DLCCairn On the Trail DLC: Deep Water Release Status, Content & Free Roam
On the Trail: Deep Water is the first DLC for Cairn, and it is free. It takes climbers off Mount Kami onto a new, much smaller mountain with three climbing locations, hands Marco a playable role with his own climbing style, and fills each route with handcrafted cruxes. It ships alongside Free Roam, a community-requested mode that opens up the base game's mountain for exploration. One catch: the August 13, 2026 release date came and went, the DLC was delayed, and it is still unreleased; its Steam page now lists October 29, 2026.
Last updated: September 23, 2026
What Is On the Trail: Deep Water?
The Game Bakers' climbing survival game launched with one mountain (Mount Kami) and a tight loop of route reading, stamina management, and honest falls. On the Trail: Deep Water is the first expansion to that loop. Instead of inflating the original map, it builds a second, deliberately smaller mountain and reshapes the challenge around it: fewer meters of altitude, but three new climbing locations and freshly designed crux sections that keep every pitch demanding.
The most important structural change is who does the climbing. Marco (present throughout the base game) becomes a playable character in his own right, with a climbing style of his own. Combined with the new locations, that makes the DLC feel less like extra wall and more like a different lens on the same careful, weight-and-grip discipline that defines Cairn.
| Fact | Detail | Notes |
|---|
| DLC name | On the Trail: Deep Water | The first DLC for Cairn |
| Price | Free | Every piece of announced content costs nothing |
| Original release date | August 13, 2026 | Missed; see the delay below |
| Current status | Not yet released | Steam page now lists October 29, 2026 |
| New climbing locations | 3 | All on a new mountain much smaller than Mount Kami |
| New playable character | Marco | Plays with his own climbing style rather than a copy of Aava |
| Launching alongside | Free Roam mode | A long-requested way to explore Mount Kami freely |
Release Status: Not Yet Released, Now Dated October 29, 2026
Plan accordingly: On the Trail: Deep Water was originally scheduled for August 13, 2026, and that date passed without the DLC launching. On July 21, 2026, The Game Bakers announced the delay, explaining that the team needs more time to pack the new climbing locations with additional challenges and surprises. The DLC is still unreleased, and its Steam page now lists October 29, 2026 as the release date.
The date can still move, as August 13 showed, so treat October 29 as the current official target rather than a promise. The place to watch is the DLC's Steam page, and this page will be updated to match.
Bottom line: not out yet, now dated. The DLC's Steam page lists October 29, 2026 for On the Trail: Deep Water; that is the current target, and it holds only as long as the developer keeps it.
Everything Announced for the DLC
Three new climbing locations
A whole new mountain to read, plan, and climb, split into three distinct locations, each with its own terrain logic and rest decisions.
Marco becomes playable
Marco steps out of the supporting role and onto the wall with his own climbing style, a different feel from Aava rather than a reskin.
Handcrafted cruxes
Brand-new key sections designed by hand, so the make-or-break moments of each route test planning instead of repeating base-game patterns.
Smaller mountain, tighter formula
The new mountain is much smaller than Mount Kami, and the difficulty formula is adjusted so every single climb stays tense despite the shorter setting.
Two design notes worth dwelling on. First, the handcrafted cruxes: in Cairn a crux is where a route stops being endurance and starts being a puzzle, so new hand-built ones, rather than procedural remixes, are what will decide whether the new mountain feels genuinely different. Second, the size: a much smaller mountain risks feeling like a step back, which is why the tuning matters. The formula has been adjusted so that shorter total height does not mean softer climbs; each ascent is meant to hold its tension start to finish.
Free Roam: Mount Kami Without the Summit Rush
Arriving at the same time as the DLC, Free Roam mode answers one of the community's longest-running requests. On a normal run, Mount Kami is a corridor: ledges, bivouacs, and side paths blur past on the way to the summit, and stopping to linger costs daylight and stamina. Free Roam removes that pressure: you can return to the mountain and explore its corners properly, the places a summit attempt never lets you truly look at.
Exploration runs through Marco: Free Roam lets you climb as him, pairing naturally with his new role as a playable character in the DLC. For players who finished the story and loved the mountain more than the finish line, this may end up being the most-played part of the entire update.
How the DLC Fits With the Base Game
If you are unsure what the DLC changes about who you play and where, this is the short version: the base game's two modes stay as they are, and the DLC adds a third way in (Marco's own style on a new mountain) plus Free Roam back on Mount Kami.
| Mode | Character | What It Is |
|---|
| Story Mode (base game) | Aava | A narrative journey to the summit of Mount Kami, roughly 10-15 hours from base to top. |
| Expedition Mode (base game) | Aava or Marco | Pick your character and your discipline: alpine protection or free solo commitment. |
| On the Trail: Deep Water (DLC) | Marco | Three new locations on a smaller mountain, with fresh handcrafted cruxes tuned to stay tense. |
| Free Roam (arrives with the DLC) | Marco | Leave the summit line behind and explore the parts of Mount Kami the route rushes past. |
One nuance: Marco is already selectable in Expedition Mode, so “playable” here means something more specific. The DLC gives him a climbing style genuinely his own: his own way of moving through the three new locations, instead of leaving him as an alternate skin behind Aava. If Story Mode's 10-15 hour journey belongs to Aava, the new mountain belongs to Marco.
FAQ
Is the Cairn On the Trail DLC free?
Yes. On the Trail: Deep Water is completely free: there is no price tag and no edition gating. If you own Cairn, the DLC's new mountain, its three climbing locations, Marco as a playable character, and the Free Roam mode are all yours at no cost when they arrive.
When does On the Trail: Deep Water come out?
It is still unreleased, but it now has a date. The DLC was originally set to launch on August 13, 2026, and that date passed without a launch; on July 21, 2026 The Game Bakers announced a delay to add extra challenges and surprises to the new climbing locations. The DLC's Steam page now lists October 29, 2026 as its release date.
Do I need the base game to play the DLC?
Yes. On the Trail: Deep Water is an expansion built on Cairn's climbing systems, so the base game is required. That said, part of the package leans back on the original mountain: Free Roam mode lets you explore the corners of Mount Kami you normally rush past on the way to the summit.
Last updated: September 23, 2026. Fan guide, not affiliated with The Game Bakers.
