Volcanoids news & patch notes

This hotfix primarily focuses on resolving critical lighting issues, gameplay bugs, and the biggest performance bottlenecks. Alongside these fixes, we've adjusted the underground lighting and introduced a new heavy-duty flashlight to help you navigate.

Soon we will be rolling out the first phase of gameplay changes for Orchard Port. While the area is still not quite where we want it to be, it’s getting closer. Our goal for this location is to allow players to freely explore the environment, master the basics of crafting, and discover multiple different paths to reach their *objective*.

Features

• added a heavy-duty flashlight

• darker atmosphere underground

• performance optimizations

• added weapons and loot to few places

• disabled access to the Hydromechanicum caves (empty, unfinished location)

• minor adjustment to Orchard Port gameplay and pathing

Fixes

• fixed auto-exposure on Intel GPUs (extremely bright screen)

• fixed multiple different cases of broken lighting

• fixed ocean rendering issues (blinking squares)

• fixed an ocean rendering issue while looking down during swimming

• fixed the character walking on the ocean floor instead of swimming in some cases

• fixed ocean caustics effects rendering above the water line

• fixed the disappearing car in Hydromechanicum

• fixed disappearing parts of sewers and caves at low LOD settings

• fixed places in Hydromechanicum and the Lighthouse where the player could get stuck

• fixed the armory note highlight

• fixed the lava visuals near Rosegate Port

• fixed crane pickup glitches

• the miniature COG is now pickable

• fixed lights and particles remaining in place when the drillship leaves

• fixed terrain holes and clipping

Hey Everyone,

It's been three weeks since we launched The New Island preview, and you're probably wondering what's coming next. We’ve been reading your comments, reviews, and forum posts, and we are adjusting our plans based on your feedback.

Here is what the near future looks like for Volcanoids.

Next Week: Hotfix #5 & Steam Sale

We'll be releasing Hotfix #5 next week alongside a Steam sale. This patch focuses heavily on bug fixes, lighting improvements, and related gameplay.

Key Changes

• Intel GPU Fix: Resolved the issue causing an over-bright screen.

• Performance: First batch of optimizations.

• Lighting Fixes: Fixed lighting across all three locations.

• Darker Atmosphere: Tunnels, caves, and sewers are now properly dark.

• Heavy-duty Flashlight: New handheld tool (With the new lighting, a light source is essential under the ground).

Orchard Port Upgrade

Based on your feedback, many players struggled with the Orchard Port gameplay. The pathing felt unclear, keys were in unexpected locations, and it was easy to get stuck.

We are streamlining the gameplay and improving the flow without making it too easy or "dumb." The first batch of these navigation improvements will arrive in this hotfix.

This Summer

We heard you loud and clear: you miss the core Volcanoids gameplay. You want to drive the drillship, fight COGs, mine resources, research schematics, upgrade production, and battle other drillships. The preview's "expeditions" just didn't cut it.

This summer, we are bringing the classic Volcanoids gameplay loop directly to the New Island!

What’s Coming

• Full Drillship Progression: 5 segments, Tier 3 modules, all weapons

• Island Expansion: Basic placeholder terrain and vegetation across the entire island.

• Endgame: A Boss Drillship to face off against as the final challenge.

• Navigation: The old travel map will be used for now.

What's Cut

• Expeditions: This feature was a prototype that felt too simple and limited. It is being removed and replaced by the classic gameplay loop.

• The Hunt: We have mixed feelings about this one. While it added pressure, for most players it just meant "go hide underground and wait it out." We are removing it until we can redesign it into something more engaging.

• Lava Sources: These are not returning for the New Island. Instead, they will be replaced by entirely new, unique boss locations in a later update. You might have seen sneak peeks in previous Steam posts.

Note: The Summer Update will go live on the default Steam branch. The Old Island (version 1.33) will remain permanently available via the v1.33 Steam branch.

This Fall

Following the summer update, each major patch will focus on two things: introducing new locations and improving core features. For the Fall update, we are planning:

• New Locations: Wrenchlow Mining Village, Darksaddle Coal Mine, and the Seismotorium Research Station.

• Feature Focus: Improved Gunplay.

