V2.2 | Mapgen

The standout feature in the v2.2 changelog is the complete rewrite of the hydraulic erosion algorithm.

In previous versions, water flow was simulated via a basic particle system that often resulted in jagged, unnatural riverbeds. v2.2 introduces a node-based thermal erosion pass. What does this mean practically?

For developers, this means less time manually sculpting terrain masks and more time placing gameplay elements.

MapGen v2.2 is a procedural map generation system for creating tile-based world maps (terrain, biomes, rivers, points of interest, and overlays) aimed at games, simulations, and tabletop tools. It produces deterministic, seed-driven outputs with configurable steps for noise, erosion, biome assignment, and feature placement. mapgen v2.2

Previous versions used simple thermal weathering. Version 2.2 introduces a real-time hydraulic erosion system. Water particles are simulated across the heightmap, carrying sediment from peaks to valleys. This results in:

One of MapGen’s strongest assets is its community. With v2.2, the official MapGen Hub (a Discord server with 15,000+ members) has launched a shared repository of biome presets and erosion macros. Want a Mars-like desert? A tropical archipelago chain like Indonesia? Users share .mgbiome files that you can drop directly into your project.

Additionally, version 2.2 introduces MapScript—a lightweight Lua-like DSL for procedural rule design. Example: if altitude < 0.2 and rainfall > 0.8 then spawn_mangroves(). This makes the tool accessible to designers without deep programming skills. The standout feature in the v2

The development team has already hinted at features for MapGen v3.0 (expected Q2 2026):

For now, MapGen v2.2 stands as a robust, production-ready tool.

The user interface has been redesigned from the "sliders and number fields" approach to a more intuitive node-graph system. Here is a quick tutorial: For developers, this means less time manually sculpting

Step 1: Choose a Template Select from six presets: Archipelago, Continent, Pangea, Island Chain, Fjordland, or Fractal Maze.

Step 2: Configure the Noise Function MapGen v2.2 now supports Simplex, Perlin, and the new Cellular Voronoi noise types. For a natural continent, choose Simplex with 5 octaves.

Step 3: Set Climate Poles In the "Climate" tab, drag two markers on the map. The generator will interpolate temperature and humidity between them.

Step 4: Run Erosion (The v2.2 Magic) Click "Simulate Water". Watch as blue streaks cut canyons and deposit green sediment zones in real-time. The default simulation runs for 500 iterations, but you can stop it early or let it run to 2,000 iterations for hyper-realistic detail.

Step 5: Style and Export Open the "Cartographer's Studio" (new in v2.2). Here you can choose rendering styles: Parchment, Vintage, Satellite, or Tactical Green. Export as PNG, SVG, or the proprietary .mapgen project file.