Online Game Release Calendars That Fit Neatly Into Any Reader

Keeping track of online game releases is surprisingly hard. Launch dates move, seasons start at different times in different regions, events last a few days and early access periods come and go. Many players rely on memory, random social posts or a quick search the night before. A better approach is to bring release calendars into the tools you already use: your RSS reader and your calendar app.

I review reading and organisation tools, and release tracking is one of the most common requests I get from gamers. Here is how to make online game release calendars fit neatly into any reader.

Calendar subscriptions

The simplest tool is the calendar subscription. Many gaming sites, communities and official sources publish iCal feeds, special links you add to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. Every release, season start or event then appears in your calendar automatically, in your own time zone, and updates if the date changes.

Look for links labelled "subscribe", "add to calendar" or "iCal". Community wikis for popular games often maintain event calendars, and some esports leagues do the same for match schedules, as discussed in the best feeds for following online game esports results.

RSS feeds for release news

Release calendars on gaming news sites often have RSS feeds of their own, or the sites publish weekly "what is releasing" posts. Adding these to your reader gives you a weekly overview without visiting the site. Store platforms also publish feeds for upcoming releases and wishlist updates in some cases.

Pair the release feed with a filter that highlights games you care about, so they stand out from the rest of the list.

Wishlists as a calendar

Store wishlists on Steam, consoles and other platforms notify you when wishlisted games release or go on sale. They are effectively personal release calendars. Keeping your wishlist tidy, only games you genuinely plan to play, makes these notifications useful instead of noisy.

Event calendars inside games

Many online games publish in-game event calendars or roadmaps. These are useful but locked inside the game. Community sites often copy them into public calendars or posts with feeds, which lets you plan ahead without logging in. When I compared several gaming platforms, the most helpful ones offered event schedules in formats that could be added to a calendar or reader directly, such as the event listings on an online game site like ankertoto, which could be followed without opening the game client.

Time zones and regional releases

Online games often launch at the same moment worldwide, which means different local times and sometimes different dates. Calendar subscriptions handle this automatically. When reading release posts, check whether times are given in UTC, a specific time zone or local time, and convert carefully.

Is tracking every release worth it?

Some players try to track every game release in their favourite genres, building elaborate calendars. That can be fun for enthusiasts, but I think for most players it creates more pressure than value.

A calendar full of releases you do not have time to play becomes a reminder of what you are missing. A short calendar of the handful of games and events you actually plan to join is far more useful. Release tracking should help you plan your time, not fill it.

A simple release setup

1. Subscribe to one calendar for the games you play regularly.
2. Add a weekly release roundup feed to your reader.
3. Keep your store wishlist short and up to date.
4. Follow community event calendars for live service games.
5. Remove calendars for games you stop playing.

Sharing calendars with friends makes planning easier. Many calendar apps let you share a calendar with a group, so friends who play together can see upcoming events, raid nights and release dates in one place. Combining a shared group calendar with subscribed official calendars avoids the constant question of when something starts. Some community servers also run bots that post reminders before events, which complements personal calendars nicely.

Be careful with too many subscriptions. Each calendar adds entries, and a dozen subscribed calendars can bury personal appointments. Use colour coding and hide calendars you only need occasionally. Most calendar apps let you toggle visibility without unsubscribing, which keeps everything available but out of sight until needed.

Finally, check subscriptions every few months. Communities sometimes stop maintaining calendars, and stale entries for cancelled events can be more confusing than having no calendar at all.

A single shared calendar for your gaming group, plus one or two official subscriptions, is often all anyone needs. Simple systems are the ones people keep using.

Plan instead of scrambling

With release dates and events flowing into your calendar and reader, you stop hunting for dates and start planning. For the reader side, see how to follow online game updates with an RSS reader. More in our Games section.