After almost two years and nine months in Early Access, Enshrouded is finally getting its full release. Keen Games confirmed it back in June, and it’s happening this Thursday, 15 October 2026, on Steam. If your group drifted away from Embervale at some point, this is the update that’s been pulling people back. There’s been a steady stream of new and returning players on Steam all week.
We’ve been reading through everything Keen has shared ahead of launch. Here’s what’s actually changing, what happens to your old saves, and how to get your world ready so your group can jump straight in on day one.
When is Enshrouded 1.0 out?
Enshrouded leaves Early Access on Steam on Thursday 15 October 2026. Keen says the full changelog lands on 14 October, a day ahead of release, with a highlights video on launch day itself.
If you already own the game on PC, you don’t need to buy it again. The 1.0 update is yours for free. If you don’t own it yet, note that the price went up to €39.99 on 8 September, as Keen had always planned for the end of Early Access.
What’s new in 1.0
Keen is holding back the full list until the changelog drops, but they’ve shown off a lot already:
- Sparkworks, a brand new logic system. Connect levers and pressure plates to doors and traps, and turn your base into a puzzle, a dungeon or a very mean prank. Keen’s own suggestion is to swap the bridge into your base for trapdoors and not tell your friends.
- A proper mage rework. There are nine new spells, including Blizzard, Ball Lightning, Entangle and Pillar of Flames, plus a whole new category of summons: elemental totems and even Hollow skeletons to fight beside you.
- Better performance. A big part of the 1.0 work has gone into making the game run better, especially on lower and mid-range PCs.
- A reworked start. Keen has made “many improvements to the world and first few hours of the game”, which matters for the next question.
Can you keep your Early Access save?
Yes. Early Access saves work in 1.0. They’ll be converted to a new, more efficient save format the first time you load them. That said, Keen is openly encouraging everyone to start a fresh world, because so much of the early game has changed. Our advice: keep a backup of your old world, then start a new one with your group and see the new opening the way it’s meant to be played.
Early Access players also get three exclusive decorations for their base: a statue over four metres tall, a tome with the old Early Access “E” logo, and a signal light. Claim them from Redeem Add-Ons in the escape menu. If a friend joins after launch, an Early Access player can place them in their world for them.
Is 1.0 cross-platform?
Not at launch. Keen says they’re working on cross-platform play but don’t have an estimate yet, so for now plan on your group all playing on PC.
Why a dedicated server makes sense for 1.0
Enshrouded supports up to 16 players in one world. When you play through someone’s game, though, the world is only online while the host is. Launch week is when everyone plays at different times. Some of your group will be on at 2am chasing the new spells, and others will log in after work wanting to see what got built. A dedicated server keeps the world running all the time, so nobody has to wait for the host.
With a PingPerfect Enshrouded server you get:
- A world that stays online 24/7, for up to 16 players
- Your existing world uploaded through the Gamepanel file manager or FTP, if you’d rather carry on
- A GUI editor for the server settings, so there’s no hand-editing JSON for the name, password, slots and difficulty
- Nightly offsite backups, worth having on a launch week when you’re trying new things
- DDoS mitigation, 20 locations worldwide and 24/7 support
If you’re not sure yet, every plan comes with a 48-hour free trial, so you can set the server up before Thursday and have it ready for launch night.
Getting ready for launch day
- Back up your Early Access world, even if you plan to start fresh.
- Set up your server before Thursday, so the name and password are ready to share with your group.
- Update the server when 1.0 goes live. Players and the server need to be on the same version. Run the update from the Gamepanel once it’s out, or open a ticket and we’ll help.
- Read the changelog on the 14th, so you know what’s changed before you dive in.
See you in Embervale, Flameborn.
