⏱️ From now until June 19, 2025 (Thailand Time), show us how fast you can conquer the Prologue Demo!

🎁 Top 3 fastest players will win a FREE full game key upon release!

Submit your gameplay video and read the rules here:
👉 Burning Sword: Death Sun – Prologue Speedrun Challenge

Let's play RiriStage this weekend!
Enter the serial code to get "Green Candy (2h) x12", "Red Candy (2h) x12", and "Gold (2h) x12"✨️


▼Steps for Claiming Your Present
1. Log in to the Steam version of RiriStage
2. Click the "三" Menu icon at the top right of the home screen.
2. Click on "Enter Code" and input the serial code then hit "Send".
4. Claim your Present from your Present Box.

▼You can also enter the code on the official website
https://www.ririsa-riristage.com/en/special/present-form/


▼Valid until
6/15 (Sun) 11:59 PM (UTC +9)

Greetings, travelers!

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It’s been a while since we last sent word from the deck of our sailing ship about the development of Neverseas. Today, we’re excited to share what we’ve been working on over the past months and lift the veil on some of the project’s key elements.

Let’s start with the most important part: at the heart of our focus lies the core driver of gameplay — the simulation of economic and political activity unfolding across the vast seas of Neverseas. This system forms the backbone of the game’s meta-mechanics, filling the world with logic, conflict, and opportunities for every player — whether they choose to be a trader, a pirate, or the founder of their own faction.

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What happens at sea? Storms, calms, the struggle against the forces of nature — all of these are, without question, part of maritime life. But at the heart of every voyage, no matter how boldly the sailor sets out, lies a single driving force: the pursuit of untold riches — doubloons and pieces of eight hidden in the depths of a hostile ocean.

The sea is a living organism, a self-contained universe that abides only by its own mysterious laws. Its surface is laced with trade arteries — invisible threads connecting scattered islands, enabling them not just to survive, but to thrive. For colonies, these routes are a lifeline. For merchants and investors, they represent a chance to rapidly amass wealth.

Trade routes stretch across the ocean like a spider’s web draped over the body of a giant. And just as a fly becomes ensnared in that web, so too do trade caravans fall prey to fortune-seekers. Pirates, like sea hounds, prowl the waters in search of ships that have strayed from their course — always ready to turn someone else’s fortune into their own gain.

Inspired by the elegance of the idea described above, we made the decision to implement a full-fledged economic and political simulation in Neverseas. Its primary goal is to fill the world with organic, logically driven content. Every ship encountered at sea is not a random entity, but a functional link in the economic chain of its faction. It carries specific cargo — be it provisions, construction materials, or fort armaments — produced in one settlement and destined for another. The raw materials used to create that cargo were extracted at outposts attached to nearby colonies.

Thus, every ship in Neverseas plays a small but crucial role in sustaining the prosperity of its faction. On a global scale, each faction strives to expand its influence and increase its economic power — leading to trade agreements, alliances, and inevitably, conflicts.

We believe this system is flexible, engaging, and — most importantly — unique. It allows players to pursue their own goals through simple and intuitive mechanics, whether they choose to trade, pirate, found a faction, or orchestrate large-scale strategic operations.

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Every task at sea calls for the right ship. But among them, there is one true all-rounder — capable of handling a wide range of missions, from urgent deliveries of precious cargo to pursuing enemy vessels. It doesn’t shy away from clashes with warships and strikes fear into the hearts of merchant fleets.

Introducing the king of coastal waters, a master of maneuverability and shallow-draft champion — the brig “Mercury”.

 

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Its design is based on real historical prototypes, assembled from elements of several different ships. We enhanced the structure with functional components borrowed from other models, crafting a silhouette that is both balanced and visually distinctive.

 

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This brig is designed as a versatile vessel, perfectly suited for the early stages of the game. It supports a wide range of weaponry — from classic broadside cannons to light bombards and mortars — allowing players to adapt flexibly to various scenarios.

 

 

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In terms of sailing performance, the brig is one of the best in its class: fast, agile, and capable of entering shallow bays without the risk of running aground. This makes it an ideal choice for rapid redeployments, pursuits, and sudden raids.

 

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The brig has a relatively small crew, which reduces upkeep costs — a significant advantage in the early stages of the game when resources are limited. While its cargo hold is smaller compared to ships of similar tonnage, its high speed more than makes up for it, making the brig well-suited for delivering urgent but compact shipments.

 

We extend our sincere gratitude to our 3D artist — Alexey "AVG" Vasiliev — who brought this swift, small-tonnage vessel to life. Thanks to his work, the brig has become an integral part of the Neverseas fleet.

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Over the past weeks, we've also received many questions about the development and the future of the project. We've selected three of the most important ones and provided our answers below:

Q: What exactly do you mean when you say the player will be the captain of their ship? How does that align with the crafting system? Are we talking about the usual setup where you’re the “captain,” but then go off mining rocks and picking herbs on the beach like in most survival games?

A: That exact observation is what led us to rethink the traditional sandbox formula. No matter what role you're given, the gameplay loop in many games is always the same: gather your first stone, mine your first iron, smelt your first gold — and suddenly you're wielding the best gear in the game.
In Neverseas, we’re fully committing to the idea of the captain’s journey. Every action should reinforce the player’s role as a leader — not a solo gatherer. We’ll share more details later, but one thing is certain: there won’t be any herb-picking or resource grinding done personally by the captain.

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Q: Will it be possible to pursue a non-violent path of progression?

A: Absolutely. Since our focus is on the captain’s gameplay experience, we’re designing an economic progression path that allows players to track markets, engage in trade, and grow their influence without resorting to violence. That said, don’t expect smooth sailing — pirates will be actively hunting down successful traders. Conflict may find you even if you don’t seek it.

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Q: Will the game feature multiplayer?

A: Yes, definitely. However, our initial focus is on a cooperative experience, where up to four captains can form a fleet and set sail together to explore and conquer the world of Neverseas.

What happens beyond that depends on where our imagination — and resources — take us. One idea that’s been floating around (and which we’ve tentatively set aside for a later stage of development, once the core content is in place) is what we call an “asynchronous MMOE” — a Massive Multiplayer Online Economy.

Given the size of our team, we’re fully aware that developing a full-scale MMO is beyond our scope. However, we’d love to include some form of meaningful player-to-player interaction. The concept looks something like this: each player explores their own world instance, but a central server tracks and averages global economic data across all players. Based on this aggregated data, it generates shared community events, objectives, and influences that affect NPC faction behavior in each individual world.

Participation in this system will be entirely optional. Players without an internet connection will still be able to enjoy the full local version of the game, with a self-contained economy and world logic. In other words, internet access will never be mandatory to play Neverseas.

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If you like the idea behind the project and what we're doing, support us in any way that’s convenient for you:

Boosty: https://boosty.to/neverseas

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Neverseas

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Thank you for reading to the end!
— With respect,
The Neverseas Development Team

The year was 2023, PAYDAY 3 had just been released, and we had a problem. Several problems, but let’s focus on the one we’re here to talk about, onboarding.

Onboarding refers to new player experience in PAYDAY, or how likely a new player is to understand, enjoy, and stick with the game. It’s been on our to-do for the longest time, and it’s been a priority, but one that we’ve unfortunately had to keep delaying for other, higher priorities.

Let’s let you guys into the conversation by sharing some of our thoughts—airing out what we think are the core issues we need to resolve in order for PAYDAY 3 to become as popular with the public as it is to our hardcore fans.

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PAYDAY is complex by its very nature. A heist is an intricate series of actions and events that should lead to the heister running away giggling with a dollar-signed burlap sack over their shoulder. For our veteran players, probably the ones reading this blog, that’s not much of a problem. For new players however, it’s a whole different story. 

At the beginning of the year, we conducted a round of playtesting using GoTestify, a UK-based company specialising in helping game developers understand players, to determine whether our tutorials were assisting new players in mastering the core skills to succeed. Shoutout to you guys! If you’d like to view some of the player insights or learn more, the videos are available for the public here.

It doesn’t take a game developer to see the problem; games need new players to flourish. We weren’t having issues with people trying out the game, but did have issues with them not sticking around. Now there’s always some, but at a rate we weren’t happy with.

There were no easy answers, and we identified issues across disciplines that all contributed to the problem. The one we’ll be introducing and tackling today, is one succinctly described as “there’s too much shit between the player starting a heist and grabbing the money.” With that stroke of genius in the air, we decided to test out this theory in a new game mode called Smash & Grab.

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From our perspective, this is a bit of an experiment; which is fun! Trying new things and seeing how they work out is a pillar of game development. While it’s primarily aimed at helping new players get into the game, we do hope the simpler approach will resonate with veterans, committing to a 5-10 minute adventure in Crimetown is easier than a 15-20 minute one if time is of the essence. Quick in & out job, what could go wrong?

These “new” heists are based on heists you already know; No Rest for the Wicked and Boys in Blue. And before you ask, no you don’t need to own the DLC to play the Boys in Blue Smash & Grab. That setup will let us make a sample version of any new heist that everyone can play.

Smash & Grab is also a confidence builder—designed to let new players learn fast, succeed early, and get hooked without being overwhelmed. And for veterans, while it’s not a deep-planning puzzle box, higher difficulties introduce new twists like extra loot spread or vault access mechanics to keep things fresh.

You can find Smash & Grab heists under their own tab/category in CrimeNet or at the bottom of the big heist list, and they’ll be recommended for players below infamy 10.

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As mentioned, this is all an experiment. One we hope will help improve the game and its future, but an experiment nonetheless. If you or someone you know has put down their masks, maybe this is the sign you’ve been waiting for to give it another go? And make sure to let us know what you think! Is this a building block for something great, or something that’s nice for newbies but not much more? Let us know on whatever platform you prefer, we read it all!

For anyone who’s new to the game entirely, we’ve added a QR code for console players to help in signing up to Nebula to remove some of the friction early on.

And for the combat junkies who don’t feel that this is for them, don’t worry, we got you. In the same update we’re releasing the Spearfish 1895 rifle, a lever-action rifle that’s able to fire rapidly when hipfired, or fire accurately with more punch when aimed down sight. You’ll see more of the Spearfish in a few days!

This fantastic update releases for free, on June 18th.

How special weapons for infantry squads work in general has been explained in a previous diary. This week, we want to give some examples of what type of special weapons you will encounter in MENACE. Of course, this is just a random selection, and more special weapons will be added all the time.

Special Weapons

In MENACE, every squad can equip one special weapon. These weapons are normally more cumbersome but also more powerful than squad weapons. 

Special weapons enable a squad to handle situations where their standard weapons are ineffective.

The actual weapons showcased in this diary are a random selection. Most of these will be available in different tiers and variants throughout the progression of the game, so it might be better to think of the shown varieties as special weapon “archetypes”.

Names, icons, and point costs in the images are a work in progress. 

No special weapon

Remember it is always an option to not equip a special weapon on a squad. This will free up points for other items and make the squad weapon attack more powerful, as one more person is shooting.

This might be especially worthwhile for squads that rely on their squad weapon for dealing damage, such as specialized close-quarters units with SMGs and similar weapons.

Light Machinegun

Used mainly to suppress enemies, but also can be devastating to groups of enemies out in the open. The light version does not apply a ton of suppression. Still, it can be used on the move, making it very useful for assaulting positions or delivering fire support in complex situations where mobility is crucial.

Medium Machinegun

This gun delivers suppression more effectively and over longer ranges, but must be fired while the squad remains stationary. Using the weapon to its full effect requires 

Some planning ahead is necessary, as bad positioning is difficult to remedy once the weapon is deployed.

