Silica

When Is Silica 1.0 Release Date (What New Changes to Expect)

Maxine

1 November 2026

19 min read

Silica 1.0 launches on November 3, 2026, taking the game out of Steam Early Access on PC. Version 1.0 adds the Centauri story campaign, mid-mission saving, more precise commander controls, Steam Workshop scenario sharing and 1v1 matchmaking, alongside multiplayer stability fixes. Bohemia has also said the price will go up once Early Access ends.

Silica puts two very different jobs on the same battlefield. You can manage a base and direct an army, or take control of a unit and fight at ground level. You don’t have to enjoy both roles to get involved, either. Someone else can handle the big-picture decisions while you concentrate on surviving them.

The setting is Baltarus, a desert planet rich in Balterium, where two human factions, Sol and Centauri, fight each other and the planet’s native Aliens.

Some of the 1.0 changes will be obvious the moment you open the main menu. Others should matter most when you’re trying to move several vehicles through the same patch of desert.

#When Is the Silica 1.0 Release Date?

The Silica 1.0 release date is November 3, 2026. Bohemia Interactive announced the date in its October 16th DevBlog and confirms November 3, 2026 as the PC release through Steam.

This is Silica’s full release out of Early Access. The game first appeared on Steam on May 3, 2023, with a stated plan to stay in Early Access for nine to twelve months, so 1.0 arrives about three and a half years in. The focus is on adding a campaign and improving the systems around the large-scale battles.

Check one detail before you plan a launch-night session: the October 16 announcement gives no unlock time or time zone. November 3 is the date, but the update won’t necessarily land at midnight where you live.

Bohemia also says campaign polishing and bug fixing continue ahead of release. Treat the announcement as a guide to what’s coming, with the finished build still to be judged.

#Silica 1.0 Price: Expected to Rise to $24.99

Expect to pay more after launch. When Silica entered Early Access in May 2023, Bohemia set the price at US$19.99 and said it would rise to US$24.99 at full release. Bohemia didn’t restate a price in the October 16 devblog, but the Steam page still says the price should increase once Early Access ends. At the time of writing, a 20% promotion had the game at US$15.99. Steam’s regional prices will differ.

If you already own Silica, expect 1.0 to arrive as an update to the copy in your library. Steam Early Access games normally work this way, and Bohemia hasn’t mentioned a separate purchase. Anyone still deciding has a clear reason to buy before November 3.

#Platform and System Requirements

Silica is a Windows PC game sold through Steam. Bohemia hasn’t announced a console version, though the official Silica FAQ says the team will look into one after 1.0. The Steam page lists a minimum of Windows 10 64-bit, an Intel Core i5-7400 or AMD equivalent, 16 GB of RAM, a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 570 and 48 GB of storage. The recommended spec moves up to an i5-10400, 32 GB of RAM and a GTX 1080 or RX 5700. Steam notes that requirements may change during Early Access, so check them again once 1.0 is live.

#The Centauri Campaign Is the Biggest New Addition

The headline feature in Silica 1.0 is the Centauri story campaign, which you start from the main menu.

If you prefer a mission to complete over another standalone battle, this is the addition to watch. It gives you a story-led reason to return without organising a multiplayer session first. Project lead Martin Melichárek calls it a story-driven trip to the desert world with “free tickets to Centaurus and Earth included”, and you’ll find out on launch day whether that means missions away from Baltarus.

#Voice Acting, a War Map and a New Vehicle

The campaign opens with a fully voiced introduction, followed by voiced mission briefings and dialogue during missions. Between assignments, a 3D globe tracks the war, showing territory changing hands as you progress.

That map should make it easier to follow how each mission fits into the wider conflict, and to see what’s happening beyond your immediate position.

Bohemia also introduces the Centauri Jet Bike, a new vehicle built for speed. Bohemia lists it under the campaign and hasn’t shared its stats, so hold off on calling it your next must-pick unit. It is something new to get behind the controls of.

#Mid-Mission Saves and Automatic Checkpoints

Bohemia lists saving as its own 1.0 feature: you can save and load at any point, even mid-mission, and automatic checkpoints record progress as you play. Each save carries a picture preview to help you identify the point you’re returning to.

For campaign players this could be the most useful change of all. You can stop partway through a mission and pick it up later, with no need to finish it in one sitting.

The previews help too. When you have several saves from the same mission, seeing the situation you left behind beats trying to remember which filename came before everything went wrong.

#Commander Controls Are Getting More Precise

The campaign may get the attention, but the commander changes could make a noticeable difference in ordinary matches.

Bohemia describes these new ways to control your army:

Ground-target firing: Order units to fire at a spot on the ground.
Reverse driving: Tell vehicles to move backwards.
Directional line formations: Drag units into a line facing your chosen direction.
Faster selection: Double-click to select every unit of the same type on the map.

