Space Engineers 2: Alpha Reveal

Engineers, prepare for liftoff! Today marks a monumental leap in the Space Engineers saga. 

We are thrilled to announce Space Engineers 2, the revolutionary next chapter in space simulation gaming. 

This isn't just an update—it's a complete reimagining of the space engineering experience, built on new foundations to push the boundaries of what's possible in a sandbox universe.

Space Engineers 2 Alpha Launch and Pre-order Information

Mark your calendars: The Space Engineers 2 Alpha will launch on January 27, 2025. But you don't have to wait until then to join our journey, pre-orders are available now on our website.

You can pre-order either the Base Game or the Pioneer Edition, which includes the game's soundtrack and behind-the-scenes development materials.

On January 27, you'll have access to VS1: Creative Mode, our first vertical slice, featuring:

• new 25cm unified grid system (no more small vs. large grids!)
• new blueprint building (snap to grid, partial copy/paste, assign to toolbar)
• grid undo/redo
• enhanced creative mode with powerful building tools (new voxel hand, symmetry tools, line/plane building) and paint tool
• grid speeds up to ~300 m/s
• safe speed system preventing damage under 20 m/s
• new magboots with camera stabilization
• new physics and dynamic fractures and debris for more realistic destruction
• visual revolution thanks to ray tracing, global illumination, tessellated terrain, parallax mapping, sleek armor edges, and enhanced lighting
• New VRAGE3 engine brings better performance and future optimization potential

Additional Vertical Slices will follow in the months after, each expanding the game's features and content. This development process will continue over the next few years until we achieve our full vision for Space Engineers 2.

Highlighted features in Space Engineers 2 Alpha - Vertical Slice 1

PCU limits in SE2 VS1 Creative Mode provide substantial building freedom - enough to construct multiple large-scale ships and stations like several Red Ships or Green Stations. While PCU costs reflect more accurate performance measurements than SE1, we expect ongoing optimizations during development will allow for increases in PCU limits over time.

Blocks in VS1. Some blocks currently have limited functionality
 but will be enhanced in future Vertical Slices.

We're taking a unique approach with our Vertical Slice strategy, allowing us to perfect core features before moving to the next set. By sharing early access and development insights, we can incorporate valuable community feedback along the way. We're committed to delivering a polished and playable experience with each Vertical Slice, unlocking new possibilities as we progress. Our focus is on providing you with meaningful content, not unfinished prototypes.

Roadmap: The Vertical Slice Approach

Here's a glimpse of what's to come:

• VS 1: Creative Mode (January 27, 2025)
• VS 1.1: UGC Workshop (Mod.io) - Share your creations with other players
• VS 1.2: Improved mechanics and interface refinements
• VS 1.5: Modding - VRAGE HUB, VRAGE Editor, and other tools
• VS 2: Planets and Survival - Explore planets and our new Almagest System. Utilize new tools like backpack building and projection building, while experiencing improved progression and engaging challenges.
• VS 3: Water - Planetary-scale volumetric water transforms gameplay. Engineer across oceans, rivers, and lakes. Construct boats and submarines for underwater exploration. 
• More to Come - We have exciting plans for additional Vertical Slices that will expand upon core mechanics, introduce new features, and ultimately build towards a complete Space Engineers 2 experience. On the horizon: Multiplayer, NPCs, Story Campaign, and more.

Vertical Slice: is a fully playable portion of a game that showcases specific core features and improvements implemented at production quality, serving as a milestone in the game's development while more features are added in subsequent slices.

Our Vision for Space Engineers 2

Space Engineers 2 is more than just a sequel – it's a reimagining of the space engineering experience that takes everything you love about Space Engineers and makes it 10x better. Building on over 10 years of experience with the original Space Engineers, which has sold more than 5 million copies across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, we're bringing you closer than ever to our founding vision.

