We're trying an experiment on deep discounting with Valve, so for the next 4 days THE LONG DARK will be discounted at 90% off. This is a great opportunity to buy a gift for a friend, or to share a link to the Steam page with someone you think might enjoy what the game has to offer.

If you're curious about the free Visual Enhancements or plans for Episode Five this year, make sure you read this Dev Diary and review the Visual Enhancements video. Buying THE LONG DARK on Deep Discount is also a great time to pick up the TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY DLC. If you want to know more about what's in the TALES DLC, you can check out the recap video here.

As always, thank you for your support. Spreading the word, writing a positive review, or wishlisting our next game (BLACKFROST), all support our studio and ensure our ongoing independence.

- The Hinterland Team

Dear players,

It’s been a busy few months since we wrapped up the final part of TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY in December, and shipped the final parts on Switch in March. We’ve been working on a variety of things in the studio, so I wanted to update you on some of those things and address a few outstanding topics that I know are on your mind.




Episode work is ongoing. I know you are all wanting more specific updates, but we’re really trying to avoid spoilers so we won’t be sharing much in detail about the episode until the first teaser. I will say that the episode is the most ambitious we’ve built so far, and it has quite a few systems we haven’t used in other episodes, so it’s proving to be quite challenging for the team. We also feel the weight of anticipation and need to ensure we ship something of the highest quality. We know many of you -- like us -- have been waiting for years for this story to be completed. And once it’s done, we can never go back. So that’s really on our minds. The episode can’t just be good; it has to be great.



To clarify the episode’s scope for you: Episode Five has between two to three times as much cinematic and story content as Episode Four, which is our largest episode to date. The game world you’ll be playing in is about three to four times as big as Episode Four. There are a lot of story threads to tie up across all the episodes, to wrap up the Wintermute storyline, but also to set the stage for the future of THE LONG DARK, so we have to take you to several different places and hear from a lot of new people. Because of what the story needs, we’ve focused on narrative more than we have traditionally, and the mission flow for Episode Five is probably more linear than previous episodes as a result. The episode will take you through many new locations -- everything in the episode is new to the game and the world, so these will all be places you’ve never seen before -- and this final episode of the story has you playing as both Mackenzie and Astrid, and you’ll also be seeing some of the key characters from previous episodes, so...there’s a lot! We’re also using new motion-capture tech for our team, to attempt to deliver an ever higher bar for story delivery than we have achieved so far. These are all things that exist outside the context of Survival Mode, although some of the work in TALES helped set the foundation of some of the things we’re attempting in Episode Five. I can confidently say that Episode Five will be the most ambitious thing we’ve done on THE LONG DARK at Hinterland to date. I know that won’t mean much to you until you have it in your hands, but hopefully that gives you some sense of the ambition behind the episode.



The majority of the development team at Hinterland is working on Episode Five, with a smaller team working on BLACKFROST, so you can be sure that this is our primary focus, and will be until we ship it. In order to ensure the team has enough time and focus to finish the episode to our highest standard, I’ve asked them to work on it through the remainder of the year, with a plan to launch towards the end of the year. We’re also pushing out other planned Survival Mode updates (see below) to ensure the team can focus all their efforts on Episode Five at this point, as we know how critical it is that we wrap this up and deliver a strong finale for the story. That’s what we’re focused on, so if we are heads-down and you hear less from us than usual, this is partly why. We are just very, very busy.


For any of you who missed the news or have been holding off for the Expansion Pass to be complete, here’s a reminder that all parts of the DLC are now complete and available on all platforms.

While TALES ended up taking much longer than expected to complete, we’re happy with how much we were able to add to the game. We also believe this is tremendous value for money. To showcase all the additional content and mechanics, we made a recap video:



If you want to support our studio and our work, we hope you’ll consider buying TALES. And if you aren’t in a position to buy it now, keep an eye on the various sales on Steam and the consoles and grab it when discounted! We also added quite a few free updates to the base game along with TALES, so you already have many of those even if you didn’t buy TALES, including Safehouse Customization, which players are really enjoying!


We’re excited to announce that these are finished! The Visual Enhancements builds are with the Test team so they can validate everything is working well. Our plan is to release them in a staggered pattern, starting with PC first, then the consoles.

The team created a video to help showcase the enhancements. Check it out!



Here’s a list of all the Enhancements and which platforms you can find them on.



Keep in mind that, by nature, most of the enhancements are targeted at high-end systems, so they will mainly apply to high-end PCs or the top-end consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S or X).

Our plan is to get the Visual Enhancements out to Steam and Epic Game Store by the end of May, with the console versions following in June.


With the visual enhancements for high-end systems now complete, we’ve taken this opportunity to properly bring THE LONG DARK to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X systems. You should be getting these updates by mid to late June, platform certification timings allowing. These versions of the game will come upgraded with the visual enhancements, so this is the way to enjoy those enhancements if you play THE LONG DARK on PlayStation or Xbox. Keep in mind that you will need to own one of the Generation 9 consoles (PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S or X) to play the enhanced version of THE LONG DARK. But don’t worry, you can continue to play the existing unenhanced version on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One if you don’t have the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S or Series X.

There will be some additional information around how to migrate existing saves from the last-gen (Xbox One, PS4) to the current gen (Xbox Series, PS5), which we’ll share closer to release.

If you currently own THE LONG DARK and are playing it on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S/X, you will automatically be upgraded to the Enhanced version (on Xbox Series S or Series X) or optionally install the Enhanced version (PlayStation 5) when it goes live. No additional purchase is necessary.


We recently made a change to the game that prevents Ruined food items from being used as ingredients in Cooking. This was an intentional change, as using Ruined items went against the philosophy of the system in general (you can’t generally use Ruined clothing or gear items, so why food?), but we recognize that this introduced some issue for people who were locked out of certain recipes because in long-running Survival games, some ingredients might already have been ruined by the time you found them, with no really viable way to replace them.

We’ll be releasing a hotfix that addresses part of this issue, by rebalancing some of the Condition decay rates on specific food items -- in particular, canned goods, and fresh meat or fish. This will buy players more time to process harvested food (from hunting and fishing) to ensure it has longevity, but without rewarding hoarding tons of fish or meat that you can’t realistically process or store. You’ll need to plan your hunting and fishing activities accordingly. With things like Salt added to the game, you now have new options for preserving meat and fish long-term.

We’ve also added some rare food items required for some of the more complex recipes (ex. Canned Peaches) as Trade Items with Sutherland, so they will now be available through the Trading system. We also tuned some of the costs to make them a bit more accessible, and worthwhile for you. So even if you end up in a game where most of a certain type of ingredient no longer exists in your game, you should be able to trade with Sutherland to get it.

These fixes will be added to the same update that adds the Visual Enhancements to your game, so if you’re playing on PC (Steam, Epic Game Store, etc.), you should see these changes later in May, and they should come to console in June.


Some of our Switch players have encountered game crashes since we released Parts Five and Six of TALES back in February. The dev team was able to isolate the issue to a memory-related crash when playing in Docked mode. To fix it, we introduced some dynamic resolution scaling for certain regions, but only in Docked mode. This fix should not impact Handheld play, and even for Docked the impact should not be visible. It’s a solution we’ve used for other very large regions in the base Survival game, like Pleasant Valley, so if you’ve been playing docked Switch in the base game regions so far and been happy with how the game looks and performs, you should still be happy after this change. This Switch-specific fix has been approved by Nintendo and we’re expecting to launch it on Monday, April 28th.


