Long Drive North News

[p]Hello,[/p][p]We have fixed an issue regarding saving: [/p][p]Saving outside your RV caused you to load back into the game in the incorrect location.[/p][p]Please take a read of our previous announcement for further details on our update plan![/p][p]Thanks again for your reports and support for Long Drive North.[/p]

[p]Hello all,[/p][p]First off, thank you so much for playing Long Drive North, and sorry for the radio silence so far - following all of the feedback we needed to take stock and revise our planned updates.[/p][p]It's clear that the game has not met your expectations at Early Access launch, and for that we are sorry.[/p][p]We have a small bug fix patch which is now live. This patch will not address a lot of your issues and concerns, but we wanted to show you that we are still here, and that we will be launching some bigger updates over the coming months.[/p][p]We have always wanted Long Drive North to be a true Early Access game, where we listen to what you want. As a small team, there will be issues and bugs that can only be found with lots of people playing the game, so we really appreciate all of your feedback! We are listening.[/p][p]We have seen a lot of comments about the price of the game. There's a tough balance in Early Access: launch too soon and there's not enough content, launch too late and players can’t help shape the game. We believed we had enough content, and have been very open about what is and is not in the game at launch - we didn’t want players buying the game without understanding this.[/p][p][/p][p]That said, it’s clear that many of you aren’t yet feeling that the price you paid was worth the money, and we are sorry for that. We hope that over the life of the game we can deliver on what you expected and rectify your feelings towards this. With this in mind, we wanted to outline what we see as the journey forward:[/p][h2]Major Update 1: World Improvements and Loot Balancing - Coming January[/h2][p]Our first major update will now launch in late January and will focus on improving the world.[/p][p]We have had lots of reports of the map ending, and people falling through the world. Fixing this is our first priority. Your bug reports have been really valuable in helping us understand why this is happening.[/p][p]In addition, we are finding that lots of people are driving past some of the more hidden points of interest, adding to the feeling of the world being empty. We'll make the location of more of these important POIs more obvious. Plus, we'll be improving the way the map is created to add more variety and more places to explore and loot.[/p][p]Finally, we will be re-balancing the loot system to address your feedback about food and other items.[/p][p]These are the foundations of the game, so it is important we address these first.[/p][h2]New Demo - Coming January[/h2][p]Alongside the update in January, we'll be launching a new demo - so if you have not purchased it yet, you can check our progress, and buy when it feels right for you. We want to ensure you all get a chance to play before you buy, and check you're getting the experience you expect.[/p][p][/p][h2]Major Update 2: Shared RVs - Coming March[/h2][p]Once the game foundations are improved, and it is clear that players are happy with the work we are doing, we will add shared RV support.[/p][h2]Patch Notes - November 25 2025[/h2][p]🐛 Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Fixed issue where jerrycan would stick to the player after siphoning fuel[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with player falling through the ground upon loading a save game[/p]
• [p]Fixed Authentication issue preventing players from joining a multiplayer session[/p]
• [p]Fixed arrows not saving when placed on the ground inside or outside RV[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where renaming a save file prevented players from loading it[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where tire condition wouldn’t increase if repaired by other players[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where no audio would play when the RV crashed into an object[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where the dog would float outside the RV when barking at the incoming storm[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where abandoned vehicles would show differing fuel amounts per player[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where weather wouldn’t progress after the player slept[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue where dog icon would show incorrectly on the compass UI[/p]
• [p]Fixed various words that were not localised[/p]

[p]Thank you for your support so far.[/p][p]The journey has just begun![/p]

[p]The time has finally come to hit the road.[/p][p]Long Drive North is OUT NOW in Early Access![/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]How far can you survive your Long Drive North?[/p][p]This is just the beginning. We're excited to share this core experience with you, and to build upon that foundation with major updates throughout Early Access.[/p][p]Make sure to share any bug reports via the in-game f11 bug report function, and let us know your suggestions via the Steam forums and the Long Drive North Discord.[/p][p]And don't forget to leave a Steam review, to let us and other players know what you think of the game![/p][h2]What to Expect From Early Access Launch[/h2][p]Those of you who played the NextFest Demo will have a good idea of what to expect.[/p][p]Like the demo, at Early Access launch Long Drive North features the core survival mechanics and repair mechanics - and supports co-op with separate RVs.[/p][p]However, the Early Access launch version also includes endless route generation - and, of course, the ability to save your progress.[/p][h2]Early Access Roadmap[/h2][p]We have lots of exciting content planned during Early Access, including our first major content update: shared RVs in co-op! Take a look at what's planned for early 2026 and beyond:[/p][p][/p][h2]Q1 2026[/h2][p]Features[/p]

• [p]Co-op: Shared RV option[/p]
• [p]Co-op: Usable passenger seat[/p]
• [p]Co-op: Ability to drive other players' RVs[/p]

[p]RV[/p]

• [p]Usable ladder[/p]
• [p]Ability to place bed in RV overcab[/p]
• [p]Radio: Further LDN Radio broadcasts and music[/p]

[p]World[/p]

• [p]New routes, areas and POIs[/p]
• [p]Unique lore items (notes, photos, posters etc)[/p]