Imagine stepping into a universe where your creative engineering ambitions are finally unleashed with unprecedented power, depth, and possibility. With tools so intuitive they feel like sketching on paper yet powerful enough for your most ambitious designs, Space Engineers 2 transforms the creative experience with our next-generation VRAGE3 engine. For the first time, explore a rich universe with meaningful narrative and backstory, interact with NPCs in a living world, and harness new possibilities like volumetric water. Whether you're a seasoned engineer or taking your first steps into space, you'll craft your legacy in a universe that truly comes alive with your creations.

I can confidently say that Space Engineers 2 is the culmination of everything we've learned. It offers an experience that is more expansive, intricate, robust, and intuitive, primed for the next decade and beyond. We're making no compromises in our pursuit of the ultimate space engineering sandbox.

Why Space Engineers 2 is the Next Big Leap

We designed Space Engineers 2 to be 10x better than SE1 and other space and engineering games in every dimension that matters:

• More intuitive, yet deeper in gameplay possibilities
• More flexible in building, with fewer artificial constraints
• More visually stunning, with next-generation graphics
• More immersive, with rich storytelling and living universe with human NPCs
• More performant, leveraging modern hardware
• More engaging survival experience in a dynamic world 

All of this is powered by our new VRAGE3 engine, representing a quantum leap in space sandbox gaming.

Our vision for Space Engineers 2 is the following:

Intuitive User Experience

The days of steep learning curves are over. We've redesigned the user experience with an intuitive interface and fast feedback systems. Veterans will find all the depth they love, while new players can jump right into building.

Building Freedom

Our revolutionary 25cm unified grid system eliminates the traditional small vs. large grid distinction. Build with unprecedented flexibility - from intricate machinery to massive space stations, all within a single, coherent system. 

Enhanced building mechanics include grid undo/redo, blueprint building (partial copy/paste, snap to grid, assign to toolbar), paint tool, and symmetry tools for effortless design work.

Visual & Physical Revolution

VRAGE3's GPU-driven pipeline delivers stunning next-generation visuals with raytracing, global illumination, tessellated terrain, and parallax mapping. Experience true volumetric environments where everything - from planets and asteroids to your own ships - is volumetric, fully destructible and physically simulated. Seamlessly travel from space to planets with no loading screens, all while maintaining smooth performance and visual fidelity.

Building & Survival

Enhanced survival mechanics make the early game more engaging with backpack building for immediate crafting from raw materials. Plan ahead with projection building to visualize your constructions before committing resources. 

Experience fully simulated volumetric water for the first time - build underwater bases, design submarines, and harness H2O in entirely new ways across enhanced planets with diverse biomes and dynamic weather systems.

Story & Universe

The mysterious Almagest System introduces the first-ever story campaign in Space Engineers history, complete with human NPCs and factions that bring the universe to life. Trade with space stations, solve challenging quests, and encounter AI-driven ships that respond to your actions. Your engineering skills now have purpose within a rich narrative filled with diverse characters and ancient mysteries. Each construction contributes to unraveling the secrets of this vast new frontier.

Technical Innovation

• Multi-core scalability will enable larger, more complex builds
• Data-oriented architecture ensures future optimization potential
• Enhanced physics simulation with realistic destruction and deformation
• GPU-driven pipeline for superior visual quality and performance
• True volumetric environment enabling seamless space-to-planet gameplay

Hardware requirements

The increased hardware requirements reflect SE2's advanced rendering, enhanced physics simulation, and more detailed grid system - all of which demand more computational power than SE1.

Since SE2 is in alpha, many optimizations are still ahead of us. However, VRAGE3's data-oriented architecture gives us the freedom to optimize and scale performance further.

Community Involvement and Early Access

We believe that community involvement from the earliest stages is crucial to making Space Engineers 2 everything it can be. By offering pre-orders and early access, we're inviting you to shape the future of the Space Engineers universe.

The community HAS to be involved, there is no other way. We believe that community involvement, from the earliest possible point, is the only way to ensure Space Engineers 2 will be everything we want it to be. It would be a mistake to leave you out of this process and to make you wait until the game is complete.

