Early Access Updates

0:14 Enshrouded spent almost 21 months in Steam early access, from Jan 24, 2024 to the 1.0 release on Oct 15, 2026, and in that time Keen Games shipped 8 major updates, 14 patches and 42 hotfixes, from Hollow Halls in March 2024 to Forging the Path in April 2026. When Keen announced the release window in January 2026, its community lead opened the video with the game's second anniversary and "the 5 million players mark, which is actually mind-blowing"; by the end of early access Keen counted "over 5.5 million players". This page lists every major update with its date and headline features, then the roadmaps and what Keen promises after 1.0. What 1.0 itself added is on What's New in 1.0.

Quick facts

Every update at a glance

Update 1: Hollow Halls (Mar 26, 2024)

0:00 The first major update introduced the Hollow Halls, "a series of unique massive dungeons, one in each biome", answering "the community's call for more challenging combat", as Keen's highlights video put it. Each region of the time (Springlands, Revelwood, Nomad Highlands, Kindlewastes) got one, with enemies at that region's level, a new undead enemy faction, the Hollow, legendary rewards and a new survivor (Keen). The same update removed the 60 Hz limit, reworked the Revelwood town of Willow Crush, and added round doors and windows, sitting, potted plants, a map ping and server search by IP. It was version 0.7.1.0.

Update 2: Melodies of the Mire (Jun 5, 2024)

0:00 Melodies of the Mire added the Blackmire, "a new area in the north of the Revelwoods where everything is a little bit bigger", for players "around level 13 to 15", Keen's video says. It expanded the Vukah faction and hid a new survivor, Valory the Bard, who teaches instruments that add to the rested buff (Keen). It also brought dual daggers, the first dual-wield weapon; personal quest progress in multiplayer; vanity slots to hide helmets and gloves; and roles with passwords for servers, the start of today's server permissions.

Update 3: Back to the Shroud (Jul 29, 2024)

Back to the Shroud gave every world difficulty presets, Default, Relaxed, Hard and Survival, and let players "create their personal game mode from 30 different settings" such as enemy damage, boss health, a starvation mode and Shroud time, some up to 500% (Keen press release, Jul 29, 2024). It added collectible "findables" such as fossils, mannequins and stands to display them, and FSR 3. Keen counted "almost 3 million players" that day. No transcript of its highlights video is used here.

Update 4: Souls of the Frozen Frontier (Nov 5, 2024)

0:00 Keen called it "Enshrouded's biggest update yet". It added the Albaneve Summits, "a massive new snow biome that towers above the world as the highest peak on the map", where the cold is deadly without warm gear, food or a torch. With it came a dynamic weather system, a new boss (the Fell Dragon Youngling), taming of six peaceful animal species for wool, milk, eggs and feathers, cats and dogs as pets, survivors with daily routines and beds, townsfolk, assistant crafters, ice as a building block, and a reworked glider and grappling hook. The level cap rose to 35 and the Flame could be upgraded twice more.

Update 5: Pact of the Flame (Jan 28, 2025)

Pact of the Flame, released on the first anniversary, was about playing together: text chat, voice chat (proximity or global), a Social menu and an emote wheel (Keen). Builders got a first-person camera, full rotation for decorative props, overgrowth and decay tools and "More than 70 new or previously unavailable props"; the Springlands got reworked places such as Midhollow and Wistful Fields, and the trader Mei-Yin Chen arrived. The same day Keen published its 2025 roadmap and moved 1.0 to Spring 2026. Keen's press release for this update is dated "28 January 2024", a misprint: the update shipped in 2025.

Update 6: Thralls of Twilight (May 13, 2025)

0:00 Thralls of Twilight gave The Shroud "a major glow-up": denser clouds, god rays and new horrors, Keen's highlights say. The Shroud gained 28 new crafting resources (the video's count), Shroud Lairs, Gem Forges for 21 weapon gems, curses and their cures, and over 100 new points of interest; nights got enemy patrols and Night Temples that open only after dark, 16 of them by the video's count (Keen). The Nomad Highlands and Kindlewastes were reworked, Elio Ricci the Barber arrived, and a coloring station brought armor tinting. Keen had revealed the update at the Triple-i Initiative on Apr 10, 2025; its press release misprints the year as 2024.

Update 7: Wake of the Water (Nov 10, 2025)

0:01 Keen prepared Update 7 in public. In the 2025 dev update, senior game designer Christoph explains that after "a year and a half of piling on systems and items" the team reviewed every weapon so stats match names and looks, raised durability, and closed a loot exploit by saving chests' looted state. The update was then pushed back "by a few weeks" from October to Nov 10 (Keen, Oct 23, 2025).

0:00 Wake of the Water opened with "Water has returned to Embervale": Veilwater Basin, a tropical region of lakes, jungle and ruins held by the Drak, a reptilian faction that fights underwater. Water is simulated in real time and can be piped into bases; every character can swim and dive; fishing arrived with a fishing survivor; greatswords became a weapon type. The level cap rose from 35 to 45, Hollow Halls runs could be paused at save points, and servers got tags and lasting bans. It was teased at gamescom Opening Night Live on Aug 19, 2025.

