Core Keeper 2026 Roadmap: Road to the Maw
Last verified: September 10, 2026. Pugstorm's official Road to the Maw announcement describes three planned updates. 1.3 now has a date, 21 September 2026, announced separately on 10 September. 1.4 and 1.5 still have none, so treat the rest of this page as a planning brief rather than a launch calendar.
Operator takeaway: make a dated world backup, update the dedicated-server tool, and test a copy of the world before enabling new content or Workshop mods. Existing worlds are normally intended to receive updates, but the official FAQ says some features may require an opt-in prompt.
The three roadmap stages
| Stage | What is announced | Server planning |
|---|---|---|
| 1.3 Riders of the Underground | Releases 21 September 2026. Rideable cattle via a craftable Saddle, the Moss sub-biome in the Forgotten Ruins with the new Orex cattle, the Hookshot for crossing pits, a mage and summoner rework, three new pets, and 10 armour pieces, 15 rings and 15 necklaces. | Book the maintenance window for 21 September and back up on the 20th. Update the server tool on the day, and test transport and mod interactions on a copy first. |
| 1.4 Trials of the Depths | Named as the second major Road to the Maw update; detailed release timing is not announced in the roadmap. | Keep backups and a rollback copy. Do not promise players a date that Pugstorm has not published. |
| 1.5 Beyond the Breach | Named as the third major update; the announcement gives no exact date or complete feature list. | Track the official announcements feed and re-check mod compatibility after notes land. |
Steam Workshop open beta
The roadmap also confirms a Steam Workshop open beta alongside the official modding documentation. Workshop availability is not a guarantee that every older mod is compatible with every future build. Read the dedicated-server mods guide, keep a clean profile, and add mods one at a time after the vanilla server joins successfully.
What is not announced
- The roadmap itself states no launch dates. 1.3 got one afterwards, on 10 September, and it is 21 September 2026. 1.4 and 1.5 still have none.
- No post-1.5 plan is promised.
- The official FAQ still says cross-platform crossplay is unavailable; do not describe the roadmap as a crossplay announcement.
- No new server configuration file, universal port, or third-party dashboard is established by the roadmap.
Roadmap readiness checklist
- Record the current game/server build and export a dated copy of the dedicated-server
worldsdirectory. - Read the official patch notes and FAQ before scheduling downtime.
- Update the Steam Tools app, then start the server once without mods.
- Join with the generated Game ID from two clients before restoring the mod set.
- Watch the server log during the first save and boss/transport test; keep the backup until the group confirms the world is stable.
Continue the Core Keeper cluster
- Official-flow dedicated server setup
- Game ID and connection troubleshooting
- Workshop and mod compatibility
- Core Keeper server cost and plan sizing
- General troubleshooting and backups
When the group needs a world online between sessions, managed Core Keeper hosting keeps the server process, updates, and backups in one place. Re-check the official announcement before every roadmap-related change.