As we close out 2024, it’s time to celebrate the incredible progress we’ve made on Legacy Horse Game and share a glimpse of the exciting plans in store for 2025. This past year has been one of innovation and growth, marked by major milestones in V2 development and the announcement of new features that will redefine the game experience.
Highlights from 2024
- V2 Announcement: We officially unveiled the next generation of Legacy Horse Game, which will greatly improve the performance and security of the game, as well as bring many new features and quality of life updates to players.
- Community Growth: The Legacy community reached new heights with over 1,600 players signing up and a total of 27,351 horses!
- New Features Shared for V2:
- Chromosomal Inheritance: Adding a new layer of realism to breeding.
- Twinning: Rare and risky, with the chance for double the reward.
- Brindle & Chimerism: Unique and visually stunning coat patterns.
- Revamped Training System: Bringing more depth and strategy to training.
- Graying Out: Horses will start their non-gray color and visually gray out over time.
- Updated Feed System: Offering granular control over diet, if you want it.
- Grooming, Mucking, and Hoof Care: Adding immersive horse care mechanics.
Livestream Recap
Last Saturday, we hosted a livestream to review the development progress over the past month. If you missed it, you can watch the VOD here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzABQJ_Q5k8. During the livestream, we also shared our roughed-out timeline for 2025, giving you a clearer picture of what’s ahead. To summarize:
V1 Shutdown and V2 migration
One key announcement from our recent livestream is the timeline for the official shutdown of V1. To ensure a smooth transition to V2, V1 will be shut down sometime between March 1st and April 1st of 2025, and V2 will open sometime in the summer. This planned gap between the two versions is critical for several reasons, and we want to share more details about why this decision is necessary.
Why the Shutdown is Necessary
- Data Integrity
A primary reason for the shutdown is the safe and accurate migration of player and ranch data from V1 to V2. This process requires undivided attention to ensure that all appropriate data is transferred correctly into the new system. Operating V1 during this time would increase the risk of errors and inconsistencies in the migration process, which could compromise the player experience in V2. - Focus on the V2 Launch
Shutting down V1 allows the development team to dedicate 100% of our focus and resources to the launch of V2. With no distractions from maintaining the V1 infrastructure, we can thoroughly test, refine, and finalize V2 features to ensure a polished and seamless experience for all players. - Compatibility Issues
As V2 introduces a wealth of new features, systems, and structural changes, if we were to implement many of these changes while V1 is running, we would inevitably break parts of V1, reducing playability. Core systems like the revamped training system, chromosomal inheritance, and the new data structures for ranches and clubs are fundamentally different in V2. Attempting to maintain V1 alongside these changes would not only be impractical but also create unnecessary bugs and conflicts. - Streamlined Transition
The gap between V1 and V2 will help ensure a clear and defined cutover, hopefully making the transition easier for players. This break will give players a chance to prepare for the new version through reading about new updates posted on the blog or wiki, while also allowing us to address any last-minute adjustments or fixes required during the migration without disrupting gameplay.
Patreon Member Early Access
As we discussed in the livestream, once we have shutdown V1, we anticipate the game being completely closed to play for 6-8 weeks. Once the migration and testing are complete, we will open the game to existing Patreon members. Patreon members will then have 4-8 weeks of exclusive early access to the game, before V2’s public launch in July or August. This is our way of saying thank you for supporting the game, but will also tremendously help us out by allowing us to correct any major bugs before opening to a large number of players. How long the Patreon-limited time period will last will depend on how smoothly V2 behaves.
What to Expect During the Shutdown Period
- Data Migration: All player and ranch data from V1 will be securely migrated to V2 during this period. This includes unused credits (see important notes below).
- Patreon Benefits: Patreon members will continue to receive their credits during the shutdown.
- Ranches will be Reset: Player accounts and ranches will all be moved to V2, and you will be able to login using the same credentials (once V2 launches). Ranches will be reset to starting conditions, which includes 250k game money, 1 barn, 1 pasture, and 5 free import credits. These 5 credits will be added on to any credits the player already had (see important notes below).
- Communication: We’ll keep you informed every step of the way, with regular updates on progress and timelines. Most updates will be posted through Discord and the blog, so be sure to keep an eye on these!
Important Notes
- Unused Purchases: Any store purchases made during V1 that have not been used will be carried over to V2. If you had 2 regular import credits left on your Ranch when V1 shuts down, these will be moved to V2 and you will receive 5 additional credits, totalling 7 credits at the start of V2.
- Ranches with Existing Subscriptions: Any unused subscription time will be re-credited to all subscribed Ranches once V2 launches.
- Patreon Member Benefits: Patreon members will continue to receive their credits and subscription time throughout the shutdown period. Any subscription time during the shutdown will be re-credited upon V2’s full launch.
Tentative Timeline for 2025
- January – February: Continued development on V2.
- March: V1 will officially be shut down.
- April: V1 data will be migrated to V2.
- May – June: Patreon members will receive early access to V2.
- July – August: V2 opens to all players.
- September – December: Bug fixes and implementation of remaining features.
Below is a visual of our goal timeline. Please be aware that these dates are simply goals, and subject to change, as necessary.
Closing Registration until V2
One final thing that we did not mention in the livestream, we will be closing registration to play the game until V2 launches. We feel this is important given V1 will not exist for much longer.
Final Thoughts and Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of this amazing journey. 2024 has been a year of laying the groundwork, and we’re thrilled to bring everything to life in 2025. We know things have seemed quiet and the game has been a bit buggy since we began working on V2, but we have been hard at work behind the scenes and are incredibly excited to let you all into V2 in 2025! Stay tuned for more updates, and here’s to an incredible year ahead!