The survival game The Long Dark was supposed to conclude officially earlier this year with the release of its final story chapter. Developer Hinterland Studio announced the sequel, Blackfrost, two years ago, planning to launch it in Early Access just like the original.
However, the studio's latest announcement reveals adjustments to their development plans. The team continues to work on Blackfrost in the background but has redirected a small group of developers back to The Long Dark to create new DLC for the game's survival mode. Hinterland hopes that returning to this nine-year-old title will help the studio navigate the "uncertain" industry environment.
"When we first announced Blackfrost, the sequel to The Long Dark, the landscape of the gaming industry was vastly different," the studio said. "In just a few short years, the entire business model has become unstable, geopolitical situations have grown extremely complex, and the future of next-generation console hardware has become increasingly uncertain. At the same time, players are turning to familiar games for comfort and security, reducing the time and money they spend on new titles."
Over the next two years, the studio plans to continuously update the game's survival sandbox mode with bug fixes, gameplay improvements, new features, and new areas from the final story chapter. They will also release two new DLCs: one will be released episodically, similar to the previous Tales from the Far Territory expansion pass; the second DLC will be "different from the former" and is currently in early development, with no further details revealed at this time.
Hinterland has assured players that Blackfrost is still in development, but its Early Access launch has been delayed until next year. Although many publishers have reached out hoping to handle the sequel's distribution, the studio will remain independent. "We haven't encountered any partner who truly prioritizes the best interests of both Hinterland and our players, so we will continue to self-fund and self-publish this game."
Hinterland stated that it is considering raising the prices for the standalone survival mode and new DLCs to offset revenue losses from discounts. "We are also aware that many people are facing rising costs of living right now, and players may not be able to afford price increases. We will strive to find a balance."
With layoffs sweeping the gaming industry in recent years and hardware costs soaring, I completely understand why an independent studio like Hinterland would choose to return to its successful title—after all, players are more cautious with their gaming spending than ever before. Standing out among the vast library of games on Steam is incredibly difficult for new titles. Let's hope this strategy works, allowing the studio to continue creating the games they want to make, rather than being permanently tied to their breakout hit.