Today we share the first glimpse into the future of THE LONG DARK.

After 10 years of developing the first game, this is a big moment for the team. While we complete the final episode of our WINTERMUTE story mode slated for release in 2025, we wanted to use the platform of the The Game Awards as an opportunity to share our vision for the future of survival games.

We call it BLACKFROST, and it’s the sequel to THE LONG DARK.

Years ago, I asked myself what the future of THE LONG DARK could look like. Despite pouring everything we have into that game, I still felt there were things I wanted to do with the setting, the mechanics, but also things that just aren’t possible within the current game. I knew we would have to build something new, with foundations that could support our grand vision. When we started THE LONG DARK, we had no idea we’d be building it and supporting the community for 10 years. With BLACKFROST, we asked ourselves -- what if we *started* a project as though we knew it would last for 10 years, or even longer? What different decisions might we make?

BLACKFROST builds on a decade of construction, experimentation, and community-informed development of an experience we love dearly. It expands beyond the ego-centrism of THE LONG DARK and asks you, not how far you will go to survive, but how far will you go to survive for others?

The “others” could be other players in co-op, but also other survivors in the world. NPC communities hiding out from the dangers of the aurora, the radioactive “black frost”, and a whole host of new threats they experience in the city of Harmont and the vast wilderness surrounding it. What new scenarios, gameplay mechanics, and stories could such a setting inspire?

We aren’t saying too much more about BLACKFROST at this point, as we are focused on completing our obligations around THE LONG DARK 1. But we hope this early look is compelling and exciting for you. We hope to enlist you in the coming months and years, in helping us build the future of survival games.

BLACKFROST won’t launch until 2026, so this is a very early moment in time for the project. And for those of you who have grown up with THE LONG DARK over the years, BLACKFROST is not the end. It is only the beginning of the next chapter. We see both THE LONG DARK 1 and BLACKFROST co-existing for a long time, with each game having a distinct point of view around the ‘Quiet Apocalypse’. They will be complimentary, preserving the investment of time and money you have put into TLD over the years.

But with BLACKFROST, we are pushing our philosophy and vision for survival forward in ways we could have never believed possible when we first launched TLD back in 2014. We can’t wait to show you more of what we are building. We hope you are as excited as we are!

For now, please take a moment in your busy day to enjoy this view into the new world we are creating for you. I think it is as beautiful as it is dangerous, full of adventure, mystery, and opportunity. A place you want to survive in.

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Live together, or die alone. Welcome to the world of BLACKFROST.


Raphael van Lierop

Creative Director
Hinterland

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Media Kit here.