If you’ve been grinding through the Shroud, building your base, and taking down Embervale’s toughest bosses, you’ve probably wondered when is the next Enshrouded update. The open-world survival crafting RPG from Keen Games has blown up since its early access launch, with regular patches adding new features, fixing frustrating bugs, and expanding the world for players to explore. As a long-time Enshrouded player who’s logged over 200 hours across solo and co-op runs, I’ve been tracking all official teases, developer streams, and community leaks to put together everything we know about the upcoming patch.
What We Know About the Timeline for the Next Enshrouded Update
Keen Games has stuck to a pretty consistent release schedule for major content updates since the game launched, dropping large, feature-packed patches every 6 to 8 weeks, with smaller hotfixes in between for urgent bug fixes. The last major update, the Hollow Halls expansion, launched in mid-July, so that puts the next major update roughly in late August to early September. The devs rarely give exact release dates more than a week in advance, to avoid rushing development or disappointing players if last-minute bugs pop up.
Keen Games has confirmed they prioritize quality over fast releases, so if testing uncovers critical issues that break core gameplay, the update might get pushed back a few days to iron out kinks. I’ve noticed over the past year that the team almost always drops major updates on Wednesdays or Thursdays, so if you’re refreshing your Steam library waiting for new content, those are the days to keep an eye on official social channels for release announcements. Even small hotfixes can add unexpected quality of life changes, so it’s worth checking patch notes even if you’re not waiting for a full content drop.
Confirmed Features Coming in the Next Enshrouded Update
The devs have shared a long list of confirmed features coming in the next update across their official Discord server and weekly Twitch streams, all directly responding to top community requests from the past few months. Even small additions that didn’t make the initial tease for the next Enshrouded update will likely be welcome for the game’s dedicated player base, which has been vocal about wanting more endgame content and base building tools.
Here’s what we know for sure is making it into the patch:
I was particularly excited about the mage balance changes, because I main a fire mage and I’ve struggled to keep up with melee and ranger players during boss fights for months. The devs also mentioned they’re adding 5 new side quests tied to the new desert biome, with unique rewards that can’t be earned anywhere else in Embervale. All existing save files will be compatible with the new update, so you won’t lose any progress on your current base or character when the patch drops.
Rumored Features That Might Make It to the Next Update
A handful of trusted community insiders have shared leaks about features that are currently in testing, but haven’t been officially confirmed for the next update. The devs often test more features than they end up including in a single patch, so some of these might get pushed to a later update if they’re not polished enough for release.
The biggest rumor circulating right now is a new playable Ranger class, which focuses on long-range bow combat and taming wild animals to fight alongside you as companions. The devs first teased a taming system back in April, so it’s possible that both the Ranger class and basic pet system will make it into this update, but they haven’t confirmed anything yet. Other rumored features include new ice-themed Shroud regions that slow you down instead of draining your life meter, and a player trading system to make it easier to swap resources and gear with co-op partners.
Don’t get your heart set on any rumored features until the devs share an official patch preview, which usually comes out 3 to 5 days before the update launches. I’m crossing my fingers for the pet system, because I’ve been wanting a companion to bring along on solo Shroud runs, but I’m not holding my breath just yet. Even if these features don’t make it into this update, they’ll almost certainly drop in a future patch later this year.
How to Prepare for the Next Enshrouded Update Before It Drops
There are a few simple steps you can take right now to make sure you’re ready to jump into the new content as soon as the update goes live, without wasting time fixing avoidable issues. First, clear out extra inventory space and empty out a few chests in your base, because the new desert resources and crafting recipes will take up a lot of extra storage room, and you don’t want to have to dump valuable items to make space when you first explore the new biome.
Second, make a manual backup of your save file, just in case there are any unexpected compatibility issues when the patch installs. You can find your Enshrouded save files in your Steam user data folder, and copying them to a separate folder on your desktop takes less than a minute. Third, stock up on common resources like wood, stone, iron, and Shroud essence, because the new high-tier armor and weapon recipes will almost certainly require large amounts of basic materials to craft. If you play on a community server, reach out to your server admin to confirm they’re planning to update the server as soon as the patch drops, so you don’t get locked out of your base for a few days.
If you want to test the update early, you can opt into the public test branch on Steam, which gives you access to pre-release builds a week or two before the official launch. Just keep in mind that test builds have a lot of unpolished features and bugs, and your test save won’t carry over to the official release version of the game.
At the end of the day, we don’t have an exact answer for when is the next Enshrouded update, but all signs point to it dropping sometime in the next few weeks, packed with new content that will make exploring Embervale feel fresh again. The devs have a great track record of listening to community feedback, so whatever ends up in the patch, it’s almost certainly going to address many of the biggest complaints players have had since the last major update. Keep an eye on the official Enshrouded Discord and social media accounts for the latest updates, and make sure you’re prepared with extra storage and resources when the patch goes live. Happy exploring!