We’ve worked hard over the past months, and it’s time to share some exciting progress with you. From a brand-new map to new weapons and facilities, the world of Altera is growing and we're getting closer to the upcoming public playtest. Let’s dive into what’s new and what’s coming soon! New Weapon: Wooden Bow The wooden bow is one of the simplest weapons available early in the game. It’s silent, perfect for hunting, and can also serve as a deadly weapon against humans. Arrows are now a separate ammo type and can be either crafted or purchased from traders. Characters We’ve optimized our human characters to make them much more performance-efficient while maintaining high visual quality. New Map We’ve dedicated a significant amount of time to developing a new map, which will replace the Haven map. Like Haven, it features an island setting — but this one is much larger. While Haven was 4 square kilometers, the new map is four times bigger at 16 square kilometers! Our goal was to make exploration even more exciting and to give players a constant sense of scale. We first focused on designing and testing the layout to ensure that the vast scale feels natural and that exploration aligns with our sandbox game vision. Once we were satisfied with the flow, we moved on to foliage distribution, using procedural generation to create diverse landscape layers and sub-biomes.We’ve also replaced the old biome with a completely new one. The new island is covered with expansive pine forests, ranging from lush, mossy woods to drier, sparser areas. Overall, the new map will look stunning — towering mountains, deadly high cliffs, sprawling valleys, dense forests, and breathtaking distant views. We’ve carefully analyzed every aspect of the old map to improve immersion and make the world of Altera feel even more alive and exciting.Another highlight of the new environment: massive terraces and cliffs, which are not only visually impressive but also hint at the future climbing mechanics we plan to introduce! These improvements will elevate the visual quality of the environment, while system requirements are expected to remain the same. New Starting Base We’ve created a brand-new starting base, larger than the previous one. It will serve as a starting point in the game. Starting base layout (WIP!) New Facilities We’ve designed the visual style of several new facilities and are currently working on their technical implementation. Here’s a sneak peek at some of them! Wood storage Workbench Portal Dungeons We’re also developing a new version of the portal dungeons. They now feature environments filled with unfinished buildings, adding new atmosphere and challenge to these areas. Save System The save system has been updated to use local storage instead of saving directly to the cloud. This ensures that your data is reliably saved, even in case of network issues. Don't worry — Steam Cloud support remains in place to keep your saves safe and backed up. Additionally, the save system has been expanded to include more game components. The following states are now saved: Sky and weather conditions. Built facilities and structures. Permanent containers placed on the ground. We’re getting closer and closer to the upcoming public playtest on Steam! We can't wait for you to dive into the world of Altera, explore everything we’ve been building, and share your impressions with us! Full list of changes: Reimported and optimized human characters. Optimized human hair quality on setting below Epic. Fixed visual bug with the extreme closing deformation on low and medium settings. Animation: Improved crouch state. Animation: added movement transition states. Implemented wooden bow. Enhanced weapon recoils. Updated AI cover system. Improved AI peeking animations. Fixed bug when units were spawning on top of the buildings. Replaced the old map with a new 16 square km terrain. Created the new starting base. Designed starting area of the map. Designed models for the workbench, wood storage, wood oven, and portable flame heater. Developed procedural setup for the upcoming version of portal dungeons. Updated save system to use local storage. Implemented Steam Cloud Support. Implemented and tested DLSS 4.