It’s that time of year again – the one where absolutely nothing special or spooky occurs and we all go about our lives in the Facility like normal. Unless of course, you somehow found yourself teleported somewhere outside of the Facility? Somewhere even more cursed, if that is such a possibility?

What mysteries lie in ye olden town, secreted away from time… and perhaps even space?

”Denial of the flesh, devils in every doorway, the world a giant demonic lie – hardly original, isn't it?” - Dr. Lenora Riggs

A new portal world has made its presence known somewhere in the Cascade Laboratories.

If you have not yet ventured through the entirety of Security Sector…

THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING!

You will be able to discover this portal world through the normal course of events, but if you're beyond Security Sector, you may need a quick hint on where to backtrack to.

Here is that hint: Return to Security Sector and move along the roadway. You may find something new that leads you to this forgotten realm. You’ll still have to do the figuring out on your own. You are a scientist, after all.
Just make sure you prepare before you step on through any portal - especially this one.

Now, onto the (less spoilery) details of the update itself. What has changed, and what’s new this spooky season?

Is this temporary only during Halloween?
Not in the slightest! It’s important to note that this update is a permanent fixture of the world of Abiotic Factor, and links directly to the game’s story, which you’ll unravel as you explore. It just so happens that this new portal world and chunk of lore fits ever-so-nicely alongside our favorite autumnal season.

In other words, this is not really just a Halloween event - this is an expansion of the game’s story… And there might be a pumpkin or two as well. 🎃

Please tread lightly among the Canaanites. They are prone to superstition, to say the least, and if you’re lucky, you might even get to meet their leader.


Fishing-inclined scientists may find they can (or already have) unlocked a new Fishing Trap, which can be placed in a body of water. Fishing traps are slower than regular fishing, require bait being placed in the bait slot, and will never catch anything too precious – but they will catch fish from time to time!



However, if you’re more of a fisherman and less of a farmer, you might be interested in the next generation of Fishing Rod, which has increased reel speed, and some other traits as well. What are those? Why do you need to upgrade it? You’ll learn all this eventually through the course of events.


If you get stuck on this one, just ask any friendly fisherman that you might happen to come across in your travels.

Time to stalk through the pumpkin patch and fish in those oily waters in search of new ingredients. What you find may shock you.


Though don’t go eating every new food you see, certain crops are not so palatable…

To assist in making the new (edible) recipes, there is now a Cooking Radial Wheel so that you can quick-select cooking utensils and foods from your inventory when looking at a stove. This is still a work in progress, so please report any issues or if you feel we can improve this in any way.



There are new ingredients, and new things to be made. We won’t enumerate them all here, but we’ll show a few in the images below and leave the rest up to you. We wanted to provide a few more fun items for your bases, and the Cauldron is no exception. Pour in some ink, slap it with paint, see what results you get!



For those who wish to live the spooky life year round, we understand.



With pumpkins comes pumpkin-carving! When you make a Jack O’ Lantern, it can be placed, carved with a swing of the knife, and painted to emit light in any color you’d like.

Also, does anyone else find wooden mannequins a bit eerie? Oh, and speaking of mannequins…

Do you ever wish that your skeletal base buddies could spring to life and fight with you? Well they can’t do that but they can save you some time in a completely unrelated way.

Many of you already use armor stands to hold specific sets or combinations of armor, and now you can get the most out of that with the new Armor Swap option, which will change your current armor for what’s on the armor stand.



You can also toggle a new checkbox in the Armor Stand UI, which will allow the swapping of empty slots - otherwise empty armor stand slots are ignored. We’re sure our brave scientists will find some interesting ways to utilize this.

Would it really be a portal world without new overworld weapons to discover? There are a couple archaic weapons you can swing about, each with their own special trait, but there are also several new and stranger objects to find in Canaan, granting access to new recipes for even more powerful inventions.



We’ve also continued to add new ammo types that can be used on either the new Crossbow or the Makeshift Crossbow. This brings the total number of Crossbow Bolt variations to FOUR. We look forward to your research and development in this area, and no, we won’t give you any hints.

We’ve added a few new hairstyles (less spooky) and fabrics (more spooky) just for the occasion. We’ve also updated the original ponytail (you might know it as “The Janet”) and the barbers at Cascade tried to stay true to the shape and form. What, you thought GATE wouldn’t have barbers in Residence Sector? Think again.


These hairstyles and fabrics are now immediately available to everyone, forever.

If this update has added too many spooky things for you, how about we let you perform some de-spookification?

Spoilers within.

Dr. Thule’s various experimentation has borne fruit and IS-0091 has been proven to be contained (at least for a while) in a new quantum glass containment unit. Simply craft one - once you have the technological prowess - and deploy one where you wish. Lure IS-0091 nearby, give her the ol’ zap and she will become entrapped. Just make sure you keep the containment structure intact with a routine helping of biological reinforcement…



You’ll figure it out. You’re a scientist, after al- wait, didn’t we say this already?

