Sector 13: Haunted Woods release date & demo
Sector 13: Haunted Woods launched on Steam on September 25, 2026. The studio delayed it that morning over a last-minute technical issue, then posted that the game was out. The store lists $7.99 (the 10% introductory offer ended October 9), the review score is Mixed (64% of 78 reviews as of October 20, 2026), and the latest patch is V1.0.16.
Sector 13: Haunted Woods launched on Steam on September 25, 2026. The studio delayed it on release day over a last-minute technical issue, then posted that the gates were open. This page is the launch picture: the delay notice, price, reviews, achievements, and what the studio said the full game adds over the demo.
What actually happened on September 25
Game Inside Studio first posted "Important Update Regarding Today's Release": "We've encountered a last-minute technical issue that needs to be resolved before we can safely release Sector 13: Haunted Woods … We currently expect to resolve this within 1 day." The next official post on the same channel is "Sector 13: Haunted Woods is OUT NOW!" — and the Steam store lists it as released on Sep 25, 2026 (coming_soon is false). Treat the delay notice as history, not as the current unlock state.
Launch facts
| Fact | Value (checked October 10, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Release date | September 25, 2026 — delayed on release day, then unlocked the same day |
| Unlock status | Live on Steam — store coming_soon is false |
| Developer & publisher | Game Inside Studio |
| Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Price | $7.99 — the 10% "INTRODUCTORY OFFER" ended on October 9 (US store) |
| User reviews | Mixed — 64% of 78 reviews positive (50 positive, 28 negative) |
| Achievements | 21 — full list with live unlock rates on the achievements page |
| Latest patch | V1.0.16 — October 31, 2026 (full notes) |
| Genre | Co-op horror, 1–4 players online (single-player also listed) |
| Languages | 17 supported languages on Steam, including Simplified Chinese interface and subtitles |
Thirty-six days, sixteen patches in
V1.0.1 (September 28) through V1.0.16 (October 31) — every patch grouped by what it changed in your runs is on the patch notes page. The ones that changed how a run plays:
| Patch | What it changed |
|---|---|
| V1.0.6 (Oct 3) | NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation and AMD FSR arrived under Options > VIDEO > UPSCALING & AA |
| V1.0.7 (Oct 4) | Extraction got stricter: every required Artifact must be placed before the bag can be picked up |
| V1.0.10 (Oct 7) | SAFE Mode became unfailable — the run continues even after the whole team goes down |
| V1.0.12 (Oct 9) | Longer gaps between Jumpscares and Killer encounters |
| V1.0.16 (Oct 31) | New Killer Preta — a red ring that crushes anyone who stays inside; tutorial missions at the starting tent; MVP stats |
| V1.0.15 (Oct 16) | Wild Boar roams the forest; new Hospital and Base encounters; Motion Blur off by default; end-of-stage stats |
| V1.0.14 (Oct 10) | Self-revive cut from 10 to 5 seconds; Jumpscare Ghost sound and rush fixes; Graveyard and Carousel audio |
Two items are still openly unresolved: Amusement Park ride visuals (a known issue since V1.0.2, partly fixed in V1.0.3) and a startup crash (Unreal Engine "Fatal error") the studio is investigating with affected players. Reviews are still Mixed, on a sample that is small thirty-six days in.
Demo vs full game — what the studio has confirmed
| Change | Status |
|---|---|
| Microphone system overhauled: input selection plus adjusted detection/calibration | Confirmed by studio reply |
| Amusement park (the ferris wheel visible from the lookout) becomes enterable | Confirmed by studio reply |
| More locations, new anomaly areas, new ghosts/creatures | Confirmed by studio reply |
| Forest scene and overall performance optimization | Confirmed — V1.0.1 improved Forest performance again (patch notes) |
| Better Chinese in-game guidance/tutorials | Studio says full-game Chinese guidance will be clearer |
| Multiplayer room and voice chat fixes | V1.0.1 improved teammate voice volume; V1.0.2 lists the Mainland China connectivity issue as fixed (co-op) |
| Voice sensitivity tuning across microphone models | Studio says tuning is ongoing |
The demo is an older build, and the studio plans to temporarily take it down and update it: when a player reported that an XLR condenser-microphone setup could not pass the demo's calibration, the studio replied that the full version adds microphone input selection and adjusted detection/calibration, that the demo still has the old mic issues, and that they plan to take the demo down in the future. Their advice: "please don't risk your microphone or change your audio interface settings just to pass the DEMO setup." As of October 10, 2026 the demo is still downloadable (free app 4287920) — see the voice chat page for the mic fixes that matter.
What carries over unchanged
- The open-area structure: the studio has stated the game is not level-based, in the demo or the full game.
- The two-tool scanning loop (Artifact Finder, Anomaly Detector) and the fact that your real microphone feeds the world — budget time for the mic test before your first run.
FAQ
When did Sector 13: Haunted Woods release?
September 25, 2026, on Steam. The studio delayed it on release day because of a last-minute technical issue, then posted that the game was out.
Why was the launch delayed?
A last-minute technical issue the two-person team could not safely ship around. Their words: they did not want to release the game "while we're aware of a technical problem that could negatively affect your experience."
How much does it cost?
$7.99 on the US store as of October 10, 2026 — the 10% introductory offer ended on October 9. Regional prices differ.
Is the game still being updated?
Yes. Sixteen patches have shipped since launch — V1.0.1 on September 28 through V1.0.16 on October 31, 2026 — and every update is tracked on the patch notes page.
Is the demo still available?
Yes, as of October 10, 2026 the free demo (app 4287920) is still on the store — but it is an older build: the full game's microphone improvements are not in it, and the studio plans to take it down to update it.
Will there be console or mobile versions?
The Steam page lists PC only. No console platforms are announced by the studio.
All guides8
Start hereHow to play Sector 13: Haunted Woods
FixSector 13: Haunted Woods voice chat not working? Mic setup & fixes
SystemSector 13: Haunted Woods artifacts: finder, inventory and keys
SystemSector 13: Haunted Woods anomalies: how the detector works
SettingsSector 13: Haunted Woods controls & best settings
UpdateSector 13: Haunted Woods patch notes & updates
FixSector 13 co-op not working? How to fix "can't join friend's room"
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