Fixed underlying issue where lookups to gun positions were using the wrong data and showing wonky sometimes.
Fixed bug where held items were not activating properly.
Fixed bug where investigator office label's weren't showing on clients
Fixed bug where torch light wouldn't replicate
Added timer check for exiting sarcophagus to hopefully prevent getting stuck
Changes
Disabled team/character selection in lobby while map selection is open
v2.2 - Performance Overhaul: Shaders
Faster Load, Better Frame Rate, Fewer Surprises
The biggest change: Dirge now compiles shaders at load instead of during gameplay. That means smoother gameplay and fewer frame hitches.
This is a long needed maintenance update. We're actively working our next title but needed to tend to some performance issues in Dirge. We’ve overhauled shader compiling, improved lighting and mobility settings across all maps, and cleaned up systems ranging from foot IK to flashlight aim. You should generally seen 10-20% improvement in frame rate on low and medium settings as well.
Performance Optimizations
Added PSO (Pipeline State Object) Collection System — Most shaders now compile before gameplay, which should greatly reduce hitches.
Reworked Simulated Tick Manager to optimize cloth physics and animation LODs.
Static armors now converted into static meshes and no longer tick.
Rebuilt flashlight sapping logic in C++ removed collision-based cones in favor for C++ math.
Foot IK system rewritten in C++ for better performance.
Converted sway system logic to C++ and added proximity checks to only tick nearby.
Converted skeletal meshes to static where possible (e.g., armors, desks, props).
Reworked almost every static mesh for LODs.
Enabled Nanite on high-poly meshes.
Improved lightmap resolutions and set proper mobility flags on hundreds of assets.
Optimized tick usage across AI, weapons, HUD elements, and spawners.
Cached common class comparisons in C++ to avoid blueprint performance issues.
Switched ammo and weapon data systems to lazy-load references.
Set custom chimney, fixed attic ceiling size, and adjusted mesh lightmaps.
Rebuilt Hillview leaves using Niagara sprites for better performance.
Moved car collision boxes to destroy on travel to save on overlap cost.
Added async variant for actor loading to reduce spikes.
Disabled tick on furniture and unused props in all maps.
Downscaled and cleaned up texture settings for curtains, props, and small objects.
Updated HUD widgets to use conditional logic instead of continuous tick.
Spawner actors now have no collisions and use soft filters.
Converted dozens of standalone blueprints into merged or static versions.
Additions
Added Wakefield alley lighting for better visibility.
Added new cutscene upon completion of tutorial (Thanks Leandro Cazo).
Changes
Replaced low poly assets (e.g., safe mesh, deer head, medical skeleton) with better quality assets. (Thanks Evan Tarrio)
Fixed flashlight aim to better align with the crosshair (Thanks Kenneth for the suggestion!)
Light switches no longer control lights if those lights are fully static. (Thanks Kenneth for the suggestion!)
Added crouch transitions and backward movement animations to Revenant.
Fixes
Ethereal creatures now use correct collision — can be sapped without camera glitches.
Fixed idle animation bug that blocked player input.
Reworked tutorial escape paths and added blockers to prevent sequence breaking.
Reworked lantern text labels and fixed material setups.
Fixed multiple lighting bugs caused by mismatched mobility settings.
Fixed bug where dropped items stayed in inventory.
Fixed issue with artificial lung audio not deactivating properly.
Fixed foliage culling on all maps and adjusted Nanite Preserve Area flags.
Reduced fireplace bleedthrough and plant collisions.
Reorganized armor and tutorial prop positions for clarity.
Removed all safes in tutorial except the one used for the mask.
You can now shoot if using the secret bookcase.
Fixed bug where the toss jerry can message in tutorial would not disappear.
Fixed background landscape poking through near fallen log in Hillview
Fixed bug where held items were not activating properly.
v2.1.4 - Broken Material on Quetico Snowy Rocks
Changes
Added logging in preparation for performance optimization overhaul.
Fixes
Fixing broken material on snowy rocks in Quetico.
v2.1.3 - Animations for Spectators
Fixes
Fixed bug where late joining spectators would not run character animations.
