Hiraeth News

[p][/p][h3]🌌 A transmission from the ☵ HIRAETH development front — this time important for the entire gaming universe![/h3][p][/p][p]The latest HIRAETH update delivers a massive performance leap across all systems — with no visual compromises. Players on mid‑range hardware are now reporting up to 2× higher FPS, and even older GPUs are running smoother than ever.

As you can see, the once‑mythical stable 60 FPS is now achievable even on an RTX 2060 with DLSS set to EPIC — or the AMD equivalent.[/p][p][/p][h2]Why not on my top rig on Windows 11?[/h2][p]Many Windows 11 users may be surprised to see much lower performance on their systems. I explain the issue — along with the full solution — in the next section, and the good news is that everything can be fixed. The problem is not related to HIRAETH or Unreal Engine, and as you’ll see, it affects many other games as well, from small indie titles to major AAA releases.[/p][p]I encourage you to take a look. Windows 10 players can safely skip this part, but for Windows 11 users it’s essential — and it will also help improve performance in other games you play.[/p][p][/p][h2]Road to Double fps for free[/h2][p]You can find a short summary in the update announcement below, but here’s the full story behind the performance breakthrough.
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]This upgrade comes from deep engine‑level optimizations.
No tricks. No hidden settings. Just pure efficiency.
If your framerate suddenly jumped — yes, that’s intentional.[/p][p][/p][h3]🔎 Along the way, I performed detailed bottleneck testing across every major system in HIRAETH. Here’s what I found:[/h3][p][/p][h3]🟩 My Game Code — All Green[/h3][p]No bottlenecks here. Everything runs smoothly, even with a large number of systems constantly monitoring player state, items, world time, and environmental conditions.[/p][h3]🟦 Character Animation — Heavier Than the Entire Game Code[/h3][p]Character animation costs more than all gameplay logic combined — but that’s completely normal. It’s well within expected limits and does not cause any performance issues.[/p][h3]🟪 Rendering — Excellent, With Plenty of Headroom[/h3][p]Rendering performance is fantastic. Even on my vintage RTX 2060, HIGH and EPIC settings run smoothly, and stronger GPUs have a lot of room for future visual upgrades. Ahra Prime will continue to grow more beautiful.[/p][h3]🟨 World Loading (World Partition) — Fully Stable[/h3][p]HIRAETH uses Unreal Engine’s World Partition system — something many developers fear. Here, it works exactly as planned: stable, predictable, and efficient.[/p][h3]🟧 AI & Actor Ticks — No Issues[/h3][p]General AI logic and actor ticks are clean and lightweight. No unexpected spikes or hidden CPU drains.[/p][h3]🟥 Navigation — Still a Known Unreal Engine Challenge[/h3][p]Navigation remains the one problematic area. Even after many fixes introduced in Unreal Engine 5.6.1 for open‑world projects, several issues remain unresolved on the engine side.[/p][p]The good news:[/p]

• [p]the old crashes are gone,[/p]
• [p]but heavy CPU spikes can still occur, which can severely impact FPS.[/p]

