Mall Rivals updates

Mall Rivals moved fast from a Next Fest demo to a 1.0 Steam launch on 27 August 2026. Strategy that was true in March is missing four store types, a perk tree, and a police force. This hub is the timeline. Deep dives live on version 1.0, the Comeback update, and the Store Overhaul. For how to play the current build, stay in guides.

Why the wiki dates patches

Creedon Games ships on Steam news, Discord, and an Unstable / release-candidate beta flow. Players mix those branches in memory. If a video shows five store tiles and no perk screen, it is pre-1.0. If it shows a casino and a barber but no Pharmacy, it is probably Comeback-era. Match footage to this hub before you copy a day-30 plan.

Timeline (high level)

• 17 Feb 2026 — Official trailer. 1–8 player mall, physical boxes, mall cop, Shame Board.
• 22 Feb 2026 — Free demo for Next Fest. Five store categories, two-floor mall, employees, security.
• 23 Mar 2026 — Early Access on Steam.
• April 2026 — Florist, baseball bat, store sell/close at 50%, host tools, store monitor, bulk dollar rounding, corridor box limits.
• 4 May 2026 — Store Overhaul (0.3.0): Butcher, Perfume, Tobacco; Fashion / Beauty / Books rebuilt; board meetings rebuilt; Workshop; economy tied to attractiveness, cleanliness, variety; customer patience; new registers; FPS fixes.
• 25 Jun 2026 — Comeback: casino slots, dynamic events, barber, store expansion, interior lighting pass, mall exterior, character rework, bank visual refresh.
• 21–27 Aug 2026 — Release candidate, then 1.0 full release with a launch discount. Four new store types, police, living demand, employee personalities, HP/stamina/combat, six-branch perks, Mall Buyout.

Details that did not fit those headlines still matter: employee management on the tablet, Steam Workshop texture mods, in-store TVs that play your own video or music (and sometimes loop — a known complaint).

How to read a Mall Rivals patch note

Creedon writes like a studio that lives in Discord. Headlines are the feature. The real gameplay is often in a one-line FIX: “things you buy from a wholesaler now stack in a neat pile.” That line changes corridor crime and restock time more than a banner about lighting. When you see a [FIX], ask: does this change my pricing loop, my crime risk, or my employee pathing?

They also warn about fresh saves. Overhaul and Comeback both recommended starting over. 1.0 is a full release; still backup, but do not cling to a March save that predates license ladders.

Branches: Unstable, release candidate, main

To try a beta: Steam library → Properties → Betas. Unstable is the experimental lane. Release candidate was the 1.0 dress rehearsal. Main is what this wiki assumes. If a friend is “missing Pharmacy,” they are on an old depot, not on a different game.

What we rewrite after each drop

• Store types when a license is added.
• Tier list when a type’s demand or theft profile changes.
• Perks if branches get new nodes (1.0 introduced the tree).
• Game modes when win conditions change.
• Links if Discord or Workshop URLs move.

Other Creedon news that is not this game

In late August 2026 the studio announced a free spinoff, Mall Tidy Up Frenemies (Steam app 5077080), as a thank-you for Early Access. Same mall energy, opposite job. It is not a Mall Rivals patch. Do not install it expecting Pharmacy restocks.

Stay on this hub when a thumbnail says “the update that ruined everything.” Nine times out of ten it is a balance swing you can play around once you know which system moved.