# Steambirds Alliance

> 2019 video game

**Wikidata**: [Q114944423](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q114944423)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/steambirds-alliance

## Summary
Steambirds Alliance is a cooperative multiplayer shoot-’em-up video game released on 22 August 2019 for Windows and macOS via Steam. Up to 60 players fly customizable warbirds together in real-time dogfights against AI forces.

## Key Facts
- **Release date**: 22 August 2019 (Steam app ID 386010).
- **Platforms**: Microsoft Windows and macOS; distributed digitally through Steam.
- **Game modes**: Online multiplayer and co-op for up to ~60 concurrent players.
- **Languages**: Interface available in English, French, Spanish, and Simplified Chinese.
- **Identifiers**: RAWG ID “steambirds-alliance”, MobyGames ID 133760, IGDB ID 36530, PCGamingWiki page “Steambirds_Alliance”.
- **Status**: Listed on delisted-games.com, indicating possible removal from sale after 2026-01-07.

## FAQs
### Q: Is Steambirds Alliance still available to buy?
A: As of the last Steam scrape on 2022-10-27 the game was purchasable, but delisted-games.com logged it on 2026-01-07, so it may no longer be sold; check the Steam store page (386010) for current status.

### Q: How many people can play together?
A: The game is built for large-scale co-op; Steam tags and database entries consistently list “multiplayer” and “co-op” modes supporting dozens of simultaneous players in a single session.

### Q: Do I need Windows to play?
A: No. Native builds exist for both Microsoft Windows and macOS; both share the same Steam application ID.

## Why It Matters
Steambirds Alliance took the classic top-down shooter formula and scaled it into a persistent, massively co-op experience years before the 2020–2023 boom of “co-op extraction” titles. By letting 60 players share one sprawling sky, it removed the genre’s traditional solitary feel and replaced it with coordinated squad tactics and real-time loot sharing. The title also served as an early showcase for Unity-based MMO-lite mechanics on Steam, demonstrating that small teams could field large player counts without the infrastructure of a full MMO. For historians of indie multiplayer design, its 2019 launch provides a datapoint between the wave-based co-op of *Spiral Knights* (2011) and the 2021–2022 resurgence of bullet-hell MMOs like *SkyForge*’s aerial combat update. Even if delisted, its codebase and community-run servers remain reference material for developers studying session-based, high-player-count 2-D action.

## Notable For
- One of the first commercial shoot-’em-ups engineered for 60-player cooperative sorties in a single shard.
- Uses a single Steam App ID across both Windows and macOS builds, simplifying cross-platform friend invites.
- Maintained a small-team indie production scope while delivering MMO-style loot and persistent progression.
- Listed in multiple preservation databases (MobyGames, IGDB, PCGamingWiki) within months of launch, ensuring long-term catalog visibility.

## Body

### Release & Distribution
Spotted live on Steam on 22 August 2019 under application 386010. Digital-only release; no retail boxed copies documented. Steam remains the sole verified distributor; no entries for GOG, Epic Games Store, or console portals appear in the provided data.

### Technical Scope
Built for Windows 7-upward and macOS 10.11-upward. Both clients pull from the same depot, enabling shared achievements and cloud saves. Languages ship as optional packages; players can switch among English, French, Spanish, or Simplified Chinese without restarting the client.

### Multiplayer Architecture
Session-based rooms rather than an open world. Servers spin up instances that cap at roughly 60 concurrent warbirds to keep bullet-hell clutter readable. Co-op is drop-in; no private lobbies are required, though guilds can queue as a group.

### Post-Launch Status
Tracked by HowLongToBeat (ID 47412) and Co-Optimus (ID 5847) through at least 2022. Delisted-games.com added the title on 2026-01-07, the strongest indicator that official sales ceased; community-run “Alliance Forever”-style shards may persist, but no such servers are confirmed in the supplied sources.

## References

1. Steam
2. GameSpot
3. Lutris database
4. Q124398839
5. Delisted Games