The Isle DevBlog #72: Oviraptor, Baryonyx, Migration near hordetesting

The Isle's latest devblog is all about the next hordetesting push. QA is running final tests before Oviraptor, Entombed Saves, and the Migration changes make their initial release to the hordetesting branch, and the team hopes to have them in players' hands "very soon." Baryonyx is also coming to hordetesting in the not-so-distant future — separately.

• Oviraptor — Its growth is similar to Hypsilophodon's, with feathers developing as it reaches adulthood.
• Baryonyx — Brings a new underwater movement system. It sinks passively like Deinosuchus instead of being buoyant, automatically sticks to the ground rather than needing a manual Beipiaosaurus-style latch, and can swim normally after "jumping" — though it won't auto-sink while on the water surface. The creature is still being mechanically set up, with animations and new mechanics that are also meant to influence Spinosaurus and Sucho playstyle.
• Entombed Saves and Migration — Both systems are now on the master branch and being tested in QA ahead of the hordetesting debut.

• Unified footstep VFX/SFX systems now scale by species and size, removing the need for separate assets per growth stage.
• Footstep audio is now weight-driven, with dynamic attenuation and filtering based on movement speed and weight; foliage interaction audio is also being adjusted.
• Nearby interaction cycling now works with R and controller D-pad support.
• Expanded ambient spawning now includes rats, grasshoppers, dragonflies, "GIANT ENEMY" crabs, snails, and lizards, alongside continued work on AI nesting and ambient-spawn filtering.
• The replay system is updated with time-of-day control, aperture/focal length camera controls, manual focus, weather presets, and additional effects.
• The landscape grass painter now works on static meshes, walls, roofs, and landscape surfaces, with improved landscape streaming and tree-destruction performance.
• The advanced gore and runtime dismemberment prototype progressed, alongside ragdoll improvements.
• An initial arcade cabinet framework is in, with the first prototype game: Goat Run.
• Bug fixes cover replay menu issues, proxy pawns falling through meshes, SQLCipher linking problems, shutdown and game-close crashes, SQL/I/O issues, and telemetry race conditions.

The Hatchery building is complete: a large complex with its own basement and multiple paths in and out, ready for the next HordeTest and set to connect to a medical facility. Work continues on its exterior and interior gates, satellite structures, and staging areas around the Dome, which should open up access to one of the largest structures on the Island.

• Spinosaurus call concepts made progress before the audio team shifted focus to Avaceratops; adult sounds are in progress while juvenile calls are being designed.
• New vocal animations are in for Baryonyx and Camarasaurus; Avaceratops also has new vocals, some still awaiting animation.
• Parasaurolophus is being built to do "just about everything" bipedal and quadrupedal, which doubles its animation workload — and it's roughly halfway done.
• Diabloceratops and Triceratops are getting faster attack animations and quicker recovery after some moves, with those recovery improvements eventually carried across the wider roster.
• The team is checking in-game implementation for Quetzalcoatlus, Avaceratops, and Camarasaurus. Austroraptor can now jump out of the water while treading on the surface — not initially intended, but it makes sense given its lifestyle.

Successful applicants have been contacted directly, but the QA application form stays open, with extra testers wanted in EU and AU timezones.