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Survival Machine News

Discover the Alpine Biome!

[h2]Hi Survivors, [/h2][p]I’m Dawid, and I’m a level designer at Survival Machine. Before I get to the point, let me say a few words about myself. I studied Computer Science in Wrocław where I also began my journey in game development. Besides creating games, I’m passionate about football and major events like the Euro and the World Cup. My second passion is cars — I absolutely love sports cars! On warm days, I enjoy going on bike trips, and in the evenings, I often spend time playing with my chinchilla, Nela. [/p][p]Today, I’d like to take you on a short trip to the snowy mountains and show you a bit of the world we’re preparing for you.[/p][p][/p][p]As you already know from Berdol's previous posts and our roadmap, we’re working hard on the next biome — the inaccessible and freezing Alpine. There’s still quite a bit of creative work ahead of us, but I’d already like to share the first results of what we’ve done so far.[/p][h3]What will Alpine be like?[/h3][p][/p][p]Life in the mountainous Alpine was not easy. Harsh weather and steep cliffs posed significant challenges for the local community involved in logging. And not just any wood, but the enormous sequoias that, thanks to the unique microclimate, grow in the alpine valleys. It was here that mountain streams would merge into a river, and the wood was then floated down to the nearby port, where cargo ships awaited loading. Unfortunately, one of these ships was in the port when a rockslide completely blocked the shipping channel, cutting the ship off from the open sea, trapping it there forever.[/p][p][/p][p]Alpine will be quite different from Frontier, which you’re already very familiar with. While Frontier offers open spaces that are relatively easy to travel through, in Alpine, you’ll need to prepare for a lot more challenges. Canyons, valleys, towering peaks, and hidden caves won’t just treat you to stunning scenery — they’ll also be perfect places fo me to conceal secrets and stash loot crates. I encourage you to dive deep into our winter world, where exploration brings not only excitement and spectacular views, but also meaningful rewards for your dedication.[/p][p][/p][p]I’ve seen a lot of positive feedback about our PoIs, and when designing new puzzles and challenges for the Alpine Biome, I’d like to expand on the ideas from Frontier that you enjoyed the most.[/p][p]In the Alpine Biome, we want to challenge our Survivors. So, I’m preparing plenty of climbing and parkour elements for you. So far, in Frontier, you've mostly moved horizontally, but the Alpine biome will add vertical elements to the mix. What does that mean for you? Paragliding and zip lines scattered across the world will become your best friends when exploring this biome.[/p][p][/p][p]But! We won’t be relying solely on platforming elements; I’m also preparing various kinds of puzzles for you. Like the ones you'll encounter at our first roadblock, the bridge. [/p][h3]Frozen bridge [/h3][p][/p][p]The heavy drawbridge is one of the most important infrastructure elements in the Alpine biome. It allowed massive machines to cross over the river, which served as a transport corridor for the floating timber. Today, after the apocalypse, its mechanisms are neglected and frozen. The Survivors' task will be to unlock the bridge mechanisms and enable our Machine to continue its journey. [/p][p][/p][p]To do this, you’ll need to activate special lights that were once used to thaw the bridge’s mechanisms. For the lights to work, they need to be powered. Unfortunately, the nearby power plant has long since stopped working, the passage to it is blocked, and the local power relays are damaged. [/p][p]I can assure you, it won’t be easy. I’m preparing several small challenges related to this roadblock for you. You’ll need dynamite and a sharp eye, but we’ll also test your memory with a code-entry challenge. But I’m giving away too much already — wait for the final result!

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

Hotfix 0.2.2

Hi Survivors!
[p]A very small patch today for you, we have 2 small improvements for the game:[/p]
  • [p]Factory*** POI has now been fixed and there shouldn't be a possibility to block progress.[/p]
  • [p]The game will display a warning in Russian about potential connectivity issues caused by local changes, but unfortunately, beyond our control. We sincerely apologize.[/p]
[p]That's it for today![/p][p]Kuba[/p]

Hotfix 0.2.1

Hi Survivors!
[p]I hope you enjoyed patch 0.2.0! I'm popping in quickly before the weekend to let you know about a small hotfix where we addressed two bugs you reported:[/p]
  • [p]🚀From now on, there should no longer be an issue with reloading firearms.[/p]
  • [p]🚀The visualization of core components has been improved. Now, when the player equips a hammer, the color of damaged core components will display correctly.[/p]
[p]Enjoy your weekend Surviors! [/p][p]Berdol[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

Patch 0.2.0 is now available!

