Survival & Sandbox News
Update notes, season launches, early-access milestones, and roadmap news for the survival and sandbox games we follow.
Obsidian reflects on Grounded 2's first year in Early Access ahead of the Into the Abyss launch
Senior Producer Miles Winzeler speaks with RPGSite about Grounded 2's first year, co-development with Eidos Montreal, what went into updates like Beat the Heat and Into the Abyss, and what the PS5 launch means for the community heading into version 0.5.
Why Mistfall Hunter Broke Out During Steam Next Fest
Mistfall Hunter's June 2026 demo stood out because it gave extraction fans a sharper hook: Souls-like third-person combat, six classes, three-player squads, and a July 29 launch date.
Mistfall Hunter: Release Date, Classes, Extraction Loop, and Platforms
Mistfall Hunter launches July 29, 2026 as a dark-fantasy PvPvE extraction ARPG. Here is the detailed breakdown of classes, co-op, extraction, combat, platforms, and what is confirmed before launch.
Windrose Hits 2 Million Sales as Pirate Survival Finds Its Early Access Crew
Windrose has become one of 2026's breakout indie survival games, reaching 2 million sales in its first month after a huge Early Access launch.
Enshrouded Update 8 Is the Last Stop Before 1.0, With Combat, Skills, and Adventure Sharing Rebuilt
Keen Games says Forging the Path is Enshrouded's last major update before 1.0. Update 8 adds Adventure Sharing, resets skill trees, expands gear upgrades, and overhauls combat.
Valheim Server Admins Should Prepare Now for the 1.0 Deep North Rush
Valheim 1.0 is bringing the Deep North, PS5, Switch 2, and full crossplay on September 9. Server admins should use the quiet window now to back up worlds, check mods, and plan fresh starts.
Valheim 1.0 Crossplay Explained: PS5 and Switch 2 Join PC and Xbox on September 9
Valheim's 1.0 launch brings PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 into the same crossplay pool as PC, Linux, Mac, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Here is what that means for groups and servers.
New guide: Abiotic Factor base building, power, storage, food, and safe rooms
We added a practical base-building guide for Abiotic Factor covering room selection, storage groups, power priorities, Leyak response, food and sleep planning, co-op roles, and when it is actually worth moving base.
New guide: what to spend first after Enshrouded Update 8 resets your skill tree
Update 8 refunds skill points and rebuilds the skill tree. Our guide explains how to respec into Battlemage, Tank, Ranger, or Wizard without wasting your first points.
New guide: how Enshrouded Adventure Sharing works after Update 8
Adventure Sharing lets players upload worlds, add screenshots and tags, set a Flame Altar visitor spawn, and browse community builds. Our guide covers what builders should clean up before sharing a world.
New coverage: Enshrouded Update 8 rebuilds combat, skills, gear upgrades, and world sharing
We added a full breakdown of Forging the Path, plus practical guides for Adventure Sharing, the skill-tree reset, and rune-based gear upgrades. Update 8 is Keen's final major Early Access update before Enshrouded 1.0.
Mistfall Hunter: everything we know about the dark-fantasy extraction ARPG
A full breakdown of Mistfall Hunter's classes, extraction loop, PvPvE and co-op, and the July 29, 2026 launch across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series.
Mistfall Hunter becomes a Steam Next Fest breakout with tens of thousands of concurrent players
The free Mistfall Hunter demo climbed the June 2026 Steam Next Fest most-played lists, drawing tens of thousands of concurrent players with its Souls-like combat and PvPvE extraction loop.
New coverage: HostedGG launches a full Mistfall Hunter wiki ahead of the July 2026 release
We added a deep Mistfall Hunter wiki covering all six classes, dual weapon stances, the extraction loop, PvPvE, three-player co-op, enemies, and the road to launch. Details track the June 2026 demo and will be refreshed through release.
Palworld 0.6.0 Tides of Terraria is live: Moon Lord raid, fishing, three new islands, and level cap 65
Version 0.6.0 delivers the full Terraria crossover with a new dungeon stocked with iconic Terraria enemies, six weapons and seven armor sets, and the Moon Lord as a large-scale multiplayer raid boss with exclusive drops. Fishing arrives for the first time alongside three new explorable islands (Tropical, Iceberg, and Shipwreck), and the player level cap rises from 60 to 65.
New guide: server admins should prepare now for Valheim's 1.0 Deep North rush
The full launch combines the Deep North biome, the end of Early Access, PS5, Switch 2, and full crossplay. Our checklist covers backups, fresh seed planning, mods, and crossplay access.
New coverage: Valheim 1.0 crossplay brings PS5 and Switch 2 into the same world
Valheim 1.0 launches September 9 with PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 joining PC, Linux, Mac, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Iron Gate says full crossplay is planned across every platform.
New coverage: HostedGG launches a full Windrose wiki for pirate survival, fast travel, ship combat, and co-op
We added a deep Windrose wiki with beginner routes, sailing, naval combat, base building, nearby chest crafting, food buffs, crew progression, fast travel, resources, server notes, and Early Access update tracking.