We had planned to release a Quality of Life update with new content for the Trader and Safehouse customization, as well as some gameplay balance tuning, bug fixes, etc., before we shipped Episode Five, but the team felt stretched too thin between this work and completing Episode Five, so I’ve decided to push this update off until after Episode Five ships.


The team has done some work towards these features but, as with the QoL update, it was splitting focus and resources too much and with Episode Five needing to ship this year, I’ve pushed Mod Support and Enhanced Custom Settings off until after Episode Five ships.


That’s a great question! Shipping Episode Five will be a big inflection point for THE LONG DARK. It’s been years in the making, and in most ways, the completion of the WINTERMUTE Story Mode represents “the end” of THE LONG DARK.

I’m writing “the end” in quotes because we still intend to continue updating the game, but completing story mode has been a point of accountability for Hinterland all these years. With the story mode finished, we are looking forward to having some breathing room to figure out next steps and continue to do our work without the weight of a big promise hanging over us.

So, for a little while at least, we’re going to think about shipping Episode Five and finishing Wintermute as THE END. We’ll have delivered on our promises, lived up to our obligations, and hopefully you’ll be happy with the results and feel they were worth the wait.

Beyond that, we have to make some choices about what to do with the game, and we’ll be interested to hear your thoughts about what you’d like to see. I’ll probably share a community survey around this before the end of the year, along the lines of the one we did before we committed to building TALES. This survey will give you a chance to influence the future of THE LONG DARK.

As mentioned, there will definitely be -- at least -- one more QoL update, improved custom settings, mod support, and we’ve also promised Hunted Part III. Beyond that, we have many ideas of how we could keep supporting and expanding THE LONG DARK into the future, but we don’t want to do that without consulting with you and figuring out what you’d like to see and how you would like to continue supporting the game. It costs a lot of money to run a studio like Hinterland, and we’ve invested a lot in THE LONG DARK and the sequel, BLACKFROST, over the years, so our focus will be on how to continue building games and supporting them for years to come, in a financially sustainable way that is safe and fair for our team. And all this against a backdrop of ongoing industry turmoil that have seen a lot of our friends and fellow independent studios shut down over the last couple of years, not to mention the dark economic clouds on the global horizon.

We wouldn’t want to move ahead without you being part of this journey, so we want to hear what you’d like to see more of, whether it’s more regions, more mechanics, more story (?). The survey will include all kinds of questions around this. What’s exciting is that there are many paths we can take, including really ambitious stuff and more modest but sustainable stuff, and we really want to find a healthy way to continue supporting THE LONG DARK and keep you playing in this world for years to come. Along with some of our other work, which brings me to my next topic...


I imagine many of you noticed the launch announcement for BLACKFROST: The Long Dark 2 at The Game Awards in December. There was a lot of excitement about this from many of you, as well as some understandable questions about “but how can you announce a sequel before the current game is finished?”. I thought it might be helpful to talk about why we did this.



Larger companies with multiple revenue streams, or publisher-backed (or owned) studios who don’t have to pay their own bills, can afford to have extensive downtime -- often years -- between projects. Those years are spent working on new things, in anticipation of launching them in the future. During those periods, the studios are being paid out of development funds provided by the publisher, or investment, or payroll from a parent company, but most often the studios aren’t generating meaningful revenue during this time.

Hinterland is an independent studio, and our annual costs are covered out of revenue from THE LONG DARK and DLC like TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY. It wouldn’t be feasible for us to “go dark” for 2-3 years in between finishing up THE LONG DARK and launching the sequel, because we generate revenue from sales of the game to new players, and that’s what keeps our studio going. Also, since we only charge once for the things we make and don’t have extensive DLC or other ongoing revenue streams, we’d simply go out of business if we didn’t release something within a reasonable distance of wrapping up THE LONG DARK. So, we need to build up new projects at the same time as we continue shipping and supporting our existing game.

Another factor is that it’s a lot harder to bring an audience to a sequel if you’ve lost them along the way. Our hope by continuing to update THE LONG DARK at the same time as we’re building BLACKFROST, is to show that your time commitment to the first game has not been in vain -- you can still play it and enjoy it well into the future as we build up BLACKFROST. And after BLACKFROST ships in Early Access, in between updates there, you’ll be able to bounce back to THE LONG DARK to continue experiencing the Quiet Apocalypse. This way, you can keep playing in this larger world we’re building for you, and you can continue investing your time knowing the game will always be there for you. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. And then over time, gradually, we’ll put a larger proportion of our time and resources into building up BLACKFROST, as it will also need the same focus and dedication behind it that THE LONG DARK has had for over 10 years. But see both games supporting each other, and the player community behind both games being part of a blended community who loves the broader idea of “The Long Dark” as a setting, the quiet apocalypse that unites the games.

It’s also really important that independent studios have the opportunity to gradually build up excitement around new projects. We don’t have massive marketing budgets to promote our games with. We sell directly to you, and our relationship is directly with you. Powerful systems like Wishlists on Steam are a way for studios to generate anticipation for their projects and to gather goodwill and interest, with some hope and expectation of converting those wishlists to sales over time. The more Wishlists a game launches with, the more likelihood of the launch going well, hitting that critical mass to gain attention and help it break out of the 1000+ new games that launch every month on Steam (there were almost 19,000 new games on Steam last year!), and the wishlists also indicate some general sense of how well the game could sell over time, which also helps with our own long-term planning.

This system is very core to how Steam works, as every launch or sale is an opportunity to ping the wishlisters with a reminder to buy the game. So we really need to be able to use this system as we build up towards the Early Access launch of BLACKFROST. But the Wishlist system only works if we can talk about our work, share it, and get new people excited about it!

We know that some of you were unhappy to see us announce BLACKFROST before we completed THE LONG DARK, as you have been waiting a long time for Episode Five, but if we have to wait until shipping Episode Five before we talk about our other work, our revenue could simply run dry before we get to the BLACKFROST launch, which would be a pretty serious problem for us! Our current plan is to launch BLACKFROST in Early Access about a year after we ship THE LONG DARK. We think that is a good amount of time to create space between the two games.

I understand the sentiment that we owe you Episode Five and that we have yet to deliver, and I get that you’ve waited a long time for it. We will be shipping it this year, and the game will be finished. I know it’s been frustrating. I’m not trying to minimize or ignore any of those feelings. I’m not making excuses and we take our responsibility to you very very seriously.

But I also know that we’ve been afraid to share any of our work outside of THE LONG DARK, for fear of alienating or angering players, who can sometimes be quite hostile, and this has held us back in many ways.

So, I’m asking you to try to be patient with us (as so many of you have been!), and give us the space to talk about BLACKFROST without pushing other fans out of our community or attacking the dev team or studio. There’s no BLACKFROST without THE LONG DARK, but the opposite will also become true. After Episode Five, there’s no TLD without BLACKFROST. The projects’ combined futures, and their roadmaps, are intertwined.

