Demo Patch Notes for The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu
Changelog for The Mound demo builds — Closed Beta improvements, Steam Next Fest June 2026 patch, and 200,000+ player festival stats.
Steam Next Fest June 18, 2026 Patch
ACE Team and Nacon shipped a mid-festival update during Steam Next Fest on June 18, 2026. Official Steam news listed gameplay and quality-of-life changes shaping the July 15, 2026 launch build. All items below are demo-sourced—retail values may differ after final polish.
New features: Weapon looting from enemy corpses—players can pick up firearms and melee weapons directly from bodies instead of relying solely on Tempestad loadouts. Two new sanity effects joined the rotation (ACE Team deliberately withheld names—expect surprises in jungle runs). Guidebook codex pages can now be discovered across the mainland, expanding lore collection documented on Guidebook & Lore. Firearm ammo pickups carry more bullets per drop, with undead enemies slightly more likely to release ammunition. Additional weapons and ammo were placed in select map areas. Appraiser sentiment improved—gear returned from missions evaluates more favorably on the Tempestad. Subtitle font size option added to settings. Several interface visual improvements shipped. Huemul creature behavior was refined.
Bug fixes: Players can no longer go into token debt. Fixed stretching polygon bug in onboarding area. Players now crouch in first person when picking up bodies. Fixed forest state time warnings not appearing. Map item no longer behaves like the Medallion item. Multiple minor issues addressed.
Closed Beta to Demo Improvements (June 15, 2026)
For players who participated in the June 5–8, 2026 Closed Beta, Nacon posted a comparison thread documenting changes before the public Steam Next Fest demo. These improvements carried into the festival build and inform launch expectations.
Notable additions: players can pet the ship dog on the Tempestad. Two new map locations opened for exploration. Weapon durability increased and friendly fire no longer degrades ally weapons. Significant melee weapon collision detection improvements. Additional sanity illusions beyond the base set. Motion blur toggle and camera smoothing option in settings. Players can strike enemies tackling teammates. Appraisal sequence sped up substantially. Additional map interface information. Expedition treasure goals recalibrated for contracts. PSO shader compilation prevents mid-gameplay shader hitches. Prologue separated into single-player from multiplayer campaign. Improved rowboat UI with logbook reading durations. Punching action added to several items that lacked it.
Beta bug fixes included audio corruption, stretched foliage models, incorrect appraiser token and XP amounts, empty chests after mission replays, floating after salt revives, underground teleport after wagon revives, geometry stuck spots, and additional crash fixes.
Festival Results and What Comes Next
Steam Next Fest ran June 15–22, 2026. Nacon reported more than 200,000 explorers entered the cursed jungle during the event—strong signal for co-op horror interest ahead of the July 15, 2026 global launch. The playable demo supported up to four players in online co-op and covered the first hours of coastal and fort-adjacent content described in the Demo Guide.
ACE Team stated post-festival focus on squashing remaining bugs, tuning sanity systems, and preparing the definitive launch build—including fixes for centipede-related issues mentioned humorously in community posts. Demo feedback directly influences launch balance for corruption timers, musket noise radius, and salt revive windows.
The demo branch may remain installed but offline after Next Fest ends—do not assume permanent demo access. Full game purchase unlocks fort logbook meta, Mound contracts, cross-play with console friends, and Deluxe content. Revisit this page after launch-day patches for retail changelog separation from demo history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do demo patch changes apply to the full game?
ACE Team stated the demo shapes the launch build. Most June 2026 changes are expected in retail, though final tuning may differ.
What are the two new sanity effects?
ACE Team did not name them in patch notes. Discover them in-game or wait for community documentation after launch.
Is corpse weapon looting in the full game?
Added in the June 18 demo patch and intended for launch unless reverted—verify in retail patch notes after July 15, 2026.
Can I still play the demo after Next Fest?
Festival demos often become unavailable when events end. Wishlist on Steam for launch notifications if you missed the window.
Where do I report new bugs?
Nacon directs feedback to their official Discord linked from Steam community posts. Use Steam discussions for public reports.