Silica News

From December 19th to January 2nd, Silica is 20% off on Steam! 🕹️ If you’ve been waiting to jump into the action, now’s the perfect moment.

Why? Because Update 0.8.115 just dropped, bringing a brand-new map and a slew of exciting improvements! 🌌 Get ready to test your skills on the icy plains of Polaris Outpost, the latest battlefield on Baltarus.



There’s nothing hotter than the heat of battle, so gear up and dive in before the sale ends. Don’t let this epic deal pass you by!

Wishing you an incredible end to the year—see you on the frozen frontlines! ❄️⚔️

Hello everyone!
The last major update of the year is finally here and brings a lot of exciting changes to the game.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]New map: Polaris Outpost.[/h2]
One of the key additions is the brand-new map: Polaris Outpost!
 
Located at the extreme north pole of Baltarus, this map is drastically different from the hot and arid climate, usually iconic from the planet.
[expand][/expand]
However, this new map is not the only new addition coming with this update.

[h2]Crimson Peak now available in siege mode:[/h2]
The siege mode added in November is now playable on Crimson Peak our latest battlefield added to the game.

Beware soldiers, as this time you will be able to defend the base against relentless hordes of Aliens under the dark grim sky of the Centauri Homeworld!

Do you have what it takes to triumph?
[expand] [/expand]
[h2]Respawn selection in Strategy mode:[/h2]
Lastly, respawn selection has been added to the Strategy game mode, allowing you to target more accurately your key objectives.

The life of a soldier has never been so cheap in the eyes of the commanders, so get ready to go back to the meat grinder in the bat of an eye!

[h2]Full patchnote:[/h2]
You can find the detailed patch note of this update below:

Gameplay:

• Added: Sandbox game mode (one player is the game master, the other play the scenario out)
  
• Added: Polaris Outpost map
  
• Added: Strategy game mode respawn selection
  
• Added: Siege mode to Crimson Peak
  
• Changed: Hover Bike spawn now has 1 minute timeout
  

AI:

• Improved: AI aim offset based on skill now smoother
  
• Improved: Harvester docking algorithm, preventing stuck harvesters
  
• Fixed: Harvester stuck on the spot mining when the harvesting point was around 120deg to its side
  
• Fixed: Harvester endlessly looping around a harvesting point when it was within its turning circle
  
• Fixed: Harvester sometimes did not reach desired resource position when close by and was stuck on the spot
  
• Fixed: Vehicles that are flipped and AI controlled wait to be unflipped
  

UI:

• Added: Personal resources displayed in purchase menus
  
• Added: Siege mode displays expected resources (income minus existing unit costs)
  

Technical:

• Fixed: Camera console command to copy camera coordinates works with all keyboard layouts
  
• Fixed: Small memory leak when wheeled vehicles checked if they were not driving off the navigation mesh navigation mesh
  

Multiplayer:

• Added: Server chat message when a player enters/leaves commander role in Strategy
  
• Added: 30s countdown for AI taking command after a player leaves commander role in Strategy
  
• Fixed: Player-controlled vehicle turrets with target-leading aimed incorrectly on server/clients
  

[h2]What’s coming next?![/h2]
Unfortunately, the AI collision rework was not fully completed to be implemented in this update, but we hope to release it at the beginning of next year.
The point of this rework is to avoid vehicles (yes, Harvester, we are talking about you) colliding and getting stuck.

This change should greatly improve the gameplay experience and make the players’ experience smoother.

Yet again, thank you for your patience regarding the AI. We are looking forward to having it nice and perfected by the end of January/February 2025.
Your feedback is always appreciated and welcomed, so feel to jump on our discord, to interact with our team and make sure to not miss any major beats.



Or on our other social media channels:

Finally, on behalf of Silica’s entire team,

We would like to wish you all a very wonderful end of the year, your support has been amazing all year long and we cannot wait to share more experiences with you for the upcoming year. Thanks for being part of this journey with us.
All the best,

See you on icy plains of Polaris Outpost!

Nominate Silica for the Labor of Love category!



This category celebrates games that are still evolving through regular updates and fresh content. Our dedicated team is committed to refining and expanding Silica during its pre-release phase and beyond.
To cast your vote, click here: Steam Awards Nominations.

Don't wait—nominations close on December 4th at 10 AM Pacific Time!

Since Silica’s early release in May 2023, we’ve rolled out several updates, including air units, new game modes, maps, and biomes . Looking ahead to 2025, you can expect even more updates and exciting new content.

We don’t want to spoil the surprises just yet, so be sure to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with all our announcements.

Every vote makes a difference—thank you for your support!

