Occupy Mars: The Game News

[h3]Dear players! We’ve got a handful of announcements for you today.[/h3]

🌍 PlayWay Publisher Sale kicks off today and will last until August 7th, 2025 — with special discounts on all our major titles. Occupy Mars is also discounted! This might be your last chance to get to Mars at a lower price.

🎮 We are also releasing our fresh July Co-Op Beta Progress Update. This time, it’s looking better than ever! Grab a coffee and let’s dive into what we’ve been working on!

[h3]🛰️ July Update – Co-Op & Countdown[/h3]

We’re slowly preparing to launch the long-awaited Co-Op Playtest. As you probably know, the history of space exploration is also a history of waiting, fixing, and… waiting again. Game development isn’t all that different. But now — it looks like we finally have a window of opportunity, and we’re entering the final stretch. There’s a decent chance we’ll surprise you with something special during this Publisher Sale.

🧑‍🚀 We're full of hope — recent internal tests have been going well, and momentum is finally on our side.
But as any astronaut will tell you: a mission isn’t started until the rocket actually leaves the launchpad.

🚀 Just ask Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski — the second Polish astronaut and CERN engineer — whose recent mission to the ISS was postponed seven times before finally launching on June 25th, 2025.

🙏 So keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned — we’ll keep you updated as soon as we’re ready for the countdown.

[h3]💡 Heads up, Astronauts![/h3]

This is also one of the best moments to grab Occupy Mars - because, after the co-op update is launched, the base price of the game will be slightly increased. As we get closer to full release the Earth and Mars are slowly drifting apart — and interplanetary travel gets more expensive.

Another important information is that we will be phasing out the old Occupy Mars: Prologue version which was released in 2020. So much has changed over the years that it no longer represents the game in any way. We also want to focus 100% on the main game and we realized that we won't have the manpower to support the prologue.

But fear not! aside from the co-op mode and more content which is planned on our roadmap we have a new idea to integrate a "challenges mode" into the main game, which would provide goals similar to those from the Prologue. It's going to be great!

[h3]🎁 Kickstarter backer?[/h3]

Don’t forget: if you supported us during the Kickstarter campaign, you have access to an exclusive spacesuit. Soon, it may become visible to others… 😉

[h3]🎉 Amazing Discounts![/h3]

Meanwhile - the publisher sale has started - here's a sneak peek 👀 at the discounts we prepared for you:
🚀 Occupy Mars: The Game - 35% off!
🎁 Occupy Mars: Supporter Pack - 35% off!
🦕 Dinosaur Fossil Hunter - 55% off!
🦖 Dinosaur Fossil Hunter Raptor DLC - 55% off!
🎨 Dinosaur Fossil Hunter Designer DLC - 55% off!
🔧 Rover Mechanic Simulator - 75% off!
⚙️ Rover Mechanic Simulator: Perseverance Rover DLC - 75% off!

🚂 Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your Steam library! ✨

And don’t forget about the Bundles📦 You can get even better discount by purchasing games together!

📦 Examples:
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/31567/Pyramid_Games_Bundle/
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/28017/Occupy_Mars_Universe_Bundle/
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/26972/Occupy_Mars_Collectors_Edition/
...and more! [Click here to see all of our bundles]

Happy gaming and stay tuned! 🎮
The Occupy Mars Team

[p][/p][h3]Hello Martians![/h3][p]
We’re back with another devlog to keep you in the loop as we continue improving and expanding Co-Op mode. There’s some great news this time — a long-awaited feature has finally made its way into the game… and it changes a lot![/p][p][/p][h3]🧪 Co-Op Tech Tree is Now Functional[/h3][p]We’re happy to confirm that the Tech Tree now works in Co-Op mode — and it’s a game changer!
Players can now earn experience and unlock new technologies together, but it also revealed how many systems are interconnected — scanning, drilling, growing plants, recycling, and even sleeping can all impact tech point generation.[/p][p]We’ve already implemented the core synchronization and fixed several edge cases — like points only going to the host, or desynced XP values between players. We’re still refining balancing and interactions, but overall… it's working, and it’s fun![/p][p]This also means Co-Op is feeling more like a full-featured game mode now — not just a sandbox playground.[/p][p][/p][h3]🔧 Fixes & Progress Update[/h3][p]We’ve addressed a broad range of issues in the past week, including:[/p]

