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Hello everyone! The Hive: Survival Mode is now available on Steam. This new DLC adds an alternate way to play The Hive, built around one simple idea: Your swarm persists between missions. Instead of resetting after each level, your units carry over to the next mission with their stats, kills, levels, items, and upgrades. Resources carry over too, making exploration, survival, and efficient clearing far more important. The DLC is available now with a 10% introductory discount until 1 June.
Survival Mode turns the campaign into a longer, more dangerous run where every mission connects to the next. Your best creatures can grow stronger over time. Your mistakes can follow you. Bad trades can weaken your next mission. Every upgrade choice matters more. It is designed for players who want higher stakes, harder decisions, and the tension of building a colony that can endure, not just win the next fight.
Units carry over with their stats, kills, levels, items, and upgrades. Resources carry over too, so what you gather in one mission can help you survive the next.
Sacrifice is no longer free. Losing important creatures or wasting resources can make later missions much harder.
Resources are tighter in Survival Mode. You need smarter expansion, stricter priorities, and less waste if you want your hive to survive.
Face increased enemy numbers and tougher resistance across the campaign. Survival Mode is not just about winning battles. It is about keeping your swarm alive through the entire journey.
Long-term planning becomes as important as tactical combat. Every mission becomes part of a larger story of survival, growth, and loss.
The Hive has come a long way, and we are really happy to finally release this new way to play the campaign. Thank you to everyone who has played, reviewed, reported bugs, shared feedback, or supported us over the years. If you already own The Hive, this is the best time to try Survival Mode and support future development. From the icy depths of Finland, we forge strategy & RPG worlds where your decisions matter. See you in the underworld. Skydome Entertainment
Many of the changes in this update were developed as part of the upcoming The Hive: Survival Mode DLC, but they are also included here as improvements to the base game.
Wishlist The Hive - Survival Mode:
This patch improves combat readability, UI clarity, save reliability, mission pacing, and unit presentation across the game. It also adds new enemy variety, updates Medic healing behavior, introduces a new boss encounter to Map02, and adds UI support for the upcoming Survival Mode DLC.
Map02 defence phase now includes a new boss enemy The defence sequence on Map02 now features a new boss encounter.
New undead enemy variants added Chalatoi, Dimetrodon, and Lizardmen now have undead versions with visual and gameplay differences.
Medic healing has been reworked Medics now show a visual healing beam on their target, heal with a flat HP value instead of percentage-based healing, and can be ordered to heal a specific friendly unit with a click.
Unit HUD tooltips expanded Attack and Defence tooltips now include more detailed information, including lore-accurate descriptions of the weapons and attack types units use.
Tooltips now reflect unit type and role in more detail Hovering unit HUD elements gives clearer information about what a unit is and how it functions in combat.
Units now track their killing blows Units now have a kill counter that reflects the enemies they have personally killed.
New Survival Mode DLC button added Added a new button in the menu for The Hive: Survival Mode DLC.
Save/Load menu readability improved Difficulty is now color-coded for clearer visibility.
Resource pickup popups improved Resource popups now show the actual amount gained, such as +3 Minerals or +10 Food, instead of always showing +1.
Manual saves are safe again Autosaves and quicksaves should no longer overwrite manual saves.
Starter units now save correctly Pre-placed starter units should now persist properly in save files.
Double-click selection improved Quickly double-clicking different units will no longer select all units of the same type by mistake. You now need to double-click the same unit.
Added a new boss enemy to the Map02 defence phase.
Added a short defence mission of roughly 3 minutes before the Artifact attack begins.
Shortened the defence section in the Map02 ending cutscene.
Improved enemy spawning during the Map02 ending sequence.
Added new undead enemy types for Chalatoi, Dimetrodon, and Lizardmen.
These new undead variants include both visual differences and ability changes.
Added a visual healing beam to show which target the Medic is currently healing.
Medic healing is no longer percentage-based.
Healing is now based on a flat HP value across all units.
Medics can now be ordered to heal a specific friendly unit with a click.
Added a new button for The Hive: Survival Mode DLC.
Difficulty is now shown with color in the Save/Load menu.
Added and refined Attack & Defence tooltips in the unit HUD.
Tooltips now display important combat details such as damage, defence, attack speed, and more.
Attack and Defence tooltips now include more lore-accurate descriptions of the weapons or attack styles used by units and enemies.
Tooltips now reflect unit type and battlefield role in more detail.
Tooltip values now update correctly based on the selected unit’s stats.
Defence is now shown more consistently.
Attack information is now hidden for units that should not display it, such as certain Medics.
Fixed cases where old stat values could remain visible in the HUD.
Units now have a kill counter that tracks their killing blows.
Added a new resource pickup popup UI.
Popups now display the actual amount gained instead of showing a generic +1.
Reduced the research time of one building upgrade from 60 seconds to 10 seconds.
Added the Artifact to the subtitle speaker list.
Linked a new portrait correctly.
Added a shortcut to reset all tutorial flags: Shift + §
Tutorial flags can also be reset with --reset in launch settings.
Fixed an error that prevented population from decreasing correctly when units died.
Fixed starter units not being written into the save file.
