Introducing the Core Keeper and Abiotic Factor crossover – a minor content update fuelled by the power of SCIENCE!

Abiotic Factor fans will have noticed the addition of a whole host of Core Keeper content in the Abiotic Factor Dark Energy update, and it looks like the containment breach has finally reached the underground. Head towards the Forgotten Ruins and you might just find a brand-new custom scene filled to the brim with GATE branded items, equipment, and consumables.

Inanimate objects aren’t the only thing that seem to have slipped through the cracks between dimensions. If you’re not careful, you might find yourselves face-to-face with the cybernetically augmented Electro-Pest!

These new enemies might look cute and loaf-shaped, but they’ve got a nasty bite, and their electrical quills are powerful enough to send a shiver down any Explorer’s spine. There might just be a way to use the Electro-Pest’s energy to your advantage...although, you’d probably need to get your hands on one of their eggs if you wanted to turn these pesky pests into beloved pets.

It’s been amazing to collaborate with the folks over at Deep Field Games, and we hope you enjoy the new content in both Core Keeper and Abiotic Factor. We’re off to try and seal this containment breach now! Don’t forget to follow us on X[x.com], Bluesky[bsky.app], and Discord[discord.gg] for more Core Keeper news, information, and updates in the future.

Howdy there, Explorers! We hope you're having a BLAST with our new Bags & Blasts update. While you've been busy getting acquainted with our new Explosives skill tree, hunting down the new Arcane Symbiote egg, and battling giant cicadas, we uncovered a brand-new Notes From the Underground journal entry. It seems our wayward Explorer is turning their hand to science, with a little help from some "borrowed" equipment.

A localised transcript of this journal entry has been provided below the image.


"Call me big-headed, but I’m continuously impressed with the things I manage to cobble together from the resources in this world. Lately, I’ve been turning my hand to science, crafting all kinds of wonders in my new laboratory. Well, I say “new”, more like upcycled…with scientific equipment I found in some sort of abandoned research station.

Who knows what kinds of experiments were being conducted there? It looked like whoever was in charge left in a hurry. I almost passed right by, but I’m so glad I didn’t. As I was filling my bag with what I could salvage, something started snapping at my feet! It scurried away before I could get a proper look at it, but I managed a sketch so I’ll know what to look out for next time. Perhaps this creature can be tamed?

There was something else intriguing that caught my eye at the research station. A mysterious sigil that kept cropping up. Perhaps it is some kind of rune or ancient language? It doesn’t quite match any of the Caveling symbols I’ve spotted on my travels. I’ll see if it shows up again when I head back to grab the last of the equipment tomorrow – there’s a water cooler that I’ve got my eye on!"

It’s time for our very first major content update of 2025, and we’re starting things off with a BANG! That’s right, Core Keeper’s Bags & Blasts update is out now. This free update features a whole host of new content added to the game as well as bug fixes, performance improvements, and quality-of-life updates. Read the full patch notes here!

We’ve added a new “Explosives” skill tree with 8 new skills to the game, and what better way to hone this skill than with the addition of new bomb types? From the powerful Void Bomb (which drags in nearby enemies and then explodes) all the way to the Blunder Bomb (which triggers a series of explosions).

Bombs aren’t the only way to make a bang in the underground though! We’ve added a whole new type of explosive to the game in the form of throwable Grenades with unique effects. Whether you’re looking to stun your enemies, set them on fire, poison them, or even charm them, there’s a grenade for every occasion.

We’ve been keen to revisit Core Keeper’s inventory management system ever since we launched in 1.0, and we’re pleased to report that we’ve made lots of improvements to this feature. First up, we’ve introduced Pouches, an all-new management system that comes in different sizes and rarities. These handy additions allow you to carry items like ores, seeds, fish, and other valuables with you in separate, dedicated spaces, providing new ways to house your items without sacrificing valuable inventory space.

Secondly, we’ve added a handy new hotbar swapping feature, allowing you to choose which inventory row appears in your hotbar at the push of a button (or the click of a shortcut). We know how important organisation can be, which is why we’ve also added a new quick-stack button to the player inventory UI, allowing you to send items to all nearby chests (there’s a shortcut for this too). Oh, and we’ve also introduced a new inventory item-locking feature in case there are any items you’d like to keep exempt from sorting and quick-stacking.

What’s a major content update without a little challenge? Meet Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands – a brand-new boss. You’ll find her deep within the Desert of Beginnings, but be warned! It’s not just Nimruza you’ll need to contend with, but her brood of super-cicadas too. Explorers with keen eyes will have spotted references to Nimruza’s brood across the underground from all the way back to Early Access, and we’re excited to build on this mysterious piece of Core Keeper lore!

