Development Update - 02.12.2025

Hey everyone!

I’ve been delaying this announcement for a while… and many of you have been asking recently whether the update "might" still come this year. I really hoped it would, I pushed hard to try to make it happen, but for several reasons, it just won’t be possible. I want to explain everything clearly:

• Renders:
All renders are done. Of course, during testing there are always a few missing shots (that’s normal), but everything I planned, everything I managed to get back to for now - I finished.
However, there are still 500+ renders left to be rendered, and even with two PCs working nonstop, that alone means days of pure rendering time… and I still need time for all the other tasks.

• Animations:
There are a lot of animations left to render.
Because I changed the animation workflow and length, each animation now takes significantly longer - lighting, setup, the whole process became heavier. But I think the difference is obvious to the naked eye, and with every update I want them to look even better.
There are also a few animations still left to make. And when I’m working on animations, I can’t render images, so one thing slows down the other.

• Voice work:
Only two girls have their voices done so far. Several more still need theirs.
This part is out of my hands - I rely on other creators and Voice Actors, and I can’t pressure them too much. I also started this whole voice-pipeline a bit too late, even though I had many attempts and conversations before. Only in the past month have we really pushed forward in a serious, organized way.
My hope is that once the network is built, future updates will get their audio much earlier and this won’t cause delays anymore.

• And then… testing, Photoshop:
I only finished photoshopping three scenes so far. Additionally, the testers also need proper time for testing, feedback, and fixes. The holiday season is always busier for everyone, and I don’t want to put pressure on them. I want the testing phase to be calm and thorough. I also want to take the time to test everything myself as carefully as possible, because there are now many different paths, and with each update the game can be played in more and more ways. My own testing is usually rushed and done late at night, so this time I’d really like to give myself more time to do it properly.
On paper it all sounds small - and the story + text + renders are indeed done - but there are so many small details still unfinished, half-done, or hanging in the air.

Could I work days and nights, pressure everyone, and maybe force it out before Christmas?
Maybe.
But I’ve been through that hell once already when releasing Act 1 on Steam, and I honestly don’t want to put myself in that same place again. It left a mark on me, and I want to avoid that burnout spiral. 😅

And with the holidays coming, I’d really like to spend a bit of calm time with my family instead of sitting stressed in front of the PC, knowing we’re “so close yet not quite ready.”

I know you’ve been waiting a long time.
And trust me - I’ve been waiting just as long to let you finally play this update. For me, this is my favorite one so far (though I guess each new one becomes my favorite, because I’m constantly learning and improving).

So at this point, I can safely say the update will release in January or February.
Once everything is wrapped up, I’ll give you a proper date breakdown like always.

My hope is that we start the new year by playing the new Race of Life update together. ❤️

A bit of good news:
Over the last few days, I let the PCs render nonstop and focused on finishing the story and scene structure for Episode 5. I sent everything to Joshua today - which means he can start writing calmly while I finish polishing this update.
In the past, I always sent him the full outline after release, which usually delayed the next part by about a month. So maybe this time things will go smoother.

Thank you for sticking with me.
As soon as everything is rendered, I’ll let you know - and I hope we can also lock in the voice work so the full experience feels complete for you.

❤️ Thank you for your patience, your support, and for being here with us.