In its newest developer diary, Hinterland Studio says {that a} The Lengthy Darkish season cross is coming “later this yr” – which is able to characterize the primary paid DLC for the favored survival recreation because it was launched eight years in the past in 2014, because the studio founder palms the reins to a brand new lead.
In a prolonged April replace on Steam, Hinterland founder Raphael van Lierop talks about the way forward for The Lengthy Darkish and the modifications coming to the open-world recreation – particularly, in regards to the crew’s plans to “decouple” the sandbox survival mode and the story mode. He explains how The Lengthy Darkish has steadily “elevated in scope and complexity” to the purpose the place it has grow to be “unwieldy”.
Moreover, the shut connection between the 2 modes meant that sure deliberate updates for one mode “couldn’t actually be carried out due to how they may influence the opposite”. Nevertheless, the crew is now on the stage the place it will probably “replace survival independently of story”. In line with Raphael, gamers can now anticipate “a complete new period of survival mode content material updates that may carry new life and new vitality again into The Lengthy Darkish”.
To that finish, Hinterland confirms that paid DLC for survival mode is coming as “some form of ‘season cross’-type method” with a “15-18 month marketing campaign of updates” together with new areas, challenges, mechanics, and extra – which ought to launch within the second half of 2022. For anybody who doesn’t desire a full season cross, Hinterlands says it should meter these out in “3-4 particular person paid DLC packages”, and there’ll nonetheless be free content material too. Episode 5 of the story mode ought to hit in 2023.
Past that, Raphael van Lierop additionally says he’s stepping down as undertaking lead in favour of lead designer Katie Sorrell. He’ll stay at Hinterland as inventive director and can begin work on a brand new undertaking, the place he’ll “try and give you one thing that has even larger longevity and influence that The Lengthy Darkish has had”.
The April Dev Diary is right here! The diary contains vital details about the way forward for #TheLongDark, information about Survival Mode, and extra.
Be taught extra: https://t.co/50xyiYHpgX pic.twitter.com/2dJnD3uaSa
— The Lengthy Darkish (@IntoTheLongDark) April 29, 2022
Supposedly there’s a The Lengthy Darkish film coming too, though whether or not that’s nonetheless taking place is one other matter.