And someday, we might even talk about other non-TLD/BF projects! We hope we can be open with you and share our excitement about some of these things, knowing that even if you can’t feel excited about it with us, that you’ll leave some space for other fans to be happy and excited. We’re all here because we love the game, and we want for Hinterland to be more than “just” THE LONG DARK. We hope that you can come to care about our team and studio and all the things we hope to make in the future. Not just the game you’re playing right now. So please let’s together make sure we create a safe and positive space for that love of TLD and our future projects to be shared without attacking people for it.

I’d like to be able to start sharing more info about BLACKFROST in future dev diaries. If that’s going to be triggering for you while you wait for Episode Five, then I suggest you skip my dev diaries until Ep5 ships, and then come back and read them after.

We have to be able to share our work in order to make the games we want to make and run the studio the way we want to run it! I hope you understand, and will support us in this.

And if you want to support Hinterland and our future, please consider Wishlisting BLACKFROST on Steam.


If you’ve been playing THE LONG DARK on Tencent’s WeGame platform, we want to let you know that soon the game will be updated to have parity with Steam and Epic Game Store with the full update product structure (THE LONG DARK = Survival Mode + Wintermute) and also TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY. If you already own THE LONG DARK, you will continue to own it (including WINTERMUTE), with no new purchase necessary.

Some of you have also asked about bringing the game back to GoG. We’ve been working with the business development team at GoG and are close to finalizing an agreement to bring the game to the store. As with WeGame, anyone who previously owned THE LONG DARK will automatically be updated to the latest version, with the option to purchase TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY if you wish. I want to be clear that the agreement isn’t yet finished; we’re still working through some details, but I’m hopeful we will get there and find a good path forward.


As a final note, you may notice that starting April 24th, for four days, THE LONG DARK will be -- for a very limited time -- available on Steam with a deep 90% discount. This is an experiment we are trying with Steam, to test some theories around pricing elasticity. This won’t apply to most of you reading this as you already own the game, but if you think we’ve done good work and you want to support us, you could mention it to a friend that you think would also enjoy the game! I doubt we’ll have the game discounted to this degree again for a long time.

***

That’s pretty much it for this Dev Diary. Thanks for reading, and I hope you found the information useful and interesting. If you want to discuss anything in this dev diary, we encourage you to do so in the Official Forums (registration required, Hinterland & volunteer moderated), in Steam (Hinterland & volunteer moderated), or Reddit for THE LONG DARK or BLACKFROST (both self-moderated with minimal Hinterland presence).

You can also subscribe to our Newsletter to be notified of news on new products in our Store or other general newsworthy topics, or follow us on Bluesky (Hinterland | The Long Dark | Blackfrost).

All the best, and stay safe out there.

- Raphael
Founder & Creative Director
Hinterland

Hello players,

We have just updated THE LONG DARK to version 2.40, build 152417.

This is a Hotfix to THE LONG DARK and THE LONG DARK: SURVIVAL EDITION and contains fixes for issues introduced with our Part Six release.



The team is currently aware of the following issues in the game. If you encounter one of these issues, there is no need to report it to the Support Portal. We are aware and working to address them.

• There are edge-cases where the Travois may fall beneath terrain. The Travois and items stored inside should now appear in Lost and Found boxes if it becomes unreachable.
  
• There are edge-cases where Safehouse Decorations can disappear from an interior, container, or the player’s inventory. Items lost this way should now appear in Lost and Found boxes.

This Hotfix includes fixes for the following issues:

PERFORMANCE & OPTIMIZATION

• Adjusted asset groupings to improve memory performance in-game.
  
• Adjusted collider settings on hundreds of objects, resulting in performance improvement and more accurate object detection.

GAMEPLAY, UI, CONTROLS

[Safehouse Customization]

• Fixed an issue that resulted in Crafted Work Benches disappearing when exiting and re-entering an interior.
  
• Fixed an issue where some folding chairs could not be broken down for materials.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to place Decorations and Furniture on or intersecting interactable doors.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the "Clear Junk" prompt not appearing as expected when Safehouse Customization mode was invoked.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the "Clear Junk" prompt not appearing at all when using a controller and invoking Safehouse Customization mode.
  
• Fixed multiple issues with Decorations and objects in the Airfield Hangar that could not be Broken Down, Placed, or Destroyed.
  
• Fixed an issue with sign Decorations that prohibited them from being placed on walls.
  
• Fixed multiple issues with Safehouse Customization that resulted in objects and Decorations floating if an item they were placed upon was moved.
  
• Fixed an issue in Blackrock's Last Prospect Mine that caused the signs within to be interactable via Safehouse Customization
  
• Fixed an issue with multiple light emitting Decorations that resulted in them failing to light up during Aurora events when moved from their original interior to any other.
  
• Adjusted the placement behaviour of some items to deny some more preposterous item placements.
  
• Fixed an issue where Rüdiger's remains could be picked up and moved using Safehouse Customization. The remains can now only be removed.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet Cannery that resulted in the inability to move a Fire Barrel via Safehouse Customization.
  
• Fixed an issue with handheld light sources in Safehouse Customization mode, that could result in the light source being thrown while interacting with Decorations or Furniture.
  
• Fixed an issue where Shower Curtains and Shower Curtain Bars had no time cost to Destroy.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Blackrock Penitentiary with Safehouse Customization item placement not working as expected.
  
• Fixed an issue that could result in Decorations and Furniture disappearing from interiors and the player's inventory.
  
• Fixed an issue in Desolation Point Lonely Lighthouse with wall-hung Decorations that resulted in incorrect placement rules on the spiral staircase.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented a player from ascending or descending Rope Climbs if they activated Safehouse Customization while climbing. Safehouse Customization can no longer be invoked on Rope Climbs.
  
• Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield Control Tower where the Folding Table could not be moved, only destroyed.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Zone of Contamination Pumphouse that resulted in some objects being difficult to place.
  
• Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination Pumphouse that prevented players from moving or destroying a specific wooden Crate.
  
• Fixed an issue with Dial Knob Decorations to make them easier to place on wall surfaces.
  
• Fixed an issue with Decorations and Furniture with interactable doors that made them difficult to select in Safehouse Customization while their associated door was open.
  
• Fixed an issue with a small Mount Decoration that prevented it from being placed on walls.
  
• Fixed an issue in Coastal Highway Quonset that resulted in the double Locker Furniture item being difficult to place.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Zone of Contamination Miner Lodging that resulted in some objects not being interactable in Safehouse Customization.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in Decorations transferred from Zone of Contamination to any other Region being invisible when placed.
  
• Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination Concentrator where a metal sheet could not interactable via Safehouse Customization.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in Plank Piles displaying debug text when selecting them in Safehouse Customization.

[General]

• Adjusted the Cooking Menu UI for consistency, to allow for keyboard input when choosing an item to place on a cooking surface.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in Ravaged Wolf Carcasses disappearing from view when interacted with.
  
• Fixed a rare issue where player input would become unresponsive after harvesting a Carcass.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused frame rates to drop when near Timberwolves.
  
• Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass Lotte's Rest where placing a Storm Lantern anywhere inside the cabin would result in it slowly drifting towards the front door.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in a temporary black screen when attacked by a wolf while Breaking Ice to create an Ice Fishing Hole.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to exploit Ice Fishing Holes to obstruct Wildlife pathing.
  
• Adjusted the Photo Album Journal tab for clarity to state that the player has no photos rather than leave it blank in that case.
  
