I've been gathering your questions for the last few weeks across DM, Discord, Forums, Email & more. Today I want to answer as many questions as I possibly can for the 2026 edition of the ORION Q&A.
>> VIDEO CLIPS
All of the following media was taken from a single gameplay match on the in-development version of ORION: Prelude. This was a Solo Offline game with Teammate Bots enabled on Medium Difficulty.
This development is unique. I'm not asking the existing fanbase for anything and I'm not involving anyone else at this time. This is all just me. This was my personal choice purely out of passion for the project. Previously, developmentally speaking, I had to rely on the support from others both indirectly (product support) and directly (development support) to bring the project forward. That is not the case here. For Guardians of Orion in particular, a lot of that scale and scope were attached to crowdfunding campaigns or product success that simply wasn't met. In hindsight, I could have done a better job of clarifying what was confirmed and what wasn't. That's a learning lesson I had to go through and take away. Hopefully you can already see the differences in communication and development transparency should already start to feel better than it ever was. I don't want you to take my word for it. I want to show you through development (and actual game updates) that will speak for themselves.
New stuff IS in development. I touched on this a bit with the 25th Anniversary update last year: https://steamcommunity.com/games/104900/announcements/detail/509589459369460201 While working on that update I was going through a lot of old files to revisit those 25 years through all the data, files and archives. Even though the last time ORION: Prelude was updated was in 2015 (over a decade ago) I started to look at it from a new perspective:
I've been away from it for so long which gave me a fresh outlook.
I became really immersed into some of the original concepts.
I've learned A LOT in the last 10+ years.
Since 2017 my main focus has been R&D. Engines, software, technology, anything and everything in between. This led me on an interesting journey and I was able to help a lot of other people and projects that gave me additional perspective and time away from Orion. So when I returned, it was under this new lens. All of these new techniques, skills and research (much of it is engine-agnostic; meaning it could be integrated into engines and games even as old as ORION: Prelude) makes things possible that never were before. APPRECIATION
Celebrating 25 years of ORION as a concept and nearly 15 years of ORION: Prelude had me wanting to find a way to say thank you to everyone that ever helped support these projects. TECHNOLOGY
I am really into things like native rendering (no upscaling), wide platform support and the old engine will help ensure it runs great on all devices from lower end to higher end PCs and even handhelds like Steam Deck. INDUSTRIAL
Prices are getting a bit wild across games, components and hardware. New consoles look like they may be $1000+ or Lease-based and the idea of making something feel new that doesn't require players to acquire anything feels right. ERA
I am a huge fan of certain eras of games whether 1997-1999 (Quake 2, Half-Life, etc) or 2007-2011 (Skyrim, Gears of War, Halo 3, Left 4 Dead) and I am very fortunate to have my very own project from that era. The updates planned to modernize the feel/visuals mixed with this era of tech will be something quite special. I hope to cover these topics (and others) more in depth as development continues. The TL:DR version is:
There is a lot of potential that still remains in ORION: Prelude.
I've learned a lot that can be applied to ORION: Prelude.
I really love the era of tech/game.
It will run on everything.
It lets me continue to show my thanks to everyone that helped make it possible.
Mostly no. The gap between the two isn't just visual: animation systems, physics and content workflows differ enough between the engines that a lot of the work doesn't transfer cleanly. That was one of the known limitations of coming back to Prelude. Some things are more viable than others: static meshes and textures port far more easily than anything animation-driven. Where something fits, I'll use it. I've been sharing a lot of this research including the animation work being integrated across first-person and third-person, which has improved substantially: FPS v2:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/104900/announcements/detail/698771718397757653 Third Person v2:
https://steamcommunity.com/games/104900/announcements/detail/687513987435203534 That gap is also part of why I've been building separate technology for anything new, so those constraints don't follow me around forever.
It's in active research right now actually. I can't promise it at this time as research sometimes pans out and sometimes doesn't. Nothing to share yet. If it firms up, you'll hear about it.
