PvPvE Extraction Shooter SAND: Raiders of Sophie Launches in Early Access on Steam
After four delays, the game's launch reception shows that server stability and matchmaking issues can overshadow a well-received core concept, even with a strong concurrent player count.
Key Facts
- SAND: Raiders of Sophie launched in early access on Steam on June 23, 2025, after four delays including a last-minute postponement from June 10 due to server issues.
- The game recorded over 15,000 concurrent players on Steam at launch, with user reviews currently 'Mixed' (about 60% positive out of roughly 860 reviews).
- The developer Hologryph acknowledged top-priority issues including connectivity problems (partly due to a DDoS attack), matchmaking bugs, graphics issues, and loot disappearance.
- The early access period is estimated at about one year, with plans for new weapons, areas, and systems; the regular price is 2,550 yen with a 21% launch discount to 2,014 yen until July 7.
- Store pages for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been published, though the game is currently only available on Steam.
Reporting from 3 sources: Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark.
Publisher tinyBuild launched the early access of 'SAND: Raiders of Sophie' on Steam on June 23. The game is a PvPvE extraction shooter set on the desert planet Sophie, where players pilot a customizable giant walking machine called the Trampler. Players can explore, fight other players and NPCs, and extract with loot. The game supports solo play or co-op teams of up to six. Two modes are available: Voyage, a low-risk open-world mode with no time limit, and Storm Dive, a high-risk battle royale format with a time limit. Servers support up to 45 players depending on team size. The game had been delayed four times, including a last-minute postponement from June 10 due to server issues discovered during a load test. At launch, the game recorded over 15,000 concurrent players on Steam. User reviews are currently 'Mixed,' with about 60% of roughly 860 reviews positive. Complaints include connectivity issues, matchmaking problems, and bugs. The developer, Hologryph, has acknowledged these issues and stated they are top priorities. The early access period is estimated at about one year, with plans for new weapons, areas, and systems. The regular price is 2,550 yen, with a 21% launch discount to 2,014 yen until July 7. Store pages for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have also been published.
The developer Hologryph and co-developer TowerHaus built the game. The setting is a fictional 1910 where civilization has collapsed, with a dieselpunk aesthetic. The Trampler is described as a "multi-legged mobile base" and a "fighting mobile base." Players can dismount for on-foot FPS combat using rifles, and dead players cannot respawn for a while, making sniping enemy crew a strategic advantage. Enemy NPC Tramplers exist on the map, and under certain conditions, players can cooperate with other teams.
Server issues at launch included a DDoS attack affecting connectivity, which the developer addressed with a temporary fix update two hours after acknowledging it. Other top-priority issues named by the developer are groups mixing into solo-only matches, graphics issues like lack of DLSS support, and bugs causing loot disappearance. The developer stated on the official Discord that these four issues are top priorities. The game had been delayed four times: originally announced in 2023 with an April 2025 target, then delayed due to playtest issues, then for more development time, then due to the situation in Ukraine where Hologryph is based (pushing release to June 10, 2026), and finally a fourth delay after a server slam revealed issues under high load.
Planned early access updates include new weapons, Trampler compartments, islands and POIs, PvE mechanics, crafting mechanics, cosmetic options, world hazards, visual improvements, and optimizations. The price may increase upon full release, but early access purchasers will not be affected by price changes. The game supports Japanese in-game text at launch.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.