Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升 News & Patch Notes

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Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升 News & Patch Notes | SteamScope

2026 Long-Term Development and Pricing

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

222d ago

Hello everyone,

2025 has been a year rich in updates and releases, and 2026 promises to follow that trend.

What to expect in 2026?

Pricing policy for 2026
Community projects
Maestro 2026 Rise of the White Sun content updates
Maestro other projects for 2026

Pricing policy for 2026

From the beginning, this game was designed as a long-term strategy project. Since its release in 2022, it has continued to evolve thanks to your feedback and support, and this work is not finished.

Further updates are planned, and a new DLC is currently planned for 2026. My goal is to keep improving the game over time and to support it as a living strategy title, rather than treating it as a one-off release.

To make this long-term development possible, I’m adjusting how discounts are handled going forward. Discounts will now be more moderate and more consistent, reflecting the fact that the game is still being developed and supported.

This approach helps ensure that:

Ongoing development remains sustainable
Updates and improvements can continue over time
Future content, including DLC, can be developed and supported properly

Thank you for playing the game and for supporting its development through your feedback, reviews, and interest. Your support directly contributes to keeping the project alive.

Community projects

What I really like with this game is how the community is involved and creative: it is really uplifting for a solo game dev.

Rise of the White Sun Steam trading cards and badges.

Toster and Pioneer are cooking a trading card system for the game, and it will probably be ready in the weeks to come.

Moe of the Sun :

Check that great Workshop asset here

The team is slowly replacing all portrait characters by cute anime style girls. And the mod is already widely popular. So far the portraits cover the main factions.

Here is the list of the heroes who are contributing to this journey: Programmers 末代蛤蜊 MCMXXXVI

Artists Hsiao Yaonan_official: Zhili Clique, Guangdong Clique Dr_Stupid@13: Anhui Clique, Guominjun, Yunnan Clique, Chen Xialing Joska: Sichuan Clique ShushAlready: CPC 末代蛤蜊: Golog 收件人不详: Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongol, Gansu utea: Legitimate Officials 猫猫头: Fengtian Clique 不落孤: GMD 椰奶：New Guangxi Clique, 油炸冰糖柠檬炒辣椒: Governor of Hong Kong, Bolshevik soldier

(If ever I forget you just tell me and I will correct it)

Maestro 2026 Rise of the White Sun content updates

The list below is all the content updates I am currently working on, and which have progressed enough to have a chance to be shipped in 2026.

Those who know me, know that I may change my mind and code something else instead, just because someone came up on the Discord with an idea that hyped me more.

-Hainan CPC as a playable group in 1929

-A sandbox Northern Expedition, including whole China and some new events

-A 1930-1933 "Rise of the Red Sun" DLC

Other projects for 2026

As you may know, I am working on that Cold War game, and I am quite satisfied by its evolution.

Players feedback is really good and encouraging.

In 2026 you can expect:

-Pax Americana 1989-2001 a DLC for the Cold War game

-An alt-history system to change widely the game setting

-A proper editor (yes, including an event editor)

If you don't own it yet and are interested, do not wait to get yours: the second price raise of the Early Access will take place in January.

Have a nice end of year!

— Maestro Cinetik

November Content Update

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

266d ago

Hello,

In this November update, you’ll find mostly Taming the Tigers content:

4 new characters (Shanxi and Guangxi)
Balance rework
Feature improvements and bug fixes
2 new cheat codes
Content also applied to the base game

If you don’t own Taming the Tigers yet, don’t worry: I haven’t forgotten you! I already have a few updates in mind for the base game as well.

New Characters

Fu Zuoyi: Added to the Shanxi reserve roster in the 1927 and 1929 scenarios.
Xia Wei: Added to the New Guangxi Clique reserve roster in 1929.
Huang Xuchu: Added to the New Guangxi Clique reserve roster in 1929.
Yu Zuobai: Can be recruited in 1929 by both the New Guangxi Clique and the Guangxi Communist Party, through personal bonds.

Balance Rework

The Nanning Finance Minister now gains $3000 per turn, starting in January 1929.

