Lost Rift News

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h3]Welcome to the Early Access launch of Lost Rift! [/h3][p]We are thrilled to have you all here with us. Are you curious about what Lost Rift has to offer? Read on to get an overview of our features and what you can expect when you dive into the Rift.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Pioneers’ Landing (PVE Island)[/h3][p]Pioneers’ Landing is your home base and is roughly one square kilometer of playing area. It's entirely private for you and up to 4 friends; you’ll never be raided by other players here. However, this beautiful place is not always safe. Some creatures and mysterious survivalists living in the jungle might attack your home. It's not all hostile, though, as you’ll also find all of the NPCs on this island, and complete many of your story quests here.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Western Island (PVPVE Island)[/h3][p]Western Island is an extraction shooter zone called Expedition that supports up to 15 players. You will sail to Expedition on a boat as part of your quests. Upon arrival, you’ll have 40 minutes to loot what you can and get to the exit before you die or before the timer runs out. There are 18 points of interest to explore, with more planned for Early Access, offering a variety of different fighting areas. If you die while on an expedition, you’ll lose everything in your inventory.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]No Host Needed: Shared Islands[/h3][p]You and your squadmates can access any Shared Island at any time, without needing the “host” player who created the island to be online. Any player with access can launch the island whenever they want. When playing together, one person makes an Island and then sends a secure one-time invite code to each friend, which provides access to the island. [/p][h2][/h2][h3]Survivor Notes[/h3][p]Explore the mysterious lore of Lost Rift through Notes that can be found scattered across the islands. These notes are written by other survivors, and will give you backstory of the world as well as gameplay tips.[/p][h3]Quests[/h3][p]There are nearly 100 quests for you to complete, which is approximately 20-30 hours of play time from story quests exclusively. You can access your quests at any time by opening your Journal (J).[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Keys[/h3][p]Keys can be found by looting enemies and locations on Pioneers’ Landing and Western Island. Some of the NPCs will also trade keys. Here is how keys can be used:[/p]

• [p]Safe Key: opens chests on Pioneers’ Landing and Western Island[/p]
• [p]Pioneers’ Landing Key: opens doors and chests on Pioneers’ Landing[/p]
• [p]Western Outpost Key: opens doors and chests on Western Island[/p]
• [p]Bunker Key: opens bunkers on both Pioneers’ Landing and Western Island[/p]
• [p]Any additional keys not listed here are used as part of your quests, and won’t be named here to avoid spoilers[/p]
• [p]There are also three hidden keys around Pioneers’ Landing for you to find![/p]

