Impeller Studios today thanked players worldwide for making In The Black one of the most discussed simulations of Steam Next Fest 2025 and marked the occasion with the release of the official In The Black Early Access Trailer: https://youtu.be/53WTdvr-lOc
Player engagement and coverage from major creators such as LT Gaming and ObsidianAnt drove a two-fold increase in Steam wishlists during the event.
Critical and Community Momentum
In The Black earned strong coverage from both media and creators. PCGamesN praised the title as “A proper simulation game… a new challenger taking things very seriously,” and described its deliberate, physics-based combat as “a serious rival” to other major space sims.
Simulation and strategy creators have praised In The Black’s grounded realism and uncompromising physics.
“Every burn, every drift, every turn feels like you’re wrestling Newton himself and losing… It’s absolutely glorious.” — LT Gaming
“The heart is authentic high-energy cockpit combat… quite unlike any other space combat you’ve probably tried because it goes for realism, perhaps more so than anything else.” — ObsidianAnt
Both reviewers highlighted In The Black’s tactile ship handling, refined UI, and the studio’s responsiveness to feedback, calling the demo a “first real flight test” for what could become one of the genre’s definitive modern entries.
Player Feedback and Data-Driven Development
Nearly 500 in-game feedback reports were analyzed, with the top priorities identified as:
- Tutorial and onboarding improvements (15%)
- Feature requests (14%)
- Control reliability and input device support (11%)
Joystick and HOTAS issues represented about 6% of total submissions, confirming that the greatest opportunity lies in enhancing the new-pilot experience.
Latest Patch Highlights
The current update, informed by Next Fest feedback, includes:
- Railgun & Armor Rebalance: Reduced one-shot potential across the Hyperion, Pegasus, and Reus classes for more tactical mid-range engagements.
- Tutorial Combat Fixes: Corrected target durability to ensure smoother training progression.
- Stability Improvements: Fixed timer, UI, and memory-handling issues.
- Input Overhaul Incoming: A major rewrite is underway, adding robust multi-device support (HOTAS, HOSAS, gamepad, keyboard) and redesigned profile management, developed in direct collaboration with leading hardware manufacturers including Logitech and Thrustmaster.
- Alienware Partnership: In collaboration with Alienware, two exclusive Shrike ship skins have been added — including a limited Halloween-themed variant available just in time for the season.
The Road to Early Access
The upcoming Early Access release is planned for Q4 2025 – Q1 2026 and will feature:
- Expanded tutorials and onboarding systems
- New missions, ships, and weapons
- Full PvP combat
- Continued UI, balance, and performance refinements
- Head- and eye-tracking integration (Tobii and TrackIR), scheduled for a future demo update and the Early Access build
The In The Black demo will remain online and continue to receive regular updates throughout development. Players are invited to join the game’s Discord server to connect with fellow pilots and developers and help shape the future of the game: https://discord.com/invite/intheblack
Also announced today, a new weekly livestream hosted by the studio’s founder airs every Saturday at 11 AM Eastern across major streaming platforms, covering weekly progress and community updates. This and other upcoming events — including livestreams, AMAs, and office hours — will be listed in the calendar here: https://bit.ly/InTheBlackBriefings. The calendar is public and can be added directly to your own for easy event tracking.
Media & Influencer Access
Press, media, and influencers interested in covering In The Black’s Early Access phase may request preview keys via email.
Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/380110
About Impeller Studios
Impeller Studios is an independent developer building high-fidelity simulations rooted in real physics and aerospace engineering. Founded by veterans of X-Wing / TIE Fighter series, MechWarrior 2, and Crysis, the team’s flagship title In The Black is a hard-science, Newtonian space combat simulator designed to deliver authentic momentum-driven warfare.
Contact
Director
Jack Mamais
Impeller Studios, Inc.
press@impellerstudios.com
