Enshrouded 1.0 is out: everything new and what it means for your server
Enshrouded 1.0 came out on Thursday 15 October 2026 on Steam and PS5, after more than two and a half years of Early Access. It adds the Cinder's Cradle biome in the north, a level cap of 50 with gear up to level 55, the Sparkworks logic system and a major rework of the mage with 9 new spells. Your skill tree is reset the first time you start the game. Existing worlds remain usable. For your Enshrouded dedicated server, it comes down to two things: make a backup first, then update to the latest version. That includes hotfix 1.0.0.2 from 16 October, which among other things fixes a server crash when fighting huge numbers of enemies.
Release, platforms and price: PC and PS5, no crossplay
The release was at 5 pm CEST. On Steam, Enshrouded has cost €39.99 since 8 September, with a 10% launch discount until 29 October (€35.99). The Deluxe Upgrade Pack, which includes an artbook and a world map, costs €9.99.
There's no crossplay at launch, and Keen can't say yet when it will come. Xbox wasn't part of the launch either. So only PC players on Steam can play on a dedicated server, with a maximum of 16 at once.
Bought it in Early Access? Then you get three props
If you already owned the game in Early Access, you don't have to buy it again. You get three decorative props that only Early Access players have: a statue over 4 metres tall, a book with the big "E" from the Early Access logo and a signal light. You claim them via "Redeem Add-Ons" in the escape menu. New players can't place them themselves, but an Early Access player can place them in their world.
Cinder's Cradle: lava below, floating islands above
The new biome lies in the north, beyond Veilwater Basin. Down below, lava flows through a barren wasteland, and above it is an area of floating islands. In size, it sits between Blackmire and Veilwater Basin, and it has 12 new Shroud Roots. There are 14 new enemy types, or 37 new enemies if you count the variants.
The existing map grew as well: new border regions, mainly in Springlands, Blackmire and Kindlewastes, with 6 extra Shroud Roots, and 2 new Hollow Halls. According to Keen, the story of Embervale is complete, "for now". Also new:
- Level 50, gear up to level 55. The final Flame level is 11.
- Flame Altars push back the Shroud from Flame level 11. You can lower that required level in the world settings.
- A new survivor, who specialises in Ancient knowledge and recipes, moves into your base.
Sparkworks: build your own traps, puzzles and arenas
Sparkworks is a logic system: first you craft new tools and interactive props. Then, in a 2D graph editor, you connect inputs to outputs: a lever or pressure plate opens a door or sets off a trap. Keen's examples include dungeons with traps, puzzles, enemy fights, parkour, arenas and escape rooms. Handy on a server: one of you builds a dungeon, the other tries to beat it.
With the new Airborne Architect skill, you can build while flying freely, and you can upgrade storage chests on the spot and give them a name. There is now a maximum number of factories per world, though according to Keen that limit is generous.
Mages and combat: 9 new spells and a heavy attack for wands
Enshrouded has no fixed classes, but the skill tree does have directions such as mage and assassin. In 1.0, the mage got most of the attention:
- 9 new spells: Mana Drain, Entangle, Pillar of Flames, Blizzard, Ball Lightning, three totems (fire, ice and shock) and Summon Hollow Skeleton.
- Eternal versions: 22 spells now have an Eternal version in tier 7 that doesn't use up charges. You can upgrade Eternal spells and arrows.
- Wands now have a heavy attack, plus the skills Aerial Wand Attack and Wand Evasion Attack.
- New skills such as Advanced Necromancy, Totem Mastery and Blast and Cast. The dagger skills are now in the assassin branch.
What happens to existing worlds and characters
The first time you start 1.0 with an existing save, your skill tree is reset, "hopefully for the last time" according to Keen. Custom key bindings are also back to their defaults.
Your Early Access saves remain usable. The game first makes a backup and then converts the save to a new, smaller format. Even so, Keen recommends starting over, because the world and the first hours of play have been improved considerably.
