Since the first report, Echoes of Esker has advanced across multiple releases, bringing core systems into a more usable state and establishing a clearer path toward a first public release.
Progression, combat, and structural systems now exist in early forms. This report shares our current thinking on how the project is expected to evolve from here toward public pre-alpha and alpha.
Project timeline
Most systems are being brought online first as functional proofs of concept. The focus is on getting each piece working and interacting at a basic level before expanding depth or content.
Near term: the next two months
The near-term focus is on bringing more of the core loop online.
- Inventory system (initial implementation: pickup, storage, equip)
- Basic looting (simple drops and item handling)
- First automation layer (limited scope, early implementation)
Public pre-alpha: roughly 2 to 3 months out
The current target is to release the first public pre-alpha build intended for broader player feedback in roughly 2 to 3 months.
The current builds offer roughly 10 minutes of interesting play. The target for the public pre-alpha is 30 minutes or more, with a clearer loop and a stronger first-impression experience.
The early builds are intentionally small in scope, focused on a limited section of the ring and a narrow set of systems.
This stage is focused on open exploration and player-driven progression, without structured objectives.
First alpha: a few months after the public pre-alpha
A few months after that, the target is the first alpha build.
At that point, most major systems should exist in a basic form and begin interacting as a more cohesive loop rather than isolated features. The world also begins to shift toward more structured progression.
- Expanded skill tree and progression structure across rings
- Continued tuning of progression pacing
- Introduction of NPC-driven structure and early questing
Local co-op continues to improve, but networked co-op will likely come later. The target is also 1 hour or more of gameplay.
That is also the point where we expect to start charging for the game. We do not have pricing to announce yet, but the current expectation is a discounted founders edition during alpha. Buying in at that stage will include access to the beta and the final released version.
Beyond that
After alpha, the timeline becomes harder to predict and will depend more heavily on player feedback.
There will be a beta, and the current expectation is another founders edition at a smaller discount than the alpha offer.
A month of progress: v0.8.0 to v0.10.1
A quick visual overview of progress. For detailed changes, see the changelog.
Progression
- Save and load with multiple slots
- Waypoints and the Grimoire for continuity between sessions
- Traits, spell loadouts, and level-based unlocks
- Core combat skills now tied to progression (auto attack, dodge, sprint)
Combat
- More consistent baseline rhythm through auto attack and skill unlocks
- Cleaner projectile behavior and more responsive targeting
- Improved enemy movement, dodge interaction, and damage readouts
- Stronger combat feedback overall
Presentation and usability
- Broader and more consistent VFX coverage
- Initial pass on music, SFX, and audio mixing
- Improved controller support and input handling
- More stable local co-op behavior
- Camera and split presentation cleanup
- UI scaling, messaging, and guidance improvements
Current work in flight
The next build includes a ring 1 boss, target selection, and additional improvements across combat, UI, and general usability. It should be released within the next few days.
Download
Early pre-alpha builds are available for those who are curious, though they still need extensive refinement.