[h2][/h2][h3]How to go on an Expedition[/h3][p]Wade will guide you through some beginner quests to get you settled. Once you progress through her quests, she will ask you to locate her friend Jess, and to repair a boat. After both of these are completed, you’ll be able to use the boat to go on Expeditions.[/p][h3]Matchmaking[/h3][p]Lost Rift is designed with a dedicated geo-located server approach to keep PvE/PvPvE consistent. Our Expedition matchmaking will match players based on their squad size, matching solo players together as much as possible within their geographical area. It will then scale up, matching them with duos as much as possible, and so on, until an ideal match is found.[/p][h3]No Infinite Revives: Heavy Wound System[/h3][p]When downed, you’ll receive a debuff called Heavy Wound. This debuff will start a timer during which you can’t be revived again. This prevents squads from repeatedly reviving each other during active PVP altercations. [/p][p][/p][p] [/p][h3]Expedition Rejoin[/h3][p]If you get disconnected from an Expedition, you can rejoin it right away from the main menu. Your progress and inventory will be safe during a disconnect (as long as your enemies don't get to you first) so that you can jump right back into the action.[/p][h3]Player Spectating[/h3][p]If you die on Expedition, you can also spectate your surviving teammates while you wait and hope one of them can revive you with a revival kit. [/p][h2][/h2][p]Our character creation allows you to choose a body type and head preset, and clothing options such as glasses, a shirt, a watch or bracelet, pants, and shoes. Additional clothing can be crafted, looted, or found in the world, so keep an eye out for that elusive diving helmet![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]When you first start your journey on Pioneers’ Landing, you’ll learn the crafting recipes for a basic set of tools: Building Hammer (to build everything), Torch, Stone Axe, and Stone Pickaxe. To carry more loot, you’ll want to find or invest in a backpack (available in Small, Medium, and Heavy sizes). To defend yourself, you’ll have a few different options in weaponry: Bow, Crossbow, Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun. Throwing an axe or torch can also be very effective![/p][p]To protect yourself, you’ll need a helmet and chest armor. Different types and tiers of armor can be crafted, looted, or found in the world. Start by crafting a wooden chestplate, and Wade will help guide you through the progression of getting better-tier armor.[/p][h2][/h2][h3]Building System[/h3][p]Lost Rift offers a unique, modular building system that we’re excited to introduce to players. Our thatch building set comes in 5x5, 3x3, and 1x1 prefab pieces, which you can use to build out a standard base camp. In addition to walls, floors, roofs, and windows, we also offer triangle floors, normal and inverted triangle walls, angled roof pieces, and pillars and beams to provide extra structural support. Utilize all of these pieces to create the base camp of your dreams![/p][p][/p][p] [/p][p]You will house all of your crafting benches and refineries at your camp, which includes the workbench, weapon bench, armor bench, survivor beacon, medical bench, textile bench, salvage bench, repair bench, furnace, and firepit (don’t actually put your firepit in your house, that’s a fire hazard). If you don’t have the crafting recipe or materials to craft any of these, keep making progress on your quests to unlock more.[/p][p]You can add chests (Primitive, Scrap Metal, and Sturdy Metal for the most amount of space) to store your items, lighting to see in the dark, and dress up your home with a bed and other various pieces of furniture. [/p][h3]Get Cozy![/h3][p]Decorating your base camp with furniture and other fun items isn’t just for show. Jazz up your base to get a bonus Comfort Buff. The more you decorate, the stronger the buff gets.[/p][p][/p][p] [/p]

• [p]Check your Camp Comfort Level at the Survivor Beacon[/p]
• [p]Each decoration gives you comfort points (1-10 points per item)[/p]
• [p]Some items, like plants, can be placed multiple times for more points (up to 5 of the same type)[/p]
• [p]Other items, like a bed, only give you points for the first one you place [/p]