After running ORION: Prelude and Guardians of Orion back-to-back, I needed a break. Both projects were all-consuming and while I loved them and learned an enormous amount, I needed to go do something else. In the end this was good for ORION as fresh eyes matter. After shipping Guardians of Orion (Phase 2) in 2021 I explored the industry and helped a variety of teams and projects across Mobile, AAA, VR & more. My favorite highlight was getting to work with the Halo team as it was a dream come true and the series that got me into games in the first place. Since then my focus has largely been across pure Research + Development:
Programming, game design, lighting, cinematics, level and world building, platforms, ports, technology, game engines and creative direction. Some for myself, some for others.
PRESENT DAY
That last stretch is a big part of why I came back. Most of what I worked on is engine-agnostic, which means it's directly applicable here. The gap between what I can build now and what I could build in 2015 is significant enough that I'd rather show it in updates and videos than try to describe it.
Since stepping away I've spent years working with other teams and learning things I didn't know back then. I don't really see games get developed and shared the way they were when I was growing up. I remember buying EVERY magazine, book, watching every VidDoc and interview for games like the original Halo trilogy. I feel like games are more or less shadow dropped rather than shared deeply. I was so impressioned by that open process. I feel like I can do that in addition to the direct work on any new projects and I believe others have been missing it as well.
Yes, some I knew going in and I'm certain there are others I'll discover and work through as I go. The tech is old. Prelude is built on 32-bit, DX9, forward rendering, with Scaleform-based menus. Some of that I can modernize (the menu system is being rebuilt from the ground up) and some I have to work with. There are other constraints too: physics, animations, content workflows compared to newer technology and content on a technical level. I'm not a 3D artist. I don't make characters or weapons myself; that's always been the work of other artists and it still is. It's just me. One person, alongside other obligations. That's the hard ceiling on how fast things move and how much fits in any given release.
Yes, in specific places with clear limits: Coding: I use AI code assistants for productivity and for a second perspective. I didn't write the original game's code so this helps me understand an existing codebase faster and more thoroughly while I work on it. Visual Assets: Every texture and art asset in the game originates from hand-crafted work, largely the original game's own assets. AI tools only process that existing art: upscaling to modern resolutions, deriving RGB masks, expanding established iconography and similar cleanup. Localization: The original game shipped in English-only and proper multi-language support wasn't really possible due to the original game menu architecture. AI would produce a first-draft translation, but no language ships on a machine draft alone. Every string would be reviewed by community volunteers from that region before release and I'll be asking for help on a per-language basis if any other languages are targeted. Beyond that any other usage will be evaluated as needed. To be clear: these efficiencies are a large part of why I can approach this project solo alongside my other obligations. Every use has to clear my own bar for a polished, faithful result and I believe you'll feel that in the first release compared to the original.
Something like that happened and as director of the project the responsibility for it is mine. It wasn't something I did personally but it came from people I'd brought onto the team. I hired them and I was accountable for what shipped under my name. Once I found out, I handled it on both the development and business sides. The people responsible were removed from the project. I reached out to the affected parties directly, and every one of those conversations ended amicably. There was no litigation and nothing left outstanding. What it changed permanently is how I recruit and how I develop to avoid it going forward. The upside of when you fall down and pick yourself back up is you’re usually a bit wiser.
That claim traces back to a forum post saying I was going to sue fans. That post didn't come from me, my account was compromised. It’s just words against words so I’d suggest looking at directly observable actions over a long period of time. ORION: Prelude sold for around a dollar and received free updates for years, including two full-scale relaunches that existing owners never paid a cent for. When crowdfunding campaigns for the project failed and no money changed hands, I sent backers their rewards anyway. There was no obligation to do that. There was no money received to do it with. I don't think someone who spent years giving away work on a $1 game was simultaneously planning to sue the people playing it. Ten-plus years later, I'm here doing the same thing again which is the only real answer I've got. Fortunately after all this time there have been enough examples to demonstrate my commitment to both the games and the fans of them.
