Amplitude Studios, known for its 4X fantasy game Endless Legend, is preparing to launch its sequel, Endless Legend 2, out of Early Access on Steam on September 17. This transition comes a year after its initial Early Access release, a development journey that has highlighted significant changes in player expectations over the last decade and a half.
Romain de Waubert de Genlis, CEO and co-founder of Amplitude Studios, shared his observations with Rock Paper Shotgun, contrasting the current player mindset with that of 10 to 15 years ago. "People can be a bit unforgiving," he stated, referencing the modern player's approach to Early Access titles. "If you come to Early Access with an unfinished game you’ll get crushed… 'I paid you 50 euros and you give me an unfinished game?' The expectations are not the same at all."
Amplitude's debut title, the 4X sci-fi strategy game Endless Space, was an early adopter of the Early Access model, fostering development in collaboration with its community. De Waubert de Genlis recalled that in those earlier days, players and press often avoided games still in development. Today, the dynamic has inverted, with Early Access launches often treated as the primary release event, and the subsequent 1.0 launch perceived as merely another significant update.
Despite a strong start for Endless Legend 2, the game encountered some of the pitfalls characteristic of modern Early Access releases. Some players expected a more complete experience from the outset, while long-time fans adopted a more cautious stance, waiting for the game to mature. Even now, as the 1.0 launch date approaches, some players on Steam express reservations, citing concerns about a clunky user interface and a perceived lack of content, despite the game's established worldbuilding and clear identity.
De Waubert de Genlis reflected on the studio's internal approach during Endless Space 2's Early Access period. "Originally, I was still seeing it as we could try things, and trying things means you’re allowed to make mistakes because if you want to be creative you have to try things and sometimes it will work, but sometimes it will not work," he explained. "You learn from that and you improve and in the end you have something solid but the path could be a bit rocky, or else you have no risk and and you have something flat. So it is tricky."
He suggested that the team's efforts during the Early Access phase have been largely reactive, focusing on addressing player feedback through numerous patches and updates rather than pursuing broad experimental design choices. "People can be a bit unforgiving if in one of these updates something is not perfect," de Waubert de Genlis noted. "It’s like, ‘Guys, we’re trying something. We’re working on it.'”