Hey everyone!
No More Room in Hell 2 is alive, kicking (and screaming and clawing) -- and now in the middle of the most exciting period of development the project has seen yet! We can't wait to show you more soon.
We know things have been quiet lately surrounding our progress, but today we're excited to share a little more info with you about what's been happening in the background, the state of game production, and what you can expect in the near future. We have also prepared a Frequently Asked Questions list to A those burning Qs you have.
Since joining up with another established studio (the “partner” we previously mentioned - to be announced soon, see the FAQs below), we've been able to move from part-time development to full-time for all members of our team. We've also brought many more incredibly talented developers onboard (adding to the horde!). More dev hours and more working hands means the game's development is full steam ahead, now with the level of support we need to make NMRiH2 a beyond stellar game.
Combining with a larger developer and bringing on many new team members means we naturally need a bit more time before we're in a position to do a substantial 'dev update' that you guys are hoping to see, and we appreciate your patience with us.
Our original launch date of last October would have been an Early Access game, with additional core features rolling in over the coming months and years. As we headed towards that launch, we were in the midst of talks with another development studio about the game. Through these conversations, we were able to explore new ideas and expand on existing ones, and it quickly became clear that joining forces would enable us to deliver the best experience possible for an Early Access product, unlike anything else on the market. The additional time and resources we now have access to are immensely helping us achieve these goals.
TL:DR - we know it’s been quiet, but it’s been the “we’ve been busy” sort of quiet! Behind the scenes we’re doing everything we can to improve and enhance the narrative experience to make NMRiH2 feel like it really is the end of the world. One feature we're excited to be working on is barricading, adding another layer of interaction when trying to hold out against the claws and teeth of the horde. Additionally, from a technical standpoint, we’ve fully ported the project to Unreal Engine 5 and we are actively exploring all that this huge upgrade has to offer. Everything from character and zombie animations to environment lighting is getting completely overhauled as well - and we can’t wait to show off how much the game is progressing!
Ultimately we remain focused on and committed to making NMRiH2 the best game it can be. We're super confident that - by joining with an exciting studio and getting access to more resources, combined with your support as the NMRiH2 community - we'll be able to share some more details about our development progress in the coming months.
We really do appreciate your patience, and we want you all to know that we're working hard on not just the game itself, but also plans to ensure our communication with you all is clear, regular, and presented in the best way. We're so excited to show you what we've been working on!
FAQ
Who is the development studio you’re joining?
We're not quite ready to reveal the details just yet, but we are sure you'll like them. We're working with them to plan how we can get the most benefit from a formal announcement: after all, we want to get as much support for the game as possible! We're actively working on the timeline for this, and all the cool stuff that this entails (think trailers, screenshots, etc!) - so please stick with us. It'll be worth the wait.
What is the new release date?
Given we've joined another established studio and can now plan with extra resources, we're not yet in a position to commit to a firm release date at this time, but you'll be the first to know.
How many people are working on NMRiH2?
A lot - meaning many more than we had previously! Our general development power has nearly quadrupled in the space of a few months. Going from “working after the kids have been put to bed” hours to a proper 9-5 full-time production is no straightforward task, and is another reason for the change to the game’s original release timeline. To put it into numbers, NMRiH2’s development team has gone from around 18 people working odd hours part-time to now over 40(!) members, most of whom work full-time, and there’s further room to grow too!
When will we see the next major news about NMRiH2?
We expect to remain largely in “quiet mode” for the first half of this year and plan to have more to show by summer 2023. With this in mind, and given the nature of game development, things can change - and if they do, we'll make sure we give you an update and an explanation.
What is changing about NMRiH2?
NMRiH2 will still be the game we’ve been working on for several years, just with more time, love and quality put into it. We're working on a whole host of improvements and additions now we're able to work on the game full-time. When we're in a position to showcase these properly and do them justice, we will!
Will the development of NMRiH2 affect NMRiH1?
Nope! Increasing dev support for NMRiH2 has no impact on continued support for NMRiH1. The game continues to be maintained by a group of volunteers and will receive regular updates. Additionally we would like to assure players that NMRiH1 will remain free to play, and without paid DLC or microtransactions.
How can I stay up to date with the game's progress?
The best place to be is our official Discord server. All updates will be posted in the Announcements channel.