This news was announced at the IGN Fan Fest, where publisher tinyBuild games and developer Hologryph said that the highly anticipated PvPvE extraction shooter SAND, would be getting an Early Access release date of April 3, 2025.
Players were first introduced to SAND and the difficulty of the intense game with a demo that was showcased during Steam Next Fest last year and was so popular that it ranked among the top ten most played demos. Additionally, last month saw an open playtest for SAND, with over 200,000 testers participating.
If you haven’t seen what SAND is all about, make sure to check out this trailer below, which showcases the Tramplers you’ll get to pilot, as well as some of the high-octane combat you’ll get to take part in.
In SAND, you are thrown into an alternate history of 1910 with an industrial spin. In this game, you’ll get to experience first-person PvPvE combat, where you can choose to play on your own or with a group of friends, where you can then take on other players in the dunes of Sophie, an area that was once filled with resources but now lays barren and desolate.
Not only will you get to pilot the Tramplers, which are your gigantic walking bases. Here, you will be able to store any resources that you plunder, as well as hide here to get protection from the intense elements, as well as get to utilize it in battle. You can choose the size, the layout, the placement of its engine and compartments, as well as what weapons you equip on your Trampler.
According to the Steam page for SAND, the developers are estimating that the title will be in Early Access for around a year based on the roadmap and developmental goals. This game has been in the works since 2023, where the game has built up a dedicated community that has participated in multiple playtests and demos to provide valuable feedback to the team.
When asked how the full version will differ from the Early Access version, the developers have stated the following:
“SAND is expected to evolve and grow significantly over the course of Early Access, with new weapons, Trampler compartments, islands/POIs, PvE mechanics, crafting mechanics, cosmetic options, world hazards, visual improvements, optimization and more already either under discussion or in active development.”I
Will you be playing SAND when it releases in Early Access? Let us know in the comments below.
