The Long Dark's third episode due this December

We're currently experiencing a sweltering summer heatwave in the UK, and quite frankly, most of us at Eurogamer are ready for some cooler weather. Unfortunately it looks like we're going to have to wait - both physically and digitally - as the third episode of winter survival sim The Long Dark is coming out in five months.

In a Steam dev diary post, developer Hinterland announced Episode Three is due for release sometime this December. The player will take the role of Dr. Astrid Greenwood, and the story will pick up "in the aftermath of the events of Milton". Hinterland also promised players will "meet new survivors, explore a new region, and find out more about the events prior to, and after, the First Flare event that engulfed Great Bear Island - and perhaps the rest of the world - into 'the long dark'." I guess this is the true darkest timeline. Quite literally.

Alongside Episode Three, Hinterland will also be releasing "Redux" versions of the first two episodes. These apparently come with a whole range of improvements, including a "more open quest structure," a new NPC, and even a new playable intro sequence for Episode One. The Trust system is also being completely removed, as the developer stated it contributed to the "fetch questy" feel of the original episodes.

Players, at least, seem to have retained their trust in the developer, and most in the community seem confident the new episode and Redux editions will be great. We'll just have to survive until December to know for sure.