New Maps (+ New Patch)
DANKIE
NEW UPDATE
The new version of ORION: Prelude has another patch that just released!
DYNAMIC WEATHER
With this new update four maps have been added to the game for a total of five.
Each one also feels a "Dynamic" variant with full time of day and weather systems.
Raupi
Ravines
Deep, narrow valley with steep sides.
Strike
Springs
Rustic, mineral springs.
Arid
Canyons
Narrowing, cut-through passes.
Peak
Mountains
Vertical cliffs and high-tops.
SLOPES
Sandhills
Rolling hills with twists and turns.
MODES & MAPS
Additional Game Modes & Maps are in development.
Version 10.0.17
New patch just went live for the [Default] branch.
NEW:
- Map (" Strike ")
- Map (" Strike_Dynamic ")
- Map (" Arid_Dynamic ")
- Map ("Peak")
- Map ("Peak_Dynamic")
- Map ("Slopes")
- Map ("Slopes_Dynamic")
- Updated CREDITS on Main Menu to include [INSIDER] role.
- Item input hints in the weapon panel. The teleporter’s “M1 WEAPONS / M2 AUGMENTS” chips now appear on every item whose buttons do something other than shoot and aim. Mouse shows M1 / M2, controller shows the RT / LT / X glyphs. A trailing star marks a hold action. • Cryo Blade (knife): LIGHT ATTACK / HEAVY ATTACK • Sabre: SLASH / BLOCK • Utility gun: REPAIR / RESUPPLY / SELF RESUPPLY • Supply gun: RESUPPLY / SELF RESUPPLY • Medic gun: HEAL / SELF HEAL • Turret: DEPLOY, shown only once the charge is READY • Egg: SHOVE / DROP EGG • Flag: BASH • Longbow: DRAW , plus ARROW TYPE on the reload key • Laser rifle: CHARGE • Gatling: FIRE / SPIN UP
- Vehicle overhead tags fade in at close range. Empty vehicles and parked mechs now use the same close-range fade as shop terminals.
- Occupied vehicles show who is inside. A driven vehicle or piloted mech now shows the occupants’ nameplates instead of the “1/2 TANK” hull tag.
FIXES:
- First-person weapon no longer snaps to a new position when looking straight down. Reported on the FNC-30 and RNC44 in plain hip fire, no sprint needed.
- Players no longer disappear from the HUD when they get into a vehicle. Previously the soldier nameplate was skipped for anyone in a vehicle and only the hull tag remained.
- Achievement-reward cosmetics were missing from the Loadout for standard owners. The Raptor dino-head helmet (reward for “That’s All She Wrote”, Wave 10 on Insane) did not appear at all, and the Football Helmet, Water Elemental and Rainbow armor sets (50/75/100 achievements) only appeared after opening Unlockables and returning. All of these are now granted automatically on launch, as soon as your Steam stats load. Nothing was removed and nothing needs to be re-earned.
- The Raptor helmet and Hammer weapon shader now carry over correctly between maps in a server session, same as the 50/75/100 rewards already did.
ADJUSTMENTS:
- Teleporter chips now carry the hold star (WEAPONS / AUGMENTS ) since the jump is a 5 second channel. The green highlight on the shop you’re channeling to is unchanged.
- Pocket Armory’s “M2 OPEN SHOP” chip moved onto the same system. No visible change.
- On the modern HUD the dim weapon name shares its line with the chips. When a long row overlaps the name, the name is shortened with “..” so the chips stay readable.
- Opening the Loadout now also refreshes your Steam Item Store inventory, so a hat bought from the Steam store while the game is open shows up without visiting Unlockables first.
- The Unlockables screen no longer owns the reward grant. It only nudges the shared grant, so its behavior is unchanged for players.
HALLOWEEN
( REMINDER )
FREE (LIMITED TIME)
FREE for ALL players who login from NOW - November 2, 2026 .
>> GRAB IT NOW
TO UNLOCK
( HALLOWEEN 2026 )
Brand new Armor Skin Bundle (6x skins)
- Download the latest update (v10.0.16).
- Open "ORION: Prelude" via Steam.
- You'll see a pop-up appear automatically confirming you've been granted the Halloween 2026 Armor Skin Bundle.
WARNING:
After November 2, 2026 the Halloween 2026 will be a Premium Bundle -- so make sure to grab it and tell your friends to do the same .
ORION: PRELUDE
VERSION 10x
The new version of ORION: Prelude features massive revamps to core systems for an entirely improved game feel, graphics and performance.
- First-Person Gameplay 2.0
- Third-Person Gameplay 2.0
- Dinosaurs & AI 2.0
BUY @ STEAM:
DETAILS
ANNOUNCEMENT
CHANGELOG:
SCOPE & SCALE
WHAT IS THIS NEW UPDATE??
FROM THE 2026 Q&A:
SCOPE
When I decided to come back to ORION: Prelude there were a few core pillars that I was focused on in particular:
- FOUNDATION = FPS, TPS, Vehicles, Combat, AI. The stuff everything else sits on.
