We know it’s been some time since our last update here. Since the launch of the Coming Soon page, development has been progressing steadily behind the scenes. We wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has wishlisted the game so far, and to let you know exactly what we’ve been working on since then.
This update will be covering four main parts:
A) Codebase Refactor & Optimization
B) Upcoming Demo Plans
C) Design Progress
D) What's Next
Right after launching the Coming Soon page, we made a decision that set the tone for the next few months of development: to refactor almost the entire codebase. It wasn’t glamorous work, and it meant putting content creation on pause for about three months, but it was absolutely necessary for the future of Fading Light.
The reason was simple: scalability. Fading Light is built on custom systems that are beautiful but demanding. Spark’s living fire, our stylized toon shading, physics-based animations like Noteo’s cloak, and particle-driven VFX all look great, but without careful optimization, they would have created serious performance issues. On top of that, we are planning some ambitious features like:
A heat calculation system that affects Spark’s health, enemy behavior, and environmental hazards.
Burnable objects and heat-following mobs that respond dynamically to Spark and environmental heat.
Spark’s decision-making AI, which allows him to act on his own, react to Noteo’s actions, and even choose his own dialogue lines along with his movements based on his momentary emotions and the context of the story.
All of this adds up to a heavy computational load, and we didn’t want performance to become a barrier for players.
So, we went deep into the foundations. The refactor wasn’t just a cleanup, it was nearly a full rewrite. We built custom libraries specifically tailored to the needs of Fading Light, redesigned how different systems communicate with each other, and rebuilt key mechanics with scalability in mind.
The result is a far more stable and optimized game. From the player’s perspective, this means:
Seamless exploration thanks to a lazy-loading system that keeps the world continuous without visible loading screens.
Smooth physics-based animations like Spark’s fire, Noteo’s cloak, and our particle VFX now run without draining performance.
Long-term stability, ensuring we can keep adding complex systems without risking slowdowns or instability.
It wasn’t easy, and it pushed back development in the short term, but it ensures that Fading Light can deliver on its vision and that it will be accessible even to players who don’t have high-end machines.
When it came to the demo, we had two choices: we could release something small with what we already had, or we could take on the harder path, building a vertical slice that truly reflects the vision of Fading Light. We chose the latter.
The reason is simple: a lightweight demo might have been enough for marketing, but it wouldn’t have shown what makes this game unique, or why we’re pouring so much into it. We didn’t want to release something that just “sells” the idea of Fading Light. We want to release something we can be proud of, a showcase of the game’s potential, not just a teaser.
That’s why the upcoming demo will be structured as a vertical slice. Instead of an early work-in-progress build, players will experience a 45–60 minute journey through a limited portion of one biome. It won’t contain every enemy, every mechanic, or the full story, but everything included will be pushed as close to final quality as we can get. The mechanics, systems, visuals, and emotional tone will be polished to give you a real sense of what the finished game is aiming for.
Our goal is for players to come away with both sides of the experience: the mechanical depth of the systems we’ve been building, and the emotional weight of Noteo and Spark’s journey together. It’s a small slice of the full game, but it will carry the essence of what we’re creating.
The demo is planned for early 2026, and while polish will never truly stop, we’re determined to make this first playable experience feel as complete and representative as possible.
Rewriting the codebase didn’t mean that development stopped in other areas. While the programmers were hard at work rebuilding the foundation, the design department kept pushing forward. Since the launch of the Coming Soon page, we’ve been preparing for the demo and steadily expanding the scope of what’s ready to show.
On top of that, our team itself grew. With the addition of three developers, another game artist, an animator, and a VFX artist, we’ve significantly improved our ability to refine and expand Fading Light. Thanks to this growth, we were able to refactor, polish, and add new elements to the game.
Here are some of the highlights:
Noteo Improvements: His design has been improved and his animations have been refined to feel heavier, smoother, and more in line with his character.
Visual Effects: Spark’s fire, environmental effects, and combat VFX have been upgraded for both clarity and atmosphere.
Enemy Designs: We completed designs for several of the demo creatures and they are in line to be integrated into the gameplay.
Map Progress: Large portions of the map for the demo are now designed and playable.
User Interface: The UI has been reworked for clarity and immersion.
Also, we improved the quality of sound effects and voice lines, making Spark and Noteo’s interactions more expressive even though it isn't possible to visually demonstrate in this update.
With the foundations rebuilt, the demo transformed into a vertical slice, and new designs shaping up across every part of the game, we’re now moving toward the next big milestone: the demo release. Our goal is to launch it in the first months of 2026.
We’re putting everything we can into making the demo feel as close as possible to the intended final quality of Fading Light. Nevertheless, polishing will never truly stop until the full release, and the demo is only one step along that journey. Still, when you play it, our hope is that you’ll feel the weight of the systems, the atmosphere, and the bond between Noteo and Spark in a way that represents what we are building.
We also want to take a moment to thank you. Your patience, your encouragement, and your wishlists mean more to us than we can say. This project is something we want to make worthy of your time, and your support keeps us grounded and motivated through every challenge. If you haven’t added Fading Light to your wishlist yet, we would be truly grateful if you did, it’s one of the best ways to help us as a small team.
Looking ahead, we’ll be preparing a new trailer that reflects all the massive changes the game has gone through, and we’ll also launch a dedicated demo page on Steam using the platform’s new demo feature. Alongside that, we’ll try our best to continue sharing updates, sneak peeks, and insights as we move toward the demo launch and beyond.
Once again, thank you for being here at the start of this journey with us!!!