Endless Legend 2 Version 1.0 Launch: New Factions and Mod Support Detailed
Mod support is already live. If you have been waiting for 1.0 to start building, you do not need to — Amplitude shipped Steam Workshop support in the final Early Access update, ahead of the September 17 launch. Everything about Endless Legend 2 mod support version 1.0 starts from that fact, and the 1.0 patch updates the toolkit rather than introducing it.
The bigger story on launch day is the faction roster. Four new factions arrive at once, including the sixth and final major civilization and an entirely new faction category.
Published September 9, 2026, ahead of the September 17 launch. Sourced from Amplitude’s official announcements and Early Access patch notes.
What Ships On September 17
Endless Legend 2 leaves Early Access on September 17, 2026, roughly a year after its PC Early Access debut in September 2025.
Amplitude Studios developed it, Hooded Horse publishes it, and 1.0 is a simultaneous release across five storefronts and three platforms: PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store, plus PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
That console launch is a first for the franchise. Endless Legend, Endless Space, and the rest of the Endless universe have been PC-only until now, and the console versions ship with the full 1.0 package rather than a reduced port.
A physical PlayStation 5 edition is being produced in collaboration with Strictly Limited and is open for pre-order through participating retailers.
The Early Access year was not idle. Amplitude added co-op and versus multiplayer modes, reworked existing factions, and overhauled the questing system before turning to the launch content.
Core Content: The Four New Factions
The 1.0 roster expansion is the largest single content drop the game has had since Early Access began. Full details are in Amplitude’s official 1.0 announcement.
The Sandshapers (Sixth Major Faction)
The Sandshapers are the oldest civilization to inhabit Saiadha. They remember a time before the world was covered by water, and they consider it a sacred duty to terraform the planet back into the desert it once was.
That premise sets them directly against the game’s central mechanic. Saiadha is an ocean world defined by Tidefalls — cataclysmic events that reshape the map as the waters recede. Most factions react to the Tidefalls. The Sandshapers want to finish the job.
Like every major faction, they arrive with a full faction quest telling their story, plus new units, heroes, technologies, and traits. All of it is available in the Custom Faction creator, which matters for modders and for anyone building bespoke factions.
Rogue Factions: A New Faction Category
This is the structural addition, not just a new civilization.
Rogue Factions are splinter groups that share much of an existing faction’s toolkit while telling a completely different story. Each carries its own faction quest, narrative, and gameplay twist rather than functioning as a reskin.
Two ship at 1.0.
Order of Zelevas is a conquest-focused variant of the Kin of Sheredyn. Where the Kin play as defensive builders, the Order splits toward aggression.
The Severed Claw is a Necrophage variant with a genuinely punishing hook: it can only replace its army losses by enslaving other factions. There is no standard reinforcement path. Every unit you lose has to be replaced by taking one from someone else.
Amplitude has described these as the “first two planned” Rogue Factions, which strongly implies more are coming post-launch.
Mangrove Of Harmony (Minor Faction)
A new starfish-like minor faction, developed in conjunction with the Amplitude community rather than internally.
It is unusually substantial for a minor faction. The Mangrove ships with its own hero and questline, new villages, recruitable units, a new population type, and two hero skills.
Endless Legend 2 1.0 Content And Mod Support Table
| Element | Type | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 release date | Launch | September 17, 2026 | Confirmed |
| Platforms | Launch | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Confirmed |
| PC storefronts | Launch | Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store | Confirmed |
| Physical edition | Launch | PS5 via Strictly Limited | Confirmed |
| The Sandshapers | Major faction | Terraform Saiadha back to desert | Confirmed |
| Order of Zelevas | Rogue faction | Conquest variant of Kin of Sheredyn | Confirmed |
| The Severed Claw | Rogue faction | Necrophage variant, replaces losses only by enslaving | Confirmed |
| Mangrove of Harmony | Minor faction | Community-developed, starfish-like | Confirmed |
| Steam Workshop | Mod support | Live since final Early Access update | Shipped |
| Modding guide | Mod support | Written by game director Derek | Shipped, updating at 1.0 |
| Mod management tab | Mod support | In Content Management screen from main menu | Shipped |
| Custom Faction creator | Tool | Sandshapers content included | Confirmed |
| Achievements with mods | Policy | Amplitude has not confirmed the 1.0 policy | Unconfirmed |
| Co-op multiplayer | Feature | Added during Early Access | Live |
| Versus multiplayer | Feature | Added during Early Access | Live |
| Questing overhaul | Feature | Reworked during Early Access | Live |
| Tech tree rebalance | Feature | Faction-specific techs, cheaper back-era research | Live |
| Demo | Trial | Kin of Sheredyn or Last Lords, ~90 turns | Live on PC and console |
Mod Support: What Is Actually Available Right Now
Amplitude told the community back in February 2025 that mod support was planned for the full release rather than Early Access, with the timing dependent on several factors.
They beat their own deadline. Modding shipped in the last Early Access update before 1.0, which the studio described as a secret project the team had been quietly working on.