These give you more direct control over positioning. A reverse order should be useful when you need a vehicle to back away from a bad position. Line formations give you a clearer way to arrange a defensive front before an enemy arrives.

The September 10 update already added a version of this, where double-clicking selects every unit of that type currently on screen. Bohemia describes the 1.0 version as selecting every unit of that type on the map without saying whether that reaches beyond the screen, so test it on launch day. Grabbing every unit of a type could speed up army management, but check whether you’ve picked up units you meant to leave elsewhere.

Unit behaviour is getting attention alongside the controls. Bohemia says troops will spread their fire across multiple enemies instead of all shooting at the same target, and vehicle fixes should stop vehicles getting stuck in one another.

Those are promising changes, though you’ll want to test them in the release build. Giving a good order is only half the job; your army needs to carry it out reliably.

#Steam Workshop Support Is Coming for Scenarios

Silica 1.0 adds Steam Workshop support for sharing and downloading player-made scenarios. The sandbox also gets better tools for placing, moving and scaling objects.

For scenario creators, the appeal is clear: more control over building a setup, plus a way to publish it for other players. For everyone else, Workshop support offers somewhere to find scenarios without making them from scratch.

That could give players more reasons to revisit the sandbox after finishing the campaign or taking a break from competitive matches. Its long-term value will depend on what the community builds.

One distinction matters here: the Workshop announcement covers scenario sharing only. Custom factions, weapon packs and major gameplay overhauls appear nowhere in the devblog. Keep expectations focused on the scenario tools Bohemia has described.

#Multiplayer Adds 1v1 Matchmaking and Reliability Fixes

Multiplayer changes cover both finding an opponent and keeping the resulting match running properly.

#1v1 Matchmaking With Faction Choice and Map Bans

The new 1v1 matchmaking option lets you find a head-to-head match without browsing the server list. You choose your faction and ban maps you don’t want to play.

Bohemia also confirms that players can face opponents using the same faction, which opens the door to mirror matches where both sides field the same units.

For players who prefer a direct competitive match, this provides a clearer route into one. Bohemia says nothing about ranked tiers, seasons or a rating system, so don’t read matchmaking as confirmation of a full ranked ladder.

#Dedicated Server Improvements and Team-Killer Detection

Bohemia also promises fewer disconnects, more reliable dedicated servers and team-killer detection.

The listed fixes include a commander becoming stuck inside a destroyed unit and missions failing to load under certain language settings. Both fixes remove problems that can interrupt an otherwise good session.

Expect improved reliability and keep some patience in reserve. The devblog describes what the team is fixing; launch matches will show how those changes hold up.

Team-killer detection deserves the same caution. Bohemia hasn’t explained the detection rules or the consequences, so the details of that system remain unclear.

#Which Silica 1.0 Game Mode Should You Play First?

Bohemia names four modes for launch: Strategy, COOP Strategy, Campaign and 1v1 Matchmaking. Your starting point depends on what you’re coming back for:

Campaign: Start here for the new Centauri storyline, voiced missions and mission-saving features.
COOP Strategy: Choose this to take on AI-controlled forces with friends, with difficulty settings to adjust the challenge.
Strategy: Head here for Silica’s established combination of base management, army command and direct unit control.
1v1 Matchmaking: Pick this when you want a head-to-head opponent, with faction selection and map bans.

COOP Strategy arrived before 1.0. Bohemia added it in the September 10 update (version 0.9.47) and labelled it a work in progress. It now sits among the four launch modes, though Bohemia hasn’t said whether that label still applies. One further distinction: COOP Strategy does not mean a co-op campaign. Bohemia lists Campaign and COOP Strategy separately and never says the Centauri campaign supports cooperative play.

Returning players may also notice that older descriptions mention Prospector and Arena. Neither mode appears in the devblog’s four-item launch lineup. That omission alone isn’t enough to conclude they’ve been removed, so check the main menu on launch day before assuming either way.

For a regular group, the practical question is where you’ll organise your Strategy sessions. Silica server hosting with Shockbyte gives your friends a dedicated place to meet, with the same server every time. It suits groups where some of you want to command and others would rather spend the evening fighting on the ground.

Before arranging a session around the update, check that everyone, and the server, is running the same game version.

#Is Silica 1.0 Worth Coming Back For?

The answer depends on what you felt was missing.

Players looking for a story have the clearest new reason to return: the Centauri campaign adds voiced missions, a war map and a new vehicle. Commanders have practical reasons to check the update, especially the formation tools, reverse orders and changes to unit behaviour. Multiplayer players get a new matchmaking option alongside promised connection and server improvements.

The November 3, 2026 release has a specific set of additions behind it, plus an expected price rise to $24.99 afterwards. For solo players, the campaign is the obvious starting point. For an existing group, a Strategy session should show you whether the new commands and unit behaviour make your next battle run more smoothly.

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