Greetings, fellow cultivators. We are the team at TYstudio.
Today, Heavenward officially launches on Steam, free to play for all cultivators around the world.
Since the start of Early Access, we have received feedback, suggestions, and bug reports from cultivators across the realm. We have read every single one, and over this period we have continued to refine combat feel, expand Shan-Hai content, complete immortal bond storylines, and polish secret realm gameplay. Today, we are proud to deliver a more complete Heavenward into your hands.
Authentic Cultivation Progression – Nine Realms, Heavenly Tribulations
We have faithfully adapted classic xianxia lore into a full cultivation system. Progress through 9 major realms — from Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment, to Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, and finally Immortal Transcendence. Each realm breakthrough challenges you with a unique heavenly tribulation — from Five-Element Thunder Tribulations to Nine-Heaven Profound Calamities. Failure costs you realm progression and damages your Dao heart.
Choose the path of Unfeeling Dao for pure enlightenment, or the path of Compassionate Dao to aid all living beings. Forge your destiny with your own natal artifact, exclusive techniques, and alchemy support to walk your unique path to longevity.
Shan-Hai Beasts – Hunt Legendary Creatures, Claim Immortal Treasures
Inspired by the Classic of Mountains and Seas, we have built a complete primeval beast ecosystem. Dozens of mythical creatures — Taotie, Bi Fang, Nine-Tailed Fox, Qiongqi and more — dwell in deep forests, abyssal valleys and ancient ruins, each with unique behaviors and weak point mechanics.
Hunt solo through stealthy sniping, or team up to trap and slay beasts with coordinated formations. Successful hunts yield rare spirit materials, beast cores and legacy fragments, which can be crafted into natal weapons and refined into high-grade elixirs, forming a full hunt-to-progression loop.
Immortal Bonds – Dao Companions, Dual Cultivation, and Your Inner Sanctuary
The path to immortality does not have to be walked alone.
Along your journey you will meet dozens of distinct heroines: a frosty sect saintess, a cunning demon princess, a chivalrous rogue cultivator, a mysterious demonic heir, and more. Each has a full backstory and exclusive story arcs.
Forge a sacred Dao companion bond with one true love for dual cultivation, unlocking combo skills, two-player secret realms and permanent cultivation buffs. Or gather confidantes to reside in your immortal mansion and build your own inner sanctuary. The deeper your affection, the more intimate the storylines you unlock — you will never walk the immortal path alone.
Secret Realms & Random Encounters – Karma, Fortune, and Peril
This world is filled with unknown opportunities and dangers.
You may meet a reclusive master in the mountains who teaches forbidden arts, find a lost ancient jade scroll in a ravine, or dig up an innate spiritual treasure in an unmarked tomb — or you may stumble into illusion arrays and face heart demon tribulations, or trigger ancient traps that leave you in mortal danger.
Timed ancient secret realms also appear periodically, where all cultivators compete for rare opportunities. Fortune and peril go hand in hand; every exploration holds unknown surprises and risks.
Found Your Sect – Build Your Own Immortal Realm
You may also build your very own cultivation sect from the ground up.
Choose a blessed spirit mountain site, construct temple halls, deploy a Nine Palace grand protection formation, and set up alchemy halls, artifact workshops and spirit farms. Recruit disciples and pass down your teachings. Form alliances and rivalries with neighboring sects, compete for world spirit veins, and launch sect wars to expand your territory.
Grow from a small local sect into a dominant immortal realm that rules the region, and build your very own xianxia order.
Full Release Update Notes
Compared to the Early Access build, the full release brings extensive improvements to both content volume and gameplay experience:
Expanded late-game realm content and tribulation gameplay, completing the Spirit Transformation stage progression and exclusive storylines
Added over ten new legendary beasts and corresponding hunting secret realms, deepening the beast-hunting gameplay and its rewards
Refined immortal bond storylines, adding exclusive branching plots and interaction content for multiple heroines
Comprehensive overhaul of combat feel and skill feedback, with improved AI behavior for legendary beasts
Fixed numerous issues reported by players during Early Access, with overall performance and stability optimizations
Heavenward follows a permanently free-to-play model. All core storylines, core gameplay, and core progression paths are fully accessible for free. Any in-game paid content will always follow fair design principles: it will never disrupt the balance of the core experience, nor will it take away from the complete gameplay experience for free players.
The mountains and seas are vast, and the road to immortality is long. Whether you seek pure enlightenment, hunt beasts for treasure, walk the path with beloved companions, or found your own sect and rule the realm — you will find your own path to immortality in this world.
Search for Heavenward on Steam now and begin your Shan-Hai cultivation journey for free.
The Heavenward Development Team TYstudio September 18, 2026
