System Era Softworks, the developers behind the survival sandbox game Astroneer, have announced their first paid expansion, Glitchwalkers. This announcement follows the game’s recent milestone of celebrating five years since the launch of Astroneer 1.0, a surprisingly long time between initial v1.0 release and expansion.. The expansion is being released in partnership with Devolver Digital.
Glitchwalkers introduces a new planet, Aeoluz, pitched as the largest yet in the Astroneer universe. This expansion, and in turn this new planet, offers new biomes, technologies, and gameplay features, including the introduction of the game’s first major antagonist. Players will encounter Lyn, a former member of the ESS Elysium crew, who has begun manipulating the Astroneer Training Program’s (ATP) code. To thwart her plans, players must team up with Frank, the Elysium’s Head of Maintenance, to stop Lyn from dismantling the ATP from within.
Set in a glitched solar system, Aeoluz offers a variety of new surface and cave biomes to explore. Players will need to engage in counter-hacking activities and break through firewalls to restore the ATP to its original state. The expansion also introduces a new tech tree and modules, providing opportunities to unlock and utilize both new and existing technologies.
While Glitchwalkers expands Astroneer‘s universe with new content, it retains the crafting, building, and exploration elements that have become familiar to its player base. But not keen on purchasing anything beyond game? Alongside the expansion, a free companion update will be available for all Astroneer players, which includes new gameplay elements, quality of life improvements, and various bug fixes.
A formal release date for the Glitchwalkers expansion has not yet been confirmed, but fans of Astroneer should watch this space over the coming weeks and months.
