Stars Reach

About this world

Stars Reach is the first game from Playable Worlds, the studio co-founded in 2018 by Raph Koster — the designer behind Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies — and Eric Goldberg. The game is a science-fantasy sandbox MMORPG set across a simulated universe of planets that players can explore, settle, terraform, and shape. Characters are classless; professions and skills emerge from play rather than locked choices at creation. A single persistent server with no planned resets is a stated design commitment. Playable Worlds announced Steam Early Access for summer 2026, following years of closed playtests with a growing Wayfarer community. The studio has been transparent during development, publishing a Living Roadmap and running regular playtest windows. Notable: the studio absorbed layoffs in early 2026, so the Early Access launch is happening from a leaner team. PvP, faction systems, and the primary antagonistic storyline are planned for later Early Access updates. The initial release focuses on cooperative play, exploration, settlement building, resource gathering, and trading. Entry tiers range from $29.99 (Firstlight Pack) to $79.99 (Cosmonaut Pack).

Why it matters

Raph Koster has been one of the clearest voices in game design about what online worlds can be when built around player expression and emergent society. Stars Reach is the first chance in over twenty years to see whether those principles can produce a persistent world that lasts. If it lands even halfway, this is the most significant sandbox MMORPG since Star Wars Galaxies.

Community signals

Dedicated playtest community with years of accumulated feedback. Active Discord. Living Roadmap with visible iteration. Strong word of mouth from veterans of the SWG and UO communities.

Old-world comparison

Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, EVE Online.

Scout reports