Hey legends
A couple months ago we kicked off our very first Alpha playtest, and it was a huge milestone for the team. This was an early slice of the Macabre experience – raw in places, but full of the systems and ideas we've been quietly building behind the scenes. The goal was never to show a finished product – it was to open the doors early and start shaping this together.
What we got back was incredible. Your feedback was thoughtful, honest, and energising. It confirmed a lot of what we already had planned, surfaced things we needed to improve, and helped us sharpen the experience across the board. We can’t thank you enough for jumping in, sharing your thoughts, and being part of this journey.
Here’s what we’ve been cooking since the playtest.
Macabre is Evolving
Macabre is an apex predator – but that doesn’t mean it charges in without thinking. It now assesses each encounter based on your actions, your gear, and how much of a threat you pose. If it senses danger, it may hold back, reposition, or try to outmanoeuvre you rather than attacking head-on.
In the clip below, the player is holding a Liquid Barbecue, a high-threat item. Macabre sprints past at speed, screaming to intimidate, but carefully keeps its distance. It’s not retreating – it’s looking for another angle. Keeping it in your line of sight is key to staying alive. Lose track of it, and you might not see it again until it’s too late.
Watch on YouTube
This is just one example of the more complex, reactive behaviours we’re developing. The next iteration of the AI is focused on making Macabre feel more alive – less like a pattern to memorise, and more like something actively trying to outsmart you.
A Rift That Changes How You Play
We’ve expanded the world of Macabre in meaningful ways – not just to make it look better, but to change the way you play.
New map layouts, outpost configurations, and environmental variations now shift the flow of each session. You'll need to rethink your approach each time – where you move, where you hide, how you extract – because no two runs will feel the same.
On top of that, we’ve rebuilt the entire environment with more detail, improved lighting, and full support for dynamic weather and a day-to-night cycle. Rain, fog, or fading light can all affect visibility, tension, and how exposed you feel in the open.
Playing Together, Communicating Better
We’re continuing to evolve Macabre’s multiplayer experience, including work on the way players communicate and navigate the world together. Voice indicators, improved team visibility, and groundwork for non-verbal communication are all being developed.
We’ve also introduced the ability to late join matches – dropping into an active session as a spectator so you can watch your team, get a feel for the mission, and prepare to dive in properly next time.
Improved UI and Onboarding
We’ve been polishing up a lot of the early-game experience – particularly around how players understand objectives, interact with the world, and get the information they need without breaking immersion. Many of these systems were still early in the last build, and your feedback helped us fine-tune how and where players need more clarity.
We've made a range of interface and feedback improvements that will make your intentions clearer and your decisions more confident – without removing the tension of the unknown.
New Looks, New Legends
Alongside the new locations, we’ve been making big progress on art across the board. We’re currently finalising character skins, including the Hunter set and the new Fair Dinkum skin and Other Cosmetics exclusive to our amazing Patreon supporters. It’s been exciting to bring more visual personality into the game and we’re looking forward to showing even more in the next build.
Smoother, Faster, Less* Jank
We’ve made big strides in performance and stability since the last playtest. From faster navmesh generation to improved asset streaming and frame rates, the game is feeling much smoother across the board.
A major focus has been on scalability and optimisation, making sure Macabre runs well even on older hardware – so more players can jump in and have a great experience, no matter their setup.
There’s still more to do, but we’re already seeing strong gains – and your feedback has been a massive help in getting us here.
What’s Next?
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in our first Alpha – your feedback, time and support have been invaluable in helping shape where we go next.
Right now, we’re focused on implementing the next major round of features and improvements. A big part of that is evolving the Monster AI into more complex and reactive behaviours. We’re moving into new territory here, and that means a lot of internal testing, fine-tuning, and trial and error to get it feeling just right.
We’re keen to kick off the next playtest, but we also want to make sure it’s the right time. There’s no point rushing in before the features are ready – so while we’re aiming for later this month, we’ll confirm the exact date once we’re confident it’s ready to go.
Until Next Time
Thank you again to all our backers for your incredible support. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us via Discord or through Kickstarter messaging.
Thank you, and see you again soon!
Weforge Studio
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With over 5000 members and counting, our Discord server is the best place to connect with fellow backers, get the latest news, and share your thoughts on the game. You can also access the exclusive Alpha Rift, where we post development previews and discuss ideas with fellow Alpha Playtesters.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1794830/Macabre/
Playtests – Sign Up Now
We’re currently running alpha playtests with our Kickstarter backers, and we’ll be expanding access in the future.
Want to be among the first to play? Make sure you’ve wishlisted Macabre and signed up for public playtests on Steam!