How to play the preview

Fixes

• fixed non-interactive doors in the sewers

• fixed missing water collider beneath the sewers

• fixed multiple repeating voice lines

• fixed Rosegate Port questline

• fixed crane camera not switching properly

Visual improvements

• fixed broken lighting on terrain textures

• fixed black lighting issues inside the drillship

• fixed black lighting issues in Rosegate Port and Hydromechanicum control room

• fixed black lighting in few other locations

Note from the Developers

Apologies for the "black" lighting issue, which was accidentally introduced in a recent hotfix.

While some lighting issues persist, they should no longer be game-breaking. These are mostly instances of exterior light leaking into interiors, typically shifting with camera movement and rotation (one example can be found right at the start, in the corner of the submarine). Additionally, some areas are missing proper lighting entirely. For instance, certain basements are currently too bright. Lastly, many locations appear too bright on medium or lower graphics settings. We will address all of these issues in subsequent patches.

Fixes

• fixed missing ladder in lower parts of the sewers

• fixed issue with expeditions caused by saving and loading

• fixed missing water on new island map (map screen)

• increased damage of the elite cog in expedition #5

• fixed collider issue with smelter in Rosegate port

• destroying the smelter in Rosegate port respawn it without spawning trash

Fixes

• fixed lava damage zone dealing damage after respawn

• fixed 9 missing expeditions

• removed wooden gate in the Hydromechanicum pipe entry

• fixed missing cliffs and terrain near the Hydromechanicum pipe entry

• fixed overly bright reflections in the pipes below the Hydromechanicum

• fixed Hydromechanicum water level issues related to saving and loading

• fixed a bug where the Hydromechanicum “Flooded” voice line played incorrectly

• fixed the culling distance for pickable objects in Rosegate Port

• adjusted the damaged tank to contain appropriate loot and slightly increased its HP

• fixed the map window to correctly display the new island map

• fixed an issue where Journal notifications failed to trigger in certain cases

• fixed an error that was being written to the log file upon starting the game

• fixed lighting on barren parts of the island for High, Very High and Ultra quality settings (Medium and lower remain unchanged)

Known Issues

We are still tracking a few important issues that we aim to address quickly:

• getting stuck in sewers

• camera jitter/smoothness issues when walking on trash

• missing lighting on terrain textures

Patch Size

Why is this patch 1.2 GB? We had to completely rebuild the lighting and occlusion data due to the Hydromechanicum changes. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Fixes

• fixed a black screen when starting the game

• fixed interaction with orders

• fixed repeating voice lines when talking to the Captain through "the radio"

• removed blue objects near the Hydromechanicum turbine

• the Smelter in Rosegate Port can no longer be repaired before moving it to its final location

• fixed placeholder bridge in Rosegate Port

• fixed the Coupling Ring recipe to use Copper Ingots instead of Scrap Metal

• fixed an issue where inactive Expeditions were still spawning units

This is our first quick patch to address the most critical issues. Expect a second hotfix later today targeting additional bugs near the Hydromechanicum (specifically around the pipe exit) and The Expeditions. Currently only first expedition out of 10 is visible. Linux version of this patch will arrive a bit later, it takes much longer to build. Thank you for your patience and feedback!

Today is the day! We are excited to release the first preview of the brand-new island.

It has been 18 months since our last major update, and a lot has happened behind the scenes. To be transparent: we overestimated our initial abilities, hit severe burnout, went through leadership changes, and had to change our plans. It was a rough road. Finally, we are here and thrilled to get this preview into your hands. Hopefully the road to the next update will be a bit smoother.

Major features

New Island featuring 3 locations

• Orchard Port + Sewers

• Hydromechanicum

• Rosegate Port

Reworked quests & environmental interactions

Repair generators, use cranes to move objects, restore power to facilities and more.

Steam Roller prototype

A brand-new vehicle type to play with.

World Building

Tons of new buildings, vegetation and props.

Character audio

The Captain and Sailor now speak gibberish! (A massive thank you to Mike Bodie, who provided these voiceovers at the last minute for free!)

The Expeditions

A prototype feature to provide classic Volcanoids gameplay once you acquire your drillship.

Travel to barren parts of the island through a short series of encounters. Each encounter is different—some focus on resource gathering, crafting, and upgrading your ship, while others will pit you against enemies and enemy drillships.

Please let us know what you think of this loop! If the community enjoys it, we have the tools to quickly add a lot more.

Beta status

The status is Beta. There are bugs and performance issues. Additionally:

• Some assets are still missing here and there.

• Visuals are still being worked on.

