Heyhey everyone, A few weeks on from our last Dev Log, and shortly before the festive period really gets going, we wanted to share another update with you on the status of Stampede: Racing Royale! It’s been an important period behind the scenes, so here’s an overview of what’s been going on. [b][h3]FULL SPEED AHEAD! [/h3][/b] Our development team at Sumo Leamington recently reached a key milestone, producing what we consider to be an ‘Alpha’ build of the Early Access version of Stampede: Racing Royale. A tonne of great work has gone into expanding the game with new features, adding more content and options, and optimising across the board. This is a big moment, but it’s also part of an ongoing journey. There is plenty more we can (and plan to!) do to improve on this Alpha version, to deliver the quality of game you expect. That work is taking place right now and will continue in the new year. We say this all the time, but it’s true so we’ll keep saying it – we couldn’t have reached this stage without the support of Steam Playtest players this year. Your feedback has helped shape Stampede already, so thank you once again. When Early Access begins in the first half of 2024, we’ll continue to listen and collaborate with you. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44237934/56f11cace1b8437593ec9c45053d1188aa84e60a.jpg[/img] [b][h3]THE NITTY-GRITTY [/h3][/b] There are many additions and changes we're working on from community requests, such as an end-of-event "podium scene" and other effects to capture the drama during celebrations. We're also adding some additional tips and explanations throughout to make sure it's always clear what you need to do! Also, after mentions of wanting more ways to play, we’ve shared a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/games/1851350/announcements/detail/3889483908321500342]first look at the Special Events mode coming to Stampede[/url]. Features like this, which give you more to engage with and achieve, are a big focus for us right now. We’ll keep you posted on more stuff like this through our channels, alongside a chunky set of patch notes once Early Access begins. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44237934/f3f5cec27d3fc173202ccd3e76db51521f546091.png[/img] On more technical topics, we’re also super busy squashing bugs and improving the gameplay some more. We’ve resolved some commonly-reported display issues, like the ‘roulette’ animation for power-ups not appearing at times, and a few lingering bugs when players partying up. [url=https://trello.com/b/araUgO5r/stampede-racing-royale-community-hot-topics]Our Trello board[/url], which shows the status of hot-topic issues reported by playtest players, is up to date – but if something you spotted during playtests isn’t mentioned there, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you. [b][h3]RACING INTO ’24[/h3][/b] Our crew will soon be taking some well-deserved downtime, returning in early January to continue working towards more milestones. Our Dev Logs will continue, as well as our feature deep dives and other content across our channels to keep you informed on our road to Early Access, coming in the first half of 2024. Have a fantastic festive period and see you in the new year!