[p]Your goal is to reach a Camp Comfort Rank of 10. At this max rank, you'll get a big bonus of +50 stamina that lasts for 20 minutes and is refreshed by sleeping at the camp. Your Comfort Buff will also persist when traveling to Expedition, giving you the edge over your opponents![/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][p]Since the 1400s, countless seacrafts, aircrafts, and people have disappeared from history through the void only to land on the islands of this archipelago. Most individuals who make it through to the other side don’t survive long. Those that do survive fall into two groups: Survivors and Outcasts. [/p][p]Survivors are motivated by the will to live and will avoid killing humans unless in self-defense. Some survivors have given up searching for a way home, while others continue to hold on to hope. Whatever the case, they make for good allies, as there is always safety in numbers. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Captain Wade Davis is a hardened ex-Operation Victoria commander who lost her leg in a workplace disaster. She protects the camp with you and wants any path back home. She also acts as your early-game guide.[/p][p]Dr. Fynn Sullivan is the soft-spoken Southern scientist who became obsessed with Kennedite and sabotaged Operation Victoria. Skittish but brilliant, he hides in a secure cave refining navigation theory for a route home.  [/p][p]Dr. Sophie Calloway is a British medic and epidemiologist who arrived with early signs of a violent syndrome affecting some of the island inhabitants. She is half outsider to both Outcasts and Survivors. She brews medicines from local flora while searching for a cure for her own volatile impulses, which are caused by the syndrome.  [/p][p]Dorothy Tan is a rising Australian fauna expert and survival TV host who landed here only two years ago and immediately became the islands’ energetic hunting specialist. She teaches animal behavior and safe harvesting, and remains convinced she will bring proof of her adventure home someday. [/p][p]Vlad “Katyol” Katyolov is a jovial ex-Soviet naval cook who channels homespun ingenuity into feeding everyone with whatever the islands provide. Endlessly kind with a few quirky habits, he mediates tensions and fears that he will one day become sick like the Outcasts.  [/p][p]Josefina “Jo” Mercer is a Caracas-born DEA enforcer stranded while chasing smugglers who now runs weapons and judges everyone by their usefulness. She is fiercely protective of her found family, especially Fynn, and she hunts Outcasts without hesitation. She seeks revenge on the smugglers she believes are also somewhere on the island.[/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][p]Outcasts are travelers to the Rift who have succumbed to a violent syndrome due to their extended time in the void between worlds. While survivors have found a certain harmony amongst themselves, Outcasts are uninterested in getting along. They have instead created a mystic, cult-like ethos that binds them to nature and the mysteries of these islands.[/p][p][/p][p]Outcasts have three difficulty tiers and three archetypes, which are as follows:[/p][p]Marksman: Keeps their distance and picks players off with rifles or bows from high ground. More likely to flee when pressured, so an aggressive playstyle makes taking them down easier.[/p][p]Bruiser: Heavily armored and more aggressive, but the best targets to loot if you want quality armor and can take them down without breaking it first. Most likely to spawn with a crossbow or shotgun.[/p][p]Berserker: Melee-focused and recklessly aggressive. They can spawn in groups and overwhelm the player, so avoid getting surrounded. They have lower-tier armor and weapons, so they can be taken out quickly for cheap loot. They typically spawn with a basic bow or pistol, but they are resourceful and can pick up weapons from fallen enemies, including players![/p][p]Marksman Boss: Found only on Western Island, usually around the Weather Station, wearing signature cowboy gear. Keep an eye out for their purple-scoped rifle.[/p][p]Balance Note: Outcasts will spawn based on the player count, meaning if you’re a solo player, you’ll have fewer Outcasts to defeat than a full squad of five.[/p][h2][/h2][h3]Hostile Creatures[/h3][p]Ape: Known as Bonkey, this ape is a very powerful encounter. Keep your distance early on. It will attack if you start sprinting or look away, so back away slowly until you can break line of sight. It is typically found roaming around Comms during Expeditions. [/p][p]Tree Bugs: Listen for the sound of their hives nestled in treetops. Firing a weapon near them will make the hives aggressive, but if you are careful, you can get close enough to loot their valuable wax. Chop or burn down the tree to stop additional tree bugs from spawning. [/p][p]Hyenas: Hyenas are typically found around caves on Pioneers’ Landing and Western Island. They are a source of rawhide, which is used in many crafting recipes and for repairing the Expedition boat. Hyenas can also leave caves to attack your base camp, so stay alert. Beware the red alpha hyena variant.[/p][p][/p][h3]Prey Creatures[/h3][p]Tapir: The tapir is exclusive to Western Island and is typically found grazing along the beach. If you get too close, it will make a loud squeak that may attract other players. PvP-savvy players should listen for distant squeaks to get the drop on unsuspecting rivals.[/p][p]Dodo: Offer a dodo a berry to lead it around the island. Dodos can distract hyenas if you manage to lure them. You’ll find dodo nests on the beaches, and dodos can be killed for meat and for feathers used to craft arrows.[/p][p]Goat: Goats are assholes. They may attack or flee depending on how they’re feeling. They can be killed for meat and horns, and the horns can be crafted into a stylish Goat Helmet.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2][/h2][h3]Character and Island Limits[/h3][p]Each player can create up to three characters and three islands. However, there is no limit on how many of your friends' islands you can join.[/p][h3]Language Support[/h3][p]Lost Rift is able to provide language support for the following languages on Early Access launch: French, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, German, Portuguese, Spanish (Spain), Italian, Korean, Turkish, Ukrainian, Czech, Portuguese (Portugal), and Chinese (Traditional). Translations, like the rest of the game, will improve over time throughout our Early Access period. We invite players to give translation feedback in our Discord #bug-reports channel.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]From the very beginning, our goal with Lost Rift was to blend the survival and extraction shooter genres into a single cohesive experience. We believed that we could create a new type of game that blends PVE and PVPVE, while still being flexible enough for different kinds of players to play the game their way. [/p][p]Our team has invested an incredible amount of time and effort into this release, and now, early access is where we finish it with you. We can’t wait to finally put it into the hands of players, as your feedback will help guide us in making the game even better.[/p][p]Thank you for your support, and we'll see you in the Rift![/p]

