Double Fine Unveils Creative Pottery Combat Game Kiln

Double Fine Productions has unveiled Kiln, a remarkably inventive pottery combat game that allows players to design custom clay vessels and set them in competition with one another in multiplayer competitive battles. The studio has launched an Open Beta competition on Steam, open to players from today until 11 April, offering a taste of the unique gameplay ahead of the full release. Set to arrive on 23 April 2026 across Xbox Series X—with immediate availability on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate—Kiln represents Double Fine’s first foray into online multiplayer competitive gaming. Players will inhabit pottery creations possessed by spirits, using a range of shaping tools to personalise their vessels before participating in combat with friends and fellow players worldwide.

A Groundbreaking Perspective on Competitive Play

What sets Kiln differently from standard multiplayer offerings is its commitment to imaginative creativity paired with strategic warfare. Rather than relying solely on reflexes and strategy, players must begin with a pot-making stage where they craft their pot using an accessible pottery wheel interface. This artistic base transforms each match into a deeply personal experience, where your vessel’s look clearly shows your approach and character. The game fosters experimentation with various clay sizes, configurations, and design details, ensuring no two matches are the same.

Double Fine has intentionally designed Kiln to celebrate imperfection and individuality. The studio’s philosophy values lumpy, lopsided, and slightly cracked creations, rejecting the notion that competitive games must feature polished, identical characters. Studio head Tim Schafer’s own creation, Lady Libpotty, exemplifies this philosophy—a medium-sized jug featuring a rebel lid and smiley face stickers that doubles as a bullhorn for special attacks. This approach opens up game design, allowing players of all skill levels to make genuine contributions to the competitive landscape through their creative choices rather than mechanical prowess alone.

• Adjust pot dimensions and unique features to align with your preferred approach
• Apply finishes, decals, and visual embellishments for unique visual designs
• Rotate pots before glazing to improve visual appeal and performance
• Access premium cosmetics through the premium edition and gameplay progression

Open Beta Access and Launch Details

Double Fine has opened the doors to Kiln’s artistic clay combat experience through the Open Beta Throwdown, which is actively running on Steam and available until April 11. Players keen to try the game prior to launch can apply for entry through Steam’s “Request Access” button, allowing them to experience the multiplayer experience together with community members and the development team. This testing period serves as a key moment for Double Fine to enhance the competitive mechanics and gather invaluable feedback from the gaming community, ensuring a polished launch when the game releases.

The highly anticipated release date of April 23, 2026, approaches rapidly, with Kiln arriving across multiple platforms including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, PlayStation 5, and Steam. Notably, the game is available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, whilst also offering Xbox Play Anywhere functionality and portable optimisation for portable gaming. Orders are now available for both the Standard edition at £15.99 and the premium Fired Up edition at £23.99, with the latter providing exclusive cosmetics and custom pot designs to enhance your creative arsenal from day one.

Studio Works Showcase Design Opportunities

Exceptional Pot Designs by the Team

Double Fine has generously shared some of their most imaginative pottery creations to inspire players ahead of the Open Beta Challenge. These showcase pieces reveal the extensive variety of possibilities present in Kiln’s pottery-crafting system, showing how the identical tools accessible to every player can be integrated to produce vastly different designs. From politically charged statements to whimsical animal-inspired vessels, the studio’s creations highlight both the technical adaptability and creative freedom that define the game’s central appeal. Each pot presents a distinct tale, blending custom shapes, finishes, stickers, and special abilities into integrated combat-capable pieces.

Tim Schafer, Double Fine’s Studio Head, designed “Lady Libpotty,” a medium-sized jug featuring a rebel lid, speckled blue glaze, and circus stars that serves as a powerful political statement. Meanwhile, Derek Brand, the Project Lead and Art Director, crafted “Kibble & Bits,” a large dog-dish-shaped pot with a ravenous personality and aggressive battlefield presence. These creations demonstrate how players can leverage rotation mechanics, decorative elements, and tactical ability choices to craft pots that perfectly match their individual playstyles and personalities, encouraging experimentation throughout the beta period.

• Medium clay size jug with unconventional lid and S-curve spout design element
• Large bowl-like vessel with endless capacity and aggressive combat abilities
• Speckled blue glaze combined with circus stars and smiley face decorations
• Special megaphone assault that proclaims freedom and liberty songs powerfully
• Turn pots before glazing to enhance both visual appeal and functional performance

Making Your Own Ceramic Warrior

The core of Kiln’s gameplay lies in its intuitive pottery wheel system, which enables you to design combat-ready vessels that express their unique tactical preferences. Rather than picking pre-designed vessel designs, you’ll shape clay from scratch using a comprehensive suite of in-game tools, controlling core shape elements to detailed ornamental details. This interactive artistic approach makes each pot become a authentic expression of your playstyle, whether you prefer tall containers for attacking strategies or wide-bottomed pots for protective approaches. The vessel creation mechanics serve as the cornerstone of Kiln’s identity, merging artistic expression with multiplayer competition in manners rarely explored by other titles.

During the Open Beta Throwdown, you’ll have full access to the same pottery-crafting toolkit that Double Fine’s developers utilised in crafting their showcase designs. Experimenting with varying clay dimensions, container designs, glazes, stickers, and attachments lets you uncover combinations that complement your combat approach. The rotation feature allows intentional design modifications before completing your glaze, ensuring your ceramic warrior appears exactly as planned. With pre-orders now live for both Standard and Fired Up editions, players can embark on their creation adventure knowing the complete release launches on April 23, 2026, across various systems including day-one Xbox Game Pass Ultimate inclusion.

Vital Tools and Methods

Learning to use Kiln’s pottery wheel demands knowledge of how different sculpting implements work alongside clay of different dimensions to create unique pottery shapes. The game delivers user-friendly handling for shaping clay, enabling both precise adjustments and experimental flourishes. Understanding the importance of rotating your pot before applying glazes stands as vital for obtaining the best aesthetic results and mechanical compatibility. Purposefully blending ornamental details changes functional vessels into aesthetically impressive combat units that distinguish themselves on the battlefield.

• Use wheel-throwing implements to create bespoke pot shapes and forms
• Apply decorative glazes and embellishments after rotating pots for optimal visual impact
• Experiment with different clay sizes to suit your chosen tactical approach
• Combine special attachments and lids to reveal distinctive powers and tactical combinations

What Expects Gamers at Launch

When Kiln launches on April 23, 2026, players will unlock Double Fine’s ambitious pottery-combat experience across an extensive array of platforms. The game will be available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, PlayStation 5, and Steam, providing support for practically every player. Most notably, Kiln will launch day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, providing instant access to subscribers with no extra charge. The title will include Xbox Play Anywhere functionality, allowing seamless progression between console and PC versions, whilst Handheld Optimized support offers portable gameplay experiences for players wanting flexibility.

Pre-orders have commenced for both Standard and Fired Up editions, costing £15.99 and £23.99 respectively. The deluxe Fired Up edition improves the base experience with special glazes, stickers, attachments, and custom pots, providing collectors and enthusiasts with more customisation possibilities from day one. With the Open Beta Throwdown offering early entry until April 11, interested players can sample the gameplay mechanics directly before deciding to buy. This prolonged beta phase reflects Double Fine’s confidence in their original design whilst enabling the community to shape final refinements to the multiplayer experience.