String Freeze — What It Is and How to Plan Localization Around It

A string freeze is a production milestone at which the source-language text of a game is declared complete — no new strings will be added and no existing strings will be changed. String freeze is the starting signal for translation: localization vendors begin translating once strings are frozen, because any change to a source string after translation begins requires re-translation of that string at additional cost.

Why String Freeze Matters for Localization

Translation starts from a fixed source. If a string is translated and then the original is edited — to fix a typo, adjust tone, or change a game mechanic reference — the translated version is no longer accurate and must be updated. Each post-freeze string change requires re-translation, re-QA, and re-delivery of the affected strings. In a project with 10 target languages, a single post-freeze string change generates 10 translation tasks. Multiplied across dozens of late changes — a common occurrence in game development — string changes after freeze can significantly increase cost and extend the localization timeline. Setting a realistic string freeze date and holding to it is one of the highest-leverage production decisions for localization cost control.

Hard Freeze vs. Soft Freeze

In practice, many game projects operate with a soft freeze — a date by which the majority of strings are finalized, with a small allowance for critical changes afterward. A hard freeze means no string changes whatsoever after the designated date; all localization is based on the frozen content. A soft freeze permits changes but flags each change as a delta requiring re-translation; the vendor is notified of changes through a delta export, and re-translation costs are tracked separately. Soft freeze is more realistic for most game productions; hard freeze is the ideal for predictable localization budgets. A common professional practice is a two-stage freeze: narrative/dialogue freezes first (highest cost to re-translate), followed by UI strings (lower cost, easier to patch) a few weeks later.

String Freeze and Simultaneous Ship

Simultaneous ship (sim-ship) — releasing all language versions on the same date as the English version — requires a string freeze well in advance of the release date. Localization timeline from freeze: professional translation at roughly 2,000–2,500 words per translator per day, plus QA, plus in-engine LocQA and bug-fix iteration. For a 20,000-word project into 5 languages, a professional sim-ship pipeline typically needs 4–6 weeks from string freeze to release-ready localized build. Building this timeline back from your release date determines your string freeze date — which must be held for the timeline to be achievable.

SandVox and String Freeze

SandVox builds string freeze into project planning at the scoping stage. We confirm the string freeze date, estimate the localization timeline from that date, and flag the earliest point at which LocQA can begin. Post-freeze string changes are handled as delta exports — we track and quote each change separately so you always know the cost of a late edit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if we can’t hold the string freeze date?

Changes after freeze are handled as delta re-translations — typically quoted at the same per-word rate as original translation, applied only to changed strings. The practical impact on cost is proportional: 5% of strings changing is a manageable delta; 30% of strings changing after freeze is essentially a second translation project. When string freeze dates slip significantly, we recommend a revised freeze date rather than a rolling stream of changes, which is harder to manage and more expensive.

Should UI strings and dialogue freeze at the same time?

Not necessarily. UI strings are shorter, higher-volume, and faster to re-translate. Narrative dialogue is longer, higher-cost, and requires the most translator expertise. A common approach: narrative and character dialogue freeze 2–3 weeks before UI strings, giving writers more time to finalize story text while UI iteration continues. The vendor manages two freeze dates in the project TM, applying delta exports per layer.

How do string freezes work for live-service games?

Live-service games do not have a single string freeze — they operate on recurring content update cycles, with each update acting as a mini string freeze for that batch. Translation Memory handles recurring updates cost-efficiently: only new strings in each update require full translation; modified strings from the previous version are fuzzy matches at reduced rate. The operational model shifts from a defined freeze milestone to a recurring delta export and turnaround cycle.

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