How much will Stray cost when it comes out? Less than you think

Olivia Richman Published 07/06/2022

Stray is finally coming to PC and PlayStation after years of delays and mystery. Featuring a cat with a robot companion, Stray is an indie game set in an apocalyptic, lonely sci-fi city with players using their cat-inspired abilities and senses to find their family. So how much will Stray cost being an indie game?

Stray will launch on July 19, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. It will be available for $29.99, which is half the cost of most full games. This has left some gamers curious as to why the game isn’t the usual $59.99.

Is Stray a full game?

Stray is a full game in the sense that it’s a complete adventure. It’s currently unknown how long it takes to beat Stray, but developers have explained that the game is “wide-linear,” meaning it’s not completely open world but also isn’t a simple platformer.

“We didn’t really didn’t want to have that kind of challenge because we found out that being a cat really implies that every jump is super smooth and calculated, that you’re jumping your way around really easily. And so these controls can do that and make you feel very fluid around the environments. If you can imagine a traditional platforming challenge where you have to control your jump and miss very often that wouldn’t be true to life,” said Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog co-founder.

Stray will also have areas that are no longer completely linear, with one of the developers explaining that there are “bubbles” where it appears to be a more open world. But being within a city, there are boundaries and barriers. But players will be able to navigate the city freely and explore in certain parts. The smaller scale of the project is part of why Stray will cost much less than other big titles.

Is Stray going to be free?

Stray will be free for PS Plus Premium subscribers, the highest tier of PlayStation Plus. Steam currently offers a 10% discount on preorders for the game. But Stray is not launching as a free game overall.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

Kick

Kick Offers Viewers More Visibility in Chats — Here’s How the New KICKs Pinned Messages Work Khizar Mundia 2026 has been a stellar year for Kick users, with the brand investing substantially in very visible updates. The livestreaming platform has now introduced another new option where Kick viewers can use KICKs to pin and highlight their messages in chats. Twitch and Kick have several similarities, which makes sense given that the Stake-backed platform launched as a competitor to the Amazon-backed giant. Bits are a common method for viewers ...

Valorant

Will zekken Leave MIBR in 2026? Hannan Mundia Competitive Valorant has given rise to multiple talented professional players, but zekken stands as a powerful fragger even among them. While his glory days were definitely when he was on Sentinels during their iconic run, the player is now part of MIBR, which promised to create a super team. Unfortunately for zekken, the team has fallen short of that promise. With a disappointing 2026 season, rumors have started that zekken ...

News

What are Card Rips? The New Way to Trade Collectibles Explained Ben Boland Card rips are a new form of digital pack opening in which users can reveal physical trading cards and choose to sell, store or have them shipped to them. They are attracting serious interest among sweepstakes players. Currently, most card rip sites are separate from online casinos. However, some sweepstakes sites have foreseen the potential popularity of this form of this type of product and are offering their users the ...

Twitch

KSI Hints at Falling Out With at Least “Some” Sidemen Khizar Mundia Olajide “KSI” Olayinka Williams Olatunji was arguably the largest name attached to Sidemen, and now that he's left the collective, it appears some of the members are no longer his friends. KSI’s exit from Sidemen was the end of an era. He and the boys were renowned for fun whilst creating good memories and building a massive following. When KSI left in May 2026, he'd stated that he was on ...

Kick

Duel Blackjack Reportedly Shut Down Amid Drama Between Sneako and Clavicular Khizar Mundia Nicolas “Sneako” Kenn De Balintha and Braden “Clavicular” Peters aren’t strangers to online drama, and the two creators have recently been beefing over Duel Casino. Surprisingly, during this very public conflict, Duel’s studio was reportedly entered by masked men, apparently leading to Duel Blackjack being inadvertently shut down. Drama and streamers go hand in hand, as both creators and the industry as a whole thrive on all types of limelight. ...

Kick

Brand Risk 16: Full Fight Card, Date, and Other Key Details Khizar Mundia Adin Ross is back with another iteration of his boxing event, and Brand Risk 16 is pitting popular influencers against each other. Brand Risk is famous for featuring all types of fighters on its roster, including pro boxers, amateur fighters, or even normal streamers. The previous event, Brand Risk 15, for instance, featured bodybuilder and influencer Larry Wheels against Kick streamer Vitaly “Vitaly” Zdorovetskiy, with the match ending when the ...

Twitch

Kai Cenat and BruceDropEmOff Beef Explained As the Two Finally Patch Things Up Khizar Mundia A multi-year streamer beef has ended, with Kai Cenat and Bruce “BruceDropEmOff” Ray Condones repairing their friendship after a rift began in 2023. BruceDropEmOff and Kai Cenat’s friendship was very public, as the two collaborated with each other and were otherwise known to be very close friends. This is why their public falling out took many fans by surprise. Bruce and Kai’s friendship deteriorated around the time when the former ...