Oof! Double pirate protection fees? That is going to make some of the unluckier (3+ early pirates) game starts REALLY tight, assuming that normal empire economies still work the same way after the DLC. I hope this gets adequate testing on both the empire and the pirate side to make sure it isn't a ...

Sounds awesome! Can't wait to give it a spin in October.

Thanks for the update, Maxim. Perfectly aligns with expectations, but nice to have confirmation that nothing major has shifted.

OP updated through the latest Beta (1.3.6.8)

Thanks Xmudder, and apologies if my statement wasn't clear. I wrote the OP, so I'm familiar with the latest known info that you quoted (you quoted me :D ). What I meant was that I was surprised to find no real discussion or interview of DW2 content during the broadcast, only the two trailers. I ...

Updated through Slitherine Next. Primarily just clearing Command Update features and noting/linking the DLC release date. I was a little surprised to see so little discussion during the broadcast - they really just shared the trailer and then breezed right on by. So, we now have a DLC release date ...

Shadows Rising DLC will be showcased 22 July at the Slitherine Next event. Nothing for the roadmap but didn't see it posted anywhere here.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1531540/view/715658948265377899

During the event, we will officially announce the new DLC, Shadows Rising ...

Updated through the announcement of the Command Update. Once the update drops, I'll clean up the known upcoming features to clear the slate for the run up to the Shadows Rising DLC.

Nice list of changes for 1.3.6.1!

The biggie:
DIPLOMACY
- added default diplomatic strategy for independent colonies in Empire Policy screen (Diplomacy section).

Am I correct in interpreting that to mean that I can set a default preference such as "Always Colonize" and I can trust my empire not ...

+1. That's a good idea. Factions like Teekans who have a victory condition tied to creature hunting would benefit from the designation as well.

We can currently have fleets scour dangerous locations (though I'm not sure you can automate that behavior with much granularity), but such locations often ...

Updated though Beta 1.3.5.7 (June 2026)

Some commentary:
- A new public Beta after a long hiatus. Hooray! It is great to see some of the upcoming goodies again.

- Empire contracts sound like a great addition to the game! I've been really hoping to see more intra-empire activity, with internal ...

It has been a long time without any news on the DLC/Update front. Last update (from Feb) was that things are ready for Beta testers, but nothing other than a bump on the tester thread since then.

How are things coming along? Looing forward to the leading edge of the Dev-diary series starting up ...

Yes, they did mention that the current Beta is supposed to be the last one before a release "hopefully next week". Also, Slitherine Next is coming on December 9 (next Tuesday). I suspect that they want to get the Mercantile Update out by then so that they can point to the greatest wealth of 2025 ...

It might just be that one message. The leader appears the moment the game begins, so the system still has the old name when that message is generated. In general, all messages will show the name that the asset had at the time the message was created and will not retroactively change the name ...

I'm not in front of the game right now, so bear with my explanation from memory.

1) In the main navigation area on the top left of the screen, you want to select the first tab, for "Empire" (this should have your flag icon on the tab)
2) Under the top section of info will be another row of tabs ...

Updated through Beta 1.3.3.2
(https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopic.php?t=413890)

Yes!

I've been looking forward to the Teekan refresh since refreshes were announced, and this looks like a nice sweep. Haakonish now feature some wonderfully thematic and unique options. Loads of other goodies in the update as well. Well done!


EDIT: I noticed on the Discord that Erik mentioned ...

Greetings,

I love the Ikkuro, but it is exhausting to deal with the Damazy event again and again, which got me thinking...

I know this is a big ask, but a worthwhile consideration for a future "story pack DLC" or something: What I'd love to see is a bit more variety in the faction (race) story ...

I'm not aware of a good solution to #1, and it is a constant irritation. A possible workaround: Within the automation policy settings, there is a place where you can specify things like the ratio of escorts/frigates/destroyers/etc. You can probably manipulate it somewhat by setting the desired ratio ...

They originally planned for sometime in November for the Teekan/Hakkonish refresh update. That may still be true, but we usually see Beta patches a month or two ahead of any update and there is no sign of a Beta at this point. Therefore, it looks like we're probably looking at the very end of Q4 ...

To be clear: No hard feelings on my end either. :D

I feel like we've covered this ground more than enough. I'll just let the record reflect that a request for an update to the in-game documentation to better clarify sticky invisibles like freighter logic has been made. The devs will do (or not do ...