Permafrost: Early Access status and essentials
Permafrost is an open-world survival-crafting game set on a near-future Earth locked in endless winter after the moon shattered. It launched in Early Access on October 9, 2026, for Windows PC on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store. You can play solo or in online co-op with up to 4 players.
Quick facts
Release, price and platform details in one place, with Early Access separated from the full release.
As of October 10, 2026- Release
- Early Access since October 9, 2026. The launch was originally planned for August 21, 2026 and moved to give the team more time on performance and content.
- Platforms
- Windows PC only, on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store.No console, Mac or Linux version has been announced.
- Price
- $24.99 USD, with a 20% launch discount on Steam ($19.99) until October 23, 2026. Regional prices differ.The developers say the price is very likely to rise during Early Access before version 1.0. See the Steam store page (external site) for your regional price.
- Editions
- Standard; Companion Edition, which adds the digital Official Companion book; Ultimate Edition, which adds the Cookbook, the original soundtrack and a Permafrost novel.Edition prices aren't listed here yet.
- Players
- 1–4, solo or online co-op.
- Languages
- Full English audio. Interface and subtitles in English, French, German, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, Korean, Polish, Simplified Chinese and Russian.
- Steam Deck
- No Valve compatibility rating is shown yet.
- Achievements
- 42 on Steam.
What's in Early Access now, and what's only planned
The developers expect Early Access to last at least 12 months. Here's the line between the current build and promised updates.
In the game now
According to the developers, most planned core features are already in:
- Biomes, hundreds of items, blueprints and crafting recipes
- The opening story and side quests
- Co-op for up to 4 players
- Cold, frostbite and storms as the main threat; you scavenge, craft and build a network of shelters
- A rescued dog that scouts, warns you of danger and carries supplies
- Faction-controlled territories
Planned Early Access updates
The official roadmap lists four updates in this order. No dates have been announced.
- Update 1: better combat animations, more map content (chests, hidden treasures, recipes, items), crafting, building and inventory improvements, new firearms and clothing.
- Update 2: weapon parts in crafting, more firearms, side quests and more story.
- Update 3: a sledgehammer for demolishing obstacles and destructible objects, plus two new firearms.
- Update 4: the White Hell biome with new enemies, locations and story, four new firearms, a new torch type and quality-of-life upgrades.
Vehicles, new enemies, more biomes, NPCs and equipment are listed for the full release, so don't expect them in the current build.
Can your PC run it?
Official Steam requirements. Both tiers ask for 16 GB of RAM and 30 GB of storage.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-8600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3500 | Intel Core i5-12400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD Radeon RX 590 8 GB | NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB / AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT 12 GB |
| Storage | 30 GB | 30 GB |
Meeting the recommended tier doesn't guarantee smooth play at launch: many players report crashes or low frame rates, and the developers have already shipped two hotfixes. The fixes they've published are below.
Launch crashes: the developers' fixes
Most launch-week crashes are GPU-related. Start with the first row and work down.
Checked October 10, 2026, after Hotfix 2| Problem | What to do | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes on NVIDIA RTX 20, 30, 40 or 50 series | Let the game update. If no update appears, restart Steam. | Two hotfixes on October 9 disabled FSR on these cards to reduce crashes. |
| Crashes before the main menu, or frequent GPU crashes | Add -dx11 to Steam launch options (steps below). | Developer workaround; it may not fix every case and DirectX 11 is still being tested. |
| Error 11c7 when launching | Windows Smart App Control is blocking the game. Turning it off fixed this for several players (steps and warning below). | Cause confirmed by the developers. |
Add the -dx11 launch option on Steam
- Open your Steam Library.
- Right-click Permafrost and choose Properties.
- On the General tab, type
-dx11into Launch Options. - Close the window and start the game.
To undo it, delete -dx11 from Launch Options. The developers have only published the Steam steps.
Fix Error 11c7 (Smart App Control)
- Open Windows Security.
- Go to App & browser control.
- Open Smart App Control settings and set it to Off.
Smart App Control is a Windows security feature. On some Windows 11 versions it can't simply be switched back on afterwards, so check your Windows version first.
Still crashing? The developers say more hotfixes are coming over the weekend of October 10–11. Their Steam announcements (external site) list each hotfix and include a link for sending crash logs.
Co-op at a glance
Play alone or with up to three friends online.
- 1–4 players, online co-op.
- The launch build included co-op improvements based on feedback from the preview build.
- The developers are still investigating co-op disconnects that players reported during the preview.
