New on Steam: The Most Exciting Multiplayer Shooter of the Year Launches This Week

A quick overview of all the week’s major new releases on Steam.

This new week on Steam is packed with highlights once again:Highlights include a new 100-player shooter set on a massive map, the 1.0 release of Vlheim after more than five years in Early Access, and a new multiplayer horror game featuring Michael Myers. In addition, an expansion for Age of Empires 3—which was actually scrapped long ago—is making a surprise comeback.

As we do every Monday, we’ve picked out the week’s most important new releases and will tell you which games you should keep an eye on.

The Highlight of the Week: Wardogs (Early Access)

You may still remember developer Bulkhead fromBattalion 1944. The WWII shooter garnered a lot of attention in 2019 but never quite lived up to the high expectations. WithWardogs, the studio is now aiming even higher—and there’s certainly interest so far: More than 800,000 players have added the shooter to their Steam wishlist, and the two closed betas at times reached up to 245,000 concurrent players.

But what actually sets Wardogs apart from Battlefield and the like? Instead of two armies, three teams of about 33 players each face off against one another. The battle takes place on a 256-square-kilometer map, where a 2-by-2-kilometer combat zone is defined at the start of each round.

Within this zone are several key points. If your team holds these positions while bringing more players into the area than the opposition, you earn points. The first team to reach 100 wins.

The second unique feature is the economy system:Weapons, gear, and vehicles aren’t simply available to you at any time—they cost money. You earn this currency during the round, for example through kills and other actions such as building bases, reconnaissance, healing, or transporting materials and teammates to the front lines. Players who perform well can later afford better gear or heavier vehicles. Those who die quickly may end up in the red.

At launch, however, you shouldn’t expect a fully polished package just yet. Wardogs will initially be released in Early Access, which is scheduled to run for one to two years according to the current plan. We’ll, of course, be testing the game thoroughly for you.

More Exciting Steam Releases of the Week

Monday, September 7, 2026

• Tiny Eden:In this laid-back first-person gardening sim, you transform a dreary city apartment into a lush indoor greenhouse. You’ll grow strawberries, tomatoes, and herbs, cook them into something you can sell, and decorate your concrete prison along the way.

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

• Halloween: The Game:For fans of asymmetrical horror duels: Four residents try to survive the night, while one slips into Michael Myers’ jumpsuit. There’s also a mini solo campaign from Michael’s perspective. We’ve been playing extensively since the Advanced Access release on September 4.

• Wanderburg (Early Access):This game from Germany sends you on a journey through a minimalist medieval roguelike featuring a moving castle that devours villages, herds, and small fortresses as it grows ever larger.

• The World Beyond:In this laid-back survival game, you play as a bioengineer on the planet Sota7, where you build bases, explore biomes, and work with real plant biology, such as cross-pollination and grafting. There’s a strict no-violence rule—animals can only be stunned—and your hunger and thirst meters deplete extremely slowly.

• Bus Simulator 27:The Düsseldorf-based publisher astragon is providing over 45 licensed buses from 13 manufacturers, along with, for the first time, intercity routes featuring real tour buses in the fictional Southern European city of Felicia Bay. Four-player co-op is back. Early Access is already underway, and early Steam ratings have been mixed so far—it doesn’t hurt to check out the reviews before buying.

• SPRAWL zero:This boomer shooter has you racing through a collapsing cyberpunk city as a cybernetic super soldier. Over 40 weapons, bullet time, and enemies that coordinate via voice commands are all part of the action.

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

• Valheim (1.0 Release):After five years and four months in Early Access, developer Iron Gate is releasing version 1.0, featuring Deep North—the eighth and final biome—along with new enemies, weapons, building components, and full cross-play support, including PS5 and Switch 2. Existing save files will be preserved and receive the update for free. Check out our review coming soon!

• Warlord: Awaji:The hidden gem for strategists: You lead a samurai invasion of Awaji Island, recruit and promote warriors, and conquer an open map measuring 16 by 16 kilometers.

Thursday, September 10, 2026

• Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition – The Baltic Powers (Expansion):They say the dead live on! This expansion was announced in 2024, delayed, and officially scrapped in January 2025—but now it’s finally here. Forgotten Empires and World’s Edge introduce two new civilizations (Poland and Denmark), over 25 maps, new challenge scenarios, and the Independence and Regicide modes.

• Gunman Contracts – Stand Alone (Early Access):The acclaimed Half-Life: Alyx mod is finally becoming a standalone game. The John Wick-style shooter was completely rebuilt from scratch in Unity and can be played either in VR or in standard 2D mode with a mouse and keyboard, including on the Steam Deck. At launch, Early Access includes three story missions, two challenge modes, weapon attachments, and the Home Base.

• Shroom and Gloom (Early Access):Devolver Digital sends you into musty mushroom dungeons in this first-person deckbuilder. What makes it special: two separate decks—one for exploring, one for fighting—and enemies you can not only defeat but also cook and eat.

• Welcome to Elderfield:A farming sim with Lovecraftian vibes: You’ll grow corn and pumpkins, but also eyeballs and teeth. Along the way, you’ll trim overgrown tentacles, marry the quirky villagers, and search for ancient gods.

Friday, September 11, 2026

• Anime Shop Simulator:In this shop-owner sim, you run your own anime shop, stocking shelves with manga, figures, and trading cards– either solo or in co-op.

Our Fritz introduces all of this month’s other releases in the video above, and the next highlights are coming as early as next week!

What’s your highlight of the week? Are you looking forward to Wardogs, heading back to Valheim 1.0, or do you have a completely different hidden gem on your list? Let us know in the comments!