Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition finally received a release date after a year-long delay. Developer Failbetter Games announced today that the definitive final update for the 2019 gothic horror RPG will launch on May 19. Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition will include all previously-released content, as well as new gameplay and story adjustments. Current Sunless Skies PC players will receive a free Sovereign Edition update, while new players can purchase the fully enhanced game.
According to the announcement, Failbetter made some major changes to Sunless Skies‘ starvation mechanics. “Captains will now find a range of increasingly dubious gastronomic options available to them as desperation grows,” the post read. The announcement didn’t reveal exactly what players will be able to eat. We’re kind of afraid to know.
On a less ominous note, the developer also switched up character progression, including additional options for shaping characters’ pasts. Even past the max level 20, players can still develop their characters’ skills. Additionally, Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition will include more trading options, another exotic engine, and “literally hundreds of bug fixes.”
A new Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition release date trailer showcased some of the game’s new facets and mechanics. Check out the video below.
A long time coming
For those who are unfamiliar, Sunless Skies is a top-down gothic horror adventure where players control a flying locomotive alongside several crew members. Players can choose to follow different narrative paths as they travel between worlds and fend off dangerous enemies. The game takes place 10 years after its predecessor, Sunless Sea.
Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition was previously announced in 2019. Failbetter initially anticipated an early 2020 release, but a series of delays pushed it to this spring. In the release date announcement, the developer cited “the considerable scope” of the update as the reason for its delay.
“It turned out to be pretty difficult to achieve the level of performance optimizations we wanted,” Failbetter said. “But all is now well, and we’re very glad to be able to share it with you.”