Fixed autosave and quicksave overwriting manual saves.
Fixed cleanup in the Lava Ritual cutscene when skipping, preventing broken states.
Added autosaving at checkpoints
New unit tooltips: roles and special abilities shown when hovering a unit name
Tooltips are now easier to read: improved background, positioning, and highlight colors
Units now show unit class tags (example: Light - Biological) to clarify what upgrades affect them
Unit groups no longer show during cutscenes
Fixed a Level 2 progression freeze on “Look into the Abyss”
Win/Lose screen now appears more reliably at the end of missions
Updated the Avatar icon
Added autosaving at checkpoints
All units now have a tooltip explaining their role and special abilities when hovering over their name
Tooltip background and position adjusted to improve readability
Tooltips now use a highlight color for certain names or key words
Unit class tags are now displayed under units (example: Light - Biological) to make upgrade effects clearer
Unit groups no longer show up during cutscenes
Fixed a bug where you could restart a level and keep items instead of starting from a fresh save
Fixed an issue where some players could not finish Level 2. The game could freeze on the final objective “Look into the Abyss”, preventing progression
Win/Lose screen now shows up more reliably at the end of a mission
Updated the Avatar icon
If you run into any issues with inventory, groups, achievements, or cutscenes, please report them in the Steam forums. Balance and mission pacing feedback is also always welcome.
If you are enjoying The Hive, leaving a Steam review helps us a lot and supports future updates.
We have combined the patch notes for 1.307, 1.308, 1.309, and 1.3.10 into this post, with 1.4.0 at the top.
New Group Selection UI: clearer group controls, new visuals, and the UI is now clickable
Better control groups: distinct unit icons for groups, and group counts refresh in real time
Inventory QoL: Inventory button pulses when you pick up a new item
Selection improvement: double-click a unit portrait to select only that unit (single-click still works as before)
UI clarity pass: improved font scaling, tooltip formatting, and readability across screens
More UI guidance: new tooltips across inventory, resources, and common actions
HUD info upgrade: unit class is now shown on the HUD
Inventory and gear fixes: fixed cases where items could disappear, or equipped gear could be removed incorrectly
Achievements improvements: fixed healing achievement tracking, plus improved difficulty completion tracking
Balance: Gatekeeper AOE cooldown increased from 7s to 14s
Group controls are now easier to use and clearer to read
Added distinct unit icons for control groups, making group displays easier to read at a glance
Group UI has received new visuals and is now clickable
The Inventory button now pulses when you pick up a new item
Updated the minimap to be more accurate
Improved difficulty tooltips in the main menu for clearer explanations
Added helpful tooltips across the inventory and resource UI:
Inventory slots: helmet, armor, shield, amulet, accessory, weapon
Resources: food, materials, DNA, population
Actions: equip, dissolve, open inventory
Unit class is now shown on the HUD, so it is easier to understand a unit’s role at a glance
Improved tooltip positioning so tooltips stay within the UI and do not go off-screen
Clarified upgrade button descriptions to specify which unit types they affect
Improved UI readability across multiple screens:
Better font scaling and sizing for cleaner text
Updated tooltip text to clearly explain that “Dissolve All” converts unequippable items into DNA
Added a sound effect when pressing the “Dissolve All” button
Overall tooltip and text formatting refinements
Improved the look and clarity of item name UI:
Cleaner text layout (size, alignment, spacing)
Completing the game on a higher difficulty now also counts for the lower difficulty completions Example: beating it on Hard will also award the Normal completion achievements
Gatekeeper AOE cooldown increased from 7 seconds to 14 seconds
Fixed an issue where equipped weapons and other gear could be removed incorrectly
Fixed a bug where items could disappear when unequipping or moving gear
Fixed inventory issues where items could fail to return correctly or behave incorrectly after reloading
Fixed item tooltips appearing in the wrong place
Fixed unit group counts not properly accounting for revived units
Fixed group UI counts so they now refresh in real time
Fixed HUD selection so you can double-click a unit portrait to select only that unit
Fixed the healing-related achievement not tracking correctly
Major engine upgrade for improved stability and future support
Lighting upgraded and all maps rebaked
Water rendering updated
Increased post processing intensity from 0.5 to 0.8 for improved overall visuals
Restored full length cinematics to their original versions
Added a failsafe to ensure the mouse cursor is always returned after cutscenes
Made skipping cinematics faster (hold time reduced from 3 seconds to 1 second)
Added UI scaling improvements across multiple menus for better behavior on different resolutions
Fixed inventory issues where items could fail to return correctly or behave incorrectly after reloading
Fixed an animation issue on insectoid worker legs
Fixed a particle effect error with the artifact beam in the final level
Fixed terrain lighting issues in the final level
Fixed a few incorrect subtitles
Restored squad based units and adjusted related build times and costs
Adjusted building costs
You now gain two Wasp units at the start of Map04
Building cost adjustments
Conch: 50 minerals (down from 150)
Burrow: 30 minerals (down from 50)
Turret: 50 minerals (down from 75)
Hive: 100 minerals (down from 150)
Nestling Mound: 100 minerals (down from 150)
Spring: 75 minerals (down from 100)
Added a Linux build for GOG players
Updated the macOS build to match version 1.3.10
Windows default renderer selection improved: the game now prefers DirectX 12 when available. Previously, some systems could default to OpenGL if it was available
Fixed: the game now correctly saves and loads the selected difficulty
Fixed: Hard and Insanity completion achievements should now unlock properly after finishing the campaign
Fixed: the Avatar skill and squad mechanics are restored, so “Play of the Game” is obtainable again
Improved: added extra checks so end game achievements trigger more reliably
Note: older saves did not store difficulty correctly. For these fixes to fully apply, start a new playthrough or make new saves after updating
Legionnaires restored to a squad of 5 units
Hunters restored to a squad of 3 units
Population cost increased to match the larger squad sizes
Resource costs only slightly increased. Fast build speeds and earlier quality of life improvements are kept
Hive building resurrects dead squad units again for a small food cost per unit
Goal: bring back the more swarm like feel, without losing the previous improvements
Fixed: pause menu no longer stretches on ultrawide resolutions
Restored: intro and ending cinematics are back to their original full versions
If you run into any issues with inventory, groups, achievements, or cutscenes, please report them in the Steam forums. Balance and mission pacing feedback is also always welcome.