Yan Xishan is now Generalissimo in the Taming the Tigers scenario.

One new character has been added to the Shanxi reserve roster and two to the Guangxi reserve roster in the same scenario.

Features & Bug Fixes

The city map influence display has been reworked. Switching between characters or changing turns will no longer reset the character’s view.

The Mongol People’s Party now has mass actions, like the Communist Party, instead of foreign powers actions.

Truck transfers from your inventory to an army can now be done in batches of 5.

Cheat Codes

NanjingFall: Breaks your alliance with the faction controlling Nanjing and gives you control of all armies in the Nanjing district.
RedNanjing: Transfers Nanjing to the Communist Party.

Base Game Applied Content

The following changes also apply to the base game:

Fu Zuoyi is available in the Shanxi roster in the 1927 Red Base scenario.
The $3000/turn Nanning Finance Minister bonus applies in Sandbox mode when you reach 1929.
The Mongol People’s Party mass actions apply in the 1920 scenarios.
The city map influence rework applies to all scenarios with city maps.
The truck transfer update is valid in all scenarios.
The new cheat codes can be used in any scenario where Jiangsu appears.

I hope this new content makes the GMD, Shanxi, and Guangxi cliques even more interesting to play.

Have fun! Maestro Cinetik

Autumn Content Patch

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

297d ago

Thank you all for your feedback on the DLC!

It’s time to bring in some more content once again!

In this update, you will find:

New army upgrades
GMD district upgrades
Nanjing Capital upgrades
The Soong Sisters
Reworked Victory Conditions

This update is primarily focused on GMD content for Taming the Tigers, but not exclusively: the new army upgrades and revised victory conditions will also affect the base game.

Foreword on Large Factions

Since this update revolves around a particularly large faction, here’s a quick word of reassurance: don’t be afraid of playing big factions. They are much less overwhelming than they seem.

Here are a few tips:

Start with Fengtian as your first major faction—they’re easier to handle.
Delegate reserve roster characters to the AI. Give them some funds from time to time, and they’ll manage.
Don’t worry too much if your subordinates mismanage a province—it’s usually not that important.
Use your Generalissimos to move any of your faction’s armies.
You only really need 1–3 strong armies. The rest can safely idle in allied districts.
There are more ways than you might suspect to change district controllers (check the Steam guides for details).

Army Upgrades

This patch introduces new military branches:

Signal Corps
Engineer Battalions
Logistics Departments

Factions benefiting from these upgrades:

Zhili & Wu Peifu: Wu Peifu’s Jade Marshal trait grants access to all upgrades.
Guominjun: Gains access to the Engineer Battalion.
Fengtian Clique: Gains access to the Signal Corps and Logistics Departments in scenarios set in 1923 and later.
GMD: Gains all buffs early in Taming the Tigers.

Additionally, the GMD will unlock the ability to create Model Divisions—these units are more loyal and train faster than regular divisions.

GMD District Upgrades (1929)

The GMD will gain new tools to consolidate provincial control:

Party Branch Reorganization: Makes it easier to recruit supporters and increases influence across all social classes.
News Agencies: Act as covert intelligence hubs. Communist operatives are more likely to be caught in districts with news agencies, and you’ll also receive free intel on armies and characters active there.

Nanjing Capital Upgrades (1929)

Special upgrades for the GMD in Nanjing:

New City Planning: Grants significant prestige while reducing tradition.
Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum: Boosts prestige for all GMD characters and strengthens GMD influence across China.
Meiling Palace: Adds Soong Meiling to your character pool.

The Soong Sisters

Currently, the sisters can only appear when playing the GMD in Taming the Tigers:

The Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum unlocks Soong Qingling in Shanghai.
The Meiling Palace unlocks Soong Meiling in your reserve roster.

Victory Conditions Reworked

The infamous condition that deducted 2 points per uncontrolled province now only deducts 1 point.
The livestock requirements for the Golog Tribe have been halved.
Victory conditions for the CPC in Shanghai have been debugged.

Have fun! Maestro Cinetik

Taming the Tigers, the Central Plains War and sino-soviet conflict DLC is out!

