Shift At Midnight release date
Shift At Midnight is out now — it released on 22 July 2026. If you are finding older pages that say May, those are out of date: the game was delayed twice before it shipped.
Last verified 5 August 2026 · game version: 29 July 2026 patch
Released: 22 July 2026, on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and the Microsoft Store — day one on Xbox Game Pass. Price: $9.99 USD. It is available right now; there is nothing left to wait for.
| Release date | 22 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Original date | 28 May 2026 — delayed |
| Platforms | Steam (Windows), Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Store |
| Xbox Game Pass | Day one — console and PC |
| Price | $9.99 USD (10% launch discount, ended 29 July 2026) |
| Developer | Bun Muen (solo) |
| Publisher | Kwalee |
| Engine | Unity |
| Steam languages | English, French, German, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Portuguese (Brazil) — nine, interface and subtitles |
| Content notes | Steam lists “plenty of gore and blood” |
| Achievements | 10, three of them hidden — full list with unlock rates |
| Endless Mode | BETA playable since launch — full version free, Q4 2026 |
Why so many pages still say May
Shift At Midnight was originally announced for 28 May 2026. That date was pushed back, and then pushed back again, landing on 22 July 2026. A lot of coverage was written against the earlier dates and never updated, which is why searching for the release date still turns up contradictory answers months later.
If you are reading a page that still lists the game as unreleased or gives a May date, it predates the final schedule. The game shipped on 22 July 2026 and has been out since.
Was the delay a bad sign?
Not obviously. This is a solo developer's commercial release published by Kwalee, launching simultaneously on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass. Day-one Game Pass placement involves certification on Microsoft's side, and Xbox Play Anywhere adds another layer. Hitting three storefronts at once with one developer is a genuine scheduling problem, and slipping twice to get it right is a reasonable outcome rather than a red flag.
The launch build shipped with ten achievements, a full Story Mode, three-player online co-op and a playable Endless Mode beta, with the finished version of Endless Mode promised as a free Q4 2026 update. That is a complete release, not a rushed one.
How the launch actually went
Well, then badly, in that order. Steam concurrents reached 12,556 players on 23 July, the day after release, and the game charted as high as #8 on Steam’s top sellers (SteamDB). That was not the ceiling — SteamDB’s all-time peak for the game is 37,590, set on 26 July 2026 and read on 12 August 2026; see player count. It also could not reliably put those players into a lobby: enough people were unable to create or join games that the developer pushed a temporary opt-in beta branch the same evening as a stopgap, which only worked if everyone in a party switched to it together.
No announcement has ever been published retiring that branch, so we cannot date it as fixed. If you and a friend opted in at launch and never switched back, it is the first thing to check when you are both online but cannot see each other — the steps are on troubleshooting.
What has changed since release
Two patches so far, and the second changed the game rather than the plumbing.
- 23 July — lobbies and balance. Lobby size became selectable up to six, though the developer was clear that the game “is designed and has always been marketed around a maximum of 3 players” and does not recommend six for a first run. The Marionette lost HP and the music box got louder.
- 29 July — new content. A second purchasable firearm, a new Rake enemy that appears in endless and post-story modes only, and the removal of the customer patience meter — which is why careful ID checking is far less punishing now than it was at launch.
- The 10% launch discount ended on 29 July. The price is back to $9.99 with no active discount as of 5 August 2026.
Nothing has been announced since 29 July. Full notes with sources are on the patch notes page.
Where to get it
- Xbox Game Pass — included at no extra cost, console and PC. If you subscribe, this is the answer.
- Microsoft Store — $9.99, and it is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so one purchase covers Xbox and Windows.
- Steam — $9.99, with Steam Achievements and Family Sharing.
Steam players cannot play with Xbox or PC Game Pass players. The two ecosystems have separate multiplayer pools. If you are buying so you can play with friends, everyone needs to be on the same side — see crossplay.
What is still coming
- Endless Mode — the beta shipped on day one and unlocks once you finish story mode. The finished version, with more customers, traps, weapons and monsters, is a free update planned for Q4 2026. See Endless Mode.
- Full crossplay including Steam — confirmed as a post-release update, with no date attached to it.
- A public server browser — announced before launch, still not live as of 5 August 2026.
What is not coming
No PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, mobile or VR version has been announced. The game is PC and Xbox only. Full detail on the platforms page, including the app store and PS5 questions specifically.