With an all-new boss comes a brand-new sub-biome: the Oasis. These pockets of paradise can be found all over The Desert of Beginnings, and are home to hardy Aloe plants and Water Reeds, as well as a new breed of cattle known as the Drohmble! These adorable creatures drop a valuable (but stinky) resource that’s useful for crafting explosives.

We’ve been keeping an eye on community requested features and we know you’re keen for us to build on the Summoner and Mage playstyles. With that in mind, we thought we’d start off with a new multi-purpose weapon known as the Corrupted Meteor Staff, a new offhand item called the Minion Detonator, and a magical new pet known as the Arcane Symbiote…and this is just the beginning! We’ll be building upon Core Keeper’s magic system in future updates too.

One of our favourite parts about major updates is getting to add content across the entirety of the game. Explorers will be able to build and craft from two new workbenches – the Laboratory Table (craftable from the Scarlet Workbench) and the Pouch Workbench (bought from the Bearded Merchant). We’ve also added a new tool type known as the Trowel, which will assist Explorers with seed placement, giving them more control over their crops. You’ll also find two new paintable decorations within your workbenches: Tapestries and Banners!

Core Keeper is growing with every update and we’ve been working on a way to ensure that players can enjoy some of our newer content without having to start new worlds. Keep an eye out for the addition of the Content tab to the World Info menu. This tab gives players the option to overwrite previously explored areas to add new content from various updates (such as boss dungeons) to their existing worlds. Using this feature means that players won’t always have to start afresh to enjoy features that are usually tied to world-generation. Please note that this new feature does not apply to Classic worlds.

You’ll spot all kinds of new additions as you explore, including new achievements, over 25 new pieces of equipment, enemies, and more. We could keep going, but this Steam post would just get longer and longer! For a full look at everything we’ve added in Bags & Blasts, check out the patch notes here.

We hope you have fun getting to grips with all of Core Keeper’s new additions, Explorers! Keep an eye out for more hints at what’s to come from our Notes From the Underground series, and don’t forget to let us know what you think about this update over on official Core Keeper X[www.x.com], BlueSky[bsky.app], and Discord[www.discord.com].

• New boss: Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands. Found in The Desert of Beginnings biome.
  
• New cicada enemies added in Azeos Wilderness and in Nimruza's dungeon.
  
• New enemy variation of the Bomb Scarab. Found in Nimruza’s dungeon.
  
• New sub-biome: Oasis. Found in The Desert of Beginnings biome.
  
• New cattle: Drohmble.
  
• Drohmbles roam in the Oasis and eat crops to produce Blasting Dung.
  
• A total of over 35 new pieces of equipment, including armor, accessories, and weapons.
  
• Added 4 new bombs:
  
• Mouse Bomb;
  
• Blunder Bomb;
  
• Proximity Bomb;
  
• Void Bomb.
  
• Added new types of explosive throwable consumables: “Grenades”.
  
• Grenade;
  
• Stun Grenade;
  
• Fire Grenade;
  
• Poison Grenade;
  
• Charm Grenade.
  
• Added an “Explosives” skill tree with 8 new skills.
  
• New inventory-management feature that can come in different sizes: Pouches.
  
• Ore and Block Pouch;
  
• Seed and Crop Pouch;
  
• Fish Pouch;
  
• Valuable Pouch.
  
• Mage & Warlock playstyles have been expanded with new features as part of our ongoing improvements, with more to come in future updates.
  
• New pet: Arcane Symbiote.
  
• New multi-purpose weapon: Corrupted Meteor Staff
  
• New offhand: Minion Detonator
  
• Minions have been made more aggressive: they will now actively pursue and attack enemies.
  
• New armor sets
  
• Desert Guardian armor set
  
• Lily Pad armor set
  
• Blast armor set
  
• Tassel armor set
  
• New seed placement tool: Garden Trowel.
  
• Added a Content tab to the World Info menu. In this menu, players can opt-in to add new content to their existing worlds created in 1.0 or later, even if doing so may overwrite already explored areas in these worlds. This can, for example, include new boss dungeons that appear in existing biomes. Worlds that don’t opt-in will not see any changes to already explored areas, but might miss out on some of the new content.
  
• New hotbar swapping feature. The hotbar can be swapped to other rows in the inventory by clicking the new arrows to the left of the hotbar or using the shortcuts.
  
• Quick stack to nearby chests has been added as a button to the player’s inventory UI. A shortcut can be used to quick stack items to all nearby chests while the UI is closed too.
  
• New inventory item locking feature. Items in the player’s inventory can be locked using the new lock button in the player inventory UI. Locking an item will block it from being sorted and quick stacked.
  
• New Workbenches:
  
• Laboratory Table. Craftable in the Scarlet Workbench.
  
• Pouch Workbench. Bought from the Bearded Merchant.
  
• New biome-specific explosive wall variations.
  