• Fixed an issue where spawned Beachcombing items would appear 'ruined' even if the item Condition indicated otherwise.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in both 'Infection Risk Healed' and 'Infection' notifications appearing when an Infection Risk progressed to a full-blown Infection.
  
• Adjusted Campfire and Rock Cache placement logic on sloped surfaces to be a bit more lenient and sensible.
  
• Fixed an issue that could result in a held item visually duplicated and attached to the Survivor's feet when attempting to place it from the Radial Menu while inside a Snow Shelter.
  
• Fixed an issue that could result in the Travois becoming stuck in the entryway to Blackrock Prison.
  
• Added an additional UI marker to make it clear which Heat Pack is actively providing a Warmth bonus to the Survivor.
  
• Added additional iconography to the HUD to make it clear which type of Arrow is currently selected for use with the Bow.
  
• Fixed an issue with Cheat Death Recovery Campsites that resulted in item duplication each time the player transitioned to and from the Region in which the Campsite was located.
  
• Fixed an issue that sometimes resulted in colour Photographs when using Sepia Film.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet Cannery that resulted in a corpse couple missing the option to 'Remove Respectfully'.
  
• Fixed an issue where Milk Crates were incorrectly labelled as 'sign'.
  
• Fixed an issue where a space was missing in the label "Furniture Work Bench".
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the Large Shelf Furniture item being incorrectly labelled 'Lamp'.
  
• Fixed an issue where the 'Down Below' achievement could not be unlocked in certain older save files.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the 'Tasting Menu' achievement unlocking before the requirements were met.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in a debug Inspect view after discarding a Photo and immediately examining another in the Journal.
  
• Fixed an issue where no icon was visible when notifying the player that Animal Fat in their inventory became ruined.
  
• Fixed an issue with certain Tool trades that could result in an incompletable trade.
  
• Fixed an issue with Forlorn Muskeg Poacher's Camp which made it impossible to Survey, preventing the Faithful Cartographer achievement from being completable.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Meat Curing Box that prevented players from removing its contents if the Box was full.
  
• Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield Main Hangar that resulted in Lockers becoming inaccessible if a Suitcase was stored within.
  
• Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield Main Hangar that resulted in a floating rope after moving Traffic Cone Decorations.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Wooden Spatula had no icon in the player's inventory.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Radio had no icon in the player's inventory.
  
• Fixed an issue where multiple Craftable Furniture items had no weight.
  
• Fixed an issue in Keeper's Pass North that prevented Rabbits and Wolves from spawning in certain locations.
  
• Fixed an issue in Desolation Point Hibernia Processing that resulted in a floating dish after removing the table beneath it. The dish can neither be moved nor destroyed.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in overlapping UI elements when repairing the Mountaineer's Cabin roof.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the Camera's Viewfinder overlay remaining on screen if the player took damage from Wildlife while looking through it.
  
• Fixed an issue where a Weapon was incorrectly referenced in the error message displayed when trying to hold a Camera with two sprained wrist Afflictions.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Radio that made it difficult to find a location to place it.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Forsaken Airfield Terminal where objects would remain floating when the item they were placed upon was destroyed or moved.
  
• Adjusted Pemmican Bars so they deteriorate at a much slower rate.
  
• Adjusted Recipes in the Recipe Book to better communicate the number of items produced when Cooking.
  
• Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination Pumphouse where items would remain floating in place when moving or destroying one of the Metal Shelves they were placed on.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to destroy a cooking surface while it was lit, or actively Cooking items.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the Survivor's hands shaking while they had the 'Severe Lacerations' Affliction.
  
• Fixed an issue in the Carter Hydro Dam Lower Level that resulted in incorrect shadows being cast on a damaged door.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in incorrect camera behaviour if a Survivor entered into a Struggle with Wildlife while Harvesting a Carcass.
  
• Fixed an issue in the Empty Prepper Cache that caused the metal shelf within, to fall through the ground layer if an object on the bottom shelf was moved.
  
• Fixed an issue in Blackrock Steam Tunnels that impeded player passage with invisible collision.
  
• Adjusted Carcass Harvesting to disallow players from attempting to Harvest Carcasses on Weak Ice.

ART & ENVIRONMENTS

• Fixed an issue where Rifles were left floating in mid-air if the Gun Rack they were placed on was disassembled.
  
• Fixed an issue in a Coastal Highway Cabin Crate where a Candy Bar would spawn, but remain invisible to the player.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the Camera's viewfinder overlay to appear misaligned or disjointed when using certain display resolutions.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet Caves that resulted in Tools and Weapons dropped within to appear notably too bright.
  
• Fixed multiple issues which could result in Junk decals still appearing on objects when placing them in specific interiors.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet that resulted in a large visible gap between boulders in an outcropping near Frozen Delta.
  
• Fixed an issue in Blackrock Steam Tunnels that caused a set of frayed wires to become invisible when viewed at certain angles.
  
• Fixed an issue in Blackrock Penitentiary that resulted in a gate sign remaining mid-air while the door it should be attached to opened and closed.
  
• Fixed an issue in the Ash Canyon Cave system North of Long Falls that resulted in god rays missing from the Cave ceiling.
  
• Updated the underside of Train Cars to remove unsightly details.
  
• Updated Stag Skulls to visually reflect whether they are mounted or unmounted in the player inventory.
  
• Improved the look of Pemmican Bars with a new icon and model.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Sundered Pass where the back side of snow piles could be incorrectly seen through.
  
• Adjusted the lighting in multiple caves for consistency and quality.
  
• Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass where a player could get stuck among a shallow rock outcropping.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused projectiles to collide with invisible geometry between the gaps in rope bridges. Projectiles now pass through correctly, and items cannot be placed on bridge surfaces.
  
• Fixed an issue in the Broken Railroad Cave where the snow layer was shifted beneath the terrain.
  
• Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination Idle Camp that resulted in an invisible Table within one of the buildings.

AUDIO

• Fixed an issue where no error sound effect could be heard when attempting to harvest a Salt Deposit without a Hatchet in the player's inventory.
  
• Fixed an issue that resulted in Cougar music being triggered in games where the Cougar is turned off.

PLATFORM-SPECIFIC

• Fixed an issue where Xbox button prompts were displayed when using a PS5 controller on PC.
  
• Fixed an issue for Xbox and PlayStation players that resulted in Safehouse Customization Decoration capacity incorrectly tabulating the number of items in a scene, severely limiting the number of items a player could place.

Please visit our Support Portal (or consult our Known Issues page) if you encounter any issues while playing the game. 


### END OF RELEASE NOTES ###

Hello Community,

We have just released our v2.39 (149246) Hotfix for THE LONG DARK (including Survival Edition), TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY. This addresses one major issue.



*Fixed an issue that caused an "Attempt to Save game FAILED..." error and returned players to the main menu when they attempted to leave an interior during an Aurora.




Please visit our Support Portal (or consult our Known Issues page) if you encounter any issues while playing the game. 


### END OF RELEASE NOTES ###

Hello Community,

We have just released our v2.38 (149187) Hotfix for THE LONG DARK (including Survival Edition), TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY. This addresses one major issue.


GENERAL

*Fixed an issue that caused an "Attempt to Save game FAILED..." error (as shown below) and returned players to the main menu.




Please visit our Support Portal (or consult our Known Issues page) if you encounter any issues while playing the game.


