At the heart of this update is the appearance of Albaneve Summit, a new icy and hostile biome that forces players to adapt their survival strategies to an extreme environment. This snowy summit is not only visually imposing: it will offer new physical challenges with dynamic crossing events. In these frozen lands, dense snow slows movement, updrafts prolong slides, and patches of ice create opportunities – or dangers – in the event of a sudden fall. It is Kaizen but without uncomfortable condescension in fact.
To reinforce the realism of this polar environment, Souls of the Frozen Empire introduces a dynamic weather system. Players will have to equip themselves according to temperature changes and snowfall to survive the vagaries of the weather, just to add an extra layer of anticipation to crafting and resource management. This mechanic comes hand in hand with new types of materials and equipment recipes to counter the elements.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
]A biome and new mechanics are all well and good, but let's get to the real news: the introduction of pets and farm animals. Because everything is better when you can pet the doggo. In bases, players will now be able to find cats and dogs, with each companion providing a specific bonus. Beyond these domestic animals, Albaneve Summit's wildlife also extends to wild creatures like mountain lions and yaks, which can be domesticated to harvest resources in exchange for room and board.
Keen Games has also redesigned the behavior of NPCs, who will now follow daily routines: work during the day, sleep at night. They can now be assigned to secondary bases. Locals will also appear, which also means new quests and dialogue options. Enough to give a little more life to towns and other camps.
Finally, the maximum player level has been raised to 35, thus increasing the possible range of skills and spells. The grappling hook and glider have also seen their use optimized. And while we haven't mentioned it before, obviously this new update brings with it new weapons and armor suited to the perils of the Great Cold.
The full patch note regarding Souls of the Frozen Frontier is available here. This update is available now for all playersEnshrouded on PC, platform on which the Keen Games title is still in early access. Version 1.0 will be released in 2025, and will also land on PS5 and Xbox Series.
Also read | BioWare announces first major patch for Dragon Age: The Veilguard
