Towerborne ditches free-to-play for 1.0 launch coming this February

Stoic, the developer behind The Banner Saga, has officially announced that its side-scrolling action RPG Towerborne will exit Early Access on February 26th. However, the 1.0 release arrives with a massive change: the game is completely abandoning its original free-to-play, always-online model in favour of a “buy once, own forever” approach. In a surprising move for an Xbox-published title, Stoic also confirmed that Towerborne will land on PlayStation 5 on day one.

The shift to a premium model is a direct response to community feedback during the game's stint in Xbox Game Preview. By moving to a paid structure, Stoic has been able to gut the “live service grind” and re-engineer the game to support full offline play. The 1.0 update will retail for $24.99 for the Standard Edition and $29.99 for the Deluxe Edition. For those already playing in Early Access, the transition is seamless: your account will automatically upgrade to the Standard Edition for free, and all existing Founders Pack rewards will remain exclusive to your account.

In addition to the transition to the business model, the 1.0 release will also introduce a significant content drop that completes Belfry's narrative arc. That includes a complete campaign culminating in a previously locked final showdown, as well as two new bosses, additional lieutenants, and a “Brutal” difficulty tier. The world is also expanding, now featuring a new coastal biome alongside a reimagined Forge system that allows for stat re-rolling and advanced gear modification. Lastly, all microtransactions have been removed, as every cosmetic in the game, including those previously in the premium shop, is now earnable through the game.

Existing players who accumulated “Belfry Bucks” (the old premium currency) will see their balances converted into Stepstones on launch day. This exclusive transfer currency can be redeemed for high-level crafting materials and “Big Bags of Writs” to jumpstart progression in the 1.0 economy. While character progression carries over, Stoic is encouraging veterans to start a fresh save to experience the reworked narrative flow from the beginning.

The experience is rounded out by a orchestral score from Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory. Towerborne will be available on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Windows Store), and PlayStation 5 on February 26th. The game is also available on Xbox Game Pass (Premium and Ultimate).

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KitGuru says: Stoic is making an incredibly pro-consumer move here. In an industry currently struggling with “live service fatigue”, pivoting a game from an always-online F2P model to a premium offline-capable title is a breath of fresh air.

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