### END OF RELEASE NOTES ###

Hello Community,

We have just released our v2.36 (149072) Hotfix for THE LONG DARK (including Survival Edition), TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, and WINTERMUTE updated to v2.12 (148383).

This Hotfix addresses multiple issues introduced in the v.2.33 update for TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY.




This Hotfix includes fixes for the following issues:


* Fixed an issue on Mac that could result in the application freezing when transitioning between load zones (interior to exterior, or between regions).





Additions and Changes

*[Holiday Cheer] Added a Festive Sweater.
*[Holiday Cheer] Added two new Festive Light Decorations that can be found in various locations across Great Bear Island and can be used in Safehouse Customization. 
*[Holiday Cheer] Added festive touches to multiple locations around Great Bear Island.
*Added stacks of additional Batteries to the following locations, to account for long-running games that had harvested Batteries before the Trader was added to the game: Prison Interior (Blackrock Region), Main Hangar (Forsaken Airfield Region), and Hibernia Processing (Desolation Point).
*Added an additional description to the interface of the Furniture Workbench to indicate that in progress and finished Furniture can be found in the "container" portion of the Workbench.
*Temporarily removed Cougars from Coastal Highway until we can ensure the spawn regions do not conflict with common player routes required for Trading.
*Tuned values for Vagabond Soup, Porter Soup, Last Resort Soup, and Pemmican Bars.
*Tuned the Camera so that it no longer inherits the weight of Film loaded into it.
*Tuned multiple Trade exchange requirements with an emphasis on reducing the cost of trades involving Batteries.
*Tuned Timberwolf spawn values to reduce the chances of their appearance in Regions where they are able to spawn.
*Tuned multiple Decorations, Tools, and objects which had excessive Destroy time and weight.
*Tuned multiple items to allow for their use as Decoration items in Safehouse Customization.
*Adjusted Broken Soda Machines to allow them to be destroyed.
*Adjusted Stanchions to allow them to be destroyed.
*Adjusted the "Big Cat Killer" Feat description to clarify it can no longer be unlocked and is a legacy Feat.


Cougar

*Fixed an issue where the Cougar would sometimes incorrectly engage the Survivor in a Struggle after being shot.
*Fixed an issue where dead Cougars could replay their death animation and sound effect after a player transitioned to and from an interior.
*Fixed an issue when choosing a "Close Risky Respawn" that could result in the Survivor spawning into active Cougar Territory.
*Fixed an issue where Aurora Cougars incorrectly continue to glow after being harvested.
*Fixed an issue where the Cougar could be toggled on in Challenge saves created prior to first installing Tales From the Far Territory.
*Fixed an issue where the Cougar could be toggled on in Pilgrim and Misery Experience saves created prior to first installing Tales *From the Far Territory.
*Fixed an issue that could result in the Cougar being present even when toggled off.



Safehouse Customization

*Fixed an issue that prevented multiple wall-mounted Decorations from being placeable on walls.
*Fixed an issue with overlapping interface elements when attempting to Repair certain Safehouse objects.
*Fixed an issue where Junk could be seen overlapping objects during placement.
*Fixed an issue with Campfires which allowed Decorations to be placed intersecting and within them.
*Fixed an issue where destroying certain objects or Decorations could result in parts of the object remaining floating in that space.
*Fixed an issue where Ruined Fish could incorrectly be used to craft Mounted Fish Decorations.
*Fixed multiple issues that allowed some objects and Decorations to be placed through walls.
*Fixed an issue that caused some shelving to be oriented incorrectly against walls in placement mode.
*Fixed multiple issues with objects and Decorations which intersected improperly with the surface upon which they were placed.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in wall-hung Decorations shifting slightly after exiting and re-entering an interior.
*Fixed an issue where certain wall-hung lamps could be incorrectly collected and moved.
*Fixed an issue where certain Workbenches would yield two Vices when broken down, instead of the intended one.
*Fixed an issue where some fallen Ceiling Panels could not be destroyed.
*Fixed an issue with flag Decorations which made them difficult to place and prevented rotation in placement mode.
*Fixed multiple placement issues with Plates that allowed them to be attached to walls, and positioned under floors.
*Fixed an issue with the orientation of Horseshoe Decorations when mounted to walls.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in objects and Decorations becoming invisible when stacked or placed too closely together.
*Fixed an issue with Stage Curtains that resulted in them being difficult to orient and place.
*Fixed an issue with Stage Curtains that incorrectly allowed players to put them in their Backpack.
*Fixed an issue with Steamer Trunks that prevented them from being placed.
*Fixed an issue where some Soda Display Refrigerators could not be placed.
*Fixed an issue where Safehouse Customization could become unavailable to a player if they attempted to carry an item outside of the customization zone.
*Fixed an issue where Safehouse Customization could be toggled while using the Trader Radio.
*Fixed an issue where an incorrect axe icon was present in the "Break Down" and "Destroy" options for Workbenches in Safehouse Customization.
*Fixed an issue in one of Mystery Lake's Cabins where a shelf was incorrectly oriented and could not be interacted with via Safehouse Customization.
*Fixed an issue where choosing to "Break Down" specific Drawers had no effect.
*Fixed an issue where plastic Milk Crates could unintentionally only be placed on walls instead of surfaces.
*Fixed an issue with multiple Signs and Picture Frames where debug text could be seen when looking at the Decoration.
*Fixed an issue where certain shelves would drop to the floor after exiting and re-entering an interior.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in bloody bandages remaining after choosing to Clear Junk.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in multiple objects highlighted in Safehouse Customization mode not being interactable.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in certain doors incorrectly allowing players to place, move and destroy them.
*Fixed multiple issues in Blackrock Prison's Barracks with objects and Decorations that could not be placed after being picked up.
*Fixed an issue in Blackrock Prison Interior where objects and Decorations could not be placed on the floor of the workshop.
*Fixed an issue with the Moosehead Trophy in Pleasant Valley Community Hall which prevented it from being moved along with its mount.
*Fixed multiple issues in Forsaken Airfield's Hangar with containers which could not be searched or used as storage.
*Fixed multiple issues in Forsaken Airfield's Hangar with objects and Decorations that could not be placed after being picked up.
*Fixed multiple issues in Forsaken Airfield's Hangar with objects and Decorations that could be incorrectly mounted on walls.
*Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield's Terminal building where wall-hung objects would be difficult to place, and oriented incorrectly when placed.
*Fixed multiple issues in Zone of Contamination's Idle Camp where items could not be moved or placed in Safehouse Customization mode.
*Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination's Concentrator which prevented many objects and Decorations from being placed on the walls and floor.
*Fixed multiple issues in Mountain Town's St. Christopher's Church with objects and Decorations that could be incorrectly mounted on walls.
*Fixed multiple issues in Mountain Town's St. Christopher's Church with objects and Decorations that could not be placed after being picked up.
*Fixed an issue in Mountain Town's Park Hut where objects and Decorations could not be placed on a certain section of the floor.



Trader

*Fixed an issue where the Survivor could fall through the ground immediately after exiting the Bunker during the Trader's fifth Special Request.
*Fixed an issue where the Hatch Wheel could disappear from the Survivor's backpack during the Trader's fifth Special Request, making it incompleteable.
*Fixed an issue where the Trader's first line of dialogue can be heard twice when first contacting them.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in the Trader's fourth Special Request being incompletable. The request can now be completed on new and pre-existing save files.



