Kiln Release Date, Price, Edition Differences, Pre-Order Bonuses, & Gameplay Details

Kiln is Double Fine and Xbox Game Studios’ follow-up to last year’s charming, lighthouse-starring Keeper, but the new title is taking a sharp turn in terms of gameplay. The four-versus-four brawler stars custom-made pottery characters, and extends this unique premise into its multiplayer game rules.

Double Fine burst onto the scene just over two decades ago with the beloved Psychonauts (and also created its critically acclaimed sequel), and has arguably not been able to top its debut, despite releasing other cult classics like Brütal Legend. Kiln has been brewing at the studio for quite some time, but was only recently revealed at January’s Xbox Developer Direct showcase.

Kiln Release Date

A couple of months after its debut, Kiln‘s release date was revealed to be April 23, 2026. It shares that date with a few other April video game releases, but won’t have to compete directly on release day with the month’s heavy hitters, Pokémon Champions, Pragmata, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, or Saros. Kiln is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC simultaneously on April 23.

Kiln Price

Kiln is launching with the more than reasonable price of $19.99. For some in-game bonuses (more on those below), Kiln‘s Fired Up edition costs $29.99. Double Fine has also announced that Kiln will not contain any microtransactions; its in-game currency, called Chips, can only be earned by participating in matches. One final note on Kiln‘s price is that it will be included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on release day, joining 17 other April additions to the service.

Kiln Edition Differences

Now for the difference between Kiln‘s standard edition and the Fired Up edition. The former is, like most games, nothing more than Kiln itself. Kiln‘s lone special edition, the Fired Up edition, comes with a variety of in-game items, pictured above, which are all cosmetic – they do not have any bearing on gameplay.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the digital goodies included in Kiln‘s Fired Up edition:

• Battle-Hardened Pottery Set
  • Golden Flail Medium Vase
  • Golden Cannon Large Bottle
  • Golden Brawler Small Vessel
• Battle-Hardened Decoration Pack
  • 3 glazes: Splatter, Gold, Crazing
  • 5 stickers: Deluxe Kintsugi Light, Deluxe Kintsugi Dark, Deluxe Kintsugi Complex, Deluxe Kintsugi Gold Deluxe Kintsugi Shine
  • 5 attachments: Deluxe Battle Spout, Deluxe Battle Handle, Deluxe Battle Helmet, Deluxe Mace Topper, Deluxe Spike

The Battle-Hardened Pottery set features custom pots created by developers at Double Fine, while the rest of the Fired Up are used to decorate your creations. The three Battle-Hardened pots interestingly bear a maker’s mark signifying they’ve been created by Double Fine.

Kiln Pre-Order Bonuses

Pre-ordering any edition of Kiln entitles you to the following in-game items:

• 2 stickers
  • Artisan Sword
  • Double Fine “2HB”
• 2 glazes
  • Abstract Warrior
  • Neon Warrior
• Sword and Ink lid

Just like the items included in the Kiln Fired Up edition, these have no consequential bearing on gameplay – equipping the Sword and Ink lid, for instance, won’t change your pot’s stats. Pre-orders are currently live for Kiln on all three platforms, PS5, Xbox, and PC.

Kiln Gameplay Details

Live-service games are often derided before they even release for entering genres perceived to be saturated with too many games, but it’s impossible to say Double Fine haven’t found something creative with Kiln. Double Fine calls it an “online multiplayer pottery party brawler,” and the characters you take into battle are created from the base up on a virtual pottery wheel. Its size and dimensions dictate its stats and special ability. Decorations such as glazes, stickers, and attachments have no bearing on gameplay, and are cosmetic only.

Kiln‘s main game mode is a four-versus-four objective-based arena brawl called Quench. Your main objective is to carry water to the opposing team’s kiln and put out its fire. A large bowl character could conceivably bring a lot of water to the kiln, but it will move slowly and may not be able to fit through convenient tunnel shortcuts. Pre-release gameplay footage also shows map hazards like sponges, which can be engorged with water to block channels.

Comparisons to hero shooters have been made with Kiln‘s role-based arena fighting and the importance of objectives, though it’s the final shape of your pot that dictates the abilities you get, not the selection of a character. Abilities can often be used both offensively and defensively, but also for utility. For instance, one ability that turns your pot into a sword and lets you dash forward can be used to quickly strike an opponent, but can also be invaluable for repositioning.

With three custom-made pots available to swap between during a match, there may be a lot of potential for back-and-forth metagaming, and Double Fine seems convinced that the skill ceiling in Kiln is quite high. At just $20 and included in Game Pass at launch on April 23, there’s a good chance Kiln finds a dedicated audience early on with its creative charm.

Systems

Released

2026

Developer(s)

Double Fine

Publisher(s)

Xbox Game Studios

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer