About This Dev Diary
Every Thursday, I share some of what we’ve been working on – the challenges, solutions, and ideas that caught my attention. This is my unfiltered dev journal, so my thoughts and plans may change quickly, and nothing here is set in stone. And if you don’t like spoilers, don’t read further!
Space Engineers 1
Since our Warfare 3 reveal, we’ve received a lot of questions, many along the same lines: How will all of this actually work?
We sat down with Space Engineers Lead Designer Ryan Keel to pick his brain – this week, we’re talking about new EMP weapons!
You mentioned EMP weaponry in our Warfare 3 announcement – can you tell us more about how it will work?
The Prototech Microwave Emitter will be available for both large and small grids. It works almost like a specialized warhead – once activated, it charges for roughly 2-3 minutes before releasing a burst of radiation and EMP from the center of the explosion.
The emitter burns itself out when it fires, although it can be repaired and used again. Grids caught in the EMP will lose power for around 4-12 seconds. Once power returns, they receive 10 seconds of EMP immunity to prevent stun locking, with that immunity clearly displayed on the HUD.
There is also a counterplay. If you power down your grid before the discharge hits, you can avoid the EMP effect completely. That creates some really interesting decisions when you know an emitter is about to go off.
It is also the first Prototech block designed without requiring a frame. We want it to be expensive, but not so expensive that players are discouraged from using it in their own weapons. Torpedoes, mines, and other custom delivery systems are exactly the kind of things we hope Engineers will experiment with.
Some of my favorite moments from our playtests have come from using it at exactly the right time – stopping someone from jumping away, disabling guided weapons and watching them spin off on completely unpredictable trajectories, or deliberately powering down to survive an EMP before dropping mines and creating an opening for a devastating counterattack.
It is a very strategic weapon, but not necessarily an easy one to use well. That is exactly what I like about it. It rewards timing, creativity, and clever engineering, and I think players are going to find possibilities for it that we have not even considered yet.
Warfare 3 Pack
Laser Antenna Type II (1x L, 1x S)
Stay connected across the stars with this advanced communications array.
Can’t wait? Wishlist the Warfare 3 Pack on Steam now!
And follow us for more detailed reveals every week as we take a closer look at what’s coming.
Space Engineers 2
Combat NPCs Arrive Early
We originally announced Combat NPCs and Co-op Multiplayer as part of the same update. During development, however, the NPC systems reached a point where they were ready to go into players’ hands sooner. Rather than hold them back until co-op was finished, we decided to separate the two and release Combat NPCs early.
Work on multiplayer continues in parallel. We are actively developing 4-player co-op (player-hosted sessions) for Space Engineers 2, currently planned for early 2027.
Encounters vs. Contracts
One distinction I want to clarify is the difference between Encounters and Contracts, especially now that NPCs are becoming part of the world.
Encounters are situations you discover while exploring. They exist in the world independently, with NPCs configured as part of that specific encounter. You do not need to accept a mission first – you can simply come across an encounter and decide how, or whether, to engage with it.
Contracts are structured objectives. They give you a specific task to complete, with defined goals and rewards, and can use locations, grids, and NPCs as part of that mission.
The same NPC foundations can support both. An NPC can be part of a hostile encounter you discover in the world, or part of a more structured Contract. For me, this is important because I want NPCs to become part of the sandbox itself, not something that exists only when a mission tells you where to go.
Hostile Encounters – The Combat NPC Update
Join us Monday, October 19, for the release of Space Engineers 2: “Hostile Encounters” – The Combat NPC Update!
Hostile Encounters will bring Combat NPCs to Space Engineers 2 for the first time! You will face the Renegades, watch out for the heavier Boatmen, and take on enemies that can patrol, take cover, react to damage, communicate threats, and fight both you and your creations.
The update will expand the Almagest System with improved Locations and Contracts, overhauled ores, new Verdure flora, updated lighting, new combat effects, and a fresh set of building blocks including Cables, Pipes, Armor Slabs, Interior Turrets, and decorative props.
📅 Monday, October 19, 5 PM UTC
Release Livestream:
🛰️ Twitch: https://twitch.tv/keencommunitynetwork
🛰️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/SpaceEngineersGame
Question to you: How do you plan to engineer your way out of combat encounters?
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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EMP and guided missiles are surely a great addition to the game.
Will it be enough to challenge the annoying railgun bricks (kiting beyond the weapon range) that dominate the current meta?
So, can we expect flying renegade ships with NPCs as a random encounter?
I hope so… given we have ships currently floating about that shoot at us, this should be a nice and easy addition… more spice to space too… would be nice to see them cross into space or follow the player into atmo too.
uhhh what about water
Amazing as always, question: If i engage NPCs with a ship, what systems do the NPCs prioritize attacking first? Can an NPC “see” my character through a custom cockpit that has see through windows? Will the NPCs prioritize killing the character over weapons etc?
So a multiple month delay for the coop…
Now that we have combat NPCs, will there be neutral and friendly ones as well? Will there be crews in the automated ships roaming the system? Will there be NPCs living in the various point of interests that may oppose us dismantling their stuff?
release co-op with bugs/a bad experience users will complain
release co-op later than planned users complain
seems to be lose/lose for Keen here, but I would rather the better experience and a wait than a buggy experience now.
So far what Keen have released for SE2 has been great its Early Access after all, but co-op/multiplayer has to be right from the get go as it will set the expectation from there.
So I trust in the plan Keen have for SE2… it’ll be worth the wait…