General
    
*Fixed an issue in Coastal Highway near the Southwestern bridge where players could get stuck.
*Fixed an issue in Pleasant Valley's Farmhouse Barn where a player could get stuck trying to drop down past the ladder.
*Fixed an issue where Notes found in the Blackrock Prison Interior were missing icons in the Survivor's Journal.
*Fixed an issue where “Fluffy” could incorrectly spawn in the Bleak Inlet Workshop when the player revisits this location.
*Fixed an issue where the number of Ptarmigan killed was not displayed in Journal Statistics.
*Fixed an issue where the Heatpad warmth bonus could be lost when swapping between multiple activated Heatpads.
*Fixed an issue where Heatpads were too large when displayed in the Inspect interface.
*Fixed an issue where Inspecting a Film Pack resulted in the item being scaled and positioned in a poor initial state.
*Fixed an issue where a "Deploy" option was present when viewing the contents of containers.
*Fixed an issue where interacting with a repairable object while holding a Lantern resulted in being unable to extinguish or stow it.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in a missing "Required Material" icon when attempting to repair an item that required more than one Material.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in unlocking the "Something Warm to Drink" achievement after finding only one Insulated Flask.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in unlocking the "To the Teeth" achievement after finding only one firearm variant.
*Fixed an issue with the Nomad Challenge where time spent in the Stone Church was not registering, rendering the Challenge incompletable.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in an "Attempt to SAVE game failed." error message when moving Decorations stored in the Travois.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in items stored in the Travois disappearing after transitioning.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in Vagabond and Last Resort Soup sharing the same icon and model in the Recipe Book interface.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in Cooking Oil and Broth sharing the same icon in the Recipe Book interface.
*Fixed an issue where the Vitamin-C benefit of Recipes viewed in the Recipe Book was overlapped by the Recipe name.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in Cured Meat and Fish causing Food Poisoning at much too high a rate.
*Fixed an issue that allowed players to pass through walls using object placement and collision.
*Fixed an issue that resulted in stuttering when exiting to Pleasant Valley from any interior.
*Fixed an issue that prevented Fish from being caught in Custom Survival games.
*Fixed an issue with a rug in the Pleasant Valley Community Hall which caused it to flicker during and after being placed.




* Fixed an issue that caused incorrect and inconsistent exterior lighting when moving in and out of caves.
*Fixed multiple locations where Cougar claw marks on trees were stretched or warped.
*Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass where a Deer Carcass was incorrectly placed beneath terrain.
*Fixed multiple locations in Zone of Contamination where Pallets, Metal Sheets, and debris would appear and disappear when approached.
*Fixed multiple issues in Pleasant Valley, Forsaken Airfield, Broken Railroad, and Zone of Contamination where objects could be collided with, but were not visible.
*Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass which resulted in Aurora Wildlife glowing too brightly.
*Fixed an issue where Aurora effects took precedence over placement and Safehouse Customization effects.
*Fixed an issue where equipping a Bow and Tactical Gloves resulted in the Survivor's right hand appearing much larger than normal.
*Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield where an Oil Tank would become invisible when approached.
*Fixed an issue where the Pemmican Bar Recipe Card incorrectly referenced "Orca Bar".
*Fixed an issue in the Ash Canyon transitional Cave that caused a visible seam in terrain.




* Fixed an audio issue with multiple Signs and Picture Frames where the wrong sound played when Destroyed.



### END OF RELEASE NOTES ###

Today we share the first glimpse into the future of THE LONG DARK.

After 10 years of developing the first game, this is a big moment for the team. While we complete the final episode of our WINTERMUTE story mode slated for release in 2025, we wanted to use the platform of the The Game Awards as an opportunity to share our vision for the future of survival games.

We call it BLACKFROST, and it’s the sequel to THE LONG DARK.

Years ago, I asked myself what the future of THE LONG DARK could look like. Despite pouring everything we have into that game, I still felt there were things I wanted to do with the setting, the mechanics, but also things that just aren’t possible within the current game. I knew we would have to build something new, with foundations that could support our grand vision. When we started THE LONG DARK, we had no idea we’d be building it and supporting the community for 10 years. With BLACKFROST, we asked ourselves -- what if we *started* a project as though we knew it would last for 10 years, or even longer? What different decisions might we make?

BLACKFROST builds on a decade of construction, experimentation, and community-informed development of an experience we love dearly. It expands beyond the ego-centrism of THE LONG DARK and asks you, not how far you will go to survive, but how far will you go to survive for others?

The “others” could be other players in co-op, but also other survivors in the world. NPC communities hiding out from the dangers of the aurora, the radioactive “black frost”, and a whole host of new threats they experience in the city of Harmont and the vast wilderness surrounding it. What new scenarios, gameplay mechanics, and stories could such a setting inspire?

We aren’t saying too much more about BLACKFROST at this point, as we are focused on completing our obligations around THE LONG DARK 1. But we hope this early look is compelling and exciting for you. We hope to enlist you in the coming months and years, in helping us build the future of survival games.

BLACKFROST won’t launch until 2026, so this is a very early moment in time for the project. And for those of you who have grown up with THE LONG DARK over the years, BLACKFROST is not the end. It is only the beginning of the next chapter. We see both THE LONG DARK 1 and BLACKFROST co-existing for a long time, with each game having a distinct point of view around the ‘Quiet Apocalypse’. They will be complimentary, preserving the investment of time and money you have put into TLD over the years.

But with BLACKFROST, we are pushing our philosophy and vision for survival forward in ways we could have never believed possible when we first launched TLD back in 2014. We can’t wait to show you more of what we are building. We hope you are as excited as we are!

For now, please take a moment in your busy day to enjoy this view into the new world we are creating for you. I think it is as beautiful as it is dangerous, full of adventure, mystery, and opportunity. A place you want to survive in.



Live together, or die alone. Welcome to the world of BLACKFROST.


Raphael van Lierop

Creative Director
Hinterland

For Media Queries: press@hinterland.com

Media Kit here.

We're thrilled to partner with our friends at 11 Bit to bring you the new FROSTPUNK + THE LONG DARK: SURVIVAL MODE bundle. Anyone who currently owns THE LONG DARK, or THE LONG DARK: SURVIVAL MODE, can use Steam's "Complete the Bundle" logic to get FROSTPUNK 1 at a great discount, just in time for the holidays.


Frostpunk is the first society survival game. As the ruler of the last city on Earth, it is your duty to manage both its citizens and infrastructure. What decisions will you make to ensure your society's survival? What will you do when pushed to breaking point? Who will you become in the process?

Check out the bundle, which is currently discounted!

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/20572/The_Long_Dark_Survival_Mode_x_Frostpunk/

Hello Community,

We have just released our v2.35 (148480) Hotfix for THE LONG DARK (including Survival Edition), TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY, and WINTERMUTE updated to v2.12 (148383).

This Hotfix addresses multiple issues introduced in the v.2.33 update for TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY.




This Hotfix includes fixes for the following issues:


* Fixed multiple issues that returned players to the main menu with a 'Failed to restore the game from a previous save' message after transitioning to a new location.




