Vampires: Bloodlord Rising News

[p][/p][p]Ah… my two loyal servants. So much history between them, and a whole eternity ahead.[/p][p] [/p][p]Immortality may sound great on paper. But in reality, it depends on who you ask. Explore with us the lives of Dragos and Razvan.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]Razvan[/h2][p]When you first speak with Razvan, he is withdrawn and sarcastic. He’s not impressed by big plans or talk about rebuilding legacies. He does what must be done, speaks when necessary, and fights when required. Lends a hand to help because something has to be done, not because he believes in it.[/p][p]Because deep down, he knows he should have died that day instead of receiving the Kiss of Eternity.[/p][p] [/p][p]The vampire you meet is very different from who he used to be. Razvan was a man of faith, routine, and quiet devotion. The kind of man who believed that he should be good, love deeply, and stay true to his beliefs. He was a believer - death was not something to be afraid of, just a return home.[/p][p] [/p][p]And that’s exactly what was taken from him.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]Dragos[/h2][p]In eternity, Dragos found meaning.[/p][p]His previous life had left him feeling unfulfilled. He always reached for something more, yet it never seemed to come. Over time, he began to believe that this was all there was for him, a quiet, lonely life in a forgotten village.[/p][p][/p][p]So when the chance came, he didn’t hesitate.[/p][p][/p][p]Dragos does not see himself as a monster. He believes their existence can still lead to something greater. That from what they’ve become, something new can be built, maybe even a different kind of future for vampires and humans alike.[/p][p] [/p][p]This is only a small part of their story. To learn the rest, you’ll have to step into the night yourself in Vampires: Bloodlord Rising.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[h2]Gameplay & Player Experience[/h2]

• [p]Fixed an issue where a bloodline vampire did not receive the Guardian skill bonus after equipping Guardian Armor.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where dropping a stack larger than 999 items would drop only one item.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the vampire tools disappearing when switching to another one.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where skill bonuses from equipped outfits were calculated incorrectly on the player character.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where players could briefly collect taxes and trade with the Overseer earlier than intended.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where crossbows did not deal damage to the player in the swamp area.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where enemies would survive falls and remain active instead of dying from fall damage.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]World, NPCs & Immersion[/h2]

• [p]Fixed a missing Coachman journal entry when his tutorial appears.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where water textures disappeared in the Fey Marshes when View Distance was set to Cinematic.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Jasnara Pearl that regenerated every time a player moved away from it for a short distance.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where animals could spawn inside rocks in the onboarding area.[/p]
• [p]Improved NPC navigation in the Grove of Sorrows village.[/p]
• [p]Fixed holes in the map during the onboarding area.[/p]
• [p]Updated the swamp ruins to a new version.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Vampire Servants & Castle Management[/h2]

• [p]Improved builder behavior to make the building process more consistent and reliable.[/p]
• [p]Fixed vampires not returning to their coffins after completing building-related tasks.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where Stronghold construction could be blocked if Inquisitors fell from a height and remained alive.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]UI, Controls[/h2]

• [p]Fixed an issue where map marker information was displayed incorrectly when hovering over the map.[/p]
• [p]Added hover and selection frames for item slots.[/p]
• [p]Added hover and selection frames for buildable slots.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where the DLC button in the main menu could appear inactive even when the DLC was enabled.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Quality of Life[/h2]

• [p]Added a feedback survey link for players to share their thoughts.[/p]
• [p]Added missing item icons in the inventory.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Visuals & Animation[/h2]

• [p]Fixed a missing texture on a character in the final questline cutscene and improved fade-in and reflections.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Crafting Station’s whetstone using the wrong texture in planning mode.[/p]
• [p]Removed incorrect collision from some planned buildables in planning mode.[/p]
• [p]Fixed blending issues with short walls, including 45° and column variants.[/p]
• [p]Fixed Drago’s finger deformation in Hunter mode idle animation.[/p]
• [p]Improved textures for some trees and replaced falling tree models with the correct ones.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Audio[/h2]

