For those of you who caught our gamescom trailer at Opening Night Live, you may have noticed an important announcement at the end.
If you haven't seen it yet, you can find it here.
We'll go into some of the trailer details later in this blog post, but for now, let's talk about the Early Access release date.
Nightingale is Launching into Early Access on February 22, 2024
"After years of dedicated work from the team, we are thrilled to announce that Nightingale will enter Early Access on February 22nd, 2024. That date is a few months later than we previously announced. But as a studio, we’re committed to quality, and we take player satisfaction very seriously. We want to ensure that the game delivers on the expectations of our community, who have played a vital role in the development to date. We strive to ensure that Nightingale not only fulfills our vision but also becomes a cherished place for our players to explore and discover with their friends for many years to come," says Aaryn Flynn, CEO of Inflexion Games
While we hope you share our excitement about our confirmed Early Access release date, we understand that some of you may also be wondering why the shift from Fall 2023.
This new release date provides us with additional time to test and make the right choices to deliver the experience that we know our players expect and deserve. We are going to take the extra time to prioritize refining gameplay, minimizing bugs, and ensuring that our Early Access fulfills the promise of what Nightingale can be. So, to answer some questions you probably have:
Q. Will Nightingale still be launching into Early Access?
A. It sure will! We're treating Early Access launch very seriously - ensuring that it has substance and delivers on player expectations. Early Access gives players a chance to participate in development - something that we've already begun with our playtests - and it gives the team a unique opportunity to explore new ideas with a live community. We'll be regularly iterating and improving the game throughout Early Access, adding new content along the way. We want to make sure we give it the best start possible.
Q. How much is Nightingale going to be?
A. It is currently planned to launch at $29.99 USD (other territories to come).
Q. Does this mean Nightingale will launch with no bugs?
A. We can't promise a zero-bugs launch, but we are working hard to make sure that our Early Access release is smooth and, above all else, fun to play.
Q. Can we expect a lot more content with the additional time?
A. While we have some more content we haven't talked about publicly, we're focused on polishing what we have now. That may mean some small quality-of-life additions, but we're not expecting to add significant scope to the game at this time.
Q. Did upgrading to 5.2 impact the launch date?
A. While this did take some developer hours, this launch date would have happened even if we had stayed in 5.1.
Q. Will there be more playtests?
A. We're still discussing this internally, but likely it will come down to the results of our upcoming playtest (of which, invites have already been sent). The best place to keep informed about any potential future playtests is our Discord: https://discord.gg/playnightingale.
Q. I still have lots of questions about the game and want to see more, you're not going to go radio silent, are you?
A. That's not in the plan, no! In fact, we're currently writing our next Developer Update, working on short-form video content and discussing other ways to show you all what we're working on. If there's something you want to see more of, kindly let us know via our various social platforms!
New Stuff from the Trailer
Swimming
This was the first trailer that shows off that your Realmwalker does, in fact, know how to swim! Be careful though, as swimming can be exhausting.
Fae Tower
A mysterious place teaming with Bound? Get a glimpse at what awaits you in Fae Towers.
New Clothing Items
We've added some more clothing items! All of the outfits in the trailer can be unlocked and crafted in the game!
Bhutan Building Set
Those with keen eyes will have spotted a new Estate style. We're going to showcase it more in the coming months, so make sure to follow our social channels for additional builds using this building set.
Sun Giant
These creatures are generally curious and intrigued by gifts from Realmwalkers, but if you decide to take one of them on, be ready for a tough fight. They can use their magick to turn the sands against you.
Automaton Knight
A new addition to the Automata line, unlike many of its kin, it is a fierce aggressor who will actively defend other Automatons. Armed with a vicious beam of energy - part magick and part electricity - even the most intrepid Explorer steers clear lest they be reduced to smoldering ash.
New Enchantments
We've been adding some more enchantments behind the scenes, and you can catch a glimpse of a few of them in the trailer. From fire and lightning ammo to Rescission and Realmic Preservation magick, we're excited to share what we've been doing in future community updates.
-
Phew! You made it to the end!! To everyone who continues to share their support and understanding throughout this journey with us, we appreciate you so much. We cannot do this without you.
Much love,
- The Nightingale Team at Inflexion Games