So you're looking for the release date. It's a simple question, right? But if you ask a veteran player when is the osu game from, you might get three different answers depending on who’s talking.
Actually, let's just get the "official" date out of the way first. osu! was first released on September 16, 2007. Dean "peppy" Herbert, the Australian developer who basically built this whole universe by himself in the beginning, dropped the first public version back when MySpace was still a thing and people were still using flip phones. It started as a Windows-only passion project. Since then, it’s evolved into a global phenomenon with millions of active users and a competitive scene that makes most "pro" gamers look like they’re playing in slow motion.
The weird history of when the game actually "started"
Most people think games just launch and they're done. osu! isn't like that. It’s more like a living organism that keeps growing. While September 2007 is the birthday, the "Open Beta" didn't really kick off until October 17, 2007.
If you weren't there in the early days, it's hard to describe how bare-bones it was. No mania. No taiko. Just circles and a dream.
People often confuse the release of the original game with the massive "Lazer" project. If you're asking about the "new" osu!, that’s a whole different story. osu!lazer has been in development for years. It’s the open-source future of the game. As of early 2026, we are seeing updates literally every few days. I just checked the GitHub repository, and Dean Herbert (peppy) is still pushing commits—there was a fresh release, version 2026.102.1-lazer, just a couple of weeks ago in January.
It’s kind of wild.
Most games from 2007 are dead or on their fifth sequel. osu! just stays osu!.
Is it even a "game" or an esport?
There’s this debate that never ends. Is it a game? A trainer? A rhythm simulation? Honestly, it's all of them. The skill ceiling has shifted so much that the records set in 2007 wouldn't even rank in the top 100,000 today.
We recently saw the first 1700 PP play by Akolibed in late 2023, which basically shattered everyone's perception of what was humanly possible.
Why the confusion persists
Sometimes when people search for "when is the osu game," they aren't even looking for the rhythm game. Believe it or not, there's a huge overlap in search results with Ohio State University (OSU) football.
If you're here because you want to know when the Buckeyes play, you're looking for the 2026 schedule:
- September 5, 2026: Ball State vs. Ohio State
- September 12, 2026: Ohio State at Texas (That’s going to be a bloodbath)
- September 19, 2026: Kent State vs. Ohio State
But let's be real—you’re probably here for the circles.
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What’s actually happening with the game right now?
Right now, the community is in this weird transition phase. Most of the "old guard" still plays on the Stable build. It’s familiar. It works. But the Lazer build is where the cool stuff is happening.
Lazer isn't just a "new version." It’s a complete rewrite. It allows for things the original engine just couldn't handle, like better mod customization and better performance on Linux and Mac.
The coolest thing? It’s finally becoming "official" in terms of rankings. For a long time, playing on Lazer didn't give you Performance Points (PP) that counted toward the main leaderboard. Now, the gap is closing.
Why you should care about the 2007 vs. 2026 timeline
If you're a new player, the date matters because of the Legacy factor.
The beatmaps (levels) from 2007-2010 feel like a totally different game. They’re awkward. They have weird "notelock" mechanics. If you jump into a map from 2025, it’s sleek, high-BPM, and designed for high-refresh-rate monitors.
Understanding when is the osu game from helps you understand why the community is so obsessed with its history. We have documentaries on players like Shigetora (Cookiezi) or mrekk that span over a decade.
Real Talk: Is it too late to start?
Nope.
The game is free. It will always be free.
The community is more active than ever.
The "official" release might have been 18 years ago, but the game you play today is a completely different beast.
Actionable steps for getting started in 2026
If you’ve realized that the game has been out since 2007 and you’re just now getting curious, don't just download the first thing you see.
- Download both versions: Get the Stable build from the official site for the "classic" experience, but definitely grab the Lazer build from GitHub to see where the game is going.
- Don't use a mouse (maybe): While "mouse only" players exist and are legends, most top players use a small drawing tablet. It’s weird at first, but your wrists will thank you.
- Ignore the rank: Seriously. You’ll see people with millions of PP. Just find songs you like. The library is massive because it's all user-generated.
- Check the World Cup: The osu!mania 7K World Cup 2026 is already in the works. Watching the pros will either inspire you or make you want to uninstall. Both are valid reactions.
The game isn't going anywhere. Whether you're counting from 2007 or looking at the newest 2026 Lazer update, the rhythm is still going strong.