The 4GB patch raises the ceiling but doesn't remove the problem it seems on latest of Win10 and Win11. Some of this is genuinely not fixable in the original build as far as I can currently tell. For context on the underlying issue is that the game is a 32-bit executable from an era when that was fine and modern Windows handles memory layout differently enough that even patched it can run out of usable address space in ways that are hard to predict. For the original version of the game, on a modern system + OS the best way to play Conquest seems to be with Tundra (not Plains) with all that in mind. The good news is the new work is built with these constraints in mind.
That’s incorrect; any dev who contributed to the products were paid for their work on the original games and this new development is just one developer (me) as a passion project for both the game and the fans.
Art is the one thing I don't do myself. I handle basically everything else these days. That means finding, trusting, and hiring people to produce the art assets and the outcome of the project rests on those calls. The vast majority of the time it went well. Hundreds of assets got made properly by talented people who did exactly what they said they'd do, but nobody writes a forum post about that. What gets remembered is the handful of times someone I hired didn't hold up their end and since I chose them, that lands on me too.
The line I'm holding to: everything that improves the game you already own is free. Polish, performance, quality of life, fixes and the majority of updates. Cosmetics are the one thing that are separate which is the same as the original store items: armor shaders, weapon shaders, saber colors. There are all optional, nothing gated behind them.
That is fair, there are three separate anniversaries in play which is genuinely confusing. Here's the breakdown: The Concept (August 25, 2000)
This is when ORION was first announced publicly: dinosaurs, jetpacks, and mechs, originally as a mod built on Valve's GoldSRC and Source engines. That's the origin point for everything that followed. Its 25th anniversary was August 25, 2025. ORION: Prelude (May 4, 2012)
It launched as ORION: Dino Beatdown and evolved through years of free updates into what's now Prelude. I count May 4 as the game's birthday regardless of what it was called at the time. Its last major release landed on August 25, 2014 and that was deliberately on the concept's anniversary / coincidentally sharing the date. Guardians of Orion (December 1, 2015)
Its 10th anniversary was December 1, 2025. Additional information is available in this recent ORION Anniversary Update:
Over time I didn't like how I went about that. These days I have a lot of respect for what No Man's Sky did and they put in years of work supporting both their game and community and it paid off not only for them but the industry at large as another example of what is possible. As for Star Citizen or anything else, it's not my place to tell people how to spend their money or how anyone else should run their project. My focus is on my own work and doing the best I can for my games and community.
Each name signaled a genuinely different game. It is worth noting that the project was originally announced as ORION: Prelude and built around PvP. We had to pivot before release to get something out sooner and that became ORION: Dino Beatdown. ORION: Dino Beatdown (2012)
= The debut, large-scale objective co-op. ORION: Dino Horde (2013)
= PvP, customization, achievements. ORION: Prelude (2014)
= where it finally became what I had in mind (and then some) featuring playable dinosaurs, open world gameplay. So the name came back around to the original by the time the game caught up to the plan and every one of those massive updates was free to existing owners.
To be honest, I am currently at (beyond) capacity with committing to ORION: Prelude again and it was a choice between both Legacy Products. The choice did land on ORION: Prelude for a multitude of reasons but I would be lying if I said I hadn't taken a look at the Guardians project on a research or technical level. It just wouldn't happen while I am working on Prelude (+other) as it just wouldn't be possible and there are currently no plans at the time of this message.
I've been thinking about this a lot. I don't have anything to share and I am not ready to commit to where that additional Lore will debut, but I am leaning towards new projects and technology where I can do a lot more with it rather than in ORION: Prelude.
No, the original 2015 build will remain as is, preserved in its original state with warts and all. That being said, I am looking to resolve as many issues as possible that were inherited from that build so please feel free to report them as they still benefit development overall.
Yes. Existing cosmetics will carry forward in the new version.
Yes, absolutely. The best place for them is the ORION Discord in #prelude-requests.
