Hey everyone, Thomas here!

When I launched the Master Builder Challenge on Discord, I asked you to stress-test the new building systems. I expected some cool cabins...

Instead, you built MASSIVE mountain citadels, complex multi-tiered lodges, and fortresses that completely blew my mind.

🎉 Today, the Base Building Unleashed Update is officially live for everyone. 🎉

I massively expanded building freedom. Here is what that actually means for your survival experience in Whisper of the Swallows:

1. No more “invalid placement” (And yes, new Log Cabins!)

I wanted to give you absolute architectural freedom. You can now seamlessly overlap building pieces. They will highlight in yellow to let you know they are overlapping, and the game won't stop you from placing them.
I also added highly-requested new building styles: you can now construct gorgeous Jukaï-style Log Cabins with snow-covered roofs, bring the outside in with new Planters, and use equilateral triangles for incredibly complex geometry.

2. Absolute 3-Axis Freedom (and Star Trek Doors)

You can now rotate any object on all 3 axes, including pitch and roll. You can build ramps at any angle. You can place tables on the wall. And, as some of you discovered, because the game uses sliding doors, you can rotate them 90 degrees to create functioning Star Trek-style doors.

3. The Master Builder Winners

A massive shoutout to the community for the incredible contest submissions!
Here are the winner and the runner-ups:

🥇 RPGArcher - Mountainguard Citadel

🥈 Harry Plopper - The Sea Castle

🥉 kb.Fx3 - Onsen

4. A smoother, more immersive world

Building wasn't the only focus this month. I've optimized the game's memory usage (dropping usage from 5GB to 3.8GB), while improving textures and animations.
I completely reworked the localization for Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese (over 70,000 words updated!) so the game feels consistent for players around the world.

If you are new here, players are currently averaging an incredible 18.5 hours per playthrough. Grab some friends, jump into the 6-player co-op, and see if your architecture can survive the blizzard.

A quick note on difficulty: Is WOTS becoming "cozy"?

I have been reading the Discord discussions. With the recent addition of difficulty sliders and this massive Base Building update, some of our veteran players are worried that Whisper of the Swallows is losing its hardcore survival roots.
But let me be clear: Your base is NOT your vacation home. It is a bunker, and the game still wants you dead.

The early game gives you the tools to establish a foundation. The upcoming biomes will push those tools to their absolute limits. The weather will get harsher, the enemies will get smarter, and the survival mechanics will test everything you have learned.

So, build your fortresses strong. You are going to need them.
Stay warm,
Thomas