Fixed manor's main menu lightning having a null reference.
v2.1.2 - Evelyn Clothing Simulation
Fixes
Fixed bug where Evelyn's dress would have sharp triangles poke through at lower Level of Detail/View Distance settings.
v2.1.1 - Achievement Issuance Bug
Fixes
Fixed bug where achievements issued at game start were not being given.
Sunset / Maintenance Mode
After years of development, balancing, and your incredible feedback, Dirge has officially reached its final form. We will sunset any new development work as Dirge is now entering maintenance mode. The team is already underway with our next exciting yet to be announced project. We’ve battled through the dark corners of Hillview Manor, braved the eerie depths of Quetico Forest, and unraveled the shadows of Wakefield City together. Every monster, investigator, and haunting detail has been carefully crafted to bring you the spine-tingling, heart-pounding multiplayer horror experience we dreamed of—and now, that dream is complete. This post isn't meant to be an Elegy but more of a appreciative look back, and roadmap for the future.
Maintenance Mode
While Dirge will no longer receive new features, monsters, maps, or items, rest assured that our work isn’t entirely done. We’ll continue to squash bugs, optimize performance, and ensure that your investigations and monstrous escapades run as smoothly as possible.
Brief History
The journey of Dirge has been nothing short of hauntingly incredible. It all began back in 2016 as a college group project that, while ambitious, didn’t quite take off. But the dream lingered in the shadows. In 2018, a proof of concept was built by the talented trio of Manuel, Dominic, and Andres, laying the foundation for what was to come. Dirge as you know it truly took shape in 2019, when development officially began. By 2021, we opened the doors to Early Access, inviting all of you to step into the dark and help shape the game with your invaluable feedback. Finally, in 2024, we emerged from the shadows with the full release of Dirge.
Community Thanks
A massive thank you to our incredible player community—you’ve been the heart and soul of Dirge from the very beginning. From day one, we set out to make a game shaped not just by us, but by you. Your feedback, ideas, and passion guided us every step of the way, inspiring items, features, and characters we could never have dreamed up on our own. Unlike many other studios, we made it our mission to truly listen, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve created together. This game wouldn’t exist in its current form without you, and for that, we are endlessly grateful.
Struggles
Creating Dirge was as much a labor of love as it was a journey of growth. As a fully self-funded team, we faced our fair share of challenges—everything from learning performance optimization on the fly to making the leap into multiplayer networking and replication. The team really had to jump head first into large a Pit of skillsets we didn't have to learn them the hard way.
We faced unexpected challenges! We entered the market with the wrong monetization strategy. We had early "game developers" who stream more than they actually develop dog piling on alpha builds more concerned with their own video views than actually providing useful feedback. Chinese players accessing an unreleased, confidential, incomplete, & untranslated build before release and tanking our reviews. Performance optimization being an uphill battle, especially for players running well below recommended specs, yet still leaving negative feedback.
Our decision to aim for a realistic art style set a high visual bar, and without the budget for premade assets or specialist hires, we rolled up our sleeves and built everything ourselves, or being extremely picky on publicly available assets if they were a near perfect fit. We in no way want to think of ourselves as asset flippers. We had to often rely on volunteered contributions as well. Despite these hurdles, we were fueled by your patience and support. Whether it was overcoming the sting of early review challenges or navigating industry changes, your encouragement kept us moving forward. The journey wasn’t easy, but every obstacle became an opportunity to learn, and we’re grateful to have grown alongside such an amazing community.
Triumphs
Despite the challenges, Dirge has been a story of incredible triumphs. We had a core team of just 3 to 5 people active at any point providing only a few part time hours a week. Still we achieved something truly ambitious—a massive indie game packed with features, maps, monsters, and mysteries to uncover. Over the years, we delivered regular updates, continually refining and expanding the game thanks to the inspiration we drew from you, our small but passionate fanbase. The game as it exists now only has Echoes of where it was at the start, that is just how much we were driven by you! Your enthusiasm fueled our creativity and kept us grounded, reminding us of why we started this journey in the first place. Together, we built something far greater than we ever could have imagined.