Worth knowing what my focus is so you know what's realistic: I'm updating the fundamentals (FPS, TPS, combat feel) while keeping the game's content largely as it is. The goal is the game you know, made better, rather than a different game. Some examples I've seen players request include things I've already completed both research and development on, such as the Ultra-Wide monitor support. This required entirely new menu systems to be developed to even make that work possible; quite substantial but rewarding work. If an idea exceeds what I have in mind for Prelude that doesn't make it a bad idea; I've got other projects it could land in.
Yes, in fact you should see some of this in the First Preview. Additional behaviors, animation details and overall quality.
This is part of one of the known limitations coming back into development on ORION: Prelude, specifically the old Scaleform/Flash menus. The good news is that I have started the process of remaking all of the menus (I really wish someone told me how many menus this game truly has…. 🫠) and once this process is done it’ll unlock a lot of opportunities that I am excited about such as potentially exactly this. No specifics on the store or cosmetics at this time.
The high level concept of it; The Sandbox. High octane chaos action adventure sandbox with co-operative gameplay and objectives mixed in. It’s just so much fun to work in; always was and always will be.
Not in the initial release, that much I can confirm. Prelude isn't short on weapons or content and the better use of my time right now is making what's already there feel substantially better across the board. This was a lot of the effort behind the work I'm doing across the first-person and third-person module.
The old content workflows are also genuinely slow compared to modern tooling. New assets cost more time here than they would elsewhere. That's just one factor; the main reason is priority rather than difficulty.
While I don't want to specify much just yet, I am pretty adamant on trying to get the Ankylosaur in at some point as it's the most requested Dinosaur. Overall possibility depends on how the technical side goes through research and development; but it's the one I most want to land. I'll keep you posted.
Nothing to announce today, but if there are I will share that directly.
Everything I'm doing goes to existing owners at no additional cost. That said, this has come up enough times now so I'll put together some optional ways for people who want to support development further. Nothing gated behind it, nothing anyone needs to buy; just an option for those asking.
No, it will remain as ORION: Prelude. I am simply looking to improve what's already there in addition to some nice new touches I'll be sharing as development proceeds. The goal is to make it easier, better and more fun to play for you and your friends.
Yes. I am personally an Ultrawide user so I will also enjoy this quite a bit. I am currently in the process of remaking every single menu with a new backend that will allow for things just like this.
Yes, the bots will be improved. In fact this is some of the research and work I’ve already completed to a degree and I am very excited to dive into this a bit more in a focused update. This will most likely come across multiple updates with the first round focused on core intelligence. The second round would be focused more on objectives (like the Generator).
Yes. The weapon-side improvements are substantial but that's only half the relationship. How the weapon feels to fire means very little if what's on the receiving end doesn't sell the hit. So that's being worked on alongside it: hit reactions, impact effects, audio, flinch, vfx, decals and more are all under research or integration. Some of it will be in the First Preview.
I am in the process of revisiting and remaking the entire UI/UX menu system to have a better foundation for future updates. The First Preview that will debut will have a single mode and map but this will continue to grow with more and more. If there is a certain style you’d like me to have perspective on please feel free to contact me via Discord.
There's nothing to buy, everything I'm doing goes to existing owners of a 10+ year old game for FREE. I don't know what the scam would even be, especially with providing nearly a quarter-year notice for the price change increase.
The original version also isn't going anywhere. 250+ achievements, dozens of weapons and gear, 15 game modes and everything else that shipped over years of FREE updates during the original development cycle. That's all still there and still yours.
Yes. Both ORION: Prelude (2015) and even ORION: Dino Beatdown (2012) will be permanently available courtesy of Steam Branches for game preservation purposes. You can still fully enjoy the original game as it always was and will be.
Yes. This is a big personal goal for me. I absolutely love my Steam Deck and I love doing optimization work to make the game run better and better on lower end hardware. I am in the process of redoing the entire menu system to modernize it and do things that better support Steam Deck as development continues.
I’ve seen this request come up a few times. It’s definitely on my target list, not confirmed but one of MANY reasons I chose to take on the work to re-do the entire UI/UX menu interface was that it opens up more options like this.
