Hello Prospectors,
As the dust from the Hallowed Beyond settles and the crews of the Lucky Docks pull down their decorations, it’s time to talk about what’s coming next for Wildgate.
On November 19, Wildgate’s first major (and free!) update arrives: Wildgate: Emergence.
Today, we’ll be peeling back the curtain behind some of what’s coming in Emergence, as well as sharing more updates on some items on our Roadmap.
WHY “EMERGENCE”?
We first called this update “Season 1,” but as it evolved, that name stopped feeling right. Emergence better captures what this moment is for Wildgate - a turning point, not a destination.
This update marks progress: new modes, new ways to play, and systems that lay important groundwork for what’s ahead. It’s not the “complete” experience some players might be hoping for yet - there’s still more to build, and some features may feel early or limited - but it moves the game meaningfully closer to where we want it to be.
In science and art, emergent intelligence describes how small parts combine into something greater than the sum of their pieces. That idea felt right for us - every fix, feature, and bit of player feedback adding up to a stronger Wildgate, even if the journey isn’t finished.
Emergence isn’t about an endpoint; it’s about moving forward - discovery, collaboration, and steady growth.
WHAT WE'RE SHARING, AND WHEN
In this update, we’ll be sharing a preview of our first new Prospector, introducing a second new game mode, quickly running through Custom Lobbies, and explaining both when and how our Free Weekend and Free Trial experiences will work.
Over the next two weeks, we’ll be sharing a closer look at everything inside Wildgate: Emergence - from revealing our new Prospector and diving deeper into two new game modes, to the new 2-player ship built for small crews (including solo play), plus our new Adventure track and more.
You’ll see a lot more very soon across Discord, X, TikTok, and YouTube — including our full Emergence preview video and deep-dive blog next week.
BEHIND THE DESIGN: OUR NEW PROSPECTOR
Internally, her codename was “Space Elf” - and that early nickname tells you a lot about where she started. We wanted someone who felt otherworldly and serene, a contrast to Wildgate’s rough-and-ready cast.
The first versions were… unusual. “Beautiful tentacles” showed up in the concept notes more than once - an idea that stuck around in spirit even as her design became more elegant and grounded
“She started weird, and we loved that. The trick was keeping that alien grace while making her feel real.” - Laurel Austin, Production Designer
“All of our characters are first conceived by the Art team. From there, we work on the personality and then the abilities of the character. On the design side we wanted something new for this character and we had heard some feedback from players about wanting a support character. Given her more "open and friendly" personality this seemed like a solid fit for this new Prospector.” - Dustin Browder, Game Director
We’re not revealing her name or her full abilities just yet - that’ll come in next week’s deep dive - but she brings a very different energy to the Reach. A little calmer. A little stranger. And maybe a little more connected to whatever’s waiting beyond the veil.
Next week, we’ll show you how she bends the rules of boarding, survival, and life among the stars.
INTRODUCING: THE SECOND NEW GAME MODE
In our September Dev Update, we shared a new game mode with you that offers a more relaxed, risk-versus-reward way to play. What we weren’t ready to share then is that we’ve also been building another mode. This second new mode is built for those who love the fight.
Your fleet of three crews (12 players total) will be able to pick from the Bastion, Privateer, and Hunter to battle another fleet across a smaller region of the Reach. Each fleet works together to fill a shared score bar by completing objectives - first to the top wins! Ships continually respawn throughout the match, and you’re free to jump in and support other crews on your team at any time. That means less downtime, more action, and a stronger sense that every player can make a difference - no matter how their individual game goes.
We’ve had a blast testing it internally, but like New Game Mode 1 (names soon, we promise!) it’s still marked as “In Development.” We’re thinking over what additional options could look like, for example, and don’t have the Outlaw or Scout playable here while we consider if they have a place in this game mode. What’s shipping in Emergence is just the "emergence" (🫡) of what we want this chaotic, action packed mode to evolve into. We want your feedback while we keep tuning it, so we can build future iterations of it together.
From your feedback, we hope that these new game modes will give you more choices that match how you want to play at any given time. Some nights you’re in the mood for some Artifact Hunt, where every second matters, and every move could make or break the run. Other times, you’ll just want to fire up your ship guns and cause a little trouble, or kick back roaming the Reach, grabbing some treasure, and seeing what luck has in store. Across a night or a few days, you may drift between all three.
THE REACH EXPANDS
With Emergence, we’re opening a new region of the Reach - the “Dead Worlds” (a working name for now).
Here, there are no ice asteroids at all, meaning the five ice you start with must last your entire expedition. Every jump and encounter carries more weight when resources are scarce.
Help does exist, though. Vampire Hardpoints let you siphon energy from wrecked ships or tap into Crimson Towers to repair your vessel. You’ll also find ancient Travel Rings left behind by a long-lost civilization - strange gateways that propel your ship forward in bursts of energy and hint at deeper mysteries in the Reach.