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

351d ago

I’m pleased to announce the release of the first paid DLC for Rise of the White Sun!

I think you’ll enjoy what’s in that dLC:

Tons of new characters to recruit, confront, and negotiate with
Many fascinating Communist bases, some boasting large rosters of statesmen, officers, spies, and more
A major confrontation with a foreign power: Soviet Russia!
The bloodiest warlord free-for-all of the era: the Central Plains War

Here’s a glimpse of the settings and tensions you’ll face in the DLC:

Nanjing, January 1929 The Guomindang’s Northern Expedition has succeeded, uniting China under Jiang Jieshi’s government. But this unity rests on fragile alliances with regional military leaders—alliances riddled with personal ambition, grudges, and suspicion. Meanwhile, Communist base areas stubbornly resist suppression, forcing Jiang to plan larger encirclement campaigns. The stakes are high: Jiang has the chance to consolidate power, but his enemies lie both within and beyond China’s borders. Will he secure his legacy—or be swept away by the chaos?

Shenyang, January 1929 Zhang Xueliang, the "Young Marshal," inherits Manchuria after his father’s assassination by the Japanese. Prosperous but coveted, Manchuria’s fate hangs in the balance. Zhang pledges loyalty to Nanjing while modernizing his industry and military, all under the looming shadow of Japanese designs. Will he secure Manchuria’s future by aligning with Nanjing—or gamble on independence and risk disaster?

Xinjiang, January 1929 Governor Jin Shuren faces the immense challenge of ruling one of China’s most remote and volatile provinces. Xinjiang’s patchwork of ethnic groups, local leaders, and foreign influences requires delicate diplomacy—but Jin relies instead on force, oppression, and an oversized army the province cannot sustain. Under his corrupt rule, rebellion simmers.

Shandong, 1929 The infamous “Dogmeat General” Zhang Zongchang, ousted from Shandong, plots his return. Flamboyant, unpredictable, and still well-connected, Zhang eyes unrest and Japanese indifference as his chance to reclaim power. Will his daring pay off—or finally bring about his downfall?

Gansu, 1929 Under Feng Yuxiang’s rule, famine-stricken Gansu has been stripped of resources. A Hui-led revolt, initially promising restraint, has turned into a bloody sectarian conflict. The cycle of violence threatens to engulf the province—can it be stopped?

Jiangxi, 1929 In the Jinggang Mountains, Mao Zedong and Zhu De have carved out the Jiangxi Soviet. From here, they refine guerrilla tactics and rally peasants and workers to their revolutionary cause. Every skirmish, every meeting, every march brings them closer to their vision of a new China.

…and much more awaits you in this sprawling expansion of China’s warlord era!

Quality of Life & UI 2025 Update and Korean Localization

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

561d ago

Hello! This new update focuses on players quality of life with some screen interractions reworked. Also: Korean language has also been added to the game, thanks to the community. Wh'os Who windows The who's who window is now more practical, and will display more informations. You can now manage more things from the who's who, like recruiting characters or delegating them to the AI. A faction tooltip has been added, and you can jump directly on that faction's diplomatic screen by clicking on the faction icon. Once a character has been selected in the who's who, it is now easy to inspect all other characters from that faction, thanks to the side arrows I added. Diplomacy and government panel The navigation has been simplified, and factions tooltips added everywhere. Districts management screen Hovering the faction flag will now display a tooltip, so you don't have to click the flag to get more informations. Army screen I added the same faction tooltip as everywhere, and you can now jump right into a unit faction's window by clicking on the unit icon. Province screen (that's the screen you access from the left button on the map view) I added more informations on characters, like the origine province and if they are southerners or northerners. End turn reports The end turn reports panel will now automatically pop up at each new turn. That festures has been requested several times, and now you have it! If like me, it annoys you, you can simply descativate that feature from the options menu. I hope this update will make things more simple for new players not familar with the warlord era. Have fun! PS: If you want to see what I am working on these days, there is a demo available containing 6 scenarios. It is a strategy game about the cold war, much more easy to play than Rise of the White Sun. The demo can be found here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3361850/Maestros_Cold_War_2_Demo/

The 6th Congress

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

690d ago

As you may know, I am working on an exciting 1929-1933 DLC. While it is quite a heavy workload, I won’t keep you waiting too long for new content—I will ship smaller updates like this one from time to time!

