Under a Desert Sun: Seekers of the Cursed Vessel - Early Access release soon!

Alright, with release coming closer, I think it’s wise to start repeating what the initial Early Access release will contain, and what will come later.

What will be there:

The main goal for release is that the entirety of Act 1 (of 4 planned acts) is available and fully playable in both single-player and 4-player local co-op.

In addition, 2 of the promised 4 classes (and hopefully eventually 6) will be available and fully playable.

To be clear, on a technical level this means a few important things:

• All core technology needed to create and maintain story content is already in place.

• This includes quest systems, NPC conversations, class and weapon skill systems, loot, inventories, combat, and essentially the full ARPG framework.

• All settings-related systems are there as well, ranging from sound to graphics options.

• All artwork, storylines, voice acting, and content for Act 1 are being implemented and finalized.

The core idea is that you should be able to play the game from the beginning all the way to the end of Act 1 as a complete experience.

Of course, I also aim to make the game as bug-free and polished as possible before release. However, there are clear reasons why we are launching in Early Access.

I need much more feedback, testing, balancing data, and overall help refining the game. Early Access is also part of the funding strategy for the project. It helps provide income, but more importantly, it directly impacts the degree to which we can continue hiring, commissioning, and working with talented third parties like our excellent artists and voice actors.

What will come later:

So, what is not ready yet and therefore planned for later Early Access phases?

Let’s start with the obvious:

• 3 full story acts still remain and will release during later development phases.

• At least 2 more classes (and hopefully eventually 4 more) are still planned and will arrive during Early Access.

• And of course, online play is still coming later as well.

For online play, let me once again state clearly what the goal is.

I want to follow the old-school idea of online multiplayer that I personally grew up with.

• No seasons. No battle passes. No forced always-online systems.

Instead, the goal is simple: connect with friends, with up to 4 players total, and experience the world together. Play through the story, explore, fight, and hunt for loot together.

Now for some of the more detailed systems:

• Vendors and weapon/armor smiths are planned shortly after the initial Early Access release. The foundation is there, but the system simply won’t be fully ready in time for launch.

• Additional armor slots are also planned later on, such as lower leg, feet, and possibly shoulder slots. I haven’t finalized all slot choices yet.

• And naturally, the overall diversity of loot, items, and gear will massively increase as development continues throughout Early Access.

I am sure I didn't cover everything but these are the basics of what will be there in total and what will be there at early access launch!

I hope this helps keep things clear. I'd love to hear questions if you have them so leave them in the comments!

I’ll also try to keep these texts updated on Reddit and the Steam page as development continues.

And of course, if you have questions, I’d genuinely love to hear them.

Thanks for all the support, everyone. It truly means a lot.