The time has finally come! The long-awaited Seabeard (Free) from HandCircus and Backflip Studios is now worldwide! We got word last week that the game was going to release on the 11th, but the particulars in charge have pulled the switch on the game a bit earlier than expected. I suppose it’s Thursday if you’re in Australia, New Zealand, and many Asian countries, but for westerners, it’s out a day early – or at least a few hours ahead of the normal Wednesday night release times. iTunes releases are weird.

This expansive and gorgeous game has been in soft launch for a few months now, so some people have already played it. The game has undergone some adjustments and changes in the soft launch period – that’s what they’re there for – so while you may have heard some angry criticisms from early players, what they have played may not reflect what you’ll be playing today. And if you did play it in the soft launch, keep an open mind – HandCircus and Backflip may have fixed exactly what you were complaining about. We’re working on a full review of the game, but you can read our preview of the game from when it was in soft launch to get a feel for what the Seabeard experience entails.