* Fixed an issue where First Aid Kits could not be placed on the walls of Trapper's Cabin.
* Fixed an issue where players were incorrectly able to Pick Up or Destroy Buffer Memory Laptops. Players will now only be able to move Laptops.
* Fixed multiple issues that resulted in warning messages being hidden behind existing menus and interfaces.
* Fixed an issue in Mystery Lake, Sundered Pass and Forsaken Airfield where Ravaged Deer Carcasses would not appear as intended in Cougar Territory.
* Fixed an issue where after killing a Cougar, a new Cougar would appear in the same Region much sooner than intended.
* Fixed an issue that prevented Furniture Workbenches from being Destroyed.
* Fixed an issue that caused Decoration placement to become greatly offset after Destroying or Breaking Down an object on which the Decoration was placed.
* Fixed an issue that prevented Cougars from spawning in Custom Survival games if the 'Cougar Spawn Chance' setting was 'low'.
* Fixed an issue where debug text could be seen when viewing the details of a WINTERMUTE save file.
* Fixed an issue that prevented players from Quartering Aurora Cougar Carcasses.
* Fixed an issue where Breaking Down a player built Workbench did not generate a Workbench Vice.
* Fixed an issue that resulted in multiple objects returning less resources than intended.
* Fixed an issue that prevented multiple objects from being used in Safehouse Customization.
* Fixed an issue that prevented players from enabling the Cougar in a save created prior to purchasing and installing Tales from the Far Territory.
* Fixed an issue that prevented players from enabling the Cougar when loading pre-existing Custom Survival saves.
* Fixed an issue that caused the Rüdiger's Dream achievement to delay triggering until after reloading the save in which it was unlocked.
* Fixed an issue that prevented players from selecting a Photograph to place in a player-crafted Framed Photo when using any controller as their main input.
* Fixed an issue that limited players to 3 exchanges with the Trader instead of the intended 10.
* Fixed an issue where conversation prompts were too close to the screen when contacting the Trader from the Radio in Pleasant Valley Community Hall.
* Fixed an issue in the cave leading to Zone of Contamination, Forsaken Airfield, and Sundered Pass that incorrectly allowed Safehouse Customization within it.
* Fixed an issue that removed the option to Break Down some objects, preventing players from reaching certain locations.
* Fixed an issue inside Hibernia Processing in Desolation Point that prevented players from searching a metal locker.
* Fixed an issue inside the Lonely Lighthouse in Desolation Point that prevented players from searching the main floor dresser.
* Fixed an issue in Desolation Point that caused some containers to spawn multiple times in the same location.
* Fixed an issue where moveable containers could reset their contents after being placed.
* Fixed an issue that caused Scurvy to become disabled in pre-existing saves where it should be enabled.
* Fixed an issue that caused Woodworking Tools in some locations to fail to spawn.
* Tuned Misery Experience Mode Trader values to be more in line with the expected Misery experience.



* Fixed an issue where no icons were present in the Trader Radio interface for raw fish, animal meat, dried hides or harvestable plants.
* Fixed an issue where the Cougar entrance cinematic was too dark and players could not distinguish what was occurring in the scene.
* Fixed an issue that caused orange Patterned Wool Mittens to become invisible when dropped or placed.
* Fixed an issue where the Pemmican Bar icon in the Recipe Book was incorrectly shown as a Recipe Card.




* Fixed an issue that sometimes resulted in human arms appearing momentarily next to the Cougar during its Struggle animation.




* Fixed an issue that caused Cougar vocalizations to play out of sync in certain entrance cinematics.




* Fixed an issue on Steam Deck that caused a black screen when attempting to take a Photograph with the Camera while reloading it with Film.
* Fixed an issue on Xbox and the Xbox app for Windows that caused a crash when a new player launched the application for the first time.



To check current releases on each platform, please visit our Build Status Page.

Please visit our Support Portal (or consult our Known Issues page) if you encounter any issues while playing the game. For additional news and information, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter (Game | Studio).

With this release, the TALES DLC expansion pass is now complete!

Hello Survivors,

Today we’re pleased to announce the release of TALES Part Six, “Broken Silence”. This is the last part of the TALES DLC for Survival Mode, and concludes the 2-year expansion pass. The TALES DLC will continue to be available for purchase in its entirety moving forward.

“Broken Silence” is the biggest update for TALES and the base Survival game since the launch of the DLC expansion pass campaign in December 2022. The following 18-minute update video goes into great detail about all the new features and content in “Broken Silence”, for both the Paid and Free streams.



NOTE: Paid content is only available to people who own the TALES DLC. Free updates are available to anyone who owns THE LONG DARK or THE LONG DARK: SURVIVAL MODE products.

For a full roadmap outlining all the features and content included in the TALES DLC, please visit the full Expansion Pass site. The following major features are included in “Broken Silence”:




We’ve added a deep Safehouse Customization system for all players to use. Over 100 locations in the game can now be modified by moving or removing furniture and decorative items, crafting new items using the Furniture Bench and Woodworking Tools, and gathering materials and decorative items from all over Great Bear island and the Far Territory. This is one of the biggest changes to the game the team has ever accomplished, and we are excited to see how players express their creativity and survival ethos through their personalized Safehouse locations. (Includes many new items never before available in the game!)




The Cougar hunts and patrols its territory, mainly located in the rocky or deeply forested areas on the fringes of various regions. Enjoy it from afar, or risk your life traversing its territory. The more you encounter it, the more its territory expands, ratcheting up your risk factors for travel and survival. The Cougar is a crafty hunter and is best avoided, but if you dare encroach on its territory you will face a struggle for survival beyond anything you’ve encountered so far. Look for signs, listen, be wise, and be careful!


Establish new patterns for hunting and travel through the world to avoid, or seek out, wildlife. Every wildlife spawn region in the game has been refreshed. Expect to encounter predators like Bears, Wolves, and now Cougars, in new and dangerous places. Find prey animals like Deer, Rabbits, and Ptarmigan have made homes in new locations. Wildlife populations have been rebalanced across the entire game world. Even Timberwolf spawns have been refreshed, so that they don’t always appear where they used to.




Find the Instant Camera, along with colour, black & white, or sepia film stock. Take photos and add them to your journal Album, where you can notate them. Frame them and hang them in your Safehouse. Become a wilderness photographer.




Keep your ears open for the emergency radios across the Island to come to life during an aurora. You may hear an unexpected voice from a boat offshore. Sutherland’s been out there since the lights in the sky first appeared, and he has a story to tell. But first, you’ll have to earn his trust. He’ll trade rare items that he scavenges off the coastline in exchange for things he needs from Great Bear Island. (Includes many new items never before available in the game!)


Use Woodworking Tools to craft a new Meat Curing box. Gather salt from caves or the coastline, and preserve meat or fish for the long haul.


We’ve added Achievements for TALES, including some unlocks for features that were added to the base Survival game for free, and some that are TALES specific.


Please watch the update video and visit the TALES expansion pass site for more information on what has been included in “Broken Silence”.


Please note that today’s launch of “Broken Silence” is for Steam, Xbox, and Epic Game Store. The PlayStation version will be updated ASAP this week; we are waiting for Sony to approve it for release. As has already been communicated to players, the Nintendo Switch release of Parts Five and Six have been delayed until the new year.


Please report any issues you have to our Support Portal. We expect a high volume of reports and the Support Portal will take precedence over our other communication channels, so it is your best way to get help. It will not be possible to respond to every forum post or social media post reporting bugs or issues. We ask for your patience as we work to resolve all outstanding reports during this busy time of year.


