- Dev Update: New Island Progress & FAQ - 12 September 2026
Hey Everyone,We’re back with your regular dev update! Work on the New Island is moving forward steadily, and we’ve got some fresh work-in-progress screenshots to share. Keep in mind that some of the textures and models below are still placeholders.This region represents the middle third of the island, which is heavily affected by active lava flows.Some parts are still holding up nicely despite the heatWe're also adding much more verticality to the terrainRelease Timeline We know everyone is eager to know when the full update drops. While our original target was the end of Q3, we are shifting the full release to Q4. We know delays are tough to hear, and we appreciate your patience while we refine performance, balance, and map content. In the meantime, the New Island preview branch remains available.FAQDevelopment & UpdatesCan players port endgame drillships to the New Island? Yes, once i…
- New Island Preview - Patch 2.0.206.0 - 6 August 2026
We’ve got another round of updates for the Island Preview branch! This patch focuses on smoothing out the Orchard Port loop, updating your journal, and giving you new tools to play with in the form of an upgraded Steam Roller and new trolley-crane mechanics. Let’s dive into the key changes!Full change log at the end of this post.Orchard Port GameplayOrchard Port gameplay has been improved and optimized. Access to the Sewers and Armory has been updated, and key placements now make much more sense. Many of the dark basements are now illuminated by dim light from dead COGs, while fake light sources have been removed. We've also replaced the placeholder pump and generator buttons with a proper model.We’ve also streamlined the Drillship repair quests. While there's still more to do, this iteration is a big step closer to our vision.Journal ExpandedYour guide is now up to date! Full journal c…
- Dev Update: Hotfix #6, New Island Progress - 11 July 2026
Hey Everyone,Hotfix #6 is coming soon. It will probably be the last patch for the Preview branch. We've finished the Orchard Port gameplay, we're finalizing the Journal and we're making improvements to the Steam Roller.Key ChangesOrchard Port gameplay: finished and smoothed outJournal: added entries and side objectives for locations and the drillshipSteam Roller: improved driving, added audioBugfixes: fixed the jittery camera when walking on stairs or trashThere's a lot of smaller usability improvements coming along: interaction with the Drillship during repair, trolley interaction, placement of various items, and more. We also plan to give players some small pointers regarding the Steam Roller: a poster, a note, or something similar.Next major updatesIn case you missed the last Steam post, here's a quick summary of what's next for Volcanoids.This Summer: classic Volcanoids gameplay on…
- New Island Preview - Patch 2.0.117.0 - 25 June 2026
This hotfix primarily focuses on resolving critical lighting issues, gameplay bugs, and the biggest performance bottlenecks. Alongside these fixes, we've adjusted the underground lighting and introduced a new heavy-duty flashlight to help you navigate.Soon we will be rolling out the first phase of gameplay changes for Orchard Port. While the area is still not quite where we want it to be, it’s getting closer. Our goal for this location is to allow players to freely explore the environment, master the basics of crafting, and discover multiple different paths to reach their *objective*.Featuresadded a heavy-duty flashlightdarker atmosphere undergroundperformance optimizationsadded weapons and loot to few placesdisabled access to the Hydromechanicum caves (empty, unfinished location)minor adjustment to Orchard Port gameplay and pathingFixesfixed auto-exposure on Intel GPUs (extremely brigh…
- Dev Update: Hotfix #5, Summer Plans & Beyond - 19 June 2026
Hey Everyone,It's been three weeks since we launched The New Island preview, and you're probably wondering what's coming next. We’ve been reading your comments, reviews, and forum posts, and we are adjusting our plans based on your feedback.Here is what the near future looks like for Volcanoids.Next Week: Hotfix #5 & Steam SaleWe'll be releasing Hotfix #5 next week alongside a Steam sale. This patch focuses heavily on bug fixes, lighting improvements, and related gameplay.Key ChangesIntel GPU Fix: Resolved the issue causing an over-bright screen.Performance: First batch of optimizations.Lighting Fixes: Fixed lighting across all three locations.Darker Atmosphere: Tunnels, caves, and sewers are now properly dark.Heavy-duty Flashlight: New handheld tool (With the new lighting, a light source is essential under the ground).Orchard Port UpgradeBased on your feedback, many players struggled w…
- New Island Preview - Patch 2.0.64.0 - 1 June 2026
Fixesfixed non-interactive doors in the sewersfixed missing water collider beneath the sewersfixed multiple repeating voice linesfixed Rosegate Port questlinefixed crane camera not switching properlyVisual improvementsfixed broken lighting on terrain texturesfixed black lighting issues inside the drillshipfixed black lighting issues in Rosegate Port and Hydromechanicum control roomfixed black lighting in few other locationsNote from the DevelopersApologies for the "black" lighting issue, which was accidentally introduced in a recent hotfix.While some lighting issues persist, they should no longer be game-breaking. These are mostly instances of exterior light leaking into interiors, typically shifting with camera movement and rotation (one example can be found right at the start, in the corner of the submarine). Additionally, some areas are missing proper lighting entirely. For instance,…
- New Island Preview - Patch 2.0.44.0 - 30 May 2026
Fixesfixed missing ladder in lower parts of the sewersfixed issue with expeditions caused by saving and loadingfixed missing water on new island map (map screen)increased damage of the elite cog in expedition #5fixed collider issue with smelter in Rosegate portdestroying the smelter in Rosegate port respawn it without spawning trash
- New Island Preview - Patch 2.0.41.0 - 29 May 2026
Fixesfixed lava damage zone dealing damage after respawnfixed 9 missing expeditionsremoved wooden gate in the Hydromechanicum pipe entryfixed missing cliffs and terrain near the Hydromechanicum pipe entryfixed overly bright reflections in the pipes below the Hydromechanicumfixed Hydromechanicum water level issues related to saving and loadingfixed a bug where the Hydromechanicum “Flooded” voice line played incorrectlyfixed the culling distance for pickable objects in Rosegate Portadjusted the damaged tank to contain appropriate loot and slightly increased its HPfixed the map window to correctly display the new island mapfixed an issue where Journal notifications failed to trigger in certain casesfixed an error that was being written to the log file upon starting the gamefixed lighting on barren parts of the island for High, Very High and Ultra quality settings (Medium and lower remain u…
- New Island Preview - Patch 2.0.37.0 - 29 May 2026
Fixesfixed a black screen when starting the gamefixed interaction with ordersfixed repeating voice lines when talking to the Captain through "the radio"removed blue objects near the Hydromechanicum turbinethe Smelter in Rosegate Port can no longer be repaired before moving it to its final locationfixed placeholder bridge in Rosegate Portfixed the Coupling Ring recipe to use Copper Ingots instead of Scrap Metalfixed an issue where inactive Expeditions were still spawning unitsThis is our first quick patch to address the most critical issues. Expect a second hotfix later today targeting additional bugs near the Hydromechanicum (specifically around the pipe exit) and The Expeditions. Currently only first expedition out of 10 is visible. Linux version of this patch will arrive a bit later, it takes much longer to build. Thank you for your patience and feedback!
- New Island Preview - live now - 28 May 2026
Today is the day! We are excited to release the first preview of the brand-new island.It has been 18 months since our last major update, and a lot has happened behind the scenes. To be transparent: we overestimated our initial abilities, hit severe burnout, went through leadership changes, and had to change our plans. It was a rough road. Finally, we are here and thrilled to get this preview into your hands. Hopefully the road to the next update will be a bit smoother.Major featuresNew Island featuring 3 locationsOrchard Port + SewersHydromechanicumRosegate PortReworked quests & environmental interactionsRepair generators, use cranes to move objects, restore power to facilities and more.Steam Roller prototypeA brand-new vehicle type to play with.World BuildingTons of new buildings, vegetation and props.Character audioThe Captain and Sailor now speak gibberish! (A massive thank you to Mi…
- New Island Preview Coming NEXT WEEK! - 22 May 2026
Hey everyone,The last two months passed incredibly quickly (at least for us), there's one more week to go! On May 28th we're launching the New Island Preview. Quick summary of what's comingThe New Island preview includesOrchard Port - The entry location with submarine, lighthouse, sewers and cavesHydromechanicum - A heavily damaged hydroelectric plant and small damRosegate Port - A big shipyard with civilian and industrial infrastructureSteam Roller - A brand-new, player-driven vehicleYou can see all three locations here. You might also notice that the volcano has gotten taller and much more massive... more on that later.The Steam Roller will be well hidden. Where would you look for it?GameplayIn terms of gameplay you'll be able to explore the locations, interact with various devices, fight enemies and do some basic crafting. Your main goal for this preview is getting the Drillship and…
- Dev Update: Rosegate Port & New Island Progress - 1 May 2026
Hey everyone,It’s been three weeks since our last update. First, we’d like to thank you for the incredible amount of positive feedback and comments. We truly weren't expecting that level of support.Right now, the team is focused on adding detail to the houses and streets. We're placing props, decals and making the place feel like it was abandoned in a rush. We're also replacing remaining placeholders with actual assets - little fences, brick walls and similar. In the next few weeks, we plan to improve the nature around the first three locations and finalize the gameplay.Today, we want to share more about the gameplay at Rosegate Port.Rosegate PortThe industrial area of Rosegate Port is packed with heavy machinery, including railroads, crane and other industrial hardware. You will be tasked with partially restoring the functionality of this location and using its smelter to produce essen…
- An Honest Update on Volcanoids - 10 April 2026
Hey everyone,We owe you a real explanation.Since our last update in December 2024, you have been waiting for the new island. Over the last few months, you’ve mostly heard silence from our end. We know that the combination of long delays and a lack of communication has led many of you to feel like Volcanoids was abandoned.That’s on us.We went through significant team changes that disrupted our development and fractured our communication. While these were internal shifts, the result impacted you - a lack of transparency. We want to be clear: The game is still in development, and you’ll be able to play it.What We’re FinalizingNew Island Locations: Orchard Port, Rosegate Port, Hydromechanicum and its caves and sewers.The Steamroller: This new vehicle is essentially complete and undergoing a final polish.Gameplay & Quests: We are integrating new locations with meaningful quests and progressi…
- Development Progress #3 - 4 December 2025
Hey everyone, here's another recap of the stuff the team has done in the past few weeks! As always, thank you for your trust and patience and without further a do, let's dive in: Quest system reworkThe new map lends itself well to give the quest system a bit of a rework. The main goal is to make it less hand-holdy and minimize the amount of reading you'll have to do.And one of the biggest tools we decided to utilize is...Voice lines Instead of having to read an entire phonebook every time you want to complete a quest.You will now hear the captain give you hints and tips from time to time. In addition, your own character will point out stuff as well.We've been testing it and so far it feels a lot more smooth and fun than getting a detailed step by step list of directions for every single task. There will still be some pointers on the hud in a few cases but not as text heavy as before. Te…
- How Each Location Is Made - 4 November 2025
Thought it would be interesting for y'all to see what goes into creating each location from start to finish for the new island. So here it goes! 1. LORE AND REFERENCES First the lore is created with a bunch of references to use as inspiration for the different locations so they feel realistic, have the atmosphere we want, and fit into the lore as a whole. 2. RAW SKETCH Then a rough sketch is put together from all of it as a guideline for the next stages. We used to make these hand-drawn sketches you see below, but then we switched to these 3D sketches made from simple shapes so the other artists can see it from all angles for the next stages. You can check out one of our 3d sketches yourself here: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/seismotorium-3d-sketch-298b4106215c43ec8c41b9c4d97fdf62 3. VISUAL CONCEPT A more detailed visual concept follows that gives more of that feel and look we want w…
- Development Progress #2 - 15 October 2025
Hi guys, as most of you mentioned, you want to keep seeing the development updates no matter how work in progress they are. So here's another batch for ya! This is not everything we've been working on, just a few snippets. For example, the area 1 boss and its environment is coming together really well but we don't want to spoil it. 1. Steamroller Sidecar The sidecar is now fully functional. You can use everything while sitting in it like if you were on foot, rotate 360, and even switch from first-person to third-person. The bracer is also accessible so you could even call in drones if you wanted to. 2. New LocationsGot some new locations in the pipeline that uncover more of the lore and Captain's role in all of it. Below you can see the lore for each location, rough 3D sketch with references (you can click the links to actually see the model in 3D) and a whitebox level. Hydromechanicum…
- Development Update - 13 September 2025
Don't have one cool thing to show this time, so this post will be a mix and match of everything that's been going on for the past few weeks! STEAMROLLER TURRET UPGRADEYou've seen the turret in a lot of the steamroller content but never active. It is now fully implemented so it finally shreds COGs for you! STEAMROLLER SIDECAR UPGRADEEven more exciting then the turret is imo the sidecar upgrade, where you can ride along one of your buddies, AND USE YOUR WEAPONS while they drive! No doubt this will create some funny moments. Just gotta fix the back breaking haha.NATURE TAKING OVERNow that we have a bunch of locations set up, we are experimenting with different tools to generate terrain. We really want to sell the idea that the island has been abandoned and reclaimed by nature. STEAMROLLER DOCKINGThe docking animations are now finished, with the Steamroller packing nicely inside so you can…
- Wrenchlow - 9 August 2025
Appreciate all the support on the previous location preview! Got another one this week for y'all and I think it might be my favorite one yet. Check it out: Before the catastrophe, Wrenchlow was a humble working-class town named after miner James Wrenchlow, whose statue stood at its center above a secret rebel base, the Lead Lanterns. The group operated under the nose of their overseer, Doc. Victor Rawensdale, gathering evidence of strange shipments, restricted mine areas, and underground structures, aided by an insider known as “Captain.” Weeks before devastating earthquakes struck, families evacuated, leaving mostly men to work. When the quakes hit, the reinforced bunker beneath the statue spared the remaining townsmen. Afterward, the Lead Lanterns revealed their findings, but Ironwealth’s power silenced any change. The town was abandoned, overgrown by nature, while the ruined bunker s…
- Darksaddle + Steamroller Feedback - 2 August 2025
Got a look at another location for you this week. But first off, thank you for all the love on the Steamroller post, really glad you like it! As far as some of the suggested features go: Upgrades are already in process. So are hands on the wheel in FP mode as far as I know. And will make sure to include the motion blur disable option in settings. So thanks again for all the feedback and enjoy the location preview! Darksaddle Once a quiet, ash-covered landmark known as Darksaddle, the area gained strategic importance when Ironwealth uncovered a seemingly endless supply of coal during railroad expansion. This discovery led to the rapid construction of a massive mining rig, turning the hill into a noisy industrial hub powered by steampunk engines. Despite its location in a tourist region, Ironwealth pressed on, installing sound barriers to contain the disruption. When the catastrophic eart…
- Steamroller Improvements - 15 July 2025
First off, thank you all so much for all the kind words under the last post, means the world!Second, the Steamroller got a bunch of cool updates so let's take a look: Motion BlurrrrrrGave the speed boost a bit more oomph with some motion blur and zoom out effect. Here's a comparison: RoadkillsBullying COGs has never been easier with roadkills now working. Depending on your speed, you will either stun them, or trash them into pieces hehe. Drillship DockingFirst Person?Kinda chaotic, kinda like it.Twitter and Discord saw these first!
