable NPCs
Every resident has a story to tell and during early access you'll be able to interact with 15 fully voice-acted NPCs! Each NPC has a unique personality and a profession that reflects their character!
There are also 4 new companions that you can forge closer relationships with, although dating won't actually be available until the full release in Summer 2026.
4. A Vast Homestead
Your homestead has expanded! You'll now be able to unlock all nine subplots to expand your home, and there are three new home environments as well: Blue Beach, Cloudrest Lake (Bamboo Forest), and Windflute Island (Private Island).
The developers have also added 300+ pieces of furniture and hundreds of decorative items to game to let you customise your home to suit your style.
5. Customisation
And speaking of customisation, Starsand Island now has fully modular outfits, letting you mix and match hats, hairstyles and accessories.
They've also added an infinite colour wheel to give you full autonomy over your preference of hair, eye or skin tone to create the best representation of you (or who you want to be)!
6. New Ways to Travel
There's a big map to explore now, as The Moonlit Forest now opens up with 12 new camps and 3 epic bosses.
But, thankfully, there are lots of new and unique ways to get around it! There are over 40 rideable items now, including 10+ craftable vehicles, various water and air mounts, and 20+ rideable animal companions!
And you can even modify your vehicles as well.
7. Starsand Island Multiplayer
Sadly one of the most anticipated features of the game will not be available at Early Access.
That's right, multiplayer won't be available in Starsand Island until the full release in Summer 2026, alongside the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2 console ports.
But there developers have said there's over 100 hours of content in the Early Access version of the game and thankfully Summer 2026 isn't that far away...
Will you be checking Starsand Island out during Early Access or wating for the full release in Summer?