[p]For now, I’ve temporarily disabled AI navigation while I work on a custom workaround. AI will return in the coming days — without the performance penalties.[/p][h3]🟫 Physics — Engine Bugs, Now Under Control[/h3][p]Physics bugs in the engine were causing unnecessary CPU load. I identified and removed several problematic objects and edge cases, and since the last update everything has been stable.[/p][p][/p][h2]🪐 Other News from Ahra Prime[/h2][p]Toward the end of the year — or the very beginning of 2026 — I planned a major update for Nesoi Island. And while not everything made it in, a good part of it did![/p][p]I feel especially committed to this project. I know HIRAETH isn’t a game for everyone — but those who connect with it, really connect. One recent player already passed over 40 hours of playtime just a few days after purchasing the game. That kind of dedication means the world to me.[/p][p]And I won’t rest until Ahra Prime offers enough depth, mystery, and discovery to keep explorers engaged for hundreds of hours. This world deserves it — and so do the players who believe in it.[/p][p]A brand‑new location has arrived: Athens, currently in WIP form but already shaping up to be one of the most atmospheric areas on Ahra Prime. Melee combat with the Crowbar is now fully functional, and the UI received a wave of improvements, refinements, and quality‑of‑life upgrades.[/p][p]Some of the planned features had to be postponed due to the deep performance investigation and the Windows 11 research described earlier. These issues are critically important not only for HIRAETH, but for many other games as well — and solving them now ensures a stable foundation for everything that comes next.[/p][p]The good news: more quests, more crafting, and more gameplay systems are already on the way. Ahra Prime is growing, and the next updates will bring even more life to the world.[/p][p][/p][h2]❄️ Last Chance for the Steam Winter Sale![/h2][p]The Winter Sale ends on January 5th — and many explorers have already joined the expedition. If you haven’t yet, this is the perfect moment. As you can see, development is active, steady, and the results are visible with every update.[/p][p]
[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]How far HIRAETH evolves depends entirely on you, the players. Your support shapes the future of Ahra Prime — and I’m grateful for every single one of you.

ːss2heartː A heartfelt thank‑you to everyone who picked up HIRAETH during the Winter Sale — and to all new explorers setting foot on Ahra Prime for the very first time. Your trust, curiosity, and willingness to join this journey mean more than I can express. Every purchase, every hour played, every message and screenshot helps this world grow stronger. Welcome to the expedition — I’m honored to have you here.[/p][p][/p][h2]🟦 Windows 11 Performance Issues — Identified & Solved[/h2][p]Some players even confirmed the exact same Windows 11 performance behavior in other titles across different engines — including survival games such as Occupy Mars: The Game (Unity), Astrometica (Unreal Engine 5.3), and The Planet Crafter (Unity). This further proves that the issue originates from Windows 11 itself, not from any specific game or engine.[/p][p]I prepared a clear, step‑by‑step guide to help players fix:[/p]

• [p]low FPS on strong hardware[/p]
• [p]unstable GPU usage[/p]
• [p]sudden performance drops[/p]
• [p]Windows 11 background services interfering with games[/p]

[p]If you’re on Windows 11 and performance feels off, the guide will help you restore full power.[/p]

• [p]🗎 link to Windows 11 Performance guide[/p]

[p][/p][h2]🟧 Windows 11 Input Issues — Player Help Guide[/h2][p]A small number of Windows 11 users reported:[/p]

• [p]incorrect drag‑and‑drop values[/p]
• [p]UI elements clicking in the wrong place[/p]
• [p]problems connecting oxygen or interacting with objects[/p]
• [p]cursor offset or inconsistent input[/p]

[p]These issues are caused by Windows 11 DPI scaling and input handling — and they affect many modern games, not just HIRAETH.[/p][p]I created a dedicated Input & DPI Fix Guide for All Games, including:[/p]

• [p]DPI override fix[/p]
• [p]multi‑monitor scaling fix[/p]
• [p]pointer precision fix[/p]
• [p]fullscreen optimization fix[/p]
• [p]Raw Input workaround[/p]
• [p]HDR/VRR/G‑Sync compatibility notes[/p]

[p]If your interactions feel “off”, this guide will help you fix them in minutes.[/p]

• [p]🗎 link to Windows 11 Input Guide[/p]

[p]I have no control over Windows 11’s performance behavior — that part is entirely on Microsoft’s side. However, I will be updating HIRAETH’s own scaling and input handling soon. It’s a significant amount of work, so it won’t happen “tomorrow,” which is why I strongly recommend applying the fixes on your side right away.[/p][p]The bonus is that these changes will also improve performance and input accuracy in many other games. Some titles may never receive proper Windows 11 updates, so taking action now will benefit your entire library.[/p][p][/p][h2]💬 Thank you, Explorers[/h2][p]Your reports, screenshots, and patience helped us track down issues that even Microsoft hasn’t fully documented yet. Every fix we ship makes HIRAETH stronger — and your feedback is a huge part of that process.[/p][p]Stay curious. Stay brave. And remember: the stars are watching.[/p][p]As we step into the new year, I wish you clear skies, smooth framerates, and countless unforgettable journeys — both on Ahra Prime and beyond. May 2026 bring you discoveries worth sharing, victories worth celebrating, worlds worth exploring — and simply good luck, and happiness, wherever your path leads.[/p][p]Paweł[/p]

