- When The Road Darkens - Release Update - Version 1:0 - 4 September 2026
- Added 1 new purchasable gear item to 'Vilika': 'Obelisk Connection';- Added 18 new gear pieces: 'Affliction Contagion', 'Affliction Fatigue', 'Affliction Echo', 'Brittle Momentum', 'Brittle Rigor', 'Diviner Providence', 'Fleet Slipstream', 'Intercessor Bulwark', 'Intercessor Warden', 'Intercessor Binding', 'Quantum Glitch', 'Nexus Vibration', 'Omen Sacrifice', 'Omen Ruin', 'Reverb Aecho', 'Reverb Ringing', 'Reverb Reaction', 'Temporal Debt;- Added 5 new music tracks: 'Obsidian Requiem' (Act 1), 'Looming Doom' (Act 2), 'Isolation Cocoon' (Act 3), 'Tribulations' (Act 4), 'Soft Glow' (lobby);- Adjusted volume on new abilities;- Fixed 'Banishment Fire' playing audio far away; - Updated translations;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:29 - 10 May 2026
- Added 4 new abilities: 'Pondus', 'Repello', 'Inane', 'Locus';- Improved tooltip coloring with Catalysts to better see changes;- Very slight buffs to Crit over-all (~2%);- When casting without an auto-aim target, ranged abilities will now use their max range;- Teleporting due to abilities/items no longer resets your camera to match the body;- 'Erumpo' will now check against geometry when cast, to avoid being placed behind it (e.g below ground);- 'Noxius' curves less so it's easier to use close-range, and slight speed buff;- 'Zapp' has an extra flat chance to Crit;- 'Cresco' CD and GCD changes, 'Load'-type SEs buffed;- 'Laqueni' CD and GCD buffed, slight speed buff, applies slow SE, all catalysts gives extra trap count;- DoTs over-all damage buffed slightly;- 'Tempest' speed buffed;- 'Tether' range, duration, speed buffs. Catalysts give extra an jump or jump height, and other changes;-…
- When The Road Darkens - Update w/ 4 new bosses - Version 0:28 - 27 March 2026
- Added 4 new bosses to an alternative Act 2 and environment - 'Whitecap Watch';- Added 2 new music tracks: 'Perseverance' (victory end-screen), 'Throne of Dust' (Act 1);- Added 1 translation: Russian (ru_RU);- Named every boss in the Party-Lab;- Improved pass-through when under 'Ghost' Status Effect;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:27 - 9 February 2026
- Added a UI banner after defeating a boss;- Added 3 new gear pieces: 'Quantum Barrier', 'Quantum Afterimage', 'Temporal Ubiquity';- Added 2 new music tracks: 'Solemn Defeat' (defeat end-screen), 'Scattered Ashes' (Act 1);- Added VFX when affected by Invulnerability;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:26 - 20 January 2026
- Added 1 new gear: 'Omen Judgment';- Added 'Clearing Blossom': exchange gear pieces during runs;- Added 5 new stat gear: 'Stat Move-speed', 'Stat Crit-chance', 'Stat Crit-multi', 'Stat Damage-variance', 'Stat Auto-Aim';- Added 1 new temp gear: 'Temp Ductio';- Added 1 music track during intermissions: Recessus;- Added some missing button mouseover SFX;- Shortened music fade in/out;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:25 - 31 December 2025
- Added 1 new player Vessel: Turnfoot;- Added 2 translations: Italian (it_IT), German (de);- Added 2 new gear: 'Nexus Recall', 'Nexus Conduit';- Added 'Rologii' - a little NPC to visually track time;- Nerfed SEs: 'Feeling Lucky', 'Juicer', 'Crit Ramp';- Fixed minor translation bugs;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:24 - 15 December 2025
- Added scenic environment to Act 4;- Act 3 ground is now uneven;- Added 7 new gear: 'Harbinger Shock', 'Harbinger Storm', 'Juggernaut Root', 'Lurker Snare', 'Mutator Linger', 'Mutator Stain', 'Mutator Resilience';- Improved performance when opening the 'Banishment Fire';- Fixed occasional Steam Cloud upload errors (debounced rate limiter);
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:23 - 4 December 2025
- Added 3 translations: zh_CN, pt_BR, pt_PT (more in progress);- Added scenic environment to Act 3;- Added 1 new music track: The Trial (Act 4);- Added 1 new gear: 'Nexus Overflow';- Added 3 new purchasable gear items to 'Vilika';- Several UI adjustments to accommodate translations;- Minor changes to 'Reverso';- Increased base speed of 'Noxius', 'Orbis';- Added flat damage nerfed in general;- Engine update; This patch adds Translation possibilities. Due to the ongoing nature of Early Access, future content additions might have incomplete translations. If you'd like to help with translations feel free to reach out to me! Thank you.