To take full advantage of its capabilities and provide reliable fire support even in extended firefights, additional ammo bags are recommended as an accessory.

Grenade Launcher

This handheld grenade launcher has a limited range, but it is light enough to be fired on the move. Its main advantage is that the grenades ignore cover and can hit multiple elements on impact. This is especially important in built-up areas or other situations with a lot of cover, as the shooter does not require a direct line of sight.

Plasma Rifle

An experimental weapon that comes with some unique effects. It is perfectly suited as a counter to heavy infantry and light vehicles. Additionally, its attack reduces the armor of buildings or vehicles with each hit, making the target more vulnerable to subsequent attacks.

The plasma rifle requires a competent shooter and good positioning, as it does not suppress its target very effectively and relies on actually hitting its target to be effective.

Additionally, it comes with very limited ammunition, so you must make every shot count.

RPG (pirate variant)

A light anti-vehicle weapon that can be fired on the move. Decent against light vehicles and small buildings. Pirates will frequently use this weapon against the player's vehicles and occasionally against their armored infantry. The range and accuracy are not very high, but the gun is inexpensive and versatile.

Rocket Launcher

This weapon specializes in destroying enemy vehicles and hard points. Sporting a high accuracy and armor penetration, a lot of armored assets can be taken out with a single shot. Be aware of its low ammo count and high price, though. The squad has to be stationary when firing.

Sniper Rifle

A classic sniper rifle. The squad must remain stationary when shooting, but the weapon boasts a very high range and accuracy. Damage and armor penetration are decent, so it can be employed against heavy infantry and, in a pinch, even against light vehicles. 

Missed shots do not apply a lot of suppression, but taking out an element does, so make sure you hit your target. The weapon can not take out entire squads on its own, but it is great for supporting other units and engaging distant targets that will not be able to return fire.

Hitting enemies in heavy cover from the front might be too much even for a sniper rifle, so engaging units on the move or in the open is preferable.

Commando Mortar

A small mortar that can be carried by infantry squads and used while the squad is stationary. Although somewhat inaccurate, it can be used to provide suppression and fire support over long distances without a line of sight.

Not yet implemented, but we plan to make it capable of shooting smoke shells as well.

Flamethrower

The infantry flamethrower is the perfect tool for assault squads that need to flush enemies from cover. Not only does it deal a significant amount of damage to large groups of enemies, but its primary use is denying areas by setting them ablaze, forcing the enemy to displace while automatically hitting the targeted tile.

It can also set vegetation, buildings, and even vehicles on fire.

DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle)

Smaller and lighter than a regular sniper rifle, it can be fired on the move. With a higher rate of fire and good range, this weapon is ideal for accurate fire support against lightly armored enemies.

Pirate Chaingun

A special weapon used extensively by pirates in a light version that can be fired while on the move, and a heavier version that is usually mounted on vehicle hard points.

The chaingun can put out a lot of fire, but has rather low accuracy and armor penetration. The more bursts are fired during a turn, the higher the chance that the gun jams.

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That's it for now! We'll see you next Friday.

You can find us on Discord, BlueSky, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit for discussions, updates, and feedback. You can also subscribe to our monthly MENACE newsletter on our website — just scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up.

[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/"][/dynamiclink]Check out Dev Diary #21, where we answer several of your questions in a comprehensive F.A.Q.

[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515210714689831539"][/dynamiclink]

A glimpse into the creative process of our artists when they developed the following hero: Dracula.

 

▷ Creative Process: We were guided by various approaches and inspirations surrounding the character of Dracula – from historical references to Vlad III, who is often considered a source of inspiration, to interpretations such as Nosferatu. In the end, we decided on a more classic version of Dracula, one that exudes elegance and a mysterious, slightly seductive aura. Additionally, we focused on subtly portraying Dracula's abilities, making them perceptible through his presence and aura.

 

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes looks!

