What is this
Every Thursday, I will share a dev diary about what we’ve been working on over the past few weeks. I’ll focus on the interesting challenges and solutions that I encountered. I won’t be able to cover everything, but I’ll share what caught my interest.
Why am I doing it
I want to bring our community along on this journey, and I simply love writing about things I’m passionate about! This is my unfiltered dev journal, so please keep in mind that what I write here are my thoughts and will be outdated by the time you read this, as so many things change quickly. Any plans I mention aren’t set in stone and everything is subject to change. Also, if you don’t like spoilers, then don’t read this.
Space Engineers 2
Join us Monday, July 6th, for the release of the next major update for Space Engineers 2: VS2.3 Drive, Automate & Detonate!
📅 Monday, July 6, 5 PM UTC (19:00 Prague time)
🛰️ Twitch: https://twitch.tv/keencommunitynetwork
🛰️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/SpaceEngineersGame
What exactly will you find in this major update?
It’s time to give you a clear overview of what you can expect in upcoming VS2.3. This update is another big step forward for Space Engineers 2 – not just in terms of content, but in terms of systems coming online. We’re introducing new gameplay foundations, and deepening several core groundwork mechanics from our previous updates.
Major Update VS2.3: “Drive, Automate & Detonate” will bring the final Mechanical Blocks (Wheels & Hinges), explosions and destructive Warheads, and core Automation tools (Timer, Sensor, Event Controller) to the game! This update also expands exploration with new planetary stations and Endless Encounters, while introducing critical Combat enhancements and foundational Reworks to Survival progression and Ore Distribution.
New in Almagest System / Almagest System Exploration
- Sector Stages
- Foundation of world evolving, as you colonize
- Added new cutscenes
- New encounters and contracts
- Foundations of Endless encounters & contracts
- Brand new Tutorial / Almagest Introduction
- Reworked ore distribution in Almagest sectors
- Verdure now has gold, lead and magnesium (rare)
- Ore nodes has 3 categories: surface, medium and deep (100 m)
- rarer ores/larger nodes found further down you go
- Volcanic areas contain rare resource spots
- Added planetary stations
- Verdure – Vallis Reach
- Kemik – Dustspire Junction
- Palatine Orbit – Palatine Station
- Caligo Orbit – Caligo Station
- Added additional foliage (Planet Verdure)
Features – System Foundations
- Wind Physics
- Added Flight HUD
- Explosions
- O2H2 tanks
- Functional Reactors
- Ammo in inventories
- Warheads
- New Game menu redesign
- Classic Survival Start Added
- Character Skin system basics through Medical Bay
- Decals
- Bullet hit
- Drill impacting voxels
- Explosions
- Wheels
Features – Expansions
- Action Toolbar Groups support
- Subgrid support not yet, but planned
- Action Toolbar improvements (mouse tooltips, drag+drop)
- Added limits for Rotors/Pistons
- Manual Turret Control
- Added function to buttons / button panels
- Render, GPU optimizations
- Voxel Performance Improvements
- Unified access between Terminal and Cargo
- UI Tutorials
- Improved Landing Particle Effect
- Particle Effects randomization
- Flora Render improvements
- Better Grid guns crosshair alignment
- Added/Improved character animations and poses
- Added tons of new sounds
- Rework progression to fit current state of Almagest
- Fast travel sequence added
- F1 screen updated
Character Weapons & Tools
- Iron sight for character weapons (RMB)
New Blocks
- Wheels (6 sizes: 100, 150, 250, 500, 750, 1250)
- Hinge
- Event Controller
- Timer
- Sensor
- Control Panel
- Wind Turbine
- Rocket Turret Large
- Rocket Turret Small
- Large Rocket Launcher
- Small Rocket Launcher
- Large Warhead
- Small Warhead
- Sound Block
- LCD (Large)
- LCD (Medium)
- LCD (Small)
- Wide LCD (Large)
- Wide LCD (Medium)
- Wide LCD (Small)
- Narrow LCD (Large)
- Narrow LCD (Small)
- Corner LCD (Large)
- Corner LCD (Small)
- Interior Wall Cutout 2.5 m
- Wall Insert Panel 1.5 m
- Wall Insert Pipes 1.5 m
- Wall Insert Vent 1.5 m
- Wall Insert Window 1.5 m
- Wall Insert Conveyor 1.5 m
- Catwalk Stairs Wide Half
- Catwalk Stairs Narrow Half
Game Localizations
- Russian
- Ukrainian
- In works: Simplified Chinese, Korean
VS2.3 is one of those updates where many separate pieces start connecting: wheels and hinges for movement, timers, sensors, and the Event Controller for logic, warheads and explosions for consequences, and Almagest progression that makes the world react more to what players do. It is not the final shape of Space Engineers 2, but it is another important layer of the foundation we are building in public, together with you.
As always, this is Alpha, so some things will be rough, and some systems will keep changing after release. But this is exactly why your feedback matters now. Try the new blocks, break our assumptions, build things we did not expect, and tell us what works and what does not. That is how Space Engineers has always grown.
Question to you: What part of VS2.3 are you most excited to test first?
Share your thoughts in the comments below – I read them all, and they’re one of my favorite parts of making our games.
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very nice indeed.
Question: Will Programmable Blocks and Scripting be implemented at a later stage as well or is something you are currently not invested on pursuing?
Programmable blocks and scripting have already been stated to becoming in the future.
Wow! Russian and Ukrainian language! Developers, you are the best! 🤩I wasn’t even this happy on my own birthday!
Can’t wait to try it out, even during the summer heat. You and the team are doing an amazing job, and this game has the potential to become something truly epic. Are stompie planned to become a part of the game? So we have an AI adventure partner?
