'AAA publishers are abusing early access,' Denis Dyack says, and that's making things harder for everyone else
Industry veteran Denis Dyack argues AAA publishers misuse early access as a polished marketing tactic, complicating life for indie developers relying on player feedback.
Denis Dyack, creator of titles including *Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain*, asserts that AAA publishers are exploiting early access by releasing near-final products to generate revenue, undermining its original purpose as a collaborative development phase. He contends this practice distorts player expectations, making it harder for smaller studios to use early access for genuine refinement based on feedback.
Dyack highlights that polished titles like *Subnautica 2* and *Path of Exile* have raised the bar for all early access games, creating significant barriers for less polished entries such as his studio’s *Deadhaus Sonata*, now in Steam’s early access program. Ethan McKinnon, creative director at Apocalypse Studios, notes that players now compare all early access titles in the same marketplace, holding smaller teams to standards once reserved for finished products.
Subnautica 2 creative director Anthony Gallegos acknowledged that early access has evolved beyond a niche practice, encompassing both long-term open development and paid beta soft launches. He described the current landscape as diverse and confusing, with no clear definition of what early access should entail for players or developers.
Dyack admitted that Apocalypse Studios overlooked core launch fundamentals with *Deadhaus Sonata*’s early access debut, including technical stability and clear communication of the game’s unique value. Both Dyack and McKinnon emphasized that developers must treat early access as a serious launch, prioritizing performance, Steam reviews, and influencer outreach to succeed.