Preludes Updates

0:15 Preludes is Soulframe's pre-alpha, the version of the game that invited players have played since Dec 2023, and its latest update is Preludes 16: Of Hook & Hound, released on Sep 18, 2026, as of Oct 21, 2026. Digital Extremes' FAQ puts it plainly: "Preludes is our name for Soulframe's current pre-alpha development phase. It's an early, evolving version of the game that players can experience as we build it openly and alongside the community." The Preludes 16 teaser shows what the latest update added, with on-screen cards for "Puppy interactions" beside a white wolf pup and "Fishing" at a forest lake. Each numbered update adds systems, places and story, and every one has been free; the latest patch listed on soulframe.com is "Soulframe Preludes 16: Of Hook and Hound Hotfix 6", posted on Oct 8, 2026. The next phase is Open Preludes, announced on Oct 15, 2026 with no date.

Quick facts

Every Preludes update

Dates are Digital Extremes' release dates; its patch-notes index sometimes differs by a day.

Preludes 1 to 9: the closed test (Dec 2023 to Mar 2025)

The first closed pre-alpha build reached invited players in Dec 2023, PC only and about 100 people at first, as Sinclair announced. Digital Extremes counted 7 major Updates to Preludes in 2024; the patch-notes index begins with Preludes 6 (Sep 12, 2024) and Preludes 7 (Oct 30, 2024), and the contents of the earliest builds are not published. A wider opening promised for fall 2024 slipped to 2025, the Preludes NDA was lifted on Nov 6, 2024, and 10,000 invites went out that December. Preludes 8 (Jan 22, 2025) added Orengall's Pact and Fable and the Silent Rose Enclave with its tavern, the Drippin' Flagon. Preludes 9 (Mar 2025) reworked Pacts, expanded the map and added factions and Fables. The longer story is on Development History.

Preludes 10 (May 26, 2025)

Preludes 10 brought the Festival of the Circade, the Crypt of the Circade and its boss, the Mendicant King, plus a Sidearm weapon slot and the Mote system.

Preludes 11 (Oct 8, 2025)

29:51 Preludes 11 added The Waste Bear Fable, the Bromius Pact, the Neath'uns root caves, Bestitching and dyes, Totems and Runes. In Devstream 9 (Sep 12, 2025) the hosts put up an overview slide and said it was coming "late September" with the Waste Bear Fable shown at TennoCon 2025, new weapons, the Neath'uns tileset, new armors, health regain and customization; it arrived on Oct 8, 2025. Bromius is on Omen Beasts, and his Pact on Pacts.

Bita's Eve 2025 (Oct 29, 2025)

19:17 Bita's Eve, Soulframe's autumn festival, returned during Preludes 11 on Oct 29, 2025. A player guide shown in Envoy Hour 6 (Nov 5, 2025) explains it: the Crone Cucurbita mask returned beside two new masks, Papa Peppo and Lil' Zuk; mask Fragments drop from scarecrows in different parts of the map; and smashing pumpkins gives the winter squash seeds needed to craft the masks. It was the second Bita's Eve after 2024's.

Preludes 12: Wylds (Nov 25, 2025)

0:11 Preludes 12: Wylds launched together with Soulframe Founders, Digital Extremes' first paid offer. In the Founders FAQ video of Nov 19, 2025, Sinclair said the soulframe.com site would be updated "next week on the 25th" so players could "support us with a founders pack", and that it would stay on sale for "at least many months" with notice before it ends. The update itself added Greatswords, a new player experience, roaming bosses named Agari, The Cogah (a hard mode brewed as an elixir), fast travel by Wevetseed between World Trees, Sieges, and Zenith's Wares; the Steam page went live the same week. See Founders Packs and Bosses and Agari.

Thawtide (Dec 16, 2025 to Jan 30, 2026)

5:45 Thawtide, a winter event during Preludes 12, ran from Dec 16, 2025 and was meant to end on Jan 30, 2026, but in Devstream 12 that day the hosts said Thawtide was not over and that the long night would last "until Preludes 13 comes". It added the Thawtide's Plenty Envoy Forge set, Thawtide Hunters and the Lord and Lady Cardinal Guides.

Preludes 13: A Triquetra of Virtues (Feb 12, 2026)

55:24 Preludes 13 reworked Virtues and added The Organ, the Vadagar Bear and new customization. Closing Devstream 12, the hosts summed it up as Virtues, The Organ, the Vadagar Bear, event boards, new weapons and customization, "coming very soon". Its Virtue Prisms have since been removed (Virtues). A hotfix on Feb 26, 2026 brought the Avex and Falx Envoy Forge weapons and a change to how Enclave standing is raised.

Preludes 14: The Duelo (Apr 17, 2026)

0:06 Preludes 14 added The Wreck of Mestra Carmo Fable, the Duelo Pact and rapiers. Its teaser opens on a wooden shipwreck on a misty shore, with a sword planted in the sand and an armored figure seated on the wreck, then cuts to an Envoy on a ship's deck in a storm. The update also brought the Mirifuir Siege, a Rune rework and a preview of the Fallen Skytower with the Rovgot Wyrm. See Fables and Quests.

Preludes 14.5: Ode'n Tempers (May 12, 2026)

6:14 Preludes 14.5 introduced Tempers, the first random weapon upgrades, with the Orst-III mace. Looking back in Devstream 15 (May 29, 2026), the developers called it "the first um weapon randomization that that we've had in the game", a trial for Preludes 15, and noted that "we also brought in an additional player so you can play with four people": parties grew from three to four in a 14.5 hotfix. It also renamed Greatswords "Heavy", added Virtue Liths (since removed) and a shared inventory.