• Lighting is incomplete (sewers, caves, Hydromechanicum).

• Some colliders need adjustments (you may need to jump to get through some places).

• Quests need more guidance in some places and smoothing.

• Steam Roller needs work - movement improvements, audio.

The update is definitely rough around the edges - likely the most unpolished build we've released since our first days on Steam. I'm sorry. We appreciate your patience and feedback.

How to play the preview

Hey everyone,

The last two months passed incredibly quickly (at least for us), there's one more week to go! On May 28th we're launching the New Island Preview.

Quick summary of what's coming

The New Island preview includes

• Orchard Port - The entry location with submarine, lighthouse, sewers and caves

• Hydromechanicum - A heavily damaged hydroelectric plant and small dam

• Rosegate Port - A big shipyard with civilian and industrial infrastructure

• Steam Roller - A brand-new, player-driven vehicle

You can see all three locations here. You might also notice that the volcano has gotten taller and much more massive... more on that later.

The Steam Roller will be well hidden. Where would you look for it?

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay you'll be able to explore the locations, interact with various devices, fight enemies and do some basic crafting. Your main goal for this preview is getting the Drillship and making it operational. You'll be able to play alone or with up to 3 friends.

Please note that save files for the New Island are completely separate, There's no way we could make them compatible, the structural differences are just too large. Later in the beta, we'll allow you to import your existing drillship from the old island.

Compared to the old Island, the gameplay is very different. It's focused much more on the exploration and environmental interaction. You'll interact with the world a lot and utilize it in various ways. This allows us to slowly introduce various mechanics, like crafting, making it much easier for players to learn.

Our plan is to shift back towards the classic Volcanoids gameplay during the mid-game and late-game. We will heavily rely on your feedback to guide us. If you enjoy the exploration and environmental interaction, we'll add more of it. If you don't like it, we will limit this style of gameplay to the early-game.

Beta status

The status of the New Island preview is Beta. There will be bugs and some performance issues.

Additionally:

• Instead of final voice lines, characters speak in gibberish

• Some assets are still missing here and there

• Lighting and visuals are still being worked on

However, the core gameplay should be stable. Our plan is to release the beta and then spend the next couple of weeks fixing bugs, improving gameplay, and polishing the visuals.

We'll do our best in the coming week to make this Beta as good as possible

— The Volcanoids Team

Hey everyone,

It’s been three weeks since our last update. First, we’d like to thank you for the incredible amount of positive feedback and comments. We truly weren't expecting that level of support.

Right now, the team is focused on adding detail to the houses and streets. We're placing props, decals and making the place feel like it was abandoned in a rush. We're also replacing remaining placeholders with actual assets - little fences, brick walls and similar. In the next few weeks, we plan to improve the nature around the first three locations and finalize the gameplay.

Today, we want to share more about the gameplay at Rosegate Port.

Rosegate Port

The industrial area of Rosegate Port is packed with heavy machinery, including railroads, crane and other industrial hardware. You will be tasked with partially restoring the functionality of this location and using its smelter to produce essential materials.

The crane is not just a prop. You will utilize it in several different ways:

• Clearing paths to reach specific areas.

• Picking up cargo containers from the sea to access their contents.

• Moving devices to restore the port's core functionality.

• ...And who knows? Maybe even getting rid of a threat if you're quick enough.

It's not just cargo containers you can pick up:

When something is out of the crane’s reach or hidden inside a building, you can use the Trolley system to bring it closer. The process is fairly simple:

Hey everyone,

We owe you a real explanation.

Since our last update in December 2024, you have been waiting for the new island. Over the last few months, you’ve mostly heard silence from our end. We know that the combination of long delays and a lack of communication has led many of you to feel like Volcanoids was abandoned.

That’s on us.

We went through significant team changes that disrupted our development and fractured our communication. While these were internal shifts, the result impacted you - a lack of transparency. We want to be clear: The game is still in development, and you’ll be able to play it.

What We’re Finalizing

• New Island Locations: Orchard Port, Rosegate Port, Hydromechanicum and its caves and sewers.

• The Steamroller: This new vehicle is essentially complete and undergoing a final polish.

• Gameplay & Quests: We are integrating new locations with meaningful quests and progression.

Public Test Branch

We know that after this long, words are cheap. You shouldn't have to take our promises on faith. Instead of asking for your trust, we are going to try to earn it with something you can play.

