Panache Digital Games has confirmed that 1666: Amsterdam, from Assassin's Creed creator Patrice Désilets, will launch into early access on 25 August, just two weeks from the announcement. The release matters because it tests whether the long-delayed project can overcome heavy criticism of its recent free demo, which reviewers, including Polygon's Ford James, described as let down by weak gameplay and writing despite an interesting premise. The studio has also moved to address controversy over its use of generative AI, stating that neither the early access build nor the final game will contain AI-generated assets, even though some portraits and marketing materials had used it previously.

The game is a narrative adventure spanning two eras, 1666 and 1999, casting players as a witch investigating Amsterdam's secrets alongside a cat companion possessed by a man's consciousness from the future. Development traces back to the early 2010s, when Désilets was at THQ Montreal, before the project was formally revealed at Summer Game Fest in June. The early access version will launch on Windows via Steam and Epic Games Store with the "first piece" of the roughly 15-hour campaign, with Panache expecting early access to run for about a year and include several major updates.