The Riftbreaker News

A couple of weeks ago, we gave you a glimpse into our plans for The Riftbreaker after the release of the 2.0 Update. We mentioned that, apart from World Expansion IV, slated for early 2026, we are working on several other improvements for the game in the short term. One of our focus areas is the suite of movement skills for Mr. Riggs. While they were functional and useful, it is no secret that the dash and teleport skills outperformed the rest of the pack. Encouraged by the warm reception of the reworked Dodge Roll, we decided that this is the perfect moment to show the other movement skills some love. They are our main topic today - let’s get started!

[h3]An Overview & the Dodge Roll[/h3]

The first version of the Dodge Roll was just that - a combat roll. It was not very effective in the face of the hordes you usually see in the game.

The movement skills in The Riftbreaker have had a rocky start. For a long time, the only skill that was available to Mr. Riggs was the dash. If you played our trade show demo in 2018, the pre-alpha build in 2019, or the Prologue in 2020, it is likely that the dash was your only choice. It comes as no surprise - the dash skill grants the mech much-needed mobility around the battlefield. It allows you to catch up to distant enemies and move away to safety if you’re getting swarmed. Getting it right was a lengthy process, as we needed to get the speed, inertia, animations, effects, and cooldowns to make it feel that way. Unfortunately, once the other movement skills became available, they fell victim to the popularity of the dash - it was so effective that few players felt the need to try anything else. We want to change that.

The new version of the Dodge Roll skill, also known as 'Rolling Wrecking Ball of Total Mayhem'.

In one of the previous updates, we introduced the reworked Dodge Roll skill - both as an improvement for you, and as a proof of concept for us. If we could make the dodge roll an exciting and viable alternative for the dash, then the sky was the limit. In its first iteration, this skill granted Mr. Riggs a short invulnerability period and allowed him to roll away a couple of meters, without disabling collisions with other objects. Essentially, it was a worse version of Dash. We decided to give the Dodge Roll an entirely new identity.

You can use the Dodge Roll to attack, but also to run away from a fight.

The new, reworked version of this skill turns Mr. Riggs into a Rolling Wrecking Ball of Total Mayhem (which totally sounds like a Diablo item). After activating the skill, your mech curls up into a ball and starts rolling in the direction of your choice. During that time, you are invulnerable and you do not collide with other units, allowing you to escape the danger. By default, Mr. Riggs can keep rolling for a couple of seconds, but you can stop this skill at any time, giving you greater flexibility. And best of all, there is an explosion at the end that clears your surroundings of immediate danger. With these changes in place, the Dodge Roll skill finally became a viable alternative to the Dash. It was a clear sign for us that this was the way forward for other movement skills as well.

[h3]Power Jump[/h3]

In the previous version, the Power Jump could fail after activation, not allowing you to reach your desired location. It was possible to learn its quirks, but it was too unreliable for most people to use comfortably.

Another movement skill that was available in the game was the Power Jump. It had some problems that you have been reporting to us. The premise was simple - you point at the spot you want to jump towards, press the button, and watch the destruction unfold. Unfortunately, it didn’t work well most of the time. First of all, it wasn’t quite clear where Mr. Riggs was going to land because of Mr. Riggs’ flight pattern. When you decided to use this skill, the mech flew up and forward towards the target, and then rapidly descended to land with a shockwave. We liked the pattern itself, but not the unpredictable nature of it. This is why the spot where Mr. Riggs will land is now always clearly marked on the ground.

The new and improved version is far more predictable. It will get the job done in the same spots where the previous iteration would fail.

Another issue with the jump skill was the ability to fly over obstacles. Sometimes the mech would collide with buildings, rocks, or other objects mid-air, making you land in a different spot than you intended. With the new version, Mr. Riggs will attempt to fly over obstacles of a certain height. However, if he encounters an indestructible object, he will stop his jump earlier, as indicated by the marker on the ground. On the other hand, if Mr. Riggs can destroy the obstacles on the way to your target, he will happily do so mid-air. There have also been multiple other minor tweaks to make the new Power Jump feel much more predictable, snappy, and combat-ready, including changes to the range and power of the final explosion. It is better in every way, and we hope that you decide to give it a try!

SEE YA! If you're missing just a little bit of range to make it to the other side of a large terrain obstacle, the Power Jump algorithm will extend the jump a little bit for you.

[h3]Teleport[/h3]

The last movement skill that we decided to rework is the Teleport. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with this skill. On the contrary, once you get access to it, it provides an incredible strategic advantage. The ability to simply point at a certain spot and teleport there at the click of a button is useful both in and out of combat, allowing you to bypass terrain obstacles and move around your base with ease. It’s the final polish that was missing here. The teleport skill used to work instantaneously, but not in a pleasant way. When Mr. Riggs was transported between the starting and ending locations, the camera made a sharp and sudden jump between those spots. We decided to improve that.