Starting May 28th, we are opening a public test branch for the new island.

In this branch, you can:

• Finally take the Steamroller for a test drive.

• Explore the first three playable locations of the new island.

• Experience the new and improved quest system.

Moving Forward

From today on, you can expect:

• Regular Devlogs: A status update here on Steam every 3 weeks.

• Test Branch Updates: As we add new locations, we’ll update the test branch with clear patch notes.

• An Exclusive Thank You: As a small token of appreciation for those who stuck with us, everyone who owns the game before the full update launch will receive a cosmetic item exclusive to early supporters.

We apologize. You trusted us with your time and money, and you deserve better communication than what you’ve received lately. We aren’t asking you to forget the silence; we’re asking for the chance to show you, through consistent updates, that we are finishing what we started.

We’ll be hanging out in the comments, so please feel free to ask any questions you have.

Thank you for still being here.

— The Volcanoids Team

Hey everyone, here's another recap of the stuff the team has done in the past few weeks! As always, thank you for your trust and patience and without further a do, let's dive in:

Quest system rework

The new map lends itself well to give the quest system a bit of a rework.

The main goal is to make it less hand-holdy and minimize the amount of reading you'll have to do.

And one of the biggest tools we decided to utilize is...

Voice lines

Instead of having to read an entire phonebook every time you want to complete a quest.

You will now hear the captain give you hints and tips from time to time.

In addition, your own character will point out stuff as well.

We've been testing it and so far it feels a lot more smooth and fun than getting a detailed step by step list of directions for every single task. There will still be some pointers on the hud in a few cases but not as text heavy as before.

Terrain surface

Since we put together the locations like a big puzzle, there were a lot of holes and unnatural transitions.

So we had to spend some time patching it all up making sure the transitions between different locations are smooth so we could then generate terrain over it.

Landing sites

Another thing that the smoother terrain allows us to do is start placing landing sites (where the drillship parks on surface). However, since the island is way more complex than before, we decided to ditch the U-shaped landing sites. Instead the drillship will park in plenty of different positions to make sure it fits in the environment. And not vice versa. This way the environment won't have unnaturally flat planes everywhere.

On the example below you can see how the drillship fits nicely between the Wrenchlow town and the cliff by landing in a straight line.

Finalizing building structures

Building are getting their final detailed models that also work gameplay-wise. And their final textures. For example here's a final model for the lighthouse and some of the port buildings.

Interactive elements

Last but not least, we wanted to introduce some interactive elements into the world. Here are a few of them in the most basic form.

Thought it would be interesting for y'all to see what goes into creating each location from start to finish for the new island. So here it goes!

1. LORE AND REFERENCES First the lore is created with a bunch of references to use as inspiration for the different locations so they feel realistic, have the atmosphere we want, and fit into the lore as a whole.

2. RAW SKETCH Then a rough sketch is put together from all of it as a guideline for the next stages. We used to make these hand-drawn sketches you see below, but then we switched to these 3D sketches made from simple shapes so the other artists can see it from all angles for the next stages. You can check out one of our 3d sketches yourself here: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seismotorium-3d-sketch-298b4106215c43ec8c41b9c4d97fdf62

3. VISUAL CONCEPT A more detailed visual concept follows that gives more of that feel and look we want without being tied by too many gameplay rules yet.

4. WHITE-BOX LEVEL Next in the pipeline is the white-box level made from simple models and textures which is pretty much the exact opposite of the visual concept. The goal is to make sure the location is playable, works with the environment around it, the AI can navigate it, while sticking to the general look the visual concept has set.

5. FINAL IMPLEMENTATION Once these are finished we marry the two together making sure it looks close enough to the visual concept but also works with the gameplay and implementation rules of the white-box level. Only then we start creating the final models and textures.

Hope you guys liked this and let us know if you have any questions!

Hi guys, as most of you mentioned, you want to keep seeing the development updates no matter how work in progress they are. So here's another batch for ya! This is not everything we've been working on, just a few snippets. For example, the area 1 boss and its environment is coming together really well but we don't want to spoil it.

1. Steamroller Sidecar

The sidecar is now fully functional. You can use everything while sitting in it like if you were on foot, rotate 360, and even switch from first-person to third-person. The bracer is also accessible so you could even call in drones if you wanted to.