[h3]Issues on Windows 11?
it's not Hiraeth's fault – Must read![/h3][p]Windows 11 Performance Issues — Identified & Solved [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Recently Unreal Engine started acting up in some really strange ways, so instead of waiting around, I dove straight into the problem. I tweaked a bunch of settings, worked around several engine quirks, removed a few actors — theoretically they shouldn’t have affected performance, but as always, UE had its own opinion about that 😅[/p][p]The result? On Nesoi Island, on my aging RTX 2060, I’m now getting around 60 FPS on the shown settings. Before — on a good day — it was barely 30 FPS, and the last builds… well, let’s not talk about those 🙈[/p][p]I also added a few small code optimizations I had planned for later, and they helped a bit too. But the real issue wasn’t the code — it was engine physics and navigation mesh generation. Not even the AI itself. For now, AI is disabled in this version while I rethink how to approach navmesh. I don’t have full control over it, but I’m confident I can sort it out in a few days.[/p][p][/p][h2]❌ What’s temporarily missing?[/h2]

• [p]Creatures: spiders, Raptus, Slug — you can survive without them for a few days 😉[/p]
• [p]Flags — physics caused unexpected FPS drops, even though they barely moved[/p]

[p][/p][h2]🌿 More good news[/h2][p]I usually rely on experience and intuition when it comes to textures, object density, rocks, foliage, and world composition. But today I ran a full rendering analysis, and everything is in the green on my RTX 2060! 💚[/p][p]This means I can safely add more rocks, objects, and foliage on Nesoi (and future locations) without hurting FPS. Rendering is not the bottleneck — the engine’s physics and navmesh generation were. And those are now mostly under control.[/p][p][/p][h2]⚠️ A note about DLSS[/h2][p]DLSS can be a bit unpredictable. A wrong setting may lower FPS — it’s worth experimenting, waiting a moment after launching the game, and sometimes restarting.[/p][p]Why? My DLSS setup isn’t perfect, and in AAA studios entire teams work on this. Plus, the Nvidia plugin isn’t fully stable. But overall it works well — and many of you told me it helps a lot 👍[/p][p][/p][h2]🔧 Other changes[/h2][p]Not many — I focused almost entirely on performance and system checks. And it worked — all in a single day! 💪 Additionally:[/p]

• [p]Athens — improved surroundings and landing zone. The WIP drone is temporarily removed due to construction issues (and because UE physics can murder FPS).[/p]
• [p]Comm Center — works better now, no duplicated objects like a few days ago. The antenna will return after fixes.[/p]
• [p]Water Station — removed for now; it wasn’t showing up anyway. It will return in a better, polished form.[/p]
• [p]Various POI objects (like crates) now appear more reliably — a side effect of the overall cleanup.[/p]

[p][/p][h2][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/h2][h2]✨ Final message [/h2][p]I think a bit more FPS is something everyone can appreciate for the New Year — especially with new challenges on Nesoi coming soon, opening the way to yet another, completely different region of Ahra Prime![/p][p]Wishing you all the very best in the New Year — may it be full of survival, exploration, and great stories. Warm regards, Paweł[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]My settings on Training Center and The Nesoi Island. GPU: RTX 2060[/h3][p][/p][p][/p]

[h2]Quick Fix Patch - bad start removed ːsteamfacepalmː[/h2][p]A small hotfix is going live to address an issue causing players to randomly start the game at Athens without a helmet or other essential items. While working on Athens yesterday, I accidentally added an extra player start there. When multiple starts exist, the engine picks one at random. The unnecessary Athens start has now been removed, and the game once again begins as intended, inside the cargo hold of the penitentiary ship on The Last Drop.[/p][h3]Athens[/h3]

