Space Engineers 2 News

Space Engineers 2: Updated Roadmap, Dev Diary

I want to share with you exactly what will be included in the VS2 update for Space Engineers 2. This milestone, VS2: Planets and Survival Foundations, introduces the first full implementation of planets and lays down the core systems for survival, colonization, and progression.

I’ve seen how positively you’ve been reacting to these dev diaries, and it really means a lot. We’re trying to stay as open and honest as possible about how Space Engineers 2 is being built – what’s done, what’s still changing, and what’s coming next.

Let’s take a closer look at the main features coming with this update.

[h3]VS2 Features & What’s Next[/h3]
Here is the list of all main VS2 features:

Almagest Star System
- A fully traversable star system with planets and asteroid fields. At its center lies Delfos, while beyond its borders shines Almagest - the system’s main star and source of light.
- Brown Dwarf Delfos
- Planet Verdure
- Planet Kemik
Planetary Features
- Flora, overhangs, caves
- Destructible trees and rocks
- Volumetric Clouds
- Multiple different biomes
- Voxel Decals
- Natural Wonders
- Dynamic Voxel Hardness (different behavior while crashing into snow/sand vs rock)
Colonization
- Star System & First 2 playable Sectors
- Colonization Progression
- Storyline Introduction (intro cutscene, voice-over during the onboarding phase - Miro and Ivan)
- Base Contract Systems
- Interactive Star System Map
- Fast Travel (Station Points)
- Basis for GPS system (without custom GPS points for now)
- Basis for Safe Zone System (non-placable for now)
Survival Mode
- Backpack Building (crafting Simple Components from natural resources)
- Projection Building
  - Modular Blueprint Building
  - Mirroring
  - Copy/Paste
  - Undo/Redo
- Basic Production Systems, Manufacturing
- Grid Power System & Swappable Batteries
- Block Construction Stages
- Consumables (Hydrogen, Energy, Health)
- Jetpack H2 usage for Boost, Energy for non-boost movement
- HUD Additions & Changes
- New UI Screens (initial implementation of Production Screen, Grid & Player Inventory Screen, Respawn Screen)
- G-screen Improvements
- Ore Detection (Drill + Ore Detector blocks)
Random Encounters (non-dynamic, non-AI, non-NPC for now)
Optimizations
- Rendering Improvements
- Destruction LODs & Performance Improvements
Tons of new Animations added (welding, grinding, drilling, character movement, and more!)
Inverse Kinematics
New Particle Effects
New In-game and UI sounds

Hand Tools

Welders Tier 1-4
Grinders Tier 1-4
Drills Tier 1-4

New Blocks

Survival Kit
Fabricator
Gearforge
Smelter
Batteries
Contract Block
Atmospheric Thrusters
Hydrogen Tanks
Largest Hydrogen Thruster
Large Drill
Barrel (non-connected cargo container)

Blocks with added functionality

Added Inventories to all blocks (Crates, Lockers, Cargo Containers)
Reactor
Medical Bay
Ore Detector
Solar Panels
Connector - limited functionality, ejector/connector functionality planned
Conveyor System
Large O2/H2 Generator (Just H2)
Small O2/H2 Generator (Just H2)
Antenna
Animation added to existing blocks (assembler, refinery)

Q: Wait, wait, wait – where is feature/block “X” (Wheels, Weapons, Mechanical Blocks, Oxygen & Airtightness etc.)? A: I would love to have them in VS2 too! Some features need more time and testing to reach the quality we aim for. You can check our updated roadmap for an overview of what’s coming next and when you can expect your favorite features to arrive.

[h3]What’s Next After VS2?[/h3]
You can expect regular expansions of Contracts and new Sectors through smaller updates after VS2 release, following the same steady approach as our previous block update releases (but probably not on a weekly basis).

The next large milestone will be VS2.2: Survival Extensions, which focuses on expanding the survival and colonization experience. This update will bring mechanical blocks & subgrids, functional block tools, weapons, area welding, block wrappers, the Delfos killing field, full GPS System, new contract types, and much more. Since these features build directly on the systems introduced in VS2, we’ll be able to deliver them at a bit faster pace.