• [p]Stuck players after respawn or save/load scenarios[/p]
• [p]Invisible players, broken interactions or ghost items[/p]
• [p]Desynced incubators, plants growing at different speeds[/p]
• [p]Issues with grinding, planting, or harvesting mechanics in multiplayer[/p]
• [p]Camera bugs, incorrect UI states, or “skybox” glitches[/p]

[p]We’re still working on polishing more subtle bugs — like occasional desyncs with cables or panels not updating correctly for all players. Some systems are being reworked to better support Co-Op logic long-term.[/p][p][/p][h3]🛰️ Co-Op Rollout Plan[/h3][p]We’re inching closer to opening up multiplayer testing to more players. Once internal builds reach the stability we’re aiming for, we’ll begin inviting groups to participate in public tests. As before, Co-Op will eventually launch as a free update for all owners of the game.[/p][p][/p][h3]Steam Sale – 40 % Off Right Now! 🔥[/h3][p]The Steam Sale is live, and Occupy Mars is currently 40 % off. If you’ve been thinking about grabbing the game — or gifting it to a friend you’d like to explore Mars with — now’s the perfect moment.[/p][p][/p][h3]Thanks for Following the Mission 🚀[/h3][p]Every week we’re getting closer to completing the Co-Op upgrade. It’s a lot of work behind the scenes, but your feedback, patience and enthusiasm make it absolutely worth it.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll be back soon with more news — stay safe, stay curious, and keep watching the Red Planet.[/p][p][/p][p]– Occupy Mars team[/p]

[p]Hey Martians! 👋[/p][p]Our internal Co-Op testing is steadily moving forward, and we’re excited to share the progress with you. While developing multiplayer for a complex sandbox like Occupy Mars is no small feat, we’re seeing real momentum — and this build brings us another big step closer to public testing.[/p][h3]🔧 Key Systems Polished in This Build[/h3][p]This week’s internal update focused on stability, synchronization, and multiplayer logic across various systems. Here’s what we’ve improved:[/p][p]🛏️ Sleep system stability: We fixed many edge cases involving sleep mechanics — progress not triggering, incorrect max durations, interruptions caused by low oxygen/water despite having enough, and camera or UI issues during interactions.[/p][p]💾 Save/load reliability: Improved spawn positions, inventory loading, session syncing, and addressed bugs with saves not overwriting properly.[/p][p]🔌 Cable & pipe syncing: Floating plugs, desynced cables, blocked interactions — now cleaned up and syncing correctly between host and clients.[/p][p]🧰 UI & interaction fixes: ESC/menu/board interactions work reliably again. No more getting stuck while configuring setups or trying to accept requests.[/p][p]🌐 Multiplayer connection stability: Better handling of joins, rejoins, and complex in-game actions like simultaneous saves or crash-recovery. More reliable all around![/p][h3]🔧 Still in Progress[/h3][p]We’re still fine-tuning a few of the trickier bugs:[/p]

• [p]Plug and connector desyncs in very specific scenarios[/p]
• [p]Rare disconnects when 3rd player joins or rejoins[/p]
• [p]UI issues during rapid saving or loading by multiple players[/p]

[h3]🛰️What’s Next? [/h3][p]Once we’re confident in the build’s stability, we’ll invite small test groups to help us stress test the systems in real-world gameplay. When ready, Co-Op mode will be released as a free update for all existing Occupy Mars players.[/p][h3]Thanks for Your Support 💛[/h3][p]We’re nearly there. Thanks for being patient while we build a rock-solid multiplayer experience. See you on Mars (with your crew) soon! [/p][p]Occupy Mars team[/p]

While Co-Op Mode is not yet available publicly to players, our team is actively working behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and stable multiplayer experience. Internal testing is ongoing, and we've been making solid progress—thanks to dozens of detailed test sessions.

[h3]What’s Happening Right Now? 👨‍💻👩‍💻[/h3]

Our internal QA and dev teams are working closely together, tracking down network-related bugs, improving session stability, and refining gameplay mechanics. Multiplayer testing takes more time than usual due to the complexity of real-time synchronization and networking issues, but we’re committed to getting it right.