Hello Survivors!
[p]Here comes Patch 0.2.0, which we’ve been working on over the past few weeks. It’s the result of your feedback and the needs you’ve so actively expressed in your reviews, discussions, and conversations on Discord. Thank you so much for your support and help with Survival Machine – without you, this patch wouldn’t be nearly as extensive! I hope the changes we’ve introduced will have a significant impact on how you experience Survival Machine and increase the enjoyment we want you to get from playing it. That’s enough of an introduction – let’s get into the details![/p][hr][/hr][h2]🚀 Highlights[/h2]
  • [p]Game-pad Support (Beta) - First iteration of game-pad support is live! Check the dedicated controller tab in Settings (we show Xbox tool-tips) and tell us how it feels. Auto-aim is planned for a future update.[/p]
  • [p]Machine Collision Overhaul - Re-authored cockpit, ladder, pallet, front bumper, and railing colliders; prevents falling through, window-vaulting, and “air-walking” across the machine.[/p]
  • [p]Crash & Infinite-Load Fixes - Addressed the top-reported crashes and added an on-screen message for rare infinite-load cases.[/p]
  • [p]Performance Pass - Smarter render-distance swaps on quality presets, trimmed loading times, memory spikes, and GPU stalls on Low settings[/p]
  • [p]Night Loot - Zombies now drop loot during nightly assaults, rewarding after-dark defence.[/p]
  • [p]No Hard Game-Over - New Game-Lost flow: the night ends if all core components are destroyed—players must repair them before the machine can move on, but you can’t lose anymore.[/p]
  • [p]Weakpoint Visuals - Destroyed weakpoints now switch to a broken model for clearer feedback and less confusion.[/p]
  • [p]Dynamic Music Blend - Re-tuned soundtrack logic for smoother transitions between Default, Combat, and POI themes.[/p]
  • [p]Siege Frequency Balance - On Adventure & Survival difficulties, zombie siege nights now occur every three nights by default.[/p]
  • [p]POI Variety Boost - New randomisation rules greatly reduce how often the same POI appears in a single run.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h2]Detailed Patch Notes[/h2][hr][/hr][h3]🎮 Controls[/h3]
  • [p]Added full gamepad support with separate Xbox icons (beta). In the automatic setting, the game will detect whether you're using a gamepad or a mouse and keyboard. We've also left the option to choose mouse and keyboard only.[/p][p][/p]
  • [p]Fixed a rare input lock when spamming ESC in the key-bind window while confirming changes.[/p]
  • [p]“Load Game” now highlights the most recent save, not the oldest.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🏗️ Machine & Level Geometry[/h3]
  • [p]Cockpit interior, windows, and front plate now block players correctly.[/p]
  • [p]Patched gaps in ladders, railings, furnace walkway, bridge, and several POIs—no more sneaking into the void.[/p]
  • [p]Wheels no longer spin in place after the Machine stops at a blockage.[/p]
  • [p]Removed watermark plank collision on the bridge; fixed floating barrel after green dynamite[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🌍 World, Quests & Interaction[/h3]
  • [p]New games always start on the Stream map before rolling into random order as intended.[/p]
  • [p]Zip-line: fixed an issue you drop early from the zip-line![/p]
  • [p]Quest markers now clear correctly once the gate quest is finished.[/p]
  • [p]“Player is full” tooltip shows only when you try to eat.[/p]
  • [p]Added item sort-by-category and made Drop/Take-All respect that filter.[/p]
  • [p]Weakpoints now swap to a destroyed mesh once broken.[/p]
  • [p]Implemented new PoI randomization rules so locations repeat far less often.[/p]
  • [p]Night Loot: zombies now drop loot during nightly assaults.[/p]
  • [p]Game-Lost rework: the night ends if all core components are destroyed; players must repair them before the machine can move on—total game-over is gone.[/p]
  • [p]Polish to the repair UI and new construction VFX.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🧟 AI & Enemies[/h3]
  • [p]Zombies no longer spawn or run mid-air; levitating hordes grounded.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed zombie pathing that let them climb machine ladders or breach secret gates unintentionally.[/p]
