Kiln Open Beta Throwdown Now Live as Double Fine’s Thrilling Pottery Brawler Nears Launch, Due April 23

Double Fine’s next big swing is nearly here, and it might be their most delightfully weird concept yet: a competitive online pottery brawler where your handcrafted clay pot is both your character and your weapon.

As detailed in a new Xbox Wire post, the Kiln Open Beta Throwdown is now live on Steam, giving players an early chance to throw, shape, and smash their creations in online multiplayer matches while Double Fine gathers feedback ahead of launch. The beta is available starting today through April 11 via the “Request Access” button on Steam, offering a curated slice of what the full game will bring later this month.

What Is Kiln?

Kiln is Double Fine’s first-ever online competitive multiplayer game, blending the studio’s trademark creativity with a surprisingly deep combat sandbox. You play as a spirit that inhabits customizable clay pots, then take those pots into battle against friends and other players. Instead of picking from preset characters, you build your own fighter on a pottery wheel, using a range of shaping tools to design unique silhouettes and forms.

Those choices aren’t just cosmetic; your pot’s size, shape, and attachments influence your abilities and playstyle. Want a nimble, aggressive build? Go smaller and sleeker. Prefer to absorb hits and control space? Go big and bulky. The idea is to fuse expressive creativity with competitive depth so every match feels personal and unpredictable.

Kiln Open Beta Throwdown: How to Join

If you want in before launch, the Kiln Open Beta Throwdown is available on Steam right now:

• Head to the game’s Steam page

• Hit the “Request Access” button to join the beta

• Play through a sampling of multiplayer content and help Double Fine fine-tune balance, feel, and online systems

The beta runs until April 11, giving players a limited-time window to experiment with builds, test out pot designs, and get a feel for Kiln’s mix of creativity and chaos.

Release Date, Platforms, and Game Pass

Kiln officially launches on April 23, 2026, with a broad platform rollout:

• Xbox Series X|S

• Xbox on PC

• Xbox Cloud

• PlayStation 5

• Steam

On Xbox, Kiln arrives day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning you can play on both Xbox and PC with shared progress and achievements. It will also be Handheld Optimized, making it more comfortable to play on devices that support Xbox Cloud Gaming on the go.

Editions and Pricing

Pre-orders are live now with two editions available:

• Standard Edition – $19.99

  • Base game

• Fired Up Edition – $29.99

  • Base game

  • Premium glazes

  • Stickers

  • Attachments

  • Custom pots

The Fired Up edition is clearly aimed at players who want more cosmetic depth and creative options right away, giving them extra tools to stand out in the kiln… and on the battlefield.

Why Kiln Stands Out

Kiln feels like a natural extension of Double Fine’s DNA—playful, offbeat, and character-driven—but channeled into a fully competitive online experience. The ability to sculpt your own fighter is a hook that sets it apart from traditional arena brawlers, and tying gameplay to your pottery design could make for a surprisingly deep meta.

With launch just weeks away and the Open Beta Throwdown already underway, now is the perfect time to get your hands dirty, experiment with builds, and help shape (literally and figuratively) the final version of Kiln before it arrives on Xbox Game Pass and other platforms on April 23.

Get Kiln now

Join the Kiln Open Beta on Steam