The 6th Congress Content Update

This update brings new content to the 1927 Red Bases scenario:

2 new events related to the 6th Congress of the Communist Party
2 new Communist Characters (they enter the game after the 6th congress)
5 new actions to developp your Red Bases!
A reworked AI for the Guomindang in this particular scenario
New historical portraits for Liu Xing(刘铏) and Zang Zhiping
2 new cheat codes
4 new achievements

In July 1928, the Communist Party gathered in Moscow to discuss the aftermath of the breakdown of the First United Front between the CCP and the Kuomintang. A new direction was set, and this is reflected in the new actions available for the Communist factions to develop their districts. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41622060/58fdd338fbfbd9ff789c5e492c44caa9f7b6784e.png

The new actions are:

Red Base The Party begins the process of establishing executive committees in every district, town, and village. These committees are tasked with assisting in the creation of soviets by local assemblies. This endeavor is far from straightforward. Not only does the population harbor fears of a resurgence of the Guomindang or warlord troops, but it is also challenging to find competent locals who fully grasp the new organizational structure. To overcome these obstacles, the Party must rely on the support of local associations to continuously communicate and clarify its actions. There are no shortcuts: achieving transformation into a genuine Red base, backed by the people, demands persistent and audacious political effort. ==>Upon the successful implementation of this policy, your influence across all social classes will rise by 10, while the influence of other factions will diminish by 20. ==>Additionally, Peasant Self-Defense Corps summoned in this district will be reinforced with more members, and recruitment actions will be more efficient. Young vanguard Young men from this district are organized into young vanguard units. In the event of a crisis, the regular army will be supported by these groups, who are intimately familiar with the terrain. Tasks such as scouting enemy movements, supplying the army, and securing the rear can confidently be entrusted to these enthusiastic vanguard groups. ==>Upon the completion of this policy, the Peasant Defense Corps summoned in this district will have higher morale, and enemy troops will face a higher chance of being ambushed. ==>Enemies in this district are automatically spied upon Land Refrom Land Reform is a critically necessary policy, yet lessons have been learned from past local, clumsy attempts: it is now understood that rallying all peasants into a broad front is essential. While leadership of the peasant associations must be entrusted to the poor peasants, it is crucial not to alienate the medium peasants. Consequently, land redistribution must be carried out judiciously, with a keen consideration of local conditions, especially in areas where medium peasants predominate. ==>Your influence over the gentry and the merchants will immediately decrease by 50. ==>Vitality and Tradition will decrease by 20, as disrupting traditional structures inevitably leads to some short-term troubles. ==>Upon the completion of this policy, your influence over peasants will increase by 20, and the influence of other factions will decrease by 20. ==>Agriculture income will be increased by 10% ==>Every Peasant leaders in this province will gain 25 Face and 25 supporters. Model Villages Establishing Model villages to conduct political and agricultural experiments will enhance the prospects of long-term success for the Land Reform. This is an occasion to test bottom-up methods of policy development through consultation with locals, to adopt their practical suggestions while reserving broader policy questions to the Party's evaluation. Insights gained from these model villages can be extensively disseminated, benefiting the entire province. Upon completion, this policy will: ==>Increase vitality and agriculture income by 5. ==>Decrease Tradition by 1 in all districts of this province with a soviet. Anti-Opium Campaign Opium fields are destroyed and alternative crops promoted. Strict penalties awaits those involved in the opium trade. Educational rallies are organized in the villages and rehabilitation programs to treat addicts are set up, emphasizing both medical care and ideological education. These efforts aimed to eliminate opium's harmful effects and promote a drug-free society gained a large approval among the population. ==>You gain 50 Face ==>Opium income is reduced to zero. ==>Upon completion, the vitality and the base agricultural income will increase by 5, and the population will lose its addiction to opium.