• [p]Fixed the breathing zone — the lower area near the generators had no air yesterday.[/p]
• [p]Reminder: Athens is still a WIP location with sleeping, workshop, etc.[/p]

[h3]Other fixes & small improvements[/h3]

• [p]Corrected Comm Center monitor screens (broken for some time).[/p]
• [p]Restored HUD hiding when the battery is empty (was disabled during my tests).[/p]
• [p]Talon AI: inventory behavior cleaned up — now it adds “uses” to the existing item instead of creating a new one, same as Cyber Lockpicks.[/p]
• [p]Lockpicking minigame: removed leftover debug text.[/p]
• [p]Removed unnecessary green debug messages (e.g., when opening Quick Menu with a number).[/p]
• [p]Grab Item default key \[G].[/p]
  • [p]First step toward full item manipulation.[/p]
  • [p]For now you can rotate some items; full manipulation coming soon — handy for neatly arranging medkits and other items.[/p]

[h2]Warning[/h2][p][/p][h3]Comm Center[/h3][p]I also noticed that the Comm Center has been accidentally duplicated in the engine. I’m in the middle of working on that area and normally wouldn’t ship a version in this state, but fixing the critical wrong-start-location bug had higher priority. Sorry in advance for the inconvenience.[/p][h3][/h3][h3]Performance[/h3][p]I’ve noticed a performance drop in this version. I’ll describe the issue in more detail in the next Ahra Prime Times. Even though the build compiles correctly and there were no changes to the rendering code, performance still fluctuates. If you’re experiencing problems, I recommend temporarily downgrading to an earlier version; I can’t resolve this immediately. And as you can imagine, contacting the engine creator or Nvidia about it is… purely theoretical.

I can’t correct the duplication and performance immediately, so another update will follow later this week. [/p][p]
Best Regards! [/p][p]Paweł

Before[/p][p]Now[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Minor fix[/p][h2]New Athens location changes, better performance[/h2]

• [p]Slight design change, though still a very WIP[/p]
• [p]Better optimized version of this location, duplicating environmental elements as instanced meshes, which should significantly improve performance[/p]
• [p]After the changes, if you had a save in this location, it may be inaccessible due to shifted walls and objects, but in specific cases only[/p]
• [p]some bugs in airlock - tanks and first aid kits can hang in the air, wip but sorry for spoiling the immersion... ːsteamfacepalmː[/p]

[p][/p][p]No other changes in game but as I only saw after sending the fix to Steam - disconnecting the battery does not turn off the HUD, it will come back in the next update. No version number change.[/p][p][/p][p]Regards, author[/p]

[p]A small but important update addressing missing airlocks, plus a few new additions.[/p][h2]Airlocks[/h2]

• [p]Restored several airlocks that were invisible in version 0.9.8.42.[/p]
• [p]Thank you for the reports on the Steam forum — I’m not able to test absolutely everything myself. I always verify newly added or modified features, but these particular airlocks had been working correctly for a long time, so I didn’t re-check them.[/p]
• [p]It turns out that during compilation the engine can incorrectly restore mobility component changes, which may result in objects being removed or moved to inaccessible locations.[/p]
• [p]This issue has now been fixed in Hydron Bases, Comm Center, and the Underground areas.[/p]

[h2]Door Safety[/h2]

• [p]In rare cases, a survivor could get stuck while doors were closing.[/p]
• [p]I’ve added a safety mechanism: doors now automatically retract if the player is in their movement path.[/p]

[h2]Athens Base – Very Early WIP, but Now Accessible[/h2]

• [p]Added access to the base at the top of Athens.[/p]
• [p]Both the base interior and the surrounding area are in a very early stage of development.[/p]
• [p]Performance in this location is currently not great — it will improve significantly once the work is complete.[/p]
• [p]This area will become an important gameplay location for the upcoming main quest: leaving Nesoi Island.[/p]

[p]I planned to release a version with a more refined Athens location, but the lack of airlocks required an immediate patch, and Athens as it is - I can't quickly remove it.[/p][p]
Warm regards,[/p][p]the developer[/p]