[p][/p][p]Congratulations, Rifters! As part of the Steam Wishlist Campaign, our community has unlocked a reveal of an upcoming hostile creature that will be added to Lost Rift post-Early Access launch.[/p][p][/p][p]Internally, this aggressive creature is currently being referred to as Bogzilla. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]For now, we will let everyone speculate on where you might be able to find this creature, and what kind of environment it might occupy...[/p][p][/p][p]We've still got more community perks to unlock:[/p]

1. [p] Collectible Steam Trading Card Pack [/p]
2. [p] Community-Powered Weapon: Fan-voted Name & Unique Skin [/p]
3. [p] New Island Reveal[/p]

[p][/p][p]Every wishlist counts! Encourage your friends to wishlist Lost Rift and help us unlock these rewards for the entire community. [/p][p][/p][h3]👉 ADD LOST RIFT TO YOUR WISHLIST[/h3]

[h2]Play the Lost Rift Demo for FREE September 17-24! [/h2][h3]This is your chance to get a taste of the core gameplay loop before the full game launches on September 25, 2025.[/h3][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]In the demo, you'll start your journey on Pioneers’ Landing, where you'll be introduced to Wade, a character who will help you get established and guide you toward your first Expedition on Western Island. This is where you'll experience the intense extraction shooter gameplay that's at the heart of Lost Rift.[/p][p]Back on Pioneers’ Landing, you’ll see the ever-present anomaly wall, which will restrict your access to the starting area for the duration of the demo. The wall will finally come down on launch day, September 25.  [/p][p]Please read on below to see all of the new features and significant changes that we’ve made to the demo since our last public playtest.[/p][p]Demo Notice: Any progress you make during the demo, including your character and island progress, will not transfer to the launch version of the game. All data will be wiped before the official launch.[/p][p]Let us know what you think on our social channels, and be sure to add us to your Steam Wishlist.[/p][p][/p][h3]No Host Needed: Shared Islands[/h3][p]We've made it easier than ever to play together. You and your squadmates can now access any Shared Island at any time, without needing the player who created the island to be online. Any player with access can launch the island whenever they want. The person who initially creates the Shared Island can send a more secure one-time invite code to each friend, which provides access to the island. Our new invite codes also help prevent unwanted guests from showing up and causing trouble.
[/p][h3]Visually Updated Building System[/h3][p][/p][p]The building in Lost Rift has undergone significant visual upgrades since our last playtest. The thatch building set has been completely visually overhauled and now includes the following pieces:  [/p]

• [p]Thatch Floor Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Triangle Floor Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Wall Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Wall Triangle (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Inverted Wall Triangle (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Angled Roof (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Angled Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Wood Vertical Beam (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Wood Horizontal Beam (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Wood Diagonal Beam (5x, 3x, 1x)[/p]
• [p]Thatch Door[/p]

[p]We look forward to seeing what players can create with all of these options.[/p][p]Many of the functional and decorative items that can be placed in your base camp have also received visual updates. We will leave these for you to explore![/p][h3]Get Comfy![/h3][p][/p][p]Tired of a boring, lifeless base? Now you can jazz it up with some decorations and get a bonus while you're at it! Decorating your base camp with furniture and other fun items now gives you a Comfort Buff. The more you decorate, the stronger the buff gets.[/p]

• [p]Check your Camp Comfort Level at the Survivor Beacon[/p]
• [p]Each decoration gives you comfort points (1-10 points per item)[/p]
• [p]Some items, like plants, can be placed multiple times for more points (up to 5 of the same type)[/p]
• [p]Other items, like a bed, only give you points for the first one you place[/p]