If you are enjoying The Hive, leaving a Steam review helps us a lot and supports future updates.
Fixed: Game now correctly saves and loads the selected difficulty setting.
Fixed: Achievements for completing the game on Hard and Insanity difficulties should now unlock properly once the campaign is completed.
Fixed: The Avatar skill and related squad mechanics are now restored, making the "Play of the Game" achievement obtainable again.
Added extra checks so end game achievements trigger more reliably.
Note: Older save files did not store difficulty correctly, so you will need to create new saves or start a new playthrough after updating to 1.306 for these fixes to fully apply.
Legionnaires are restored to a squad of 5 units.
Hunters are restored to a squad of 3 units.
Population cost has been increased to match the larger squad sizes. Resource costs have only been slightly increased, and fast build speeds plus other earlier improvements are retained.
Hive building now resurrects dead squad units again for a small food cost per unit.
These changes bring back the more “swarm-like” feel of your army, while keeping previous quality of life improvements.
Fixed: Pause menu UI no longer stretches or scales incorrectly on ultrawide resolutions.
Restored the intro and ending cinematics to their original length and versions, as most players preferred the full cuts.
If you still encounter any issues with difficulty, achievements or squad behavior after updating to 1.306, please let us know in the community hub, ideally with your save details and difficulty setting.
We are also always interested in general feedback about balance, pacing, mission design and quality of life improvements, so feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions.
Every Steam review helps us a lot and supports future updates. If you are enjoying The Hive, please consider leaving one.
This update focuses on some of the most requested features from our community, aiming to improve early-game clarity, progression, and rewards.
New Features
Item System Tutorials Added Added pop-up tutorial screens that explain the DNA and item drop system. These appear contextually when you first encounter key items, guiding you through their purpose and use.
Gameplay Updates
Improved Enemy AI in First Level Enemy units in the first level are now more aggressive and will actively seek out the player base in certain areas, adding more challenge and strategic tension.
XP Rewards Rebalanced for Enemy Types Different enemy types now grant varied XP rewards based on difficulty, ranging from 25 to 500 XP. This makes defeating tougher enemies more rewarding and progression more dynamic.
Improved First Wraith Boss Loot The first Wraith boss now drops significantly better loot, giving players a more satisfying and rewarding early-game boss encounter.
Achievements
Adjusted several achievements for clarity and relevance.
Removed Silencer (skip cutscenes) achievement.
Removed Hivespital (resurrect X units with Hive) achievement, as the mechanic is now obsolete.
We Want Your Feedback We’d love to hear your thoughts on these changes, especially whether the new tutorial is clear and if you’d like to see it expanded to cover other systems. Every Steam review helps us improve and supports future updates. If you’re enjoying The Hive, please consider leaving one.
🌊 The Hive – 75% Off for the First Time Ever! 🌊 To celebrate the Steam Summer Sale, The Hive is now available at its biggest discount yet.
Take control as the insectoid hive mind and lead your swarm through a hostile, beautiful world filled with ancient ruins, colossal creatures, and secrets buried deep beneath the surface.
Whether you're new to The Hive or returning for another campaign, there's never been a better time to experience the game.
🧬 Build your colony 🧬 Harvest DNA from enemies 🧬 Unlock new units and abilities 🧬 Face massive bosses and adapt your strategy 🧬 Uncover the mysteries of New Eden
The Summer Sale ends July 10th, so don’t miss out! While you're enjoying your holidays, the Skydome Entertainment team is sweating through the summer, hard at work on our upcoming game. We wish you a fantastic holiday season and thank you for supporting indie developers like us!
About
This page aggregates Steam news feeds, patch notes, and developer announcements for The Hive, sourced from official Steam community posts.
Major updates, balance changes, and seasonal events often correlate with player-count spikes — cross-reference announcements here with the live charts on the main The Hive statistics page.
Articles link back to Steam for full changelogs. SteamScope refreshes news entries as new posts are published to the game's Steam hub.