Hello, Hunters!
CONVRGENCE 1.0 launches on September 17 - exactly one week from today. So in this dev diary, I’d like to talk about what leaving Early Access actually means, as well as what you should - and shouldn’t - expect from the full release.
The short answer is no. All your gear, weapons, unlocked hideout and vehicle upgrades, as well as all the money you’ve accumulated, will remain and carry over into 1.0. However, since the main quests are being significantly reworked, your mission progress and unlocked reputation levels will be reset.
So for returning players, moving to version 1.0 will be something of a “New Game+.” That said, I would still recommend starting completely from scratch to get the full experience.
I don’t think anyone would argue that the main quests during Early Access were fairly repetitive, not particularly interesting, and sometimes way too grindy.
The good news is that most of them were temporary. In version 1.0, quests will become much more varied, with significantly less grinding and fetch quests. Now, even if a quest asks you to find and bring back several cans of gunpowder, for example, there will be a story reason behind it, complete with voice-over.
Version 1.0 will finally introduce a complete story and a proper ending, followed by credits. A definitive point where you can confidently say: you’ve beaten the game.
However, I want to make one thing clear from the start: CONVRGENCE is still an extraction shooter rather than a story-driven game, so don’t expect an incredibly deep narrative.
The story is primarily there to tie the events of the game together, explore its world and lore in greater depth, make the experience smoother for newcomers, and give the entire journey a proper conclusion, rather than tell a deeply personal story like I did with Paradox of Hope.
That said, I’m happy with how the narrative turned out, especially a few unexpected twists and the consequences of your actions that you’ll get to see after the ending.
And yes, you’ll be able to keep playing after completing the story to finish any remaining side quests, fully upgrade everything you can, complete your weapon collection, and take care of other activities.
The main focus of the 1.0 update is turning the game into a complete, finished experience with a beginning and an ending. So you shouldn’t expect a huge amount of new content in this particular update.
However, returning players will still have plenty to do besides experiencing the story. For example, there will be new side activities during raids, achievement hunters will get a huge batch of new achievements, and you’ll have one more new piece to add to your weapon collection.
Yes, version 1.0 will add a new location to the game. But as I mentioned in the roadmap, this is specifically a location created for the game’s finale/ending, not a full-fledged raid map. I want to emphasize this again so there are no misunderstandings or inflated expectations.
Leaving Early Access means that the game is now a complete experience, with everything I originally set out to create - and even more - implemented.
For 1.0, I’ve done my best to fix every critical bug I’m aware of that could break progression, along with many other annoying issues. But it’s important to understand that the game has grown quite large, and unfortunately, it’s simply impossible for one person to fix absolutely every minor bug and rough edge.
Some of these issues are related to the technology the game is built on, which has become quite outdated over the years (the game’s technical foundation was inherited from Paradox of Hope, which I started developing all the way back in 2019). Others occasionally come courtesy of procedural generation.
Still, there’s no need to worry. Whatever minor issues remain certainly shouldn’t get in the way of enjoying the game.
Yes! I still have plenty of ideas for where to take the game next. At the very least, I’d like to release a couple more major updates. In one of them, I’d like to add a new raid location, and in another - something many of you have been asking for for quite a while ;) And overall, the game is designed in a way that I could, in theory, keep expanding it with new things almost indefinitely.
But I’ll be open with you: after all these years, I’ve grown a little tired of working on the game, especially when it comes to the technical side and the limitations of the engine it’s built on. I’d love to work on something new using modern technology. So how much new content CONVRGENCE receives after 1.0 will depend heavily on continued player interest.
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who supported the game throughout Early Access, and especially to those who believed in it right at the beginning, when the game was drowning in bugs and had about a third of the content it has today. It’s thanks to you that I’ve made it through this difficult journey from the starting line to the home stretch.
On behalf of the Chernokamensk Protective Perimeter Command - and from me personally - thank you!
See you in the Zone for the honorary awards ceremony on September 17!