I Have Nothing But Respect For This Game That Doesn’t Care About Launching In GTA 6’s Shadow

With Grand Theft Auto 6's release date just around the corner, studios left and right have been frantically shifting their release windows in an attempt to avoid the media and consumer blackout that's sure to follow. Ironically, this has led to months like September becoming increasingly competitive, but I can't blame these companies for doing everything in their power to give their games the best chance possible at garnering attention.

At the same time, there's something incredibly appealing to me about studios who simply do not care--studios that feel so confident in what they're offering, they're eager to release regardless. Such is the case for Keen Games, the indie studio behind Enshrouded. Earlier today, the studio announced that the game--which has been in early access since January 2024--has finally gotten a 1.0 release date. Although GTA 6 is releasing a month later, Enshrouded will officially launch in full on October 15.

"Despite the goliaths of the industry spending decades on development with mountains of money and millions (billions, perhaps) of players world wide, asking $80 USD for what is sure to be a monumentally important piece of interactive entertainment, this Early Access title by indie studio Keen Games is ready to be forged in their full release," a PR representative told GameSpot.

All things considered, I'd argue that despite being an open-world experience, Enshrouded shouldn't care much about GTA 6 releasing so soon after. The two games satisfy very different wants and frankly GTA 6 is already the game everyone is talking about--and I don't suspect that will change anytime soon. Plus, Enshrouded has proven repeatedly over the past two years and eight updates that it is a fun-as-hell game. Even with nearly 48,000 reviews, it sits at a "very positive" rating on Steam. In our Enshrouded preview, we compared it to a "multiplayer Skyrim" that makes your group "feel like the Fellowship of the Ring."

When even highly anticipated, AAA titles like Fable have had their release dates pushed to make way for GTA 6, it takes guts to stick to your guns. I said this about Digital Eclipse's Barbie Rewind collection--which is set to release in early November and kicks off a real Barbenheimer 2.0--and I'll say it again now. I have nothing but respect for Keen's confidence, and look forward to playing Enshrouded in 1.0 when it launches October 15.