Early adopters will have access to:

• All current and future Vertical Slices until release
• Dedicated feedback channels
• Regular dev livestreams and development updates

Commitment to Space Engineers 1

Our dedication to Space Engineers 1 (SE1) remains as strong as ever. For over 11 years, we've consistently delivered free updates, enhancing the game experience for our community. We're continuing active development - while the 1.205 Contact Update has just been released, the design team is already hard at work on the next update. 

In 1.206, we're planning to introduce more PvE content and refresh some of the existing Cargo Ships.

Alongside the NPC Cargo Ship overhauls, there are a number of very exciting blocks and features headed your way. This month we showcased one of the more unique items on the list, coming as part of the free portion of the 1.206 update - a large grid variant of the Small Inset Connector.

This block serves as an adapter which allows small grids equipped with the Small Connector to directly connect to large grids, vastly improving the docking experience for grids which utilize them.

Space Engineers 1 (SE1) and Space Engineers 2 (SE2) will coexist, each offering unique experiences for players.

Important Transparency Notice About Early Access

Space Engineers 2 is currently in early alpha development, offering our first vertical slice (VS1) of the game. While we're committed to delivering a polished experience within this segment, please be aware that:

• This is an alpha version and may contain bugs and imperfections, which we are actively working to address
• The current release represents only a portion of the planned full game
• All features, mechanics, and content are subject to change during development
• We are continuously gathering feedback and making improvements

We believe in full transparency with our community: if you prefer a more complete gaming experience, you may want to wait for future vertical slices or the full release. Your understanding and support during this development journey are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for being part of Space Engineers 2's evolution.

Development History

VRAGE3 development began in January 2022. 

VRAGE3 is an evolution of our VRAGE2 engine used in Space Engineers (SE1).

We're developing VRAGE3 instead of iterating on VRAGE2 because we needed to make big architectural changes to ensure the game is expandable and ready for the next decade. We tested multiple third-party game engines but decided not to use them, as none were built for a game like Space Engineers 2, with fully destructible and dynamic, massively large-scale environments and physics. The amount of work required to tailor those engines for Space Engineers 2 would be too great. We figured it's better to work on our own engine, own it, have the freedom to customize it in any direction, which ultimately helps make Space Engineers 2 stand out from other games. We aim to be unique and true to our core principles!

This powerful new engine is designed to support the advanced features and performance improvements in Space Engineers 2, setting the stage for the next decade of space engineering innovation.

The Teams

Over the past three years, our Space Engineers 2 and VRAGE3 team has grown to 70 dedicated individuals: programmers, artists, designers, QA, production, sound, music, video creation and PR. 

Our leadership team (alphabetical order):

• Marek Rosa (Creative Director & CEO)
• Vladislav Polgar (COO & Producer)
• ===
• Andrej Bunjac (VRAGE3 Engine Voxels Team)
• Daniel Ilha (VRAGE3 Engine Physics Team)
• Gerd Fankhaenel  (Design Team)
• Jan Hlousek (Technical Director)
• Jan Trauske (Art Team)
• Michal Kucis  (VRAGE3 Backend Team)
• Miroslav Farkaš  (Tools & UI team)
• Natiq Aghayev  (Art Team)
• Ondřej Nahálka (QA Team)
• Petr Minarik (Water Team)
• Tomas Drinovsky (VRAGE3 Frontend Team)
• William Ravaine (Gameplay Team)

On top of this, Space Engineers 1 (SE1) has its own team of 30 developers.

I personally feel we've never had better teams at Keen. People are professional, dedicated, and enthusiastic about our projects. It's clear everyone is putting their heart into what we do.

I want to thank our amazing team! Great teamwork! Together we are creating something beautiful with Space Engineers 2 - you can see it's truly a work of love in every detail.

Development Process

At the core of our development strategy for Space Engineers 2 lies a commitment to both innovation and accessibility. We began by identifying what is the core of Space Engineers—what elements are essential and unchangeable in SE2, but could be reimagined and improved upon. This led us to developments like the 25cm unified grid system, planetary-scale volumetric water, streamlined user interface, a story-driven campaign with NPCs, significantly improved visuals, enhanced fracture and destruction mechanics, and more.

