Pachycephalosaurs and Dracovenator in the works! - New Dev-blog #29 is Out!

Full Steam Ahead | Echoes of Extinction Devblog

Islander

– Project Lead

Hey Extinctioneers,

This month has mostly been about transition and momentum. With the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.7 underway, active development inside the engine slowed slightly while Chika handled the heavy lifting on the backend side. That pause gave us time to regroup, review systems, and make sure what comes next is structured properly rather than rushed.

The Kickstarter success is still something we’re incredibly grateful for. Hitting 126% funded wasn’t just a milestone, it gave us breathing room and confidence in the direction of the project. It proved that people believe in Echoes of Extinction and what we’re building.

Because of that support, we’re now slowly starting to shift certain roles toward more consistent, full-time focus. This won’t happen overnight, but step by step we’re creating the foundation to speed up production in a sustainable way. The goal isn’t to scale recklessly — it’s to scale smart, stabilize the pipeline, and increase output without sacrificing quality.

Between the roster adjustments, new species confirmations, engine upgrades, foliage upgrades, and backend optimizations, this month has been quieter on the surface but important behind the scenes.

We’re building momentum. [No Video this month]

FuriousSmaug

– Programmer

Hey everyone!

This month I wasn’t able to work in-engine due to the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.7. While the project was being updated, only Chika could safely make changes before Air and I could continue work.

That said, it gave me some much-needed time to focus on backend documentation and the roster. Unfortunately, Mussusaurus and Archelon have been removed from the lineup. However, our High Warden Kickstarter supporters have begun working with me on their selected species, and I can now share that Rhabdodon and Argentinosaurus will be making their way to Akura one day as official species.

Aside from roster changes, I spent time refining future playable design direction to ensure each creature has a concrete vision for how it should perform in-game. I sent off finalized ideas and gameplay information for:

• Pachycephalosaurus

• Dracovenator

• Nemicolopterus

This ensures the modeling team has everything they need as production begins.

Onychodus, Coelophysis, and Semionotus will also receive cleanup passes so they can be added alongside Purussaurus and the hygiene system.

I also worked with Air to search for small underground critters to support early-growth carnivores. So far, we have:

• Clams

• Grubs

• Crayfish

• Rhinoceros beetles

Potential additions (not confirmed):

• Maggots

• Ants

• Pill bugs

AirSickLowLander

– Level Designer

Hey everyone!

While Furious and I have had to focus on things outside the project during the 5.7 update, I shifted my focus to improvements outside of direct map layout work.

I created many new plants and trees for the map, some replacements, some additions to increase biodiversity. To name a few:

• Dawn redwood

• Several new grasses and ferns

• Lycopodium japonicum

• Bird of paradise

• Refreshed ginkgo models

• Wetlands foliage

• Lily pads

• And much more

I’m also preparing to integrate PCG (Procedural Content Generation) for foliage placement, especially grass and smaller plants. I’ve been testing a PCG graph designed for performance with high foliage density at long draw distances, and the results have been excellent, roughly half the performance impact compared to before.

Additionally, I’ve been converting some foliage to skeletal foliage intended for voxel interaction, which has shown great results. Nvidia Mega Geometry is also being tested and has provided better-than-expected visuals with slight performance gains.

Looking forward to rolling these upgrades into the map soon.

Kouga

– UI/UX Designer

Hey all!

This month