THE REFERENCE SHELF / ORIGINAL EXPLAINER
Announcement, preview and release: how our calendar works
Three labels, three different claims. Here is what earns each one a place in the edition.
Published 30 October 2026 · Source examples checked 30 October 2026 · Slot Premieres editorial desk
Start with the verb, then check the date
A provider can announce a title long before it is released. A roadmap can name a month without naming a day. A later article might describe the game in detail while still speaking about a future launch. We record the narrowest claim the source actually supports. A publication date tells you when an article appeared; it becomes a release date only when the wording connects those two events.
The calendar’s agenda therefore sorts by source publication date. Every entry separately shows its status, our check date and whether an exact release date is known. That makes an older announcement visible without passing it off as a new launch. The edition date belongs to the publication as a whole and never replaces the date of the underlying evidence.
What each status means here
Announced means a provider has named the title or a future release window. Preview means we have examined a clearly identified pre-release version or documented preview; an attractive promotional description alone does not meet that standard. Released means the provider describes the title as launched, released, out now or a current portfolio addition. This edition contains no independently examined previews, so an empty preview filter is an accurate result.
A released record can still lack an exact launch day. We can confirm that a title existed in the released catalogue by a dated statement without pretending that it first appeared that morning. Those entries have no calendar download. Where the source explicitly says “today launches”, the dated statement supports a date-only event.
Use the distinction when researching
If you want to find out what has recently changed, filter by source updates this week. If you want only titles the provider has confirmed as released, use the status selector as well. These filters answer separate questions. Neither tells you whether an operator in your country has added the game.
For an announced title, open the source and look for the stated window and the wording around it. Avoid turning a month into its first day or assuming a title launched because the month has passed. An elapsed date triggers another check; it cannot supply the missing evidence.
A useful record includes its limits
Our release pages retain the source URL and date scope beside the status. Read these before relying on a calendar item. A downloaded item is a dated provider-release record, not a reservation, invitation or reminder to gamble. It does not update itself when the provider changes a plan.
When a source changes, the affected entry gets a dated correction explaining which field changed and why. Until that review happens, the existing record remains tied to its last check. If you spot a discrepancy, send the page and direct evidence through the contact link.