ASKA News

[h3]Hey Vikings![/h3][p]The much‑awaited patch is here, fixing the dreaded metal parts issue, alongside an engine upgrade, and a hoard of other fixes and even new features — including villagers now harvesting enemy corpses! A big thank you for the patience, and another round of thanks for all the reports and community assistance[/p][p][/p][h3]Gameplay & Features[/h3][p]· Enemies can be harvested by Villagers (Stonecutters, Hunters, and occasionally Kennel Workers) for bones and metal scraps;[/p][p]· Golems now live 80 days;[/p][p]· Made placing the harbor easier;[/p][p]· Skeletons are now harvested with a pickaxe;[/p][p]· Stonecutters now collect metal scraps;[/p][p]· Vikings deployed in expeditions now search the entire island except the main island;[/p][p]· Added actions to inventory menus;[/p][p]· Added new keybinds for the crockpot;[/p][p]· Cooked Food Storage now returns the correct parts when dismantled;[/p][p]· Dogs and Tame Smolkr now eat bone fragments as well;[/p][p]· Combat: removed the double-click heavy attack when using the shield and adjusted animation speeds to make sword & board combat more responsive[/p][p]· Updated the game engine to Unity 6.3;[/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p]
· Fixed a bug where villagers would not recycle metal parts or clean up their inventory as frequently as they should;
· Cursor is no longer confined to the game window while in Borderless mode;
· Fixed a boat pathfinding bug that could cause villagers to get stuck rowing indefinitely;
· Fixed a bug causing farmers to not deposit gathered items into farming storage under certain circumstances;
· Fixed a bug causing issues when building the Forester 2;
· Fixed a bug causing the "Keep cloud version" button to not work when prompted with a cloud sync conflict;
· Fixed a bug causing the "Your structure is being attacked" notification to fire when attacking enemy structures;
· Fixed a bug causing the winter invasion announcement to always display "today is the day" when loading the game in winter;
· Fixed a bug causing villagers to use harvest markers that were not tagged appropriately;
· Fixed a bug causing villagers to sometimes climb enemy towers to fight hostile Vikings on top instead of destroying them;
· Fixed a bug causing the Winter Invasion announcement to be one day off;
· Fixed a bug that caused a second worker at a fishing workstation to ignore the boat and complain incorrectly;
· Fixed a bug that caused creatures and villagers to teleport back outside immediately after entering a cave;
· Fixed a bug where cooking house workers would get stuck and not deposit the last filler needed to complete a recipe;
· Fixed a bug where Kyckling Box changed gender in the boat if deposited by another player;
· Fixed a bug where market tasks would change after loading a save;
· Fixed a bug where multiple roofs could be placed on a warehouse;
· Fixed a bug where task preset loading would sometimes break the game;
· Fixed a bug where the game would not detect a corrupted local save and restore the cloud version;
· Fixed a bug where villagers would not clean up their inventory correctly under certain circumstances;
· Fixed a bug where warehouse tasks had multiple duplicates of the same villager assigned;
· Fixed a rare case where a bloomery worker stopped working after their hammer broke despite having another in their backpack;
· Fixed an issue where assigning many crafters and tasks at workshops caused severe performance stutters;
· Fixed an issue where carts snapped to the bottom of the sea if left on piers;
· Fixed an issue where carts would snap to terrain features located beneath the terrain;
· Fixed an issue where Campfire Barbecues could disconnect players when joining large sessions;
· Fixed an issue where farm tasks wouldn’t sync on a rebuilt structure;
· Fixed an issue where fishing tasks were removed when fishing grounds were outside workstation range;
· Fixed an issue where forester tasks would not sync;
· Fixed an issue where salvaged dismantle piles from saves had inaccessible storages;
· Fixed an issue where Smolkr pen whitelists were not saved;
· Fixed an issue where the fishing ground discovery notification fired every time the tile loaded;
· Fixed an issue where video settings appeared dirty when opening the settings menu;
· Fixed an issue where villagers would not take items from all dismantle piles;
· Fixed an issue where villagers would steal food items from cooking pots or barbecues;
· Fixed an issue where warehouse and farm tasks were lost after a rebuild;
· Fixed an issue where warehouse storage Jotun Blood would not sync its build site items;
· Fixed an issue where warehouse storages would not retain tasks or stored items after upgrading;
· Fixed an issue where warehouse tasks desynced when multiple baskets were built simultaneously;
· Fixed archery range target collider misconfiguration that allowed workers to pick up arrows;
· Fixed camera going below water level in lakes;
· Fixed a disconnect error when spamming the rebuild button;
· Fixed EULA menu lag when scrolling;
· Fixed fishing tasks being removed due to out‑of‑range fishing grounds;
· Fixed improved armor rack storage menu displaying more slots than it actually had;
· Fixed Smolkrs not replenishing hunger when eating garlic;
· Fixed video settings appearing dirty when opening the settings menu;[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Improvements & Optimizations[/h3][p]
· General network optimizations;
· HUD performance optimizations and improvements;
· Made cart wheels rotate for all clients and the host regardless of who is driving;
· Made villagers, dogs, and vehicles move smoother on the map for distant clients;
· Made carts snap to the terrain when getting close while not in use;
· Map menu performance optimizations for large maps;
· Optimizations for creatures using randomized body parts;
· Optimizations for texture, mesh, and material memory consumption;
· Rendering and animation optimizations for dead creatures;
· Save system improvements to prevent data corruption during crashes;
· Various AI boat pathfinding improvements;
· Villagers no longer pathfind on the surface to reach cave interiors;
· Villagers no longer get stuck trying to reach destinations high in the air or underground;
· When hostile Viking settlements are destroyed, icons now turn grey and enemies stop spawning;
· When prompted with a cloud sync conflict, the Escape key can no longer close the window;[/p][p][/p][h3]Characters & Animation[/h3][p]
· Added a new look‑around animation for Ragnar;
· Character material adjustments;
· Character skin material and texture adjustments;
· Fixed Wulfar audio issues;
· New skin shader and materials for Aska and Ragnar;
· Various character animation adjustments;[/p][p][/p][h3]Lighting[/h3][p]
· Adjusted Eye of Odin light;
· Exterior light radius adjustments;
· Fixed indirect lighting issues;
· Light adjustments for runestones;
· Seasons and events – adjusted indirect lighting;
· Torch light radius adjustments;
· Weather system – directional light adjustments;[/p][p][/p][h3]VFX[/h3][p]
· Added visible moon phases;
· Blizzard cloud shadow adjustments;
· Fixed clouds not working correctly;
· Fixed several issues with fog;
· Rain VFX adjustments;
· Rainstorm VFX indoor fix;
· Storm VFX adjustments;
· VFX rain and snow adjustments;[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Terrain & Environment[/h3][p]
· Added new snow textures;
· Added terrain shader graph implementation;
· Fixed size for some terrain textures;
· New terrain shader with tessellation;
· New terrain textures;
· Terrain adjustments;
· Terrain shader graph adjustments;
· Vegetation diff profile adjustments;
· Various terrain adjustments;
· Wood material snow accumulation adjustments;[/p][p][/p][h3]Buildings & World Objects[/h3][p]
· Adjusted roof thatch material;
· Fixed incorrect ivy material;
· Fixed Shipwreck Biome sail cloth issues;
· Hearth fire adjustments;
· Unity LOD mesh for cottage and warehouse Tier I & II;
· Unity LOD mesh on armor and villagers;[/p][p][/p][h3]UI & Menus[/h3][p]
· Added blur on all menu backgrounds;
· Adjusted checkmark buttons;
· Adjusted loading bar visuals;
· Fixed incorrect image for Cooked Food Storage preview;
· Fixed some dropdown menu issues;
· Invasion marker border color changed to red;
· Main menu adjustments;
· Removed unintended 25 defense points from barbecue addon;
· Small tweaks to housing points summary UI;
· UI adjustments – main menu backgrounds, toggle button;
· Various UI adjustments;[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]That's it for this patch, Vikings, it was a longer wait, but hopefully worth it! Thank you kindly for all the patience and thank you for all the bug reports![/p][p][/p][p]Yours bug-fixingly,[/p][h3]Sand Sailor Studio[/h3]