2. New Locations

Got some new locations in the pipeline that uncover more of the lore and Captain's role in all of it. Below you can see the lore for each location, rough 3D sketch with references (you can click the links to actually see the model in 3D) and a whitebox level.

Hydromechanicum

Before the catastrophe, Ironwealth sought to transform Adranos Island into a tourist destination, abandoning its smoky coal plants in favor of clean hydro energy. Backed by Doc. Victor Ravensdale, a young engineer known as The Captain designed and built the revolutionary Hydromechanicum, a water power plant that became both a technological marvel and tourist attraction. Years later, strange river fluctuations signaled instability, but warnings were ignored. When the volcano erupted, the riverbed collapsed, burying the turbine and triggering catastrophic failure—no one at the plant survived. The eruption reshaped the land, creating a massive geyser where the plant once stood, with new fissures hinting the river may one day break free. Though The Captain’s first major project ended in ruin, it cemented his reputation and led to further work with Ironwealth as Adranos became his home.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/hydromechanicum-3d-sketch-c25fc4a92ea742a0bcae7c522ed89bf9

Sesmotorium

The Seismotorium was one of Adranos Island’s oldest and most prestigious research facilities, built to study volcanic activity and later expanded into a full-fledged scientific university supported by Ironwealth. Equipped with advanced instruments and a massive retractable probe for deep-earth readings, it became the centerpiece of volcano monitoring. However, as Ironwealth demanded nonstop observation, the exhausted scientists faced increasingly unstable readings and damaged equipment. When pressure beneath the volcano reached a breaking point, the probe was violently ejected, destroying the facility’s dome just as the eruption and pyroclastic wave struck, annihilating everything. Afterward, the Seismotorium became a molten crater spewing smoke, its probe half-buried in ruins. Much of its research data was secretly looted by the COGs, leaving only remnants behind. When The Captain later returned seeking answers, he found only an empty, gutted shell of the once-great scientific complex he had once helped maintain.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seismotorium-3d-sketch-298b4106215c43ec8c41b9c4d97fdf62

3. Finalizing Building Models

We are also taking the buildings and finalizing them one by one and making sure they are ready for final textures.

4. Prop Models

Since a lot of the locations are now set in stone, we also started work on the props that will fill them out such as lootable suitcases, barrels, crates and medium sized models like trains, cars, etc.

5. Textures and Decals

And final textures are being created together with decals (eg. damaged walls, scratches, rust) to replace the placeholder ones you've seen on the models before.

6. Next meme feature?

As mentioned these are just a few snippets from what the team is working on. As always, thank you for the support and patience everyone! Let us know if you have any questions or feedback below.

Don't have one cool thing to show this time, so this post will be a mix and match of everything that's been going on for the past few weeks!

STEAMROLLER TURRET UPGRADE

You've seen the turret in a lot of the steamroller content but never active. It is now fully implemented so it finally shreds COGs for you!

STEAMROLLER SIDECAR UPGRADE

Even more exciting then the turret is imo the sidecar upgrade, where you can ride along one of your buddies, AND USE YOUR WEAPONS while they drive! No doubt this will create some funny moments. Just gotta fix the back breaking haha.

NATURE TAKING OVER

Now that we have a bunch of locations set up, we are experimenting with different tools to generate terrain. We really want to sell the idea that the island has been abandoned and reclaimed by nature.

STEAMROLLER DOCKING

The docking animations are now finished, with the Steamroller packing nicely inside so you can still access the inventory box, upgrades, etc.

And the module now not only stores Steamrollers but also repairs them!

TECH TREE

Last but not least, here's a prototype of a tech tree we're working on. We believe this could really help with confusion around crafting.

BOSS BATTLE AND MORE

Aside from that we've been working on the Area 1 boss location but I don't want to spoil that to you. But it's getting harder and harder not to haha. And then a lot of technical stuff around the island which is not visual enough for this. However it's coming along nicely, here's one corner of area 1 with white box versions of the locations I already showed you in previous posts placed together. This corner has more environment variation then the entire island that's currently in the game. Appreciate you all and let us know what you think!

