{"rewrite":{"id":"r_0e6665bc27fa1590b3ab2e25","clusterId":"c_b95edd46a9304ec7aaa3ef47","slug":"pvpve-extraction-shooter-sand-raiders-of-sophie-launches-early-access-on-steam","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"PvPvE Extraction Shooter SAND: Raiders of Sophie Launches in Early Access on Steam","summary":"Publisher tinyBuild launched the early access of 'SAND: Raiders of Sophie' on Steam on June 23. The game is a PvPvE extraction shooter set on the desert planet Sophie, where players pilot a customizable giant walking machine called the Trampler. Players can explore, fight other players and NPCs, and extract with loot. The game supports solo play or co-op teams of up to six. Two modes are available: Voyage, a low-risk open-world mode with no time limit, and Storm Dive, a high-risk battle royale format with a time limit. Servers support up to 45 players depending on team size. The game had been delayed four times, including a last-minute postponement from June 10 due to server issues discovered during a load test. At launch, the game recorded over 15,000 concurrent players on Steam. User reviews are currently 'Mixed,' with about 60% of roughly 860 reviews positive. Complaints include connectivity issues, matchmaking problems, and bugs. The developer, Hologryph, has acknowledged these issues and stated they are top priorities. The early access period is estimated at about one year, with plans for new weapons, areas, and systems. The regular price is 2,550 yen, with a 21% launch discount to 2,014 yen until July 7. Store pages for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have also been published.","whyItMatters":"After four delays, the game's launch reception shows that server stability and matchmaking issues can overshadow a well-received core concept, even with a strong concurrent player count.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe developer Hologryph and co-developer TowerHaus built the game. The setting is a fictional 1910 where civilization has collapsed, with a dieselpunk aesthetic. The Trampler is described as a \u0026#34;multi-legged mobile base\u0026#34; and a \u0026#34;fighting mobile base.\u0026#34; Players can dismount for on-foot FPS combat using rifles, and dead players cannot respawn for a while, making sniping enemy crew a strategic advantage. Enemy NPC Tramplers exist on the map, and under certain conditions, players can cooperate with other teams.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServer issues at launch included a DDoS attack affecting connectivity, which the developer addressed with a temporary fix update two hours after acknowledging it. Other top-priority issues named by the developer are groups mixing into solo-only matches, graphics issues like lack of DLSS support, and bugs causing loot disappearance. The developer stated on the official Discord that these four issues are top priorities. The game had been delayed four times: originally announced in 2023 with an April 2025 target, then delayed due to playtest issues, then for more development time, then due to the situation in Ukraine where Hologryph is based (pushing release to June 10, 2026), and finally a fourth delay after a server slam revealed issues under high load.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlanned early access updates include new weapons, Trampler compartments, islands and POIs, PvE mechanics, crafting mechanics, cosmetic options, world hazards, visual improvements, and optimizations. The price may increase upon full release, but early access purchasers will not be affected by price changes. The game supports Japanese in-game text at launch.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"SAND: Raiders of Sophie launched after four delays, including a last-minute server issue postponement. The Mixed user rating suggests the extra time did not resolve the core stability problems.","twitterPost":"SAND: Raiders of Sophie launched after four delays but still hit Mixed reviews. Server issues remain the top complaint.","threadsPost":"SAND: Raiders of Sophie's early access launch follows four delays, the most recent a same-week server problem. The Mixed rating and 60% positive reviews suggest the extra weeks did not fix the infrastructure. Hologryph now has a year to stabilize before the 1.0 release.","newsletterBlurb":"PvPvE extraction shooter SAND: Raiders of Sophie launched in early access on Steam on June 23, featuring a customizable giant walking base called the Trampler. The game hit over 15,000 concurrent players but received 'Mixed' reviews due to server and matchmaking issues. The developer has promised fixes.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260623s\",\"title\":\"PvPvE Game 'SAND' Launches Today, Letting Players Explore a Desert Planet with a Customizable 'Fighting Mobile Base'\"},{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260623-451194/\",\"title\":\"\\\"Multi-Legged Mobile Base\\\" PvPvE Extraction Shooter 'SAND: Raiders of Sophie' Finally Released After Four Delays, Sees Over 15,000 Concurrent Players. Server Issues Lead to \\\"Mixed\\\" Reviews, Developer Promises Improvements\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/23/168307.html\",\"title\":\"Customizable Giant Walking Vehicles Explore the Desert. PvPvE Extraction Shooter 'SAND: Raiders of Sophie' Launches in Early Access\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11469,"outputTokens":1325,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782177148,"createdAt":"2026-06-23T01:06:06.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-23T01:10:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-23T01:10:24.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_b95edd46a9304ec7aaa3ef47","canonicalTitle":"カスタマイズ可能な巨大歩行兵器で砂漠を探索。PvPvE脱出シューター『SAND: Raiders of Sophie』早期アクセス開始","representativeArticleId":"a_173f17eaef9cd709f9773ba2","sourceCount":3,"writtenSourceCount":3,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"SAND: Raiders of Sophie\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"written","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-23T00:30:04.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-23T07:25:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-23T07:36:20.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260623-451194/","title":"“多脚移動基地”PvPvE脱出シューター『SAND: Raiders of Sophie』4度の延期を経てついにリリースされ、“同接1万5000人超”の大盛況。サーバー問題で「賛否両論」も、開発元は改善を約束"},{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/260623s","title":"砂の惑星を自作の“戦う移動拠点”で探索するPvPvEゲーム『SAND』が本日発売。過酷な砂漠を生き延びるために拠点を改造し、探索や略奪をしながらライバルと戦う"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/06/23/168307.html","title":"カスタマイズ可能な巨大歩行兵器で砂漠を探索。PvPvE脱出シューター『SAND: Raiders of Sophie』早期アクセス開始"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["SAND: Raiders of Sophie"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["SAND: Raiders of Sophie launched in early access on Steam on June 23, 2025, after four delays including a last-minute postponement from June 10 due to server issues.","The game recorded over 15,000 concurrent players on Steam at launch, with user reviews currently 'Mixed' (about 60% positive out of roughly 860 reviews).","The developer Hologryph acknowledged top-priority issues including connectivity problems (partly due to a DDoS attack), matchmaking bugs, graphics issues, and loot disappearance.","The early access period is estimated at about one year, with plans for new weapons, areas, and systems; the regular price is 2,550 yen with a 21% launch discount to 2,014 yen until July 7.","Store pages for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been published, though the game is currently only available on Steam."]}