Xbox’s Action RPG Shifts to “Buy Once, Offline” Model, Promising Players Full Ownership of the Game Experience

Towerborne, the always-online, free-to-play action RPG from the creators of the acclaimed Banner Saga trilogy, is set to adopt a more traditional model with its upcoming 1.0 launch.

In a recent announcement, Stoic CEO Trisha Stouffer revealed that once Towerborne exits early access next month, it will transition “from its original vision as a free-to-play, always online title into a buy once, offline game – you will own the complete experience permanently, with offline play and online co-op.”

“This change required deep structural rebuilding over the past year, transforming systems originally designed around constant connectivity,” Stouffer noted. “The result is a stronger, more accessible, and more player-friendly version of Towerborne – one we’re incredibly proud to bring to launch.”

Towerborne is set to launch on February 26, 2026, for PC, Xbox, Game Pass, and PS5, accompanied by a major update that will introduce extensive changes to the game.

In a move that prioritizes player experience, Stoic is eliminating all cosmetic purchases, allowing players to earn their cosmetics through gameplay. This refreshing approach is a welcome change in 2026. The full launch will also wrap up the game’s narrative with a climactic showdown, new side quests, two new bosses, a revamped map, and an additional biome. Players can also look forward to new gear, enhanced abilities, bug fixes, a reworked difficulty system, and more music from Austin Wintory, the composer behind Journey.

While Towerborne may not have received as much attention over the past year, it continues Stoic’s tradition of crafting stunning, painterly fantasy worlds, this time in a combo-based action format that emphasizes co-op beast-brawling, diverging from the strategic depth and narrative focus that characterized The Banner Saga.