Double Fine’s Kiln Launches on April 23 With an Open Beta Set for April 9 to 11
Double Fine Productions has officially locked in the release date for Kiln, its colorful multiplayer pottery party brawler, with launch set for April 23, 2026. Microsoft and Double Fine confirmed that the game is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 5, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one. It will also support Xbox Play Anywhere and is labeled Handheld Optimized, giving it a broader platform footprint than many expected from the studio’s first major multiplayer push.
Before launch, players will get a chance to try it early through a public test. Double Fine says the open beta will run from April 9 to April 11 on Steam, and interested players can sign up through this registration page. The beta rollout follows earlier closed tests and should give players a much better sense of how the studio’s chaotic pottery combat works in a real multiplayer environment before the full launch later in the month.
Pricing has also now been confirmed, and Microsoft is keeping the entry point relatively accessible. The base game will launch at 19.99 dollars, while the Fired Up Edition will cost 29.99 dollars and include a set of cosmetic extras. Double Fine says those bonuses include premium glazes, stickers, attachments, custom pots, and bonus Chips, though Chips are described as a cosmetic currency earned through gameplay rather than purchased directly.
| Edition | Price | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $19.99 | Base game |
| Fired Up | $29.99 | Base game + premium glazes, stickers, attachments, custom pots, and bonus Chips* |
What makes Kiln stand out is how different it feels from the usual multiplayer brawler formula. Instead of selecting a premade hero, players begin as spirits and sculpt their own ceramic bodies on a pottery wheel. The size and shape of the pot directly affect role, stats, and abilities, with smaller forms built for speed, heavier vessels working as tanks, and more specialized shapes supporting tactical play. Xbox Wire’s earlier hands on feature described the game as a physics driven 4v4 objective brawler where chipping, cracking, and shattering are core parts of combat rather than just visual flair.
Double Fine is also leaning into readability and personality rather than pure competitive intensity. At launch, the game will feature 3 maps and a social hub called The Wedge, where players can practice, customize, and hang out between matches. One especially notable design choice is the absence of built in voice chat at launch, which the developers have previously framed as a way to keep the game more welcoming and less toxic. That aligns with the wider tone of Kiln, which looks more interested in accessible team chaos and creative expression than in becoming another hyper serious ranked multiplayer grind.
For Double Fine, Kiln is a meaningful shift. The studio is best known for more eccentric single player projects, so launching a multiplayer first game across Xbox, PlayStation, PC, cloud, and Game Pass gives this release a much bigger strategic role than its playful art style might initially suggest. If the open beta lands well, Kiln could end up being one of the more surprising multiplayer launches of the spring.
Are you planning to jump into the Kiln open beta, or are you waiting to see how Double Fine’s first multiplayer game lands at launch?
