Odyssey preview #2: Gravships and space
Hey again! We’re back with our second blog post about the upcoming Odyssey expansion.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790
Release date: Odyssey comes out on July 11, 2025! (If you missed the announcement, you can check it out here.) Wishlist Odyssey so Steam will let you know when it’s out!
Today’s blog describes Odyssey’s headline feature: the gravship. Your gravship is your flying home - a mobile colony you build, expand, move around the planet, and launch into orbit. Let’s get into it.
[h2]The gravship: your traveling base[/h2]
It starts when a grav engine falls from the sky, still functional despite the crash. Along with some salvaged gravlite panels, you’ve got the beginnings of your first gravship.
It starts small: a deck built from gravlite panels, the engine placed at the center, a few thrusters, chemfuel tanks, and a pilot’s console. Add some basic rooms - barracks, kitchen, storage - and get your colonists aboard.
The moment you take off, the world opens up.
Travel all over the planet. Explore exotic biomes, discover new landmarks, and chase quests across continents. Or, set your own goals: circumnavigate the globe in 100 days, recruit a team entirely made up of kidnapped enemies, collect one of every new animal, or build a gunship covered in turrets.
And when it’s time to leave? Just lift off. Your whole colony comes with you - colonists, animals, prisoners, gear, even the raiders who happened to be standing in your hallway.
Eventually, you’ll want more space. That’s when you start hunting for gravcores - rare gravtech you can only find in dangerous places. You’ll need to search through insect megahives, trap-filled ruins, and frozen space debris in low orbit, patrolled by human scavengers and killer mechanoids.
You can use gravcores to build gravship extenders so your ship can support more substructure, making room for bigger workshops, hydroponics gardens, and more. Or use them to create gravcore power cells as an advanced power solution that passively draws energy from the ship’s gravitational field. You can also use gravcores in signal jammers which allow you to slip past space defense systems and land on protected orbital platforms.
Some upgrades can only be acquired as rewards from grateful allied factions, ancient structures, and space wrecks. A fuel optimizer gets you more trips out of your chemfuel before refueling. The gravship shield generator creates a massive temporary shield around your ship, which can help you survive pirate drop pod ambushes. Activate it mid-raid and enjoy the protection it gives your colonists against enemy gunfire. And a pilot subpersona core provides a low-grade AI that reduces the chances of your pilot doing an oopsie while flying (though nothing can fully account for human error).
The gravship isn’t your only travel method. You can also build passenger shuttles - small, short-range vessels perfect for rescue missions, trade runs, or quick hops to places your gravship can’t go. They can be placed on your gravship’s substructure so you can take them with you if you decide to leave a map. Shuttles can also fly into orbit.
Whether you're a nomadic explorer, a flying trader carrying peacocks and porcupines, a stationary colony only using shuttles, or a hermit living in an asteroid, Odyssey opens up all kinds of new playstyles.
[h2]Space[/h2]
Yes, we’re finally going to space!
Space requires some prep to keep your colonists safe. Seal your ship with airtight walls to protect your colonists from the vacuum. Set up a life support system: oxygen pumps, heaters, and a stable power supply to keep it all running. Create airlocks by using vac barriers and metal doors, and equip your spacefaring colonists with vacsuits and vacsuit helmets, or other advanced armors.
As mentioned before - shuttles are also capable of entering orbit, as are transport pods. So it’s still accessible without building a gravship, you’ll just have less life support, and transport pods are one-way, so you’ll need to find a way back…
Gravships take you into low orbit where there are many orbiting objects to explore. Rare locations require you to build an orbital scanner which passively detects overhead orbital wrecks, satellites, asteroids, orbital platforms, and mech platforms. Alternatively, you can discover new orbital sites by hacking ancient uplink satellite dishes scattered around the planet.
Orbital wrecks: The history of a planet can be seen in its orbital debris fields, abandoned platforms and space stations. You can search these wrecks for valuable loot - if you're willing to fight off rival salvagers.
