Expeditions: Samurai Early Access Guide: Price, Co-Op, Content, and Full Release
See the Expeditions: Samurai Early Access price, launch discount, co-op rules, current content, PC requirements, and Q1 2027 full-release target.
By Dex HollowayAug 7, 2026
Video
Expeditions: Samurai Early Access Launch Trailer
THQ Nordic
The official launch trailer introduces the Early Access story, tactical combat, choices, and online co-op.
Expeditions: Samurai is available now in Steam Early Access for PC. The standard price is $29.99, with a 34% launch discount bringing the US price to $19.79 through August 14. It supports single-player and two-player online co-op, but this is not the complete campaign yet.
The current build includes several hours of voiced quests along with combat, exploration, stealth, world-map travel, and most of the systems planned for the finished game. The complete story, village rulership, crafting, additional gear, build customization, and more polish are planned for later updates and the full release.
If you are trying to decide whether to start now or wait, this guide separates what is playable today from what is still on the roadmap.
Expeditions: Samurai Early Access at a glance
Release date: August 7, 2026
Platform: PC through Steam
Standard price: $29.99 / €29.99
Launch price: $19.79 in the US after a 34% discount
Discount end date: August 14, 2026
Modes: Single-player and two-player online co-op
Current content: Several hours of fully voiced quests, combat, stealth, exploration, and world-map travel
Full release target: Q1 2027, depending on development and player feedback
Console versions: None announced
How much does Expeditions: Samurai cost?
The Early Access version costs $29.99 / €29.99 at its regular price. For launch week, Steam is offering a 34% discount, which lowers the US price to $19.79 until August 14. Regional prices can differ, so the amount shown in your own Steam store is the one to use.
The developers say Early Access is priced below the planned full version as a thank-you to players joining while the game is still being built. They have not announced the final 1.0 price or the date of any future increase.
What platforms is Expeditions: Samurai on?
Expeditions: Samurai is currently a PC game sold through Steam. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch versions have not been announced.
The Steam page lists full controller support as one of the additions to the Expeditions formula, but the game still needs a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. There is no official Steam Deck compatibility rating listed at launch, so handheld performance should not be assumed.
The current build includes several hours of fully voiced quests and story choices. Image: Campfire Cabal and THQ Nordic.
The launch build is meant to show almost every major system planned for the finished game. It includes several hours of fully voiced quests and lets you use the core combat, exploration, stealth, and world-map travel systems.
You can create a captain, travel with a party, build relationships with companions, make decisions during quests, and approach encounters through diplomacy, stealth, gadgets, or direct combat. Choices can affect your crew and the people you meet, so the current slice is more than a disconnected combat demo.
The developers describe it as a satisfying section of the story rather than the whole campaign. Players should expect a meaningful opening portion with room for balance changes, bug fixes, and expanded systems over time.
What is not finished yet?
The biggest missing piece is the complete story. Campfire Cabal plans to add more quests, weapons, and armor during Early Access before delivering the full narrative in version 1.0.
The final release is also planned to add:
Rulership of your own village in Japan
Crafting
More ways to customize character builds
Additional weapons and armor
More quests and story content
Balance, polish, and quality-of-life improvements
That makes the current build easier to recommend to players who enjoy watching an RPG grow. Anyone who wants the complete campaign in one uninterrupted run may be happier waiting for 1.0.
Does Expeditions: Samurai have co-op?
Yes. Expeditions: Samurai supports two-player online co-op with drop-in and drop-out play. You can also play the entire available portion alone.
The setup changes slightly depending on the mode. A solo player controls Captain Flynn. In co-op, the two players take the roles of twins and can talk to different characters at the same time, compete for influence over important choices, and even pursue the same companion.
Co-op also works during stealth and combat. One player can create a distraction while the other moves past a guard, or both can coordinate attacks before the fight fully begins. This is the first Expeditions game built around co-op, so it is more integrated than a simple second character added to battles.
