AFK Journeyhas big plans for its ongoing updates and longevity. Following a seasonal structure,AFK Journey’s Song of Strife updatekicked off earlier this month and included new characters, new game modes, a continuation of its ongoing main storyline with a “Fake Merlin,” and much more. Of course, the game’s lifecycle is just beginning because Farlight and Lilith Games hope to support the game for 10 years.
Game Rant recently spoke with Silver, lead art designer onAFK Journey, to hear more about the developers' planned regular and seasonal updates and what these entail. Silver also spoke more about the team’s ambitions to supportAFK Journeyfor a decade and how factors like lifecycle fit in when planning new content.
AFK Journey’s Seasonal And Regular Update Plans
Where sizable updates like Song of Strife will arrive seasonally, Silver stated players can also expect regular updates much more frequently, including regularly refreshingAFK Journey’s game modes, updating in-game timed events, and more. Silver also detailed more about the frequency of regular vs. seasonal updates:
As a live service game,AFK Journeyneeds regular updates that address things like progression, bug fixes, and quality of life improvements based on player feedback. Players should expect these types of updates often, sometimes on a weekly basis… Updates like Song of Strife will come roughly once a quarter, or once every four months or so, and will introduce huge new experiences that are woven into the core ofAFK Journey’s story and gameplay.
Keeping a player base interested and engaged is the goal of anylive-service game, but it is no easy task. Silver outlined some of the team’s goals with this approach, which is something that they’ve never tackled before.
This project carries many goals that we have not achieved before: first, to solve the problem of long-term lifecycle; second, to become a product that is not easy to replicate and has a higher design threshold; third, to meet the diversified needs of players. We take all these things into consideration when we start to plan new content!
AFK Journey’s 10-Year Lifecycle Plan
Of course, some players might wonder howidle games likeAFK Journeymight continue for a long time, given their often more casual nature. Silver recognized a 10-year lifecycle forAFK Journeyis ambitious but professed the team’s support for the game:
We envision a 10-year lifecycle forAFK Journey, which may be ambitious, but we truly believe in the game!
Certainly,AFK Journeyhas many things going for it that bode well for this endeavor, but it remains to be seen how the next few years shape up as it works up to this 10-year plan. Perhaps its greatest strength lies in its name because there’s no real-time consumption or grind, unlike many live service games. It’s easy to appreciate the game’s relaxing vibes and how its mechanics help players accomplish other tasks simultaneously. Altogether,AFK Journey’s mix of updates and engaging storytellingcould give players much to look forward to in the world of Esperia and help it stand the test of time.