While expanding these technical capabilities, we maintained an unwavering focus on user experience. Our goal was to preserve—and even enhance—the rich complexity that players loved in Space Engineers 1 while making the game more intuitive and approachable.

To execute this vision effectively, we established a comprehensive multi-year roadmap and assembled specialized teams across key areas: VRAGE3 Engine, VRAGE3 Render, and VRAGE3 Tools, alongside dedicated units for 3D Art, Game Design, UI/UX, Level Design, Quality Assurance, Gameplay Programming, Story Writing, Sound Design, Music Composition, PR and Community Management, and project production.

As Creative Director, my role centers on establishing and maintaining Space Engineers' core pillars. I focus on preserving what makes the game special while driving innovation and improvement. This involves building strong teams and leadership, effectively communicating our vision, and ensuring everyone remains aligned with our core principles and singular direction. I regularly review and shape features through hands-on playtesting sessions, providing detailed feedback and leading discussions about potential improvements. This iterative process helps ensure we're consistently delivering on our vision while maintaining the high quality standards our players expect.

Our development process emphasizes thorough planning and validation. Every feature undergoes a rigorous design phase, with documentation subject to team review and formal approval before implementation begins. We've implemented robust automated testing and continuous integration pipelines, enabling stable builds that facilitate feature testing without compromising overall system stability.

In 2024, we transitioned to a Vertical Slice development methodology, focusing on delivering fully polished, working segments of the game experience. We successfully completed our first Vertical Slice (VS1) in late November 2024, and are now progressing with VS2. Simultaneously, we're advancing other critical components, including VS3 Water and our Story Campaign, which features a new Mission scripting system.

Looking back to our original Space Engineers announcement in 2013, it's remarkable to see how far we've come in these ten years, building the foundation for what Space Engineers 2 will become.

Planets and Water are work-in-progress

The Almagest System: Backstory

Space Engineers 2 is set in the mysterious Almagest System, humanity's ambitious leap into the unknown, 10,000 light-years from Earth.

In 2083, humanity launched the Bering Project—its most ambitious endeavor—to send pioneers across space and forge a new destiny among the stars. The Almagest system was chosen not out of necessity, but as a testament to human capability and the spirit of exploration. Beneath the surface of scientific curiosity lay a deeper motivation: the desire for a new frontier, free from the constraints of Earth's governments and societal structures.

Planets and Water are work-in-progress

The Bering Project sent multiple waves of colonists on a one-way journey, knowing they would never return to Earth or see their families again. These brave explorers were driven by the promise of freedom and self-reliance, much like the settlers of the old world who ventured into uncharted territories. Their mission was to build a new future for humanity, unbound by the limitations of their past.

The Almagest is no ordinary star system. At its heart lies not one star, but two - the radiant Almagest and its dimmer companion, the brown dwarf Delfos. Orbiting this unusual pair are three distinct worlds: verdant Verdure with its Earth-like potential, red and dusty Kemik reminiscent of Mars, and the enigmatic water world Byblos.

Planets and Water are work-in-progress

You'll encounter diverse groups, each with its own vision for this frontier. Astronauts Without Borders embody the ideals of cooperation, while the militaristic Legion of Engineers stands ready to defend humanity's progress. The isolated Ellickite communities, religious isolationists, and the Boatmen, a mysterious cult born from tragedy, add layers of intrigue and danger to your journey.

For the first time in Space Engineers, you'll interact with NPCs throughout your adventures. These characters—ranging from allies and pioneers to adversaries with their own agendas—play pivotal roles in advancing the narrative, offering missions, and enriching the history of the Almagest.

Planets and Water are work-in-progress

As you explore, you'll discover traces of something unexpected. Someone was here before. Your engineering skills and critical decisions will determine the success of humanity's boldest expedition. What secrets await in the Almagest? Your choices will shape humanity's future among the stars.

Venturing into the Almagest, you carry the hopes and dreams of all those who sought a fresh start. While Earth continues to progress in your absence, you and your fellow colonists are writing a new chapter in human history—pushing beyond known frontiers to build a future among the stars, governed by your own rules and ideals.

