New co-op horror Sker Ritual launching via early access: Release date, post-launch updates, and more

Maid of Sker, an underrated indie horror title, is getting a brand new co-op survival successor in the form of Sker Ritual. Developer Wales Interactive has announced new details for the upcoming game, including release dates, roadmaps, and even support after launch. Furthermore, the game launches as an early-access release.

While Sker Ritual will come out on October 23, 2022, the final polished version will be released in April 2023. The team has a lot of content planned for the game. Here's all you need to know.

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What does early access mean for Sker Ritual?

Early access releases, as the name suggests, allow players to buy the game early (often at a cheaper price). This also allows developers to get feedback, which will help in developing and polishing the game. The roadmap will see significant updates arrive in the form of Episodes.

Each Episode for Sker Ritual will present a new map update with added story segments and voice acting that follows the events of Maid of Sker. That said, fans should note that the game won't feature a dedicated story mode. The developers have also emphasized that this is not a replacement for Maid of Sker 2.

Each Episode will add tons of new content, including Elites, Bosses, objectives, trials, easter eggs, and weapons. There will be major gameplay updates on the Miracles system, an in-game communication feature. The update schedule is as follows:

• October 2022: The Cursed Lands of Lavernock
• December 2022: The Ashes of Sker Hotel
• February 2023: Sewers of the Dead
• April 2023: Deadly Lover's Fortress

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What to expect on launch day for Sker Ritual

• Episode One; The very first map 'Cursed Lands of Lavernock' is near completion. It will feature all objectives, trials and a boss fight. Everything is accounted with the exception of some Easter Eggs.
• Sker Pass: This is a completely free cosmetic reward system (with no premium pass alternative). It launches with 50 free items (including masks, animated menu backgrounds, player icons, menu music, weapon charms and more) and each Episode update will offer 25 new ones to unlock.
• Discounted Full Game: After the Alpha demo, the developers engaged with the Maid of Sker community to get their views on appropriate pricing for this new entry. Thus, for Early Access, Sker Ritual will launch with a base price of $14.99 / £11.39 / €12,49. As expected, this base price will be raised for the 1.0 launch.
• Additional DLC: Optional bundles of themed cosmetic items will be available to purchase on the Steam store for $3.99 / £2.89 / €3.29. These are purely cosmetic to show off in-game and have no in-game benefits or perks.
• Languages: Initially there will only be support for English however, localisation for several other languages is underway and will be implemented over time.

So far, early access has only been confirmed for PC via Steam. The final game will be coming to consoles in addition to PC.