June 2026 (belated) Recap - Thank You for Another Month!
Hi everyone!
This post is three days late, but as you can probably see, I haven’t exactly been sitting around doing nothing over the last few days.
Alright then, time for the traditional monthly recap.
June was a slightly unusual month for me. I took around two weeks away from mapmaking and, more importantly, away from the computer in general. Still, despite that little break, we managed to release two really solid and feature-packed map packs.
First came Arcane Forge - a proper arena map built for big final encounters, dangerous rituals, ancient machines, and bosses your players will hopefully remember for a long time.
You can check out the release post here
Not long after that, I released Lakewatch Tower, inspired by a real location in Ireland. I am genuinely very proud of how this one turned out. It is a map that invites exploration: ruined walls, a lonely island, a tower with a past, and plenty of room for your own stories.
The release post is here
And for those who enjoy a bit of extra inspiration, I also wrote some lore for Lakewatch Tower
Two packs this month, and both of them are quite substantial. I really hope they find a place in your upcoming campaigns.
Apart from creating maps, I also spent some time improving our little corner of the internet:
Searching and browsing the collection should now be much easier, and the maps on the homepage can change dynamically instead of always showing the same selection. A lot of that came directly from your feedback - I know that digging through a large grid of tiles was not always the most convenient way to find a specific map.
June also included my little “vacation,” which I spent visiting family. My daughter handled a long car journey incredibly bravely, even though keeping her in one place is becoming more and more difficult these days. She is already eight months old. Can you believe that?
As for July, I have a few ideas bouncing around in my head.
One possibility is continuing the underground-cave series and expanding on The Whispering Depths. The Lakewatch Tower lore is practically asking for it, so there is definitely more to explore below that island.
The other idea is returning to The Shattered Obelisk with another map: Crypt of the Talhund. Knowing myself, I will probably approach both ideas a little too ambitiously. I am not yet sure whether I can manage two large map packs in one month, or whether July will become one big pack and one smaller release. We will see where the work takes me.
One small announcement: for some time now, every Patreon post marked with the [Release] tag has included a link to the relevant map-details page on the website. That is where the map packs will gradually become easier to find and download, so it should work as a proper growing repository for the whole collection.
As always, The Enduring Circle has also been updated:
https://dranskybattlemaps.com/animated-battle-maps/the-enduring-circle/
This is the place for long-time patrons and veterans - those who have supported the project continuously for six months, a year, and all the way up to three years or more. If you want to join that fine group, well… just keep being here.
And before I wrap this up, I would like to wish all my friends in the US an early Happy Independence Day. Have a great time and enjoy the celebrations.
Thank you to every patron for supporting the project this month and for joining me on this journey. A special thank you goes to the Champions featured in the graphic at the top of this post.
And to everyone currently following as a free member: thank you as well. But since you are already here, you also have the chance to join the Patreon and get access to high-quality animated battlemaps - probably some of the best out there. (I haven't personally checked every battlemap in the world, of course, but I choose to believe it.)
Cheers!
~dransky