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Rimworld Odyssey's unique new weapons give the colony sim the muscle it needs

Rimworld Odyssey is about to launch one of the most iconic and intricate colony sims into orbit as the new expansion lands this week. Ahead of its arrival, developer Ludeon Studios gives us a tantalizing final peek at what's in store, unveiling the new quests, a terrifying mech hive, and deadly drones. It's a scary world out there, but don't fear; along with Odyssey comes a new series of rare, unique weapons that are about to transform your colonists' capabilities in never-before seen ways.


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Odyssey preview #4: Quests, the mechhive endgame, drones, and more

Hello everyone. Odyssey launches in a couple of days on July 11, 2025! We’ve had a lot of fun sharing the previews with you guys. So many great comments, fanart, videos, analyses, and theories. Your 1.6 feedback has also been awesome during the unstable beta.

Today’s final preview is a bit of a grab bag. We’re covering quests, the mechhive endgame, new drone traps, unique weapons, miscellaneous stuff, and languages.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790/RimWorld__Odyssey/ Reminder to please wishlist Odyssey so that Steam tells you the minute it’s out.

Let’s go!

[h2] New quests: rumors, ruins, and orbital adventures [/h2]
Odyssey adds new quests that take you across the planet - and into orbit.

Some quests start with a rumor. A visiting trader tells of ancient mercenaries recently awoken from cryptosleep, holed up in a dilapidated bunker. Their warlord carries a one-of-a-kind weapon. Take them down, and it’s yours.

Other quests can be discovered from reading old planetary maps. They point to forgotten places like insect-infested settlements, or derelict launch sites hidden in the jungle. These locations offer tech, treasure, or rare materials - if you can get past what’s guarding them.


Some quests lead to space. With a gravship or shuttle, you can reach asteroid mining sites rich with leftover plasteel or uranium. You may go to abandoned space stations still defended by ancient security systems - or already claimed by hostile salvagers. These places have loot, but you’ll have to fight for it. You might also be hired to hunt down an orbital fugitive hiding deep within a space wreck, but reaching them won’t be easy.


[h2]The mechhive[/h2]
Somewhere above the planet drifts the mechhive - the nexus of mechanoid production and direction that drives the machines on their endless quest to wipe out human life.

You can stop it. But first, you’ll need to collect gravcore technology from around the planet and nearby orbital ruins to pinpoint the mechhive’s location. You’ll also need a signal jammer to breach the platform’s automated defenses and land safely.

The mechhive is a labyrinth of frozen metal in the vacuum of space. Mechanoid guards patrol from fortified outposts. Blast doors sealed for centuries protect the hive’s infrastructure. Heavy turrets turn intruders into meat within seconds. And within the metal walls, dormant mechs lurk while others gestate quietly inside mech vats.


(Tester screenshot: A section of the mechhive with all expansions active.)

At the heart of it all is the cerebrex core - a vast, AI superbrain that powers the mechhive and commands all mechanoids planetwide. It is nearly indestructible, shielded by cerebrex stabilizers hidden throughout the facility.

To reach it, you’ll have to fight through a fortress of machines to destroy the stabilizers. Mechanoid defenses awaken the moment you strike, and reinforcements pour in from every direction. Among them is the new cyclops mechanoid, armed with a gatling beam repeater.

Survive the gauntlet, expose the core, and make a choice.

Destroy the core and eliminate the mechanoid threat for good. The machine war will end and your story continues.

Or, you can harvest the technology for yourself, and wield a mechanoid weapon of untold power.

[h2]New drones and traps[/h2]
Ancient ruins are defended by drones built to kill trespassers. Some lie hidden in the darkness, and trigger the moment they detect an intruder.

Hunter drones rush enemies and detonate on contact. Blast them apart before they reach you, or run for your life. Colonists can research and build their own hunter drones, either as stationary traps or as wearable hunter drone packs that you can launch during fights.

Wasp drones split into swarms of stinging units, injecting paralytic venom into their targets.

Sentry drones are heavy-duty bots armed with scatterguns. Doomed to follow their programming, they patrol relentlessly - waiting to ambush careless explorers.