• 2 new paintable decorations:
  
• Tapestry
  
• Banner
  
• 5 new achievements.
  
• Floracadas are less aggressive towards players until they have been damaged.
  
• It is now possible to break, pick up and place Cicada Burrows.
  "
• Minion Detonator’s description is now rewritten to reflect how it actually works, by avoiding the word explosion to not confuse it with explosion-type damage.

• Added support for in-game Asian language input.
  
• Reworked the World Info menu to use a tabbed layout instead of having world generation parameters as a separate popup menu. The Create World menu also uses a similar layout.
  
• Added in-game hints to new characters if they haven’t completed basic tasks like crafting a torch within a few minutes of starting the game. The hints are automatically skipped if the player completes them before they are prompted, or if they reach certain milestones like defeating the first boss. They can also be disabled in the Gameplay settings.
  
• Lowered visual rarity of secondary scanners.
  
• Added a fallback “missing” icon when an inventory slot contains an invalid item, for example due to a bug or from uninstalling a mod. Previously, the slot would appear empty but still behave like it contained an item.
  
• Dedicated server files now include an ARGUMENTS.txt file which describes the available command line arguments in more detail.
  
• Added a -hashedworldseed flag to allow dedicated servers to set the hashed seed directly instead of using a string seed that is then hashed.
  
• When a dedicated server generates a random seed, it now first generates a random-seed string, which is then hashed, instead of generating the hashed seed directly. This means dedicated server seeds now behave identically to the regular game client.
  
• Added scroll bars to scrollable pages in the main menu.
  
• All settings menus now automatically become scrollable if they contain too many options to fit in the available space.
  
• The mouse scroll wheel can no longer be used to cycle through values in option menus, since this interacted with scrolling menus in unintuitive ways.
  
• Restored the frame surrounding chat messages, which was unintentionally removed in 1.0.1.
  
• Fixed a few text and translation issues.

• Updated loot sprites for some backpacks with newer graphics.
  
• The Geode Wall Display now correctly uses its unpainted look when placed, instead of the purple variant.
  
• Updated certain buttons in the inventory to make them more distinct.

• Lowered the volume of the ambient sound effects of the Seasonal Merchant and the Rift Statue.

• Lowered the price of slime boss scanners.
  
• Slightly increased the loot drop for Nilipedes and Clay Burrowers.

• Worlds are now compressed using Brotli instead of Gzip, which is significantly faster. The .gzip file extension is still used to avoid cloud sync issues.
  
• The list of available converter types is now computed when the game boots and reused, instead of being recomputed every time a world is loaded.
  
• The Join Game UI is now more responsive while preparing to establish the connection.
  
• Fixed a rare lag spike caused by the world autosave sometimes being forced to run on the main thread on low performance machines.
  
• Removed several cases where the main thread would wait for worker threads to finish the tile map update.
  
• Ranged weapon projectiles can now cause damage to Snare Plants.

• Terrariums no longer visually swap contained critters when they come into view.
  
• Fixed a frequently reported issue where mobs (most notably cattle) were loaded before non-moving objects, meaning they could escape from enclosures.
  
• Added xterm as an alternative to gnome-terminal in the dedicated server launch script for Linux. This fixes an issue where the dedicated server would fail to launch when using the Steam Linux Runtime.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused inconsistent spacing between objects when placing them while moving.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused mobs spawned during boss fights to incorrectly drop loot even though they were not supposed to.
  
• Fixed several custom scenes which contained invisible Abyss Trees.
  
• The ingredient filter in the Cooking Pot’s cookbook is no longer limited to 40 ingredients.
  
• The clickable area for ingredient filters in the Cooking Pot is now better aligned with the visible part of the icons.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused Azeos' Easter variant color to unintentionally be carried over to regular Azeos.
  
• Added visible condition effects for Crystal Snails.
  
• Pets and minions now correctly target the Hydra's ice crystals.
  
• Dropped items no longer combine with other items being picked up by different players.
  
• Fixed an issue with bouncing projectiles colliding with wall corners, which would cause them to pass through the walls.
  
• Bouncing projectiles now correctly bounce in PVP.
  
• Piercing projectiles now correctly pierce in PVP.
  
• The Hunger bar should no longer be displayed as empty when the Mana bar toggles on.
  
• The damage text popup should now more correctly show damage after absorption.
  
• The amount of ores dropped from the Crystal Snail is now more accurate to their lost health.
  
• Bomb tick sounds should no longer be played once the bomb is destroyed.
  
• Paint Brushes no longer attempt to paint objects with the same color.
  
• Fixed an issue with the player's sprite that happened when using a shield while holding another shield of the same type.
  
• Fixed general misprediction issues for enemy attacks such as charging, that caused multiple damage numbers to appear.
  