Steam lists online co-op, not local split-screen or couch co-op. Each player should expect to need a PC, a Steam account, and a copy of the game.
How combat, stealth, and choices work
Turn-based combat allows free positioning and coordinated attacks before an ambush begins. Image: Campfire Cabal and THQ Nordic.
Combat is turn-based, but it is designed to feel less rigid than a traditional grid where every unit waits in a fixed sequence. Movement, attacks, and interruptions can overlap, and the party can be positioned in real time before an ambush begins.
Weapons range from European firearms and pirate equipment to Japanese blades and bows. Stealth tools and environmental interactions let the group avoid some fights or start them from a better position. Crafting is listed as a feature for the full version, so its Early Access implementation should not be treated as final.
The campaign also leans heavily on conversation and consequences. Companions can become friends, rivals, or romantic interests, while political choices can change how different groups respond to the crew. Players who enjoy tactical relationships and connected character stories may also want to see what the latest Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave reveal showed about its four linked campaigns.
What is the story?
Expeditions: Samurai begins in Japan in 1600, near the end of the Sengoku period. Its alternate history removes English navigator William Adams from the voyage that made him famous and puts the player in his place.
You arrive aboard the Dutch ship De Albatros as the newly elected leader of a crew of privateers. Japan is moving toward the climax of a civil war, and powerful warlords quickly notice the foreign newcomers. The story follows the crew as they navigate alliances, religion, trade, loyalty, and the danger of being outsiders in a country deciding its future.
Eight companions have their own histories, combat roles, and relationship paths. Earning trust can open friendships or romance, while poor decisions can create rivalry. The exact outcome is meant to respond to the choices made across the campaign.
PC requirements
Minimum requirements
Operating system: Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Operating system: Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-12400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6700 or Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 15 GB available space
The 12 GB minimum memory requirement is higher than the 8 GB still common on older PCs. Check both system RAM and the graphics card before buying, especially if you plan to host or join co-op sessions.
When will the full version release?
Campfire Cabal is aiming for Q1 2027 for the full launch. The studio also says that timing depends on player feedback and how development progresses, so it is a target rather than a guaranteed date.
Early Access updates are expected to add quests, equipment, systems, balance changes, and quality-of-life improvements. The developers plan to gather feedback through the Steam forums and the official Expeditions Discord while working toward 1.0.
There is no confirmed day for the full release and no announced console schedule.
Should you buy it now or wait?
Buy now if you want to explore the opening story, experiment with tactical combat and stealth, or play the new two-player co-op while the developers are actively collecting feedback. The launch discount also makes Early Access cheaper than its listed standard price.
Wait for 1.0 if you mainly care about the complete campaign, village rulership, crafting, a larger equipment pool, or a more polished first playthrough. Early Access games can change considerably, and save compatibility between major updates has not been clearly guaranteed.
The simple dividing line is completeness. The current version contains a real playable story section, not just a demo, but it is still only part of the final RPG.
Is Expeditions: Samurai related to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?
No. The similar names are a coincidence. Expeditions: Samurai is part of THQ Nordic's historical Expeditions RPG series, following Expeditions: Conquistador, Expeditions: Viking, and Expeditions: Rome. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a separate game from a different developer and publisher.
Quick answers
Is Expeditions: Samurai the full game?
No. It is an Early Access build containing several hours of quests and most core systems. The complete story and several major features are still in development.
Can you play Expeditions: Samurai solo?
Yes. The available content supports single-player, and co-op is optional.
How many players does co-op support?
Two players can play together online with drop-in and drop-out support.
Is Expeditions: Samurai on Game Pass?
No Game Pass release has been announced. The launch version is sold through Steam on PC.
Is Expeditions: Samurai on PS5 or Xbox?
No console version has been announced. The Early Access launch is PC-only.
MARVEL Tōkon opened with Mixed Steam reviews as PC players reported stutter, CPU pressure, and online trouble. Here is what is confirmed and what you can try.