One of the major problems for the Teleport was the fact that you couldn't be entirely sure where you will end up, as the aiming algorithm was very jittery - it would jump between the two sides of a rock, as pictured above.

After the rework, when you initiate the teleport, Mr. Riggs will quickly ‘dissolve’ and move to your desired location as a bolt of lightning. The camera will travel along its path, offering a smoother experience. Since we were already here, we also decided to add a small energy explosion at the teleport’s destination with the ability to stun the surrounding creatures. You’re welcome. Additionally, the teleport can extend slightly further than your range of vision. If you tell Mr. Riggs to teleport to an invalid location, such as a canyon edge or inside a rock, the algorithm will extend your jump a little bit. This will allow you to cover large distances quickly and escape danger if needed. We also removed the teleport cursor effect (the light refraction around the cursor that appeared when the skill was equipped). It was too distracting and harmed the on-screen visual clarity - something we had fought for before the release of the 2.0 Update. The new version of the teleport feels much more responsive, and the additional damage effect at the end opens up offensive capabilities. It is a force to be reckoned with.

The new Teleport skill will get you across canyons and rocks with ease.

You don't even need to see the end point of your teleport if there is an obstacle in the way - just point as far as you can, and we'll take care of the rest.

[h3]Wrap-up[/h3]

All the skills we recently reworked have been adapted for multiplayer use. We made sure that players’ movement is correctly replicated across the server and its clients, so you should no longer encounter weird visual bugs or usability issues. We hope the changes we have made will improve your range of viable choices for the mech’s loadout. This is just one of the things we are currently working on - you can expect much more from us in the coming months, especially with the new World Expansion IV update in a couple of months. Sign up for our newsletter to always get the latest news, and join our Discord at https://www.discord.gg/exorstudios - we’re always happy to answer all your questions there!

EXOR Studios

If you have been following our Survival Co-Op streams for some time, you might have noticed that our friend, Just_Carrier, has a special talent. Even in the heat of battle, at the end of a brutal, difficult Survival run, he can create amazing structures from the decorations we have available in the game. Ranging from complex factories, all the way to memorials to fallen Galatean heroes, his art never fails to impress. After the release of The Riftbreaker, he made this screenshot - we liked it so much that we decided to put it up permanently on our Steam Store page. Today, we’d like to challenge you to do the same!

This creation from Just_Carrier is just an example of what's possible within the game. We really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into this. Creating a good screenshot is an art form - we often spend days trying to perfect our frames. The screenshots in this article are the result of teamwork and careful consideration. There are tips and tricks in the captions, as well as our thought processes behind the screenshots themselves.

[h3]Your task is quite simple: open up The Riftbreaker and build something that will make us go ‘Wow, that’s cool’, screenshot it, and send it to us. We will pick the best three screenshots and reward you for your effort with Steam gift cards and a place on our Steam Store page. [/h3]

Here’s a couple of ground rules to make sure that we are all on the same page:

1. Your constructions must be made with the elements available in the build mode of unmodded, vanilla Riftbreaker. You can use other mods, just not custom-made structures.
   
2. Use The Riftbreaker’s build mode only. No cheating using the map editor!
   
3. Your submission must come in the form of a 16:9 screenshot, 1080p resolution or higher. You can supply other materials, such as detail zoom-ins or videos, but the main screenshot is the most important.
   
4. Don’t alter the screenshot with post-processing effects, additional graphics, or text. Cropping and resizing is permitted, as long as you stick to the 1080p, 16:9 baseline.
   

For the Co-Op release, we wanted to have a screenshot that clearly pictures several mechas fighting a boss on the perimeter of a base. It was important for us not to have too many distractions, and a very clearly visible Krocoon. Less is more - too much noise in the form of explosions, gunfire, and shiny buildings would draw attention away from the real point of this picture.

It is important for us that everyone is on a level playing field. This is why we’d like to give you a couple of console commands that can prove useful when creating your perfect scene. Using console commands does not invalidate your achievement progress or mark your game save as ‘cheats used’.

If you want to use these commands, load into the game and open the console using the ~ button (this is true for QWERTY layout keyboards in majority of the world. However, your country may be using a different layout. In that case, the console key may be any of these: ´ / ö / ' / ñ / ù / ~ / `). Then, type in the command you want, and press enter. Be careful not to add anything extra; even a stray space at the end of a command can stop it from executing properly.

