Mandate Order Release Date: EA Launch & 1.0 Roadmap

Quick Answer: The Mandate Order release date is August 12, 2026, when the game entered Early Access on Steam at 10:00 Beijing time (UTC+8). Because of time zones, some Steam regions display the date as Aug 11, 2026. A 1.0 release date has not been announced; the developer targets roughly 12 months of Early Access.

Mandate Order, the Warring States war city-builder from Chinese studio Digital Sky, is out now. This page collects every confirmed date around the launch: when the game released, what shipped on day one, how long Early Access is planned to last, and what still has no date. Everything here comes from the official Steam page and the developer's own statements.

The Exact Release Date and Time

Mandate Order launched into Early Access on August 12, 2026 at 10:00 Beijing time (UTC+8). Steam's store page lists both the Release Date and the Early Access Release Date as the same day. If you saw Aug 11, 2026 on the US Steam page, that is the same moment expressed in a different time zone, not a separate release.

This is an Early Access launch, not version 1.0. The developer states that the core gameplay loop is complete and fully playable, and that Early Access exists to expand and refine the game together with players rather than to sell a concept in advance. The launch was self-published by Digital Sky on PC.

Timeline: From First Reveal to Launch

The road to release was fairly short and public. Key dates below are cross-verified from the Steam page, the official announcement trailer and Chinese press coverage.

• October 2025 — First gameplay reveal during Steam Next Fest, including a free demo and a "Medieval Festival version" gameplay PV. The official announcement trailer went up on YouTube around the same time.
• July 17, 2026 — Digital Sky officially locked in the August 12 launch date in its release-date announcement.
• August 12, 2026 — Early Access launch on Steam at 10:00 (UTC+8), with launch coverage also reporting an Epic Games Store release the same day (store link TBC).

The free Next Fest demo was taken down after the event; see the Mandate Order demo page for that history.

What Shipped on Day One

The Early Access version is not a thin slice. According to the developer's own Early Access statement, the launch build already includes the full core loop:

• City-state construction with gridless free building
• Production logistics, population and livelihood management
• Four-season farming plus public opinion, disease and natural-disaster systems
• The Hundred Schools retainer system, diplomacy, trade and titles
• Conscription, chariots, drawn battle formations and city-wall siege defense
• 12 supported languages and 40 Steam achievements

For a full breakdown of these systems, read the gameplay guide.

How Long Will Early Access Last?

Digital Sky's stated development target is approximately 12 months for the Early Access phase. In the developer's words, the game will move to 1.0 "once the core content, overall stability, and long-term play experience meet our standards for the full version."

The team also explicitly says it will not rush out of Early Access just to hit a date, nor let the game stagnate. So treat the 12-month figure as a target, not a promise.

When Will Version 1.0 Release?

No 1.0 date has been announced. If the 12-month target holds, the full release would land around August 2027, but that is an estimate based on the stated target, not an official date (TBC). Before 1.0, the roadmap includes new maps and terrains, building upgrades, livestock and richer agricultural chains, more retainers and national policies, new unit types and enemy attack patterns, and better tutorials and performance. Details are tracked on the update roadmap page.

The developer has also confirmed the price may rise at 1.0, with any change announced in advance, which is an argument for buying during Early Access if you are interested. See is Mandate Order free or paid for the full pricing picture.

Launch Pricing and the Introductory Offer

Mandate Order launched at $19.99 USD with a 15% introductory discount ($16.99) running for about two weeks; the Steam page lists the offer ending August 25, 2026. In China the game costs ¥68 with the same launch discount. Launch bundles with Eastern Era, Wandering Sword and 龙胤立志传 offer further savings. Full details are on the Mandate Order Steam page guide.

How the Launch Went

On launch day the game sat at "Mostly Positive" on Steam, with 79% of the first 84 user reviews positive, and the rating trended upward during the day as more reviews came in (this snapshot changes fast). Thirteen Steam curators had already reviewed it.

One technical issue marred the launch: some players hit a crash on startup. The developer pinned an official workaround the same day: right-click the game in your Steam Library, open Properties, then General, and add -DX11 to Launch Options to force DirectX 11 mode. Performance, unit pathfinding and mid-to-late-game content are the developer's own declared focus areas for Early Access polish.

Key Dates at a Glance

| Event | Date | Status | | --- | --- | --- | | First reveal + free demo (Steam Next Fest) | October 2025 | Done | | Release date announcement | July 17, 2026 | Done | | Early Access launch (Steam) | August 12, 2026, 10:00 UTC+8 | Done | | Introductory offer ends | August 25, 2026 | Confirmed on Steam | | Early Access duration target | ~12 months | Developer target | | Version 1.0 release | Not announced (est. ~Aug 2027) | TBC |

How to Follow Future Date Announcements

The 1.0 date, price-change notices and content milestone dates will surface through channels the studio demonstrably uses: the Steam news hub (patch notes and announcements), the pinned threads in the Steam forums (where the day-one fix appeared within hours), the official Discord and X account. The developer has committed to publishing stage-by-stage roadmaps during Early Access, so expect intermediate content dates, not just a single 1.0 reveal. This page is updated as each date is verified, using the same sourcing standard as the table above.

If you are deciding whether to jump in now or wait for 1.0, the practical answer: the core loop is complete today, the price is lowest during Early Access, and the developer has a public roadmap. Start with the beginner-friendly gameplay overview to see if the systems appeal to you.