Hi everyone, 

We’d like to share an important update on the development of Nivalis and its release date. 

As you know, our goal over the past year has been to launch the game within 2025. The progress we’ve made in recent months has been both steady and substantial, allowing us to refine every aspect of Nivalis – our unique take on the slice-of-life genre – including all the intertwined, dystopian, and mysterious stories unfolding throughout its streets. However, there’s still one final piece of the puzzle missing. 

Right now, we’re deeply focused on the voice over: we’ve just completed the casting process for over 100 new voice roles after our first casting of 32 roles for our demo 2 years ago. We have received more than 8,000 auditions this time.
In Nivalis, there will be around 135 primary and secondary fully voiced characters, for a total of about 200,000 words. They will bring to life the multitude of complex personalities you’ll meet in the game. It’s a massive undertaking that we’re carefully overseeing, because for us this is a key element: as we’ve said many times before, we want the Nivalis experience to be as immersive as possible. So – as some of you correctly guessed after last month’s devlog – between casting, recording, and implementing the voiceover, releasing the game in 2025 would risk compromising its quality.

For that reason, we’ve made the decision to officially move Nivalis’ release a few months ahead into 2026. This will also allow us to dedicate all the time needed for additional testing, optimization, polishing, and balancing, to ensure the smoothest experience possible. We’re currently working closely with our publisher to determine a specific launch date – which we hope to share before the end of the year. Soon, we’ll let you know when we’ll be able to celebrate ‘Nivalis Day’.

Thank you all for your patience, understanding, and incredible support - it’s what gives us the strength and motivation to push through this final stretch.

The ION LANDS Team

With a bit of delay, we’re ready to say goodbye to September, which has been an incredibly busy month. Among its highlights - beyond development, of course - was the voice casting. We’ve been listening to thousands of auditions, with over 6,000 entries currently under careful review, gradually discovering outstanding talents who are bringing to life the characters that will populate the streets and stories of Nivalis. With that, we want to take this opportunity to thank all the actors who submitted their applications! 

In this month’s devlog, we’ll introduce you to a district of the city that’s particularly close... to the sky. After exploring the warm Calypso Island and getting to know the dynamics of the port with Salt Pete, it’s time to take in the breathtaking views of Skyhigh Gardens. 

 “Gardens in the sky. I’ve never seen them. I really wish I could be you right now.” 

As you become more familiar with Nivalis - and, as a result, start making a name for yourself in its streets - you’ll feel the need to explore its more exclusive areas and expand your business as high as possible. Among these, the district of Skyhigh Gardens is certainly one of the most distinctive, with its well-tended hanging gardens and its picturesque atmosphere. 

With tall buildings towering above Nivalis, and a network of structures and bridges connecting its various areas, the views here are truly breathtaking for its residents. It’s a unique atmosphere, also thanks to its own contrasts: lush, tranquil gardens on one side, neon signs and bustling businesses on the other. A place that can satisfy even the most demanding tourists - and therefore one you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on. 

The Eastern-inspired design of Skyhigh Gardens can be felt at every step, and enjoying some fresh sushi or a steaming bowl of noodles at its Japanese restaurant with a view of the clouds is certainly a one-of-a-kind experience... even if just to scope out your competitors. Alternatively, a walk across its signature wooden bridges, under the traditional torii gates above your head, could prove particularly enlightening. 

To reach these gardens in the sky, you’ll need to make use of the flying taxi service provided to Nivalis citizens. For most of your travels, though, the city’s intricate subway system - centered around The Metro Hub - will be more than enough. But we’ll talk about that another time!