Hey Hidden Champions,
this update brings some of the biggest gameplay and system changes so far – from fully functional NPC competitors to a completely new contract and save system.
IMPORTANT – SAVEGAME WARNING
⚠ Old savegames are NOT compatible with Update 2025.21!
Because of the new save system and major data changes, older saves will not load and will cause a crash.
👉 Please start a new game after updating.
New Features
Added NPC competitors with full player-equivalent capabilities and unique personalities
Implemented a new contract acquisition system
Added regional building auctions
Introduced a completely new, more robust and reliable saving system
New window management system supporting runtime Z-Order adjustments
Visual Improvements
Updated Contract Window design
Updated City Window design
Updated Statistics Window design
All redesigned windows now support an inactive state and improved focus handling
General UI polish for a cleaner, sleeker look
Added confirmation dialog when selling or removing an establishment
Performance & System Improvements
Massive turn performance boost
Massive database performance boost
Optimized city mesh performance
Improved Actor Info Widget using efficient distance calculations
Performance & stability improvements for the SaveSystem
Turn calculation no longer blocks the GameThread → no temporary freeze
Accepted contracts are no longer reassigned when slightly overdue
Better auto-selection of contract and shipping locations
Improved transport route calculation via enhanced cache logic
SharedAnimations for Pawns added to reduce overhead
Updated to Unreal Engine 5.6.1
Updated DLSS to 8.3.0
Fixes
Corrected names and locations of several South American cities
Fixed multiple multithreading-related crashes
Fixed issue where the Loading Screen remained open after loading
Fixed incorrect production efficiency for multiple factories on one site
Fixed cleanup issue where other players’ SaveGames were removed
Fixed PCG Forest intersecting with CityTokens
Reminder
This update requires a completely new playthrough. Old saves will crash the game.