Independent developer Binogure Studio will release City Game Studio v1.28 on September 23, 2026 on Steam and GOG, accompanied by a 7-day, 45% launch discount. Following the game's September 2025 feature in Steam's Daily Deal, this major update redesigns the in-game digital store, simplifies market research, gives HR new powers, and fixes the game's most critical long-standing bugs, including an interface freeze and a USB device crash.
v1.28 HIGHLIGHTS
Digital store redesign
The digital store interface has been completely rebuilt. Revenue and concurrent players are displayed first, followed by market share, published games and the margin slider. Two new store features rely on specialists: assigning a network administrator reduces server load, while assigning a marketing specialist runs festivals on autopilot to boost game sales. Developing store features also takes fewer clicks.
Simplified market research
The two previous market research types have been merged into one, making it much easier to unlock every tip in the game. A bug that let players run the same research multiple times, wasting money and time, has been fixed.
HR happiness management
HR can now automatically send employees on vacation when their happiness drops too low, keeping teams productive and preventing mass resignations on higher difficulties.
New genre: FriendSlop
Combination genres such as Action-Adventure are now hidden, since they can be built from their base genres. This freed up room for a brand new genre, FriendSlop, letting players create their own Among Us-style hit.
Interface and quality of life
Construction panels are now color-coded by building type, from convention centers to universities to studios. Players can adjust their own salary, either to get rich or to stretch their budget. New games are pre-filled with the settings from previous playthroughs.
Window manager rebuilt
A long-standing architectural bug could make the game stop responding when many windows opened at once. The window manager has been rebuilt from the ground up: each window now manages itself under the interface manager, which relies on the engine to track open windows. The result is a freeze-free and smoother interface.
USB device crash patched at the engine level
Certain USB devices with more than 17 buttons caused the game to crash. The bug, behind roughly 10% of Steam refund requests, has been fixed with a patch to Godot 2.1 itself.
Performance and bug fixes
Startup is faster and the game no longer loads twice. Theme management uses fewer resources. Contract renewals, HDR restoration when quitting on Windows, Game of the Year awards when fewer than 3 companies compete, and employee energy display while paused have all been fixed.
SUPPORTER PACK DLC
The City Game Studio Supporter Pack DLC is available on Steam. It adds cosmetic content only, with no impact on gameplay: new company logos, extra loading animations, alternative review magazines and additional studio furniture.
ROADMAP
Work on v1.29 has already begun. It continues the specialist powers rework, with a focus on making marketing specialists more autonomous.
DEVELOPER QUOTE
"v1.28 is the update where I finally fixed the bugs I was afraid to touch," says Xavier (aka Binogure), solo developer of City Game Studio. "The interface freeze was an architectural problem, and I spent weeks trying to avoid a full rewrite because I was scared of breaking everything. I did it anyway, and the game has never felt smoother. On top of that, the digital store finally got the redesign it deserved, and you can now make your own Among Us. As always, it all came from the community."
DISCOUNT AND TIMING
- Release date: September 23, 2026
- Platforms: Steam and GOG
- Discount: 45% off for 7 days (September 23 to 30, 2026)
ABOUT CITY GAME STUDIO
City Game Studio is a management sim where you build and lead a game development company from 1976 to today. Open studios across the city, develop custom engines, publish hits, manufacture consoles, run marketing and conventions, spy on or outsmart rivals, and manage your team's happiness, all with multiple difficulty modes, including sandbox.
ASSETS & INFORMATION
Official Website: https://www.city-game-studio.com/
Press Kit: https://www.city-game-studio.com/press.html
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/726840/City_Game_Studio_Your_Game_Dev_Adventure_Begins/
GOG Page: https://www.gog.com/en/game/city_game_studio_your_game_dev_adventure_begins
Supporter Pack DLC: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2893100/City_Game_Studio_Supporter_pack/
Trailer: https://youtu.be/58vjwWFW4zo