Once Human patch 2.4.3 launches Custom Server Anniversary event and economy update
Version 2.4.3 delivers a Custom Server Anniversary celebration with special rewards and an upgraded supplies distribution system, the limited-time Desert Oracle Lightforge Loot Crate, and Collectible storage along with Build logic optimizations. RaidZone economy was rebalanced so selling items to merchants yields more Chips, giving regular players a more rewarding loop.
Satisfactory hotfix 1.2.3.1 rounds out the 1.2 update before Coffee Stain's summer break
Patch 1.2.3.1 fixes a Decoupled Camera position reset issue in Photo Mode, resolves a Storage Container focus bug, adds a potential fix for console crash-on-suspend, and corrects fluid display errors on Freight Carts. Coffee Stain noted the patch closes out the 1.2 release cycle before the team heads on summer vacation.
Minecraft Java 26.3 Snapshot 1 previews the Dappled Forest biome with poplar trees and abandoned camps
The first snapshot for Minecraft's next drop introduces the Dappled Forest, an autumn-themed biome near cold areas with three poplar tree variants, red shrubs, and bouncy shelf mushrooms, plus abandoned camps that generate across multiple biomes and wool stairs and slabs for all 16 colors. Mojang describes it as the largest snapshot ever by new block and item count, adding 56 blocks and items in a single release.
Obsidian on Grounded 2's evolution: how Beat the Heat is shaping the road to 1.0
An interview with Game Director Chris Parker at Summer Game Fest Play Days covers how the Beat the Heat update pushed the game toward a stronger multiplayer model, the design behind the King Dozer boss, and what the team has learned heading into the Into the Abyss update on August 11.
New guide: best Valheim food combos for health, stamina, and Eitr
Our updated Valheim food guide breaks down the strongest three-food combos for every biome, from your first Meadows meals to Mistlands Eitr builds for magic. Includes a quick role split for boss fights versus exploration.
Valheim's Deep North Test Branch Reworks the Save System Ahead of the 1.0 Launch
A new Valheim public test patch rebuilds how worlds are saved: faster, chunked saves that cut the risk of corrupt files. Here is what changed and what it means for server admins before the September 9 launch.
New guide: surviving your first hours in Subnautica 2
A beginner walkthrough for the Early Access build: managing oxygen, scanning fragments for blueprints, gathering core resources, building your first base, and avoiding the deaths that catch new players out.
Palworld 1.0 Lands July 10 with the World Tree, Genetic Recombination, and Server Clustering
Pocketpair dated Palworld's 1.0 launch for July 10 at Summer Game Fest. The World Tree roughly doubles the map, a new breeding system arrives, and dedicated servers finally get clustering. Here is the breakdown.
Soulmask expands the world with the Shifting Sands desert
Beyond the lush Cloud Mist Forest, Soulmask's Shifting Sands brings a desert realm inspired by ancient civilizations, with new climate pressures, enemies, resources, and tech for established tribes to chase.
Deep North test branch reworks the save system for faster, safer saves
Ahead of the September 9 launch, Valheim's public test branch rebuilds world saving into smaller chunks, writing only the chunks you have modified and splitting the old single .db file into a folder of smaller pieces. The result is faster saves and a much lower risk of corrupt worlds, a notable reliability win for dedicated servers.
New guide: Valheim farming, bees, and a self-sufficient base
A full walkthrough of farming in Valheim: unlocking the Cultivator, growing every crop, spacing and layout tips, and setting up bees so your base feeds itself across every biome.
Rust's 'Built Different' Wipe: New Player Models, the M16A2, and a Unity 6 Jump
Facepunch's June forced wipe rebuilds Rust's player characters from the ground up, upgrades the engine to Unity 6, and adds the burst-fire M16A2 and a Ballistic Armor set. Here is the breakdown.
Satisfactory 1.2 Is Live: Weather, Fluid Trucks, Game Modes, and the Console Launch
Coffee Stain's 1.2 update brings weather back, reworks vehicle automation, unlocks Fluid Trucks at Tier 5, and adds a Game Modes menu. Here is what changed and why it matters for your factory.
Valheim 1.0 Launches September 9 With the Deep North: PS5 & Switch 2 Crossplay Confirmed
Valheim finally has a 1.0 release date. The Deep North biome arrives September 9, 2026, ending five years of early access, plus PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 with full crossplay.
Valheim's Call to Arms Combat Overhaul: Adrenaline, Perfect Dodge & Bear Armor Explained
Patch 0.221.13 rebuilt Valheim combat ahead of the 1.0 launch. Here's how Adrenaline, the Perfect Dodge Roll, stamina-free Perfect Blocks, and the new Bear armor set change every fight.
Hytale Patch Notes - Update 1: Dinosaurs & More
Full breakdown of Hytale Update 1. New dinosaurs, backpack crafting changes, combat balance, and major QoL improvements.
Palworld is Getting an Official Competitive Trading Card Game This Summer
Pocketpair has announced the 'Palworld Official Card Game' in collaboration with Bushiroad. Releasing worldwide July 30, 2026.
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