In Valendor, the main celebration is approaching, the winter solstice, also known as the Night of Lumen, which means it’s time to sum things up and make a few announcements, both big and small.
First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who helped make The Succession of Changing Kings better. You praised it, criticized it, found bugs, and suggested improvements… and yes, I especially enjoy it when you praise it! ːsteamhappyː
All of this has resulted in an 88% rating with over 330 reviews and around 8000 players. Another 21000 wishlists are likely waiting for the game’s full release. For me, this is a result cleaner than even the most profitable deal with Tenebris himself. I hope to continue living up to your trust.
Second, I’m happy to officially announce the release date of Act IV, January 31, 2026. I originally wanted to align it with February 10, the date the game first appeared on Steam in Early Access, but I decided there was no real reason to drag things out any longer. The release was initially planned for December, but as many of you rightly pointed out in the comments, it’s better to polish the final act than to release it unfinished. All the texts are already written, although I expect to add another 3–5 quests, including ones meant to wrap up some storylines of secondary characters. In addition, there are now more ending variations than I originally planned. Incidentally, it is possible to finish the game relatively successfully as early as turn 80.… how exactly, you’ll have to discover for yourselves.
Third, the release of the final act does not mark the end of work on this project. A Korean localization is already complete and currently in testing, with Japanese and Chinese translations planned as well. At this point, I want to pause and mention a piece of feedback that truly impressed me. A player from Japan completed the entire game using a translator and then shared their thoughts in the comments. That was incredibly inspiring. I did something similar myself back in 2012 with Academagia, back when it wasn’t even on Steam yet and my level of English wasn’t sufficient for a proper playthrough.
Finally, a few words about future plans.
I currently have two projects in development.
Your Judgement, Inquisitor is planned to release in 2026 and will launch directly without Early Access.
The second project, Nowhere Mage, is in many ways similar to The Succession of Changing Kings, but with magic and the ability to move freely across the map. You will play as a mage who has been accidentally transported to another world, with 100 turns to escape… or perhaps decide to stay. You’ll need to build up a magical tower, negotiate with three factions, in short, everything you love.
That’s all from me. Happy New Year, and may Lumen watch over you!