Manor Lords dev "really stressed" after the hit city builder's first official patch, which buffs archers, adds mourning, and cuts back on ale

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"I technically should wait another week and test it even more"

Manor Lords screenshot showing medieval-style farm fields featuring autumn-esque colouring
(Image credit: Slavic Magic)

The mastermind "solo" developer behind Manor Lords has shared concerns that his first official patch isn't quite ready for its release just yet.

Today saw the arrival of a big Manor Lords update - an event normally exciting for both devs and players. However, Slavic Magic founder Greg Styczeń says that he feels "really stressed" after launching the city builder's long-awaited patch. After revealing the new content in a post on Twitter, the dev explains some of his honest thoughts regarding the release and its timing: "I hope it goes well. I technically should wait another week and test it even more internally but I really wanted GOG, EGS and Game Pass players to not get stuck with old bugs for any longer."

The update, which contains a multitude of balance changes and bug fixes, was open for beta testing on Steam prior to today's full release. Despite Styczeń's anxiety about launching the patch officially for fans on all platforms, comments under Manor Lords' new 0.7.972 notes are generally positive - many players express their gratitude for the dev's hard work while others reassure him that they're grateful for the update's prompt arrival. "You are doing it right," writes one fan. "Try not to stress yourself out too much."

Addressing everything from "overly high ale consumption" to sheep that were "breeding exponentially" and taking over villages, patch 0.7.972 aims to better balance Manor Lords while improving players' overall quality of life. The update also adds immersive features like a mourning mechanic that temporarily blocks growth, new armour variations, visible carried corpses, and another patron saint unit - St. Maurice. If you want to delve further into the full patch and its content, you can find the extended notes on Steam.

Manor Lords publisher thinks it's "a little unfair to judge us" on the massive city-builder success because "publishers shouldn't be judged by their biggest hit"

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Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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