[h2]Unique weapons[/h2]
Odyssey introduces unique weapons - rare, one-of-a-kind variants of guns. They come with custom names, randomized traits, visual mods, and special abilities that change how they perform and feel in combat.

You might find a chain shotgun named Thunderous Gutspewer, with incendiary pellets and a short-range AI targeting system that tightens its spread. Or a heavy SMG that fires tox rounds, accented with a jade inlay that looks sick - but isn’t very accurate. Some even come with underbarrel attachments, like a grenade launcher, smoke canister, or EMP cannon.

Unique weapons are rare. You can acquire them through quest rewards, by raiding hidden orbital stashes, opening crates found in ruins, or another secret method…

[h2]Miscellaneous[/h2]
Statues let artists sculpt friends, lovers, or rivals - immortalizing their likeness in metal, wood, or stone. (Or making a very unflattering imitation of them.)

Outfit stands display full gear sets and weapons that colonists can quickly swap into. Perfect for sudden center drops or a cold snap, without having to go rooting through your shelves to find the doomsday launchers and parkas.

Heavy bridges allow you to build whole colonies on water. They’re stronger than wooden bridges, so they can support stone walls, big buildings, and everything else a colony needs.

[h2]Languages and launch[/h2]
Odyssey will have full support for 14 languages at launch: English, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Russian, French, German, European Spanish, Latin Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. 💙

All translations will be available on the translation GitHub pages to allow for further changes and improvements. A big thank you to our dedicated community translators who have helped make this happen!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790/RimWorld__Odyssey/
Wishlist Odyssey now so Steam emails you when it’s out!

Let us know what you think over on Reddit, X, and BlueSky.

Thank you for reading! See you in just a couple days for Odyssey’s launch: July 11, 2025!
- Tia
Website | X | BlueSky | Reddit | Facebook

The new Rimworld expansion adds therapy pandas, tameable insect hive queens, nanotech-enhanced alligators, prehistoric beasts, giant toads, flamingos, and something called a 'bog hound'




RimWorld's latest expansion, Odyssey, promises to add a pretty amazing amount of stuff to the game's already deeply layered space colony simulation. Between the customisable spaceship, orbital exploration, new biomes, quest system, and a whole machine hive mind threat to deal with, on paper it seems like the biggest expansion yet...
Read more.

Rimworld Odyssey's new animals will change everything, from food to combat

Rimworld Odyssey is almost upon us, and it's about to change the colony sim's world entirely. The new expansion for one of the most flowing, systemic strategy games on Steam introduces more than 40 animals, ranging from dangerous threats to those that can be tamed, used to help with work, or even raised as faithful bodyguards. While the introduction of a gravship capable of heading out into space is certainly the most dramatic change, these creatures could end up altering your experience even more.


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Odyssey preview #3: Animals, training, and fishing

Hello! We’re only one week away from Odyssey’s release! The new expansion launches on July 11, 2025. Please wishlist so you’re notified when it’s out.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790/RimWorld__Odyssey/
Today’s blog post looks at the creatures of Odyssey - over 40 new animals, additional ways to train pets, and quests built around legendary beasts. Plus, we’ll talk about fishing as a new way to feed your colony.

[h2]New animals[/h2]
Odyssey adds over 40 new animals to the world - creatures you can tame, train to work, trade for silver, bring in caravans, or raise into a loyal pack of bodyguards.

Let’s look at a few favourites.

Crows, flamingos, herons, macaws, quails: Birds - that fly! Murders of manhunter crows may descend on your colony. Pink flamingos wade through warm waters. Colorful macaws flap through the jungle canopy. And chubby quails make a great snack for your colonists. (Fun fact: Our artist painstakingly drew 24 frames per flier - that’s nearly 400 unique frames of flying.)

Porcupines: Cute and prickly, but try fighting one and your colonist will end up with a face full of quills.

Bog hounds: These tough pups descend from domesticated dogs, but they’ve adapted to harsh, toxic conditions and are no longer accustomed to human company. They’re scavengers that travel in packs, so attacking one means you’re attacking them all.

Colossus toads, bullfrogs: The first frogs in RimWorld - chunky, swamp-dwelling amphibians.

Otters, walruses, sea turtles, sea lions, seals: These aquatic friends are found along ocean coastlines. They tend to stick close to the water and not bother anyone, but hunters target them often due to their gentle, unsuspecting nature.