Update 8: Forging the Path (Apr 21, 2026)

0:00 Keen called Forging the Path "the eighth and final major content update ... during Early Access" (Keen). Its highlights video lists a combat overhaul with heavy attacks and special abilities fed by a focus bar, a reworked skill tree with Double Jump at its center (and every skill point refunded), upgrades with perks for armor, shields and rings, and the first version of Adventure Sharing. It reworked the starting area and the quest log, introduced item sets, the Quick Stack Station and building straight from magic chests. Creative director Antony Christoulakis: "Forging the Path is the update where we tried to focus on what matters most: wishes from our community" (Keen press release, Apr 21, 2026). It was version 0.9.1.0; the last numbered fixes were Patch #14 on Apr 29, 2026 and Hotfix #42 on Jun 29, 2026.

The roadmaps and the road to 1.0

Keen's first roadmap, on Mar 13, 2024, was built largely from Feature Upvote votes (the top request was weather; others were water, pets, livestock, nameable bases and more biomes), with "the full 1.0 launch to Steam, other storefronts, and consoles aimed for 2025" (Keen press release). On Jan 28, 2025 the 2025 roadmap moved 1.0 to Spring 2026, because players' support let Keen make the world "a lot bigger than we originally thought" and "we're not a big team" (Keen).

1:07 The "Road to Release" of Jan 21, 2026 gave a window, not a date. Christoulakis explains: "we've already had to move the release date for Wake of the Water and saying a date and not being able to stick to it, it kind of sucks", so the window was autumn 2026, with a smaller quality-focused 0.8 release (Forging the Path) in the spring. Keen's post that day: "it is very important for us to stick the landing with 1.0" (Keen). The date, Oct 15, 2026, followed on Jun 25, 2026.

0:00 1.0 completed what early access built: "The gates are finally opening", Keen's 1.0 highlights begin, leading to Cinder's Cradle, the last region, and the end of the current story. The 1.0 Release page covers the launch.

After 1.0: what Keen promises

4:50 Development continues. Christoulakis said in January 2026 that "it's not the end but another beginning for us", with roadmap items and community wishes still to come, "free additions as well as paid expansions in the future", and "a world beyond Embervale". Keen's launch press release promises "free & paid content for years to come", cross-play (no estimate) and the Xbox Series X|S version in spring 2027 (Keen, Oct 14, 2026). As of Oct 20, 2026 Keen had shipped hotfixes 1.0.0.1 and 1.0.0.2 but announced no first content update, paid expansion or 2027 roadmap.

Frequently asked questions

How many updates did Enshrouded get in early access? Enshrouded got eight major updates in early access, plus 14 patches and 42 hotfixes, between Jan 24, 2024 and the 1.0 release on Oct 15, 2026.

What was the last early access update of Enshrouded? Forging the Path, released Apr 21, 2026, was Enshrouded's eighth and final major early access update; small hotfixes followed until Jun 29, 2026.

When did Wake of the Water come out? Wake of the Water, Enshrouded's seventh update, came out on Nov 10, 2025, a few weeks later than its planned October date, adding Veilwater Basin, water, swimming and fishing.

When did Souls of the Frozen Frontier release? Souls of the Frozen Frontier, Enshrouded's fourth update, released on Nov 5, 2024 with the Albaneve Summits, weather, taming and pets.

What is the next Enshrouded update? As of Oct 20, 2026, Keen had announced no content update after Enshrouded 1.0; it promises free and paid content, cross-play and the Xbox version in spring 2027.

Is there an Enshrouded roadmap for 2027? No 2027 roadmap had been published as of Oct 20, 2026. Keen's last roadmap was the "Road to Release" of Jan 21, 2026.

Sources

• Enshrouded Emerges into 1.0 on PC and PlayStation 5 and the 1.0 Release Date announcement, Keen Games press releases, Oct 14, 2026 and Jun 25, 2026
• Keen Games press releases for Back to the Shroud (Jul 29, 2024), Thralls of Twilight (May 13, 2025), Forging the Path (Apr 21, 2026) and the Roadmap Reveal (Mar 13, 2024)
• Keen Games on Steam: early access launch (Jan 24, 2024), Hollow Halls (Mar 26, 2024), Melodies of the Mire (Jun 5, 2024), Back to the Shroud (Jul 29, 2024), Souls of the Frozen Frontier (Nov 5, 2024), Pact of the Flame and Roadmap 2025 (Jan 28, 2025), Thralls of Twilight (May 13, 2025), gamescom teaser (Aug 19, 2025), Wake of the Water delay (Oct 23, 2025), Wake of the Water (Nov 10, 2025), Road to Release (Jan 21, 2026), Forging the Path (Apr 21, 2026), Patch #14 (Apr 29, 2026), Hotfix #42 (Jun 29, 2026), 1.0 changelog (Oct 14, 2026)
• What is the max level in Enshrouded, Game Rant, Feb 2, 2024
• Enshrouded - Road to Release, Enshrouded, Jan 21, 2026 (video)
• Enshrouded - Hollow Halls | Update 1 Highlights, Enshrouded, Mar 26, 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded - Melodies of the Mire | Update 2 Highlights, Enshrouded, Jun 5, 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded - Souls of the Frozen Frontier | Update 4 Highlights, Enshrouded, Nov 5, 2024 (video)
• Enshrouded - Thralls of Twilight | Update 6 Highlights, Enshrouded, May 13, 2025 (video)
• Enshrouded - Dev Update | 2025, Enshrouded, Oct 23, 2025 (video)
• Enshrouded - Wake of the Water | Update 7 Highlights, Enshrouded, Nov 10, 2025 (video)
• Enshrouded - Forging the Path | Update 8 Highlights, Enshrouded, Apr 21, 2026 (video)
• Enshrouded 1.0 - Update Highlights, Enshrouded, Oct 15, 2026 (video)