• [p]Fixed an issue where music would not play after teleporting to Castle Hill if the player was previously inside one of the crypts.[/p]
• [p]Added pickup sounds for certain items.[/p]
• [p]Added a pickup sound when looting chests using Take All.[/p]
• [p]Updated the sound effect for looting corpses.[/p]
• [p]Improved the sound effect of the Durata Tooth plant.[/p]
• [p]Improved the sound effects for the Scarlet Vortex arcane skill.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Multiplayer[/h2]

• [p]Fixed an issue where Demetra’s, Ileana’s, and Flavius’ hair did not disappear when transforming into a bat.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the Aristocrat Outfit from the Moonweaver’s Pack DLC not being granted to players who joined after Kiss of Eternity.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where clients could see grass partially clipping through floors built in the Stronghold.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where players could use skills like Scarlet Vortex during a counterattack in multiplayer.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the blood consumption reduction buff not displaying properly for clients in multiplayer.[/p]
• [p]Added a server count indicator to the join game menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed foot deformation for Ileana and Demetra during the crouch animation.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Controller / Gamepad[/h2]

• [p]Fixed controller navigation in the multiplayer server browser menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where focus could be lost on the multiplayer lobby screen when using a controller.[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing conflict warnings when assigning the same key to conflicting actions.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where rebinded controller inputs visually reset to default when returning to the Controls menu.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Stability & Technical Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Fixed a softlock that could occur if the player died while the Stronghold build window was open.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Known Issues[/h2][h3]General[/h3]

• [p]Vampires or villagers may occasionally have pathfinding or navigation issues.[/p]
• [p]In rare cases, animals may become stuck inside environment geometry (walls, rocks, terrain).[/p]
• [p]Grass will come back under prefabs after vampires finish building them.[/p]
• [p]Bloated Oak collision boxes may behave incorrectly.[/p]
• [p]Map causes performance drop[/p]
• [p]Inquisitors won't spawn on "Defeat Inquisitor patrol" objective[/p]
• [p]Skills aren't working after loading game progress[/p]

[h3]Multiplayer[/h3]

• [p]Management tab data (Kingdom, Stations, Coffins) may be inconsistent between host and clients.[/p]
• [p]Vampires may appear stuck, frozen, or suspended mid-air for clients while working correctly for the host.[/p]
• [p]Players may be returned to the main menu when joining or rejoining multiplayer sessions. In some cases, players may not be able to reconnect after time away, after server restart, or after making progress in the session. Previously joined servers may also disappear from the server list.
  We are still investigating this issue and we hope to deliver good news very soon.[/p]

[p]Temporary Workarounds[/p]

• [p]If reconnection fails, the host should recreate the multiplayer session.[/p]
• [p]Restarting the game may temporarily resolve connection-related issues.[/p]

[p]The Bloodlord is most satisfied. So much blood offered in his name! [/p][p][/p][p]Our blood donation initiative, Blood for the Bloodlord, ended on the 30th of January, and we are overjoyed with the support you have shown.[/p][h3]
The biggest THANK YOU goes to the 715 of you who chose to donate blood - that means you donated over 320 liters of blood to hospitals and patients in need.[/h3][p] [/p][p]What makes this special is also how global this effort became. Players took part from all over the world, including the US, Brazil, France, Poland, and many more. It's all the proof we need that good deeds can bring people together. Two of you even met in the same donation center with the same goal:[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]You showed your appreciation on our social media and Discord as well:[/p]

[p]"It could be said that I am only alive because of the heroes who donate blood and platelets. You're all amazing."[/p]

[p]"Really cool to see an initiative like this bringing people together internationally. Sending hugs from Brazil."[/p]

[p]"Yesterday was my first time donating blood and honestly it felt really good. I'll probably donate again in about 3 months. You guys inspired me to help."[/p]

[p]"I work at ER and it's nice to see people donating blood, it really REALLY helps a lot. Kudos!"[/p]