Satellites: Most are unmanned and inhospitable, built for narrow purposes like power collection, surveillance, or orbital weaponry. Landing on one means navigating the narrow bridges and travelling long distances between platforms to scavenge valuable technology. But many are still guarded by automated security systems - locked doors, turrets, and drones.
Asteroids may look like empty rocks, but they’re packed with value. Many still hold veins of plasteel, uranium, and gold ore - remnants of old mining operations that never finished the job. All asteroids are made of vacstone, a special rock type used to craft vacstone blocks and gravlite panels.
Some asteroids are more unusual. Rare archean trees occasionally grow directly on their surface, feeding on trace elements in the rock and transforming patches of barren stone into fertile soil. (A plucky spacefaring colonist might consider planting potatoes here.)
Occasionally, you’ll find asteroids with hollow cores where previous visitors have left stashes of treasure. You could break in, but come ready to deal with any remaining defenses.
(Tester screenshot: Example of an asteroid base with all expansions active.)
Orbital platforms: These floating platforms are orbital settlements used by trading guilds. They don’t appreciate visitors, so landing is considered an act of aggression. Just approaching them safely requires your ship to have a signal jammer aboard to get past the platform’s defenses.
You can also use an orbital scanner to find abandoned platforms if you’re not ready for these interactions. Just be careful of the defense systems. It’s also rumoured that fugitives tend to hole up in these places... and people pay good money to dig them out.
Mechanoid platforms: These wrecks promise the most advanced gravtech and unique treasures, but murderous machines still lurk in the shattered structures. It’s a maze of airless hallways, crawling with machines, turrets and sealed doors at every turn, with nowhere to flee except the void of space.
[h2]The gravship scenario[/h2]
Odyssey comes with a new starting scenario designed for experienced players who want to dive straight into gravship gameplay, or start a nomadic colony.
You begin with a three-person crew and a functional gravship, docked at an abandoned orbital relay. While salvaging equipment, your colonists unknowingly activate a mechanoid beacon. Within moments, a war alert pings across the void - and now, the mechanoids are hunting you.
They won’t stop until every last member of your crew is dead. To stop them, you must find and defeat the mechhive itself.
[h2]Next time[/h2]
Thank you for reading! Odyssey releases in 2 weeks on July 11, 2025. Wishlist so that you’re notified when it’s out!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790
Let us know what you think over on Reddit, X, and BlueSky.
Next week, we’ll look at the new animals that you can tame, train, and eat in Odyssey.
See you soon!
- Ludeon Studios
Website | X | BlueSky | Reddit | Facebook
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790
Release date: Odyssey comes out on July 11, 2025! (If you missed the announcement, you can check it out here.) Wishlist Odyssey so Steam will let you know when it’s out!
Today’s blog describes Odyssey’s headline feature: the gravship. Your gravship is your flying home - a mobile colony you build, expand, move around the planet, and launch into orbit. Let’s get into it.
[h2]The gravship: your traveling base[/h2]
It starts when a grav engine falls from the sky, still functional despite the crash. Along with some salvaged gravlite panels, you’ve got the beginnings of your first gravship.
It starts small: a deck built from gravlite panels, the engine placed at the center, a few thrusters, chemfuel tanks, and a pilot’s console. Add some basic rooms - barracks, kitchen, storage - and get your colonists aboard.
The moment you take off, the world opens up.
Travel all over the planet. Explore exotic biomes, discover new landmarks, and chase quests across continents. Or, set your own goals: circumnavigate the globe in 100 days, recruit a team entirely made up of kidnapped enemies, collect one of every new animal, or build a gunship covered in turrets.
And when it’s time to leave? Just lift off. Your whole colony comes with you - colonists, animals, prisoners, gear, even the raiders who happened to be standing in your hallway.
Eventually, you’ll want more space. That’s when you start hunting for gravcores - rare gravtech you can only find in dangerous places. You’ll need to search through insect megahives, trap-filled ruins, and frozen space debris in low orbit, patrolled by human scavengers and killer mechanoids.
