The Rig: A Starmap to Murder Will Become Permanently Free on Steam November 2

The Rig: A Starmap to Murder, a VR detective adventure from small studio Sunset Division, will become permanently free to play on Steam starting Monday, November 2, 2026. The developer announced the change in a Steam post on October 26 and did not give a switchover time. The game currently costs $14.99 on Steam in the US.

Why the studio is giving it away

Sunset Division explained the decision in the same post. The Rig “never made the sales or playership we’d hoped for,” the team wrote, and because its members worked on the game part-time alongside full-time day jobs, they were not able to support it beyond its first months after launch. The team apologized to players who had hoped for more attention and further support.

Rather than let the game “sit quietly behind a price tag,” the studio said it would rather let anyone curious play it.

For people who already bought it, nothing changes. “If you already own the game, nothing changes for you. It stays in your library just as before,” the announcement said. The announced change keeps The Rig available, whereas Rainbow Six Mobile’s online services are scheduled to end on January 15, 2027.

A quiet Steam announcement history

Steam’s store page also provides some player feedback. As checked on October 27, Steam’s store page displayed a “Mostly Positive” rating, with 78% of its 46 counted reviews positive.

Steam’s news API currently lists four developer announcements: the June 2020 release-date and launch posts, the August 24, 2020 Locomotion Update, and the October 26 free-to-play announcement.

The Steam price log kept by tracker IsThereAnyDeal, checked October 27 with its US region selected, lists the most recent discount ending on July 9, 2021, and a lowest price of $7.49, at 50% off.

What new players will need

Anyone planning to try it once it is free will need a headset. The Rig launched on June 26, 2020, and is VR-only, built for tracked motion controllers on Windows PCs through SteamVR.

Players take the role of Willard Pike, a struggling Mars-based travel agent sent to find his estranged brother on a remote asteroid mining rig. The game mixes exploration, environmental puzzles and branching conversations, and Steam’s listing describes it as roughly the length of a feature film.

It is also the studio’s debut. Sunset Division describes itself on its official website as an independent team based in San Francisco, formed in 2016, and calls The Rig its first game.

The post does not mention any further updates for the game. It also covers only the game itself: the separately sold soundtrack, priced at $1.99, is not mentioned.