After years of hard work, we are thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated, and newly inviting Steam and Itch.io PC release of the fabled Dwarf Fortress will release on December 6 2022 for $29.99 USD! Watch the release date trailer on Youtube:
We are so excited to share the news, we know it was not easy waiting. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!
We will still want be as transparent as possible about the game's development and wanted to provide an updated roadmap.
As we suspected back in February, we won't be able to squeeze in everything we'd have liked without the potential of a major delay. So here's a bit more information about where we are and where we're going:
CURRENTLY
We're implementing a few last creature and building graphics and fixing more bugs. We already know for sure that launch will include Legends mode.
We're not totally sure whether we'll have Arena mode or Steam Workshop integration or Classic mode at launch, but we do know all are very very close and already partially working. So those three things might end up in the launch or they might end up being patched in in the weeks after.
SOONISH
For the months following launch, we have more graphics we want to add. We'd like specific graphics for more plants (evergreens, real world plants, etc), for example, and we'd also love to put in images for baby animals instead of just scaling down the adult versions. Kittens and red panda cubs and giant eaglets!
We're also not able to approach Mac and Linux by ourselves, since we've never notarized a Mac build or managed Linux libraries, and will need to get help with that to do it properly. But obviously we'd love to get that whole pipeline working so people can play on non-Windows computers.
And of course we'll do whatever necessary work there is to stabilize the release post-launch.
EVENTUALLY
It will take a lot of effort and tons of special menus and interface, but Adventure mode is the biggest thing on the horizon that's missing from launch.
Around the same time as Adventure mode, maybe a bit before or after, we'll probably also put in Steam Achievements. We'll complete the work on villain systems and armies and sieges we were pondering before premium DF work began.
After that, we'll probably enter a lengthier development cycle, designing and coordinating work around the next big improvements to the map system, preparing the game for the addition of procedurally generated myths and magic systems. Some of these additions will take months by themselves, or longer, but we'll see how all that is shaping up when we get there.
Thanks for your enduring patience! We're hoping for a smooth and cheerful launch, thanks to the help of everybody keeping things running: the mods, volunteers, Kitfox, Valve, and our players and supporters. Not too much longer before you too can Strike the Earth!
-Tarn & Zach + Kitfox