Mushroots Leaves Early Access on July 10, Goes Free-to-Play

On 10 July, Mushroots — an unconventional multiplayer strategy game currently in Early Access on Steam — will exit Early Access, reach full release, and become free to play simultaneously. The developer, posting under the name Art91em, gave advance notice specifically so that anyone considering a purchase during the remaining paid window understands the change is imminent.

What changed

• 10 July: Mushroots moves to full release and becomes free to play
• Until that date, the game remains paid on Steam
• After the transition, major updates are described as unlikely unless the game attracts a substantial active player base
• Smaller fixes or adjustments may still occur
• A stable community post-launch could prompt the team to reconsider further development

The announcement is notably candid. The developer acknowledges that Mushroots did not reach the audience size they had hoped for, and that a matchmaking-dependent strategy game suffers acutely from a thin player base. They also reflect on mistakes of scope and complexity, describing the project as probably too ambitious for the team's size and experience.

The game was designed to avoid classic RTS micromanagement in favour of a less conventional approach to strategy — an idea the team still believes in, even as they reckon with the practical limits of sustaining it.

For players who bought the game during Early Access, the shift to free-to-play means their window to influence the game through an active paid community has effectively closed; what happens next depends almost entirely on whether a broader free audience shows up.