They will have these reflex sights for the First Preview. Let me know what you think when you get a chance to use them and I believe those weapons feel improved from where they originally were.
10-player Conquest sounds like a small tweak ("just raise the cap") but it actually runs straight into the limitations of this engine and this project's age. More players means:
More projectiles
More cosmetics
More of everything being tracked at once.
More dinosaurs on top of that means:
More pathfinding + navmesh load
More geometry and textures,
More lighting/shadow work.
Conquest is already the mode that gives me the most trouble for memory and allocation AND on maps that are already the heaviest in the game. It's unfortunately not as simple as just increase the player count, its a fairly radical change that would compound across every system in the worst place to do that. My focus is on even getting Conquest (as it was) just working on modern systems without that extra weight. With that in mind, it isn't something I'd explore on this project. But the underlying desire (bigger battles, more vehicles, denser hordes) is definitely noted and it just needs to be the right goal on the right foundation.
Maps are being updated on a per-map basis. This includes general quality and overall lighting. The bigger goal right now is parity: bringing as much original content and maps forward with a new coat of paint as the baseline, rather than reworking layouts of the original content.
No, and that's deliberate. It runs counter to most of why I picked this project up in the first place. The old engine is the point. It's native rendering with no upscaling, it runs well on basically anything from low-end PCs to Steam Deck and I can push it further than it's ever been pushed. A UE5 port would mean rebuilding a decade-old game from scratch, which is a different project entirely. I enjoy this engine and working within its constraints is a large part of what makes this interesting to me.
This is a passion project for me personally. It was my choice to return and mine alone. It is just me.
The meeting was:
Me1: "Do you want to do this?"
Me2: "Yes, absolutely."
~ Motion carried.
ORION: Prelude grew across years of free updates from 3 maps, 1 mode and 3 dinosaurs to many maps, 15 game modes, 10 dinosaurs, 250+ achievements and more. Guardians of Orion started as a top-down co-op game and became an FPS/third-person/top-down hybrid with additional heroes, dinosaurs, and whole systems such as loot, crafting, inventory and a social hub. The most recent update for Guardians in 2021 converted the multiplayer architecture to player-hosted for preservation, cut file size from 20GB to 10GB, and substantially improved load and boot times. That was years after development had wrapped and also free. Every game reaches a point where its development life cycle is complete whether it’s technology, design, business or industry conditions. That's not the same as abandonment. Both games were around a dollar for most of their lives and received years of free content on top. So the exact opposite is actually happening, support is continuing (again) on one of my old games and asking for nothing from the existing fan base all-the-same.
The Store from the Original game was added in 2013, about a year after the initial release in 2012. It is purely cosmetic in that it doesn't affect gameplay, just your style and customization options. This store has remained the same for nearly 14 years as of this post. Beyond that we have additional tools and settings for players which allows for completely disabling this aspect of the game via game settings. You can turn them ALL off (hats, capes, shaders, emotes) OR even one by one if you like something in particular. This is true for the original game and it will hold true for the new version with additional options if/when added such as even hiding the Store option from the menu all-together.
I have a few things that I carry with me to this day:
Trust, but slower.
Under promise and over-deliver.
Communicate clearly.
Adapt faster.
Keep learning.
Sure, I just added it for you. It will be part of the First Preview that is currently in development.
Let me know if anything looks off at that ratio when you get your hands on it; (super) ultrawide always has a few corners that need finding and I don’t personally have 32:9 (just 21:9).
ORION as a public showcase dates to August 25, 2000. That's the first public reveal, but it started earlier than that as private concept work and research on my end going back to 1998. It was originally called "Incoming" through most of the modding years and became “Orion” around 2007. Three notable versions: Incoming
(2000–2004)
Built on the GoldSRC engine. This established the pillars that are still here: sci-fi marines, vehicles and Dinosaurs. Incoming: Source
(2004–2007)
The same concept carried onto newer tech (Source Engine) and still built around vehicles, dinosaurs and sci-fi FPS combat. Orion: Source
(2008–2010)
This is the version that actually shipped publicly. Much more focused by design including class abilities, objective-based gameplay and core FPS fundamentals. On how it did: quite well for the time. It got press coverage, spent a stretch hosted on PlanetHalfLife (a big deal back then) and tracked around 100k downloads across the sites that counted such things. That's what led directly to building ORION: Prelude as a standalone game. Was I satisfied?
