Plague Alchemist 2026 Roadmap
Now that Plague Alchemist is firmly in Early Access, it is time to look forward.
Content is now the main focus, and we plan to add a substantial amount of it by the end of 2026.
The roadmap image covers the key milestones, but it is not meant to list every single thing that will be added. New quests, areas, items, discoveries, improvements, and fixes will continue to be added throughout development, even if they are not all shown directly on the roadmap.
Since Early Access launch
The first weeks after the Early Access launch have been focused on immediate fixes, game stabilization, and quality of life improvements.
We received a lot of useful, actionable feedback and have done our best to act on it quickly.
The first 2 patches have yielded in total:
8 new additions
10 changes to existing stuff
27 fixes
and also 1 removal - the elusive invisible door to nowhere.
We plan to continue strong with the patches going forward.
Summer
The next major focus is the Earth dungeon, dynamic NPCs and more of them as well as an entirely new system - Codex.
The Earth dungeon is the big milestone for the summer. A lot of work has already been done on it, but there are still quite a few loose ends to finish. The main goal is to have players able to explore the Earth dungeon by the end of summer.
The Codex system is also becoming an increasingly important feature. Players need a place where they can quickly see their progress in a given area, including discovered resources, secrets, and other important findings. This system is meant to make progression easier to understand without removing the sense of discovery.
NPCs are another major focus. Right now, the world can still feel fairly empty, with only a few NPCs standing around in certain places. This is something we want to improve. The goal is to make the world feel more alive by adding more NPCs, giving them routines, and making them feel more connected to the world around them.
Autumn
The major focus for Autumn is finalizing Act 1 and adding the "Lumberyard" and "Mines" content.
Act 1 needs to properly establish the world, the plague, the player’s role, and the first major progression steps. Some of this already exists, but it still needs to be tied together so the early game feels like one coherent journey.
"Mines" and the "Lumberyard" are planned as important world locations that the player can directly impact and shape. They will come with their own mechanics, so more details will be shared when those systems are further along.
Winter
The main focus for Winter is Act 2 groundwork, new potion content, and ending the year with the roadmap goals firmly in place.
The Winter section is deliberately lighter because of the holidays and to leave some buffer in case previous work spills over.
Act 2 groundwork means preparing the game for the next major step after the early story has been properly established. This does not mean all of Act 2 will be finished by the end of the year, but the foundation for it should begin taking shape.
If all goes as planned, we may be able to open up the next major zone for a bit of exploration around the beginning of 2027.
Alchemy will also keep expanding with new potion content, recipes, and more reasons to experiment. Alongside that, stability and polish will continue, because every new system and area adds more edge cases that need to be cleaned up.
Early Access will continue to be shaped by feedback, so thank you to everyone who has played, reported issues, shared thoughts, or helped point out confusing parts of the game.