Dev Diary #5 - A year in review and a look ahead!
Hello, hunters!
On April 22, 2025, CONVRGENCE celebrated its very first anniversary — and that means it’s time to take a look back at the journey so far, and talk about what lies ahead!
[h2]How has the game changed since release?[/h2]
In short? A lot.
Since launch, hundreds of bugs have been fixed, enemy AI has been reworked, performance has improved, countless QoL features have been added — and of course, the game has grown tremendously in terms of content.
There’s still plenty of work to do, but CONVRGENCE is no longer the same game it was a year ago.
If you tried it at launch and felt underwhelmed — now’s a great time to return. I’m confident that most of the issues you may have had have already been addressed.
Here’s a quick timeline of some of the key milestones from the first year:
All in all, the game received 28 updates in its first year — and nearly 300 bugs were squashed!
[h2]What’s next?[/h2]
With the release of version 0.5 in March, the game has officially hit the halfway mark of its Early Access journey. That’s a big milestone — but it also means there’s still a lot of work ahead for me, and plenty of updates to come for you.
By my current estimates, it’ll take at least another year to implement everything I’ve planned.
That might disappoint players waiting for 1.0 — but for everyone already playing, it means more content for much longer. There’s also a good chance that updates will continue even after full release — though it’s too early to make promises.
Many of you have asked about the roadmap and what the game will look like at launch.
I’ve been hesitant to publish one before — I value flexibility, and plans do sometimes change. But now, with the game’s first anniversary behind us, it’s time to lift the curtain. So here it is: the official 2025 Roadmap!
Right now, I’m only ready to share detailed plans for the next two major updates — scheduled for this summer and fall. Other important features are listed in the Long-Term Goals section.
Keep in mind: that doesn’t mean they’ll only arrive years from now — some may be added as early as 0.6 or 0.7.
Also, the “2025” in the roadmap name only refers to when it was made — not a guarantee that everything will be completed this year. Priorities may shift, and new ideas can always emerge mid-development.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s coming next:
[h3]Update 0.6 — Summer 2025[/h3]
The long-awaited Bar is finally coming to the Base in version 0.6!
But note that it won’t be available by default — you’ll need to build it first. In the future, other unlockable rooms will be added too, each bringing new gameplay features (as part of the hideout upgrades system).
The Bar won’t just be a cozy hangout where you can relax and listen to hunters’ stories — it will also introduce new mechanics. A new vendor, the Bartender, will offer drinks and food, and buy any supplies you bring back for a better price than Zakharich.
The food system itself will be greatly expanded. Until now, crackers were the only way to reduce hunger — but I’ve always planned to add more food items, and the Bar was the right time to do it. I like to group features by theme, and this update will do just that.
You’ll also meet a new quest-giver at the Bar. Complete their side questline and earn another legendary weapon — similar to the crossbow reward. What weapon? That’s a secret for now... but long-time PoH players might recognize it.
I’m also hoping to add mini-games to the Bar — ways to have fun or earn a little extra on the side.
Cards? Darts? I have a few ideas already… but I’d love to hear yours too!
[h3]Update 0.7 — Fall 2025[/h3]
Update 0.7 will focus on a brand new location — and this time, it’ll be an urban area.
Each update brings players closer to the center of the Zone and the mystery behind its origin.
And the closer we get, the stranger things become: unlike the Forest (which lies on the outer edge), the city will be far more dynamic. Expect locations to change a lot between raids — along with plenty of surprises and new threats.
You’ll also encounter a new type of demon… and gain access to the final legendary weapon questline.
[h2]Long-Term Goals[/h2]
People often call CONVRGENCE a “compact” game — and they’re right. That’s exactly how it was designed: focused on gameplay, replayability (thanks to procedural generation), and atmosphere — not a huge open world, not story-driven cinematics. And it will remain compact even in its 1.0 version.
As a solo developer, I had to be realistic about scope — and I chose this format deliberately, so I could focus on quality and consistent progress.
That said, the story will continue to evolve. I plan to rework the main quests, give them more narrative cohesion, and eventually add a proper ending.
As for new maps: don’t expect a dozen of them. From the beginning, I planned to have just a few locations — each of them designed more like a “biome” than a traditional fixed map. So each raid should feel unique — even in familiar places.
That’s why CONVRGENCE won’t take years to finish — it’s on track to reach full release in 2026.
[h2]Closing Thoughts[/h2]
The first year of Early Access has been a wild ride — full of long nights, big stress… and even bigger rewards.
Huge thanks to everyone who believed in the project and bought the game early, to those who went the extra mile by purchasing Supporter Packs, and to all of you who left kind, thoughtful feedback and constructive reviews. Your words push me to keep going. And your ideas directly help shape the future of the game!
There’s still a long road ahead — but many more exciting moments and surprises await.
See you in the Zone, hunters!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2609610/CONVRGENCE/
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/42080/CONVRGENCE_Supporter_Edition/
On April 22, 2025, CONVRGENCE celebrated its very first anniversary — and that means it’s time to take a look back at the journey so far, and talk about what lies ahead!
[h2]How has the game changed since release?[/h2]
In short? A lot.
Since launch, hundreds of bugs have been fixed, enemy AI has been reworked, performance has improved, countless QoL features have been added — and of course, the game has grown tremendously in terms of content.
There’s still plenty of work to do, but CONVRGENCE is no longer the same game it was a year ago.
If you tried it at launch and felt underwhelmed — now’s a great time to return. I’m confident that most of the issues you may have had have already been addressed.
Here’s a quick timeline of some of the key milestones from the first year:
- April 2024 – Early Access release.
