Darkwater News

Attention Divers,

A new Leviathan type has been spotted on the scopes beneath the surface of Encladeous.

[h2]Enemies[/h2]

• New leviathan implemented,
  
• New leviathan system: Organic Sonar Bay,
  
• New leviathan weapon: Tooth,
  
• New leviathan weapon: Barnacle

[h2]General[/h2]

• Room Code now displays when looking at player list
  
• Storage sack that spawns with player items when loading a save now displays "Host Only"
  
• Halloween can in lobby removed

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Can no longer catch leviathans on fire
  
• Fixed hostile encounters that you could avoid by going to the piloting screen and moving to another node

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[h2]CELEBRATION SALE[/h2]
To celebrate this mini update, Darkwater is 30% off as part of Playstack’s Publisher Sale.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/619540/Darkwater/
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Thanks for supporting Darkwater on its Early Access journey!

Are you experiencing bugs? Please let us know in our bug report form here.

- Targon Studios

Attention Divers,

We've deployed a hotfix addressing several bugs and added temporary spooky theming to the lobby for Halloween!

General

• Halloween Tubeworm can lantern added to lobby
  

Bug Fixes

• Fixed issue where players spawn visually holding knives
  
• Player shadows when using melee weapons should be more in sync with first person animations
  
• Pillar generation vastly improved
  
• Pillars should now always spawn in corners, preventing visual gaps in certain walls
  
• Pillars should no longer spawn in the middle of walls
  
• Fixed clients being unable to use piloting room speakers
  
• Fixed issue where players that are muted on a scene reset/new district can be heard briefly

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Thanks for supporting Darkwater on its Early Access journey!

Are you experiencing bugs? Please let us know in our bug report form here.

- Targon Studios

Hello Divers!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Submarine Layout Contest! We had so many great entries, it was really hard to choose a winner. But we have chosen so drumroll please...

The winner of our Submarine Layout Contest is
[h2]Horator with the F1R3 Submarine![/h2]


Horator's sub makes use of some of the newest systems added to the game, pairing them with the worst piloting room and a defunct engine, while keeping the layout easy to navigate. We felt it took on the brief of a starter sub, being basic but useful and leans into a particular play style which we're excited to try.

Horator wins a free copy on Steam of Darkwater, as well as free copies of two other Playstack titles, Balatro & Abiotic Factor. And of course their blueprint will be added to Darkwater!

The runner-up also gets a free copy of Darkwater - which is trevormoney1 with the Patrol Boat! We felt it was a really good layout for a solo player, who could take on the challenges of combat without worrying that their sub would be destroyed with the inclusion of the automatic pump.


We also want to give some honourable mentions to the rest of our final shortlist:

• admin55500 for the Blacksmith Submarine 2.0 for a sub that took a unique playstyle into account.
  
• jdeltaruff for the T-AX1, which to us looked like a very funny challenge sub!
  
• DieselWolfy, whose sub the Turtle Raider was the first entry to our contest and had at least two of us routing for them, but was ultimately decided as too OP for a starter sub.
  
• bodje, for the Nostrumarine which was beautifuly compact and simple, but lost at the final hurdle of debate.
  

Did you enjoy this contest? Let us know - we might well run some more!

Until next time, under the ice.

- Playstack & Targon Studios

Attention Divers,

We've deployed a hotfix addressing balancing for the Brimstone update and a number of bugs.

General

• Fire damage no longer triggers Containment Room alien spawn
  
• Increased Containment Room spawn timer: 3 -> 5 seconds
  
• Flamethrowers can now be placed on weapon/equipment racks
  
• Model added for dropped Blowtorch
  
• New sound effect added for crate falling over in Containment Room
  
• Kraken Tentacle melee range reduced: 2.5 -> 1.9

Bug Fixes

• Increasing the width/height of a submarine will now adjust wall dependent systems (Pneumatic
• Launcher, Porthole, Torpedo Bay, Etc.)
  
