ARDEM features: what is claimed as core, what is still being built, and what remains open
Status guide
- Developer-claimed core — Steam's current Early Access disclosure says the system is already working as part of the core game. This is a developer claim, not independent public-build verification.
- Current advertised — appears in current product material, but the present evidence does not establish implementation depth.
- Work in progress — actively shown/described by Techtive as still being developed.
- Older plan — appears in the pinned Steam FAQ or historical material and needs re-confirmation.
- Open — no sufficiently specific current answer.
Core systems Techtive says are already working together
| Feature | Current position | Publicly observed? | Current source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base building | Developer-claimed core | Not in a representative current build | Steam EA disclosure A02 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Farming | Developer-claimed core; further refinement shown | WIP growth stages shown by Techtive | A02 A06 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Hunger and thirst | Developer-claimed core | Not in a representative current build | A02 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Dynamic weather | Developer-claimed core | Not in a representative current build | A02 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Electricity | Developer-claimed core | Historical test work only | A02 A14 A15 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Vehicles | Developer-claimed core | Development/product material only | A01 A02 | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Crafting | Developer-claimed core; content expanding | Developer update only | A02 A11 | 18 Sep 2026 |
The current closed test does not independently validate this table because Techtive says that build is a sparse technical/stress test containing very little of the October content. A05
Current advertised features
| Feature | Current position | Publicly observed? | Important limit | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-world survival MMO positioning | Current developer term A01 | Product-page language only | Does not independently establish scale or MMO architecture | 18 Sep 2026 |
| 64 km² handcrafted world | Current developer position A01 | Locations shown selectively | Early Access/public-test accessible area not fully defined | 18 Sep 2026 |
| World intended to expand | Current developer position A01 | New WIP locations shown | Expansion cadence and form unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Hundreds of locations | Current developer position A01 | Some named locations shown | Final count/scope can change | 18 Sep 2026 |
| 24/7 persistent world | Advertised A01 | Not in a representative public build | Restart, wipe and update behaviour unclear | 18 Sep 2026 |
| World evolves while players are offline | Advertised A01 | Not independently observed | Meaning and limits of offline change unclear | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Repair bridges / restore grids / secure areas | Advertised examples A02 | Not independently observed | Scale, frequency and permanence unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Hundreds of base objects | Advertised A01 A02 | Development material only | Placement and ownership rules unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Gas / wind / solar power | Advertised A01 A02 | Historical electricity work exists | Generation, distribution and balance depth unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Vehicle repair / upgrades / modules | Advertised A01 A02 | Development/product material only | Final system depth unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Hunting | Advertised A01 | Not independently observed | Animal roster/AI unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Fishing | Advertised A01 | Not independently observed | Implementation depth unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Solo play | Current Steam feature A02 | Not in a representative current build | Final offline/account requirements open | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Online co-op / PvP | Current Steam features A02 | Closed technical testing exists | Party, server and ruleset details unknown | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Up to 64-player servers | Detailed current product wording A01 A02 | Closed tests are not representative | Hero also says “64+”; public-scale performance unproven | 18 Sep 2026 |
| PvE / PvP / RP choices | Advertised A01 A02 | Not independently observed | Server preset implementation unclear | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Territory claiming | Advertised A01 | Not independently observed | Claim permissions, conflict and offline rules unclear | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Lasting player reputation | Advertised as “permanent” A01 | Not independently observed | Formal mechanic, consequences and reset behaviour unclear | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Self-hosted/tailored servers | Current developer plan A02 | No public toolset yet | File/tool availability timing unclear | 18 Sep 2026 |
| Steam Workshop | Current Steam feature metadata A02 | Store capability only | Tooling/scope not yet documented | 18 Sep 2026 |
Active work in progress
Character editor
Techtive's July showcase describes a character editor with male/female options, body-shape variation, ethnicity choices, face presets and extensive facial controls. The developer presents it as active development rather than a finished interface. A10
Clothing and body fitting
September material shows clothing being fitted across multiple body morphs and describes visual reactions to damage, water, blood and mud. Techtive explicitly warns that the system may change. A06
Farming detail
The September roundup shows multiple crop growth stages under active design. A06
Weapons and attachments
Current development posts show continuing work on weapons, attachment compatibility and realism/functionality. A06 A09
Infected behaviour and hygiene
Recent developer material shows work on infected animation and reactions for wandering, spotting, chasing and attacking, alongside a hygiene system. Both are active-development evidence; neither establishes the final enemy AI, combat quality or gameplay effect of hygiene. A22
World dressing and interiors
Recent posts show active work on military areas, a checkpoint, motel, barns/sheds, loot preparation, the Claypit, Albington and Summer Camp. A06 A07 A08 A09 A22
Older or high-change plans
The pinned Steam FAQ contains useful but partially stale detail. It lists several longer-term ideas:
- boats;
- aircraft;
- seasons;
- a skill system;
- a long-term goal of increasing server capacity beyond 64;
- dedicated server files after launch;
- broader modding support;
- a large main city later rather than during Early Access. A13
Because the same FAQ still carries a superseded public-test date, Sourceborne does not upgrade these items into current features unless newer material confirms them.
