Owlboy Update History: Anniversary Patch Notes
What Owlboy's 10th Anniversary Update added (auto-aim, Super Dash, cutscene skip) and what Anniversary Patch v1.02d fixed, in plain notes.
What changes have Owlboy's updates and patches made?
Owlboy's biggest recent change is the 10th Anniversary Update, which added a Super Dash move, an auto-aim system, cutscene skipping and several new options toggles, followed shortly after by Anniversary Patch v1.02d, which addressed startup crashes, keyboard input problems and translation glitches. Before that, the developer's public announcement history mostly covers anniversary sales and studio news rather than patches, and the patch notes do not document every historical change to the game.
| Date | Official announcement | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-08 | Anniversary Patch v1.02d | Read on Steam |
| 2026-11-01 | Owlboy | Anniversary Update Out Now! | Read on Steam |
| 2026-10-01 | Coming Soon - The Anniversary Update | Read on Steam |
| 2026-08-18 | Upcoming: Owlboy 10th Anniversay | Read on Steam |
| 2024-11-02 | Owlboy 8th Anniversary Discount (75% Off) | Read on Steam |
| 2023-10-31 | Owlboy Announcement on Nov 1st 2023. | Read on Steam |
| 2023-08-08 | Our new title, Savant - Ascent Anniversary launches this Fall! | Read on Steam |
| 2022-11-01 | Owlboy 6th Anniversary Sale | Read on Steam |
| 2022-08-12 | Vikings On Trampolines - Our Next Title Has Been Announced! | Read on Steam |
| 2022-07-29 | Revealing our NEW GAME at Gamescom 2022! | Read on Steam |
Source: Steam store page, checked November 9, 2026.
What did the 10th Anniversary Update add?
It added a new movement ability and several quality-of-life features. In the official "Anniversary Update Out Now!" post, D-Pad Studio lists these key gameplay additions:
- Super Dash: hold the roll button for an extra boost in the direction Otus is rolling, leaving a puff of smoke behind him.
- Auto-aim: lets you play the entire game without a second thumbstick on your controller; the older precise thumbstick aiming still works.
- Stunning enemies: some enemies can be stunned by dropping Geddy or Alphonse on their heads.
- Directional throws: pickups are thrown in the direction Otus is flying when you press the throw button.
- Cutscene skipping: fast-forward through cutscenes by holding the fast-forward button (defaults to the F key or right bumper), and several game-halting cutscenes were removed.
- Keyboard shortcuts: Z, X and C can now be used for Throw, Shoot and Spin Attack.
The earlier "Coming Soon" post previewed the same update, explaining that auto-aim and keyboard-only play (controlling Otus with the arrow keys) were added partly in response to player feedback about twitchy dual-stick controls. Yes, the update also touched enemy encounters: that post mentioned tuned-up encounters, though the details beyond that heading are not spelled out in what was published.
Which new settings toggles came with the update?
Four toggles were added to the Options Menu, according to the official anniversary update post:
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Auto-aim | Turns the new auto-aim on or off |
| Screenshake | Turns screen shake on or off |
| Flash Effects | Turns flash effects on or off |
| Drop Gunner On Dodge | Drops your gunner when you dodge; described as useful for extra mobility in combat or platforming |
The auto-aim toggle and the screenshake/flash toggles were also announced in advance in the developer's "Coming Soon" preview.
What changed in Anniversary Patch v1.02d?
Patch v1.02d, posted on 2026-11-08, is a smaller stability and localisation fix. Per the official patch announcement, it:
- Fixed some issues where the game would crash on startup following an audio device bug.
- Attempted to solve an issue with the IME toggle on Japanese/Korean keyboards, where the player could lose control of Otus; the studio asked players to report if the issue persists.
- Fixed an issue where translations would be broken in certain scenes.
- Made other minor changes and balances.
Did the update fix keyboard control issues?
Yes, for the loss of control tied to IME toggling on Japanese and Korean keyboards: Patch v1.02d addresses it, though the studio describes the fix as an attempt and asks players to report if it continues. Note that this is separate from the anniversary update's keyboard additions (the Z, X and C shortcuts and keyboard-only play for aiming), which were part of the main update rather than the patch.
What about earlier updates and the game's history?
No other patch notes appear in the developer's public announcement history; the earlier posts cover anniversary discounts, livestreams, and announcements of other D-Pad Studio titles. For background, Owlboy launched on Windows on November 1, 2016, with macOS and Linux versions following on January 27, 2017, according to Wikipedia's Owlboy entry, which also notes the game's unusually long development cycle that began in 2007.
