Dead Matter
Early access since Sep 2023
After a rampant viral outbreak causes global society to collapse, you must survive the harsh wilderness of the Canadian Rockies amidst vast hordes of Infected and rival survivors.
28% positive · 900 reviews
Not yet
In early access, active development but status unclear
Low confidence
Active Development
Development Uncertain
Not yet
In early access, active development but status unclear
Low confidence
Active Development
Development Uncertain
Where to buy
Steam $19.99
Can't confirm — worth a look
We couldn't confirm these stores carry this game.
Green Man Gaming Steam key Search IndieGala Steam key Search Prices in USD, as listed by each store.
Buying through an affiliate store helps support the site
Evaluation
Dead Matter entered Steam Early Access on September 15, 2023 as an open-world multiplayer zombie survival game set in the Canadian Rockies. The launch was rocky — the developer acknowledged in a March 5, 2024 post that the game shipped in a poor state and that they had largely gone quiet because they didn't feel comfortable promoting it. That same post, tagged as a development status update, outlined a series of commitments: improved communication (at least monthly posts), an open issue tracker on GitHub, and a major overhaul update (0.12) addressing core systems like character customization, cooking, gardening, server performance, and the claims system. On June 5, 2024, the developer followed up with a Spring Wrap-Up post summarizing further progress since the 0.12 update.
However, June 5, 2024 is the last recorded communication from the developer — more than two years before today (June 20, 2026). The developer had explicitly promised monthly updates but has not delivered on that commitment since June 2024. The game remains in Early Access with no announced 1.0 release date and no indication from the developer about whether active work is continuing. Given the extended and unexplained silence — well beyond the monthly cadence the developer themselves committed to — the current state of development cannot be confirmed.
Evidence
Spring Wrap-Up post covering progress made since the 0.12 update — the last recorded developer communication as of June 20, 2026.
Developer acknowledged the troubled launch and issued the 0.12 Foundation Update, committing to at least monthly updates and improved community communication going forward.
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
QI Games
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · Co-op · PvP
About this game
When the dead roam the earth...
The year is 2025. A mysterious virus, which turns its victims into ravenous inhuman husks, plunges the world into total chaos.
Several weeks have passed since the infected have overrun the province of Alberta. Canadian federal agency NERA's evacuation attempts failed, leaving you and countless other survivors trapped in the Kananaskis area, now overrun with tens of thousands of infected pouring over from the cities.
Your supplies are running low, and you’re not the only one starving and desperate.
Who will you be, now that nothing is left?
What is Dead Matter?
Dead Matter is an open-world, multiplayer zombie survival game project in Early Access.
We are a small but passionate team that believes in working closely with our community to refine and improve our game. As part of this collaborative approach, we offer access to a Nightly testing branch where all of Dead Matter's latest changes and newest content can be experienced before stable patches roll out.
Patches and updates developed through feedback from the Nightly testing branch are integrated into Dead Matter's Release branch. This process ensures that Dead Matter will continue to evolve with our community's direct input.
CURRENT FEATURES
The world of Dead Matter takes place in the province of Alberta. You will explore the rolling plains of the Kananaskis valley, nestled in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. As our map continues to expand, the valley will have a diverse number of natural wonders for you to discover, as well as the towns of Canmore and Banff.
Running into the Infected can be a death sentence. Although by themselves they may not pose much of a threat, their strength comes in numbers, and you will easily find yourself overwhelmed if you’re not careful.
Fire your gun at your own risk: loud noises will draw the attention of the ever-present horde. Melee weapons will leave you completely outnumbered if you plan to take on more than a few infected. Plan accordingly.
The Infected aren’t the only threats you’ll have to contend with, though. You will have to manage your supplies to keep fed and hydrated, heal yourself when injured, and disinfect your wounds.
In the wake of total societal collapse, you will have to rely on your own resourcefulness. Craft bandages in the field with scraps of cotton, or improve a baseball bat by studding it with leftover nails.
The residents of the survivor settlement Dominion will offer you dangerous mercenary work in exchange for monetary reward or valuable gear. As the quest system expands and improves during Early Access, you may even be able to take part in their stories, should you gain their trust.
PLANNED FEATURES
- Season Cycle with harsher weather conditions, including an expanded temperature system - you will need to keep yourself warm and dry to survive the intense Alberta winters
- Improved Base Building and Fortification
- Farming system - will interact with the season cycle system
- Improved vehicles - vehicle damage, vehicle armour, vehicle repair
- Hostile survivor AI
- "Special" Infected - Infected that are more difficult to kill thanks to the equipment they were wearing before they turned
- Radio broadcast system - for player-run radio stations and NPC-run radio stations
- Voiced NPCs
- Aircraft and Train vehicles
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 20, 2026
Something about this evaluation looks wrong Report illegal or harmful content