News Tower – Everything You Need to Know Release FAQ

Hey Newsbearers!

Before we hit 1.0, we wanted to gather everything in one enormous blog. This FAQ brings together your most‑asked questions, feature summaries, and a look back at our journey to launch so far. Thank you for playing the demos, sending feedback, reporting bugs, and cheering us on. Your support has shaped News Tower every step of the way. ❤️

18 months of Early Access — the recap

What a ride for the game already... Since the EA release in February last year we released four major updates and countless updates/patch/improvements shaped by your feedback and support. We couldn't be more grateful for this amazing journey, and hope you will be thrilled to discover what lies ahead.

We streamlined the pre-1.0 path and shipped four major updates shaped by your feedback:

• Starting in February 2024 we launched the game in Early Access
• Endless Mode update March 13, 2024
• Age of Photography update June 12, 2024
• Employee of the Month update Sept 17, 2024
• Going International update Feb 17, 2025
• We're excited for Nov 18th,2025 when News Tower will hit 1.0 and be fully released on Steam for PC and Mac, localized in 7 different languages.

Read the roadmap post for the full journey: Latest Roadmap

What’s coming at 1.0

We have a lot of content planned for 1.0, we did some deep dive throughout the summer to present the main aspects:

• Timeline extension — Keep printing until end of 1939 across the US & Europe, which will mark the official end of the game. (But you will have the option to switch to Endless mode and keep playing)
• Competitors + Perception — The Jersey Beacon and The Empire Observer fight you for districts; trigger time-sensitive District Conflicts and defend your reputation week to week.
  Deep dive: Competitor System Spotlight
• Factions, revamped (+ new Military) — Mayor, Mafia, High Society, and the new Military faction; 8 unique NPCs per faction with meaningful trade-offs.
  More reads: Faction Deep Dive · Mafia vs. Mayor · Military vs. High Society
• Leaderboards — Compare runs and climb the charts.
• Two new unlockable towers — Fresh layouts, new strategic possibilities.
• Plus — Loads of discoverable objects, decorations, achievements, and a broad polish across different systems.

1.0 Release FAQ

When does 1.0 launch?

A: Get the presses ready, the game launches on November 18, 2025, in the late afternoon (Central European Time, CET).

What changed since the Summer Community Test?

A: Thanks to testers, a large number of changes and implementations were made, including:

Some Feature improvements

• Clearer Competitors: better introduction/readability of the system, tighter District Conflicts, stronger mid-game challenge.
• We've re-worked main & side quests for the Mafia and the Mayor (pacing, clarity, payoffs).
• All factions have almost completely new questlines

Content additions

• The news coverage has been extended to the end of 1939.
• New Military faction
• 2 Unlockable towers.
• New objects, new decorations, achievements, and more.

What’s the price? Do EA players pay again?

A: The price, once the game has hit 1.0, will be $24.99. The increase reflects the added systems, content, and polish at launch. If you already own Early Access, 1.0 is a free update. No extra purchase is required.

Which platforms?

A: The game will be available on PC & Mac on Steam. It will also be localised into seven different languages. (French, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, Russian and Chinese)

Are EA saves compatible?

A: Unfortunately, No. With the faction revamp and the new competitor systems, old saves aren’t compatible—even if you played the Summer Community Test in July. A fresh start ensures stability and access to all new content.

Do you cover continents beyond North America & Europe?

A: While some major events in history took place outside of the western countries in the 1930s, like the sino-japanese or the ethiopian-italian wars, however it didn't fit well in the structure and balancing of the game. This is why we are focusing only on the North America and Europe news which is already a lot to cover in an indie game..

Any plans for post-launch?

A: Our focus right now is set on making sure 1.0 launches well and to be ready for new feedback, new improvements and suggestions we can quickly add to the game in the weeks/months after 1.0

Join the Community

Discord: Join our server for developer Q&As, patch notes, feedback channels, and playtest announcements.
X: https://x.com/NewsTowerGame — Follow for bite-sized updates, polls, and trailer drops.

Wishlist on Steam

Wishlisting helps more than you might think—it tells Steam (and us!) that you want to see this project succeed and ensures you’ll be notified on release day and major updates.

Final Word

From our very first blog in 2021 to today, you’ve helped us build something we love. Your ideas, bug reports, and kind words made News Tower stronger at every step. We hope you feel that care in every system, story, and song.

If you’re new here: welcome to the newsroom. If you’ve been with us since the early drafts, thank you for keeping the presses running.

See you on November 18.

– The Sparrow Night (Studio Nul) & Twin Sails Interactive team