After that comes VS3: Water. Planetary-scale volumetric water, along with all the water gameplay systems and blocks. This update will also add a new water planet, Byblos, to the Almagest system.

Following closely will be VS4: NPCs + Cooperative Multiplayer, adding 4-player gameplay and the first iteration of interactive non-player characters. VS5: Full Multiplayer will complete the foundation for large-scale multiplayer sessions.

Two development teams will be working in parallel on VS3 and VS4, so the final release order may depend on which reaches completion first. Either way, we’re pushing forward on all fronts to bring you new features and deeper gameplay as quickly as possible!

Many of the features and improvements planned for the future have been requested and shaped by the suggestions and ideas shared through our Support Portal. Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and we appreciate every suggestion you submit.

[h3]VS2 Last Touches[/h3]
We’re getting very close to the VS2 release, and right now my main focus is finishing the remaining tasks - bugs, polish, small fixes, everything that needs to be done before we can call it stable.

On Wednesday (yesterday), we had around 185 open tickets, but as you can see from this chart, we’re closing about 50 per day. That’s possible thanks to our large team of roughly 70 people, where work can be nicely parallelized.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
The art team managed to squeeze in even more snow and mountain biome improvements for this update. Verdure will have much nicer snowy mountains now and I love that!

Verdure will also feature caves - including stalactites!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

When playing on a planet at night, I realized we actually need more darkness. The SE2 skybox is magnificent, but the night still looked a bit too bright and almost comics-like.

We’re now tuning the lighting and atmosphere to make nights feel deeper and more realistic - so that when you turn on your suit light, it really matters.

[h3]Art Team Spotlight[/h3]
Do you want to see “how the sausage is made”? Or to be specific - how one of our characters is made? 🙂

Alice is refining the character and adding extra details to the high poly version, while listening to the Space Engineers 2 soundtrack by Karel Antonin 🎶

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Full Dev Diary: https://blog.marekrosa.org/2025/11/mareks-dev-diary-november-13-2025/

Question to you: What do you think about the updated Space Engineers 2 Roadmap? Anything you’re most excited for?

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Space Engineers 2: Voxel Density, VS2 Flora

Up next on our roadmap is Vertical Slice 2, introducing two brand-new planets to explore - Verdure and Kemik. It also lays the foundations for the future Space Engineers 2 survival experience, featuring the first draft of colonization and mission systems.

Join our Technical Director, Jan Hlousek, as he reveals how we’re pushing the boundaries of realism and immersion in Space Engineers 2. From dynamic terrain hardness that affects how your ship lands or crashes, to fully destructible trees and rocks that react naturally to impacts, this deep-dive offers a look into the evolving technology behind our worlds.

Get a glimpse at our latest improvements in flora generation, lighting, and planetary rendering - and hear how all of this connects to future updates, including the long-awaited arrival of water.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/563639088757868011 https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/547875215768553488 https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/571520295825834023

Space Engineers 2 Dev Diary: November 6, 2025

We’re getting very close to the VS2 release, and right now my main focus is finishing the remaining tasks – bugs, polish, small fixes, everything that needs to be done before we can call it stable.

On Wednesday (yesterday), we had around 360 open tickets, but as you can see from this chart, we’re closing about 50 per day. That’s possible thanks to our large team of roughly 70 people, where work can be nicely parallelized.

Another big priority is testing – finding and fixing bugs as fast as possible. We’re also doing playtesting – going through the FTUE, contracts, encounters, and meta loop, to see if it’s actually fun.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
VS2 is “just” the introduction of survival, so it covers only the basics. I think it already feels fun in parts, but the real fun will come in future updates – when we add NPCs, more engineering mechanics, challenges, objectives, combat, and exploration.

We have first working subgrids in VS2 – doors!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
VS2 will include a small but very handy feature - your suit light can turn on automatically in dark areas (it works the same way as auto light in your car; and you can set it to: always on, always off, automatic on). It’s a simple quality of life improvement that makes caves, night missions, and shadowed interiors much easier to explore.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Sound design is nearly complete. The last step is to fine-tune the audio mix for the FTUE voice-over, so the dialogue between Miro (the player) and Ivan can be clearly heard even when music or other sounds are playing.