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:22 - 9 November 2025
- Added 4 new abilities: 'Reverso', 'Floxo', 'Erumpo', 'Anidivisa';- Added 1 new music track: Web of Eternity (Act 1b);- Added 1 new gear: 'Omen Vengeance';- Added 2 new achievements: 'Unshaken And Untouched', 'You Did Well... But I Did Better';- Added some missing hit-FX to abilities;- 'Status Effect: Lethargy' duration and effect lowered;- Fixed some meshes turning black when disappearing;- Teleportation should now look smoother in mp;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:21 - 28 October 2025
- Added scenic environment to Act 2;- Added 5 new gear: 'Undying Lastlight', 'Undying Gratitude', 'Undying Renewal', 'Undying Rescue, 'Temporal Dividend;- Added a Gameplay setting to toggle player floating lights;- Added dialogue lines to Sapli;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:20 - 19 October 2025
- Added 'Banishment Fire' to the Hall: banish unwanted gear items;- Added 6 new gear: 'Intercessor Swift', 'Engram Chain', 'Juggernaut Reckoning', 'Lurker Ambush', 'Lurker Pressure', 'Lurker Opportunist';- Added 1 music track: Rains of Terror (act2);- Added 1 new achievement: The Fire Remembers;- Nerfed Crit;- Added rare easter egg SFX;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:19 - 11 October 2025
- Added 'Catalisk' to the Hall, unlockable to test Catalysts;- Added 4 new gear: 'Zodiac Phase', 'Zodiac Conjunction', 'Zodiac Perihelion', 'Zodiac Aphelion';- Made it easier to interact with graves;- 'Rot' DoT now has a Stack Limit of 5;- Added Clatter steps SFX, with Audio setting to mute it;- Added search functionality to the 'Invite Players' panel;- Added mouse selection and copy capabilities to the chat log;- Available Exp (to spend) is now always shown in the HUD, at the Hall;- Ability damage per lvl nerfed to 1% (from 1.2%);- Ability speed per lvl nerfed to 8% (from 10%);
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:18 - 6 October 2025
- Added 1 new player Vessel: Clatter;- Slight animation and network optimisation for B3b;- Fixed Canned's 'Liquid' skin not working at the Vessel Lab, and shader artifacts at certain angles;- Most temporary gear is now lost after 3 stages (down from 4);- Added a new zone to the Hall - functionality coming soon;- Added more tips to the map loading screen;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:17 - 30 September 2025
- Added 1 music track: Luminance (hall);- Every boss will play the existing boss track - in the future each boss will have its own track;- Increased maximum active world and UI sounds, and improved music fades;- Added 4 new gear pieces: 'Fleet Solitude', 'Intercessor Parry', 'Intercessor Sanctum', 'Zodiac Ascendant';- Sync'd run time every stage and show it on End Screen;
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:16 - 29 September 2025
New zone, new bosses! - Added 4 new bosses to an alternative Act 1 - Shattered Echoes;- Added 2 music tracks: Main Menu, and B1 (more to come!);- The sky environment has been updated and customised for each battleground and Act;- Replaced every temporary gear art, catalyst, and merchant icons;- Added a Gameplay setting to show the current run time at the end of each stage;- Sync'd players' getting hit FX;- Slight changes to Vee model;- Added a few tips to the map loading screen;- 'Corrosion' DoT' now has a Stack Limit of 5;- 'Caries's' Octa Catalyst nerfed a bit;- 'Zapp's' base damage buffed from 52.0 to 55.0;- Slightly increased Boss hp scaling;- Slightly nerfed B5 projectile attack speed, and secondary interval;- Slightly nerfed Levior (B5's summon) projectile attack speed;- Lowered World audio default volume;- Fixed Endless Mode boss randomness;
- Music is coming! - 28 September 2025
I'm happy to announce that an official soundtrack for When The Road Darkens is currently in production! The soundtrack is being composed by Jake Lockley, who will help bring more life and atmosphere to the world. You can check out more of their work here:Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jake_lockleyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jake_lockleyj/?hl=enSoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jake_lockleySpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Qd2IqehXrHVIBwbdluFL8 Tracks will be added as they come, for the most part. Here's the first official track, for the main menu:
- Update on next patch - 20 September 2025
Hello! Just wanted to give a quick update. I've been working on 4 new bosses that will form an alternative Act 1, which is why Version 0:16 is taking longer than usual. I can't post direct videos here, but I sometimes post progress and things I'm working on, in my (or the game's) discord, if you'd like to join. I'll leave some links instead: He's depressed -> https://x.com/OyusiDev/status/1969510802580226414 Silly short:
- When The Road Darkens - Update - Version 0:15 - 2 September 2025
- Random Ability drops from enemies will now always have a Catalyst;- Added 14 new gear pieces: 'Engram Feedback', 'Engram Reprise', 'Engram Resurge', 'Engram Pavise', 'Engram Paralysis', 'Affliction Ward', 'Fleet Vault', 'Fleet Leaper', 'Fleet Transpose', 'Fleet Gasp', 'Harbinger Ferocity', 'Harbinger Acuity', 'Harbinger Exalt', 'Harbinger Benediction';- Added grass to parts of the Hall;- Fixed bug where a player's lvl didn't immediately reset on new run;- Minor Hall bug fixes and shader fixes;
- When The Road Darkens - Version 0:14 - 29 August 2025
- Added a new zone and 'Vilika' to the Hall, unlockable to acquire special items;- Added 1 new gear piece: 'Vulnerant Reprieve';- Items that say "proximity" now inform the exact distance;- Slightly nerfed B4 on easier difficulties;- Slightly nerfed B5 across all difficulties;- Fixed mp bug where abilities were desync'd after going to Hall on a failed run;- Fixed bug where the training dummies in the Hall didn't disappear properly;
- When The Road Darkens - Version 0:13 - 24 August 2025
- Added 7 new gear pieces: 'Quantum Slip', 'Quantum Resonance', 'Vulnerant Rebuke', 'Vulnerant Exchange', 'Vulnerant Resurgence', 'Vulnerant Rally', 'Vulnerant Retort';- Vertical momentum is no longer kept after using Ability 'Perh';- Added version and media buttons to the Ingame Menu;- Buffed Ability 'Parries' parry timing-window;- Random bosses in Endless Mode should now always match their natural environment;- Fractured parts of Act 1 scenic env;
