Fathom's End news & patch notes

New Features & Content

• Added Operational Holds, where certain CLV, HLV, and RV ships will now hold in the waters to perform operations

• Added a Supplies Allowance credited to the player's balance every Sunday after submitting the daily log

• Added a corkboard for pinning paperwork

• Added a custom UI cursor

• Added a new auxiliary control that can be installed on the ground floor to monitor various console systems

• Added a Plant Pot and Watering Can, purchasable through the Order Form, for growing potato plants

• Added collectible Vessel Cards that can be filled out, customised, and kept as a personal record of vessels encountered

• Added new ships (AMTD, DAMP, LGHL & LOST)

• Added two new achievements

UI & Quality of Life

• Added animation to radio transmission text

• Added TAB navigation to the emergency phone UI

• Console buttons now flash during the tutorial to help guide new players

• Hotbar slots now display the current fill level for relevant items

• Item pickup now prioritises the currently selected slot, then the first empty slot

• Removed scrollbars from the radio transmission viewport

• The printer print button now flashes when printing is valid

• Overhauled all item icons

• Ongoing improvements to item placement

Gameplay & Systems

• Adjusted starting lamp quantities and storage locations

• Adjusted starting ship positions to avoid proximity to other vessels in the scene

• The evaporator can now supply potable water directly to the Watering Can via a tap

• Fishing now cancels when the game is paused

• Prevented ships from leaving the waters while waiting for bearing and range

• Radar blips now display vessel type

• Reduced the frequency of main lamp failures

Audio & Radio

• Updated MNLA radio call voice lines

Fixes

• Fixed an issue that allowed multiple daily logs to be submitted in the same shift

• Fixed an issue with empty save/load slot text localisations

• Fixed an issue with certain objects appearing unlit in the tutorial

• Fixed an issue where the helicopter could enable the emergency phone during a MAYDAY sequence

• Fixed an issue with the MAYDAY resolve bonus/penalty

• Fixed an issue with the MNLA Ship Time Query

• Fixed an issue where the radio interaction prompt would not reappear after temporarily closing the UI

• Fixed an issue causing volumetric clouds to interpolate during weather transitions, resulting in fast-rolling cloud artefacts

• Fixed multiple issues with interaction prompt key bindings

Localisation

• Updated German localisations

Performance

• Various performance improvements

Ocean Fest 2026

I'm thrilled to announce that Fathom’s End is joining Steam’s Ocean Fest from 18th – 25th May!

New Features & Content

• Added a storage crate to the lantern room

• Added voice lines for the emergency phone

• The torch now requires batteries, which can be purchased through the order form

• Existing saves will be supplied with two batteries

UI & Quality of Life

• Improved storage and order form UI layout and spacing

• Improved support for ultra-wide monitors

• Items can now be placed on the bedroom stool

• More items can now be stacked on top of each other

Gameplay & Environment

• Weather now changes to a random state after sleeping

• Fixed an issue where the Auxiliary Controls prompt could still appear after installation

• Fixed multiple issues with radio calls following a MAYDAY event

New Features & Content

• Added a new ready meal (Chicken Tikka Masala)

• Added a new ship (FFLY)

• Added dynamic ground wetness across exterior surfaces during rain

• Added new loading screen tooltips

• Added purchasable “Auxiliary Control” upgrades for the console

• Added stars to the night sky

• Added two new achievements

• Added Y-axis invert to the gameplay settings

Gameplay & Balance

• Balanced food satiation values

• Cooked food now cools over time, reducing satiation when consumed

• Delivery costs are now reduced by 50% on Sundays

• Lamp failures are now less frequent overall, but the likelihood of failure increases the longer a lamp has been continuously running

• Prevented multiple MAYDAYs from occurring in the same shift

Cooking & Systems

• The hob can now be turned on before or after adding ingredients, with cooking starting automatically once all conditions are met

• The saucepan now displays a different hotbar icon if ingredients have been added before cooking

Environment & Visuals

• Improved global weather visuals

• Added dynamic ocean roughness that adapts to current weather conditions

Electrical & Console Systems

• Desk lamps are now separate from the main lighting and can be controlled independently or via their own isolated circuit breaker

• The VRM & EBL values now reset to 0 when radar power is lost

Fixes

• Disabled the item placer in the tutorial

• Fixed an issue where a different ship could become locked in place after a MAYDAY sequence

