Northgard Battlegrounds has had five demo patches since the free demo launched on October 6, 2026. The biggest was 0.77.111d on October 12, which reworked Cleave and removed Rare structures from Spring. 0.78.27d added the Clan of the Wolf with a balance pass, and the latest, 0.78.33d on October 21, fixed an ELO soft-lock above 580 Ranked ELO. Early Access opens on October 27 with the Clan of the Bear.
Patch timeline
| 0.77.100d | Oct 8 — input and resolution fixes |
|---|---|
| 0.77.111d | Oct 12 — Cleave rework, no Rares in Spring |
| 0.78.5d | Oct 14 — Free Play matchmaking, one extra loss |
| 0.78.27d | Oct 19 — Clan of the Wolf, balance pass |
| 0.78.33d | Oct 21 — ELO soft-lock fix, Scout Camp, Hall of Skalds |
| Next | Early Access on October 27, 2026 |
0.77.100d — minor demo patch (Oct 8)
The first patch came two days after the demo launched. It fixed a double-click bug that could freeze the Next button, along with input and resolution issues.
Nothing in it changed balance, so builds from the first days of the demo were unaffected.
0.77.111d — the big balance patch (Oct 12)
This was the largest change of the demo. Cleave was reworked, and Rare structures no longer appear in Spring, so early turns lean more on Common pieces.
If an older guide tells you to grab a Rare in your first season, it predates this patch. See our builds guide for current build directions.
0.78.5d — matchmaking patch (Oct 14)
Free Play matchmaking changed so players can experiment without facing overwhelming opponents. Runs also gained one more loss before they end.
The extra chance gives slower economy builds more room to come online. Our economy guide covers how to spend Krowns early.
0.78.27d — Hour of the Wolf (Oct 19)
The Next Fest update added Egil and the Clan of the Wolf to the demo. The same patch brought a balance pass that toned down Health, TOWER and Thorns builds.
To play the new clan, start with our Wolf build.
0.78.33d — Next Fest Hotfix 1 (Oct 21)
The latest demo patch fixed a bug that locked out players above 580 Ranked ELO. It also adjusted the Scout Camp and the Hall of Skalds.
This is the version you play in the demo until Early Access begins.
What changes at Early Access
Early Access opens on Steam on October 27, 2026 and adds the Clan of the Bear. The developers expect to stay in Early Access for at least six months and to keep patching.
Launch details are on the release date page, and the new clan is covered in our Bear build. We add each new patch here once it is published on Steam.
Which builds the patches hit hardest
Three patches mattered most for builds. 0.77.111d changed the opening by taking Rare structures out of Spring, so a run now starts with Common pieces whatever you roll. Plans that relied on an early Rare to snowball lost their fastest start, and steady economy openings gained ground.
The Cleave rework in the same patch changed how area damage spreads through a warband. If your comp leaned on Cleave to clear wide boards, test it again in Free Play before you trust it in Ranked.
0.78.27d then toned down Health, TOWER and Thorns builds. These were the defensive comps that could stall a fight until the other side ran out of damage. They still work, but they need more support pieces and a cleaner adjacency layout to hold the line.
- Rare-in-Spring openers — gone since 0.77.111d.
- Cleave-heavy comps — reworked in 0.77.111d, retest them.
- Health, TOWER and Thorns stacks — toned down in 0.78.27d.
- Wolf builds — new in 0.78.27d, still settling.
How to read a patch note
Funday Games publishes every patch on the Steam news page of the game. Each post lists the version number, bug fixes and balance changes. Versions ending in d are demo builds; Early Access builds will appear on the main store page.
Balance lines usually name a structure, a Fate Card or a keyword such as WARBAND, MELEE or MYSTICAL. When a keyword your build relies on is changed, check the whole chain: the structures that carry it, the god whose favour boosts it and the Fate Cards that scale it. Our Fate Cards guide and gods guide explain those links.
Bug fixes matter too. The 0.78.33d ELO fix meant that high-ranked players who had been stuck could finally queue again, which changed who you met at the top of the ladder.
What the developers said about feedback
On October 15 the developers posted an update on recent feedback and demo patches. They explained the matchmaking change in 0.78.5d: Free Play should let you try different builds without being crushed by much stronger boards.
The same post thanked players for the reception of the demo after two years of development. It also made clear that patches would keep coming during the demo and into Early Access, guided by what players report.
If you find a bug or an overpowered combo, the Steam discussion pages and the developers' community channels are where they collect reports.
Will demo progress carry over?
The demo is a separate Steam listing from the main game, and it has its own ranked ladder. Treat your demo ELO as practice: the Early Access ladder runs on the main game, so plan on starting your climb again on October 27.
What does carry over is what you have learned. The rules that the demo patches set, from the Spring shop to the Cleave rework, are the starting point for Early Access unless a launch patch says otherwise. If the launch build changes any of them, we will list it here first.
The release date page has the launch price, the discount window and the expected length of Early Access. The demo guide covers how to install the demo and what it includes while you wait.
Keeping your tier list up to date
Any tier list written before October 19 does not include the Clan of the Wolf, and any written before October 12 predates the Cleave rework. Check the date on a guide before you copy a build from it.
Every guide on this site shows the date it was last checked. For our current view of the meta, see the tier list, and for build ideas by clan see the Raven build and Wolf build.
Sources and further reading
- Minor Patch Demo — 0.77.100d (Oct 8, 2026)
- Balance Patch — 0.77.111d (Oct 12, 2026)
- Matchmaking Patch — 0.78.5d (Oct 14, 2026)
- An Update On Recent Feedback & Demo Patches (Oct 15, 2026)
- Hour of the Wolf — 0.78.27d (Oct 19, 2026)
- Clan of the Wolf Demo Update (Oct 19, 2026)
- Next Fest Hotfix 1 — 0.78.33d (Oct 21, 2026)
- All you need to know for the release (Oct 23, 2026)
- Northgard Battlegrounds rallies the clans for October 27 — press release
- Northgard Battlegrounds — Steam store page
Information checked October 24, 2026. Send a correction.