[p]Your goal is to reach a Camp Comfort Rank of 10 by getting 1000 points. At this max rank, you'll get a big bonus: a +50 stamina buff that lasts for 20 minutes and is refreshed by sleeping at the camp. Your Comfort Buff will also persist when travelling to Expedition, to get the edge over your opponents![/p][p][/p][h3]Progression Updates[/h3][p]If you have played in multiple playtests, you’ll know that early-game progression is something we have been hammering away on to perfect it. We have been focused on helping new players become more established at camp and better prepared for the battles ahead on Expedition. 
[/p][p]Many changes have been made to streamline the gameplay flow, including adjustments to the amount of resources picked up and harvested, crafting recipe requirements, and the process of unlocking different recipes. 
[/p][h3]Visual Upgrades[/h3][p]Lost Rift continues to look better than ever as new game art floods the islands. You’ll notice visual changes to foliage, upgrades to POIs on the Western Island, as well as art updates to consumables, decorative items, workbenches, and more. [/p][p][/p][h3]No Infinite Revives: Heavy Wound System[/h3][p]When you are downed, you will now receive a debuff called Heavy Wound. This debuff will start a timer during which you will not be able to be revived again. The debuff will prevent squads from repeatedly reviving each other during active PVP altercations. [/p][p][/p][h3]Expedition Rejoin[/h3][p]If you get disconnected from an Expedition due to a server error or a crash, you'll now be able to rejoin your previous mission right away from the main menu. This means your progress, loot, and inventory will be safe. You can jump right back into the action without losing anything![/p][p][/p][h3]Enemy AI Improvements[/h3][p]We've been hard at work polishing the enemy AI and combat, making every encounter more challenging and fun. This includes everyone's favorite enemy, Bonkey. We've also made a significant change to how enemies spawn. Now, the number of enemies you face will scale to the number of players in your squad. Whether you're playing solo or with a full squad, you'll encounter a fair but challenging number of hyenas and Outcasts on your Island and during Expeditions.
[/p][p]Finally, we've fixed many navigation bugs that were causing enemies to act dumber than intended. They'll now move more intelligently, so be prepared![/p][p][/p][h3]Additional Changes[/h3]

• [p]You can now spectate your teammates on Expedition upon your death.[/p]
• [p]We are now enforcing a character limit and an Island limit. Each player can create up to three characters and three islands. However, there is no limit on how many of your friends' islands you can join.[/p]
• [p]We’ve added Transfer Item Stacks and Loot All buttons in the inventory screen, allowing you to optimize your backpack and empty loot faster into chests after Expeditions. [/p]
• [p]Improved gamepad support, especially in Big Picture mode[/p]
• [p]Dodos now eat berries![/p]

[h3]If you enjoy the demo, be sure to wishlist us on Steam and come back on September 25 for the Early Access release![/h3]

Congratulations, Rifters!

As part of the Steam Wishlist Campaign, our community has unlocked a high-resolution digital wallpaper! In the future, we will add this wallpaper as a Steam Profile Background for you to use on your own profile.

Click the image to save it at high resolution.

Here’s what is still waiting to be revealed:

1. First Look: New Hostile Creature Concept
   
2. Collectible Steam Trading Card Pack
   
3. Community-Powered Weapon: Fan-voted Name & Unique Skin
   
4. New Island Reveal

Every wishlist counts! Encourage your friends to wishlist Lost Rift and help us unlock these rewards for the entire community.

[h3]👉 ADD LOST RIFT TO YOUR WISHLIST[/h3]

[h2]Dr. Emilia Gates, Operation Victoria[/h2]
[h3]SUBJECT: Anomaly Log Post-Incident Analysis - Historical Maritime Wreck “Ranger” (Reference: Event VIC-0531)[/h3]

For as long as OpVic has been established, the remnants of an aged wooden sailing vessel have sat half-buried along the tidal flats west of Sector Bravo-8. We assumed it to be the wreckage of a colonial merchant craft, too degraded to justify extensive analysis at the time with many other rift anomalies present.

However, after extensive cross-referencing of rigging layouts and historical registries, we are now able to speculate the vessel’s likely identity: the Ranger, a sloop captained by infamous pirate John “Calico Jack” Rackham. The ship was believed to have been destroyed by British forces in 1720, with no known remnants ever recovered. Unbeknownst to the world, it appears that the Ranger has been here, resting undisturbed and embedded in the sand.

It is difficult to speculate on the conditions under which it entered the rift. Despite the erosion, a few core structural elements remain intact: cannon ports, deck rail, and several fixtures bearing early 1700s craftsmanship. But the vessel's apparent lack of collision or fire damage suggests it may have entered this universe through a low-energy rift and washed ashore centuries ago (by local measure).

As the Ranger predates our presence on this island, it stands to reason that other objects, perhaps even older than this ship, may lie hidden or misidentified throughout the archipelago. A historical reevaluation of other shoreline wreckage sites is now underway.

Dr. Emilia Gates