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  3. Early Version of the January Update Now Available for Testing! | Unstable Branch

Early Version of the January Update Now Available for Testing! | Unstable Branch

[p]We're working away on the first major update for Long Drive North, launching late January. This update focuses on storm gameplay, quality of life improvements, loot balancing and more.[/p][p]In addition to our internal playtesting, it's crucial that we gain additional feedback and bug reports ahead of the public launch in January, which will allow us to make adjustments before it goes live publicly - and ensure a better game update for everyone.[/p][p][/p][h2]Early Version of the January Update Now Available for Community Testing on the Unstable Branch[/h2][p]We want as much feedback and as many bug reports as we can get, which is why we've launched an early version of the January update on the unstable branch, available now for community testing![/p][p]Not all of you will want to play an update early - as the name implies, this unstable version is expected to be buggier and less stable than the version which is later released publicly. It is also missing some elements of the update which are still being worked on.[/p][p]If you don't want to play this early unstable version, you don't need to do anything. You'll receive the update automatically when it is released publicly in late January.[/p][p]For those of you who do want to jump in and play this early version, please follow these steps below and make sure to let us know what you think of the update on the Steam forums and our Discord.[/p][p]PLEASE NOTE: WE RECOMMEND YOU START A NEW SAVE FILE TO SEE THE FULL IMPACT OF THE STORM ADJUSTMENTS AND LOOT REBALANCING.[/p][p]There's also a known issue with this build where characters or RVs may be invisible. If you encounter this issue, please press the keys CTRL+F5 to refresh the world, which will make characters or RVs reappear.[/p][h2]How to Access the Unstable Branch[/h2][p]- Load up Steam and head to your library[/p][p]- Right click on Long Drive North and then select "Properties"[/p][p]- Head to the Beta tab and in the drop down select "unstable_test_branch" (no password needed)[/p][p]- This will then download the new update for you[/p][p][/p][h3]Patch Notes: November 18 2025 - Unstable Branch[/h3][p]⭐ Additions[/p]
  • [p]Added keybindings for keyboard and mouse![/p]
  • [p]Added button remapping for controller![/p]
  • [p]Added a ‘Storm Slider’ so players can control the speed of the storm, allowing players to control difficulty[/p]
  • [p]Added the ability to pause the game in singleplayer[/p]
  • [p]Added a visual indicator on the compass to indicate nearby medium and large points of interest (POIs)[/p]
  • [p]The dog companion now barks when passing points of interest (POIs)[/p]
  • [p]Added a new tire track texture to highlight off-road shortcuts and hidden areas[/p]
[p]🎮Tweaks[/p]
  • [p]The storm indicator in the bottom right-hand corner of the HUD now tells you how many hours away the storm is, rather than distance. This allows players to understand how much time they have before the storm gets too close.[/p]
  • [p]The storm now moves at a constant speed, rather than jumping unpredictably.[/p]
  • [p]The storm continues to move whilst you sleep (previously, it would pause between 7pm-7am).[/p]
  • [p]Keep your RV door closed! Leaving it open now affects the player's temperature.[/p]
  • [p]Keep warm! Cold temperatures now affect player’s stats.[/p]
  • [p]Max stamina value has been doubled.[/p]
  • [p]Stamina is affected by 25% when you are tired, hungry or thirsty. For example - If you are tired, hungry and thirsty, your stamina is affected by 75%.[/p]
  • [p]The requirements for each crafting tier have been tripled (except for the required amount of tools, which remains the same).[/p]
  • [p]Reduced loot in the starting area.[/p]
  • [p]Loot rebalancing - made it easier to find some items and harder to find others.[/p]
  • [p]More variety of loot can be found at POIs.[/p]
  • [p]Barrels have a chance to give 1-2 rocks when searched.[/p]
[p]🐛 Bug Fixes[/p]
  • [p]Fixed major bug issue where the world would not spawn after 3-4 routes.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where ammo boxes always provided 1 bullet per box. Bullet amounts are now randomised.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where the ‘Settings’ and ‘Exit’ buttons on the main menu would not work when the following resolution settings were applied: 1400x1050, 1280x1024, 1280x960, 1152x864, 1024x768, 800x600, 640x480.[/p]