Thank you so much for adding Russian language support. I’m really looking forward to the automation blocks, and we’ll certainly be waiting for the programmable block. I hope the rumors are true and we get a programmable block with a node-based programming system. I think that could take the game’s automation to the next level and lower the barrier to entry for many players. In any case, I’m truly grateful and full of respect. Keep up the great work!
Would have been nice to see more info on the LCDs, but I guess we’ll see when we’ll see 😀
we need winches. please add winches
Winches, cables, hoses would be great.
you can likely build one. One of the devs was showing off a Klang tank a few days back. and the cable idea would be dope. that being said I’m not responsible for your ears lol.
A flight HUD might seem like a small detail but i have been looking forward to one since SE2 release. Thank you! 😊
I will definetly try to build a monorail again. Maybe the new physics allow me to build one that doesn’t explode.
Definitely looking forward to functional buttons and having fun assigning controls to them experimenting with timers, event controllers and sensors 😀
No small gatling turret yet?
for me it’s definitely the automation stuff like the event controller. I also seen some stuff in zeros video with regards to autopilot. so I’m definitely going to play with that (if it is in this update). One of the projects I know I’m going to do is make an enclosed parasite utility vehicle. that when I enter detaches and lowers away from the ship so it’s not to collide, I’m also debating making utility tools that I can attach so it can do multiple things. I also had an automatic vehicle sorter in SE1. so I’ll probably try and do that again as well. All that to say, I’ll be messing with the event block and seeing how far I can push it.
Looks great, really looking forward to 2.3 and more blocks.
Maybe its a bit early, but can you say something about your ambitions on npc’s? Like, do you think it will be posible to bring a squad of bots/npc’s from space and assault an enemy base?
gruller65 hei sipyards
first of all, I’d like to say fantastic update first of all I’d like to say that I’m really excited to see you guys messing around with at least some minor atmospheric physics. It makes me very happy and it’s a big part of the game that should come in.
Secondly, ask someone who plays under I see the depth that the new sticker system for decals can do like adding transparency, so you can make shots look like they went through the block
I’d also like to see at the end of the year maybe a projected feature set for the next year just some stuff that we want to get in
Based on the fact that this is effectively the automations update we’re about nine years in development in SE one an SE twos one and a half year Mark so congratulations on that you guys are kicking ass
Please keep building a game. Don’t listen to the community saying they want the same thing they don’t they want a game just like everybody else and you guys are delivering that from what it looks like. Thank you and tell the team good work for me.
Will this update bring the ability to add groups of blocks/subgrid tools to the cockbit action hotbar?
It is written right there!
—
Action Toolbar Groups support
Subgrid support not yet, but planned
—
Yes,. groups of blocks in the cockpit action hotbar are being added. Subgrids, not yet.
will the next update be another VS 2 or wil it be VS 4 and when will build planer come.
What is your Plan with Ingame Scripting?
I think I’ll try playing with automation. I’m also looking forward to seeing the new ore distribution on Verdure.
> Added limits for Rotors/Pistons
Thank you! My contraptions need specific subgrid angles and this should finally make them possible to build!
Action Toolbar Groups support
– Subgrid support not yet, but planned
Please add subgrid support quickly. It’s a must have 😉
What do you think about having two (or more) difficulty levels in the game?
For example, “Arcade” and “Hard/Realistic”:
Arcade:
– The current gameplay of SE2
Hard/Realistic:
– Heavily nerfed jetpack (especially on planets)
– No (or very limited) backpack building
– No (or very limited) materials from environmental voxels
– More dangerous weather and environmental hazards
– etc.
This way, the game could be accessible for beginners AND challenging for experienced players.
the classic survival start is what caught my attention, i don’t like the backpack magic system, it feels cheating, and the 20m/s safeguard, learn how to fly, that too must go. the only damage i get is when the ship is very heavy and coming in to connect to a connector, damage will occur on the connector on contact, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. it should be 1m/s protection, not 20.
logic setup is very exciting.
But please consider seriously uprading the user interface with a clear display of different interconnected blocs in one view, I don’t want to suffer in doomscroll through kilometers of blocs list, that is so painful in SE1.
the logic system should also have some kind of memory like you included with control seat action bars. I want to be able to displace a logic bloc on my grid without loosing its setup.
안녕하세요 마렉 로사! | Hello Marek Rosa!
Glad to hear Space Engineer 2 starts supporting( or developing ) Korean Language. It was big, or long wanted one from Space Engineer 1. It should be signal for Vrage 3 holds, or well controlling multi languages as well.
Thanks for all of hard works.
감사합니다.
I would really like for the grouping system to be better. Currently, one object cannot be in multiple groups, and when I add an object to a group, it renames the group to something like “group 3.” It seems to be the same for parts in the control panel and waypoints on the map. Maybe I’m missing something, though, and it already works fine.
The game is great and this is another exciting update. Any plans for a weekly block release? i mnow a bunchbif my bikds are limited by the lack of more interior blocks. there are a load of blocks you guys bave teased but its not clear when theg will be released. i know there were some logistical issues with weekly releases but id love to be able to get mg hands on more stuff.
please excuse the typos. I did this on my phone…
Really looking forward to the wheels and water.
I really want the remote control block so that I can start building drones.
Any plans om adding an energy shield block?
I feel that combat in contracts feels a little unrewarding regarding risk/reward ratio.
Hope you abandon SE1 soon and full focus on SE2
In the “Secial Delivery” video I can see a Passage Block – or is it something else? No passage block is mentioned in the list of new blocks above.