Dovion Summer 2026 Recap: Everything That's New
It's been a busy summer in the shipyard. If you haven't kept up with every update, this Dovion news recap is for you: we're going through everything that's changed over the past few weeks, no marketing spin. What's working, we'll say so; what still needs polish, we'll say that too.
The ship overhaul: 9 lineages, 31 hulls
This is the biggest piece. The ship tree has been completely rethought: 31 hulls spread across 9 lineages, with evolutions at levels 5, 15, 30, and 45. Every lineage now has one active ability on the E key (with a visible cooldown), while Space stays dedicated to firing: the Narval's (a ramming hull) ramming Charge, the torpedo Fan, the Grande Bordée (a full double broadside), the Gong of the Depths… Every ship family now has a clear identity. We cover it all in the dedicated overhaul article.
And for the curious: a secret hull, the Hollandais Doré (the Golden Dutchman), has appeared in the gallery. We won't say anything more. Really, nothing.
The mobile HUD, rebuilt for thumbs
On phone, the interface has been rebuilt from the ground up: joysticks repositioned, combat buttons grouped where your thumbs naturally land, the minimap moved so it no longer blocks the action. The goal was simple: playing on mobile shouldn't be a compromise anymore. The details and ergonomics choices are in our article on the mobile HUD redesign.
The "Challenge a Friend" referral program
This summer's social feature: you can send a referral link to a friend. Once your referral plays for 10 minutes, you both earn +250 banked XP. It's our way of saying thanks to everyone spreading the word about the game — because a small indie game only grows through word of mouth. More details in the referral announcement.
Private rooms and streamer mode
You can now create a private room with a simple link like `dovion.io/?room=NAME` and meet up with friends there, whether they're on PC or mobile. For content creators, a streamer mode (with an access key) lets you configure your room and show a dedicated HUD. We detail all of it in the private rooms and streamer mode announcement.
The shop, fully transparent
An optional gold pack shop has opened. We want to be clear: the game remains 100% playable for free, and nothing in the shop replaces skill at the cannon. It exists to help pay for the server, full stop. We stand by this model and explain it plainly in a dedicated article.
And plenty of small things
A grab bag, because small tweaks matter too:
- revenge tickets to jump back into a match after dying, purchasable with XP (800 XP each) or through the shop;
- the death clip: a short replay of your final moments, ready to share;
- ongoing balance adjustments, notably to the XP curve;
- the coordinate grid (A1 to K11) to arrange meetups on the map.
And what's next? We keep going. Balance is never "finished," community ideas are under consideration, and the blog will keep you posted on everything, including what doesn't pan out. If you want to share your thoughts on these updates, the forum is waiting.
In the meantime, the best way to judge it all is to take to the sea yourself: Play Dovion for free.