Mastodons, scimitar cats, greatwolves: Prehistoric megafauna that roam the glacial plains. These massive beasts make excellent companions, but they also make excellent fur parkas…

Lava snails: One of the few creatures adapted to the extreme heat of the lava fields. They’re big, slimy, slow-moving, and often farmed for food.

Hippos: Enormous semi-aquatic mammals that you do not want to mess with. Their powerful jaws can crush through armor and bone, so keep your distance.

Hermit crabs, stone crabs: These little guys crawl across coastal beaches, like on islands and archipelagos. They walk sideways too.


Pursuing quests will lead you to rare creatures. Rumours speak of the legendary alpha thrumbo - bigger, faster, and stronger than any thrumbo. And you’ve received a tip: one has been spotted roaming the wilderness with its herd. If you’re quick, you might be able to catch it. Will you attempt to tame and claim it as a majestic ally? Or hunt it down and harvest its priceless horn?


Then there’s the hive queen. Deep underground, insect hives can merge, creating a single bloated matriarch. She spews sludge and lays egg sacs, which hatch into writhing, acid-spitting larvae. She’s defended by her spawn, including the flying locust. Those that dare to venture into her lair can put her down, or attempt to tame the beast.


[h2]New ways to train animals[/h2]
Odyssey expands how animals can help around your colony. Many creatures can be trained to do new tasks around the base.

Your fluffy cat or panda can be trained to comfort colonists. They’ll nuzzle more often and give a bigger mood bonus - because really, that would make anyone feel better.


Pigs and raccoons can learn to forage, snuffling out treats like berries from the brush.

Creatures with claws like the megasloth and megavole can be taught to dig - they’ll slowly chip away at spots you’ve marked for mining.

Predators like wolves, bears, and big cats can be trained to attack specific targets. So you can sic your tigers on the raider that tried to kidnap your wife.


Train mastodons or elephants to use war trumpet, a bellowing roar ability that disorients your foes, making them slow and clumsy. The alpha thrumbo has a similar terror roar that causes enemies to break and flee in panic.


If you’re bold enough to tame the hive queen, she can be trained to use her egg spew on command - launching acidic sludge and birthing offensive larva. It’s disgusting and incredible.

Of course, not every creature is smart enough to be trained - for example, alligators’ reptile brains are too simple. But with the sentience catalyst, you can inject ultratech mechanites into any animal to increase its intelligence and trainability. Suddenly, your alligator can become a distinguished loyal bodyguard.


[h2]Fishing[/h2]
Cast your line and catch your next meal from rivers, oceans, or gaps in frozen lakes. Fishing is a reliable way to feed your colony - available year-round, even when your crops are frozen and wildlife is scarce. It’s safer than hunting… as long as the fish don’t nip your colonists’ fingers.

Different waters have different fish. Reel in big marlin and tuna from the ocean, freshwater salmon and bass from lakes, and piranhas from tropical rivers. Lucky fishermen may pull up unusual catches like treasure, drugs, bionic limbs, and other surprises.

Skilled fishermen are faster and catch more, but fish responsibly - overfishing could empty your only lake. And if gill rot, a parasitic fungus, hits the waters, your food supply could vanish overnight. Smart colonies have other food options as backup, like crops or pemmican or wild game.


Build a sleepy lakeside village with a shanty dock over the water, and feed your colonists and pets fresh catches. Trade fish for supplies with passing caravans. Use it as a protein source to cook higher-quality meals. You’ll also occasionally see animals like penguins, otters, and grizzlies fishing for themselves when they get hungry.

But fish aren’t the only ones in the water! Colonists now swim for fun - they’ll wade into jungle pools, marshy ponds, and hot springs to relax. Some Odyssey animals swim too - each with unique visuals as they paddle around.


[h2]Coming soon[/h2]
Thanks for reading. It’s only one more week until Odyssey releases on July 11, 2025. Wishlist so you’re notified when it’s out!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790 Chat with us about the new animals over on Reddit, X, and BlueSky.

In next week’s final preview, we’ll go over the new quests, the mechhive endgame, and other miscellaneous bits in Odyssey.

- Tia!
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