Dead Matter is an open-world survival game set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested Alberta. The debut title of indie studio Quantum Integrity Software, Dead Matter blends rogue-lite and survival elements with meticulous attention to detail, resulting in an experience that hardcore gamers will love like a zombie loves brains.

Dead Matter is a video game being developed by Calgary-based indie studio Quantum Integrity Software Inc. The team is composed of over a dozen full-time employees and over a dozen contract employees. Coming from broad backgrounds, many of our team members have worked on various titles like Insurgency Sandstorm, Days Gone, and Mass Effect. Some of our team members have careers dating back to the late 1990s while many of our junior staff come from backgrounds in modding.

No. Dead Matter is currently a Closed Alpha for Backers only.

We have not announced a release date yet. Stay tuned to our blog.

Yes. The entire team at QI Software is working on Dead Matter.

The Closed Alpha is a game-testing experience and is not intended to be a fully playable version of Dead Matter. Essentially, it is a testing ground for features we plan on bringing to the game. That means that the game is prone to design and performance changes. Not to mention various experimental features that may or may not make it into the early access build. The early access build will be an end-to-end playable experience when it launches.

Participants in the closed alpha act as testers for features we are actively developing. Their feedback shapes how we build Dead Matter and prepare for early access.

The closed alpha was limited to our crowdfunding backers. Your next opportunity to play the game is when early access launches, where it will be available for purchase.

Dead Matter isn’t currently available for purchase in any storefront, and being a closed alpha tester is reserved for early backers of the title. We are unable to let more people in as per Steam regulations. However, our goal is to have it publicly available on Steam when it approaches its early access launch.

We strongly recommend against purchasing keys from third-party sites. Many users have reported being scammed by sellers on third-party sites, receiving no key for their purchase. Even if you do receive a key, these keys are only valid for the closed alpha version of the game, and at the end of the closed alpha you will no longer be able to play the game.

Please check out our blog for the most up to date information on our next update. You can find our blog under the news tab on the playdeadmatter website.

There are currently only plans to release Dead Matter on PC and we’re focused on making sure it is the best it can be. We hope to bring Dead Matter to other platforms and consoles in the future, but we can’t commit to anything at this time. We want as many people as possible to enjoy Dead Matter the way they like to play.

Currently, Dead Matter has no microtransactions. We may add microtransactions or DLC down the line, but we want to reach a point in development (post-early-access-launch) where we feel that the game itself is a complete experience before we add extra content.

We don’t believe in pay-to-win content, so rest assured that any potential microtransactions or DLC won’t affect the core game experience. We will, of course, let you know our plans for microtransactions and DLC once we reach that stage of Dead Matter’s development.

Yes, there is a Non Disclosure Agreement for the closed alpha. This NDA means no streams, videos, or discussions outside of authorised channels on official platforms.

The closed alpha is under NDA because it's a work-in-progress build of Dead Matter. The build is constantly changing, and as such, we intend to show the game off publicly when we feel it best represents our vision. There are no plans to lift the NDA during the closed alpha. The early access version of the game is a separate release of Dead Matter and will not be under NDA.

The closed alpha version of Dead Matter is an alpha build of the game. That is to say that it is not ready to be played like a regular video game. Instead, the Closed Alpha represents a living, breathing early stage of our development process. A majority of the content in the alpha is subject to rapid and drastic change. In short, the closed alpha is when core gameplay elements are being tested and modified.

The early access build will be significantly closer to a finished product than the alpha. The early access build is designed to be played like a regular game. Obviously, it is not the final version of Dead Matter, as we plan on continuing to update it as we work towards its full launch. The early access version of the game will be available for purchase and open to the general public.

Dead Matter has been in development since 2017 after we completed our Kickstarter campaign. Since then, we’ve launched our closed alpha build for testing. Currently, we are working on our early access build of the game.

The core leadership of QI Software is our CEO and Game Director, NikZ. He has been working on Dead Matter throughout its entire development cycle. In 2022, we grew our team significantly and doubled our size. Moreover, we’ve acquired an impressive pool of senior talent to help develop Dead Matter. This new era at Quantum Integrity Software means we are improving our work schedule, developing better production goals, and reaching the quality we want with Dead Matter.

Check out our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYXv_gE6LCeLsUmNLrRcxaA

We publish updates bi-monthly on our blog. Stay up to date with announcements and sneak peeks here on Discord or by following our other social platforms:

Main site: https://playdeadmatter.com/news

Forums: https://forums.qi.games/index.php

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYXv_gE6LCeLsUmNLrRcxaA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deadmattergame?s=09

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deadmattergame/

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DeadMatter

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/playdeadmatter/



Discord only: Development streams also get posted in dev-streams. To get notified for dev streams, click on the Toothy emoji in welcome.

