Female Forge Comes to Steam on November 6, itch.io Owners Eligible for Steam Keys

Female Forge is officially coming to Steam on November 6, 2026. Digital Workshop22 has opened the game's store page for wishlisting, marking the next distribution step for a character creator that has been developed and expanded through itch.io since 2024.

This is not Female Forge's first release. The standalone project has already gone through multiple major versions, reached version 1.0 in April 2026 and currently sits on the 1.1.1 branch. Steam is therefore an expansion rather than a replacement, with Digital Workshop22 confirming that the itch.io edition will continue receiving support after the Steam launch.

Quick Summary

• Title: Female Forge
• Developer / creator: Digital Workshop22
• Type: female character creator
• Focus: character customization and dress-up
• Steam release: officially announced
• Steam release date: November 6, 2026
• Steam App ID: 5191820
• Steam status: store page live
• Steam wishlist: available
• Steam price: not announced in the verified official material
• Current itch.io platform: Windows
• Additional Steam operating systems: not being assumed before final store details
• Original standalone release: April 2024
• Version 1.0: April 2026
• Current itch.io version: 1.1.1
• Latest listed hotfix: 1.1.1b
• Full itch.io price: US$7.90
• Demo: available on itch.io
• Current itch.io language: English
• Visual technology: pre-rendered layered images
• Not: a real-time 3D model editor
• Free 3D camera: unavailable
• Pre-rendered elements: more than 22,200 according to the developer
• Developer-stated combinations: approximately 7.60 × 10^47
• Clothing and accessory categories: more than 30
• Customization: skin
• Customization: hairstyles
• Customization: body shapes
• Customization: facial expressions
• Customization: poses
• Customization: clothes and accessories
• Background customization: supported
• Custom backgrounds: supported in the full version
• itch.io minimum RAM: 8 GB
• Recommended RAM: 16 GB
• Listed storage: approximately 7.3 GB
• SSD: strongly recommended
• Generative AI: itch.io states that none was used
• Existing itch.io owners: eligible for a Steam key
• itch.io purchases before November 6: also eligible
• Second Steam purchase: not required for eligible users
• Steam key distribution: details coming later
• itch.io support after Steam launch: continuing
• Development after Steam launch: continuing

Female Forge on Steam

Steam Marks the Next Step After More Than Two Years of Development

Digital Workshop22 describes the Steam launch as another major step after almost two and a half years of work on Female Forge.

The project can be traced back to RenderLab's, where Female Forge was initially conceived as a feature. The developer later decided that the idea deserved to become a standalone application rather than remain part of another dress-up project.

Its MK1 standalone version became available in April 2024. Female Forge then continued through major updates adding more body shapes, poses, hairstyles, facial expressions, clothing, accessories, backgrounds, interface systems and technical optimization.

In April 2026, the project reached version 1.0 / MK6, ending its earlier development phase after more than two years of work.

Steam now becomes a new distribution channel without replacing the itch.io community or build that established the project.

itch.io Owners Will Not Have to Buy It Again

One of the most notable parts of the Steam announcement concerns existing customers.

Digital Workshop22 says that everyone who has already purchased Female Forge on itch.io will be eligible for a Steam activation key.

The same policy applies to anyone who purchases the itch.io version before the November 6, 2026 Steam launch.

Eligible players therefore will not be required to buy Female Forge a second time.

Steam keys were not yet available when the initial announcement was published. The developer says distribution details will be shared before release.

That also means the current itch.io build remains a legitimate purchase route ahead of the Steam launch rather than being immediately retired as part of a platform migration.

A Character Creator Built From Thousands of Pre-Rendered Images

Female Forge can resemble a 3D character creator in screenshots, but its underlying structure works differently.

Digital Workshop22 explains that it uses an image layering system built from pre-rendered PNG elements. Characters are assembled by combining those layers rather than manipulating a real-time 3D mesh.

That is also why users cannot freely rotate a 3D camera as they would in software such as Daz Studio. Characters can still be moved, mirrored and zoomed, but there is no fully rotatable camera.

The current full version lets users change skin, hairstyle, body shape, facial expression, pose, clothing, accessories and backgrounds.

Backgrounds can also include scenery, frames, text, stickers, platforms, walls, effects and animals, while the full version supports importing custom backgrounds.

The developer says the current build contains more than 22,200 pre-rendered elements, producing an estimated 7.60 × 10^47 possible combinations by its own calculation.

Version 1.1 Focused on Optimization and More Customization

Development did not stop when Female Forge reached version 1.0.

Update 1.1.0 in July 2026 significantly reworked optimization. Digital Workshop22 says loading saved characters and changing poses or body shapes can be up to three times faster than before.

