We didn’t have as many updates this year, but there have been some huge improvements.

Overhaul and expansion of old and outdated location like :

▪ Mansion,

▪ Police Station,

▪ Hospital,

▪ School,

▪ Ice World 1,

▪ Town areas in Act1 and Act2,

▪ Added new and improved some old shop interiors (these were made on live stream for and with my subscribers and long‑time supporters)

Most outdated assets were replaced with better‑looking and more optimized ones, improving performance and saving memory.

We also got some new soundtracks from "Team 11", adding more atmosphere to the world of "Lost Life:Origins".

There have also been some under‑the‑hood improvements, and I created new tools that will help me build the world a lot faster and in more detail, without losing performance or quality.

There are still many things I want to improve, but at this point I need to move on to the next set of tasks.

Now this stage is considered completed, and I started transition to next stage of development.

So what is the "Next Stage"?

The next stage is to completely rework all game mechanics, combat, UI, AI, multiplayer support, etc.

It means all the code and logic will be written from scratch.

You may ask, "Why"?

"Lost Life:Origins" has been in development for quite some time.

To be more precise, it began 10 years ago as a small personal project to recreate that “special” atmosphere for myself.

And it was almost the first game I ever started to make.

I had to experiment and learn a lot.

Over the years, new features were added, Unreal Engine was updated again and again,

and legacy code accumulated over time.

That’s why I decided to do a complete overhaul of the game mechanics.

Another question is “Why Multiplayer”?

I have three main reasons for doing that…

▪ Firstly, since it will use all locations from the single‑player mode (and some new ones), I’ll be able to test them better and expand the world before adding it to single‑player mode.

▪ Second, I will be able to expand the lore and story of "Lost Life:Origins" without rushing the single‑player story or ruining some mysteries. It also gives another perspective on events, as the multiplayer story will take place between Act 3 and Act 4.

▪ Third, I want to experiment with new ideas, new challenges, and keep this game fresh for myself without abandoning it and starting a new game.

What will multiplayer be like?

You will be able to play alone or form up to a 4-player party (In future amount of player will be increased)

You are the last group of special forces with Hub like base that can be upgraded and improved.

While exploring the world, you will search for survivors and encounter their nightmare worlds. Each one is unique, with its own enemies, environment themes, loot, and story.

Saving those survivors and bringing them back to your hub base will unlock new possibilities, crafts, upgrades, and their personal story questlines.

You will also be able to freely build your forward operation bases in the world, giving you a safe haven before venturing even further into dangerous areas.

Your goal is to reach the other side of the world and find out what happened there and what is bringing these nightmares into the world.

But the farther you go, the more dangerous it becomes, and the more damage your psyche takes, slowing you down or even killing you if you are not prepared enough.

The world is a living, breathing entity that does not want you there.

So what progress already has been made?

I have proof of concept and prototypes of almost all features I need, like:

▪ Melee weapons: Knives, Bats, Pipes, Swords, Machetes, Brass Knuckles, and even Bare Fists.

▪ Shields: Medieval Shields, Modern Shields. Or you can use a flashlight instead if the weapon doesn't need two hands.

▪ Guns: Pistols, SMGs, Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, Bows and Arrows, Revolvers... but that one needs some more work.

▪ Gun mods: Silencers, Flashlights, Laser Sights, Sights, Scopes, Magazine extensions.

▪ Throwables: Grenades, Molotov Cocktails, Smoke Bombs, Mines, Spears.

▪ Clothes: Boots, Pants, Shirts, Armor Vests, Hats. They don't change characters visually but add defenses and resistances.

▪ Item durability and rarity system.

▪ Damage types: Stun, Blind, Psyche, Radiation, Gas, Explosion, Melee, Melee Blunt, Melee Sharp, Small Caliber, Medium and Large Caliber, Fire, Cold, Electric, Bleeding, Toxin, Poison. They all have different effects on the player, and combinations of received damage may give different results. For example, if you are bleeding, and you catch on fire, the bleeding will stop. Or if you are wet, electrical damage will have more effect on you.

▪ Character stats like Hunger, Thirst, Body Temperature, Wetness, Stamina, Oxygen.

▪ Different types of consumables: med packs, food, drinks, boosters, etc.

▪ Leveling system with different skill trees, but it needs a lot of work to make it more interesting and unique.

▪ Vehicles with a damage system, fuel, tire puncture, and basic customization.

▪ Crafting stations.

▪ Item boxes that can be used for storing items.

▪ Modular building system.

▪ Lockpicking.

▪ Fishing (don't know about that, but I have it).

▪ Swimming, climbing, and even ladders.

▪ Gamepad support.

▪ Quest system.

▪ Dialogue and trading with NPCs.

▪ Server creation and lobby system.

▪ Different zones: Safe Zone, Hot and Cold climate zones, Radiation Zone.

▪ Dynamic day and night cycle with changing weather.

▪ Multiplayer AI for humans wielding ranged and melee weapons, plus different behavior types for monsters.

What are my current goals?

I just completed the damage type effects on the player system, and now I am starting work on the resists and healing system, like armors and consumables.

And what will come after that?

After that, I will be working on the bestiary, the damage‑to‑enemies system, UI and menus, before moving everything to the main "Lost Life:Origins" project and replacing all game mechanics with the new ones, then releasing a patch for the single player story mode.

With that completed, I will be able to start running multiplayer tests and work on Act 3 and multiplayer locations and other features more.

How much time will it take?

Yes.

But if I’m being more optimistic, the single player update should be out by the end of 2026, bringing huge improvements to the quality and gameplay of "Lost Life:Origins".

Why so long? Can't you do it faster?

Answer is simple, I'm a solo dev and I have a job. But I invest in "Lost Life:Origins" as much of my free time as I can. I want to be proud of what I do and for players to enjoy my passion project, and not to make a rushed mess.

I'm sharing progress almost daily on my Discord channel and doing weekly live streams on YouTube and Twitch. (For now, game dev streams are postponed because coding on stream isn't as fun.)

On that note,

Thank you all for the support!

And Happy New Year!

May it bring you only the best!