[h3]Hey everybody![/h3][p][/p][p]First off, Happy New Year! We're slowly thawing and stepping into 2026 with a renewed appetite for making ASKA bigger and better. After the December Update we took a bit of time off, as 2025 has been a very long and intense year, but not without bearing fruit! We managed to add in a LOT of the stuff we planned, to the point where 2024's ASKA is a completely different game to what you can experience now. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]What a year![/h3][p]Lakes, ships, islands, farm animals, regrowing trees, outposts, enemy Vikings, and so many more things which would be impossible to picture ASKA without were added in 2025. [/p][p]And the bugs were never far behind either, but while there's always more work to be done, bug fixing has always been a priority for us, because, hey, we also play ASKA and hate it when stuff doesn't work as intended.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]No rest for the Vikings[/h3][p]And speaking of playing, you Vikings haven't been sitting idle either! Our community has been steadily growing and it seems that we're enjoying more and more tribe leaders as the days go by, so while our villagers anxiously awaited their moments of respite, it's clear as day that our Viking Chieftains will have none of it! And you builders would not be unwise to confidently await new toys to shape your settlements with, as we still have a lot to do![/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Lurking among the bug reports[/h3][p]During our little break we've been keeping a close eye on the bugs being reported, and rest assured that we'll be back at it in full force starting Monday the 12th, with big ambitions and a replenished stamina bar, ready to charge into 2026 with all our might and vigor.[/p][p][/p][p]So here's to a new year of you, of us, of ASKA, and of our dear villagers who are always trying their absolute best, in spite of needing hammers, or pickaxes, or leather scraps, or whatever it is they need to do their work.[/p][p]See you soon and may you have a wonderful new year![/p][p][/p][p]Yours bug-fixingly,[/p][h3]Sand Sailor Studio[/h3]