On a dedicated server, the world is stored on the server and your character on your own PC. Keen doesn't describe separately how the conversion works on a server, so start with your own backup. Hotfix 1.0.0.2 also fixed a crash when converting damaged characters; those are skipped for now until a follow-up fix.
Your Enshrouded dedicated server: backup, same version and hotfix 1.0.0.2
The dedicated server is a free Steam app (2278520) and only exists for Windows; Linux is "planned for later". That's why at MC-Node it runs via Proton in the game panel. Here's how to get it on 1.0:
- Stop the server and make a backup in the Backups tab. See making a backup.
- Start the server again. The Auto Update startup variable is on by default, so it fetches the latest version when it starts.
- Watch the console until
[Session] 'HostOnline' (up)!appears. Then you can connect.
Keep the server on the same version as your players' game; otherwise the server list shows a "version mismatch". The full step-by-step guide, including Validate for when the update gets stuck, is in Enshrouded 1.0 and your server.
If your server hasn't been restarted since the hotfix of 16 October, do it now. Among other things, hotfix 1.0.0.2 fixes "the server crashing when fighting a very large number of enemies". According to the Steam data, the server app itself was also updated that day. The user groups with their passwords work as before.
New server option: Automatic for the number of enemies
The setting for the number of enemies has a new Automatic option. With it, the game adjusts the number of enemies per fight to the size of your group. Every player actively playing nearby counts as "party"; someone building on the other side of the map doesn't count. The enemy damage slider has also been recalibrated to match the damage you actually take. So test any custom tweaks again.
Note: Keen hasn't documented yet what Automatic is called in enshrouded_server.json. For randomSpawnerAmount, the documentation still only lists Few, Normal, Many and Extreme. Don't guess, because the server won't start with invalid text. Check enshrouded_server_readme.txt in your server folder first. Individual values only work with gameSettingsPreset set to Custom. The existing options are covered in our guide to the server settings.
Performance and which plan you need
According to the changelog, 1.0 uses less memory for communication between server and client, puts less load on the CPU, and player controls respond better when the server is under heavy load.
Keen counts on about 4.4 GB at idle and at most 6 GB for the server process. Our measurements under Proton come in lower: 0.7 to 1.1 GB with few players. Our advice ranges from Amateur (2 GB, €3.00) for a duo to Explorer (8 GB, €12.00) for 11 to 16 players; Enshrouded doesn't need more than that. The breakdown per group size is in How much RAM does an Enshrouded server need? The CPU matters more than memory: Keen mentions 8 cores and 16 threads for 16 players. You'll find all plans for Enshrouded server hosting in the Enshrouded store, from €3.00 per month, cancel monthly and with DDoS protection.
When you don't need to do anything
If you play without a dedicated server, Steam updates the game for you. If your server has already been restarted with Auto Update on since the hotfix of 16 October, it's running the latest version. And you don't need a bigger plan just because it's now 1.0: first see how your server holds up.
Frequently asked questions
What's new in Enshrouded 1.0?
Enshrouded 1.0 came out on 15 October 2026 on Steam and PS5, with the Cinder's Cradle biome, level 50 (gear up to 55), the Sparkworks logic system and 9 new spells. Existing saves remain usable, but the skill tree is reset.
Do I have to buy Enshrouded again if I had it in Early Access?
No. If you bought Enshrouded in Early Access on PC, you don't have to buy 1.0 again, and you get three exclusive decorative props via Redeem Add-Ons in the escape menu. New buyers pay €39.99 on Steam, or €35.99 until 29 October.
Do I have to start over in Enshrouded 1.0?
No. Early Access saves remain usable: the game first makes a backup and then converts them to a new format. Your skill tree is reset, though. Keen still recommends starting over, because the world and the first hours of play have been improved considerably.
What is Sparkworks in Enshrouded?
Sparkworks is the logic system of 1.0. In a 2D editor, you connect inputs, such as a lever or pressure plate, to outputs, such as a door or trap. That way you build your own dungeons, puzzles, arenas and escape rooms.