Sandbox & Story Campaign

In Space Engineers 2, you can experience the Almagest System in two ways. Build freely in the sandbox mode, where you can forge your own stories and create without limits in this vast frontier. Or embark on our first-ever story campaign, where you'll uncover the system's deepest mysteries through a series of challenging missions.

The campaign follows brothers Miroslav and Ivan Sokol, who have just completed their 10,000-year voyage aboard The Calypso, emerging from their last cycle of cryosleep as their ship crossed the vast distance between Earth and humanity's new frontier. As they awaken from their long slumber, they face an immediate crisis. Their ship, carrying this final wave of 500 settlers, comes under attack. In moments, the vessel is torn apart, and while most passengers remain trapped in their cryosleep chambers, the Sokol brothers race against time to save those they can reach—leaving Miroslav and Ivan and the handful of souls they managed to rescue as the survivors of The Calypso's tragic end.

You will take on the role of Miroslav Sokol, a brilliant space engineer with a troubled past, driven by a strong moral compass and a desire to protect others. His younger brother Ivan, equally skilled but more impulsive and morally ambiguous, has always lived in Miroslav's shadow. Their complicated relationship, strained by past events and new traumas, forms the emotional core of this interstellar drama that unfolds throughout your journey. As the Sokol brothers face unprecedented challenges in this alien system, will their bond strengthen in the face of adversity, or will the pressures of their new reality drive them further apart? The fate of their relationship – and potentially the future of the Almagest – hangs in the balance.

As Miroslav grapples with the devastating loss of the passengers, he must navigate a complex social landscape that has emerged in the decade since the first colonists arrived. The Almagest system is teeming with the hopes, dreams, and conflicts of settlers who ventured here to establish a new civilization.

Prepare your tools, fire up your engines, and set out on the most ambitious adventure Space Engineers has ever offered. The Almagest awaits—a canvas of untapped potential and hidden wonders. Whether you're building freely in the sandbox or uncovering the mysteries of our story campaign, here, amidst the stars, you'll have the chance to build not just structures and machines, but the foundation of a new civilization that embodies the spirit that drove humanity to reach for the stars.

Pioneer Edition

Pioneer Edition includes the base game, soundtrack, and exclusive behind-the-scenes development materials (from 2022 to 2024). As development continues, we will keep adding new content and updates.

For Space Engineers 2's soundtrack and in-game music, we wanted to capture the story of people who carried their ancestral heritage across 10,000 light-years to The Amalgest System. We drew inspiration from various ethnic styles: the soul-stirring melodies of Eastern Europe, the mystical sounds of Arabia, the intricate patterns of Indian music, and the primal rhythms of Northern European tribes. 

To bring this vision to life, we turned to Karel Antonin, who has been composing and leading music production for our games for almost 15 years, from Miner Wars through Space Engineers and Medieval Engineers. Under Karel's direction, each piece of music became a bridge between Earth's ancient cultures and humanity's far future, blending traditional instruments with modern synthesizers to show how our musical heritage might evolve across millennia. 

Working with talented musicians and a full orchestra, Karel composed music that feels both ancient and futuristic, where you might hear folk melodies transformed through electronic textures while still maintaining their emotional core. This vision continues the musical journey we began together all those years ago, growing and evolving with each game we create.

FAQ

Q: Will VS1 contain all blocks that are currently in Space Engineers 1?

A: SE1 has been in development for over 11 years, so it will take some time for SE2 to reach that level of content. VS1 will contain the most important blocks, but since it's launching in creative mode, most of them won't be functional (for example, the Assembler will not be able to produce components).

Q: What are we getting on January 27, 2025?

A: We will release VS1 (Creative Mode). All other innovations - including planets, survival mode, water, NPCs, campaign, and many more features - will follow in additional vertical slices. Players who join early access will receive all these updates at no extra cost.

Q: Can I transfer my grids from SE1 to SE2?

A: Yes, we have developed a transfer tool for this purpose: Grid Exporter tool. The tool and its user guide are available at: https://2.spaceengineersgame.com/experienced-players/grid-exporter/ 

However, please note that Space Engineers 1 and 2 use different grid systems, so not all blocks can be transferred directly. Any incompatible grid sections will be automatically replaced with armor blocks.

