Updated: February 20, 2026 
The wait is (finally) almost over! The Forge is dropping its biggest update yet with Island 4: Crimson Sakura Isle. This sacred new island brings a powerful boss, balance changes, and exclusive rewards. If you have been waiting for almost a month like us, wanting to mine in a new area, here's all you need to know about The Forge Crimson Sakura Isles update.
The Forge Crimson Sakura Isles Update Release Date and Time
Forge developers have finally confirmed on their official Discord server that Island 4, also known as the Crimson Sakura Isle, is in its final stages and is almost ready. After weeks of delay, the team is finally going to release the update on Sunday, February 22nd, 2026, at 10:00 AM PT.
Here’s when the update drops in different time zones so you can plan ahead:
| Time Zone | Local Time |
|---|---|
| PT (Pacific Time) | Sunday, Feb 22 – 10:00 AM |
| ET (Eastern Time) | Sunday, Feb 22 – 1:00 PM |
| CET (Central Europe) | Sunday, Feb 22 – 7:00 PM |
| IST (India) | Sunday, Feb 22 – 11:30 PM |
| JST (Japan) | Monday, Feb 23 – 2:00 AM |
| AEDT (Australia Daylight Time) | Monday, Feb 23 – 4:00 AM |
The developers originally aimed for a February 14th release, but took extra time to polish the update and make sure everything runs smoothly. Trust us, the wait will be worth it when you step into the Crimson Sakura Isles.
Countdown to The Forge Crimson Sakura Isles Update
We are just a week away from exploring the sacred Crimson Sakura Isles. Now is the best time to wrap up anything you still need from the Hidden Maze event. Since the holiday content has been extended until now, players still have time to collect exclusive rewards and finish any unfinished quests.
What to Expect
This update is bringing a whole new area to explore, plus some much-needed improvements to the game. Here's what you can look forward to:
- Crimson Sakura Isles POI - A brand-new sacred island with a unique environment. You'll face different challenges compared to the previous three islands, so get ready to adapt your strategies.
- New Caves - The developers described the new island as an entirely new map, so you are getting new POIs, hidden items, and gameplay mechanics, too. There will be new caves that contain valuable ores and resources.
- New Pickaxes - The update brings new pickaxe options to the game. These tools will probably be stronger than your current equipment, letting you mine tougher ores faster, especially with the new Critical Mining mechanic.
- New Enemies and Bosses - Get ready for a completely new roster of enemies. The bosses coming to Island 4 wear Oni masks, which fit perfectly with the Japanese-inspired sakura theme of the island. The developers confirmed these enemies will carry different weapons and armor, and have unique skill sets compared to what you've fought before.
- New NPCs - Of course, there will be new NPCs scattered around Island 4 with new quests, too!
- Ore Recycling System - One of the biggest quality of life features coming with this update is the ability to recycle ores. This means you can finally do something useful with extra ores you don't need instead of letting them take up inventory space.
- Mailbox Feature - The mailbox is now live in The Forge, and you can find it to the left of the daily login button. This feature lets you track updates and announcements from the developers.
- Additional Quality of Life Features:
- Island 3 Balance Rework
- Progression Adjustments
- Combat Changes
- Bug Fixes
- Performance Improvements
- General Polishing
Good news about this delay? The developers keep their promise, and every player gets a free reward code for waiting so long. You can use this redeem code to get rewards before February 25th, 2026:
- DELAYCOMPENSATION - 20x Rerolls and 1XP Totem
Make sure you redeem it before it expires. Those 20 rerolls can really help you get better gear, and the XP totem will speed up your progression on the new island.
With this update, the developers also want to clear up some confusion in the community. The Forge and Abyss are completely separate projects. They don't share development teams, and there's no operational connection between the two games.
As you can see, the Forge Crimson Sakura Isled update is going to be insane. Stay tuned for the official release date announcement so you don't miss out on day one of this massive update. If you need more information about this game and its features, you can also check our dedicated The Forge wiki!