The new cheat codes are:

The 6th congress is late in the regular 1927 Red Bases scenario, and you may not have that much time to test all the new actions. The solution is either to play the Sandbox mode, either to use these cheat codes: "6thcongress": will unlock the advanced actions, you can use it in any scenario. "NanchangRedBase": will have the same effect but will also create a soviet, a red base and complete a land reform in Nanchang.

New achievements

I’ve added one achievement for each of the Communist groups in the 1927 Red Bases scenario. I hope you will like this new update. Have fun! Maestro Cinetik

United Front (large content and feature update)

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

809d ago

Dear players, I am pleased to announce a fantastic new update! Playtesters were highly satisfied with it, so I believe you will love it too! The main contents of this update are:

A better (by far) automation system
A large new scenario set in 1923, called United Front
A difficulty system reworked and balanced (thanks to 1 month of playtests)

A better (by far) automation system

Tired of repetitive actions? Bored with province development? Overwhelmed by managing a large empire? Just delegate these tasks to the AI! In fact, you're not delegating tasks directly to the AI, but whole characters management. While this feature existed previously, it has been enhanced and expanded. What as changed? 1) Now, you can delegate even your active characters to the AI. This can be reverted at any time, and if the AI hasn't utilized all of a character's QI, you can still utilize them during your turn to complete actions with the remaining QI. 2) The loyalty cost of delegating a character to the AI has been significantly reduced, so you no longer need to worry about using this feature. 3) You can still delegate characters from your reserve pool to the AI, which is essential for managing large multi-province domains. However, I've introduced two useful improvements. (For those new to the game, the option to delegate characters from your reserve pool to the AI unlocks when you have 5 active characters.) You can now assign these characters to specific provinces. These characters will appear in the province HQ panel, allowing you to interact with them directly. Additionally, I've implemented actions to facilitate the transfer of resources to them effortlessly. How to decide what kind of action the AI should perform? The behavior of characters when controlled by the AI depends entirely on their roles. I invite you to read this Steam guide about roles. If you aim for province development, employ a statesman character. For combating banditry, deploy a police character, and so on. A warlord character will prioritize cultivating opium and building the largest army imaginable. How competent is the AI? The AI's competence level is decent. Playtesters were generally satisfied with it. However, it's worth noting that I deliberately toned down its capabilities to ensure it doesn't match the opponent's AI. Additionally, characters in the reserve pool will exhibit less responsiveness compared to your active characters when delegated to the AI.

United Front scenario

The new scenario spans from Sun Yat Sen's return to Guangzhou in 1923 until his death in 1925. Key events of this scenario include: -The Beijing-Hankow railway strike -The formation of the United Front between the Guomindang and the Communists -The establishment of the Whampoa Academy and the presence of Soviet advisors in Guangzhou -A merchant uprising in Guangzhou -Conflict between Jiangsu and Zhejiang over control of Shanghai -A new Zhili-Fengtian war leading to the collapse of the Zhili clique -Feng Yuxiang's betrayal and the formation of the Guominjun The Communist, Guomindang, and Zhili Clique factions are central to many events and dialogues in the scenario. The Zhili Clique prompted me to extensively rework the automation system. Playtesters found managing large factions remarkably easy with the new system. Navigating the challenges of holding together a large faction at its peak power and on the brink of collapse offers an engaging challenge. If you've ever been hesitant to choose a large faction, now is the perfect opportunity to do so. Furthermore, the introduction of a new significant scenario necessitated adjustments to opponent AI. They should now be more proficient, especially those specialized in combating Communists in 1927. However, I'll rely on your feedback for further fine-tuning, as they may require additional playtesting.

Difficulty sytem

I recently introduced a difficulty system, and after weeks of playtesting, I made some slight improvements to it. There are now five different difficulty levels: Green: Designed for a relaxing game experience. Bandit generation has been reduced, and the maintenance cost of your armies is decreased. Seasonned / normal: he default difficulty level, perfect for playing as a small warlord in the warlords melee. Elite: The AI will field larger armies, reflecting historical accuracy. This level offers a challenging gameplay experience, particularly when playing as a major faction competing with other major cliques. It's also the difficulty level used for playtesting the game. Dare death: The AI will deploy even larger armies and may receive bonus resources at times. Generalissimo: At this level, you'll really notice the AI's advantage with bonus resources. It's intended for seasoned players seeking an extra challenge.

