The Isle DevBlog #72: Oviraptor Ahead of the Horde Test & New Baryonyx Mechanics

Migration and Entombed Saves Are Heading into the Horde Test

Two of the most important new features from the previous DevBlog have reached a crucial development milestone.

The new migration system and Entombed Saves have now been completed and integrated into the game’s master branch. Both systems are currently being tested by QA.

QA Lead Hypno also confirms that the final tests are underway before Oviraptor, Entombed Saves, and the migration changes are set to be included in the HordeTest for the first time. While the developers haven’t specified a concrete date yet, they do mention wanting to put the content in players’ hands “very soon.”

This is quite remarkable, as in DevBlog #71 both systems were still in the middle of development. Just one month later, they’re already part of the current master build.

With Entombed Saves, players can save their dinosaur after a successful entombment and then play as a different species without immediately forfeiting the progress of the previously entombed creature.

The Oviraptor is likely to be the next new playable species

Things are getting even more concrete with the Oviraptor.

The developers are currently working on the final issues with its various growth stages. The creature’s appearance changes significantly as it grows: similar to the Hypsilophodon, the Oviraptor develops additional feathers as it ages.

According to Animation Supervisor KissenKitten, the Oviraptor is set to appear in the HordeTest alongside the Baryonyx in the “not-too-distant future”—though explicitly not at the same time. Development on the Oviraptor is already further along.

As a result, there are currently many indications that Oviraptor could be the next major playable creature following the recently released Austroraptor.

Baryonyx Gets Its Own Underwater Gameplay

The new details about the Baryonyx are particularly interesting.

A partially new underwater movement system is being developed for it. The dinosaur can sink to the bottom underwater and move there in a manner similar to how it moves on land.

Unlike the Beipiaosaurus, the Baryonyx does not need to actively “hold on” to the seabed. It sinks automatically and orients its movement relative to the seabed. From there, it can switch back to normal swimming with a single leap.

However, if it is already at the water’s surface, it does not automatically sink back down.

This goes beyond just a mechanic for a single dinosaur. The developers explicitly state that some of the Baryonyx’s systems will later influence how Spinosaurus and Suchomimus are played. That is precisely why the Baryonyx currently requires a relatively large amount of mechanical testing and fine-tuning.

New swimming and attack animations are also being tested.

Baryonyx vs. Deinosuchus? The community is already discussing it

The Baryonyx’s underwater gameplay, in particular, is going over well on Reddit.

Many players are looking forward to finally being able to play as another large semi-aquatic dinosaur. At the same time, the obvious question has already arisen: How will Baryonyx fare against Deinosuchus?

In current discussions, some jokingly speculate that the Baryonyx could become one thing above all else: food for the Deinosuchus. Other players, however, see this as an interesting new dynamic for the waters of Gateway.

The Baryonyx sound effects that have been revealed are also being received overwhelmingly positively. Its deep, guttural calls are intentionally designed to fit a life in and around the water.

Still No Trust in the Word “Soon”

On one topic, however, the The Isle community remains consistent: release predictions.

The developers have mentioned that both the Oviraptor and the Baryonyx will be released in the HordeTest in the foreseeable future. On Reddit, this wording is being met with appropriate caution.

While some players are already hoping for September, others are expecting November or even later. One comment aptly sums up the long-standing experience of many The Isle players: No one really knows what “soon” actually means in The Isle.

In any case, the chances of Oviraptor appearing in HordeTest soon are currently much better. According to the developers, Baryonyx still needs more work on its mechanics.

Parasaurolophus is about halfway done with its animations

Development is also visibly progressing on the Parasaurolophus.

Although the animation team describes working on the Para as relatively enjoyable, the scope of the project is enormous: the dinosaur is supposed to be able to perform numerous actions both on two legs and on all fours.

This effectively doubles the number of animations required for many movement sequences.

According to KissenKitten, the Parasaurolophus animation is currently about halfway complete. Once there are fewer other playable characters requiring simultaneous attention, development should proceed at a faster pace.

Another interesting new feature: Parasaurolophus will officially be implemented as an omnivore and will therefore receive its own animation for eating meat. Oviraptor will also receive a corresponding animation.

The Parasaurolophus will also gain the ability—already seen in the Maiasaura—to switch between different postures and between two-legged and four-legged locomotion.

Camarasaurus is meant to not only look big, but also sound big

Progress is also being made on the Camarasaurus.

The developers are currently working on its vocal animations. Its calls are intended to retain an almost melodic quality while sounding significantly more powerful.

The goal is clear: when a fully grown Camarasaurus gets serious, you should not only see its size, but also hear and feel it.

Baryonyx has also been given appropriate vocal animations. Avaceratops has new sounds as well, though the corresponding animations still need to be created for some of them.

Spinosaurus Sounds Are Making Initial Progress

Spinosaurus also makes another appearance in the DevBlog.

The sound team has further developed its initial call concepts. For now, however, a large portion of the audio team has been assigned to Avaceratops in order to complete its full sound palette more quickly.

