Towerborne hits Early Access: Stoic’s co-op brawler lands on Game Pass—here’s the real story

Towerborne’s Early Access lands: why this caught my eye

Stoic making a side-scrolling co-op action RPG after The Banner Saga is the kind of pivot that makes me perk up. The studio made its name on grim, choice-driven tactics; now it’s chasing a colorful, four-player brawler with seasons and a live-service future. That’s a big swing-and the kind that can either breathe life into a crowded genre or sink into the churn. With Towerborne out in Steam Early Access as of September 10, 2024 and available on Xbox Game Pass, here’s what actually matters if you’re thinking about jumping in.

• Early Access promises 30-60 hours now, with more rolling in; Stoic’s “when it’s ready” exit is both reassuring and vague.
• Four distinct weapon classes and scalable “danger” levels hint at real build depth, not just button-mashing.
• Post-launch will be free-to-play with microtransactions limited to cosmetics and “convenience”-great on paper, but watch that last part.
• Update cadence is real: nine updates in year one, including a group finder, UI/readability passes, and a class progression revamp.

Breaking down the release and access

Towerborne is in Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X|S, playable solo or online co-op with up to four Aces. If you’re on PC, you can buy the Founder’s Pack; if you’re on Game Pass, you’re in, with a free item each month during the pre-launch period. Stoic says there’s 30-60 hours of content already and more queued up while they iterate. The team’s also upfront that they’ll leave Early Access “when it’s ready.” Given eight team members were cut earlier this year amid Microsoft’s broader belt-tightening, the open-ended timeline makes sense-even if it’s not the clean date some players want.

One important twist: once 1.0 hits, Towerborne goes free on PC and shifts to a live-service model. Stoic is adamant that “weapons, gear, or any and all forms of power-progression will never be behind a paywall,” limiting purchases to cosmetics and convenience. That’s the right pledge. Still, we’ve all seen “convenience” mutate into time-savers that quietly shape the grind. If Stoic keeps XP rates and loot drop tuning fair without nudging players toward purchases, they’ll earn trust fast. The early updates focused on drop rates and combat readability are a good sign they know where the levers are.

Combat classes and the co-op hook

The heart of any brawler is feel, and Towerborne’s kit suggests a focus on flexible role expression rather than rigid meta. You’ve got four weapon classes—Warclub (Pyroclast), Gauntlets (Rockbreaker), Dual Daggers (Shadowstriker), and Sword and Shield (Sentinel). That’s a healthy spread: bruiser, brawler, rogue, and defender. Each looks tuned for distinct risk/reward loops, and the “danger” slider lets you scale challenge to your squad’s appetite. Buildcraft matters—Stoic wants the low skill floor/high ceiling balance that keeps casual runs fun and hardcore chasers theorycrafting.

What sold me in the trailers wasn’t just the flashy supers; it was the group rhythm. The announcement setup—Aces leaving The Belfry’s safety to reclaim a grid of hostile zones—gives the co-op a clear tempo: push out, secure, improve the city’s prospects. The “Fight as one” tagline isn’t just marketing if the class synergies land. And crucially, there’s a solo path with recruitable companions, which matters for those of us who can’t always wrangle three friends on a Tuesday night.

Content cadence and community signals

Towerborne’s first year has been busy: nine updates so far. Update 2 dropped a new boss, gear, and a group finder—small feature, huge quality-of-life. Update 4 hit UI, drop rates, and combat readability. Update 6 brought the game to Game Pass, revamped class progression, and added missions. That’s the live-ops loop done right: fix friction, reward time, keep squads together. Stoic’s anniversary note—“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made together… we know there’s still more to do.”—reads like a studio that’s listening rather than posturing.

The seasonal plan—new enemies, regions, abilities, and lore—fits the genre, and Lead Concept Artist Jeff Murchie’s comment about iterating “new, compelling options for all players” tracks with the steady refinements we’ve seen. The trick now is restraint: add depth without inflating bloat. Too many live-service games drown in systems creep; Stoic’s cleaner art direction and focused class lineup give them a chance to avoid that fate.

Why this matters (and who should play now)

We don’t get many co-op brawlers with this pedigree. If you loved Castle Crashers or TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge but wanted more RPG buildcraft, Towerborne hits that lane. The Banner Saga DNA shows up in tone and worldbuilding—the City of Numbers and The Belfry are more than just level hubs—but the vibe here is brighter, more pick-up-and-play. If you’re on Game Pass, there’s little reason not to drop in now. On PC without a sub, the Founder’s Pack is a buy-in to an evolving game; if you’re allergic to churn, waiting for 1.0 when it goes free isn’t a bad call.

My biggest question mark is the long game: can Stoic keep challenge scaled for veterans without alienating newcomers, and can “convenience-only” monetization stay honest as the content treadmill spins? If the danger slider, class revamps, and drop rate tuning keep evolving with community feedback, Towerborne could quietly become one of the most replayable co-op loops on Xbox and PC.

TL;DR

Towerborne is a promising co-op action RPG in Early Access on PC and Game Pass, offering 30-60 hours now with more on the way. Stoic’s pledge to keep power progression off the store is huge; “convenience” needs watching. If you crave class-driven brawling with real buildcraft, it’s worth playing today—otherwise, waiting for the free 1.0 launch is a rational play.