- COOPERATIVE = Large-Scale Action & Adventure.
- SYSTEMIC = Multiplayer, UI, AI, Combat, Content Pipeline. I needed to own the whole stack which means getting the project, files, backend and workflow into a state where fixes can ship quickly, content integrates and I am not blocked by any one thing.
SCALE
To set expectations honestly the first release will be smaller:
- The first release will ship likely with one game mode and one map
- It’s a new foundation built by me for you.
- It grows from there.
BASE DEFENSE CO-OP
SURVIVAL MODE
The first mode that has been revamped and introduced in the fan-favorite Survival game mode; otherwise known as BASE DEFENSE.
This is an objective-based game mode that has you protecting your Power Generator and Base against ever-increasing waves of Dinosaurs. Venture into the world and take over outposts, upgrade weapons/gear and unlock vehicles to achieve Victory .
ULTIMATE EDITION
LAST CHANCE
6x EXCLUSIVE SKINS
This has been extended until the end of the month.
This is your last chance to grab the Ultimate Edition DLC and the following perks:
- ALL 210 Progression Levels (70 per Class) are unlocked.
- ALL Starting Weapons are available via Loadout.
- ALL Store Items & Cosmetics across Hats, Sabres, Armor Shaders, Weapon Shaders & more.
ULTIMATE RESET (OPT-IN)
A brand new feature specifically for owners of the Ultimate Edition DLC is the Ultimate Reset. This is an opt-in feature where you can choose to reset your purchased progression aspects and level up manually. You will keep all of your unlocked Cosmetics and Store Items.
CEREMONIAL ARMOR BUNDLE
( SIX EXCLUSIVE SKINS )
- If you do choose to participate in the Ultimate Reset you will be instantly awarded 6 rare and exclusive armor skins, one for each hero across both generations.
- These are skins that will NOT be sold in the store or available elsewhere.
- You can choose to reset at ANY point now or in the future as long as you own Ultimate Edition DLC while it is still available.
// ULTIMATE RETIREMENT
The Ultimate Edition DLC was originally released over 10 years ago ( September 30, 2016 ) and will be retired with the official launch of the First Preview of ORION: Prelude v10x on October 25, 2026.
This is your absolute last chance to upgrade to Ultimate, unlock all of its perks and earn the Ceremonial Armor Bundle .
Read more:
BUY @ STEAM:
FEEDBACK SURVEY
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
There is a brand new Player Survey for the new version of ORION: Prelude.
https://forms.gle/GoVzAbU7rEbdM4tE7
Please take some time and share your feedback and thoughts via the Google Form:
- What you enjoy
- What you want to change
- What you want added
EARLY REACTIONS
Testing has been underway since October 1st.
Opening up via tiers such as Direct Supporters, Owners of Guardians of Orion & more. There have been daily patches for this process improving on reports coming and some of the early feedback from players on these early tests are shared below:
"The gun play in the current private version is frickin crazy"
"A frankly astonishing increase in visual fidelity far beyond what I'd remembered."
"We're literally talking about a 10-20% GPU usage increase for like a 200% graphics improvement"
"Smoothest the game has felt"
"Overall gameplay feels a lot smoother"
"To be honest, I know you said to play both for comparison, I played the new branch first because I wanted to judge the game based on whether it was good or not, irrespective of the original version, and now that I have both perspectives, I can say that this update is great"
"New menus are snappy AF"
"New Third Person is a universal upgrade"
"Mech feels good on tracks; good job on the update"
"Really appreciate this rework"
GAMEPLAY PREVIEW
[ Discord ]
The Discord is open to ALL fans of ORION, with a focus on poll voting, developer interaction and community.
Join today:
https://discord.gg/cY5XHC3
[ Patreon ]
The Patreon is a brand-new outlet for fans who want to support development, with unique rewards including being listed in the game credits, playing early, private Discord channel access and more. Many development updates are shared there, so if you want as much information as possible, take a look:
Support today:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/DANKIE
THE NEW ERA
ORION: Prelude is back in active development.
The goals are simple:
- A better game across gameplay and feel.
- A more optimized game across polish and performance.
- An open development process worth following along with.
This is all on an existing game that you may already own. Every update and quality-of-life improvement goes to existing owners for FREE.
FREE UPDATE
The new version of ORION: Prelude in development goes to existing owners for FREE.
PRICING MODEL
The price of ORION: Prelude is increasing on October 25, 2026 from $0.99 to $9.99.
The Ultimate Edition DLC will be retired on this day; unlocks will continue to work for existing owners.
NEW GAME(S)
New ORION project(s) are in development.
ORION: Prelude @ Steam
How To Help:
- Follow on Socials [YouTube] [TikTok]
- Join the Discord https://discord.gg/cY5XHC3
- Vote on Polls to provide feedback
- Share with your Friends
- Leave a Review on Prelude
This announcement was originally published by DANKIE on Steam on Oct 27, 2026.
Open the original on Steam