Starforged Legacy News

[p]Greetings, Commanders![/p][p] [/p][p]Whether you're a fresh recruit that's just joined us for the demo or a decorated pilot that's been with us since the open beta (we salute you!), we want to take a moment to let you know about other channels where you can follow the development of Starforged Legacy and recieve news from High Command (otherwise known as us (otherwise known as Second Shift Games)).[/p][p] [/p][p]Join us on X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky, where we post game announcements and updates, important dates, occasional sneak peeks of upcoming content, answer questions, and showcase content from creators and the community![/p][p] [/p][p]Click here to find us on TikTok and YouTube, where we take a more... avant-garde approach to highlighting our game and its many 'intended' features, sure to bring some cosmic horror humor to your feed (and, of course, essential announcements).[/p][p] [/p][p]Finally, you're direct line to us here in the control room: join us on Discord to talk directly with devs, share your thoughts on the game, report bugs, and pitch suggestions for changes or new features! It's the perfect place to tell us how much you're enjoying our demo (or how you've managed to break it already).[/p][p][/p][p]We also tend to post early concepts for systems in our Discord's #sneak-peeks channel, and our Discord community is the first to know about major news, events, or giveaways. It's the single best place to follow and influence the development of Starforged Legacy, and potentially the future ventures of us here at Second Shift Games![/p][p] [/p][p] [/p][p][/p][p]Wishing you clear skies, Commander.

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[p]Bullet Heaven Festival 3.0 is live with hundreds of participating games—including Starforged Legacy! We're incredibly honored to be among the few dozen 'featured' titles of the event, alongside some of the games that inspired us, and we're seizing this opportunity to deliver a critical signal: our Early Access Launch Date Trailer![/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]That's right, we (and you) are launching into Early Access on April 16th, 2026![/p][p][/p][p]Until then, your support is invaluable. We truly mean it when we say that Starforged Legacy wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for our playtesters contributing their suggestions throughout the alpha and open beta. There's a short, 5-minute survey link in-game, or you can use the links below to join our community Discord and chat with the team directly.[/p][p][/p][p]Whether you're a veteran from the alpha or a fresh recruit, we encourage you to try and dethrone some of our developers from the in-game leaderboard, wishlist the game, and leave us a review on the Starforged Legacy Demo page![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]And remember to show some love to all the titles participating in this year's Bullet Heaven Festival! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Communication Systems Online[/h2][p]Receive incoming transmissions: news, announcements, devlogs, and deep-space disturbances, by following Second Shift Games on X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, Reddit, and TikTok, or by visiting our website: SecondShiftGames.com.[/p][p][/p][p]Join our community Discord to chat with the developers and fellow pilots, and give your feedback on the game![/p][p] [/p][p]Wishing you clear skies, Commander.[/p][p][/p][p]// END TRANSMISSION //[/p]

[h2]Demo Launch[/h2][p]The demo for Starforged Legacy is LIVE on Steam! Discover over 100 strategy-defining augments and enhancements, unlock nine unique loadouts across three pilotable ships, and steel yourself against an ever-changing, hazardous galaxy in your ceaseless fight for survival in this spacefaring survivors-like![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]How long will the demo be available? Good question! It will be available at least until our early access release. Oh, when's that? Well, we don't have a public release date yet, but stay tuned for a 'special signal' transmitting your way soon. How soon? You ask a lot of questions. Lucky for you we have plenty of cryptic answers. Let's just say, sometime between December 4th and 11th, which also happens to be the duration of the Bullet Heaven Festival 3.0 here on Steam, which we also happen to be a featured participating title! What a coincidence![/p][p][/p][p]We answered a few additional questions about the demo in our last devlog, but want to reiterate that this marks the end of the Starforged Legacy Open Beta. Thank you to all 1,000+ brave test pilots who participated—this demo wouldn't be possible without you! And to our beta, see you space cowboy...
[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Build 2105[/h2][p]With the release of our demo, we'll be saying farewell to our open beta, but that doesn't mean an end to our periodic updates! In fact, today's launch comes with an update that directly addresses much of the feedback we've received over the last few weeks. Some of our key additions with today's update are:[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p]

