Changelog.ggBeta
HomeGamesUpdatesPricingMethodology
Steam News25 February 20251y ago

Improvements on the Horizon!

FORTUNE SMILES UPON YOU! A stagnant sea is a dead one. Alas, worry not, the Maelstrom waters remain ever-flowing and ripe with robust violence!

In this update6

Full notes

Full Maelstrom update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

What changed

0 fixes9 additions13 changes0 removals
  • Balance
  • Gameplay
  • Fixes
  • Maps
  • Store
  • UI and audio
changedFORTUNE SMILES UPON YOU!A stagnant sea is a dead one. Alas, worry not, the Maelstrom waters remain ever-flowing and ripe with robust violence! The winds of change bring more than just salt-stung eyes - the team works with their every breath, and today they announce these major updates coming soon.
changedHot Fix BreakdownMatchmaking Improvements: We’ve optimized matchmaking to significantly reduce wait times and improve synchronization of players within the same power pool. We have fully rebuilt the source code to make matchmaking move quickly and more efficiently. Teams will now be better aligned with matching power levels for a more balanced experience.
changedHot Fix BreakdownBoat Shake Fix: The boat shake issue caused by Dwarves and Orcs has been addressed. While it may still occur in rare edge cases, it will now correct itself within 1-2 seconds.
changedSerpent’s Rest (NEW Map!)What was once the lair of the Vile Serpent, a terror to all misfortunate sailors, is now nothing more than the beast’s watery tomb. The serpentine monstrosity is believed to have perished mysteriously during The Great Sundering. But the true danger lies within the heart of these putrid waters: a colossal maelstrom, a vortex of destruction.
addedFrom the Ashes!The Phoenix Empire rises, born anew and prepared to reduce all in their path to ash. The Phoenix Empire has new remastered boats as well as new skins coming soon!
addedGrand Battles on the Horizon!The new Custom Lobby allows for you to create epic 15-player matches, with up to 5 teams of 3 players each. Gather your friends and jump into the action, where you can team up with full squads or even mix things up with bots for a dynamic experience. Not only that, but we’ve added the ability for two players to spectate the battles live – giving you the perfect opportunity to watch the chaos unfold without directly participating.

Maelstrom changes

changedA stagnant sea is a dead one. Alas, worry not, the Maelstrom waters remain ever-flowing and ripe with robust violence! The winds of change bring more than just salt-stung eyes - the team works with their every breath, and today they announce these major updates coming soon.
changedMatchmaking Improvements: We’ve optimized matchmaking to significantly reduce wait times and improve synchronization of players within the same power pool. We have fully rebuilt the source code to make matchmaking move quickly and more efficiently. Teams will now be better aligned with matching power levels for a more balanced experience.
changedBoat Shake Fix: The boat shake issue caused by Dwarves and Orcs has been addressed. While it may still occur in rare edge cases, it will now correct itself within 1-2 seconds.
changedWhat was once the lair of the Vile Serpent, a terror to all misfortunate sailors, is now nothing more than the beast’s watery tomb. The serpentine monstrosity is believed to have perished mysteriously during The Great Sundering. But the true danger lies within the heart of these putrid waters: a colossal maelstrom, a vortex of destruction.
addedThe Phoenix Empire rises, born anew and prepared to reduce all in their path to ash. The Phoenix Empire has new remastered boats as well as new skins coming soon!

FORTUNE SMILES UPON YOU!

A stagnant sea is a dead one. Alas, worry not, the Maelstrom waters remain ever-flowing and ripe with robust violence! The winds of change bring more than just salt-stung eyes - the team works with their every breath, and today they announce these major updates coming soon.

Hot Fix Breakdown

  • Matchmaking Improvements: We’ve optimized matchmaking to significantly reduce wait times and improve synchronization of players within the same power pool. We have fully rebuilt the source code to make matchmaking move quickly and more efficiently. Teams will now be better aligned with matching power levels for a more balanced experience.

  • Boat Shake FixThe boat shake issue caused by Dwarves and Orcs has been addressed. While it may still occur in rare edge cases, it will now correct itself within 1-2 seconds.

UPCOMING UPDATES

Serpent’s Rest (NEW Map!)

What was once the lair of the Vile Serpent, a terror to all misfortunate sailors, is now nothing more than the beast’s watery tomb. The serpentine monstrosity is believed to have perished mysteriously during The Great Sundering. But the true danger lies within the heart of these putrid waters: a colossal maelstrom, a vortex of destruction.

The Dockyard

The docks are ready! You’ll find your entire fleet on full display in all their splendor.

Note: some elements are still subject to change.

From the Ashes!

The Phoenix Empire rises, born anew and prepared to reduce all in their path to ash. The Phoenix Empire has new remastered boats as well as new skins coming soon!

Grand Battles on the Horizon!

You’ve come to wage war, and it’s war you shall wage. The choice of how is now yours to make.

The new Custom Lobby allows for you to create epic 15-player matches, with up to 5 teams of 3 players each. Gather your friends and jump into the action, where you can team up with full squads or even mix things up with bots for a dynamic experience. Not only that, but we’ve added the ability for two players to spectate the battles live – giving you the perfect opportunity to watch the chaos unfold without directly participating.

You can choose the map you want to play on, including some of our most popular old seasonal maps, bringing a whole new layer of strategy and nostalgia to your custom matches. The possibilities are endless, rally your crew, and sail to battle!

Improving the Voyage

The journey ahead bears fruit! We’ve swabbed the deck and I think you’ll find an air of clarity as you make your way around. Once more the call to battle returns and there’s loot to be had! Take part as we celebrate an eastern moon along with ships of glinting treasure.

Two new battle passes are on the way: the Free and Premium Battle Passes, featuring exciting themes like Treasures and Lunar New Year! Fear not! Existing battle passes will still be available and you can continue working to complete them!

Charting the Course Ahead

The shipwrights at Maelstrom conjure much below the decks, for now, take heed of what’s to come...

Some of the new updates include:

  • Sail in style! New store to purchase new cosmetic items and skins.

  • Bigger treasure needs a bigger net! New pickup ranges for all boats.

  • (Pre)set sail! Save multiple captain, crew, and equipment loadouts per boat.

  • Bigger booty (no really)! Pickups for boons and treasure are larger and easier to identify.

  • Quests are back in a revamped HUD! New player HUD with a larger focus on gameplay space.

  • Even keel! Rebalanced values for Undead boats (e.g. armor versus hull) with new turning speeds and radii.

And there you have it. Whether you be warmongers or seafarers, a cheers in your name. There will be more, in time, but until then…the blue wastes await.

  • The Old Mariner

~~~

Keep sending us your reports—we appreciate and are always reading your feedback!

Until Next Time, The Maelstrom Community Team

ːsteamthumbsupː Stay Connected!

Source

Steam News / 25 February 2025

Open original post

Changelog.gg summarizes and formats this update. How we read updates.