SAND: Raiders of Sophie

Yes. SAND launched into Steam Early Access in June 2026 and is playable now on PC via Steam. The developers are patching it actively - the launch window saw DDoS attacks and connection/extraction bugs that they've been fixing in rapid updates.

It's paid, not free. SAND costs $24.99 USD (about GBP 19.99 / EUR 19.99), with a 21% launch discount bringing it to roughly $19.74. There is no free-to-play version.

No. SAND is PC / Steam only in Early Access - there's no PlayStation or Xbox version and no cross-play. It has full controller support (disable Steam Input to avoid issues).

You can play solo - the developers say it's specifically designed and balanced for solo play as well as teams. Solo lobbies cap at 15 players and you pilot a smaller Trampler on your own. Crews of 2-6 are also supported, with matchmaking based on your crew size.

Crews are 1 to 6 players, and matchmaking respects your crew size. Server population scales with it: solo lobbies hold up to 15, small teams (2-3) up to 36, and large teams (4-6) up to 45.

SAND has two modes. Voyage is a lower-stakes, persistent open-world experience with NO time limit - you decide when to head back and extract. Storm Dive is an action-packed, battle-royale-style mode with higher-tier loot, where a closing sandstorm is your timer: you can extract any time before it reaches the center of the map.

Tramplers are the giant walking mech-bases at the heart of SAND - you build, pilot and heavily customize them, fitting crew rooms (which double as respawn points), weapons and cargo compartments on different chassis tiers. Trampler building is by far the most-discussed topic in the community. Heavier builds trade mobility for firepower, and you can even capture an enemy team's Trampler and make it yours.

Head to an extraction point (Exit signs on the map). There you'll find two radio towers - keep your Trampler inside the zone between them so you trigger a Trampler extraction (a green flare confirms it) rather than a human-only one. Climb the tower with the ladder, do a long interaction with the radio to call the shuttle, then use the extraction ziplines near the shuttle's head to leave. Enemies can interrupt your extraction using that same radio, so guard it. To extract a Trampler only (including captured ones), ignore the ziplines and wait an extra ~3 minutes.

If you destroy an enemy Trampler, a Black Box can appear near its destroyed reactor. It's a high-value item that's automatically sold for crowns when you extract (along with other valuables and vine boxes). Grabbing a Black Box and extracting it is one of the better paydays in a run.

Yes. You can take over a defeated enemy's Trampler - your crew can re-link their respawn beds to it, making it your new spawn point. You can also extract captured Tramplers one at a time for extra profit by waiting out the ~3-minute Trampler-only extraction.

You can respawn as long as you have a Trampler with at least one functioning crew room AND food (canned food) stocked in that crew room's refrigerator. If the crew room is destroyed, the refrigerator's contents vanish and respawn becomes unavailable - so keep spare canned food on board to re-stock after repairs.

The Early Access launch had real growing pains: DDoS attacks, region/connection drops, and extraction desyncs that could cost loot. The devs have been patching fast (refrigerator contents now extract properly, disconnected crew can reconnect, and solo-vs-team matchmaking was fixed). If your region is full or laggy, switch regions - at launch Europe was capped while North US was the smoother option.

SAND uses BattlEye anti-cheat. Some players reported false bans during the launch rush (for example, simply having a controller connected). If you believe a ban was a mistake, don't buy/sell accounts or beg in chat - contact the developers through the official Steam and Discord support channels to appeal. You can also report suspected cheaters in-match.

Pick a server region close to you, then choose or build a Trampler (start simple). Plan your expedition, head out into the desert to scavenge resources, loot and valuables, and watch the map for Exit signs. Bank your run by extracting before you're wiped - and keep canned food aboard so you can respawn. Lost everything? You'll start a new character or join a teammate's Trampler to rebuild.

Yes - SAND uses BattlEye anti-cheat. Players most often compare it to extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov and survival/PvP games like Rust, plus crewed-vehicle games like Last Oasis, World's Adrift and Sea of Thieves (for the squad-runs-a-moving-base feel). Those are community comparisons; SAND's own hook is the customizable walking Trampler and the alternate-1910 desert.

Yes — Steam lists a release date of Jun 22, 2026.

SAND: Raiders of Sophie is listed for Windows on the Steam (PC) store. Console availability isn't covered by Steam's PC store data — check the official channels.

Steam lists these modes: Multi-player, PvP, Online PvP.

Steam lists it at $24.99.

Yes — Steam lists 20 achievements for SAND: Raiders of Sophie.

SAND: Raiders of Sophie is developed by Hologryph, TowerHaus and published by tinyBuild.