• [p]Updated Gamepad Support - The last few menus (Player Shop, Skill Tree) have received controller-friendly navigation![/p]
• [p]MAJOR Performance Improvements - With adjustments to both how enemy AI is handled and CPU to GPU gameplay VFX conversions, you'll see significant game-wide performance improvements.[/p]
• [p]Forced Miniboss Encounters - Maps 3 and 6 now guarantee 'Ambush' missions for consistent challenge milestones (or 'checks'), while also providing another way for players to obtain new weapons.[/p]
• [p]New Hangar Level - As previously teased in our last devlog, you'll now select your ship and loadout from inside a futuristic, spacecraft hangar (Ooh, Aah)![/p]
• [p]Enemy Melee/Collision Rework - To prevent one-shotting, we've taken a three-step approach to modifying how melee enemies interact with the player, including a 1-second damage cooldown, increased self-inflicted knockback, and a movement speed penalty.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Of course, this doesn't even begin to cover the myriad of balance changes and big fixes included with this patch. Well-informed pilots can view the full notes below![/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Feedback and Bug Reports[/h2][p]Just because the open beta has concluded doesn't mean we no longer need your honest feedback (and tendency to break the game)! We'll continue iterating on Starforged Legacy until launch and hope you'll keep sharing your feedback and bug reports with us via our community Discord! Starforged Legacy wouldn't be where it is today if not for your input, and you have our sincerest thanks! [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Communication Systems Online[/h2][p]Receive incoming transmissions: news, announcements, devlogs, and deep-space disturbances, by following Second Shift Games on X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, YouTube, Reddit, and TikTok, or by visiting our website: SecondShiftGames.com.[/p][p][/p][p]Join our community Discord to chat with the developers and fellow pilots, and give your feedback on the game![/p][p][/p][p]Wishing you clear skies, Commander.[/p][p]// END TRANSMISSION //[/p]

[h2]New Content[/h2][h3]Ship Hangar Customization Level[/h3]

• [p]New Ship Selection Screen: You now choose your ship and loadout in a hangar bay with atmospheric lighting and background activity. It looks way cooler than the old menu.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Improved Gamepad UI Support[/h3]

• [p]Shop UI: Full controller support for browsing and purchasing.[/p]
• [p]Skill Tree UI: Complete gamepad navigation (MVP implementation).[/p]
• [p]Star Map: Now uses widget stack with pause menu access.[/p]
• [p]Social Buttons: Added to the main menu and pause menu with controller support.[/p]
• [p]Map Summary UI: Can access pause menu with gamepad.[/p]
• [p]Movement Ability Bindings: Now displays gamepad button bindings alongside keyboard.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Gameplay Settings[/h3]

• [p]Camera Shake Toggle: Enable/disable camera shake effects.[/p]
• [p]Show Damage Numbers: Toggle damage number visibility.[/p]
• [p]Format Damage Numbers: Choose damage number formatting style.[/p]
• [p]Negative Sign Removed: Damage numbers no longer show negative values.[/p]
• [p]Settings UI Improvements:[/p]
  • [p]Revert to default button added.[/p]
  • [p]Depth of field is disabled in the scalability settings.[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2][h3]Player Shop[/h3]

• [p]Shops No Longer Increase Map Index: Prevents difficulty spikes from using shops.[/p]
• [p]Shop Prices Adjusted: Slightly reduced costs across the board.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Ship Movement[/h3]

• [p]Speed Increased: Base movement speed improved across all ship types.[/p]
• [p]Acceleration Increased: Ships reach top speed faster.[/p]
• [p]Rotation Improved: Better turning responsiveness.[/p]
• [p]Warp Drive Cooldown Reduced: Less waiting between map transitions.[/p][p][/p]

[h3]Mission Balance[/h3]

• [p]Forced Miniboss Encounters: Maps 3 and 6 now guarantee 'Ambush' secondary missions.[/p]
• [p]Miniboss Spawn Behavior: Normal enemy spawning pauses during miniboss fights, resumes after defeat.[/p]
• [p]Ambush Boss Rewards: Now drops weapon cache if the player is not at max weapons, and XP + choice of Augment if they are.[/p]
• [p]Map Modifiers Blocked: Maps 3 and 6 no longer allow map modifiers (prevents blocking Ambush missions).[/p]
• [p]Ambush Removed from Distress Calls: Now only appears as a forced secondary mission.[/p]
• [p]Region Scanners: Now take off when the mission is complete.
  [/p]

[h3]Enemy Balance[/h3]

• [p]Carriers: Now actively orbit targets rather than remaining static.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Spawning: More spread out around the player.[/p]
• [p]Performance-Based Scaling: Weighted more toward single enemies, triggers only when the player performs very well.[/p]
• [p]Cluster Prevention: Reduces the number of large enemy groups following the player.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Collision:[/p]
  • [p]Damage Cooldown: Enemies can only damage the player once every 1 second (instead of per hit).[/p]
  • [p]Increased Knockback: Enemies are knocked back further on collision with the player.[/p]
  • [p]Movement Speed Penalty: Enemies gain a temporary movement slow after hitting the player.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Weapon Balance[/h3]

• [p]Autocannon: Damage increased from 15 to 18.[/p]
• [p]Standard Missile: Damage increased from 12 to 15.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Augments[/h3][p]Buffed Augments[/p]