You can use gravcores to build gravship extenders so your ship can support more substructure, making room for bigger workshops, hydroponics gardens, and more. Or use them to create gravcore power cells as an advanced power solution that passively draws energy from the ship’s gravitational field. You can also use gravcores in signal jammers which allow you to slip past space defense systems and land on protected orbital platforms.
Some upgrades can only be acquired as rewards from grateful allied factions, ancient structures, and space wrecks. A fuel optimizer gets you more trips out of your chemfuel before refueling. The gravship shield generator creates a massive temporary shield around your ship, which can help you survive pirate drop pod ambushes. Activate it mid-raid and enjoy the protection it gives your colonists against enemy gunfire. And a pilot subpersona core provides a low-grade AI that reduces the chances of your pilot doing an oopsie while flying (though nothing can fully account for human error).
The gravship isn’t your only travel method. You can also build passenger shuttles - small, short-range vessels perfect for rescue missions, trade runs, or quick hops to places your gravship can’t go. They can be placed on your gravship’s substructure so you can take them with you if you decide to leave a map. Shuttles can also fly into orbit.
Whether you're a nomadic explorer, a flying trader carrying peacocks and porcupines, a stationary colony only using shuttles, or a hermit living in an asteroid, Odyssey opens up all kinds of new playstyles.
[h2]Space[/h2]
Yes, we’re finally going to space!
Space requires some prep to keep your colonists safe. Seal your ship with airtight walls to protect your colonists from the vacuum. Set up a life support system: oxygen pumps, heaters, and a stable power supply to keep it all running. Create airlocks by using vac barriers and metal doors, and equip your spacefaring colonists with vacsuits and vacsuit helmets, or other advanced armors.
As mentioned before - shuttles are also capable of entering orbit, as are transport pods. So it’s still accessible without building a gravship, you’ll just have less life support, and transport pods are one-way, so you’ll need to find a way back…
Gravships take you into low orbit where there are many orbiting objects to explore. Rare locations require you to build an orbital scanner which passively detects overhead orbital wrecks, satellites, asteroids, orbital platforms, and mech platforms. Alternatively, you can discover new orbital sites by hacking ancient uplink satellite dishes scattered around the planet.
Orbital wrecks: The history of a planet can be seen in its orbital debris fields, abandoned platforms and space stations. You can search these wrecks for valuable loot - if you're willing to fight off rival salvagers.
Satellites: Most are unmanned and inhospitable, built for narrow purposes like power collection, surveillance, or orbital weaponry. Landing on one means navigating the narrow bridges and travelling long distances between platforms to scavenge valuable technology. But many are still guarded by automated security systems - locked doors, turrets, and drones.
Asteroids may look like empty rocks, but they’re packed with value. Many still hold veins of plasteel, uranium, and gold ore - remnants of old mining operations that never finished the job. All asteroids are made of vacstone, a special rock type used to craft vacstone blocks and gravlite panels. Some asteroids are more unusual. Rare archean trees occasionally grow directly on their surface, feeding on trace elements in the rock and transforming patches of barren stone into fertile soil. (A plucky spacefaring colonist might consider planting potatoes here.)
Occasionally, you’ll find asteroids with hollow cores where previous visitors have left stashes of treasure. You could break in, but come ready to deal with any remaining defenses.
(Tester screenshot: Example of an asteroid base with all expansions active.)Orbital platforms: These floating platforms are orbital settlements used by trading guilds. They don’t appreciate visitors, so landing is considered an act of aggression. Just approaching them safely requires your ship to have a signal jammer aboard to get past the platform’s defenses.
You can also use an orbital scanner to find abandoned platforms if you’re not ready for these interactions. Just be careful of the defense systems. It’s also rumoured that fugitives tend to hole up in these places... and people pay good money to dig them out.
