The Game Bakers have confirmed that Cairn’s free On the Trail DLC will no longer launch on August 13 as previously announced.
According to the studio, the team needs more time to polish the update, saying the DLC’s smaller mountains required them to “tweak the formula to keep the tension in every climb.” The delay comes despite Cairn’s strong critical reception, with an 86 Metascore and more than 8,500 positive Steam reviews.
As we noted in our Cairn review, the game successfully captures the intensity of rock climbing while exploring themes of existentialism and anthropology. Since launch, however, players have also requested additional post-game content, gameplay refinements, and quality-of-life improvements.
The free On the Trail DLC will introduce Free Roam mode, allowing players to revisit completed save files, freely explore the mountain, train, and complete any remaining achievements without starting a new playthrough. Players will also be able to freely roam as Marco, the game’s secondary protagonist.
Beyond adding new content, much of the DLC appears to focus on improving replayability. Free Roam addresses one of the more common requests from players by allowing completed save files to remain useful after finishing the main climb, rather than requiring a new playthrough to revisit areas or clean up remaining achievements. Making Marco playable also offers a fresh perspective on exploration without changing the core experience.
The latest trailer also showcases several quality-of-life improvements alongside what appears to be a new, smaller mountain to conquer. Rather than another towering summit like Mount Kami, the new environment seems to emphasize coastal cliffs, tropical vegetation, and maritime landscapes, suggesting a different style of climbing from the base game’s alpine setting. While The Game Bakers have yet to explain how the new area will differ mechanically, the footage hints at shorter but potentially more technical ascents.
Inventory management also appears to receive an adjustment. Aava’s equipment has been adjusted to free up two additional inventory slots, giving players more flexibility to carry other essential resources during climbs. The trailer further teases an expanded indoor climbing facility, which could provide a more practical space for training and experimentation before tackling outdoor routes.
Confirmed Features in Cairn: On the Trail:
- Free Roam mode
- Play as Marco
- New coastal map
- Expanded indoor climbing area
- Two additional inventory slots from piton changes
Based on what has been shown so far, On the Trail appears to focus primarily on enhancing Cairn’s long-term replayability rather than expanding its main campaign. Between Free Roam, a new climbing area, and several quality-of-life improvements, the update seems aimed at giving existing players more reasons to return after reaching the summit.
Since launch, The Game Bakers have continued supporting Cairn with post-release updates. A patch released on May 19 introduced the ability for players to order a custom T-shirt featuring the exact route they took up Mount Kami, complete with statistics such as total falls, deaths, and completion time.
The studio has yet to announce a new release date for the free On the Trail DLC, saying only that additional development time is needed to polish the experience before launch.
Cairn is a climbing simulation game developed by The Game Bakers and was released on January 29, 2026.
Respect each other, speak your mind, and focus on ideas, not individuals.