[p] [/p][p]And now.. the night begins.[/p][p][/p][p]Vampires: Bloodlord Rising is now available in Early Access on Steam, and we couldn’t imagine a better way to begin this journey than with a community that proved its thirst for the night, comes with a heart for others.[/p][p][/p][p]From everyone on the team, and one very satisfied Bloodlord, THANK YOU.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]Now that the journey has begun, we want to share what’s ahead![/p][p]Our roadmap is built around one core goal: growing the game together with you by listening to and assessing your feedback and suggestions. The last playtest, along with your impressions from the first day, has given us a clear idea of what our next steps should be.[/p][p] [/p][h2]What's not on the roadmap (yet)[/h2][p]We’ve been closely following all the feedback you’ve shared with us on Steam, Discord, and social media. Many of you are hoping to see combat improvements, a character creator, or a more fleshed-out world.[/p][p]We want to make it clear that we understand how important these topics are, and they are absolutely on our radar. That being said, these are big topics that could take significant time to develop properly, and we want to ensure that when we deliver them, they meet the quality you deserve.[/p][p][/p][p]While we continue investigating and working on these features behind the scenes, we truly appreciate your patience. In the meantime, we’ll keep you updated as soon as we have more news to share.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]The Roadmap[/h2][p]The first major update we plan to roll out will expand a feature many of you praised and enjoyed: rumours.[/p][p]By speaking with villagers, you can collect rumours that help you decide which villagers to turn into vampire servants, giving you hints about the bonuses they may gain after the transformation. We want to deepen this system by introducing different grades of rumours and by giving negative rumours a stronger gameplay impact to create better balance and more meaningful choices.[/p][p] [/p][p]In the second update, you’ll choose whether you want to rule benevolently or cruelly, and based on that, fulfill village quests. Think wisely - your decisions will influence village wealth.[/p][p]Building is another area many of you love, and we want to keep expanding it. This update will bring new buildable elements, structures, and materials to give you even more creative freedom. On top of that, a new type of enemy will begin roaming each region, adding fresh challenges to exploration.[/p][p] [/p][p]In the third major update, we plan to add a new type of crafting station. Enchanter’s Station will allow you to upgrade and enchant your items. The Inquisition will gain new special effects in each region, making combat encounters more varied.[/p][p] [/p][p]We’ll continue sharing news and details about all these upcoming updates along the way.[/p][p]Please leave us your feedback and suggestions here or on our Discord server.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p][/p][p]The night may belong to you, Bloodlord…[/p][p][/p][p]But it is the people beyond its walls, their beliefs, routines, fears, and whispers, that shape Sangavia.
So what is life like in the village of Medrești?[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]At the Edge of the Village[/h2][p]If you turn right at the entrance to the village, you will find the coachman. He can quickly drive you to other places, connecting Medrești to the wider world. Along the way, he gathers stories from the road and can share the rumors he has collected. Continuing on this path beyond the hill will take you to the Medrești cemetery.[/p][p][/p][p]If you turn left at the entrance to the village, you will find Florica, the trader. She arrives with rare goods and fine aristocratic clothing, but what she truly brings is knowledge. Like the coachman, she hears lots of things and, for the right price, she will happily share the rumors.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]Rumors[/h2][p]Rumors are part of daily life in a village. Every villager has something to say, a small piece of gossip each day. Someone likes to collect rocks. Someone drinks. Another sets traps in the forest.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]These details may seem small at first, but do not brush them off. Just make sure you keep an eye on your Journal when choosing the next villager who will receive the life of eternity.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h2]The Beating Heart[/h2][p]At the center of it all stands the tavern, run by Boian, the tavern keeper. This is where the news spreads, worries are shared, and strangers are measured with cautious eyes. For you, it is a place of gossip and where the village’s wealth is reflected.[/p][p][/p][p]As nights pass without incident, Medrești slowly prospers. Trade flows, work continues, and the taxes you collect grow alongside the settlement’s stability. A calm village is a profitable one, so make sure no one sees you hunt![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Just outside the tavern stands the shrine. While many places in Sangavia worship the Eternal Mother, Medrești follows a more local belief: the Forest Mother. She is not seen as a distant divine figure, but as something older, tied to the woods, the soil, and the land that gives life to those who live here.[/p][p] [/p][p]Intrigued? The best time to explore Medresti is now![/p][p] [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]