SAND: Raiders of Sophie reached Steam Early Access on Monday, June 22, 2026. The PvPvE extraction shooter comes from Ukrainian studio Hologryph, working with TowerHaus and publisher tinyBuild, and it arrives after a short delay from an earlier June launch. The release lands on PC only, with regional pricing and a launch discount attached.
Quick answer: SAND: Raiders of Sophie unlocked on Steam on June 22, 2026, during the early afternoon UTC window. Steam staggers the unlock by region, so the exact moment depends on your time zone. You can buy in now from the official Steam store page.
SAND: Raiders of Sophie release time by region
The unlock follows Steam’s staggered regional rollout, with the launch window landing in the early afternoon UTC. Use the table below to match the release to your local clock.
| Region | Local release time |
|---|---|
| US West Coast (PDT) | 10:00 |
| US East Coast (EDT) | 13:00 |
| UK (BST) | 18:00 |
| Central Europe (CEST) | 19:00 |
| Ukraine (EEST) | 20:00 |
Note: Some schedules placed the unlock about an hour earlier, so the practical window sits between roughly 16:00 and 17:00 UTC. Because the rollout is staggered, the precise second you can launch the game still depends on your Steam region.
Price and the launch discount
Pricing was shaped by player feedback gathered before launch and lands near €20, with regional pricing applied. A 21% launch discount drops the entry price under €16. Buying during Early Access is the cheapest entry point, since the price may rise after the full release and early buyers keep the lower rate.
The game launches in Early Access rather than as a finished 1.0 build. The developers estimate roughly a year in the program, a rough figure shaped by community input. Weapons, Trampler compartments, islands, and crafting are still under development, so a roadmap based on the pre-launch Server Slam feedback ships alongside the game.
SAND: Raiders of Sophie PC system requirements
SAND runs on Windows only at launch, with no console version confirmed for the Early Access window. Storage stays at 11 GB across both tiers, and both require a 64-bit processor and operating system.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) / AMD Ryzen 5 (2000 Series) | Intel Core i5 (13th Gen) / AMD Ryzen 5 (7000 Series) |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1650 / AMD RX 570 / Intel Arc A380 | NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6800 XT |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Network | Broadband connection | Broadband connection |
| Storage | 11 GB | 11 GB |
The gap between a GTX 1650 at the minimum and an RTX 3080 at the recommended tier signals that higher settings ask for serious hardware.
Steam Deck and Linux status
The game targets Windows, but Linux and Steam Deck players can attempt to run it through Proton after installing the Proton BattlEye Runtime from the Steam library. In practice, the anti-cheat has been blocking many Linux setups. Players report installing and reaching the main menu fine, then getting kicked for “suspicious activity” the moment a match or expedition starts.
Switching to Proton Experimental or GE builds has not reliably fixed it, and being kicked mid-expedition can cost the resources you brought in. The developers have stated they are looking into Linux support, so treat Steam Deck play as unverified for now.
What you do in SAND: Raiders of Sophie
The core of the game is the Trampler, a modular walking mech that acts as your base, loot storage, and weapons platform at once. You build one from scratch in the Trampler Editor, save designs as blueprints, then head out solo or with a crew to scavenge cities, ruins, and shipwrecks before extracting to an orbital station. The desert world is procedurally generated and set in an alternate 1910, so no two runs feel identical.
Two modes split the risk. Voyage Mode lets you test builds and pick up lower-tier loot at your own pace, while Storm Dive raises the stakes for higher-tier rewards as sandstorms close in and player encounters become more likely. The world also layers in PvE threats, with supernatural Upiors and undead mobs roaming the cities alongside rival raiders.
If you want in at the lowest price, the launch discount is the deciding factor today, since the rate is set to climb once the game leaves Early Access. Wishlisting on Steam keeps you updated as compartments, weapons, islands, and crafting fill out over the program’s run.