The Desert Reach is a harsher, stranger slice of the galaxy - a place where risk and reward are tightly wound together. It’s the perfect testing ground for daring Prospectors looking to see just how far they can go before the cold catches up.
CUSTOM LOBBIES
Since launch, players have been asking for Custom Lobbies for all kinds of reasons. Some of you want ways to compete and host matches within your own communities, while others are looking to experiment, practice, or just mess around with your friends in Wildgate.
When Emergence launches, you’ll be able to use Custom Lobbies to host your own Wildgate matches. Create a lobby, invite friends (or rivals), and tweak your setup. You’ll be able to join with a lobby code, move between teams, choose your ships, and, if you’re the host, set a few basic options to shape the fight. This first release supports Artifact Hunt mode only - we’ll be watching how you use it before expanding further in the next few updates.
Custom Lobbies also support two observers, complete with a spectator UI and their own chat channel — perfect for tournament organizers, content creators, or anyone who wants to turn the Reach into a stage. Custom lobbies also work with Streamer mode, in case you want to obscure your player name while adventuring in the Reach.
We hope this opens the door for some different kinds of fun - whether you’re a creative, competitive, or ‘what happens if I attach 5 clamp jets to a Legion Ship?’ player.
FREE WEEKEND AND FREE TRIAL
We’ve heard it loud and clear - you want easier ways to bring friends aboard.
Starting at the end of November, Wildgate will host a Steam Free Weekend, followed by an ongoing Free Trial. We'll share specific dates next week in our Wildgate: Emergence Preview.
These have taken time to get right, both technically and in their timing. Free Weekends depend on platform coordination and some development work, and we wanted to launch them once our game had grown into a better place for new players to start, and hopefully stick.
How Steam Free Weekend Will Work
Anyone can download and play Wildgate in full during the Free Weekend.
Progress carries over if you decide to buy the game!
About Free Trial on Console & Steam
Console: players will be able to dive into our Free Trial starting at the end of November
Steam: after the Steam Free Weekend ends, new Steam players can also try Wildgate at any time through our Free Trial.
Content: New players will have full gameplay access up to Prospector Level 5 - explore any region, try all game modes, and follow any adventure path.
Please note!
Upon reaching Level 5, social features such as matchmaking and party play will be disabled, and your party privacy will automatically switch to Closed.
Free Trial progression is capped at early-level unlocks, with no advancement beyond Level 5. If you decide to purchase the game, all progress made during the Free Trial will carry over to your full account. (Accounts that have previously reached Level 5 - during the Free Weekend or earlier - won’t have Free Trial access on that same account.)
NO MORE ROTATIONS: THE WILDGATE SHOP GOES EVERGREEN
With Emergence, we’re evolving Wildgate’s in-game shop. No more limited-time rotations - everything that’s currently available will stay available, ready whenever you are. This shift gives you more freedom to browse, plan, and collect at your own pace, while helping us build a shop that grows alongside the game.
You’ll still see a Featured tab highlighting new and curated sets, but the full catalog will now live under clear categories like Ships & Ship Sets, Prospector Outfits, and Weapons Styles. Over time, we’ll keep adding new cosmetics without cycling out old favorites - turning the shop into a lasting showcase of the Reach’s style and history.
BEYOND EMERGENCE: WHAT'S NEXT
Once Emergence launches, our focus shifts to what’s next.
We’ll be watching how balance may change across both new modes and Artifact Hunt, as well as how our new Prospector, ship, weapon, equipment, POI and Reach Anomalies shake up the Reach.
Some work-in-progress, unannounced content and features narrowly missed this update. We’re continuing work on these, and if they get to a place we’re happy with, they may find their way into our Mid-Season Patch instead.
We’ve also started early work on what a Winter event for the Reach might look like! Nothing to announce yet, but we’d love to hear what you’d like to see. Drop your ideas in our Discord if you’re feeling…festive.
A WORD FROM MOONSHOT
Emergence has been a long time coming. It represents both a lot of planned work since way before launch, and a lot of extra work we’ve seen that needed to be done for Wildgate from community feedback since launch and beyond.
We’re optimistic, but of course, realistic too - as we’ve said in previous Dev Updates, it’s been a tough few months. Emergence isn’t a silver bullet, it’s our next step forward. This update is not us promising the world, but rather us continuing to work hard to make the Reach a better place to adventure in for all of you.
We’re really excited to be sharing more about Emergence with you from next week’s Emergence Preview onwards, and for you to try it all out for yourself from November 19.
Thank you for flying with us, for challenging us, and for helping shape this wild experiment in space crime and chaos! See you in the Reach 🌌
– The Moonshot Team