Horizons
As we close this chapter of Dirge, we’re taking a much-needed rest after nearly five years of continuous development. But don’t worry—the story doesn’t end here. We’re already brainstorming our next steps, with several exciting ideas on the table. From a platformer that descends into a limitless void, to a suspenseful, story-driven space horror featuring a truly nefarious monster, to single-player backstories exploring the lives of our beloved investigators, the possibilities are endless. We’d love for you to be part of shaping what comes next. Join us on Discord to share your thoughts and help guide the next adventure. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to create more with all of you!
The Dirge v2.1 update is packed with enough eerie upgrades and chilling tweaks to make even the bravest Dirgeling shiver. Prepare to hear the sound of dread drop to the floor as items now make realistic physics sounds when hitting the ground—whether it's a ghostly wisp or a fallen wine bottle (thanks, Nanite, for stocking those extra racks!). Hillview Manor now has an unsettling distant town lurking in the mist, while Quetico gets a long gun loot spot behind some "killer" debris. For those lurking in the shadows of the lab, beware, the artificial lung sound in the labs is enough to send shivers up your spine.
In terms of changes, the team has been "vanity" fair with the new chair switch at the vanity. Pentagrams will now only appear with a task, so no more uninvited occult vibes—well, maybe fewer! Hillview’s kitchen and statuary hall are now relit, just to give you the perfect amount of "under-lit eerie" for your midnight creeps. And for those of you avoiding death-by-collision, mesh tweaks are here to help you navigate through the horrors more smoothly.
Performance-wise, we've cranked the terror to maximum while keeping the lag at bay. Hundreds of textures, dozens of materials, and large poly meshes like cars have all been optimized. Candles and fireplaces now use efficient lighting methods, cutting the number of light sources in the process—who knew the key to better performance was making things even darker? Quetico’s landscape has been converted to Virtual Textures, which means you'll be sprinting for your life with more frame rate stability. Plus, static armors no longer harbor AI spirits, so feel free to walk by without any ghostly tickering! Lastly, Evelyn's materials and meshes have been optimized too, making her even more ominously smooth in her haunting escapades.
Additions
Items now make physics sounds when hitting the ground.
Added distant town in Hillview Manor.
Added additional scenes for strolly.
Added more wine racks in Wine Cellar (thanks Nanite!).
Added Artificial Lung sound in labs.
Adding long gun loot spot behind debris by cabin in Quetico.
Added patio decor to Hillview Manor.
Changes
Changed dinning chair to vanity at vanity.
Pentagram should now only show with task.
Tweaked collisions on some meshes.
Relit the kitchen & statuary hall in Hillview.
Optimizations
Optimized hundreds of textures.
Optimized dozens of materials.
Optimized handful of meshes.
Optimized lighting in all maps.
Added better LODs for large poly meshes like cars.
Converted many standalone props into single actor Blueprints.
Packed textures for one off assets.
Deduplicated large textures.
Dropped expensive water material for better optimized one.
Converting Quetico landscape to Virtual Textures.
Fonts now asynchronously load.
Swapped out large Chinese/Japanese/Korean fonts for ones taking less disk space.
Fixed fireplace VFX that was tanking performance.
Removed places where two candles were placed where one would suffice.
Added light profiles for more visual distinction.
Reworked car headlights to use 3 lights instead of 7.
Natural lights such as fireplace & candles use light function instead of timeline for better performance.
Split basement architecture into different actors for better culling performance.
Optimized tick of ammo displays by making it its own widget with timed conditional update.
Static armors now have simplified BP instead of full AI that wasn't needed.
Converted 308 clip from Skeletal mesh to static mesh as it's more performant.
Skeletal meshes now disable tick when actor isn't rendered
Optimized AI tasking to avoid ticks where possible.
Optimized Evelyne's materials & meshes.
Fixes
Fixing punching bag being wrong height.
Removed some zero scale instances interfering with lighting builds.
Fixed bug where Tesla would make noise even if off.
Fixed bug where cabinet drawers couldn't be made into static for randomization.
Adding missing balcony post in backyard.
Fixed bug where you would drop 2 guns from inventory.
Fixed Pablo's gun/hand placement.
Version: 2.1 Build: ?
v2.0.2 - Shadow Realm Sneaky Sneaky
Fixes
Fixed bug where shadow realm monsters could see revolver ammo.