[h2]December Major Update[/h2][p]We’re back with a brand-new update, just in time for the holiday season. This major update brings some of your requested suggestions, including new ways to gather eggs, a major expansion to the Marsh Islands featuring a new enemy tribe and a powerful boss, the introduction of a brand-new golem, a reworked marker system for smoother resource management, and festive decorations to help you celebrate the season in true Viking style.[/p][p][/p][p]If you created a new save for the Seaborne Raiders update you will be able to experience this update using that same save file.[/p][p][/p][h3]Watch the ASKA December Update Trailer:[/h3][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]New Content & Features[/h2][p][/p][h3]New Farm Animal: Kyckling (Chicken)[/h3][p]Why would you venture out and tread on the Marsh Tribe's territory? Why, because the Marsh Islands are now home to our very first feathery friend: the Kyckling. The Kyckling is a large flightless bird that nests in the marshes and can be trapped just like the Wulfar pups using a carefully planted trap, which uses Dragon Ball Fruit as bait. Once caged, they can be taken back home, where you can drop them in the brand new Kyckling Pen![/p][p][/p][h3]New Building: Kyckling Pen[/h3][p]The Kyckling Pen, similarly to the Smolkr Pen, allows you to tame and breed kycklings. Once you make sure that both a male and a female Kyckling are present in a pen, new baby Kycklings will start spawning. They constantly produce eggs and can be slaughtered for meat and feathers. Your pie and arrow production should now be fully sustainable without having to rely on gatherers![/p][p][/p][h3]New Enemy Faction: The Marsh Tribe[/h3][p]A new tribe of lost Norsemen has moved into the Marsh Islands. These outcasts have forgotten the ways of the Gods and have taken up worship of a sinister monster. They have obviously lost their wits after being cast out by the Gods, for they now wish to fraternize with crawlers, and even become like them.

They don hideous masks made of insect bits, proudly wear the skins, spikes, and scales of the monsters, and use sinister fleshy webbing to cobble together nightmarish outfits. With all this in mind, they do remain Norsemen, meaning they are still fearsome warriors, so make sure you bring a hearty crew of Vikings before setting foot on their shores.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Boss: King Crawler[/h3][p]At the heart of the Marsh Tribe's madness lies a horrific new boss: The King Crawler. Unlike other bosses, this monster made its lair in the ruins of an old settlement and remains guarded by fierce human warriors.

Plan your assault carefully and do not make the mistake of rushing headfirst into battle. The King has servants aplenty, who will gladly die defending their master.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Golem: Mud Golem[/h3][p]Defeating the King Crawler gives you the ability to summon a new type of golem. Golems have been expanded and are now specialized for different tasks.

While the previous Crystal Golem remains an adept laborer and craftsman, the new Mud Golem is better suited for farm work, like tending to animals, farming, or forestry. Make sure you check each golem's list of eligible jobs!
[/p][h2]Quality of Life Improvements[/h2][p][/p][h3]Reworked Marker System[/h3][p]All markers have been merged into a single customizable marker. Players can now define which resource types should be gathered within the marker’s radius, covering multiple resource categories such as building materials and food. This greatly reduces marker clutter and simplifies resource management.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Map Filters With Radius Indicator[/h3][p]To assist with the new marker system, new map filters have been added. Make sure you have "Show Ranges" checked and freely filter through all marker types to see what territory is covered by each marker. You can easily access any marker from the map to quickly toggle resource coverage on or off. 
[/p][h2]Seasonal Content[/h2][p][/p][h3]Yule Tree Decorations[/h3][p]The festive season is just around the corner, and we couldn't miss adding new Yule Tree decorations. Drop by the Workshop and check out all the new decorations you can craft, inspired by all the new monsters and creatures added in the game![/p][p][/p][h2]Improvements, Adjustments, and Quality of Life[/h2]