[p]Loadouts[/p]

• [p]New unlockable player character[/p]
• [p]New unlockable dog companion[/p]

[p]Crafting[/p]

• [p]Additions to Tier 3 crafting[/p]
• [p]Tier 4 crafting[/p]

[p]General[/p]

• [p]Bug fixes and quality of life improvements[/p]
• [p]Photo mode[/p]
• [p]Keybinds[/p]

[h2]Future Updates[/h2]

• [p]Difficulty setting[/p]
• [p]Additional routes, areas and POIs[/p]
• [p]Further lore[/p]
• [p]RV customisation[/p]
• [p]RV functionalities (propane tanks, electricity system etc)[/p]
• [p]RV appliances (fridge, microwave, oven etc)[/p]
• [p]New RV types[/p]
• [p]New unlockable playable characters[/p]
• [p]New unlockable dogs[/p]
• [p]New wildlife[/p]
• [p]New forageables[/p]
• [p]New tools[/p]
• [p]Towing[/p]
• [p]Cassette tapes (music, diary entries, recipes, tips etc)[/p]
• [p]Usable instant camera[/p]
• [p]Mod support[/p]

[p]Disclaimer: With larger updates which improve upon the game fundamentals, there is a possibility of save files being wiped. Roadmap subject to change.[/p]

[p]We know many of you are excited to get your hands on Long Drive North as soon as possible, so here's exactly when you can jump in![/p][p]The game will launch globally on November 18 at 7am PST/10am EST/3pm GMT.[/p][p]We've put together a countdown to launch so you can all keep an eye on exactly how long you have left to wait:[/p][p]Countdown to Early Access Launch[/p][p][/p][h2]What to Expect From Early Access Launch[/h2][p]Those of you who played the NextFest Demo will have a good idea of what to expect. [/p][p]Like the demo, at Early Access launch Long Drive North features the core survival mechanics and repair mechanics - and supports co-op with separate RV's.[/p][p]However, the Early Access launch version also includes endless route generation - and, of course, the ability to save your progress.[/p][p]How far can you survive your Long Drive North?[/p][p]We're excited to share this core experience with you, and hear your thoughts and feedback! This is just the beginning.[/p][h2]Early Access Roadmap[/h2][p]We have lots of exciting content planned during Early Access, including our first major content update: shared RVs in co-op! Take a look at what's planned for early 2026 and beyond:[/p][p][/p][h2]Q1 2026[/h2][p]Features[/p]

• [p]Co-op: Shared RV option[/p]
• [p]Co-op: Usable passenger seat[/p]
• [p]Co-op: Ability to drive other players' RVs[/p]

[p]RV[/p]

• [p]Usable ladder[/p]
• [p]Ability to place bed in RV overcab[/p]
• [p]Radio: Further LDN Radio broadcasts and music[/p]

[p]World[/p]

• [p]New routes, areas and POIs[/p]
• [p]Unique lore items (notes, photos, posters etc)[/p]

[p]Loadouts[/p]

• [p]New unlockable player character[/p]
• [p]New unlockable dog companion[/p]

[p]Crafting[/p]

• [p]Additions to Tier 3 crafting[/p]
• [p]Tier 4 crafting[/p]

[p]General[/p]

• [p]Bug fixes and quality of life improvements[/p]
• [p]Photo mode[/p]
• [p]Keybinds[/p]

[h2]Future Updates[/h2]

• [p]Difficulty setting[/p]
• [p]Additional routes, areas and POIs[/p]
• [p]Further lore[/p]
• [p]RV customisation[/p]
• [p]RV functionalities (propane tanks, electricity system etc)[/p]
• [p]RV appliances (fridge, microwave, oven etc)[/p]
• [p]New RV types[/p]
• [p]New unlockable playable characters[/p]
• [p]New unlockable dogs[/p]
• [p]New wildlife[/p]
• [p]New forageables[/p]
• [p]New tools[/p]
• [p]Towing[/p]
• [p]Cassette tapes (music, diary entries, recipes, tips etc)[/p]
• [p]Usable instant camera[/p]
• [p]Mod support[/p]

[p]Disclaimer: With larger updates which improve upon the game fundamentals, there is a possibility of save files being wiped. Roadmap subject to change.[/p]

[p]In our final pre-launch checks we have encountered some save issues. We have therefore taken the tough decision to delay Early Access launch until November 18.[/p][h2]Why the Delay?[/h2][p]Those of you who played the NextFest demo will have a good idea of what to expect from the Early Access launch version.[/p][p]Like the demo, at Early Access launch Long Drive North features the core survival mechanics and repair mechanics - and supports co-op with separate RV's. However, the Early Access launch version also includes endless route generation - and, of course, the ability to save your progress.[/p][p]In our final pre-launch checks we have found some issues with saving and loading. As an Early Access game, there will always be some bugs and glitches. But the saving bugs we've encountered would have a negative impact on the experience of lots of players, so we have decided to delay launch by a couple of weeks to get these resolved.[/p][p]We appreciate that this news will be disappointing to many of you who are excited join our Early Access journey. Thank you all for your patience. We can’t wait to get the game into your hands on November 18![/p][p][/p]