We also spent time polishing the UI, animations, and visual effects, making the whole experience as smooth and immersive as possible. But keep in mind – this is still only VS2, and a future polishing milestone will take it even further.

Just to recap, VS2 is about adding planets and introducing the foundations of survival – backpack building, projection building, colonization progression, contracts, and encounters.

It’s still an alpha, but it’s already starting to feel like the game I’ve always wanted Space Engineers 2 to be.

Question to you: How do you usually play Space Engineers – with full sound and music, just sound effects, or completely silent?

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Space Engineers 2: Designing Colonization

Our colleague Gerd Fankhaenel, Space Engineers 2 Design Lead, shares new details about the upcoming Colonization feature:

The VS2 Update will introduce the base colonization systems and the first Almagest sectors (with more to come later!)
Players will begin their journey as early explorers, completing engineering contracts to repair and build structures that form the foundation for future settlers
In these early stages of development, players can use a fast travel network of “jump lanes” between space stations to move quickly through the Almagest system - but you can also fly freely anywhere without any loading screens
A new map will track colonization progress, display resource distribution, and feature a fog of war to encourage exploration and discovery

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/571520295825834023 https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/547875215768553486 https://steamcommunity.com/games/1133870/announcements/detail/547875215768553599

Space Engineers 2 Dev Diary: October 30, 2025

[h3]VS2 – Planets & Survival Foundations[/h3]
One of the small but important things we’re working on is improving how the game communicates with you. For example, we’re adding an onscreen indication of what you mined or grinded - and the exact amounts.

It’s a simple change, but it makes a big difference. The idea is the same as with the Unlock screens I showed in the last dev diary – moments that announce your progression and milestones. These kinds of cues help make the world feel more responsive.

We’re continuing to apply this lesson across the board – better communication from game systems towards the player. The goal is to make sure the game always lets you know what’s happening, without you having to guess or check logs and inventory screens.

VS2 will also introduce the base systems for random encounters. At first, these will be non-dynamic and non-AI – simple handcrafted damaged ships, smaller stations and points of interest to bring more life to the world.

This is just the base of the whole future encounter system. You can expect broader themes, combat scenarios, and truly dynamic NPC encounters in updates down the road. Step by step, we’re moving toward a universe that feels less static and more reactive – where every playthrough can surprise you.

You can see some of our first experiments with random encounter systems here. These screenshots show our encounter templates – handcrafted prefabs that the game will later insert into the world, on planets, or among asteroids.

So if you notice a patch of grass floating in space – don’t worry, it’s part of the template testing process, not a new type of cosmic meadow.

Lately, I’ve been finishing the voice-over work for the VS2 Survival intro cutscene and the FTUE (First Time User Experience). Both feature a dialogue between Miro (the player) and Ivan, and sometimes Miro as the narrator. I really enjoy this process – giving personality and emotional tone to the story that frames the gameplay.

For VS2, the voice lines introduce players to the world of Almagest and set up the relationship between the two brothers. In future vertical slices, we’ll expand this further as new mechanics are added – wheels, water, NPCs, and more – adapting the narrative as the universe grows.

Examples from intro cutscene (before the Survival starts) – !!! SPOILER ALERT !!!

Example from Survival / FTUE:

Speaking of cutscenes – our Art Lead Natiq is running motion capture experiments for our character animations and cutscenes. These are early tests, but they already make a huge difference in our workflow and how fast we can create all the needed animations.

Here you can see examples of entering and exiting the Cryo Pod – captured with full body motion to make every movement smoother, more natural.

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[h3]After VS2[/h3]
Me and the teams are already planning our releases after VS2. We will share an updated roadmap together with the VS2 release.

[h3]VS3 – Water[/h3]
We’re testing proper water propellers inside the game - and they work now! Still without any fine-tuning, but it’s exciting to see ships actually moving through water for the first time without any “cheated” thrusters.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Question to you: Where’s your sweet spot before in-game notifications stop helping and start feeling like noise?

Full Blog Post: https://blog.marekrosa.org/2025/10/mareks-dev-diary-october-30-2025/

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