Developer Freehold Games announced that Caves of Qud, a roguelike open-world RPG, will exit early access and into 1.0 today, December 5, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. The game entered early access on Steam on July 15, 2015, but Freehold Games stated that it had actually been 15 years since development started.
The 1.0 version of Caves of Qud launches with the Dromad deluxe edition, as well as a tutorial and the last story quest with multiple endings. The Dromad deluxe edition includes some new features, including an enhanced soundtrack and the Pets of Harvest Dawn DLC pack that unlocks some in-game pets at the start of the game. For those who already own Caves of Qud, the soundtrack and the DLC pack can be purchased separately.
Unfortunately, save files prior to 1.0 will not be compatible with the full version of the game. However, players can continue playing their old saves on the 208.x legacy branch, which can be switched to from the Betas menu in Steam.
Caves of Qud will cost $30, but there’s a 15% launch discount until December 12. Freehold Games is also holding a speedrunning contest for streamers today to celebrate the launch. Those who can beat the game as quickly as possible will be able to win Caves of Quid prize packs.
Freehold Games also said that it plans to keep supporting Caves of Qud with post-launch content after the release of 1.0, and will share those details in a future update.