A small balancing note from Zag (or Spooky Zag, as we call him this time of year): We've rebalanced a few things as well, including armor values on the high end. We have more to do here, but we noticed a bit of a stagnation with armor, and less variety in choice as a result. If you know someone who was running one of the heaviest armors in the game, that is because it used to make them almost invincible. That has changed. Armor now gives diminishing returns once you get past 20 armor (on a piece-by-piece basis, not your armor total.) Keep in mind, however, armor only protects the limb(s) it covers, not your entire body.

There are about a dozen plus other things to find in this update, but we really don’t like spoiling all the treats (and tricks) we’ve sprinkled throughout Canaan. That’s part of the fun, after all. We are sure you will find many surprises, new characters, and… Well, we’ve said far too much already. The road is treacherous before you; go carefully.


See you by the seaside.

Pumpkin… patch … notes… alright, we’ve run out of energy for puns. Go ahead and click those highlighted words to be portaled off to the full list of changes, and try not to join a cult along the way.

Please keep submitting your bug reports and feedback through the in-game links! It’s tremendously helpful and it lets us know what our scientists want to see in the future.

Thank you for all your work in the GATE Cascade Research Facility!

Onward -- to science and scares!

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We will have an update at 10:30PM PT (5:30AM UTC) on October 10. Downtime will last approximately 5 hours and address mobs occasionally not spawning in some locations. We appreciate your patience while we complete this work.

Small update here! You might not be able to move but just set your movement binds back to WASD in the settings!

Changelogs:
- New keybind options!
- Added new timing UI
- Fixed blocking and receiving in MP
- Added nametags for Multiplayer!

* yeti figures out how to hold items properly in hands


*increased range on songs and removed visual effect - this helps flute songs be played to buff your party from backline companions
*instrument skill progress as intended


*equipped item stack reflected correctly in companion dock
*shields can now be hammered to be repaired
*shield durability now shows in its tooltip

Hello there,

We've just released a new patch for Robot Arena Survivors.

We've been monitoring performance issues reported by a few players, especially during long runs in Endless mode. This particular patch has been days of development focused on resolving these issues, making the game far more enjoyable for everyone!

Balancing:

• The arena tower event reward Elemental Converter now gives +500% damage in a specific damage type, and -100% in all others (was +100%/-25%).
  
• Increased the damage given by all damage-related rewards on level-up.
  
• The passive health regeneration will now be paused for 2 seconds every time your HCU receives damage, preventing potential abuses and making it less overpowered.
  
• Reduced the amount of crates and other objects spawning after every wave by two.

Performance improvements:

• Improved the pooling of audiosources, making sure less of them are staying active if not in use.
  
• Improved the way the VFXs are handled, making sure less of them are staying active if not currently emitting.
  
• Reworked the visuals of the experience points to pick-up, they now look kinda cool while using way less polygons for the GPU to render.
  
• Refactored all of the code events to dramatically reduce the generated garbage (less memory usage, faster CPU clean-up).
  
• Reworked most of the VFXs to reduce their GPU usage, especially by reducing their polygons.

Bugs fixed:

• Fixed (for good this time) an issue where sometimes, enemy robots could spawn out of the arena walls.

Happy robots dismantling!

Hello everyone!
After months of hard work, Souper Game finally has a trailer! You can watch it on the Steam game page. Our testers are currently playing through the new build, so the game demo will be available on Steam very soon.

Hullo! This is the first update related to produce: small fruit and vegetables are organized in trays for convenience but we are considering also including bins or baskets for “in-bulk” products. With this patch the total product amount available rises to 214.

Changelog:
- Implemented 23 new products related to produce: red/green apples, clementines, oranges, pears, lemons, mangoes, avocados, kiwis, papayas, strawberries, cherries, artichokes, zucchinis, carrots, tomatoes, po-ta-toes, onions, bananas, melons, pineapples, pumkins and watermelons.

- Implemented a new furniture piece: the produce shelf A. This will probably be the last furniture piece before reworking the builder menu as it seems cramped right now. More shelves will arrive, as well as a more vertical furniture piece for produce.

- Added four new storage modules to be bought and will probably add soon another row but for the store itself.

- Started to implement several optimization features, there should be in certain cases between +10% and +25% FPS boost in fully upgraded stores with dense furniture or storage. Extra optimization features are planned to be added as adding more features is starting to take its toll on performance.

- Empty boxes can now be bought from the Manager’s blackboard. The image shown in the box will be random.

- Restocking employees will now try to merge leftover box contents with others in storage if they exist.

- Added a new switch in the employee’s blackboard in case players want to interrupt box recycling.

- Slightly displaced store’s end’s wall for better furniture fitting there.

- Modified avoidance radius for employees, this will make them less prone to get stuck with each other but also will make them overlap visually more. Feel free to report if there are still issues with them to further tweak their values.

- Added a visual effect for products checkouting, they will drop themselves inside newly added bags in each checkout. Visual effects and animations will be slowly added.

Hello there, Shopkeepers!
This is the first of many updates, so let's get straight to the details.

What's new?

• Cows: We've added cows to provide a constant source of fresh milk. To get the milk, all you need is an empty bucket.
  