Greetings, Sol and Centauri soldiers!
Back in mid-October, we gave you an exclusive sneak peek at Crimson Peak in our first devblog. Now, the wait is officially over—the highly anticipated new map is live and ready for action!
Breaking away from the arid, sprawling sand plains of Baltarus, Crimson Peak introduces a stunning new biome. Picture a battlefield with sparse vegetation, partially covering the landscape, all bathed in a haunting crimson glow.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Nestled within the Southern Tablelands, this top-secret balterium seeding site on the Centauri homeworld has become the epicenter of ferocious clashes for control over the precious resources. Get ready to fight tooth and nail for dominance in this breathtaking new frontline.



But that’s not all! This update packs even more changes and enhancements. Check out the full patch notes below for all the details.

[h3]Gameplay:[/h3]
• Added: Crimson Peak

[h3]AI:[/h3]
• Fixed: AI better aims at targets (eg: Scorpion misses)

[h3]UI:[/h3]
• Added: Winner notification at the end of Siege
• Added: Upcoming resources shown in UI for Siege
• Changed: Objectives are now in yellow - both in map & in the list for Siege
• Improved: Siege virtual building icons

[h3]Sound:[/h3]
• Changed: Fighter MG sound

[h3]Technical:[/h3]
• Fixed: Nulls in Siege
• Fixed: Non-unlocking side spawn points in Siege
• Fixed: Projectiles continued to make sounds and were visible after 'deletion'
• Fixed: Projectile delete FX played wrong
• Fixed: Dragonfly could sometimes shoot itself
• Fixed: Hit detection on aliens and infantry used the wrong hit zone size causing strange misses
• Fixed: Player aiming at unit detected a phantom sphere around the unit causing turrets to look away close-up

[h3]Multiplayer:[/h3]
• Fixed: Sneaky spots behind Heavy vehicle factory in Siege
• Fixed: Holes in Rift Basin map 

[h3]Controls:[/h3]
• Fixed: Free-fly camera could not latch onto individual hit zones on aliens and infantry.

[h3]Balance:[/h3]
• Added: Hover Bike switches off when out of bounds (in defender or attacker zones)
• Added: Air vehicle turbo thrust engage time and cooldown time
• Added: Air vehicle may not fire weapons while turbo thrusting
• Added: Gunship MG aim compensation
• Added: Gunship turbo thrust engage/cooldown times to 1s/2s
• Added: Fighter turbo thrust engage/cooldown times to 0.5s/2s
• Added: Air vehicle turbo thrust limited by time
• Added: Air vehicles cannot fire while turbo thrusting
• Added: Turbo thrust to Bomber
• Changed: Fighter MG range from 600m to 250m
• Changed: Fighter MG magazine size from 40 to 30
• Changed: Fighter missiles replaced with unguided dive bomb
• Changed: Fighter front MG changed to two side-mounted MGs
• Changed: Colossus speed changed from 12 to 14
• Changed: Firebug manoeuvrability increased
• Changed: Wasp attacks turn to face target
• Changed: Bomber bomb drop rate doubled, reload time halved
• Changed: Bomber speed from 30 to 35
• Changed: Fighter levels out if not moving forward
• Changed: Gunship speed from 25 to 30
• Changed: Gunship turbo speed from 40 to 50
• Changed: Scorpion health from 12000 to 9000
• Changed: Scorpion shot damage from 500 to 400
• Changed: Quantum Cortex health from 10000 to 50000
• Changed: Thorn Spire shot damage from 100 to 300
• Changed: Defiler swarm damage from 1200 to 800
• Changed: Defiler move speed from 12 to 20
• Changed: Removed Goliath underbelly weak point
• Changed: Increased max targeting distances of units




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Hey everyone,

The past few weeks have been packed with thrilling announcements and updates for Silica. To help you keep track of everything, here's a quick recap of what’s been happening:



From November 11th to 18th, we ran an exciting Gleam campaign, giving fans a chance to win a Silica digital key by engaging with our social media platforms.

The results are in! 🎉 Five lucky winners have been chosen. Check your email—if you're among them, your prize is waiting for you!
For those who didn’t snag a win this time, don’t worry, more events are just around the corner, so you’ll have plenty of chances to participate in future giveaways.





We’re constantly blown away by the amazing support from our community. Whether you're battling it out on the Baltarus battlefields or creating hilarious memes and stunning art, you’re the heart of Silica. Thank you for keeping the game alive and thriving!

Here are some of the standout contributions from our talented community:



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While the winners of our recent Screenshot Contest have already been announced on social media (and received their well-deserved prizes), we couldn’t resist giving them another shoutout here. Your work was absolutely incredible and deserves the spotlight!

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Stay tuned for more contests, community events, and updates coming your way.

Thanks for being part of the Silica journey—your creativity and passion make this game extraordinary. Keep playing, keep sharing, and we’ll see you on Baltarus! 🚀