HANDS OVER went from a Steam page launch in May 2026 to a 100,000-wishlist demo campaign and a two-week release delay in October. This page records the dated milestones in order, with links to the original announcement.
It is a record, not a news feed. It does not invent patches, review scores or “insider” claims.
The timeline
- ReleaseScheduled
Early Access launch on Steam
HANDS OVER is scheduled to enter Steam Early Access. The exact unlock time has not been announced.
- Delay
Release moved to November 13
ArtDock delayed the Early Access launch from October 30 by two weeks to address issues found during Next Fest. The studio also confirmed a launch discount.
- Milestone
Demo ranks #13 in Steam Next Fest Top 50
ArtDock announced that the HANDS OVER demo placed 13th in Steam Next Fest’s Top 50 demo list.
- Demo
Demo joins Steam Scream Fest
The demo took part in Steam Scream Fest, which ran through November 2, 2026.
- Demo
Steam Next Fest begins
The demo joined Steam Next Fest, with developer live streams running through October 26.
- Demo
Free demo released on Steam
The free demo became available, supporting up to five players online. ArtDock pointed players to its Discord for matchmaking.
- Demo
Demo date and Next Fest plans announced
ArtDock set the demo for October 15 and confirmed Next Fest participation from October 19 to 26. It also clarified that losing a hand does not mean losing the match.
- Announcement
October 30 release date announced
The studio announced an October 30, 2026 Early Access launch. This date was later replaced by November 13.
- Announcement
Early Access confirmed
After closed playtests, ArtDock announced that HANDS OVER would launch in Early Access and continue expanding with player feedback.
- Milestone
100,000 wishlists; playtest closed
The closed playtest ended and the Steam wishlist count reached 100,000. A demo was teased for the near future.
- Milestone
Closed playtest begins
A limited first wave of playtesters received access. ArtDock said further invitations depended on feedback and activity.
- Milestone
80,000 wishlists
ArtDock reported 80,000 wishlists and a position around #800 on Steam’s most-wishlisted ranking at that time.
- Milestone
Playtest sign-ups close at 15,000
ArtDock closed playtester sign-ups after reaching its 15,000-player goal and noted a brief appearance in the SteamDB top 100.
- Media
Console announcement at The MIX Summer Game Showcase
A new trailer confirmed PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions alongside PC, with no console release dates.
- Announcement
Steam page goes live
HANDS OVER appeared on Steam with its tabletop horror premise and influence-card system. IGN covered the announcement the same week.
What we are watching next
- The November 13 launch: the exact unlock time, price and launch discount.
- The first patch: balance changes, bug fixes and online stability.
- The first content update: new challenges, cards or modes.
- Console news: release dates, feature parity and crossplay.
- The card system: an official card list or in-game compendium.
Each of those items will be added only when there is a source. A date on a roadmap is not a release; a planned feature is not a shipped feature.
How this timeline is maintained
- Every entry has a date and at least one official source.
- The summary describes what was announced, not what it might mean.
- Superseded dates stay in the record and are labeled as superseded.
- The page’s “last verified” date changes when the record is checked, not when the site wants to look fresh.
- Post-launch patch notes will be added from Steam announcements, not from community summaries.
The full source ledger, including what each source supports, is on the sources page. For the current release details, see the release tracker.
