4J Studios, the developer behind Reforj, discloses the PC launch date at Game Republic New Horizons

4J Studios is preparing for the debut of its open-world survival game, Reforj, on PC. A closed playtest will be launched in the first quarter of 2027. This announcement was made at the Game Republic New Horizons 2026 event during a special interview with the company's Chris van der Kuyl and Joseph "Stampy" Garrett.

The studio conveyed to GamesIndustry.biz that the playtest will initially be on an invite-only basis. This approach aims to enhance the player experience while feedback is incorporated to refine the game. Specific details about the playtest platform are yet to be disclosed, but an announcement is anticipated later this year.

Joseph Garrett highlighted the uniqueness of Reforj's early access strategy by noting the rapid engagement with players, which began just nine months into development. Initially, players had access to a world-building prototype without survival aspects, allowing for direct community involvement shortly after the project's unveiling.

Garrett also emphasized the continuous interaction with the community. Each week, feedback gathered, especially from Discord, reaches Patty Burns, the CEO, and Director, and Tom Fife, the lead designer, ensuring prompt implementation of community suggestions.

Currently, Reforj is accessible to early testers on the Xbox Series X|S via the Insider Program. Garrett explained that early testing on Xbox helps avoid issues related to varying hardware specifications and provides a controlled environment for feedback.

The company aims to ensure a polished product upon its PC release, learning from the experiences of developing the legacy console edition and maintaining trust with its fan base.

Additionally, 4J Studios recently showcased technology named Rixels, which innovatively reduces texture memory demands by using modified pixels. This technology is integrated into their Elements Engine, a proprietary tool developed for their sandbox game creations, following their experience with porting Minecraft to various platforms.

Brian Gomez, Creative Director, explained that the Elements Engine was specifically designed to support 4J Studios' unique game development needs.