Mechanoid platforms: These wrecks promise the most advanced gravtech and unique treasures, but murderous machines still lurk in the shattered structures. It’s a maze of airless hallways, crawling with machines, turrets and sealed doors at every turn, with nowhere to flee except the void of space. [h2]The gravship scenario[/h2]
Odyssey comes with a new starting scenario designed for experienced players who want to dive straight into gravship gameplay, or start a nomadic colony.
You begin with a three-person crew and a functional gravship, docked at an abandoned orbital relay. While salvaging equipment, your colonists unknowingly activate a mechanoid beacon. Within moments, a war alert pings across the void - and now, the mechanoids are hunting you.
They won’t stop until every last member of your crew is dead. To stop them, you must find and defeat the mechhive itself.
[h2]Next time[/h2]
Thank you for reading! Odyssey releases in 2 weeks on July 11, 2025. Wishlist so that you’re notified when it’s out!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790
Let us know what you think over on Reddit, X, and BlueSky.
Next week, we’ll look at the new animals that you can tame, train, and eat in Odyssey.
See you soon!
- Ludeon Studios
Website | X | BlueSky | Reddit | Facebook
Mixed biomes: With Odyssey, biomes can blend together on a single map. For example, a map might have a temperate forest in the north and a desert in the south. This creates a mix of plants, animals, terrain and threats from both biomes. 
Abandoned colonies: Why start from scratch? Take over old bases and make them your own. You might find working heaters, defenses, charged batteries, ripe crops, stocked barracks, medical stockpiles, and more. (But what happened? And why did they leave?)
Valleys, crevasses, caverns, chasms, and hollows: These rock formations create defensible and visually striking maps. Undergrounders will love the winding tunnels, natural chokepoints, and surrounding rock - they offer the perfect foundation for your subterranean fortress. 
Oases: Lush, isolated sanctuaries hidden in the desert. Live off the rich soil, swim in the warm water, and carefully harvest the few precious palms. 
Ancient garrisons, launch sites, chemfuel refineries, and warehouses: These ancient structures can be looted, used as temporary bases, or repurposed as deadly traps for raiders. But be careful - their security systems may still be functional. 
Lava fields: Settling near active volcanoes is madness - and opportunity. The mineral-rich soil is perfect for crops, and obsidian and rare ores lie exposed on the surface. But the land is dangerously unstable. Volcanic debris crashes down from above. Ash scorches your colonists’ lungs. Lava can erupt without warning, consuming entire outposts - along with their people, animals, and possessions. Survival requires planning and quick-thinking: build fireproof walls, divert lava with barriers, and keep firefoam tools close for emergencies.
Scarlands: It was once a thriving city. Now, it is a shattered wasteland leveled by weapons of mass destruction. You can build here, but survival is brutal. The water is poison, the rain is toxic, and scaria runs rampant among the wild animals. Come well-prepared with supplies and firepower - there’s no food or help out there. Treasure may lie buried in the rubble, but the old defenses still work, and dormant mechanoids sleep in the ruins, waiting for their next chance to kill.
Grasslands: Endless golden fields, fertile land, and strong winds - this is a cowboy’s paradise! The long growing seasons are perfect for farming, and the steady breeze keeps your turbines spinning day and night. But trees are scarce, and drought can strike at any time - don’t count on the rain to get you out of trouble. Out here, fire moves fast, and many homesteads have gone up in flames. Space out your ranch, pave paths as firebreaks between pastures, and build with stone to keep your cattle safe. 
Glacial plains: Food is scarce, fuel is precious, and the cold never lets up. Inspired by ice age survival, this biome is characterized by cold temperatures, crevasses, and prehistoric animals like mastodons, scimitar cats, and greatwolves. Carve shelter into the glaciers, fish from ice holes, and hunt the megafauna for meat and fur. But the real prize lies buried within the ice: the frozen ruins of a lost world. You'll find collapsed homes, crates of forgotten supplies, and cryptosleep caskets that still pulse with life. 
Torrential rain causes rivers and lakes to overflow, flooding the land. The downpour also makes it hard to see or aim accurately.
Blind fog rolls in thick, drastically reducing visibility and the maximum range of weapons and abilities. 