• [p]Critical Burn: Damage increased.[/p]
• [p]Evasive Fire: Fire rate increased.[/p]
• [p]Hologram Skin: Now scales with Thruster Component Level.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Nerfed Augments[/p]

• [p]Phase Drive: Movement speed scales less from Thruster Component Level.[/p]
• [p]Heated Chamber: Pierce chance reduced.[/p][p][/p]

[p]Functionality Changes[/p]

• [p]Rapid Retrieval: Removed movement speed bonus, increased pickup radius scaling.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Drop Pool Adjustments[/p]

• [p]Non-Weapon Augments: Less frequent (weight reduced from 5 to 4).[/p]
• [p]Radiation Rounds: Should now appear more consistently.[/p]
• [p]Thruster Targeting: Temporarily removed.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Interactables[/h3]

• [p]Thruster Power-Up: Removed from drop list.[/p]
• [p]Upgrade Beacons: Now cost much less.[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Mining System[/h3]

• [p]Mining Functionality Changes: Asteroids now explode when fully mined and drop all your currency at once instead of giving small amounts constantly. [/p]

[p][/p][h2]Visual Enhancements[/h2]

• [p]VFX Performance: Explosions, projectile trails, and other effects now run much smoother without sacrificing visual quality.[/p]
• [p]Radiation Clouds: Radiation clouds are darker, allowing enemies and projectiles to be seen through them better. Lightning effects are more visible and impactful.[/p]
• [p]Shield Visual Feedback: When you or enemies are hit, the flash effect is more visible with glowing edges. Shields now get brighter as they're about to break, giving you a clear warning.[/p]
• [p]Visual Polish: Improvements to background environments and ship damage effects. Enemy outlines are clearer, making them easier to see during combat.[/p]

[p][/p][p]The game runs significantly smoother everywhere, especially during intense combat with lots of enemies and explosions on screen. You should notice much better framerates across the board![/p][p][/p][h2]Audio Improvements[/h2]

• [p]Better Sound Quality: Fixed audio crackling and popping sounds during intense combat.[/p]
• [p]New UI Sounds: Added new sounds for missions and UI interactions.[/p]
• [p]Mining Volume Adjustments: Mining lasers are much quieter now.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Quality of Life Changes[/h2]

• [p]Trader Interactable: Now has a HUD marker so you know you can interact with it[/p]
• [p]Unknown Technology: Mission object no longer blocks your movement.[/p]
• [p]Ship Unlock Text: Updated to say "AVAILABLE IN EARLY ACCESS".[/p]

• [p]Skill Tree: No longer pauses the game (you can keep an eye on the action).[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Victory After Death: Fixed players winning a run even after dying.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Projectiles: Fixed not being able to damage players.[/p]
• [p]Ion Storm Hazard: Fixed having projectile speed applied.[/p]
• [p]Gravitational Anomalies: Fixed not spawning in the correct location.[/p]
• [p]Glancing Blows: Fixed showing as a percentage instead of a distance.[/p]
• [p]Swarm Missile: Fixed initial speed getting overridden in subsequent launches, now scales with weapon projectile speed.[/p]
• [p]Projectile Explosions: Fixed doing additional hit reaction on initial enemy hit.[/p]
• [p]Boss Shield Collision: Fixed old shield collision still active (caused weapons to hit empty space).[/p]
• [p]Boss Despawning: Fixed bosses not despawning when dead.[/p]
• [p]Boss Spinning: Fixed destroyed ships spinning out of control on self-destruct.[/p]
• [p]Enemy Stunning: Fixed enemies not receiving the stun cooldown and appearing unstunned.[/p]
• [p]Star Map: Fixed widgets not positioning correctly.[/p]
• [p]Settings UI: Now properly allows applying graphic settings.[/p]

[h2]Balance[/h2]

• [p]Cluster Warhead Augment no longer spawns projectiles but creates additional explosions around the hit location.[/p]
  • [p]This was changed as the augment could potentially create hundreds of projectiles, causing massive lag.[/p]

[h2]Fixes[/h2]

• [p]Fixed an issue where save files would not load properly upon restarting the game.[/p]
• [p]Fixed the boss map icon using the incorrect icon.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issues with enemies getting stuck in Asteroids, Interactables, and Mineables on spawn.[/p]
• [p]Fixed issue with Secondary Mission HUD Displays not showing progress updates.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Miscellaneous[/h2]

• [p]The Gameplay Settings panel has been reset for all users to apply new defaults.[/p]
• [p]Leaderboards have been reset.[/p]
• [p]Music volume on a fresh startup was reduced.[/p]
• [p]Master and Music volume sliders no longer start at 100%.[/p]