Here's a screenshot grabbed from our GPU benchmark. The shadows are nice, but the burning Gnerot is just a flaming blob for anyone who's not familiar with the game. We liked this screenshot, but felt that we can do better.

This is what we came up with. The updated Omega Gnerot stands out much more nicely. The Crystal Cavern environment matches the Gnerot's rocky spirit, too!

cheat_unlock_all 1 - This command will give you access to ALL buildable structures in the game. All building variants, all lamp colors, all sizes. This command is active for the current game session only - it does not break your permanent unlocks.

cheat_unlimited_money 1 - Allows you to build everything for free and gives you infinite energy for all structures, even if they are not connected to a power source. If you do not wish to have everything powered and working all the time, you can use the cheat_free_build 1 command, but remember to build solid material storage first. Your storage capacity must match the cost of the building you want to build.

building_speed_multiplier 0.1 - This will allow you to build almost anything in just a couple of seconds.

Take a look at the HUD on this picture. We wanted to show the building process and emphasize that you can do this in Co-Op. That requires a lot of space on the screen. The minimap, resource counts and objectives would take up a lot of real estate, so we decided to use the cheat_hud_visible 0 command to remove those elements. They are vital when you're playing, but can mess up your screenshot if you're not careful.

These commands are pretty vital when it comes to setting up the scene you want. However, there are a couple more that can help you get your perfect shot:

camera_enable_zoom 1 - This command will allow you to switch between camera zoom levels using the mouse scroll wheel. The more you scroll out, the worse the performance and visual fidelity - be careful with that.

r_disable_fog 1 - Especially useful with a high zoom-out - this will turn off the distance fog effect.

cheat_no_clip 1 - Disables the collisions for Mr. Riggs, allowing you to enter places where the mech wouldn’t fir previously.

cheat_hud_visible 0 - Disables the HUD. It will partially come back when you enter the building menu. You can turn it off again using the same command.

cheat_hide_player 1 - You can make your mech completely invisible using this command if you want us to focus on the buildings more.

time_of_day_hour X - Sets the in-game time to X, where X is any value between 0 and 23. We use a 24-hour clock format - 0 - 11 are your AM times, and 12-23 are your PMs. Base lamps and mech’s headlights turn on at 21:00, or 9 PM.

Showing a megastructure was quite difficult due to the sheer scale of the building. We had to use some of the commands we gave you to get the camera positioned right. It was also important to show the size of the Arcology Workshop in relation to other buildings from the game. Without this comparison, you would have no sense of its true scale.

And now for the best part of any contest - the prizes. We will pick three winners from among your submissions. The prize structure is as follows:
[h3]

• 1st place - ~50 USD Steam Gift Card and your screenshot will be published on The Riftbreaker Steam Store Page.
  
• 2nd place - ~25 USD Steam Gift Card, and screenshot publication on the Store Page.
  
• 3rd place - ~10 USD Steam Gift Card, and screenshot publication on the Store Page.
  

[/h3]

To receive your prizes, you will have to accept a friend request from one of our developer accounts, as we will gift you through Steam directly. The values are approximate, as Steam will convert the gift value from our currency to yours - we will do our best to match the correct amount.

Terms and conditions are available here. By taking part in the competition, you declare that you have read, understood, and accepted all terms and conditions.

[h3]Submit your entries in this thread. You can host your images on Imgur, some other image-hosting website, or directly on Steam and link them in the post.:[/h3]
https://steamcommunity.com/app/780310/discussions/0/592910492127891055/

Happy screenshotting!
EXOR Studios

Many of you have been wondering about the plans for EXOR Studios going forward. The launch of The Riftbreaker 2.0 Update has been one of the most significant milestones that we have ever achieved. For years, we have worked towards releasing the promised Online Co-Op mode. Now that this ‘waypoint’ is behind us, it is high time to look ahead and pick a new path. In today’s article, we will reveal what we’re currently working on, what’s next for The Riftbreaker, and what we want to do next.



[h3]What we’re doing now[/h3]

As we mentioned earlier, we are currently primarily focused on getting The Riftbreaker 2.0 Update to run on consoles. The results are promising - the major revisions of the game’s codebase have paid dividends. The console ports are working very well so far, with very few critical errors. Once we resolve the issues and pass the certification processes, we will release these builds on all remaining platforms. However, this is not the only thing we are working on. We are simultaneously working on several upgrades for the game.

The first of these upgrades is the dedicated server app. It will be available as a free, standalone app, completely separated from the main game. This app will allow you to run a server for your co-op game on another PC in headless mode - you won’t see the game rendering any image, but all the calculations for your co-op session will be carried out in the background. Thanks to this, no player in your co-op session has to take the performance hit that comes from hosting the game, resulting in a better experience for all connected players. We have no ETA on when this app will become available, but it shouldn’t take very long (we expect to start testing it in about two to three weeks).