That release also added a favorites system, additional randomization controls, freckles, moles, dual FacePaint layers, body tattoos, eyeliners, hairstyles, backgrounds and music.

Version 1.1.1 followed on August 2 with wide-leg pants, long dresses, a new hairstyle and variant, a new top, and separate controls for hiding the left and right interface panels.

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Auto-tone was adjusted, background switching was made faster and several visual issues were corrected.

Hotfix 1.1.1b then arrived on August 3, addressing problems involving FacePaint, eyeliner, eyelashes in face view and button positioning on 21:9 displays.

Steam Price and Final Store Details Remain Unannounced

The Steam page is live, but several commercial details have not yet been confirmed in the official material verified for this article.

The most obvious is the Steam price. Digital Workshop22 currently confirms the November 6 date, wishlisting and the Steam-key policy for itch.io buyers, but not the Steam launch price.

The current full build on itch.io remains priced at US$7.90. That should not automatically be treated as the eventual Steam price.

Regional pricing has also not been announced.

The current itch.io release is listed for Windows and English. Additional macOS or Linux support should not be assumed unless the Steam page later confirms it.

The itch.io listing also carries Adult, NSFW and nudity tags and is protected by an adult-content gate. Those are itch.io content descriptors, not an official ESRB, PEGI or CERO age rating.

Why This Matters

1) Steam expands the reach of a project previously centered on itch.io

Female Forge spent more than two years evolving before gaining its own Steam storefront.

2) Existing customers are not being forced to repurchase

Steam keys are planned for both previous itch.io buyers and users who purchase there before the Steam release.

3) Its underlying system differs from conventional 3D character creators

Female Forge combines tens of thousands of pre-rendered PNG layers, making it closer to a character-composition tool than a live 3D mesh editor.

4) Development continues beyond the Steam launch

Digital Workshop22 explicitly says new features, content, improvements and updates will continue, while the itch.io edition remains supported.

Game and Steam Release Information

For now, the additional important information currently known includes:

• Female Forge is created by Digital Workshop22
• the project began as a feature concept connected to RenderLab's
• it was later separated into a standalone application
• standalone MK1 became available in April 2024
• development continued through MK2 to MK6
• version 1.0 marked the end of the project's earlier development phase
• version 1.0 was scheduled for April 27, 2026
• Supporter owners received version 1.0 one day early
• the 1.0 demo became available on April 27, 2026
• the current full version is 1.1.1
• hotfix 1.1.1b is also available
• the Steam release is scheduled for November 6, 2026
• the Steam store page is live
• the game can already be wishlisted
• Steam App ID is 5191820
• the Steam price remains unannounced
• Steam regional pricing remains unannounced
• previous itch.io buyers will receive Steam activation keys
• itch.io purchases made before Steam launch are also included
• eligible customers will not need to repurchase the application
• Steam keys were not yet available at the first announcement
• distribution instructions will be shared before launch
• the itch.io edition will remain supported after Steam release
• development will continue after the Steam launch
• the current itch.io full version costs US$7.90
• a free demo is available on itch.io
• Female Forge focuses entirely on character creation
• the application uses layered pre-rendered PNG assets
• it is not a real-time 3D modeling application
• its camera cannot be freely rotated
• characters can be moved, mirrored and zoomed
• the developer reports more than 22,200 pre-rendered elements
• the developer calculates approximately 7.60 × 10^47 possible combinations
• clothing and accessories are spread across more than 30 categories
• users can select different skins
• hairstyles can be changed
• body shapes can be selected
• facial expressions can be changed
• poses can be selected
• backgrounds can include scenery and decorative elements
• custom backgrounds are supported in the full version
• version 1.1.0 improved several loading operations by up to roughly 3×
• version 1.1.1 added more clothing, hairstyles and interface controls
• itch.io lists 8 GB of RAM as the minimum
• 16 GB of RAM is recommended
• approximately 7.3 GB of storage is listed
• an SSD is strongly recommended
• the current itch.io build lists English
• the itch.io page states that generative AI was not used
• the itch.io page uses an adult-content gate
• the official announcement is available through the Female Forge Steam Release Announcement
• the Steam page is available through Female Forge on Steam
• the full version is available through Female Forge on itch.io
• the demo is available through Female Forge Demo on itch.io
• developer updates are available through Digital Workshop22 Official X

Closing

Female Forge is entering a new distribution phase after growing on itch.io since 2024. Its Steam storefront is now open for wishlisting, with launch set for November 6, 2026, and eligible itch.io customers due to receive Steam keys without purchasing the project again.

The Steam price and regional pricing remain unannounced. Digital Workshop22 also makes clear that development is not ending with this release—future updates are still planned, and the itch.io edition will continue to receive support after Female Forge arrives on Steam.