Fields of Mistria now has a new Beta Branch available on Steam!
The “New Engine Beta Branch” features a version of Fields of Mistria (v0.16.0) that has been migrated to our own internal game engine. The goal of this migration is to improve game performance and eliminate silent crashes, as well as future-proofing development and facilitating future platform support.
To help us prepare for this transition, we’re looking for volunteers to opt into the New Engine Beta Branch to help us test the engine across a variety of systems and playstyles over the next few weeks.
Because this is an active beta, participants may encounter bugs, performance issues, crashes, or incompatibilities while testing. Your feedback will help us identify such issues and ensure stability before the new engine officially launches.
Thank you to everyone who chooses to help us test this engine migration! Your feedback and data will help us improve Fields of Mistria ahead of our upcoming 1.0 launch.
Please note that this migration is happening concurrently with content development for 1.0, and we do not anticipate that it will affect our planned launch timing. Keep your eyes on this space for additional exciting announcements coming very soon! 🐣
Please send your feedback on the New Engine Beta Branch via the following form:
Should I participate in the Beta?
The Beta Branch is intended for players who would like to help us test the new engine prior to its official release. Please note that participants may encounter bugs, crashes, or instability during testing. Your feedback during this period will actively help us to ensure the new engine is stable and bug-free ahead of its official release. If you’d prefer a more stable experience, we recommend staying on the “Main” branch.
Additionally, if you are a mod creator, we do recommend checking out the New Engine Beta Branch to familiarize yourself with the new file structure. All mods will need to be updated to maintain compatibility post-migration. We expect that with the move to the new engine, mods will be much easier to create and maintain!
How do I join the Beta?
Right-click Fields of Mistria in Steam and select “Properties” then navigate to “Game Versions & Betas” and select “New Engine Beta Branch”. The game will automatically update to the Beta Branch. You’ll know you’ve joined correctly when it says “New Engine Beta Branch” next to the Play button. The title screen of the game will also feature a “Beta” banner.
How do I leave the Beta?
To leave the Beta, right-click Fields of Mistria in Steam and select “Properties,” then navigate to “Game Versions & Betas” and select “Default Public Version” the game will revert to the main build of the game.
Do I need to start a new save?
No, your save data can be imported to the New Engine Beta Branch, and importing it will help in-engine migration testing.
What happens to my current save data if I join?
Current save data can be imported to the New Engine Beta Branch, but will NOT overwrite your save data on the Main Branch. This also means that progress made on the New Engine Beta Branch will not carry over to the current Main Branch, and any progress on your Main vs Beta saves will remain separate.
What does this mean for mods?
Mods that are installed for the current live Main Branch version of the game will not function on the New Engine Beta Branch. If you test on the Beta Branch and later switch back to the Main Branch, you will need to reinstall your mods manually.
While we’ve worked to preserve save compatibility as much as possible, modded saves may experience issues when moving between branches. We strongly recommend backing up your saves before participating in the Beta.
Is there any new content in the Beta?
No. The New Engine Beta Branch is focused on testing the new game engine and overall game stability. It does not contain new gameplay content. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements regarding the 1.0 content update.
How will this engine migration affect my “Main” saves after its official launch?
The engine migration will not affect your current Main Branch saves when the official engine update goes live.
Note: We recommend that mod users uninstall or update their mods before launching the game on the new engine. We’ve taken steps to minimize issues caused by mods during the migration process, but because mods can interact with save data in different ways, some players may still encounter unexpected behavior depending on their setup.
Why migrate to a new engine?
As Fields of Mistria has continued to grow throughout Early Access, the game has begun to outgrow its original engine. To deliver the best possible experience for players, we have been working hard behind the scenes to transition the game over to an internally developed engine.
The goal of this engine migration is to improve overall stability and performance, eliminate crashes, support a wider range of hardware configurations, and make future development smoother as the game continues to expand and we begin to explore porting to additional platforms. The new engine will also improve support for modding, making mods easier to create, update, and manage in the future.