Use this page as the dated update index for the base Shift At Midnight game. It is intentionally narrower than a codes or rumor page: every item below points to an official Steam announcement or the official Store page, and every mode-specific note keeps its original scope. Patch details can age quickly, so check the announcement date before applying a recommendation to a new build.
Release baseline — July 22, 2026
The official Store page lists Shift At Midnight as released on July 22, 2026. It describes a gas-station management and detective-horror loop, Story Mode with 13 randomly generated shifts, online co-op, proximity chat, and a beta Endless Mode. That release baseline is the identity used throughout this site: Steam AppID 3722330, base game, Windows 10/11 64-bit.
Lobby troubleshooting — July 22
The official “Can’t Join a Lobby?” announcement gave a temporary workaround for players who could not connect: opt into the network-issues-patch branch using the access code networkissues, with all players on that branch. The post said a proper fix was planned. Treat this as dated network troubleshooting, not a reward code, and check the latest announcement before asking players to change branches.
Six-player lobbies and fixes — July 23
The July 23 official post added a selectable maximum of six players but explained that the game was designed and marketed for three, with larger groups not recommended for a first playthrough. The same post mentioned a Russia lobby fix, lower Marionette HP, louder Jack in the box audio, removal of the profanity filter, and several crash or cursor/button fixes. These notes belong to the build context of the post.
Balance and content — July 29
The July 29 official post said a second gun appears in the store during regular hours, Rakes emerge from the forest in Endless/Post-Story, patience was removed in Endless/Post-Story, and additional customers were coming. It also listed bug and crash fixes. Keep the Rakes and patience notes mode-scoped; do not turn them into universal Story rules.
Planned content
The Store page says a free major update is planned for Q4 2026. A plan is not a released feature. When the official team publishes new details, add the announcement date, the affected mode, and whether the change is live, beta, or planned. Do not promise a date that is not confirmed by the source.
Keep patch claims scoped
An update entry should answer four questions: when was it posted, what product does it describe, which mode or lobby state does it affect, and is the change live or planned? If any answer is missing, leave the claim at the announcement level and link the source. This prevents a temporary branch instruction from becoming a permanent setup step and prevents an Endless note from leaking into Story guidance.
Verify before editing a guide
When a new announcement appears, compare it with three parts of the site. First, update this timeline with the official date and the exact scope. Second, update the affected article only if the new behavior is confirmed in the current build. Third, inspect the product identity so a demo, beta branch, or unrelated product is not accidentally merged into the base-game guide. The separate Multiplayer Demo has its own Steam AppID and remains outside this base-game scope.
What not to publish as a patch
Do not promote a player rumor, a copied search snippet, or a private lobby code into a patch note. Keep unverified observations in a clearly labeled testing note until they can be reproduced and tied to a mode and build. Codes mentioned for network troubleshooting should remain in the multiplayer troubleshooting context, never in a rewards section. This keeps the Updates hub concise and protects readers from stale instructions.
Preserve the release boundary
This site covers the base game at AppID 3722330. The official Multiplayer Demo is a separate Steam product with a different AppID, so its release notes, lobby behavior, and assets must not be folded into this timeline. The same rule applies to beta branches: a workaround can be documented with its branch name and date, but it is not automatically the current public build. Verify the product page before copying a headline into the site.
A maintenance checklist
After each official announcement, check the Store page, this Updates hub, the affected mode or multiplayer article, and any structured metadata that displays the current release wording. Keep old dates in the timeline so readers can understand why a recommendation changed. If no new official evidence exists, leave a claim marked as unverified rather than refreshing it with a guess. Dated maintenance is slower than copying a rumor, but it keeps long-tail answers dependable. Always retain the announcement date beside a temporary workaround or balance note, so readers can distinguish what was true on July 22 or July 29 from what the current Steam build does today.
How to read this timeline
Use the latest dated official note for balance and lobby behavior, then re-check the Store page for the product identity and feature scope. If a community observation conflicts with a patch note, label the observation and investigate the current build rather than silently overwriting the official record. This keeps the guide useful to players returning after an update.