Funcom announce Conan Exiles Enhanced edition, launching on May 5th with UE5 updates for free

Conan Exiles has stopped teasing and started delivering, with a major Enhanced Edition upgrade for Conan Exiles. The update sees Funcom port over Conan Exiles from Unreal Engine 4 to 5, with the help of Inflexion Games’ work to make the dream come true.

What to expect with the Conan Exiles Enhanced Edition?

The update is largely visual, with the trailer showcasing some of the different changes from the old version to the new version. It shows how dramatically different the sand and visuals are, ranging from the sandstorm, the sun, light beams, and the texture of the sand when it’s wet to dry. Honestly, it surprised us since Conan devs teased an update was coming in March, but a full engine upgrade is a massive surprise.

The update also comes with a seamless transition between the Exiled Lands and the game’s only paid DLC, Isle of Siptah. Previously you had to select what map you wanted, but now the servers can create both maps. You still need to own the DLC by the sounds of things, but the option to go and settle there is yours for the taking.

There are other new features too. They made specific mention of the endowment slider being changed. Can imagine where that is going to go. There’s also craft and build improvements for storage. Magic inventory systems are also a good thing. Even Crimson Desert patched that feature in as of this morning (April 23rd). There’s also a feature to work on multiple characters on the same server if you’d like.

In addition, the Enhanced Edition is coming to players for free. It does not matter if you owned the game, or are about to buy it, or will buy it after the Enhanced Edition goes live. No matter when you get it, it’s yours.

Also, somehow, the devs have managed to shrink the game from 120GB to 40GB. Now that’s impressive. It should also now run on Steam Deck too!

For those curious, the release of Conan Exiles Enhanced Edition comes on May 5th, aligning with the game’s 8th year anniversary since its release.

If you still want to play the UE4 version, the Funcom launcher will allow you to select between UE4 and 5 versions if you want that classical feel to the game. The minimum system requirements are going up with the UE5 launch, with 16gb minimum RAM required, and the GPU now wanting atleast 8GB cards like Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070Ti or Radeon 5700 XT.

Also, if you’re on official servers, then Funcom have a warning. They say that the servers will go down for maintenance on May 4th. Once the database updates for official servers, they will now be UE5 characters. If you want to keep characters in the UE4 mode, then make sure to back them up prior to that date by using the game’s server transfer tool. Otherwise, the character will go to the Enhanced Edition version.

Lastly, this update is for PC only, but they won’t rule out a port over to consoles.

For more information, check the disclaimer and FAQ section of the game’s announcement on Steam.