Key Highlights:
- Sons of the Forest Patch 04 launched on 20 April 2023, introducing an Action Cam and the first found-footage recording.
- Bunker locations no longer appeared on the GPS map from the beginning, requiring players to discover points of interest through laptops.
- Kelvin gained the ability to carry two Logs simultaneously, while Virginia, enemy AI and several gameplay systems received improvements.
Endnight Games released Patch 04 for Sons of the Forest on 20 April 2023, introducing a new Action Cam, an overhauled bunker discovery system and numerous AI improvements during the game’s Early Access period.
The Action Cam was the headline addition, allowing players to watch found-footage recordings discovered across the island. Only the first recording was available with Patch 04, although Endnight confirmed that more videos would arrive in subsequent updates.
While the Action Cam introduced another way to uncover the island’s mysteries, the change to bunker discovery arguably had a greater impact on exploration.
Previously, bunker locations appeared on the GPS Tracker from the beginning of a playthrough. Patch 04 removed those starting markers and introduced laptops that players could discover to reveal points of interest.
The change made exploration more dependent on finding clues rather than simply following existing map icons. Players now had another reason to investigate camps and other locations before progressing towards the island’s underground facilities.
It also established a clearer relationship between environmental discovery and the game’s story progression. Our Sons of the Forest bunker locations guide covers the locations and access requirements for these facilities.
Outside exploration, one of Patch 04’s most welcome improvements involved Kelvin.
The AI companion could now carry two Logs at once, doubling the amount he could transport on an individual trip. Endnight also improved his construction behaviour, allowing him to complete shelves that had previously caused problems.
I’ve always considered improvements to Kelvin’s everyday usefulness particularly valuable because collecting materials can occupy a substantial amount of time when building alone. Carrying two Logs instead of one might sound minor beside a new item, but it made a noticeable difference to the amount of work players could delegate.
Virginia received an adjustment of her own. Players who had developed a strong relationship with her could expect more frequent visits, making her presence around established camps more consistent.
Endnight also expanded cannibal behaviour. Enemies received additional running and lunging animations intended to make them harder to predict during combat. Muddy cannibals became more likely to flee when frightened, while certain enemies gained new social behaviours around their villages.
The update also improved several features introduced in Patch 03. Night Vision Goggles received a brightness increase, while the Knight V electric unicycle was prevented from climbing particularly steep slopes.
Quality-of-life improvements extended to the save system, with players gaining the ability to name their save games. The GPS map was updated to show existing ponds and lakes, and a north-pointing indicator was added to improve navigation.
Patch 04 also addressed a substantial collection of bugs affecting multiplayer, construction and inventory interactions. Fixes included problems with clients building structures, disappearing equipment interactions and situations where Kelvin or Virginia could become stuck in animations.
Additional changes corrected electrical wiring behaviour, solar-panel placement and several structural building problems. These were particularly relevant following the introduction of electricity in the previous update.
Endnight also restored the I Dream of Sushi achievement, which had become unobtainable.
Perhaps the most encouraging announcement for longtime The Forest players concerned something that was not included in Patch 04.
Endnight confirmed that the Log Sled would return in the next update, responding to requests from players who wanted a more convenient way to transport building materials.
That confirmation, combined with Kelvin’s increased carrying capacity, demonstrated how the developer was responding to feedback about the effort required to construct larger bases.
Patch 04 ultimately improved several connected parts of the survival experience: story exploration became more deliberate, companions became more useful, and the island’s enemies gained more varied behaviour.
The full changes were documented in Endnight Games’ official Patch 04 announcement.
Later Update: Endnight followed through on its Log Sled announcement with Sons of the Forest Patch 05. The update introduced Basic and Advanced Log Sleds, alongside tree regrowth and an expanded cooking system, addressing some of the building and resource-management limitations discussed when Patch 04 launched.