Yes, very much overall but the one thing that bugged me was that it didn’t feature two of the original pillars which were Vehicles and Dinosaurs. That is where the concept for a standalone game came about, which became ORION: Prelude.
Mostly structure. With the right mix of talent, technology and direction. In addition to this Steam allows me to ship directly and push out updates the same week a decision is made in some cases. This allows iteration to remain tight and momentum compounds with that. Every update teaches you something and you can develop a rhythm between ideas, player feedback and project direction. That's hard to sustain and easy to break. Freelancer content arriving late (or worse) or research on a system not panning out could stall a whole chain of work and that has happened.
Short answer: probably not by changing the requirements themselves. I've been working hard on achieving parity with the original across modes, maps and content. One one of the many big reasons is specifically so I don't have to modify achievements. I don't want to affect anyone's previous accomplishments. That took a while to get working. I honestly wasn't sure for a bit if I'd even be able to so that is very good news. There's one outlier left to solve (Conquest, due to 32-bit limitations), though I have a Plan A and Plan B for that. What I am interested in is fixing achievement logic so everything works as described, and clearing any bugs in them that are reported and that I can reproduce. Regarding grind: I don't want to modify previous accomplishments. I understand some achievements and modes are more difficult to unlock without setting up in advance; however I believe features like better bot support would make them far more approachable and without changing a single achievement. That's the direction I'd rather explore first. The good news is that I've done some research and development on teammate bots already and that will be available in the First Preview. This includes their intelligence and capability which I'll be diving into their own development update; but currently they do not have additional mode support. That would be a separate research and development beyond their core systems and not confirmed at the time of this FAQ.
I am currently thinking about this but nothing to share at the time of this FAQ.
The original game had a Creator SDK but it had issues that were never able to be solved a decade ago. I want to directly look at this and see what I can figure out as I’d love to see this implemented properly. Once I can share more on this I will.
Probably not. Engine limitations around content workflows and animation make new factions a heavy lift here. The spirit of this project is keeping Prelude close to what it is while improving the fundamentals across gameplay, feel, performance. New factions are the kind of thing better suited to newer tech. Prelude's strength is that it already knows what it is; I'd rather sharpen that than bolt things onto it.
This is something that can be considered but nothing to share at the time of this FAQ.
This is an interesting request. I'll reserve this answer to see how players feel about the brand new third-person module that I just recently completed and take it from there. There are also new projects with much newer technology and capability across systems such as cameras or animations which may prove a better fit.
No, not at this time. A lot of work went into achieving parity with the original specifically so I wouldn't have to touch the achievement list. Adding new ones would knock anyone at 100% back to incomplete and after the time people have put into that list; I'd rather not. What I am doing is improving descriptions and fixing logic bugs where achievements don't work as described. One I found while testing as an example:
[ Not Bad ]
"Complete 25 Mission Objectives"
= unlocks at 10
[ Bravo! ]
"Complete 10 Mission Objectives"
= unlocks at 25
They're swapped; that's the kind of thing I'm fixing. If you find any issues with reproduction steps please reach out. New achievements are something I'd rather explore on new projects where nobody's completion gets disturbed.
Yes.
The Ultimate Edition DLC will be retired and removed from sale when the base game price change takes effect on October 25, 2026. If you already own it, nothing changes. It stays fully functional and you keep everything it unlocks.
The original had two vehicle control schemes:
Follow Mouse
= steering via mouse movement (the default, and what you're remembering)
Strafe Movement
= directional input instead
You could always switch in the gameplay settings; it just wasn't obvious. Both will carry over to the new version so you can use vehicles however you prefer.
