The year for Envision Entertainment started with Pioneers of Pagonia’s Economy Update. It implemented several of the most frequent community requests. This included the fishing hut, large warehouses to help optimize the distribution and transport of goods, and production and unit statistics were available for the first time. Pioneers of Pagonia is set to embrace community play with its co-op update. This is currently in Beta and officially releasing in April 2024.
In Pioneers of Pagonia, players discover the islands of Pagonia and their peaceful and hostile inhabitants. They do so as they build their settlements with branching production chains and thousands of units. With the Co-Op update, players can now play with up to four friends. After speaking with Envision at PAX East, it’s clear that co-op has always been a goal for Pioneers of Pagonia.
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Implementing the up to four-person co-op, Envision has thought of everything. They have allowed for simultaneous building and the ability to drop into a play session at any time. While drop-in and drop-out co-op can be frustrating, Pioneers of Pagonia co-op allows each player to save a copy of the game. This allows you to continue to play on your own without anyone else present.
Envision Entertainment’s dedication to a UX philosophy that is intuitive and teaches players makes Pioneers of Pagonia co-op exciting. The ability to learn quickly and divvy up management responsibilities allows players of all proficiencies to play together. For those who just want to build you can do that while the others manage armies and expand borders. With an upcoming 90-degree snap system in the future, building will also become easier for those not creatively inclined. Envision hasn’t sacrificed complexity for ease of play, which the co-op mode takes full advantage of.
But co-op isn’t the only development for Pioneers of Pagonia. In addition to adding this core element, the game is pushing its fantastical setting even further with new enemy types. After the co-op update, the Mining Update is scheduled for a June 2024 release. This will bring subsurface mining for steel and gold production and combat improvements that feature new enemies called Scavengers with new steel combat units to complement them. And finally the Monument of Wisdom and Geologists.
Following the Mining Update in June, the Magic Update will be released in Q3 of 2024. Although no specific month has been shared, this update focuses on pushing the fantasy element of the game further. It will feature an Arcane Academy for Warlocks and Sorceresses. In addition to a gem mine for jewelry, this update will bring new magical weapons, a gigantic sanctuary, and Treasure Hunter.
While those were the only concrete updates that Envision shared on the show floor, they also made sure to note a variety of updates that the development team has their eyes on. They include establishing modding support, extending objective types, map obstacles, adding decorations, more lore and backstory details, a brewery and vineyard addition, and even bigger maps. Additionally, they will offer consistent Quality of Life updates. Currently, those include more extensive information on the food system, building efficiency statistics, new farm field management, and new road and building snapping.
One thing was clear walking away from Envision Entertainment’s Co-Up Update presentation: Co-op has always been the end game for Pioneers of Pagonia. But with that, the developers have balanced complexity with player ease. For an Early Access game with this robust a roadmap, every management player has a lot to look forward to.
Pioneers of Pagonia will release the full Co-Op Update in April 2024.