Features that remain unclear
- Exact infected roster and behaviour
- Boss-enemy position after the older FAQ
- Gunplay / recoil / ballistics
- Damage and injury model
- Endgame loop
- Reputation / anti-KOS incentives
- Clan/group mechanics in the current design
- Offline base protection
- Wipe rules
- Cross-play
- Final console platforms
- Cross-server character persistence
- Territory-claim limits and transfer rules
- Meaning and durability of “permanent” reputation
- Existing-building claiming/fortification
- Detailed skill/progression model
- Final modding toolchain
- Voice/text communication rules beyond current Steam safety settings
Feature evidence that has changed over time
ARDEM's development history makes date-scoping important. Historical alpha material included systems and setting elements that were later revised, while the present game has adopted a new visual direction and RHAB-14 survival premise. A14 A15 A03
That is why Sourceborne does not use an old alpha feature as proof of the current implementation unless current sources carry it forward.
Confirmed information
Reported information
This page does not depend on external reporting. The older-plan section is explicitly tied to Techtive's pinned Steam FAQ rather than being presented as present-day confirmed functionality. A13
Analysis
ARDEM's feature list is broad enough that a simple “yes/no” feature table would be misleading. The evidence-status model is more useful: a system can exist and still be unfinished; it can be advertised without its depth being known; and it can appear in an old FAQ without remaining on the current roadmap.
Hypotheses
H1 — Features with the highest verification value in October are electricity, bases, vehicles, infected and persistence. Those systems define whether ARDEM is meaningfully different from a generic survival sandbox.
H2 — Some older roadmap items will probably be re-scoped. The project has already changed premise and visuals substantially, so older FAQ items should be expected to evolve until they appear in current first-party material.
FAQ entries
Does ARDEM have farming?
Techtive says farming is already part of the core system set, while recent posts show the system still being developed in detail. A02 A06
Does ARDEM have Steam Workshop support?
Steam currently lists Workshop support. The exact modding tools and scope are not yet documented. A02
Are boats and aircraft confirmed?
They appear in an older pinned FAQ as long-term goals, not as current launch features. A13
Are there roleplay servers?
Current ARDEM product pages advertise RP alongside PvE and PvP. Detailed rules and current implementation are still unclear. A01 A02
Is the full 64 km² map available now?
No public evidence establishes that. Steam says a large portion of the map is open in its Early Access disclosure; the public test scope has not yet been published in enough detail. A02
Sources
- A01 Techtive Games — ARDEM official website.
- A02 Steam — ARDEM store page and Early Access disclosure.
- A05 Techtive Games — Closed Playtest Wave 2 Is Live.
- A06 Techtive Games — Sneak Peek Roundup 2.
- A07 Techtive Games — Sneak Peek: Nature Reclaims Ardem.
- A08 Techtive Games — Sneak Peek: Summer Camp.
- A09 Techtive Games — Sneak Peek: Weapons & World Design.
- A10 Techtive Games — Sneak Peek: Character Editor.
- A11 Techtive Games — Crafting System Expansion / Community Feedback.
- A13 Pinned ARDEM Steam FAQ; partially stale and used for attributed long-term plans only.
- A14 / A15 Historical partner coverage of older alpha versions.
Reliability and review dates
Reliability: High for the existence of current developer claims and WIP posts. Medium for implementation depth until public testing. Lower for older FAQ-only plans.
Evidence cutoff: 18 September 2026. Next mandatory review: 15 October 2026 public playtest. Review triggers: public test build notes, roadmap publication, Steam feature-list change, system removal/addition, dedicated-server/modding documentation.