Both will also benefit from the vehicle system updates at large where it will feel better to drive around regardless of input method.
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.
Co-op
= Large-Scale Action & Adventure.
Systemic Control
= 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.
For the most part, it is looking like yes. There are a couple of elements that need additional research and once I know more here I will share more.
If you already own ORION: Prelude this doesn't affect you at all. Everything I'm building goes to existing owners for FREE. The new price is for people buying it going forward. As for why $10: it's still a very low price for what the game is let alone what it's becoming. 15 game modes, 250+ achievements and now a full modernization pass on top. A dollar hasn't reflected what's in there for a long time. Practically: the price is also what makes the work possible. It lets me carve out real time for this project alongside everything else. There's a platform side too: storefronts don't meaningfully surface dollar games, so the old price was quietly working against the game finding new players. This matters when you want lobbies to fill. Short version: the people who supported this game for years pay nothing and the price now matches what the game actually is.
Yes, this feature has been added for the new version in development and will be available in the First Preview. The spawning system has received improvements including gates that help address this old issue.
Sure, I've just added that for you. It will be in the First Preview.
Sure, I've added that for you. In the new settings menu a Monitor row appears when Windows reports more than one monitor; "Primary Monitor" is always Monitor 1. *Exclusive Fullscreen stays on the Primary Monitor.
This is a limitation to DX9 and the risk is too high to try and resolve it on this game/tech. ~ You can set what Monitor you want (if multiple are detected) without issue when using Windowed and Borderless Window. The new tech (for new titles) should be able to go further without risks.
It is a fair question and the Android comparison is a useful one because it shows why this case is different. That app was almost certainly managed code; AKA bytecode where the runtime handles pointer width for you so a recompile really can be most of the work. On the other hand, ORION: Prelude is native C++ compiled against 32-bit assumptions. Those assumptions are baked into things like pointer arithmetic, struct layouts and serialized data formats. The bigger wall is dependencies:
Every plugin, DLL and piece of middleware also needs a 64-bit build. Anything from that era where the vendor is gone and/or there's no source is a hard stop. It doesn't matter how clean my own code is if something it relies on only exists as a 32-bit binary from eons ago. So not impossible potentially, but it's a real project rather than a recompile in this instance.
No. Graphics are one part of it. The core FPS and third-person modules are being rebuilt, combat feel is a major focus and the entire menu system has been redone from the ground up. There's also new work across systems, mechanics and more. The visual pass is the most immediately visible part, but it isn't the point; just a nice-to-have.
A bit of both. Some things are genuinely remastered such as various textures, lighting and animation. Some are updated, like the core FPS and third-person modules. Others are new, like ultrawide support and the rebuilt menu system. I've avoided calling it a remaster because that implies a visual pass on a finished game and there's more going on than that. Remasters tend to be something you buy again and this is FREE for all existing owners.
No, not for the core game. Everything in this update releases FREE to all existing owners. The only paid content is what's already existed across Ultimate Edition DLC (being removed October 25, 2026) and cosmetics, which are purely visual and don't affect gameplay. If anything changes I'd share that publicly.
There are already cosmetics in the game from the Dino Horde update (2013) including armor shaders, weapon shaders, capes, sabre colors, hats and more. I don't have anything to share about new cosmetics at the time of this update because I don't currently have plans for that. If that changes I'll post it publicly.
Branches refer to Steam Branches which can be accessed via Properties on a game in your Steam Library. This lets you swap to different versions and builds that a developer enables for you. I've enabled a 2012 edition ("Dino Beatdown") and a 2015 edition will always remain ("Original Prelude"). This new update in development will at first be available via a Steam Branch that you'll select. Once that version is deemed ready it will replace the "Default" branch and simply open automatically for users unless they opt into a separate branch manually as described. You can view Steam Branches of games that support this by:
Open your Steam Library
Right-Click the Game ("ORION: Prelude")
Select the 4th category called "Game Versions & Betas"
An available list of versions will be presented that you can swap to (and download).
