The German survival game Enshrouded receives its 7th major update with new features, and that even before the official release on Steam. MeinMMO editor and survival expert Benedict Grothaus has played Wake of the Water in advance and had to suffer considerably in the new content.
I admit that I don’t pay enough attention to Enshrouded. Every time I check back in, I realize how fantastic this game really is and why it belongs to the best survival games on the market.
The whole world looks simply stunning and the combination of exploration like in Zelda, a decent combat system with various weapons and skills, as well as voxel technology for absolutely crazy constructions is unique in the genre.
And Enshrouded isn’t even finished yet. Since January 2024, the game has been in early access on Steam and is constantly receiving new updates. Wake of the Water is already the seventh free content update and the largest so far. It is released today, on November 10, 2025.
I have already seen many contents of Wake of the Waters before, now I was able to play them for the first time. I am really not a wimp and not a noob in survival games, but my goodness, I suffered.
Many new features, but I keep getting my ass kicked
Developer Keen Games from Frankfurt invited us to test the new content Wake of the Water in advance. In a press version, I was able to check out the new area, the new enemies, and the new weapon. The update brings:
- the Wogschimmer-Grund in the northwest of the map as a new area
- water as a completely new mechanic with real physics like pressure and limits
- greatswords as a new weapon category along with a revamped combat system
- Draka as new enemies – basically lizardmen with a slightly Mesoamerican flair
- new building elements made of bamboo for a nice base by the beach
- and fishing as a new mechanic to catch fish for decoration or for dishes.
That fishing feature is exactly what I really wanted to try out – but I didn’t get around to it. Because while I just wanted to follow the new quests to gradually introduce myself to Wake of the Waters, the lizard types really, really kicked my ass.
New enemies with serious power behind them
I’ll try to spoil as little as possible. But early in the new area, you’ll find a new soul, an old captain who still has a score to settle with the Draka. So he asks you to take care of enough of them. Since this captain is responsible for everything regarding fishing, I naturally complied with his requests.
On the map, spots appear where many Draka should gather to fight them. The developers handed me a pre-made character at level 42 with legendary equipment and a strong wizard build. So quite strong, actually.
Draka, however, have some really nasty variations. Heavily armored tanks soak up most spells while they charge at me and stomp the ground. Wizards in the background support their people and ranged fighters constantly throw very accurately targeted chakrams at me. I can’t dodge that often!
I also used the quests to look at the new environment and search for fishing spots (there are supposed to be secret hidden spots too!). But especially when I came across a 5-meter tall boss that knocked me out three times by itself, I decided to focus solely on the combat aspect.
Fights are now much more intense and feel more important
That’s exactly what I noticed in the first minutes of Wake of the Water: Every fight feels a bit longer, even against individual opponents. I have to think much more carefully about when to attack, when to dodge, and which abilities to use.
Until now, I could pretty much just mow everything down with attacks in Enshrouded and occasionally maybe block or dodge. Overall, I didn’t need Dark Souls reflexes for a fight.
Now in Wake of the Water, I am significantly more challenged, fortunately with the option to reduce the difficulty. I was too proud to do so, but I can only recommend it to anyone who gets stuck on opponents often. It’s worth it.
A beautiful new world with a new, unexpected danger
Because the Wogschimmer-Grund looks simply fantastic and invites exploration. The area appears tropical or subtropical, with bamboo, beaches, ancient ruins, and a lot of water. Just flying over it with the glider, it looks like a Caribbean island.
Bamboo is not just mere decoration; it can be harvested and serves as material for new building components, with which you can – if you have more construction skills than I do – build a nice little pirate castle on the beach.
Generally, the area often invited me to explore, the second reason why I didn’t get to fishing. There is simply too much to discover, new puzzles, and swimming adds a whole new dimension, albeit with a certain danger attached.
Although you can now dive, of course, you also have to breathe. If time in the miasma already seems tight to you, you should be very careful when diving: I nearly drowned twice because breath only lasts a few seconds (without potions to extend it), and once panic for air drove me directly into spinning blades that then shredded me. RIP.
You can check out Wake of the Water for yourself starting today, November 10. The cadence with which Enshrouded releases the updates is exemplary and has helped the studio earn the title of best game in Germany at the German Computer Game Awards 2025. It takes hard work, as the boss previously told us: Survival game from Germany is a hit on Steam, releasing 6 major updates in the first year, the boss tells us: “We didn’t take many breaks”
