MMO Game Pax Dei Launches 1.0 on October 16, Will Be Available on Game Pass
Finnish developer Mainframe Industries and publisher New Tales have announced that their ambitious social sandbox MMORPG Pax Dei will officially launch in version 1.0 on October 16, 2025. The game, which first entered Steam Early Access on June 18, 2024, has undergone more than a year of updates and community feedback, though it has struggled to win over its audience. Current Steam user reviews remain at a modest 54% Mixed, with the recent review score dropping further to 38%, reflecting skepticism from players despite the ongoing development.
At launch, Pax Dei will mark a new beginning for all players. Everyone will start fresh on new shards (servers) with newly created characters, as all progress made during the early access period will be reset. Founders, however, will receive early access beginning on October 14, two days before the official launch, and they will also be granted a free copy of the game to gift to a friend, providing an incentive to bring more players into the world.
The game will be available for $29.99 through the official Pax Dei website, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, with support for cloud streaming through GeForce NOW. Beginning on October 16, Pax Dei will also join the PC Game Pass library, making it accessible to a much broader audience and potentially giving the title the boost it needs after its mixed early access performance. A launch trailer has also been published, offering a glimpse at what awaits in the full release.
Each purchase of the base game includes two character slots and one month of Premium Membership, which provides players with several advantages: a +50% increase in Grace on daily logins and Gold Offerings, a +50% XP boost, and, most importantly, the ability to build a home within the game world - an exclusive feature locked to Premium members. After the initial month, Premium Membership will cost $6.99 per month and will remain a requirement for players who wish to own at least one land plot, a core part of the game’s sandbox experience.
Looking beyond launch, Mainframe Industries has outlined an extensive roadmap for Pax Dei. The upcoming Verse 5 update, scheduled for Winter 2025, will introduce Feudal Shrines, territorial control points that clans will contest for dominance. Following that, Verse 6 will expand the political dimension of the game with Feudal Alliances, enabling clans to form larger-scale coalitions for both war and peace. Further into 2026, the studio plans to deepen the game’s systems, with expansions targeting Grace and the economy, signaling a long-term commitment to growing Pax Dei into a living, evolving MMORPG.
Despite the rocky reception during its early access phase, the official 1.0 release—combined with its arrival on Game Pass—marks a pivotal opportunity for Pax Dei. The reset, the improved feature set, and the promised updates provide a chance for the game to re-establish itself and potentially win back skeptical players. Whether Mainframe Industries can deliver on its vision and shift sentiment remains to be seen, but October 16 will undoubtedly mark a defining moment in the MMO’s future.
Do you think Pax Dei’s inclusion on Game Pass will be enough to give the MMO a second chance, or has the early access period already hurt its reputation too much?