Appreciate all the support on the previous location preview! Got another one this week for y'all and I think it might be my favorite one yet. Check it out:

Before the catastrophe, Wrenchlow was a humble working-class town named after miner James Wrenchlow, whose statue stood at its center above a secret rebel base, the Lead Lanterns. The group operated under the nose of their overseer, Doc. Victor Rawensdale, gathering evidence of strange shipments, restricted mine areas, and underground structures, aided by an insider known as “Captain.” Weeks before devastating earthquakes struck, families evacuated, leaving mostly men to work. When the quakes hit, the reinforced bunker beneath the statue spared the remaining townsmen. Afterward, the Lead Lanterns revealed their findings, but Ironwealth’s power silenced any change. The town was abandoned, overgrown by nature, while the ruined bunker still lies hidden beneath the statue, guarding relics of a past few survived to remember.

Got a look at another location for you this week. But first off, thank you for all the love on the Steamroller post, really glad you like it! As far as some of the suggested features go: Upgrades are already in process.

So are hands on the wheel in FP mode as far as I know. And will make sure to include the motion blur disable option in settings. So thanks again for all the feedback and enjoy the location preview!

Darksaddle

Once a quiet, ash-covered landmark known as Darksaddle, the area gained strategic importance when Ironwealth uncovered a seemingly endless supply of coal during railroad expansion. This discovery led to the rapid construction of a massive mining rig, turning the hill into a noisy industrial hub powered by steampunk engines. Despite its location in a tourist region, Ironwealth pressed on, installing sound barriers to contain the disruption. When the catastrophic earthquakes struck, chaos erupted—surface workers fled toward Rosegate Port, but many miners below were trapped as an underground lake flooded the shafts. In the aftermath, erosion and landslides steadily dismantle the once-imposing facility. Nature has begun reclaiming the site: machines rust, vines overgrow the rig, and a pond now rests beneath the structure—a quiet monument to the cost of progress.

First off, thank you all so much for all the kind words under the last post, means the world!

Second, the Steamroller got a bunch of cool updates so let's take a look:

Motion Blurrrrrr

Gave the speed boost a bit more oomph with some motion blur and zoom out effect. Here's a comparison:

Roadkills

Bullying COGs has never been easier with roadkills now working. Depending on your speed, you will either stun them, or trash them into pieces hehe.

Drillship Docking

First Person?

Kinda chaotic, kinda like it.

Twitter and Discord saw these first!

Ravensdale Mansion

Once a remote cliffside retreat for Doc. Victor Ravensdale—founder of Ironwealth Industries and overseer of operations on Adranos Island—Ravensdale Mansion served both as a residence and a secure hub for sensitive research tied to nearby facilities like Darksaddle, Rosegate Port, and the Imperial Rose. Aware of the island’s volcanic instability and covert underground activities, Ravensdale had a hidden bunker built beneath the mansion, where he moved his office to protect vital information. During the catastrophic event, he and his family took refuge there, believing it would withstand the disaster. However, the cliff itself fractured, splitting the mansion and bunker as the land crumbled into the ocean. Now lost beneath the rubble, the shattered bunker holds crucial secrets and advanced technologies—making its recovery a key goal for any future expedition.

QnA

Saw a bunch of questions under the last post so going to try and address them here.

ETA on the update? TLDR: We hope to make it happen this year. Longer version: It's been a while and the truth is, we underestimated how much work this update would take. Changing the island from ground up touches so many systems that the work kept piling up. However, we promised you guys, who have invested into us, to deliver the new island. And we want to keep that promise no matter how long it takes. We've never done an update of this scale and it feels like making a whole new game at times. Another reason for the delay is that releasing this update is going to be a big opportunity for the game to catch a second wind so we don't want to half ass it. As mentioned in previous Steam posts, the plan is to release the first area in the upcoming update, and then the next areas in quick succession. Those updates won't have such big gaps in between them since the foundation will already be laid. We completely understand that having such a long gap between updates is frustrating and we hope it's going to be worth it in the end. If you’ve stuck around this long, thank you, it means a lot. Why do the graphics look like this? Everything you see is either a placeholder or unfinished, lighting and textures will become a priority once the level design is set for each destination because that's the easiest part. Are you just making a prettier island and that's it? The island will indeed look much better, but aside from that each location will be unique and have something to offer. Be it interactable elements (such being able to repair the cannon inside the bunker), lore elements to uncover that backstory of the island (something that is completely missing right now), boss fights, or unique items. Leaving EA? As much as we would like to, until the island is released, we won't consider the game worthy of the 1.0 label. If you got any more questions, let us know below!

Coming at you this week with another port location! Which is (was) the home port of the one and only Imperial Rose

Enjoy!