• [p]Added a Generic harvest marker that can be customized by the player (replacing previous markers).[/p]
• [p]Added LOD group to Plank Walls.[/p]
• [p]Added decay and sync processes to pants.[/p]
• [p]Added firekeeping to karvi addon, child firekeeping structures search for buildstation on parent.[/p]
• [p]Added option to show additional loot items on gather interactions.[/p]
• [p]Added reflection probes on main characters.[/p]
• [p]Added size limits to server name & display name.[/p]
• [p]Added a new warming buff for torches.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted Aska and villager kick animations.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted build menu - removed old markers.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted desert terrain assets.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted dodge and hit reaction fall animations and transitions: combat should feel a bit better.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted grass shader specularity.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted lighting and reflection for the world.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted markers build site highlight/selection.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted plank wall slanted versions.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted some main island terrain assets.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted terrain settings for the Low graphical preset.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted textures for the birch trees.[/p]
• [p]Adjusted winter colors.[/p]
• [p]Aska animator adjustments.[/p]
• [p]Better syncing of mature, female, and drop position for pet boxes and tamed creatures.[/p]
• [p]Buffed cheese food values.[/p]
• [p]Builders complain about not finding resources from all build sites, not just the last one.[/p]
• [p]Cheese matures twice as fast.[/p]
• [p]Clothing material - fixed some of the translucency maps.[/p]
• [p]Cooks and kennel workers no longer yearn for the mines and only drop one item from storage to harvest.[/p]
• [p]Exploration tower biome adjustments.[/p]
• [p]General network optimisations.[/p]
• [p]HUD performance optimizations and improvements.[/p]
• [p]House volume adjustments: interiors are now moodier.[/p]
• [p]Increased stack size for the Karvi small storage.[/p]
• [p]Increased stamina base for Aska and Ragnar.[/p]
• [p]Invasion Marker border color changed to red.[/p]
• [p]Made it so carts snap to the terrain when getting close to it while not being in use.[/p]
• [p]Map Menu performance optimizations for big maps.[/p]
• [p]Optimizations for creatures using randomized body parts.[/p]
• [p]Optimizations for textures, meshes, and materials memory consumption for extended playing sessions.[/p]
• [p]Pies decay faster than cheese.[/p]
• [p]Player stamina costs adjustments.[/p]
• [p]Player stamina drain costs halved.[/p]
• [p]Removed Iron Bar dropping from fully decayed Fine Capes.[/p]
• [p]Removed obsolete furniture items from houses.[/p]
• [p]Removed smilking from male Smolkr.[/p]
• [p]Removed the anchor from the Karvi.[/p]
• [p]Removed unintended 25 defence points from barbecue addon.[/p]
• [p]Removed color tab from Yule Tree menu.[/p]
• [p]Rendering and animation optimizations for dead creatures.[/p]
• [p]Sailors teleport on the harbor pier when ending an expedition, no longer going through the water.[/p]
• [p]Slanted wall - adjusted materials.[/p]
• [p]Small tweaks to housing points summary UI.[/p]
• [p]Spawnpoint shipwreck flag fix.[/p]
• [p]Tree willow mapping fix.[/p]
• [p]UI - added a category for Markets in Settlement Menu.[/p]
• [p]UI - adjusted storage UI.[/p]
• [p]Unlocking study blueprints now discovers result too.[/p]
• [p]Updated quality presets list.[/p]
• [p]Various AI boat pathfinding improvements.[/p]
• [p]Vikings deployed in expedition will now look for resources across the whole island (except main island).[/p]
• [p]Vikings only look in storages related to their boat.[/p]
• [p]Vikings perform cleanup when ending expedition, with sailors now being able to deposit their stuff at the harbor.[/p]
• [p]Villagers are always whitelisted by their own workstations.[/p]
• [p]Villagers trying to reach destinations high up in the air or underground will no longer get stuck.[/p]
• [p]Villagers will no longer try to pathfind on the surface to reach destinations inside caves.[/p]
• [p]Water shader - adjusted details scrolling speed.[/p]
• [p]When hostile viking settlements are destroyed, the icon on the map will turn grey and enemy vikings will stop spawning there.[/p]
• [p]When prompted with an in-game cloud sync conflict, you can no longer press escape to close the window (preventing cloud overwrite).[/p]
• [p]Woodcutters are more focused on clearing stumps and picking up resources instead of harvesting them.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Fixes:[/h3]