We believe that it is vital to inform both our closed alpha testers about the changes coming to the closed alpha. Doing so makes it easier for us to test out various features and get direct feedback on the game. Also, our updates inform the general public about Dead Matter and our goals for the early access launch.

We’re building a large and complex open-world game. As such, we must depend on community feedback to help shape Dead Matter into the best survival game it can be and we’ll need to continued community support as we expand from the focused area in Early Access to the wider world after launch.

We’re planning on keeping Dead Matter in Early Access for 18 months. During this period, we will release several large patches to add additional features and expand the world map. Afterward, we will release the full version of the game. We intend on continuing to update the full version of the game, much like the Early Access version.

The full version of Dead Matter will be more feature complete. These features will also be more refined and balanced with the rest of the game. The full version of Dead Matter will also have much more content in contrast to the initial release of its Early Access version. We will continue to expand the world map and add features after our full version is released.

The current state of Early Access is an Alpha build approaching a beta version. The Early Access build will initially focus, refine, and implement core features of the game. As we continue through Early Access, we will continue to expand the game’s features and playable locations. Feedback from the community after each update will additionally shape each subsequent update.

Yes. The Early Access version of Dead Matter will be at a lower price point to reflect its current state. When we launch the full version of Dead Matter, we will increase the price to a higher final price tag.

We engage with the Dead Matter community through our social media channels and Discord server. We also provide monthly development updates on our blog. As we progress through Early Access development, we will listen to our community feedback after every update. Dead Matter would not be where it is today without its community, and we owe our success to the community's bug reports and suggestions.

We are currently developing Dead Matter on Unreal Engine 5.

These are a current estimate for minimum and recommended system specs.

MINIMUM:
OS: Windows 10
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel i5-i5-7500
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 1660 Super or AMD Radeon Vega Frontier Edition
DirectX: Version 11
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 70 GB available space

RECOMMENDED:
OS: Windows 11
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel i5-12600K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 3060 or Intel Arc A750 or AMD RX 6600
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 70 GB available space

Dead Matter currently downloads roughly 30 gigabytes of compressed files before extracting them out to a final file size of around 60 gigabytes. This number is likely going to change as we move towards early access.

There are official servers during the closed alpha period to facilitate testing. Otherwise, the game will rely on community-operated servers. You will be able to host yourself or use any third-party server provider, and peer-to-peer is planned to come eventually.

In the closed alpha, our dedicated multiplayer server is designed to host up to 32 players. This figure will fluctuate throughout Dead Matter's Alpha, but we’re presently designing the game with that 32 player figure in mind. As we progress through development, we aim to increase our player limit. We will share any changes with you as soon as we are ready.

This feature is not in our experimental closed alpha builds. We will update this question when we are ready to share details on our party plans.

Not currently, but is planned to come soon. Server admins will also have a variety of tools for dealing with cheaters as well.

We cannot give a timeline for mod support, but it is something we are keen on addressing. Right now, we’re focused on building the core mechanics of Dead Matter for our early access release. Once we're confident that we can give modding support the time, thoughtfulness, and support that it needs, we will share our plans for implementation.

The Infected are a "runner" type of zombie. Which is to say that they will run after their prey rather than slowly follow them. When you are undetected, they will shuffle around slowly. But when they detect your presence, they will chase you down and claw at you until you die.

Headshots will typically kill an Infected in one shot. Several shots or hits to the body will also kill the Infected, but it is far less efficient.

We don’t have any plans for mutated zombies like exploders and hulking brutes, but there will be a variety of zombies in more grounded ways; for example, a construction worker zombie with protective equipment and military zombies with body armor.

NPCs are a planned feature for Dead Matter. They’re currently not implemented into our experimental build (0.8) of Dead Matter. We will share more information about NPCs once we’ve reached that point in development.

Dead Matter is a first-person perspective game. There are no plans for a third-person option.

While we want to discuss our plans for player interaction, we feel that it is important that we address this question once we’ve developed a proper feature set for it. Player interaction is limited in the current closed alpha build (0.8) and not indicative of our final plans. We will share more once we’ve addressed this feature properly.

In our closed alpha build (0.8), in-game voice chat has not been implemented yet. We will discuss this feature more once we reach a point in development where we can deliver this feature properly.

In the current closed alpha build (0.8), this feature does not exist. That said, it is something we are thinking about. We will share more details once we’ve done some work on this feature.

Yes, the game has a singleplayer mode available. It will be similar to multiplayer (without other players, obviously) with some tweaked rulesets.