[h3]Top Priority Fixes We've Made So Far 🛠️[/h3]

🔹 Disconnections & session freezes
We’ve resolved several critical crashes and disconnections, especially those that occurred during sleep, when joining existing games, or when interacting with devices.

🔹 Inventory sync & item loss bugs
Common problems like empty inventories after loading, vanishing items, or mismatches between players' inventories have been fixed in the latest internal builds.

🔹 Sleeping issues & animation loops
The notorious infinite sleep loop bug and related animation issues have been addressed — no more eternal naps on Mars. 😉

🔹 Vehicle-related glitches
Issues such as falling through terrain after exiting vehicles, jetpack disappearing mid-air, and visual bugs with broken vehicles have been corrected.

🔹 World loading and terrain bugs
We’ve made improvements to outpost visibility, terrain generation after loading, and various placement issues that were previously disrupting the experience.

[h3]When Will Players Get Access? 🧪[/h3]

We’ll continue to invite groups of players who signed up for the co-op playtest to help with stress tests and further debugging as soon as the Co-Op build reaches a stable internal milestone. After playtests, once we’re confident in the performance, Co-Op Mode will be released as an update to all existing owners of Occupy Mars.

[h3]What Else Will Be Included? 📦[/h3]

The Co-Op Update won’t just bring multiplayer — it will also include critical bug fixes, quality of life improvements, and some smaller new features to the base game. We’ll share more details in the full changelog closer to release.

[h3]Thanks for Your Patience ❤️[/h3]

We know you’re excited — and so are we! Thank you for sticking with us and supporting the project. Co-Op takes more time and effort to get right, but we’re getting there. Stay tuned for more updates, and keep an eye on our official roadmap to follow development progress.

See you soon on Mars (with friends)! 🌕

Take care,
Occupy Mars team

The long-awaited Co-op Beta is getting closer to launch, and we’re beyond excited to share more details with you. So, without further ado — you can watch the new Co-op trailer below! 🎥🔥

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Survive. Build. Explore. Together. 🎮[/h3]
For months, we’ve been working hard to bring multiplayer mode to Occupy Mars and we can’t wait for you to experience it. Whether you're constructing your base, gathering resources, or troubleshooting power issues, everything's better with a crew at your side! Co-Op mode will let you and your friends explore the Red Planet together, facing challenges as a team and making survival even more rewarding.

[h3]Join Our First Co-Op Stream! 🚀[/h3]
Want to see Co-op Mode in action before it launches? Mark your calendars! 📅
🛠️ When? March 6 at 5:00 PM CET
📍 Where? Steam, Twitch & YouTube
Our dev team will be going live to stream the co-op mode gameplay for the first time. This is your chance to see how multiplayer works, give suggestions, and get behind-the-scenes insights. Make sure to tune in and join the chat—we’d love to hear your thoughts and questions!

[h3]Become a Co-Op Beta Tester! 🛰️[/h3]
Excited to try Co-op Mode early? On March 6, alongside our live stream, we’re also launching a sign-up process for Co-op Beta Testers! It will be a playable but limited version with some features disabled. Each week we will let more and more people in, and we will collect detailed feedback which will help us refine the gameplay. Expect more details about the signup process in the next devlog.

[h3]Special Co-Op Celebration Discount! 🔥[/h3]
To celebrate the upcoming Co-op Mode, we’re offering a special price drop -35% off on Occupy Mars—only until March 20! This is the last time the price will be so low, as we are working on more content to be released later this year, making the game bigger and better. So if you haven’t joined the adventure yet, now is the perfect time to grab the game at a discount and get ready for co-op fun! Or–make use of the promotion and gift the game to a friend you'd like to Occupy Mars with!

[h3]What’s Next?[/h3]
The whole team is focused on the Co-Op Update and we’ll share more details as we get closer. Stay tuned for more updates, check our roadmap, and don’t forget to follow our social media channels to stay in the loop. The future of Mars is multiplayer, and we can’t wait to see you arriving with a Team! Everybody on board! 🚀

That’s all the information we wanted to share with you today. See you on Match 6th! Over and out! 🌕

Take care,
Occupy Mars team

P.S. You may have noticed some improved visuals in this trailer, more about this in the next post 😉