ROSEGATE PORT

Origin

The home harbor of The Imperial Rose was Ironwealth’s crown jewel—a thriving port city perched on a cliff, purpose-built to support the massive cruise liner. Outfitted with its own train station, hotels, cafés, and restaurants, the port handled constant streams of passengers and cargo. A dead-end cargo rail track enabled quick offloading of supplies, while tugboats and cranes ensured efficient turnarounds. Every cruise began and ended here, and the port’s image became a symbol of luxury and escape, featured in posters across nearby villages.

During the Catastrophic Event:

As earthquakes grew in strength, panicked crowds surged into the harbor hoping to board The Imperial Rose. With Orchard Port cut off by falling rocks, Rosegate Port became the island’s last hope. But when a section of the pier collapsed, access to the ship became narrow and dangerous. Despite desperate efforts by tugboats to push the vessel out, strong waves and volcanic tremors hindered escape. Ultimately, the captain made the painful decision to depart, leaving many behind. A volcanic blast struck the ship’s hull, causing it to take on water and run aground near the harbor.

After the Catastrophic Event:

In the eruption’s aftermath, a massive landslide from the cliffs destroyed the train station, buried the roads, and severed all access routes. Large chunks of the cliff fell into the sea, further damaging infrastructure. Amid the devastation, a hidden tunnel entrance to underground caves emerged, hinting at secrets beneath the ruined harbor. Once a gateway to adventure and luxury, the port now lay in ruins—haunted by the echoes of its final, desperate voyage. P.S. Did a poll on our Discord asking which location has been your favorite so far, and the Stormwatch Bastion won by a mile.

Curious to see what you guys think, let us know below!

SMOGMERE

Lore

Origin

During the first eruption:

Present-Day:

Making it way more fun to drive

Adding a speed boost

And an inventory box!

The Stormwatch Bastion

Lore

Changes

• improved Steam Deck support
• set default render settings and hud scale
• added Steam Deck input glyphs

Fixes

• fixed issues with on-screen keyboard
• fixed controller issue when travelling underground
• fixed colliders on new Cog structures
• fixed client not seeing tesla beam on tesla turret drones
• fixed hacking tool animation
• fixed wrench repair animation
• fixed hunt side mission being inactive after loading a save file
• fixed water rendering behind heat distortion
• fixed production Cog ragdoll
• fixed rendering when ambient occlusion is disabled

Improvements

• minor performance improvements
• reduced VRAM usage a little

Balance changes

• increased respawn time for Tanks and Spiders in Area 3 by 30s
• reduced threat growth by 30% in Area 3

Fixes

• fixed crash on game exit
• fixed player Drillship disappearing after loading a save file
• fixed Cog Drillship spawned inside the player Drillship when underground
• fixed issue with too many Drillships when loading an old save file
• fixed Iron Frame and Iron Gear unlock conditions
• fixed Table recipe not visible
• fixed kill colliders in water under cliffs
• fixed Hunt in caves can be ended by killing Cog Drillship
• fixed Tank having no loot in one of the boxes
• fixed Corundum drill quest message
• fixed other minor Quest descriptions
• fixed outdated Inventory Full notification
• fixed and reuploaded Captain mods
• fixed Tutorial screen forcing player to take inventory when shown in unexpected moment
• fixed outro playing on Multiplayer client incorrectly after joining a game
• fixed wrong Hunt message on Multiplayer client

AI Fixes

• fixed Cog Spider stuck after player leaves with his Drillship
• fixed self-spawning Cogs not spawning when Cog mission resumes
• fixed Cogs not patroling for Cog side missions
• fixed Cogs not moving when Cog work mission resumes
• fixed Cogs not resuming their behaviour after player is lost
• fixed Cogs not returning into their Drillship before eruption
• fixed Tanks getting stuck on sloped terrain
• fixed issue with Cog missions when landing site is occupied

Visual improvements

• fixed minor TAA issues (occasional ghosting, overall quality)
• fixed ocean floor visible through water
• fixed Cog Spider animation when jumping out of the ground or returning back
• fixed Cog Spider animation when stunned on drillship soil
• fixed Cog animation when stunned on drillship soil
• fixed visual issues with Tutorial screen
• fixed camera clipping issues in Submarine and Blast shelter
• fixed LODs for self-spawning unit elevator
• fixed overlapping texts in the UI

COG Hunt