You will be able to customise your character's skills, perks, and former occupation on the Character Creator screen. Note: this feature is still a work in progress in our closed alpha builds. There won't be other RPG mechanics like skill trees or attribute progression. This means you won't see any level progression or stat changes in gameplay.

In our closed alpha builds, the total number of weapons is likely to fluctuate depending on our development process. We’re currently hovering around 60 weapons, but it should be stated that not every weapon will be available right away. Weapons range from firearms such as shotguns, pistols, assault rifles, and snipers; melee weapons such as baseball bats, crowbars, and fire axes; and improvised weapons. We will update you on any changes to our weapon lists.

Items in Dead Matter range from hand grenades to toaster pastries, depending on where you look. We're trying to blend items that you would find in an apocalyptic environment and the real world. We're designing a variety of items that serve different purposes. Grenades will help with combat, while food and water will give you energy. Of course, you'll also find health items that can heal you should something bad happen.

Driving vehicles is a work-in-progress feature for Dead Matter. Vehicle selection will be limited initially for the early access build but expanded over time.

In the current phase of development, the game world encompasses roughly 7.5 square kilometres (4.6 miles) of the playable area. At the time of launch, the game world should encompass nearly 25 square kilometres (15.5 miles) of a playable area within the environs of Southern Alberta.

These features are planned to be further explored in future updates. We will disclose more details as the concept becomes less abstract.

You cannot destroy walls or buildings. Since we are in the closed alpha phase, we do not want to commit to a list of breakable objects as these items are subject to change. These are all still works in progress.

Base building is mostly conceptual at this point of development (0.8). We will discuss this feature in more detail once it becomes a primary focus in our development cycle.

At our current phase of development (0.8), this feature is not yet implemented. We will discuss base looting once we have this feature ready.

Upon death, you will drop items in your inventory, except for specific survival essentials in your toolbelt. You will be able to respawn and find your body to recover your items. We are currently overhauling this system to make the game a more balanced experience.

Additionally, a hardcore (permadeath) mode is planned, in which you lose everything on death and will need to create a new character. We will share more details once this feature is complete.

There are no plans for additional game modes at this time.

Currently, in the closed alpha, Dead Matter has limited controller support. Therefore, we recommend using a mouse and keyboard for the time being. As development continues, we plan on improving the controller experience in Dead Matter.

We will contact you via email for game keys as we approach our release date. We will also contact you through email to survey information for backer rewards.

We've moved our experimental updates to the main branch on Steam. Whenever we push a new update for Dead Matter, it should update automatically without you having to mess around with the game preferences. If you were previously running an experimental build of Dead Matter, please go to your game preferences, go to the betas menu, and select none. Then restart Steam.

There is a guide to getting your Backer role in the pinned messages of the
#help-and-support channel. If you need any help feel free to ask within the channel.

For those who do not know, the Armoured Hazmat Suit is a perk for some tiers in our crowdfunding campaigns. The Armoured Hazmat Suit is lootable by other players, but backers who receive this perk will never lose the recipe to craft Armoured Hazmat Suits. It is forever tied to your account.

Unfortunately, perks can only really be added to Dead Matter as we reach a valid point in development for their integration. When we get to a point in development where a given perk can be delivered, we will send out emails to those backers for relevant information.

We thank you for your support thus far. If you would like a refund, please email support@qisoftware.ca with a copy of the receipt. We can process refunds via Paypal for our crowdfunded campaign. If your purchase was made through Xsolla, you can apply for a refund through Xsolla themselves.

The closed alpha currently features a built-in bug reporter that allows you to send off bugs directly to the development team.

You can also report bugs in the #bug-reports channel in discord.

Hey there. Can you send a detailed explanation of the issues you’re having to support@qisoftware.ca?

For technical issues related to the official forums, please visit: https://forums.qi.games/index.php?forums/help-and-support.18/

A Community Representative or moderator will reach out to help. If you’re unable to reach them through the Forums, send an email to support@qisoftware.ca

If you are interested in becoming a mod, please wait until we call for moderator applications on our various platforms. When we are looking for mods, we will post our qualifications on the application listing.

Please visit Discord’s trust and safety website and regain control of your account and enable Two-Factor Authentication: ‍https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

We have never banned anyone from critiquing the closed alpha via the NDA-approved channels. In fact, getting that feedback is how we make the alpha better. However, abusing those channels has never been permitted within our community.

If you feel that you or someone else has been wrongly banned, please send an email to support@qisoftware.ca

We are! If you’re interested in applying for a position at QI Software, visit our hiring page at https://jobs.qi.games/

Hey there, thank you for your interest in Dead Matter. The game is still in closed alpha, under NDA, and thus, unavailable to public streamers and reviewers. Media/Streamer/Creator opportunities will open up closer to launch.