• Fixed issue where AI agents would fight to stand in the same spot (most common with infected)
  
• Fixed issue with Infected Diver "Frantic" AI state
  
• Bombs now rumble outposts again upon exploding
  
• Fixed collider in StorageLoading(3x5) room that players could clip under
  
• Outpost entrance ladders given collider - no more hiding behind them
  
• Sledgehammer and Knife no longer clips through hand in blocking animation in 3rd person animation
  
• Fixed arcade machine title display issue with certain languages
  
• Can now see diver icons when diver returns from enemy submarine
  
• Clients no longer see a hit marker when shooting at dead enemies
  
• Fixed issue with challenges not displaying correct progress in lobby list
  
• Fixed saves slot display issue for certain languages
  
• Fixed issue with store door collider
  
• Fixed issue with extinguisher holder shadow
  
• Fixed issue where rocks continued launching after winning/retreating in a Geothermal Vents biome
  
• Fixed Reload Warning formatting on weapons for certain languages
  
• Enemies can no longer walk through closed doors on player submarine
  
• Biome effects that are in the process of triggering as a battle ends will no longer trigger
  
• Fixed issue where resolution setting was getting overridden to "Auto" on startup
  
• System repairing network code improved
  
• Multiple players can now repair the same system without the repair speed slowing down
  
• Flamethrower Refill Station now only displays "Refill" when equipped flamethrower has less than 50 fuel
  
• Fixed issue where loading a new language in main menu wouldn't update save slot translations
  
• Two players can no longer interact with the same terminal at the same time

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Thanks for supporting Darkwater on its Early Access journey!

Are you experiencing bugs? Please let us know in our bug report form here.

- Targon Studios

[p]Attention, Divers.
[/p][p]The ocean has frozen over. You're not getting out any time soon. But that doesn't mean your vessel can't be a good foundation for your escape. 
[/p][p]We're launching the Darkwater: Submarine Layout Contest - this is your chance to shape the decks that might one day save your crew and get you to safety. 
[/p][p]Using the provided PNG layout template, submit your very own submarine design. Think of it as a starter sub - it’s going to be basic, but useful. Will you prioritise crafting, or combat? Will your piloting terminal be right by the water pump, or the other end of the hall? It’s up to you.
[/p][p]The best blueprint will be added to Darkwater when the game launches into 1.0, and receive a free copy on Steam of the game, as well as two other Playstack titles Balatro & Abiotic Factor. The runner-up won’t leave empty-handed either, getting a free copy of the game too. [/p][p][/p][h2]Contest Overview[/h2]

• [p]Begins: Monday September 29 2025, 6pm BST | 10am PST[/p]
• [p]Deadline: Monday October 13 2025, 6pm BST | 10am PST[/p]
• [p]Winners Announced: Friday October 17 2025 on the official Discord[/p]
• [p]Prizes:[/p]
  • [p]Winner: Their winning entry added to Darkwater at 1.0 release, along with their name in the game credits, one Steam copy of Darkwater, and one Steam copy of Playstack titles Balatro and Abiotic Factor. Plus the
  • *Winner** role on Discord![/p]
  • [p]Runner-up: One Steam copy of the game
    [/p]

[h2]How To Enter[/h2]

1. [p]Join the Darkwater Discord.[/p]
2. [p]Head to #submarine-layout-contest channel.[/p]
3. [p]Submit your layout by the deadline.[/p]

[p][h2]Contest Rules[/h2]

• [p]One submission per entrant - your most recent submission will supersede the last.[/p]
• [p]You must use the provided PNG template.[/p]
• [p]You must use only available in-game modules.[/p]
• [p]Entries must be suitable for all ages.[/p]
• [p]Include your Discord handle on the image. No watermarks.[/p]
• [p]No use of AI.[/p]
• [p]Max file size: PNG under 10MB.[/p]
• [p]Contest is only open to residents of specific regions, see full terms & conditions.[/p]
• [p]Winners will be contacted via Discord. You’ll need to verify with an email.[/p]
• [p]All decisions are final.[/p]
• [p]Full terms and conditions can be found on https://www.playdarkwater.com/submarine-contest[/p]

[p][/p]