This tracker records the public Phantom Blade Zero timeline from first-party sources. The current checkpoint is pre-release: Steam AppID 4115450 remains Coming Soon, while the official site and the latest creative-director letter point to October 29, 2026. Preview announcements below explain what was shown or changed; they do not replace a launch-build test.
How to use this tracker
Read the newest dated entry first, then open its source. Official means the information comes from the Steam listing or S-GAME’s official site. Preview means a trailer or reveal establishes what was shown, not every final rule. Verification needed means a future build, platform, or store-state check is required.
2026-06-02 - Release plan updated
Type: Official development update
The creative director’s letter says the planned release moved from September 9 to October 29, 2026, and describes further upcoming information. The official site carries the same October 29 date. Steam currently renders October 28, so retain the discrepancy as a store-display note until the product state changes.
Source: A Letter From Creative Director
2025-08-18 - Pangzhen RTX reveal
Type: Official world and technology reveal
The official article presents Pangzhen and graphics technology as part of the game’s public visual development. It is useful context for the Story and Technical hubs, but it is not a benchmark or a complete map guide.
Source: Return to Pangzhen: RTX Reveal
2025-01-21 - Year of the Snake trailer
Type: Official gameplay and character reveal
The official trailer material highlights the Seven Stars sword formation, String Puppet, motion capture, and the game’s kungfupunk presentation. Record these as officially shown terms; do not infer their full story role or final combat statistics.
Source: Year of the Snake Trailer
2024-06-07 - First gameplay trailer
Type: Official combat preview
The first gameplay article describes reactive parrying and dodging, two main weapons plus two Phantom Edges, and melee/ranged weapon systems. These facts justify the Combat and Arsenal hubs. Exact controls, resource costs, and timings remain verification work.
Source: First Gameplay Trailer
What should trigger a page audit
Recheck the release date, Steam availability, public version label, Windows requirements, controller behavior, Steam Deck/Proton status, and every “best” recommendation when the store changes from Coming Soon or a new official build is announced. Keep the base game AppID in every page scope; do not mix a demo or a future DLC into this timeline without a verified related product identity.
This tracker intentionally has no Codes section and no invented patch number. If an official system introduces redeemable codes or a public version label, add a dated entry first, then create a dedicated article only when the evidence supports it.
Source priority when dates disagree
Use the official site or a dated first-party letter to explain the intended release plan, and use Steam to report the current store availability and product metadata. If the two surfaces display different calendar dates, show the discrepancy with both links and a checkpoint date. Do not hide one source or turn a rendering difference into a second release event.
What counts as a meaningful update
A meaningful entry changes a player-facing fact: release timing, store state, platform requirements, a named gameplay system, a public world reveal, or an official announcement about what will be shown next. Do not add a social post merely because it exists, and do not promote a fan prediction to the timeline without a source label.
Future entries should include the exact date, source type, product scope, and whether the information is official, preview-only, or verification-needed. If a new trailer repeats an old feature, link it as context rather than creating a duplicate update that fragments the canonical history.
Maintain one trustworthy timeline
Each entry should change a player-facing fact or explain why a previously published fact must be checked again. Use the official source’s date, title, and URL; identify the base-game AppID and state whether the item is a release plan, gameplay preview, world reveal, platform notice, or later patch. Keep a trailer’s presentation separate from a patch note and keep a roadmap promise separate from a released feature. A repeated announcement can be a supporting link without becoming a second event.
For the current pre-release state, the most important maintenance task is to reconcile three surfaces: Steam’s Coming Soon listing, the official site, and dated developer communication. The October 29, 2026 plan belongs to the official release discussion, while Steam’s October 28 display should remain a clearly labeled discrepancy rather than a fabricated second date. When the store state changes, recheck the release label, requirement rows, public version, and compatibility claims together.
What belongs in a future update entry
Add a new entry when an official source changes availability, release timing, a named gameplay system, platform requirements, or the scope of what will be shown next. Include the previous state when that helps the reader understand the change. If the announcement is only promotional, label it as preview context and avoid implying that the final build will use the same controls, values, or scene order.
An update should point to the canonical evergreen page that owns its topic. A release note about a weapon system can link to Arsenal; a platform change can link to Technical; a story reveal can link to Story. Do not duplicate the full article in the timeline. If a claim needs live or hardware testing, say exactly which test is missing and keep the update useful by preserving the official fact that is already known.
No codes or invented patch numbers
This tracker intentionally has no redemption-code section and no fabricated version label. Steam keys, beta keys, puzzle codes, launch options, and console commands are not evidence of a game code system. If an official source later documents redeemable codes, record the mechanism and scope first, then decide whether a dedicated article is justified. Until then, the absence of a code page is a correctness decision, not a coverage gap.