The team will take a much-needed break between December 20th and January 6th. Support channels and general communication will be delayed during this period as a result. We appreciate your patience.


Thank you to all those who purchased the TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY DLC. Your support of our efforts helps enable us to continue updating THE LONG DARK. We appreciate all your patience as we worked to deliver the promised roadmap, which took much longer than expected. Please refer to the October Dev Diary for more information on our plans to continue supporting THE LONG DARK next year, including shipping WINTERMUTE Episode Five ASAP.

Enjoy “Broken Silence”, and we’ll see you in the new year.

- The Hinterland Team

***


The Long Dark Updated to version 2.33 (CL 147890)

Applies to: THE LONG DARK, THE LONG DARK: SURVIVAL MODE, and TALES FROM THE FAR TERRITORY DLC.

• After completing all three TALES, players will not immediately receive the Rüdiger's Dream achievement. Instead, it will unlock upon reloading their save.
  
• Only the first loaded Custom Survival save will provide players the option to toggle the Cougar feature on/off. Loading subsequent Custom Survival saves will not provide this option, disabling Cougar by default.
  
• Player-crafted Workbenches do not yield a Workbench Vice as expected when broken down.
  
• Rarely, Decoration placement is greatly offset after destroying or breaking down an object beneath where it is placed. (Workaround: Save and reload.)
  
• Players using a controller are unable to select a Photograph for player-crafted Framed Photo.
  
• Players can place decoration objects in inappropriate locations where they can no longer be interacted with.
  
• Placing or dropping the orange Patterned Wool Mittens causes them to become invisible.
  
• Players will be unable to Quarter Aurora Cougar Carcasses.
  
• Players will be unable to break down or destroy the Furniture Workbench.
  
• Some objects that should have the option to be broken down are missing that functionality. EX: Shrubs which block player from reaching certain locations.

This Major Update includes fixes for the following issues:

• Fixed an issue that caused a hang, after lighting too many Campfires at once.
  
• Fixed an issue which caused some Xbox players to receive error code '-996' after the disclaimer screen, and subsequently returning them to the home screen.
  
• Fixed a rare issue that caused a crash when entering or leaving interiors.
  
• Fixed a rare issue where the player's game crashes and their save is deleted when choosing to Cheat Death.

• Fixed an issue that caused Ptarmigans to become stuck in an animation loop.
  
• Fixed an environment issue in Sundered Pass that resulted in players being able to climb on top of certain structures.
  
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect location text is displayed when waking up after Cheating Death.
  
• Fixed an issue in WINTERMUTE Episode Four where the subtitles were incorrectly timed with the audio of the final scene.
  
• Fixed an issue where items could not be retrieved after being placed on a building ledge in the yard of Blackrock Prison.
  
• Fixed an issue in Lonely Lighthouse where items left on the stairs could only be retrieved from certain angles.
  
• Fixed an issue in Desolation Point which caused players to fall through weak ice while standing safely on the damaged boat.
  
• Fixed an issue in Coastal Highway which caused players to fall through weak ice while standing safely on the damaged boat.
  
• Fixed an issue where high quality and TALES Mission items could be collected through a closed window in the Mine Headframe Building.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused a 'Failed to restore the game from a previous save' error when transitioning from an outdoor location.
  
• Fixed a rare issue with the weather system which could result in corrupt save data.
  
• Fixed an issue where partially consuming a Venison Pie could result in it dropping into negative weight values.
  
• Fixed an issue where dropping a partially consumed food item along with unconsumed food items of the same type resulted in it returning to an unconsumed state.
  
• Fixed an issue with the Major Bruising Affliction which resulted in it having no effect on the Survivor's Condition.
  
• Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented players from placing a symbol with Spray Paint.
  
• Fixed an issue that allowed the Survivor to quarter a carcass with no resources left.
  
• Fixed an issue that displayed the incorrect crafting time of items when the Survivor doesn't have the associated crafting tool in their Backpack.
  
• Fixed an issue in Ash Canyon where some items could spawn in unreachable areas.
  
• Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass where a backpack could not be searched.
  
• Fixed an issue where Beachcombing containers and items could duplicate when exiting and re-entering the Region.

• Fixed an issue where inspecting Polaroids resulted in a visible incorrect watermark on the object.
  
• Improved the detail on all vehicle engines.
  
• Fixed an issue with Glimmerfog that resulted in cave entrances appearing clearly through the fog at any distance.
  
• Fixed an issue in Keeper's Pass that caused incorrect lighting on the mouth of a short rock tunnel.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Forsaken Airfield where Cattails were incorrectly located.
  
• Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield where a fence was not correctly placed on the ground.
  
• Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass where a deer carcass was not correctly placed on the ground.
  
• Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination with a missing square piece of geometry on the ground.
  
• Fixed an issue in Zone of Contamination where a sheet of ice was not correctly placed on the ground.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet where a post incorrectly intersected a shelter roof.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in Bleak Inlet with unintentional pieces of jagged terrain.
  
• Fixed multiple issues in the transition cave from Bleak Inlet to Forlorn Muskeg with rocks not correctly placed on the ground.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Wool Toque would incorrectly intersect with the Aviator Cap when worn together.
  
• Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass where snowdrifts were not correctly connected to wooden structures.
  
• Fixed an issue with T-Shirt models that caused the interior to intersect with the exterior.
  
• Fixed an issue in the Pleasant Valley Farmhouse that caused a Sewing Kit to disappear from view at different angles.
  
• Fixed an issue in the Steam Tunnels where a portion of pipe was disconnected and floating.
  
• Fixed an issue in Mountain Town where snow covered rocks were not correctly displaying snow.
  
• Fixed an issue where global lighting was not correctly applying to the Survivor's hands.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet where players could incorrectly see the exposed back face of a cliff.
  
• Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield where players could incorrectly see the exposed back face of a snowdrift.
  
• Fixed an issue in Mystery Lake where players could incorrectly see the exposed back face of a cliff.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in a corner of the Community Hall in WINTERMUTE Episode Three.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck on top of the truck in Keeper's Pass.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in Ash Canyon within a ruined building at Miner's Folly.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck inside a helicopter in Forsaken Airfield.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could become stuck between rocks in Coastal Highway.
  
• Fixed an issue in Sundered Pass where players could get stuck in terrain near the bridge to the Weather Station.
  
• Fixed an issue in Mountain Town where players could get stuck in terrain in the Paradise Meadows Farmhouse.
  
• Fixed an issue in Bleak Inlet where players could get stuck in terrain on the Cannery Workshop staircase.
  
• Fixed an issue in Forsaken Airfield where players could get stuck on a rocky outcropping.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck when crouching near the truck in the Maintenance Yard.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck behind stalagmites in the transition cave between Hushed River Valley and Mountain Town.
  
• Fixed an issue in Mountain Town where players could get stuck near the waterfall outside of town.

• Fixed an issue that resulted in the wrong animation playing when harvesting a wolf carcass with the Improvised Knife.

• [EGS] Fixed an issue that caused a black screen on launch for players on the Epic Games Store.
  
• [PS4/Switch] Fixed memory leak when loading into a new level
  
• [PS4/Switch] Reduced memory usage for falling snow effect
  
• [PS4/Switch] Reduced memory usage for post fx by reusing render textures between passes

### END OF UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT ###