- v0.815 (Small Engine Patch) - 8 September 2026
Engine Updates: Startup: more robust handling of dormant GPU processes that fail to callback after init Startup: more robust handling of corrupted or tampered config files Startup: zombie processes from previous failed startup attempts are detected and ceased Windowed mode is now minimizable
- v0.814 Update: New Brains for Drones + More... - 28 August 2026
Greetings citizens of Utopia,A new mini-update is now live! This is a small but important one that adds a few quality-of-life features, addresses bugs and balance issues, and gives drones a significant IQ boost (particularly Atomic Drones). We are still very much in the Early Access phase, so your feedback is super important on the climb towards v1.0. As always, let us know if you have any suggestions, encounter any bugs or annoyances, or just want to show us your appreciation (we appreciate it!). Work on the next major content update is underway, more news on that soonish...CHANGELOG is available in the previous update.Cheers! Datassette
- + Patch Update v0.814 Now In Beta Testing + - 21 August 2026
Greetings citizens!A string of patch updates have been lurking in the beta branch for a while now – fixing a few bugs, addressing balance issues, adding a few oft-requested features, and making drones slightly less smooth-brained :)Now we need your help to make sure it's ready to be rolled out to everyone. So please check it out and let us know if you encounter any show-stopping bugs, annoyances or mistakes. In the meantime, rest assured that all of your feedback is being heard and work on the next major content update is underway, more news on that soonish!++ Version 0.814 is now live on the BETA branch ++CHANGELOGAdjustments / ImprovementsDirect city collisions are now less harmful for 5 seconds after a shield break, ramping from 95% protection to 0% over the period (city already receives a finite amount of immunity to nuke burn and vampire damage during this period (expended more qui…
- Utopia Must Fall gets a big upgrade, remaining a top-tier modern arcade shmup - 15 June 2026
Utopia Must Fall from Pixeljam is pretty magnificent, it's a true quality arcade shoot 'em up that I thoroughly enjoy that just got a nice big upgrade. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/06/utopia-must-fall-gets-a-big-upgrade-remaining-a-top-tier-modern-arcade-shmup/
- + The Escalation Update Is Live + - 4 June 2026
Hello UMFer's,We're extremely excited to launch the largest expansion to Utopia Must Fall yet - The Escalation Update.The highlights: Opportunity Upgrades & Meta Progression OUs are 'wildcard' upgrades that apply unique modifications to your city, weapons, outposts and dronesOUs need to be unlocked with XP earned after each apocalypse, and are then permanently added to the pool (meta progression)OUs will be offered randomly in the 8 vacant wildcard slots at the center of the tech treeIf taken, the OUs occupy the slot for the rest of the run, meaning a maximum of 8 OUs can be combined in a run Weapons, Enemies, Balance & Polish There are now a total of 4 base weapon trees, with multiple sub branches / modifiers and build synergiesA host of new enemies and attack wave styles have been added, including a new boss lurking around in week 5Difficulty balance and attack wave design has been ov…
- + Time To Beta Test The New Update + - 7 May 2026
Hello all, Thanks for the patience while we prepared what is by far the biggest update yet to Utopia Must Fall. It's now time to prime your blunderbuss and help us make sure the update is ready for the masses.++ Version 0.8076 is now live on the BETA branch ++Read the changelog here.New weapons, new bosses, new music, new upgrade paths, new cheevos & rewards, new New NEW!Please leave feedback in the BETA FEEDBACK channel on the Steam Forums. Newer players - we need your feedback in particular so we don't fall into the trap of testing the update only on the skilled / experienced.Thanks!Miles @ Pixeljam
- + Early 2026 Update Sneak Peek + - 19 December 2025
Hello all,We hope everyone has been enjoying the performance update, which has paved the way for actual content updates. A major one is currently cooking and starting to look nicely browned, but not totally ready to serve. Here is a sneak peak at what's coming up next:We expect it to start beta testing in early 2026, we'll keep you all posted :)-Miles @ Pixeljam
- Version 0.737 Hotfix - 6 November 2025
Version 0.737 is now live:FixesFixed ultra-high refresh rate monitor frame delta values being clamped, causing inconsistent game speedsFixed cumulative frame delta bug affecting certain high refresh rate monitors when limited to 90fpsFixed gamepad target movement continuing after controls being locked at the end of a day Adjustments / ImprovementsDifficulty scaling curve nodes adjusted: 4% easier by day 7, 6% easier by day 14Cheap Nukes are now chosen from a looping playlist with randomised start point (previously a weighted pool) to ensure every assortment of 7 nukes contains at least 2 Tsar Bombas, 3 in rare casesShield Blast will no longer be offered if the shield is offline and you don't already have Regenerative ShieldFlail will now be offered despite the shield being offline if you already have Regenerative Shield Graphics / Audio / QoLMinor particle fx tweaks'Early Access' subtit…
- The incredible UTOPIA MUST FALL has a big performance upgrade and now Steam Deck Verified - 21 October 2025
UTOPIA MUST FALL is absolutely one of the best arcade-styled base defense games made in modern times, and now it's massively better with a new update. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/10/the-incredible-utopia-must-fall-has-a-big-performance-upgrade-and-now-steam-deck-verified/
- + V 0.735 - The Performance Update Is Live + - 21 October 2025
Hello all,The next major update for Utopia Must Fall is here! Featuring:A major performance boost across all aspects of the game. For those that have never seen UMF running at a steady frame rate, the engine should now happily run at whatever rate your display allows (up to 6x more efficiently in some cases). Full Steam Deck support. Thanks for everyone's patience with this, we built the V99 engine ourselves and it took quite a bit of wrangling to get it working. New graphics options allowing you to get the best results for your system, including high DPI screen support, antialiasing and manual scaling. While this update was focused squarely on engine fundamentals, we've added a few highly requested features such as game over 'culprit' highlighting, more accurate collision detection, and a long list of balance tweaks (plus a couple of new upgrades for good measure).Full changelog is her…
- The truly excellent Utopia Must Fall has a new Beta with Steam Deck support - 3 October 2025
Utopia Must Fall is great base-defense arcade shooter, easily one of my favourites that I played earlier this year and soon Steam Deck players will enjoy it. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/10/the-truly-excellent-utopia-must-fall-has-a-new-beta-with-steam-deck-support/
- + Next Major Update Is Ready To Beta Test (Includes Steam Deck Support) + - 2 October 2025
Hello all,Thanks for the patience while we worked on this update, now ready to test in the BETA Branch. This update is a little different, as it focuses mainly on performance, graphics options, Steam Deck support, quality-of-life features, and lots of small additions and improvements. It was a necessary update to pave the way for new content, which will be much easier to add now that we have these others things out of the way. Please let us know how this build goes for you in the Beta Feedback Thread. CHANGELOG: v0.729 (beta branch)—————————————————————————————V99 Engine OverhaulEntirely new vector rendering system built from scratchAround 6x faster raw line drawing performance!Custom effect shader pipelineMultisample antialiasing up to 4xVariable pixel density up to 2.0xImproved system loop timing: legacy 'delta' timing mode removedSignificant optimisation gains in collision detection,…
- Pixeljam's Dino Run 2 Kickstarter Campaign - 5 September 2025
Hello all,Utopia Must Fall is approaching a smaller but significant update in the next few weeks, be on the look out. And now for the main reason to this post...Pixeljam has always worked on multiple projects at once (with different teams), and the thing we've probably spent the most time on is a sequel to our 2008 browser game Dino Run. It's pixel-art prehistoric multiplayer platformer with world-building tools included to let people create and share their own experiences.We've been either dreaming, planning, developing or crowdfunding on it since 2012 or so. We finally have enough momentum to make a final push to get to Early Access release on Steam, and if you are curious about it, please check out the Kickstarter campaign that we just launched: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pixeljam/the-dino-run-2-early-access-campaign?ref=9aoxr8Everyone that backs it will get immediate acces…
- Utopia Must Fall is easily one of the best modern arcade shoot 'em ups - 19 May 2025
Utopia Must Fall from developer Pixeljam has absolutely absorbed my attention recently. It's easily one of the best modern arcade shoot 'em ups I've ever played with a great moody atmosphere. Read the full article here: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/05/utopia-must-fall-is-easily-one-of-the-best-modern-arcade-shoot-em-ups/
- Version 0.702 ExtremelyHotFix - 16 May 2025
Addresses a late-game nullifier glitch.
- V. 0.701 Hotfix - 16 May 2025
v0.701 Hotfix QoL When first placing an outpost, a 'config?' tooltip appears above the outpost config buttons Deploy Drone Factory and Deploy Laser Watchtower upgrades show as blocked when outpost or factory capacity limit is reached Operation Hermit highlights as being blocked when hovering over Stockpile Nukes or Nuclear Weapons Lab offers Clarified 'fine keyboard aim' control functionality in options menus Fixes Fixed an accidentally rude typo! Fixed drone on drone collision boundary engine crash (!) in rare circumstances
- + The Industrial Update Is Live + - 14 May 2025
Hello all, The time has come for the biggest update to Utopia Must Fall yet. The INDUSTRIAL UPDATE is now live! Featuring: Skill tree: fully overhauled upgrade system with interactive tree structure, graphical icons for every upgrade and 4 special 'opportunity' slots. Requirements, blockers, hierarchy and time constraints for regular upgrades are demystified. Drones! Automated floating, modifiable allies that dodge hazards and chase enemies, equipped with onboard railgun turrets and adjustable behavioural parameters. Drone-related upgrades: Deploy Drone Factory, Twin Drone Factory, Atomic Drones, Double-Barrelled Drones, Robotics Specialist Watchtower mod: Q Disruptor - targets are temporarily timewarped to 0.25x regular speed Opportunity Upgrades: Cheap Nukes, Work Retreat, Red Flag Day, Context Switch New cities to defend: Cairo Horizon and HyperParis Many other additions, improvement…
- + Grid Ranger Version 1.0 Is Live (Also Made With V99) + - 25 March 2025
Hello all, As you may or may not know, Utopia Must Fall was created in our new vector game engine we call V99 - and we're making multiple games with it. Today we just released version 1.0 of GRID RANGER, an intense shortform 3D shmuplike featuring mouse-centric controls and classic arcade 'dodge & blast' action: Grid Ranger's Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2964400/Grid_Ranger/ If you already own UMF, you can get Grid Ranger as part of a bundle for a deeper-than-normal discount: Click here to check it out. Thanks for reading, and take care, -Miles @ Pixeljam
- + Progress Update - March 2025 + - 14 March 2025
Hello all, Things are moving along with the next major content update. We hear your requests for more early-game variety and we are focusing on this alongside a ton of smaller improvements. Here is a preview of the battle drones, which will be available in week 1. Build an enthusiastic little buddy to help fight for humanity right away, and steadily upgrade to a small army of automatic alien-slaughtering robo-beasts: The ever-popular skill tree is also coming together well. The bottom part of the tree in red (institute of automation) will eventually be filled out to be as beefy as all the other major branches: We expect this update to be in beta testing by April, and launching in early May. Also, if you haven't yet, please leave a review for the game! Every little bit helps get the game out to new players, and we'd love to hear from you. -Miles @ Pixeljam
- + Upcoming Plans / Price Increase / Developer Face Reveal + - 4 February 2025
Hello All, On February 15th, we will be increasing the price of Utopia Must Fall to $6.99 USD. We plan on upping it by a dollar for each major content update until it sits somewhere around 10 or 15 dollars total. We look forward to having 10+ dollars worth of content for 1.0 release, whenever that may be.... probably some time in 2026. Important: when we do price increases, Steam auto-suggests prices in every other region, and we generally just set it to what it suggests. But sometimes it suggests something that players in that region feel is way too high (often in Argentina, Turkey, Indonesia, etc). If you notice the price of the game in your region rise to something that feels unbalanced with what the game offers, please contact us! We're always open to reducing prices in other regions so that all may enjoy the game. --------////+++++ Here is what we're thinking about working on next.…
