Rise of the Merchants

Just one more day to go! Tomorrow, Rise of the Merchants officially launches into Early Access! To make sure you don't miss the big moment, we've put together a Global Release Times map showing exactly when the game goes live in your part of the world. We can't wait to finally welcome you into the world of Rise of the Merchants! Not on board yet? Add Rise of the Merchants to your Steam Wishlist and join us tomorrow! See you at launch! Your Black Duke Games Team

Hello, dear merchants!We are entering Early Access this Thursday, October 29, 2026, and we would like to take this opportunity to present our roadmap for the period ahead! This way, you will know what else is in store for you. ;) Content Update 1 Badge EditorDesign your own unique coat of armsSeasonal ChallengesMaster special challenges to unlock new gameplay features and cosmeticsSeason Theme: Hidden Routes & Trade RoutesDiscover hidden paths to neighboring settlements and turn them into lucrative trade routesContent Update 2 Season Theme: SeasonsBrave the changing weather conditions throughout the seasonsTrade AgreementsSecure your supply chains through strategic trade agreementsRenowned GoodsBuild a reputation for your settlement's high-quality goods across the landI hope you enjoyed this little overview! As you can see, there is plenty to discover, and we’re looking forward to developing these features for you!Best regards, Erik from Black Duke Games

Hello everyone!Today, we would like to give you a little look at the stats from our demo during Steam Next Fest. We are firing on all cylinders as we prepare for our release this Thursday (October 29, 2026), but we just had to put together some interesting — and even funny — statistics for you! ;)First of all, a huge thank you to the more than 10,000 players who tried our demo! We received a lot of feedback from you, learned a great deal from it, and have already been able to make many improvements. But now, let us take a look at the stats — perhaps you'll find yourself among them! The Demo stays live, by the way ;) Once again, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who played. We are working hard to get everything ready for release!Best regards, and see you soon!Erik from Black Duke Games

Hello merchants, demo update 0.4.8 is live! Text fields can now be filled in with a controller thanks to the new on-screen keyboard, the Route Planner follows your convoy after departure and picks fitting ships for you, and the whole interface runs smoother. On top of that, a big round of fixes takes care of convoys, production, quests and the tutorial. New Controller Text fields can now be filled in with a controller using the new on-screen keyboard. New option "Disable controller input" in the settings, for when another device is mistakenly detected as a controller. Route Planner After you send a convoy off, the camera flies to it and follows it. You can turn this off with the checkbox "Camera flies to the convoy on departure and follows it" next to the magnifier. The setting is remembered. When a ship is needed, ships with free trips are preselected first. If no ship can carry the convoy, the one that comes closest is preselected and marked red, and the journey cannot be started until you choose a fitting ship. Gameplay and Balancing Trade Before your first payroll, more basic resources are covered on the Produce Exchange: 8 instead of 5. On Automatic Trade R