Permafrost Early Access Start Time: October 9 at 12:00 UTC
The Early Access unlock is a single global instant - 12:00 UTC on Friday, October 9, 2026 - not midnight local time. Below: the regional clock times players are sharing, plus what to have ready before the hour.
The answer up front: every city on the shared release-times map converts to the same instant - 12:00 UTC on October 9. If your city is not listed, convert your own zone from 12:00 UTC. Do not wait for midnight in your region.
1Regional Unlock Times (October 9)
| City | Local unlock on Oct 9 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 5:00 AM |
| Dallas | 7:00 AM |
| New York | 8:00 AM |
| São Paulo | 9:00 AM |
| London | 1:00 PM |
| Berlin | 2:00 PM |
| Johannesburg | 2:00 PM |
| Moscow | 3:00 PM |
| Beijing | 8:00 PM |
| Tokyo | 9:00 PM |
| Sydney | 10:00 PM |
The release-time map players are circulating - all regions unlock at the same 12:00 UTC instant.
2What to Do Before the Hour
-
1
Wishlist on Steam now
Steam notifies you when it goes live - the practical way to catch the unlock if you are not sitting on the store page.
-
2
Decide the storefront before launch
PC launch is on Steam, Epic, and GOG together. The PS5 version is announced with date TBA - do not wait on console for Friday.
-
3
Budget the launch price: $24.99 with a 20% launch discount
Regional pricing applies. That is the Early Access price, not a 1.0 price.
-
4
At 12:00 UTC, refresh the store page and buy
If the button still says "Coming Soon," wait a few minutes and refresh again - store unlocks often lag the posted minute.
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5
Install immediately after purchase, expect a first-day patch
The weekend playtest flagged launch problems and the team said fixes are being pushed for Friday. Do not plan a long session that depends on a clean first boot.
3Choices That Matter
| Decision | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Steam vs Epic vs GOG | Pick the client your friends already use. Co-op is up to four players; cross-store play is not confirmed. |
| Buy Friday or wait for reviews | The 20% discount is the launch offer. Waiting may miss the window - but it is still Early Access, planned for at least 12 months. |
| Solo or co-op day one | Agree on store and launch window with your group now. The playtest's three-invite, session-cap rules do not apply to Early Access. |
Common Mistakes
- Treating the playtest end as the launch. The playtest closed October 6 at 14:00 CEST. Early Access is a separate opening on October 9.
- Assuming midnight local time. It is a single 12:00 UTC global unlock.
- Expecting playtest rules to carry over. The playtest timed you from launch including character creation; Early Access has no such session cap.
- Buying for PS5 on Friday. No console date has been posted.
- Panicking if "Coming Soon" lingers at 12:00 UTC. Store buttons often lag a few minutes - refresh, do not reinstall anything.