Here is what that update actually delivered:
- Steam Workshop integration, so mods can be created and uploaded directly
- A modding guide written by game director Derek, aimed at people with no prior modding experience
- A dedicated tab in the Content Management screen from the main menu showing currently activated mods
Amplitude has confirmed the guide will be updated at 1.0 release, and has explicitly asked the community to flag unclear sections or missing information before launch so those gaps get closed.
That is the correct read on timing: mod support did not arrive with 1.0. It arrived before 1.0, and 1.0 refines it.
One open question remains. Community members have repeatedly asked whether Amplitude will change its historical policy of disabling achievements when mods are active, pointing to Civilization 6 as precedent for allowing them. Amplitude has not published a 1.0 answer. Verify this in-game rather than assuming either way.
Mods are also being catalogued outside Steam, with a dedicated Endless Legend 2 page on Nexus Mods already established.
Step-By-Step: How To Start Modding Endless Legend 2
- Update to the latest build before doing anything else.
- Open the main menu and locate Content Management.
- Open the mods tab to see currently activated mods.
- Read Derek’s official modding guide end to end first.
- Subscribe to an existing Workshop mod to confirm loading works.
- Verify the mod appears as active in Content Management.
- Start a small edit rather than a full faction on your first attempt.
- Use the Custom Faction creator to understand faction data structure.
- Test every change in a short skirmish before expanding scope.
- Check achievement behaviour with mods enabled before a long campaign.
- Re-read the guide after September 17, since it is being updated.
- Rebuild and retest any 1.0-era mod against the launch build.
- Upload to Steam Workshop with clear version compatibility notes.
- Flag unclear guide sections to Amplitude through the community forums.
What Else Changed Before Launch
The final Early Access update was primarily a bug-fixing push, but it carried meaningful balance work alongside the modding tools.
The team completed a full pass on the tech tree, adding specific technologies for all major factions and improving overall balance. More importantly for pacing, they reduced the exponential increase in cost tied to your total number of researched technologies, which makes going back for earlier-era techs genuinely affordable rather than a trap.
Other adjustments included Keeps now providing free foundations around them, the Fish Farm improvement gaining synergies with rivers, a fix to the Xenos councilor trait, and clarified Natural Wonders descriptions confirming that most of their effects apply only to the city they occupy rather than empire-wide.
Amplitude also committed to reviewing and replying to any bug report with more than five upvotes on its community platform ahead of launch. The full patch history is posted to the game’s Steam news feed.
Not every Early Access change has landed well with the existing player base. The Tidefall system and the removal of water travel in particular have drawn criticism from Endless Legend veterans who found the original’s systems more distinctive. That is worth knowing before you buy on nostalgia alone.
Advanced Optimization Tips
- Learn The Custom Faction Creator Before You Mod — Every Sandshapers unit, hero, technology, and trait is exposed in the Custom Faction creator, which makes it the fastest way to understand how faction data is structured without reading raw files. Modders who spend an hour building a custom faction in the UI first tend to write cleaner mods than those who go straight to editing definitions.
- Wait For The Updated Guide Before Building Anything Large — Amplitude has confirmed the modding guide is being revised for 1.0 and has actively solicited feedback on unclear sections. Starting a large mod against the Early Access documentation risks rewriting work when the 1.0 build and updated guide land on September 17. Prototype small now, scale after launch.
- Treat Rogue Factions As A Modding Template — Rogue Factions are officially splinter groups that inherit an existing faction’s toolkit while carrying their own quest, story, and gameplay twist. That is precisely the structure most community faction mods want. Study how Order of Zelevas diverges from the Kin of Sheredyn and you have a working blueprint for a derivative faction that does not require building from zero.
- Verify Achievement Behaviour Before A Long Campaign — Amplitude has not confirmed whether achievements remain enabled with mods active at 1.0, and the community has been asking since early 2025. Run a short modded game and check before committing eighty turns to a campaign you may not get credit for.
- Play The Demo If You Bounced Off Early Access — The revised demo is live on both PC and consoles and lets you play roughly 90 turns as either the Kin of Sheredyn or the Last Lords against five different factions, with the Tidefall system fully active. It is a better calibration tool than launch reviews, particularly if the receding-ocean mechanics are the thing you are unsure about.
- Expect Post-Launch Rogue Factions — Amplitude described Order of Zelevas and The Severed Claw as the first two planned Rogue Factions. If you are building a mod that touches faction inheritance, design it to accommodate more of them rather than hardcoding against two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Endless Legend 2 have mod support at version 1.0?
Yes, and it arrived early. Steam Workshop support, a modding guide written by the game director, and an in-game mod management tab all shipped in the final Early Access update before 1.0. The guide is being updated for the September 17 launch.
What new factions are in the Endless Legend 2 1.0 launch?
Four. The Sandshapers as the sixth major faction, two Rogue Factions in Order of Zelevas and The Severed Claw, and the Mangrove of Harmony as a community-developed minor faction.
When does Endless Legend 2 leave Early Access?
September 17, 2026, on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store, alongside PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It is the first Endless franchise game to launch on consoles.
What are Rogue Factions in Endless Legend 2?
A new faction category of splinter groups that share much of an existing faction’s design while carrying a distinct faction quest, story, and gameplay twist. Background on the game’s development and Early Access history is documented on Wikipedia.