Airframe Ultra Updates, Demo, and Specs
Airframe Ultra is still coming soon. Use this hub for 2026 playtests, recaps, and Windows requirements.
Airframe Ultra is a hoverbike battle-racer from Videocult and Akupara Games. It is coming soon on Steam for Windows. There is no public ship date. Until that date lands, this hub is the wiki’s news desk: which playtests opened in 2026, what testers actually played, and what hardware the store asks for.
The store lists a demo (Steam app 3434860) on the same product page as the full game (app 2522120). That demo button has meant a tutorial, a character creator, or a full-track playtest depending on the weekend. Start with Demo and Playtest for the download story, then Beta History for closed tests 1–4 and the February 2026 Next Fest open beta.
What this hub covers
- Demo and Playtest — Steam Join the Playtest, Discord sign-ups, and how the demo slot changes.
- Desperada Playtest — September 2026 Join the Playtest: shops, bike building, and a new rider.
- Megacity Open — the June 26–29 2026 weekend test and Twitch bookends.
- Josh Q&A — August 3 answers on maps, cosmetics, mods, and balance timing.
- Beta History — closed betas 1–4, Next Fest, and why two tests share a Beta 5 label.
- System Requirements — Windows specs, Unity, disk size, and gamepad notes.
Cross-check play advice on the Guides Hub and Getting Started. Bike talk lives on the Tools Hub and Tier List Hub. Official store, Discord, Twitch, and bug links sit on the Links Hub.
2026 playtests, still coming soon
Steam still labels the full game Coming soon. Wishlist if you want the store email when a date appears. Demos and playtests can be downloaded when a test is open. Videocult and Akupara flip the same Steam control — Demo or Join the Playtest — rather than mailing keys for public windows.
The first public race week was the February 23–March 2, 2026 open beta during Steam Next Fest, ending 9am PST March 2. It stacked every prior track, rebinds, walk-up voting, and three-race circuits. That window is over.
June 26–29, 2026 was Megacity Open (Weekend Megacity West), again through Join the Playtest, with Akupara Twitch streams Friday and Monday.
September 3, 2026 opened Desperada, Steam’s Beta 5: Desperada post: progression, shops, bike building, and a new Baja rider. That playtest is time-limited (Monday 9am PST after the post). Do not confuse it with the Next Fest open beta that community pages also called Beta 5.
On September 6, 2026 at noon PST, Akupara’s ten-year Direct streams on Akupara Twitch with Alpha Beta Gamer and is scheduled to include Airframe Ultra news. Josh’s August answers live on Josh Q&A.
Online play and split-screen
Airframe Ultra is built for online PvP, online co-op, and split-screen. Early creator and tutorial demos sometimes shipped a smaller mode list, which is how the local-only rumor started. If a given download hides a mode, that is a test-package choice, not the design of the game.
Tracks across tests: Oceandrive, Chasm, Nightride, Stormdrain, Quarry, Estate, plus the Warehouse lobby. Course notes: tracks. Combat and boost habits: combat and boosting.
How to read updates before 1.0
There are no numbered retail patches yet because the game has not shipped. An “update” here means a playtest, a recap, a Q&A, or a Direct. Useful questions:
- Can I download something today? Demo and Playtest and Steam news.
- Is Desperada the current window? Desperada Playtest.
- What did testers already see? Beta History.
- Will my PC run it? System Requirements.
File crashes on the official bug tracker from Links. Support mail is support@akuparagames.com.
The full game is coming soon. 2026 already ran several public tests. Use the pages below this hub, then jump into controls or a loadout plan before the next window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for racers still learning Megacity West.
Is Airframe Ultra out yet?
No. Steam still lists it as coming soon for Windows. Videocult and Akupara have not posted a public ship date. A demo or playtest can be downloaded when the current build is enabled.
What is the difference between the demo and a playtest?
They often use the same Steam download. Outside test windows the demo has been a tutorial or character-creator package. Public 2026 tests — Next Fest, Megacity Open, Desperada — loaded through Demo or Join the Playtest.
Which 2026 public tests happened?
February 23–March 2 Next Fest open beta, June 26–29 Megacity Open, and September 3 Desperada Join the Playtest. Akupara's ten-year Direct is September 6, 2026 at noon PST.
Does the game have online multiplayer or only split-screen?
Both. Online PvP, online co-op, and split-screen are part of the design. Some smaller demo packages showed only local play, which caused the rumor. Do not treat a limited demo menu as the full feature list.
Where should I start if I missed the betas?
Read Demo and Playtest, then Beta History, then System Requirements. For how to ride, use Getting Started. Wishlist Steam so you catch the next Join the Playtest window.