Arctic Awakening News

[p]The wait is almost over! Arctic Awakening launches in 3 days on September 18![/p][p]We're so excited for all of you to finally dive into this world we've been working on for so long. In just a few short days you'll be exploring the frozen wilderness and uncovering the mysteries that it holds.[/p][p]Check out the global launch times for this Thursday so you can play as soon as it drops:[/p]

• [p]Los Angeles (PDT) – 7:00 AM[/p]
• [p]New York (EDT) – 10:00 AM[/p]
• [p]São Paulo (BRT) – 11:00 AM[/p]
• [p]London (BST) – 3:00 PM[/p]
• [p]Paris/Berlin (CEST) – 4:00 PM[/p]
• [p]Tokyo (JST) – 11:00 PM[/p]
• [p]Sydney (AEST) – 12:00 AM (Sept 19)[/p]

[p]Every bit of support spreading the word means the world to us as a small indie team, so please tell your friends, post about it and share the news of the upcoming release. You can always find us on Discord, BlueSky and X as well.[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[p]It's been a long journey, but after 5+ years of development, we're (finally) ready for all of you to join us in exploring the mysteries of this world we've created for you.

We're thrilled to announce that Arctic Awakening is releasing on Steam, Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on September 18, 2025! To celebrate, we've released a brand new trailer with all-new gameplay giving just a taste of what's in store with the full game:
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
Arctic Awakening is a first-person narrative adventure set in the unforgiving Arctic. Your plane crashed in a storm, leaving only your court-mandated therapy bot for company as you journey to find your co-pilot and uncover the mysteries buried beneath the ice.

If you haven't already, please wishlist, join the newsletter and come say hello on Discord, BlueSky and X!

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

Hey everyone! Our last update was during Steam Next Fest, and even two months on we're still blown away by the response. Over 10,000 of you checked out the demo during the event and thousands more have left snowy footprints since. We've been more motivated than ever from seeing the excitement surrounding the world we're creating!

[h3]Demo Update[/h3]
Since Next Fest, we've been hard at work completing the full game, fixing bugs and making improvements based on the hundreds of feedback messages we received and the dozens of streams we've watched. Beyond just getting the game in front of so many new people, these last few months have been incredibly valuable for us to improve the overall game before release. Since we aren't doing early access, the demo has doubled as a sort of beta test for us.

While most of our recent efforts have been in the later stages of the game, and while we still have more work to do based on the submitted feedback, we've taken the time to release an updated build of the demo that includes:

• Various minor and some game-breaking bugs
  
• Improvements to overall traversal mechanics
  
• Enhancements to drone flight and navigation
  
• Performance optimizations
  
• Art and level design polish
  
• Improvements to the auto save system
  
• Newly recorded voice-over
  
• Localization improvements for all 7 languages
  

[h3]Full Game Progress[/h3]
We aren't quite ready to share a release date just yet (we've got one in mind, but we're going to be extra sure before finalizing it); however, we are excited to announce that the game has now been content complete for nearly a month, and as of today we've finished recording all voice-over for the entire game! Our main focus right now is QA testing (and more QA testing -- you can never do too much), polishing every detail and optimizing performance to make sure the game runs smoothly and looks great.



We're in the home stretch now, and we can't wait to share more soon. Stay tuned, and as always, thank you for your support! Feel free to pop into Discord, X or BlueSky and say hello as well.

Hey everyone,

Steam Next Fest is officially underway from February 24 - March 3, and we've released a brand new updated demo as part of the event!

In this version, we've taken all of your feedback and packed it into a fresh, extended demo with loads of polish, frozen bugs, performance improvements and full translations in 7 languages. We've even decided to break the ice with brand-new content never before seen in the demo!

Check it out during Steam Next Fest, let us know what you think (we're still making improvements based on your invaluable feedback) and don't forget to wishlist/follow to stay up to date!

See you in the snow soon! ❄️

PS: We're also running a giveaway for a free copy of the game -- just play the demo and signup to the newsletter in-game to be entered into the drawing (you'll get an email before release if you're selected)!

Hello Arctic adventurers!

We started working on Arctic Awakening nearly 5 years ago. Our team has poured all of our creative efforts into bringing this thrilling tale to life, and we can’t wait for all of you to start exploring the wilderness with Kai and Alfie.

We're in the final stages: mechanics are being finalized, QA is squashing the last stubborn bugs, performance is being put on overdrive and every last leaf, trail and mysterious moment is getting the polish it deserves. Localization is also in full swing to make sure the game speaks to adventurers all around the world.

Today, however, we have to ask all of you patient adventurers to wait just a little bit longer. We have to delay the release... one more time. We're truly sorry to keep you waiting longer than we hoped, but we're committed to making this experience something truly unforgettable.

We know delays are frustrating, and believe us, we'd love nothing more than to have the game in your hands right now. But we refuse to settle for “good enough.” While we can't announce a release date just yet, rest assured it's coming soon, and we're so excited for you to experience what we've been working so hard on.

Thank you for your patience and support. It means the world to us, and it's what keeps us pushing to make Arctic Awakening the incredible adventure you deserve. We can't wait to share it with you – see you in the snow soon!

-The GoldFire Studios Team

[h3]PS[/h3]
We also recently updated the demo, which includes a bunch of improvements including:

• A long list of bugs and general polish (including some crashes).
  
• 25-50% performance improvements across the board.
  
• Various navigation and flight improvements to Alfie.
  
• Improved gamepad support.
  
• Fixed various issues with the save system.
  
• Level design polish.
  
• Added some new settings including FOV control (more coming soon).
  
• Further sound effects and music polish.
  
• Full professional translations for Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Portuguese (Brazil). German, Spanish, French and Russian coming soon.
  

We really appreciate all of the feedback on the demo -- it's been truly invaluable to the development!