Next steps

After such a big update, I will probably take a time to rest, coding smaller and more relaxing features. In the to do list for next months (this is not an ordered list): -Some more 1927 content. -Some more guides and wiki entries -Steam achievements -Linking the event chains of the different scenarios -A 1923 sandbox? (if you really need it) Have fun! Post Scriptum: Don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Your feedback encourages us to keep improving the game, and we're excited to hear from you!

Content Poll result : what's next - Chinese Community Translation 90% complete

Maestro Cinetiksteam_community_announcements

846d ago

Rise of the White Sun will participate in the Turn-Based Fest, and it's truly an honor. On this occasion, I've updated the game to reflect the latest advancements in the Simplified Chinese Community Translation. All materials in the game, up to the year 1927, should now be accurately translated. This amounts to approximately 90% of the game's content being translated by the community. I cannot thank them enough for their patient and diligent efforts. Some minor, albeit rare, bugs have also been addressed in the latest patch, though none were significant enough to warrant a detailed discussion here.

So what's next?

You cast your votes here to decide the focus of the next content update. The winner is: -A 1923 scenario about the United Front And a close second is: -More content for the 1927 scenario Given the tight race, I've decided to tackle both updates in the order they were voted for. Following these updates, my attention will likely turn towards improving the game's manual or enhancing the wiki. I'm excited to share that the 1923 scenario will encompass all of China except Mongolia, introduce more than 30 factions, and feature many new characters. The GMD, the Chinese Communist Party, and the Fengtian Clique will be the primary factions, enriched with their own events and dialogues. The GMD's challenges will include: -Forming a United Front with the CCP, securing aid from the USSR, and transforming the Party and its Army. -Establishing a new government in Guangzhou after once again ousting Chen Jiongming and setting the groundwork for the future. -Navigating relationships with its unpredictable allies. The Chinese Communist Party's challenges will involve: -Organizing strikes and unions along the Beijing-Hankou railway. -Joining the United Front. -Expanding their influence in Guangdong. The Fengtian Clique's challenges will focus on: -Modernizing the Army. -Enhancing their supply and industrial capabilities. -Seeking revenge on the Zhili Clique. The additional content for 1927 will revolve around new strategies to establish Red Bases, following the VIth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. Given the Communist faction's lack of statesman characters, these new actions will offer opportunities to develop districts with peasant leaders and political workers. We'll also likely introduce more upgrades for the Communist armies and militias. Enjoy! Maestro Cinetik

Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升 news & patch notes

Northern Expedition Sandbox

Next Update

What's new in Maestro's universe?

Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升 news & patch notes

Northern Expedition Sandbox

Next Update

What's new in Maestro's universe?

Northern Expedition Sandbox Update

Other Content

Pricing policy for 2026

Community projects

Maestro 2026 Rise of the White Sun content updates

Other projects for 2026

New Characters

Balance Rework

Features & Bug Fixes

Cheat Codes

Base Game Applied Content

In this update, you will find:

Foreword on Large Factions

Army Upgrades

GMD District Upgrades (1929)

Nanjing Capital Upgrades (1929)

The Soong Sisters

Victory Conditions Reworked

I think you’ll enjoy what’s in that dLC:

Here’s a glimpse of the settings and tensions you’ll face in the DLC:

Gameplay Fixes

The Workshop is Open!

My Latest Game is Out!

The 6th Congress Content Update

The new actions are:

The new cheat codes are:

New achievements

In this update:

What's next?

The Yellow Way (Free DLC)

Quality of Life Improvements

Achievements!

A better (by far) automation system

United Front scenario

Difficulty sytem

Next steps

Today's Update:

So what's next?

Steam news for Rise Of The White Sun - 白日升