Q: Why are you making a sequel and new engine instead of simply iterating with SE1?

A: We want SE2 to be a revolutionary step from SE1, unconstrained by the past (SE1 code base became complex and convoluted over the years), backward compatibility in file systems and data structures (e.g., now we have a 25cm unified grid system, so old grids are not easily transferable, and this would break many save files, worlds, and blueprints on Workshop). We also wanted a game/engine architecture that is ready for the next decade, scalable with multiple cores, etc. Sometimes it's best to take what you've learned and start with a clean slate.

Q: Why aren’t you launching Space Engineers 2 with Water? Why not wait until water is done?

A: Water is a complex feature that requires more time to perfect. Rather than delay the entire game, we chose to have a roadmap where we can release meaningful improvements sooner rather than later, so that we can share with our community what we are working on and openly talk about it. We're starting with Creative Mode, followed by Survival and Planets, which is a deliberate order. One of our key improvements in SE2 is the 25cm unified grid system, but we especially want to enhance the accessibility and intuitiveness of the user experience. Beginning with Creative Mode allows us to focus on these core improvements and gather valuable feedback before introducing more complex gameplay elements.

Q: Why are you releasing a Space Engineers 2 (SE2) alpha while Space Engineers 1 (SE1) is actively updated? Isn’t this unusual?

A: We understand this approach isn't typical (but we were never a standard game development studio!). We value our community's involvement and want to develop Space Engineers 2 alongside you. By releasing an alpha early, we can share the development process, gather valuable feedback, and iterate more frequently through vertical slices. This collaborative approach will help us create the best possible experience for everyone. After all, would anyone prefer to wait a few years until we finish SE2 behind closed doors and then release it with a big bang?

Q: What about Space Engineers (SE1)?

A: We continue developing it, the next update will be in the following months.

Q: What About PlayStation/Xbox?

A: At this stage, we’re focusing all our efforts on the PC Alpha. Console release processes are quite different from Steam Early Access, and the current stage of development requires frequent updates that are better suited to PC versions.

However, we absolutely want to bring Space Engineers 2 to PlayStation and Xbox in the future!

Conclusion

Space Engineers 2 represents not just the next chapter in our journey, but a new beginning for space sandbox gaming. We invite you to join us in this ambitious endeavor, to push the boundaries of creativity, engineering, and exploration.

The cosmos is your canvas. Engineer your dreams!

🛰️ Join the conversation - Find us on your platform of choice!
➡️ https://www.keenswh.com/connect/

The price of the Space Engineers 2 is $29.99 USD, Pioneer Edition DLC $14.99 USD and Pioneer Edition Bundle $44.98 USD or your regional equivalent.

Preorder Now & Play on Steam January 27, 2025: https://2.spaceengineersgame.com/store

Remember, Space Engineers 2 is currently in alpha. By pre-ordering and participating in the early access, you're not just getting a game—you're becoming part of the development process. Together, we'll shape the future of space engineering.

Thank you for reading this blog!

 

Best,
Marek Rosa
CEO, Creative Director, Founder at Keen Software House
CEO, CTO, Founder at GoodAI

Personal bio:

Marek Rosa is the founder and CEO of Keen Software House, an independent game development studio, and GoodAI, a research company focused on general artificial intelligence development.

Keen Software House, established in 2010, developed Space Engineers, which has sold over 5 million copies and maintains the 4th largest Workshop community on Steam with over 500K user creations. The studio is now developing Space Engineers 2, built on their new generation in-house VRAGE3 engine.

Following the success of Keen Software House, Marek founded GoodAI in 2014 with a $10 million personal investment. The company develops autonomous agents and AI technologies, including the AI People game featuring LLM-driven NPCs with long-term memory and evolving personalities. Current projects include Groundstation, a multi-drone system.

Both companies, employing over 100 professionals, work toward advancing technology through gaming and artificial intelligence, with GoodAI's specific focus on developing AGI to help humanity understand and explore the universe.