• Fixed an issue where the lamp could be replaced with the access door closed

• Fixed an issue with displaying currency on the order form UI

• Fixed an issue with the “Ships Handled” counter

Localisation

• Ongoing improvements and fixes to localisations

• Fixed an issue where throwing burnt food into the bin would also destroy the saucepan

• Fixed an issue with interaction distance

• Reduced MAYDAY frequency

• Removed unnecessary Discord authorisation prompts

• Fixed a material instance leak that could cause severe performance degradation and crashes over time

• Fixed an issue where multiple ships could be incorrectly held during the MAYDAY sequence

• Fixed an issue where stale order data could be used when sending an order

• Fixed an issue with MNLA subtitle localisation

• Fixed an issue with paper localisation when stored in the filing cabinet

• Fixed an issue with the End of Day Report

New Features & Content

• Added a drinks holder to the console

• Added ambient occlusion, SSR, and volumetric fog toggles to the settings menu

• Added bonus/penalty scoring for MAYDAY responses

• Added a filing cabinet for paperwork

• Added radio power and reduced output as possible faults on the daily log

Gameplay & Balance

• Updated temperature range to better reflect real-world values

Fixes

• Fixed an issue leading to increased memory usage over time

• Fixed an issue that prevented lamps from blowing

• Fixed an issue where radio calls could still come through when the console breaker was off

• Fixed an issue with adding ingredients to the saucepan

• Fixed an issue with Discord SDK authorisation prompts

• Fixed an issue with fuel consumption while sleeping

• Fixed an issue with interaction distance

• Fixed multiple issues with the order form and ordering system

• Fixed some localisation issues in settings

• Further prevented an issue where MAYDAY ships were not released after resolution

• Various crash fixes

UI & Systems

• Improved ESC key behaviour in the pause menu

New Features & Content

• Added a new ship (GDLT)

Gameplay & Balance

• Disabled hunger and thirst during the tutorial

• Extended interaction distance for replacing lamps

• Temporarily removed the binoculars from new games due to ongoing FOV issues

Fixes

• Fixed an issue that allowed the backup lamp to blow while on standby

• Fixed an issue where submitting the order form could be incorrectly blocked for insufficient funds

• Fixed an issue where order form text extended off the bottom of the page

• Fixed an issue with “Ships Handled” incorrectly counting MNLA calls

• Fixed an issue with cassettes restoring incorrectly after save/load

• Fixed an issue where some ships would not perform a radio check when entering

• Fixed an issue where MAYDAY ships were not released after resolution

• Fixed an issue with MNLA subtitle timing

• Fixed an issue with ship exit call audio

• Fixed a doppler issue with the boombox causing audio modulation during player movement

It’s been a long road, and there’s still plenty ahead, but Fathom’s End is now available in Early Access on Steam.

The tutorial and core game loop are fully playable, with all of the main lighthouse systems in place. You can run the station indefinitely, responding to over 30 unique ships, managing supplies, and keeping everything going through changing weather and long nights.

This is just the beginning. The plan is to keep building on what’s here with new features, story content, customisation, progression and more over time, shaped by player feedback as the game evolves.

As with any Early Access release, there will be bugs and rough edges. If you run into anything, or just want to share feedback, you can join the Discord here:

https://discord.gg/rmsaBeT8Md

Thanks to everyone who’s supported the project so far. It genuinely means a lot.

Hello everyone,

I’m Max, the developer behind Fathom’s End. This is my first game, and it’s something I’ve been building from the ground up as a passion project.

Fathom’s End is a first-person lighthouse keeper simulation set on a remote station in the Atlantic. At its core, the game is about managing a collection of interconnected systems. You’ll be maintaining the beacon, monitoring equipment, handling radio traffic, and keeping everything running through long night shifts.

At the same time, it’s also about routine. The quiet repetition of tasks, the rhythm of a shift, and the responsibility of keeping things in order.

Alongside that, there’s a strong focus on creating a cosy, isolated space. Somewhere that feels like your own corner of the world, even if it’s surrounded by nothing but open ocean.

Recently, development has taken a really positive step forward with the addition of two artists to the team. A 3D artist is helping to upgrade and replace many of the in-game assets, while a 2D artist has been working on improving the Steam store visuals and will also be helping to bring consistency to the game’s icons and UI.

There’s still plenty more to come, and I’m excited to share more as we build towards the Early Access release in April.