INCOMING was never publicly playable. It was development work that got showcased rather than released. The first playable version the public got was the ORION: Source Multiplayer Beta in 2009. Beyond that mod ORION: Prelude and Guardians of Orion are the two products that exist; both of which had various updates over years of development.
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.
I prefer them. I build for players, not press. Players are the ones spending their money, joining the community and in some cases putting hundreds or even thousands of hours into these games. They're who I hold myself accountable to.
For me it is less about a set amount of time and more based around a specific set of work. The fundamentals are the priority. I want the game to feel, play and perform better. After that, modernization where it makes sense. All of this together while keeping parity so that nothing gets radically changed. Beyond that bug fixes, polish and working through reports I receive (and can reproduce) that I don't catch myself.
Not at this time. Roadmaps are promises and I'd rather under-promise and show finished work than publish a list of things that might not survive research. That's a lesson from last time. What I will keep doing is sharing progress as it happens on Discord and Steam. You'll see what's being worked on, just not a schedule for it.
Most importantly: the version you know and love will always be available thanks to Steam Branches. You can swap over to the branch titled "prelude2015" and enjoy the game as you've always known it. Regarding the new updates in particular: That is not my intention. I want to keep the spirit of why people love ORION: Prelude but improve the fundamentals. If anything I want it to feel more like itself, not less.
That was under consideration, yes. Since then I've made a lot of progress including the high-level parity I needed. Progression is now looking like it'll be there from the start, with your existing levels and unlocks intact. I've also decided against building a new progression system for Prelude now that parity is achieved. Any radical rethinking gets saved for separate projects rather than disturbing what's already here.
My goal is simply making the game better, near term and long term. Rather than chasing concurrent player counts, I'm focused on you being able to have fun and play how you want. That's where things like better bot support and ultrawide come in. It is also why I'm looking into features like split-screen, though that one's still research and not confirmed as of this post. I want you to get as much fun out of ORION: Prelude as possible regardless of who else happens to be online at any given time. Whether that's playing alone via Solo or together with Friends.
Yes. Early enough that I can't say much about any. Research might not pan out, development might not work and until something's public it can still go either way. That's deliberate. I'd rather stay quiet and announce when I am ready to.
Both, different kinds of excitement. Prelude is the more challenging one as it's based on existing code I didn't write, older architecture and a bar to clear on keeping the game both what people already know, nostalgic aspects and genuine improvements on top of it. That constraint is part of the appeal as I do love a good challenge and making something old do things it was never meant to do is a fun problem to tackle. A new project is smoother by nature since it's built from the ground up and I am genuinely excited to share more on both the new technology and project(s).
Nothing to share yet. It will debut as a First Preview Development is going nicely and I'm getting closer.
The honest complication with working on an existing project is that for every single thing I set out to do I uncover ten more that need fixing. Not things I've broken but things that were already there and had never been found. So this process unearths a lot of things that I am choosing to clean up rather than let remain. That adds time, but it also means the result is a genuinely cleaned-up product rather than just the remastered and revamped parts I set out to do.
Yes:
Join the Discord
https://discord.gg/cY5XHC3
Vote on Polls to provide feedback
Share with your Friends
Leave a Review on Prelude
Additional previews
Dev interaction
Poll voting
Early testing opportunities
& more
TikTok:
http://tiktok.com/@dankie.dev
Twitter:
https://x.com/dankiedev
YouTube:
ORION: Prelude @ Steam:
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.
FREE FOR EXISTING OWNERS
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.
PRICING UPDATE
The price for ORION: Prelude is increasing on October 25, 2026 from $0.99 for the base game to $9.99 for new owners. If you've been sitting on this one, the window before October 25th is the cheapest it will ever be. The Ultimate Edition DLC will be retired and removed from sale when the base game price change takes effect on October 25, 2026. If you already own it, nothing changes. It stays fully functional and you keep everything it unlocks.
NEW GAMES
[ There are also new ORION projects in development ]
With Love,
PRAZ