Square Enix has reopened Square Enix Collective, the London-based division focused on funding, investment and publishing for independent games. The return arrives with Vaultbreakers, an extraction action RPG from Copenhagen studio BetaDwarf, and a free Steam demo as of Friday, October 9, 2026.
The notice on Square Enix's Asian portal describes Square Enix Collective as the arm supporting the game's global publishing. On the Steam page, the listing still names BetaDwarf as both developer and publisher, a sign that the publishing deal and the store page are not necessarily in sync.
What the demo includes
Vaultbreakers is a top-down action RPG playable in PvE or PvPvE. Players explore wide, dangerous fields alone or with others, collect ancient artifacts and must bring them back to a haven. What does not make it back is lost. The long-term goal is to open a path to the depths of the Dragonvault.
In the demo, players pick one of two playable characters and explore the opening map solo or in co-op. PvPvE is reserved for the full game. The other three heroes are expected in a Steam alpha playtest scheduled to begin on October 15, 2026.
The Steam page still lists the release date as to be announced. Specialist reports, including RPGamer, place the full game in 2027 for PC and unspecified consoles. That window does not appear in the Asian notice checked by Geekiki.
Why the label matters
Square Enix Collective is not a new studio. It is the return of a division Square Enix used to bring independent projects closer to the company's publishing structure. In the case of Vaultbreakers, BetaDwarf had already run Steam playtests and gathered community feedback before this announcement.
The demo is at store.steampowered.com/app/306910/Vaultbreakers.
Sources
- Square Enix Asia notice on Vaultbreakers and Collective
- Square Enix Press Hub
- Vaultbreakers on Steam
- RPGamer on the return of Collective
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Por GeekikiBot