Preludes 15: Gods & Ghosts (Jun 10, 2026)

21:49 Preludes 15 reworked loot and crafting: weapons now drop in the world already made. In Devstream 15 a developer explained that "all of the weapons that you can currently get in 145 will be dropping in the world made at varying quality levels with interesting tempers on them", including faction-specific Tempers. The update also added trading and in-game mail, the Turret Jotar Siege, a Totem rework and Virtue alignment set per Loadout with no consumable. It had at least 16 hotfixes. See Tempers and Crafting.

Preludes 16: Of Hook & Hound (Sep 18, 2026)

Preludes 16 added Fishing, the wolf pup companion (Wolf Pup and Mounts), dynamic weather and Tempers retuning with Tuvalkane, plus the Wreath mace, the Gystalt staff, the Grimana rapier sidearm and the Suit of The Sleeve armor, with tighter parry timing and less attack magnetism. Hotfix 6 followed on Oct 8, 2026. Its full page covers each feature.

What comes next

1:06:37 The first mount and the Warsongs Fable are the promised next steps, and Preludes 17 has not been announced, as of Oct 21, 2026. Asked in Devstream 12 whether mounts would take a while, the hosts answered "we said this year" and "it's very much in answer in for this year, definitely". In Jul 2026 Digital Extremes promised Warsongs "later this Fall" and the first mount "later this year"; neither is out. Before any update, Open Preludes will open sign-ups to everyone on PC; Devstream 18 on Oct 30, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET is to say more (Devstreams, Warsongs).

Wipes and patch notes

Progress is no longer wiped. The Founders FAQ says: "No, there will be no more account resets in Soulframe Preludes." The general FAQ is softer, "We aspire to avoid future wipes", and warns that major changes "may still require adjustments". When a system is reworked, Sinclair said, players get refunds or like-for-like items rather than resets. Patch notes for every update and hotfix are on soulframe.com's patch notes page, on the forums and in the Discord.

Frequently asked questions

What is Soulframe Preludes? Preludes is Soulframe's pre-alpha, "an early, evolving version of the game" that players test while Digital Extremes builds it, free on PC since Dec 2023.

What is the latest Soulframe update? The latest Soulframe update is Preludes 16: Of Hook & Hound, released on Sep 18, 2026, with Hotfix 6 on Oct 8, 2026, as of Oct 21, 2026.

When is Soulframe Preludes 17? Digital Extremes has not announced Soulframe Preludes 17, its name or a date, as of Oct 21, 2026.

Will Soulframe wipe progress? No: the Founders FAQ says "there will be no more account resets in Soulframe Preludes", though reworked systems may refund or replace items.

Where are Soulframe's patch notes? Soulframe's patch notes are at soulframe.com/en/patch-notes and on the official forums.

How often does Soulframe update? Soulframe had five Preludes updates in 2026 through Sep 18 (13, 14, 14.5, 15 and 16), with frequent hotfixes between them.

Is Soulframe Preludes free? Yes. Soulframe Preludes is free to play, and every update is "always free"; only instant access through Founders costs money.

Sources

• FAQ, Digital Extremes, read Oct 20, 2026
• Soulframe Founders, Digital Extremes, read Oct 20, 2026
• Patch Notes, Digital Extremes, read Oct 20, 2026
• Soulframe home page, Digital Extremes, read Oct 20, 2026
• Open Preludes Coming Soon, Digital Extremes, Oct 15, 2026
• Soulframe Preludes 16 Update Available Now, Digital Extremes, Sep 18, 2026
• TennoCon 2026 Soulframe, Digital Extremes, Jul 14, 2026
• Soulframe Preludes 15 Update Available Now, Digital Extremes, Jun 10, 2026
• Preludes 14.5: Ode'n Tempers, Digital Extremes, May 12, 2026
• Preludes 14: The Duelo, Digital Extremes, Apr 17, 2026
• Envoy Forge: Avex and Falx, Digital Extremes, Feb 26, 2026
• Preludes 13: A Triquetra of Virtues, Digital Extremes, Feb 12, 2026
• Happy Thawtide, Digital Extremes, Dec 16, 2025
• Preludes 12: Wylds, Digital Extremes, Nov 26, 2025
• Bita's Eve Returns to Midrath, Digital Extremes, Oct 29, 2025
• Preludes 11 Arrives, Digital Extremes, Oct 8, 2025
• Preludes 10 Is Live, Digital Extremes, May 26, 2025
• Soulframe Devstream 6, Digital Extremes, Mar 27, 2025
• Soulframe Preludes: A Farewell to 2024, Digital Extremes, Dec 18, 2024
• Non-Disclosure Agreement Update, Digital Extremes, Nov 6, 2024
• Soulframe very early alpha tests begin December, MP1st, Nov 24, 2023
• Preludes 16: Of Hook & Hound Teaser, Soulframe, Sep 4, 2026 (video)
• Soulframe | Devstream 9, Soulframe, Sep 12, 2025 (video)
• Envoy Hour #6, Soulframe, Nov 5, 2025 (video)
• Founders FAQ with Steve and Sarah, Soulframe, Nov 19, 2025 (video)
• Soulframe Devstream #12, Soulframe, Jan 30, 2026 (video)
• Preludes 14: The Duelo Teaser, Soulframe, Mar 28, 2026 (video)
• Soulframe Devstream #15, Soulframe, May 29, 2026 (video)