- May 2024 – First hotfixes rolled out, addressing critical launch issues.
- June 2024 – Night Raids update: existing locations now have nighttime versions. First performance improvements and added variety to the Garage Co-op map.
- July 2024 – Major QoL features added: item refunds, item price scanning with the PDA, a compass pointing to extraction, and doubled sprint stamina.
- September 2024 – First major update: new open area (Forest), new enemy (wolves), skinning system for animals and demons, side questline with a new legendary weapon (crossbow), new weapon attachments, improved character audio system, and more performance tweaks.
- October 2024 – Halloween event: themed cosmetics and the first boss encounter (Alpha Demon). New tools to fight demons: UV flashlights and UV grenades.
- November 2024 – Steam achievements added. QoL improvements: lost save recovery, attachment conflict highlights, dog teleportation if stuck, and removable gas mask for the hazmat suit.
- December 2024 – Holiday update: more themed cosmetics, visual and structural overhaul of the Garage Co-op location, improved gunplay feedback, ragdoll physics for bandits.
- March 2025 – Second major update: big AI overhaul for bandits, two new weapons (sawn-off shotgun and Mosin rifle), bleeding and bandaging mechanics, a new trader (Truffle), early improvements to dog AI — it now takes damage and needs healing.
- April 2025 – Anniversary update: new boss (bandit leader), new enemy type (boars), new impact grenades and ammo cans.
All in all, the game received 28 updates in its first year — and nearly 300 bugs were squashed!
[h2]What’s next?[/h2]
With the release of version 0.5 in March, the game has officially hit the halfway mark of its Early Access journey. That’s a big milestone — but it also means there’s still a lot of work ahead for me, and plenty of updates to come for you.
By my current estimates, it’ll take at least another year to implement everything I’ve planned.
That might disappoint players waiting for 1.0 — but for everyone already playing, it means more content for much longer. There’s also a good chance that updates will continue even after full release — though it’s too early to make promises.
Many of you have asked about the roadmap and what the game will look like at launch.
I’ve been hesitant to publish one before — I value flexibility, and plans do sometimes change. But now, with the game’s first anniversary behind us, it’s time to lift the curtain. So here it is: the official 2025 Roadmap!
Right now, I’m only ready to share detailed plans for the next two major updates — scheduled for this summer and fall. Other important features are listed in the Long-Term Goals section.
Keep in mind: that doesn’t mean they’ll only arrive years from now — some may be added as early as 0.6 or 0.7.
Also, the “2025” in the roadmap name only refers to when it was made — not a guarantee that everything will be completed this year. Priorities may shift, and new ideas can always emerge mid-development.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s coming next:
[h3]Update 0.6 — Summer 2025[/h3]
The long-awaited Bar is finally coming to the Base in version 0.6!
But note that it won’t be available by default — you’ll need to build it first. In the future, other unlockable rooms will be added too, each bringing new gameplay features (as part of the hideout upgrades system).
The Bar won’t just be a cozy hangout where you can relax and listen to hunters’ stories — it will also introduce new mechanics. A new vendor, the Bartender, will offer drinks and food, and buy any supplies you bring back for a better price than Zakharich.
The food system itself will be greatly expanded. Until now, crackers were the only way to reduce hunger — but I’ve always planned to add more food items, and the Bar was the right time to do it. I like to group features by theme, and this update will do just that.
You’ll also meet a new quest-giver at the Bar. Complete their side questline and earn another legendary weapon — similar to the crossbow reward. What weapon? That’s a secret for now... but long-time PoH players might recognize it.
I’m also hoping to add mini-games to the Bar — ways to have fun or earn a little extra on the side.
Cards? Darts? I have a few ideas already… but I’d love to hear yours too!
[h3]Update 0.7 — Fall 2025[/h3]
Update 0.7 will focus on a brand new location — and this time, it’ll be an urban area.
Each update brings players closer to the center of the Zone and the mystery behind its origin.
And the closer we get, the stranger things become: unlike the Forest (which lies on the outer edge), the city will be far more dynamic. Expect locations to change a lot between raids — along with plenty of surprises and new threats.
You’ll also encounter a new type of demon… and gain access to the final legendary weapon questline.
[h2]Long-Term Goals[/h2]
People often call CONVRGENCE a “compact” game — and they’re right. That’s exactly how it was designed: focused on gameplay, replayability (thanks to procedural generation), and atmosphere — not a huge open world, not story-driven cinematics. And it will remain compact even in its 1.0 version.
As a solo developer, I had to be realistic about scope — and I chose this format deliberately, so I could focus on quality and consistent progress.
That said, the story will continue to evolve. I plan to rework the main quests, give them more narrative cohesion, and eventually add a proper ending.
As for new maps: don’t expect a dozen of them. From the beginning, I planned to have just a few locations — each of them designed more like a “biome” than a traditional fixed map. So each raid should feel unique — even in familiar places.
That’s why CONVRGENCE won’t take years to finish — it’s on track to reach full release in 2026.
[h2]Closing Thoughts[/h2]
The first year of Early Access has been a wild ride — full of long nights, big stress… and even bigger rewards.
Huge thanks to everyone who believed in the project and bought the game early, to those who went the extra mile by purchasing Supporter Packs, and to all of you who left kind, thoughtful feedback and constructive reviews. Your words push me to keep going. And your ideas directly help shape the future of the game!
There’s still a long road ahead — but many more exciting moments and surprises await.
See you in the Zone, hunters!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2609610/CONVRGENCE/
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/42080/CONVRGENCE_Supporter_Edition/