  • [p]Zombie names are now synchronized for all players![/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where zombies could stop reacting to players after extended sessions.[/p]
  • [p]Balanced pursuit logic—zombies no longer chase forever once line-of-sight is broken.[/p]
  • [p]On Easy and Medium difficulties, siege nights now occur every three nights by default.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]📦 Multiplayer & Saves[/h3]
  • [p]Autosave stability greatly improved; fixed client inventory loss and wrong character loading. Let us know if the issue still persists![/p]
  • [p]Lobby: Invite-Friend button now updates when privacy changes; Steam Overlay no longer appears in SP lobby.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed rare case where the client would spawn inside the starter house when loading a host-only save that skipped the tutorial.[/p]
  • [p]Resolved bug causing missing quests, workbenches, or upgrades after loading certain saves.[/p]
  • [p]Addressed inventory lock that could occur when opening chests simultaneously in co-op.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🎨 Graphics & Audio[/h3]
  • [p]Restored missing textures in tunnels (Low) and on the optimization build.[/p]
  • [p]Structures now play hit sounds when struck by zombies.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed assorted clipping banners, drapes, grass, and roof pieces.[/p]
  • [p]Music blend improved – smoother transitions between combat and POI themes.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]⚙️ Optimization[/h3]
  • [p]Quality-preset swaps now override render distance properly.[/p]
  • [p]General CPU/GPU tuning, fewer hitch-up spikes, faster level streaming.[/p]
  • [p]Tackled heavy frame drops in co-op[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🛠️ Crash & Stability[/h3]
  • [p]Resolved several crash reports.[/p]
  • [p]Added back-end protections around heavy-attack, zip-line use, and autosave triggers.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h3]🐛 Bugs[/h3]
  • [p]We squashed 200 + issues across UI, AI, audio, animation, collision, and quest logic. If you still encounter a problem, drop a report or screenshot—your findings help us keep Survival Machine rock-solid.[/p]
[hr][/hr][h2]Known Issues & Call for Feedback[/h2]
  • [p]Game-pad support is brand new, still a beta —tell us if a button feels off or a glyph is missing.[/p]
  • [p]We rebuilt dozens of colliders; if you still find spots to clip out of bounds, drop a screenshot in 🐛・bug-report on our Discord or use the in-game Bug Reporter tool (F2).[/p]
  • [p]If crashes or infinite loads persist, send the in-game report or ping us on Discord with your log[/p]
[hr][/hr][p]Thanks for surviving with us—see you on the rails! 👷‍♀️🛠️ Dzięki[/p][p][/p]

Update on Recent Connectivity Problems

[h3]Hi Survivors![/h3][p]We’ve seen the issues many of you experienced this past weekend when trying to play with friends. We know how frustrating it is to get disconnected mid-game, and we want to sincerely apologize for that. Let us explain a bit about what’s going on.[/p][p]After quickly analyzing the nature of your reports — including how long you were playing, which countries you’re in, and whether similar issues occurred in other games in your region — we’ve concluded that the root of the problem lies with a network service provider that had outages in certain parts of the world.[/p][p]A particularly high number of reports came from our players in Russia. Unfortunately, there are currently network service issues in that region that are beyond our control, which may make co-op gameplay impossible. We encourage players from Russia to keep an eye on announcements on Discord and Steam, where we’ll share any updates and next steps![/p][p]If you continue to experience this problem, please let us know by using the bug reporter (F2 in-game) instead of leaving a Steam review. We’re all frustrated by the current situation. We need to wait and monitor whether the issue has been resolved and if players are no longer reporting this kind of problem.[/p][p]That said, we’re not giving up. We’re waiting for the provider to resolve the issue, and in the meantime, we’re back to work. Some really important updates are nearly finished, and I can’t wait to hear what you think once they go live!

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]