Hi Firebreakers! Your friendly neighborhood Community Manager, Julius, here! The launch of FBC: Firebreak is only 4 days away! Oh wow! Can you believe it?

With the launch of the game mere days away, now is a good time for us to share the exact time the game will be dropping globally on June 17th. Have a look at the image below to see what time the game launches on different time zones around the world.

We can't wait for you all to play the game in just mere days! The excitement is real! See you all in the Oldest House on June 17th.

IT'S TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE.

Every great story-driven experience needs a great cast, and Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest is no exception - especially with it being grounded in a specific time and place. We worked with our partners at Side to find the right people to bring Siren’s Rest to life. Ahead of the launch of our paid story expansion on June 18, here are the talented voice actors – alongside the characters they portray – once again directed by the magnificent Kate Saxon.

Lois Chimimba is a Glaswegian actor and writer known for her roles in Vigil and The One, and has entered video game voice acting with a role in Atomfall. We’re honoured for Lois to voice Mhairi, our protagonist in Siren’s Rest. 

Mhairi is the leader of the saturation diving expedition down to the Beira D. She’s spent years supporting the families of those lost in that disaster, a decade back. Now, after training and funding this dive, the pressure’s on. She doesn’t just want to find answers for the families of the fallen… She has her own personal motives as well.

Known for his roles in Bridgeton, Outlander, and Shetland, Lorn Macdonald is a BAFTA award-winning actor from Kirkcaldy, Scotland. He takes his first credited step into video games voicing Rob, Mhairi’s diving partner, in Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest.

A young, but experienced diver after years exploring shipwrecks in the Firth of Clyde, Rob scouts the perimeter of the Beira D’s wreckage and lays down guiding flares. He takes the role of the bellman: remaining in the diving bell and being on the radio with Mhairi as she navigates the twisted wreck. He’s ready to help if needed, as well as stopping her from doing anything reckless.

Experienced actor David Menkin voices the overseer of the dive, Hans, in Siren’s Rest. David is known for several roles across film, TV, and video games, such as Final Fantasy XVI and XIV, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and Florence Foster Jenkins.

Hans is the “elder statesman” of the crew, supervising the dive from the surface. After a long career supporting working people in Norway and beyond, he is happy to help guide a dive that seeks to bring rest to the victims of such a tragedy. His job is to keep the dive organised and professional. No divers will be in danger on his watch… if they tell him the truth, that is.

Excited for Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest in a few days? We certainly are! Let us know your thoughts, theories, and questions over on our Discord, as well as over on X and Reddit. We also may be running a fanart competition over on Discord where we’re giving away keys to Siren’s Rest, as well as a cassette player and cassette of the Still Wakes the Deep soundtrack…

Hey folks,

Thank you to everyone in the Empyreal community who has shared their thoughts in reviews, Steam discussions, and our Discord since the game’s launch! We’ve been reading it all and we’re using this feedback to focus on what changes to make in the game’s first post-launch update, which is set to arrive on all platforms on June 19.

There are a lot of fixes coming in this patch - almost 100 individual changes in all - but particular focuses were around addressing player feedback on enemy difficulty, and finding Characters/Objectives in The Hub . Here are some of the key changes to expect:

1. Enemies from Levels 1-21 have had their overall power reduced.

2. An Objective Tracker for The Hub has been added so you’ll never lose track of where you’re going next.

3. We’ve made some changes to Stun:

• Player Stun Duration reduced from three seconds to two seconds.

• Added three second Grace Period after being stunned that prevents being immediately stunned again.

• Reduced Stun Build-Up on specific Enemy Abilities.

4. The damage of Consumed after being Smogged has be taken down a notch from 100% to 60%.

For the second point, here’s a little visual preview of what this objective tracker will look like: 

We’ll share full patch notes outlining all the changes when this update rolls out on June 19, and we look forward to hearing what you think about these community-driven tweaks!

Stay up to date with the latest Empyreal news and be the first to know about updates by joining our Discord, following us on X, Bluesky and TikTok.