• [p]Fixed a bug where multiple roofs could be placed on a warehouse.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where villagers would not take items from all dismantle piles.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where warehouse tasks would sometimes desync when a few warehouse baskets would be built at the same time.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the fishing ground discovery notification would fire every time the tile is loaded, in addition to when it is discovered.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where warehouse storage jotun blood would not sync its build site items.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where warehouse storages would not retain their tasks or storages after upgrading the warehouse in some scenarios.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where villagers would steal food items from cooking pots or barbecues.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where assigning many crafters and tasks at workshops would cause severe performance stutters.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where villagers would not cleanup their inventory correctly under certain circumstances (e.g., cooks stuck with coal).[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug causing the "Your structure is being attacked" notification to be fired when attacking enemy structures.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug causing the winter invasion announcement to always display "today is the day" when loading the game in winter.[/p]
• [p]Fixed improved armor rack storage menu displaying more slots than it actually has.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where tasks preset loading would sometimes break the game.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where the game would not detect a local save as corrupted and automatically restore it to the last uploaded cloud version.[/p]
• [p]Fixed EULA menu lag when scrolling.[/p]
• [p]Fixed video settings appearing dirty when opening the settings menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where villagers would sometimes climb enemy towers to fight hostile vikings on top instead of destroying them.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug where cooking house workers would get stuck and not deposit the last filler needed to complete the recipe.[/p]
• [p]Foresters no longer get stuck trying to plant in non-empty holes.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare case where villagers would not find Small Fir trees.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a case where Kennel workers would go underground.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a case where Vikings (sailors) would go home to resupply while on an expedition.[/p]
• [p]Fixed some boots tasks not appearing in Clothes storage task list.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a Firewood Storage furniture misconfiguration.[/p]
• [p]Fixed some wall section highlighting/selection issues.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Hedge Wall not being repairable.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Fish Rack giving incorrect resources when dismantled.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where warehouse storages would not retain their tasks or storages after upgrading the warehouse in some scenarios.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a rare deserialization (corruption) issue with old saves.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue with the spawnpoint shipwreck flag.[/p]
• [p]Fixed preset loading sometimes breaking the game.[/p]
• [p]Fixed a bug causing the winter invasion announcement to always display "Today is the day" when loading the game in the winter.[/p]
• [p]Fixed herbivore pets getting stuck trying to use gather interactions when finding food.[/p]
• [p]Fixed warehouse workers taking items from the Pens without taking the outpost into account.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Villagers not attacking Nidhogg.[/p]
• [p]Fixed sled selection/highlighting.[/p]
• [p]Fixed some issues with the Slambakur model used for the slaughtering interaction.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Wolfish model not displaying correctly.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]ASKA is also currently on sale for 40% off from today until 5th January!
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/h3][p]Also, look at these baby birds! 🥹[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][h3]The Smolkr Plushie is ready to come home with you! [/h3][p]Fluffy, adorable, and just a little menacing, the Smolkr plushie perfectly captures the charm of everyone’s favorite troublemaker from ASKA. Whether it’s watching over your desk, guarding your shelves, or plotting mild mischief, this Smolkr is ready to steal your heart (and maybe your stuff 😧).[/p][p]Can’t get enough of Smolkrs in ASKA? Now you can bring one home and keep the adventure going beyond the game.[/p][p][/p][p]⏳ We’re almost there! Fewer than 50 plushies remain to reach our goal and make this plushie a reality. Every order brings us one step closer![/p][p]👉 Get yours here: https://www.makeship.com/products/smolkr-plushie[/p][p][/p][p]Thank you all for the incredible support! 💙[/p]

[p]Hey everyone![/p][p]2025 has been an incredible year for ASKA, and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing community. Your support, enthusiasm, and shared adventures have made this year truly unforgettable. With the release of our biggest update yet, Seaborne Raiders,  it’s been especially exciting to watch you strike out from the homeland in search of new horizons.[/p][p]The Steam Awards go live today, and we’d be over the moon if you considered voting for ASKA for the Labor of Love award. It is a category that we feel fits the effort we have put into constantly improving and adding new fun things to ASKA, and that has been directly influenced by your feedback. [/p][p]From all of us on the team, thank you for your continued support, your feedback, and for being such an important part of our journey. We can’t wait to share even more of what’s coming next for ASKA in the future.[/p][h3]Let’s make ASKA shine at the Steam Awards 2025! ⚔️

Here is video for the Seaborne Raiders update:[/h3][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p]