Conan Exiles Enhanced 2026: What Is New After the UE5 Update (Returning Player Guide)

On May 5, 2026, Funcom released Conan Exiles Enhanced, a major update for the game. The whole game moved from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, free for everyone who owns it on Steam. It is much more than a graphics upgrade: the two maps now form one world, single-player and co-op support multiple save slots, and crafting got a lot more comfortable. Here is what you need to know if you are coming back.

The short version

• Free: The UE5 upgrade costs nothing. If you own Conan Exiles on Steam, you already have Enhanced.
• One world: According to Funcom's patch notes, the Exiled Lands and the Isle of Siptah maps have been merged into one. You travel between them with the same character, with no fresh start and no server move.
• Graphics: Lumen global illumination, Nanite geometry and Virtual Shadow Maps. DLSS 4.5, FSR 3 and XeSS are supported. Funcom targets 60+ fps on every quality preset.
• Install size: Down from about 105 GB to about 61 GB. Almost half.
• Multiple save slots: According to the patch notes, single-player and co-op now support multiple save slots, so you can keep several runs side by side.

The merged world: Exiled Lands and Isle of Siptah

The biggest gameplay change in Conan Exiles Enhanced: the Exiled Lands and the Isle of Siptah now live in one world. You no longer need a separate character for each map, and you don't have to switch servers. Every multiplayer server hosts both regions at the same time.

You still need the Siptah DLC to set foot on the Isle of Siptah. If you own it, you move freely between both regions with the same character, the same inventory and the same followers.

Two new journeys were added to help you find the connection: "Travel to the Isle of Siptah" and "Travel to the Exiled Lands".

What happens to my save?

Exiled Lands players (official servers)

If you played on an official UE4 Exiled Lands server on Steam: everything stays. Character, base, followers and inventory were carried over to UE5 automatically. You don't have to do anything.

Isle of Siptah players

This part is messier. Because the Isle of Siptah was physically moved into the same world as the Exiled Lands, the island's coordinates changed completely. As a result, bases on the Isle of Siptah could not be carried over. Siptah characters were moved to Exiled Lands servers automatically, with level, progress, inventory and followers, but without their base.

Private servers

Enhanced reads Exiled Lands save games directly. Funcom strongly recommends making backups before updating. The old UE4 version is still available as "Conan Exiles Legacy" through Steam's game versions and betas menu, but according to Funcom it gets no further updates on PC.

Graphics upgrade: what changed visually

Enhanced is not a simple remaster. Every material and every mesh in the game was rebuilt for UE5. The most visible improvements:

Lumen global illumination: Dynamic real-time lighting that reacts to the time of day, torches and the environment. Caves finally feel dark, and sunsets look great.

Nanite geometry: Much more detailed rocks, buildings and terrain without a performance hit.

Virtual Shadow Maps: Softer, more realistic shadows everywhere, including shadows cast by your own torch, which is new.

DLSS 4.5 / FSR 3 / XeSS: All three upscalers are supported, frame generation included. According to the patch notes, Funcom aims for 60+ fps from Low to Ultra.

Steam Deck: Steam Deck support is on Funcom's feature list. Hotfix 3.0.1 fixed a Steam Deck crash.

Quality-of-life improvements

Beyond the graphics, Funcom added a few features that make everyday play noticeably smoother:

Crafting from nearby chests: You can now craft and build straight out of nearby chests and follower inventories, without hauling everything into your own inventory first. For returning players this is the change you will notice most. Range limits and the hidden container cap are covered in our Conan Exiles craft from storage guide.

Multiple save slots: In single-player and co-op you can now keep several saves and switch between them, which is handy for testing different builds or regions.

Reworked UI: Cleaner menus and better navigation across the whole game.

Black Ice is easy to spot: Black Ice nodes now use a new material that sets them apart from regular ice. No more blind searching.

Better tutorial: Some steps of the Survivor journeys got clearer explanations, which helps players who return after years away.

What about mods?

This is the topic most server communities care about: UE4 mods have to be rebuilt for UE5. They don't work automatically.

At launch: According to Funcom, several popular mods were ready on day one, along with a refreshed Mod Dev Kit. According to the community, cosmetic and admin mods like Pippi and Fashionist came back quickly.

Big overhaul mods: Mods like EEWA and Age of Calamitous needed more time for the UE5 rebuild. Whether a specific mod has been updated for Enhanced is shown on its Workshop page.

Permanently broken: Mods that rely on UE4-only assets or APIs only work again after a complete rewrite.

Heads up: patch 2.2.0 (September 15, 2026) moved the game to Unreal Engine 5.8.2, and every Workshop mod had to be rebuilt once more after that.

What has been added since launch

Conan Exiles Enhanced has received several big patches since May:

How spells work today is explained in our Conan Exiles sorcery guide.

Legacy vs. Enhanced: which one should you pick?

The old UE4 version is still on Steam as "Conan Exiles Legacy". The choice is easy, though:

Enhanced: All future updates, new content, official servers and Bazaar access.

Legacy (PC): No further updates, no support, no official servers, no Bazaar. Funcom only mentions critical bug fixes for the console version.

For console players (Xbox, PlayStation) there is no UE5 upgrade as of October 14, 2026. Funcom says it has no current plans but is considering it, with no timeline. Details are in our article on the Conan Exiles Enhanced console status.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Conan Exiles Enhanced

Does the Enhanced update cost anything?
No. The UE5 upgrade is free and automatic for everyone who owns Conan Exiles on Steam.

Will I keep my base and my character?
On official Exiled Lands servers, yes, everything was carried over automatically. Siptah bases could not be migrated because the island's coordinates changed, but characters and progress were.

Are the Exiled Lands and Siptah one map now?
According to the patch notes, the two maps were merged into one world, and you travel between them with one character. You still need the DLC for Siptah.

Do my mods still work?
UE4 mods have to be rebuilt for UE5, and again after patch 2.2.0. According to the community, cosmetic and admin mods came back quickly, while big overhaul mods took longer. The old version remains available as "Conan Exiles Legacy".

Is it worth coming back?

Short answer: yes. Conan Exiles Enhanced improved the game a lot, not just visually. The merged world alone is a reason to return. Exploring two huge maps with one character and no restrictions was something players asked for over years.

If you last played before Age of War or even before Age of Sorcery, a lot has changed in the meantime: companions, the Purge rework, fatalities, the Battle Pass, and now UE5. It feels like a new game, but with your old character.

Tips for getting back in

1. Start in the Exiled Lands. Even if you own the Isle of Siptah, begin in the Exiled Lands and work your way over to Siptah later. The Exiled Lands have more early-game content and make the return easier.

2. Check your mod list. On a private server, remove all mods for now and add them back one at a time. That way you quickly find the ones that aren't UE5-ready yet.

3. Use crafting from chests. Pulling materials straight out of nearby storage saves hours of inventory juggling. Get used to it. You won't want to go back.

4. Start a second save. Use the new save slots to start a fresh single-player run in UE5. Seeing the world from scratch again is worth it.

5. Read up on the basics. Much of the foundation hasn't changed, but the patches since May adjusted individual recipes and mechanics, such as encumbrance. These guides help you get back up to speed:

→ Conan Exiles beginner guide
→ Resources guide
→ Hardened Leather guide
→ Brimstone farming guide
→ Thralls guide

More guides are on the Conan Exiles overview.

Checked against Funcom's Enhanced FAQ and announcement, the Conan Exiles Enhanced patch notes and the patch notes up to hotfix 3.0.1, as of October 2026 (Conan Exiles Enhanced, PC). Statements about individual mods come from the community and are marked as such.