A study has shown that the optimal duration for early access for games is about 6 months. A long early access period can reduce sales after the full release, according to statistics from 2021 to 2024.
Newzoo has published a free version of the Global Games Market Report 2025, which analyzes the impact of early access on the dynamics of new players after the official release. The study took into account games released in early access from January 2021 to December 2024 and then fully released, according to data from 37 countries (excluding China and India).
A comparison of the first 3 months of early access with the first 3 months after release showed that most games did not exceed the initial momentum. Games with an early access period of 4 to 9 months showed the best growth in new players. Based on this data, Newzoo concludes that about 6 months is the optimal period if the goal is to attract new players at the start. Usually, these are projects with a solid base at the start of early access and effective use of player feedback.
There are exceptions: V Rising and Ready or Not were in early access for almost 2 years, but gathered a large number of players after release. Dave the Diver with 8 months of early access also stands out. In general, statistics confirm 6 months as the average optimum.
An analysis by GameDiscoverCo for 2015–2023 showed that longer early access often leads to weak sales after release, but allows converting "wishlists" into purchases. The frequency of updates, release date, and marketing also affect the success of the game, but 6 months remains statistically ideal.
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