Preview | Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven: ‘Yak Rides, Romance and Winter Chaos’

If you were one of the lucky PAX Australia attendees last weekend, you might’ve been extra lucky to demo the new DLC from Massive Monster’s flagship game, Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven. I got to play 10 glorious minutes of it while chatting with one of the developers.

If you’re one of those TL;DR people, here’s what you need to know:

  • Woolhaven launches early 2026 (exact date TBA)
  • Around 20 hours long — same length as the original game
  • First paid update in three years, packed with new content (plus features from the free updates)
  • There’s winter now
  • There’s a giant yak you can ride

That last point is really all you need to know, let’s be honest. That alone sold me.

Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven picks up right after the base game and unlocks near its end. Winter has come, and you’re summoned by Yngya — the forgotten God of the lambs — to restore the flock. But in true Cult of the Lamb fashion, you accidentally awaken the Rot, which promptly corrupts the land. Oh dear.

The demo started in one of the game’s new dungeons. Guided by Massive Monster’s Head of Programmers, Harrison Gibbins, I took the controller.

If you’ve been away from the game since launch, Harrison says this is the perfect time to jump back in. The DLC rolls in features from previous free updates, including co-op play (big plus from me). Some content is co-op-only, but solo players won’t miss out on anything major.

Expect a tougher ride this time. Harrison mentioned your original save file will be preserved — a nice safety net in case all your followers die horribly.

Blaaaades of Chaos! (Supplied)

Thankfully, Harrison warned me the demo was intentionally cranked up in difficulty to show off new enemy types — and wow, there are a lot of them. I’m ashamed to admit that, with only 10 minutes on the clock, he had to turn on a special cheat code so I could see everything. The demo didn’t include my favourite part — cult management — but most of the new work seems focused on combat anyway.

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There are 50 to 60 (!) new enemies in total, including a wicked lava-slug that left molten trails everywhere, and heaps of mini-bosses and big bosses now that the Bishops are gone.

Harrison, who worked on the original base game, says the bosses stand out most to him.

“My favourite thing about the DLC is the bosses…. The DLC bosses, in my opinion, are a step up from the base game,” he said.

There are also new followers, NPCs, weapons, and curses — including a weapon clearly inspired by the Blades of Chaos and a new teleport-and-damage curse.

“The heavy attack for this weapon, which you can’t do in this demo, is heavily inspired by God of War,” Harrison confirmed.

(Supplied)

Dungeon exploration has been updated, giving more freedom to choose your path between levels. There are extra side areas too, like an egg room with a dragon — one that apparently accepts flowers? I also noticed chillies you can pick, which I’m guessing tie into the winter survival mechanics. Your followers can freeze, so maybe the chillies heat them up? Fires to warm them seem likely too. We’ll see.

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Oh, and I met a stripper moth who gifted me a bikini I can give my followers. There’s apparently more you can do with followers now than just marry them. I already knew about kissing, but now I’m very intrigued. There’s also a ranching system — possibly where the yak comes in — and wool to shear for cosy winter crafting. Adorable.

There’s the yak! (Supplied)

Needless to say, I’ve already wishlisted it on Steam. I’ll be there on launch day next year — if only to farm yaks, shear them for wool, and see whatever unholy romantic shenanigans Massive Monster has cooked up this time. It was easily one of the most chaotic, charming, and downright delightful demos on the PAX Australia floor — proof that the Lamb’s flock still has plenty of life (and wool) left in it.


QD’s Editor Julian Price also caught up with Massive Monster’s Head of Narrative Jojo Zhou to talk more about the story, which you can watch below.