• Beehives: Now you have a steady source of honey and wax. You can find some beehives on the map, but you can also build your own on the farmland using an iron hammer or better.
  
• Tree Planting: You can now plant trees around the shop using a shovel and a tree sapling, which you can buy from NPCs or obtain by chopping trees. Trees will grow in 2-3 days, depending on your luck.
  
• Egg Respawn: Eggs will now respawn in the chickens' nests near Beatrice's Farm.
  
• Sand Extraction: You can now extract sand with your shovel and craft empty bottles using the smelter.

Bugs & Issues

• Fixed a bug that caused Henry to get stuck in certain places; he should now move freely.
  
• Fixed players being able to get stuck in Goubie's camp.
  
• Fixed floating clay near Goubie's camp.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from getting their bucket back after cooking a recipe.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused Henry to sleep excessively, even for a cat!
  
• Fixed a bug where customers ignored certain items due to a calculation issue.
  
• Fixed a bug causing storage chests to transform into storage racks after loading the game.
  
• Fixed an exploit allowing players to unlock skill perks by pressing the unlock button and hovering over another skill rapidly.
  
• Fixed the one-slot planter not returning the seed if the inventory was full.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented the name and action popup from refreshing when changing tools.

Additionally, I'd like to share the first version of the EA Roadmap. I haven't had much time to make it detailed or visually appealing, but it clearly states my intentions with CK. In the coming weeks, I'll polish the Roadmap, add more details, and create a dedicated topic in Discussions to keep you updated.

Today, just like before, I'll be answering questions from our Discord community, specifically focusing on customization. As always, please remember everything you see is a work in progress!

Discord Link

If you want to watch this development log, you can do so here: Youtube Link





In previous dev logs, we covered the campaign and combat systems, but today I want to dive into something that makes Master of Command stand out: customizing and building your own army. From the flags your regiments fly to the colors and facings of your units, you have complete control over your force.


In the spirit of customization, you can also change your division leader in just a few clicks. Want to add a bit of flair? Customize their look to match your army's theme: give your leader a green jacket for a light division or a cuirass breastplate for a cavalry division.



You can even rename divisions! If you're modeling your army on a specific scale, you can name your division a brigade, and its units, battalions. It’s entirely up to you.



We’ve introduced a new feature with easy-to-use sliders for manpower and ammunition. Just click and drag a unit’s HP or ammo bar to redistribute resources. This eliminates the need for extra pop-up menus and lets you quickly manage your army after battle. Players also have the option to auto-refill both if they have a surplus.


Now let’s look at unit customization. Opening the Regimental Color Designer, you can choose an emblem for your regiment. Each nation has historical options and generic ones to choose from.


For example, I could set a Hungarian emblem, select one of Austria’s historical patterns, and use Hungary’s national colors. Or, if I’m feeling creative, I might choose a Papal emblem, set a bicolor pattern, and make the colors gold and white. You can also modify the facing colors to further personalize the unit.



Customization extends to the unit’s inventory slots, where you can assign items won in battle or acquired from shops and encounters. Items range from horses and canteens to specialized ammunition like quartered musket balls, or even unique weapons like glass grenades or jaeger rifles. You can even give your regiment an animal mascot or a beer ration!






For those who prefer historical accuracy, our Regimental Editor lets you recreate historical orders of battle. Using references like Kronoskaf, you can easily replicate famous regiments like Prinz von Preußen. Select the correct patterns, emblems, and facings, and bring your historically accurate regiment to life on the battlefield. The customization extends even further—whatever you design shows up in the game, from the uniforms to the flags on the field.



Whether you’re recreating history or building a custom army, our camp screen grows as your army does. Each time you purchase a new division, the camp evolves. You’ll notice new tents, barrels, and paths being added. In the final version of the game, you’ll even see animations like trees falling and tents being erected as you expand your forces.



Before we wrap up, I want to quickly preview our dynamic music system. We’ve worked with Jacob to create a soundtrack that changes based on what’s happening in the game:

• At camp, you'll hear a single, calm instrument.
• On the march, a violin joins in to make the music fuller, reflecting the journey ahead.
• When danger is near, war drums weave into the track, adding urgency in real time.

To address a question from "Dino Inc" on our Discord, officers will gain experience from combat and earn skills. Some are passive (automatic) while others are active, requiring you to click to use them. For players who like micromanaging, active abilities offer more control, while passive abilities free you up to focus on more strategic elements.



That’s everything for today! Let us know what you think about the customization system in Master of Command. Don’t forget to wishlist and join the Discord if you liked what you saw. Let us know in the comments what part of the game you’d like to see next. Thanks for watching!

Hey! 😎
Spooktober is upon us and I will be streaming Zero Below The Sun at every opportunity I can, starting Friday 11 Oct, 8 PM CEST. That means playing the game all the way through - from the title screen to end credits - in one go. I will start with the Normal difficulty and hopefully get in a playthrough on Hard as well.

I'm aiming for streaming time on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays @ 8 PM CEST.

Obviously there will be spoilers as I will be covering the entire game in one go. If you're struggling to complete the game or just want to watch a no-frills stream without commentary or reactions, be sure to tune in.