GRAVEN – Roadmap Changes Announcement

Earlier this year, Slipgate Ironworks launched their Hexen-inspired FPS with RPG elements Graven into early access. And while the original plan there was to keep releasing content updates with new areas and challenges, we now have this Steam announcement where the developers share an updated roadmap and let us know that their new plan is to keep tinkering with the game’s systems until they feel satisfying, and only then start working on new content.

The announcement comes with a new trailer:

And here’s some additional details:

Dear GRAVEN Fans!

As you might already know from our Roadmap, our next update for GRAVEN was delayed.

Our team is hard at work on the game. After some challenging internal discussions, we’ve decided this is not the right time to release a new content update.

The reality is that by focusing on adding new content, we haven’t been able to nourish GRAVEN’s core elements — including an entirely new save system and creature/monster AI — that you’ve been asking for. We are far into the development of Hubs 2 and 3, but we feel that focusing on adding content that we’ll have to drastically change or remove at a later date is counterproductive to our ultimate goal of delivering the best experience of GRAVEN.

We would much rather have these major changes wrapped up first, and deliver the next update as a much more complete and comprehensive package.

Therefore we’ve decided to merge CU#1 and CU#2, and have the entirety of the first HUB ready to go as soon as possible, potentially early next year.

A game like GRAVEN is very systems heavy. In order for us to deliver the absolute best experience for all of you, it’s important for us to focus on the game as a whole, including the first hub and all of its core systems. GRAVEN has always been intended as an experience that spans across the current hub, where progression increases content to be experienced in previous levels, and where each hub gives you tools to do the same with the previous hub.

Delivering a single level while zeroing in on specific features does not deliver the intended experience, and it causes tradeoffs that harm the game. An integrated hub with functionality that meets the needs of the full design – even when that hub does not utilize it – makes for a better game. It can make for a less satisfactory Early Access update, but it means that the second and third hub will also benefit, and we spend less time chasing bugs as they pop up.

We feel sorry that we have to delay the next content update for a bit longer and we would like to apologize to our early access players, but we hope you all understand. We can’t wait to show you all of the fantastic changes and additions we’re adding to GRAVEN. Until then, here is a brand new trailer, showcasing what is waiting for you in our next update!