This means Spinosaurus remains a longer-term project—unlike Oviraptor and Baryonyx, no one should expect a Horde Test for it anytime soon.

Triceratops and Diabloceratops Get Faster Attacks

Players of existing dinosaurs will be excited to hear about the planned changes to Triceratops and Diabloceratops.

The developers have since concluded that some of their attacks and movements are too slow to allow for adequate defense in certain situations.

As a result, both ceratopsians will receive new attack animations that can be triggered much more quickly. At the same time, recovery times after attacks will also be shortened in some cases.

This should make the dinosaurs feel less “input-locked” and allow them to react more quickly to new situations. The improvements to recovery times are also set to be applied to other dinosaurs in the roster at a later date. The goal is an overall smoother and more responsive combat system.

Reddit is already discussing the Trike buffs

The announced Triceratops changes are already sparking discussions on Reddit.

Part of the community is excited that this could make Triceratops more dangerous when fighting strong opponents—especially Tyrannosaurus.

Others take a more critical view: Instead of constantly making Triceratops and Diabloceratops stronger—for example, to counter Rex or Ceratosaurus—they’d prefer to see targeted nerfs for particularly powerful opponents. After all, stronger ceratopsians also affect smaller dinosaurs that already struggle against them.

The upcoming Horde Test should be particularly interesting in this regard.

New Gore System with Dynamic Dismemberment

Aside from the playable dinosaurs, the team is also working on a new technical foundation for injuries and carcasses. According to the DevBlog, a prototype for Advanced Gore and Runtime Dismemberment has made significant progress.
This involves dynamic damage and dismemberment of dinosaur models, as well as more realistic physical reactions of bodies after severe hits or death. The developers explicitly refer to this as a prototype or a technical foundation. This means that a finished new gore system is not yet on the verge of release.

More Animals to Make Gateway More Lively

The environment is also being further expanded. The ambient spawning system has been enhanced and will now be able to generate additional small animals in the game world. Among those mentioned are:

• Rats

• Grasshoppers

• Dragonflies

• Snails

• Lizards

• and “GIANT ENEMY” crabs

At the same time, work continues on AI nesting and filtering for these ambient spawns.

A greater variety of small animals could be particularly interesting for The Isle, since a common criticism of Gateway remains the environment between encounters with other players, which at times feels very lifeless.

Replay system gets significantly more powerful

Content creators are also likely to be pleased with the further development of the replay system.

In the future, replays will include settings for, among other things,

• time of day

• aperture

• focal length

• manual focus

• weather presets

• and other visual effects

. As a result, the replay system is increasingly becoming a small cinematic tool that makes it much easier for players to create screenshots and videos within The Isle.

Goat Run: The Isle is even getting arcade cabinets

Among the more unusual new features is an initial framework for arcade cabinets. Programmer Amarok has already implemented a prototype minigame called Goat Run. The developers haven’t yet revealed exactly how or where these arcade cabinets will be used later in the game. Given the growing number of explorable human facilities on Gateway, however, this is likely just one of many small world-building details.

The Hatchery Is Ready for the Next HordeTest

Construction on the human facilities on Gateway is also continuing.
The largeHatchery has now been completed and, according to the developers, is already prepared for the next HordeTest.

Among other things, the complex features a basement and several different entrances and exits. Later, it will be connected to a medical facility for the island’s animals. Additionally, gates, outbuildings, and other areas are being constructed around the Dome. This will give players access to one of the largest building complexes on the entire island in the future.

Community Sentiment: More Anticipation—But Still a Lot of Skepticism

Compared to DevBlog #71, the current mood in the community seems somewhat more optimistic.

The main reason is likely that DevBlog #72 not only showcases new models and animations but also explicitly links several features directly to the upcoming HordeTest.

In particular, Oviraptor, the new migrations, and Entombed Saves are currently seen as realistic candidates for the next test update. There’s also a lot of anticipation surrounding Baryonyx—though this is paired with the skepticism regarding the timeline that has now become typical.

At the same time, another familiar pattern is emerging: No sooner is a new Horde Test discussed than players are already asking about Quetzalcoatlus, Camarasaurus, Parasaurolophus, and Spinosaurus. Some Reddit users are now predicting that some of these creatures won’t arrive until 2027 or even later—though these are purely community estimates and not official dates.

Our take on DevBlog #72

DevBlog #72 is one of the more interesting development updates of recent months. Not necessarily because it announces a spectacular new surprise, but because several already known systems are now visibly moving closer to a playable state.

Oviraptor, Entombed Saves, and the revamped Migration System are on the verge of their first HordeTest. Baryonyx is getting its own underwater gameplay and will also serve as the technical foundation for future spinosaurids. Parasaurolophus is about halfway through its animations, and existing dinosaurs like Triceratops and Diabloceratops are receiving noticeable improvements in combat.

In addition, there have been numerous smaller but interesting advances in gore, replays, environments, sound design, and the human facilities on Gateway. The key question now is how soon the announced HordeTest will actually begin.

After all, long-time players of *The Isle* know by now that there can still be quite a bit of time between “very soon” and “actually playable.”