• When placing objects, the chosen rotation should now be saved when swapping items.
  
• Fixed issue that locked a player’s movement when toggling guest mode for a user playing with a controller and holding an item.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the incorrect text to be shown when the player spoke to the Core during a specific interaction.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the Wooden Spike Traps to not show their spikes.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused Stone Fence Gates to incorrectly be placed in certain scenes instead of Wood Fence Gates. This will only affect newly generated scenes.
  
• Fixed an issue that caused watered Grass ground to be shown in the map as a different color than the normal Grass ground.
  
• Fishing is now interrupted when removing or swapping baits in the Off-hand slot.
  
• Previously, removing or swapping the bait at the final moments when fishing could cause the bait to not be consumed or non-bait offhand items to be consumed instead. The result of said action now is that no rewards are provided, and the bait isn't consumed.
  
  • Fixed an issue with Ghorm’s targeting logic that caused it to very often fail at charging towards the player while fighting it.
    
  • All minions should now be able to attack and move on water.
    
  • The attack range calculation for ranged minions and enemies is now similar to how the chasing stop distance and melee attack distance are determined. This means they now consider a combat radius, allowing them to attack from greater distances.
    
  • Minions and pets no longer need to have line of sight to a target in order to chase an enemy that is engaged in combat with a player.
    
  • Strolly Polies and Kelples no longer display walking animation while not moving.
    
  • The sparkle particles highlighting the inventory icon no longer appear while in the pause menu.
    
  • Fixed issues with the physics collisions for Lava Rocks. 
    
  • When changing the area of effect of a tool (such as shovels), the chosen size should now be saved when swapping to another slot. 

Explorers, get ready to dig into some brand new Core Keeper content! We’re very happy to announce that Core Keeper: Bags & Blasts, the first big update for the game since launch, will be available on all platforms on March 10th 2025. This is a major new content update that will be available to download to all Core Keeper players, so get ready to uncover lots of exciting new additions throughout the game, whether you’re just starting your underground adventure or you’re well on your way to powering up the Core.

Move over Ra-Akar, there’s a new insect in the desert, and she makes for a royal challenge! Introducing Nimruza, Queen of the Burrowed Sands – a super cicada emanating a dark and malevolent energy. Nimruza can be found within The Desert of Beginnings and brings an exciting new boss fight to Core Keeper. If you’ve been keeping up with our Notes From the Underground series, you’ll have spotted references to Nimruza and her brood’s complicated history with the Cavelings. Can you do what they could not and defeat this royal family once and for all?

Picture this: you’ve been wandering The Desert of Beginnings for what feels like forever when, suddenly, you come across what looks like a veritable paradise. Fear not, Explorer, this is no mirage, it’s our new Oasis Sub-Biome! This warm and welcoming desert sanctuary features all-new flora, in the form of Aloe plants and Water Reeds, as well as a new species of cattle that produces a handy (albeit, smelly) resource!

There are a lot of treasures and trinkets to find in Core Keeper, but an abundance of items can often mean a full inventory, and this is something we’ve been keen to revisit for our first major update. There have been plenty of community suggestions and requests for an updated inventory management system, and we’ve thought long and hard about how best to implement this. The solution? Pouches! These handy add-ons allow you to carry items like ores, seeds, fish, and valuables with you in separate, dedicated spaces, providing new ways to organise your items without sacrificing valuable inventory space.

There’s no prizes for guessing what’s coming based on the “Blasts” portion of the update title, but give yourself a pat on the back anyway if you correctly guessed that we’ll be adding more bombs to the game! We’ve had lots of fun coming up with unique ways for each of our new bombs to interact with the world, but the fun doesn’t stop there. We’re also bringing a whole new set of explosives to the game in the form of throwable grenades, each with their own individual effects. Oh, and you can expect a brand-new “Explosives” skill tree to master alongside these new additions.

It wouldn’t be a major content update without a whole host of new equipment. We’ve added all sorts of new and exciting loot for you to find, including tools, armour sets, weapons, off-hand items, and workbenches. From Garden Trowels, to help with seed placement, all the way to the scientific Laboratory Table, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into.

That’s right, the new boss, sub-biome, pouches, explosives, and equipment are just the tip of the iceberg! Bags & Blasts is a major update, which means it’s just bursting with new additions. From even more inventory management features (quick-stack to nearby chests, anyone?) all the way to new decorations, enemies, and more. You’ll find new content across the entirety of the game, with plenty of community requested features – including more content for the Mage & Summoner classes – and lots of fun surprises along the way.

We can’t wait to hear what you think of the Bags & Blasts Update when it launches on March 10th. In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye out for more insights and info about the new update over on the official Core Keeper X[www.x.com], BlueSky[bsky.app], and Discord[www.discord.com] accounts!