But that’s not all! We have been gathering your feedback and bug reports all this time. We are actively implementing fixes for many reported issues in gameplay, UI, game stability, mission logic, and many other areas - movement skills, for example. The dodge roll skill after the rework proved to be quite a valuable tool on the battlefield. We are giving all our movement skills (apart from the dash - it works well in its current form) a similar treatment, reworking them from the ground up and making sure that they translate well into the online co-op environment.



[h3]What’s next for The Riftbreaker[/h3]

Our support for The Riftbreaker doesn’t end here. The success of the 2.0 Update proves that you are still interested in the game and that, even after all these years, it makes sense to keep working on new content. We’re super happy to let you know that we are indeed working on another huge update - World Expansion IV.

The new World Expansion IV will be an entirely free update for all our users. This update will be a little bit different from the previous World Expansions we released between 2022 and 2024. WE IV will not be story-focused. After the release of the Expanded Endgame Campaign for The Riftbreaker, we consider that part of the game complete. This allows us to focus on providing you with as many new features and improvements as possible. Here’s a short list of what we want to include in this update - subject to change:

• Open Campaign Mode - a fresh way of playing The Riftbreaker. The Open Campaign Mode will have no story-based limits. All research will be unlocked from the start, and you will be able to do whatever you want. You will create all of the additional mission locations using the Mission Generator without story-led constraints and in any order you want. The only goal is to build the Rift Station. All dialogs and story elements will be disabled in this mode, speeding up the gameplay pace and allowing you to focus on building up your Galatean empire.
  
• Endless Survival Mode - a challenge worthy of the most experienced Riftbreaker veterans. In this game mode, there is no time limit, and the enemy hordes never stop scaling in strength. See how long you can hold on in the face of a relentless enemy assault.
  
• A new biome - we have no specifics or visuals just yet, so stay tuned!
  
• All of this, and much more - completely for free.
  
• Coming sooner than you think - in about 6 months.
  

This is not an exhaustive list, and many things will probably shift and change. However, The Riftbreaker lives on.



[h3]What’s next for EXOR Studios?[/h3]

While a part of our team will continue supporting The Riftbreaker for the foreseeable future, the rest of us are going to take our first steps on a new journey. We have already started pre-production of our next game. While we don’t have a lot of details to share yet, we can tell you one thing for sure. It is not a sequel to The Riftbreaker or any other of our titles - after 7 years of development, we want to move on to a different, completely new world.

We don’t know how long it will take for us to reveal more information, nor do we know when the game will launch. However, if you don’t want to miss anything, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here or join us on Discord at https://www.discord.gg/exorstudios. We’re going to be taking a very similar development approach to The Riftbreaker - we will tell you all about the development process as it happens with regular, weekly updates (perhaps even more often!). We will have a multitude of playtests, closed and open, and you will be able to share your feedback, suggestions, and thoughts.

We hope you join us on this new journey!
EXOR Studios

After a period of testing on the experimental branch and positive results, we are publishing the last week's hotfix to the default branch of The Riftbreaker.

The new patch should fix all the maps and objectives where the game flow got stuck, right after loading your save file. No tricks necessary - it should just work.

This build contains no other changes.

Once again, please accept our apologies for causing this mess in the first place. We hope that this patch will help you progress with your Campaigns as expected. If you still encounter issues, please do not hesitate to contact us here, on the Steam Forum, or on our Discord at https://www.discord.gg/exorstudios

EXOR Studios

As we promised yesterday, we have developed a patch for The Riftbreaker that will fix the issues with blocked progress that many of you have reported after yesterday’s patch.

The new patch should fix all the maps and objectives where the game flow got stuck, right after loading your save file. No tricks necessary - it should just work.

We are pretty sure that this is a safe change, but we’d rather test it more extensively on the experimental branch. If you were affected by the error yesterday, follow these steps to gain access to the experimental branch.

• Create a backup copy of your save folder (Documents/The Riftbreaker)
  
• Disable Steam Cloud save backup for The Riftbreaker
  
• Go to your Steam Library
  
• Right-click on The Riftbreaker
  
• Select 'Properties,’ then 'Betas,’ and use the following password: IknowWhatImDoing
  

After that, you will be able to choose 'experimental' from the drop-down menu.

Once again, please accept our apologies for causing this mess in the first place. We hope that this patch will help you progress with your Campaigns as expected. If you still encounter issues, please do not hesitate to contact us here, on the Steam Forum, or on our Discord at https://www.discord.gg/exorstudios

EXOR Studios