The Long Dark: A Journey Towards Completion
The Long Dark, a chilling survival game developed by Hinterland, has been a labor of love since its early access debut on Steam in 2014. After three years of dedicated development, the game officially launched in 2017, marking the completion of its survival mode. However, the much-anticipated episodic story mode, known as “Wintermute,” has been progressing at a deliberate pace, inching closer to its long-awaited conclusion.
As fans eagerly await the release of episode five, set to arrive later this year, creative director Raphael van Lierop has shed light on the reasons behind the extended timeline for this final chapter. In a recent Steam update, he emphasized the significance of this concluding episode, stating, “We know many of you—like us—have been waiting for years for this story to be completed. And once it’s done, we can never go back. So that’s really on our minds. The episode can’t just be good; it has to be great.”
Looking ahead, Hinterland has also announced the development of Blackfrost: The Long Dark 2, unveiled at last year’s Game Awards. Despite this new venture, the original game will continue to receive support, with Hinterland remaining open to the possibility of expanding the experience further.
Van Lierop reassured fans, saying, “We still intend to continue updating the game, but completing story mode has been a point of accountability for Hinterland all these years. With the story mode finished, we are looking forward to having some breathing room to figure out what’s next and continue to do our work without the weight of a big promise hanging over us.”
