update · September 30, 2026
Expeditions: Samurai Early Access Update 1 Arrives with Expanded Group Sizes and Combat Overhauls
Expeditions: Samurai receives its first major Early Access update, expanding party limits to six in several regions, adding new character creation assets, and overhauling stealth and morale systems based on community feedback.
Expeditions: Samurai has received its first major Early Access update, introducing a massive suite of community-driven changes ranging from expanded follower group sizes to comprehensive stealth and combat tweaks.
Group Sizes and Combat Adjustments
Ten key areas now support a follower group size of six, including Nagasaki Market, Nagasaki Harbour, Spaniard's Hacienda, and Kanseidō Village, with enemy numbers scaled up to match. Stealth takedowns no longer run at default movement speed, instead matching walk or sneak pacing, and the Surprise Attack skill bonus no longer applies to aware enemies. Ranged weapons have been nerfed, enemy base health values have been increased, and Piet's Passata Soto ability has been adjusted downward.
Inventory and Trade Improvements
Trade menus now display clear trade values alongside a new auto-balance button and stack visuals to streamline merchant interactions. Merchants' weapon stats are now bound to static seeds, removing random variations between refreshes. Additionally, opening full-screen UI menus no longer renders the background game world, which significantly boosts performance during inventory management.
New Exploration and Interaction Options
Players can now carry barrels across environments, allowing for creative placements like trapping patrolling enemies with gunpowder. Companions can now handle dialogue skill checks if they possess the required attribute level. Exploration has also expanded with scavengeable broken wagons, bone piles searchable via Survival, and pickpocketable coin piles in Nagasaki Harbour.
AI and Morale Revisions
Enemies now react dynamically to high alert states, either fanning out to clear an area or forming tactical chokepoints. Morale attacks no longer trigger multi-target skills that caused combat locks, and defeated or incapacitated characters are correctly excluded from morale checks. Dual-wielding enemies will no longer freeze in place when affected by morale conditions.
Character Customization and Interface Updates
Character creation gains two new European heads and hairstyles for each gender, alongside older Japanese NPC head variants and a Ronin outfit. Dialogue presentation has been updated to consistently display speaker and listener portraits while keeping Flynn on the left side. A permanent walk and run toggle has been added, and the Perks page now features restructured filtering and clear status effect tooltips.
Why this patch matters
Update 1 substantially reshapes Expeditions: Samurai by addressing foundational balance concerns and adding requested quality-of-life tools, making cooperative exploration and tactical combat much more reliable.