THE "SMOOTHER SHIFTS" UPDATE
Proto Division
THE "SMOOTHER SHIFTS" UPDATE
We've been watching clips, reading your feedback, and digging through the data since the demo went live. While we love the chaos, some of those first shifts were landing more frustrating than fun. This update cleans up onboarding, sharpens the early quests, and squashes the bugs that were getting in your way behind the bar.
ABOUT CO-OP
You've been asking. A lot! So let's clear something up.
We originally planned to keep co-op for the full release. But after seeing how many of you have been itching to wreck a bar with a friend, we've changed our minds. Co-op is coming to the demo in a future update. It's not in this one, and we want to take our time to make it feel right, so we're not putting a date on it yet. But it's happening!
Wishlist Barfender so you don't miss the moment co-op demo drops.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Reworked onboarding and early quest flow so progression feels natural
- New voiceovers on every quest, with updated localization across all supported languages
- Critical performance fixes: expect an FPS boost, and GPUs with low VRAM should stop crashing
- Steam Deck low-battery warnings no longer hijack your screen mid-rush
- Older saves migrate over to the new progression format automatically. No bartender left behind.
PERFORMANCE
- Fixed several critical performance issues. You should see an FPS improvement across the board.
- Graphics cards with limited VRAM were crashing on some machines. Those crashes should now be gone, or at least a lot rarer.
QUESTS & ONBOARDING
- Shorter, punchier objective text for trays, orders, and the coffee machine
- Added a dispenser highlight for the coffee machine fill step
- New quest narration and updated flow for Act 1 (orders/trays) and Act 2 (tray location)
- Fixed several cases where onboarding could get stuck
GAMEPLAY & BALANCE
- Mud spawns slower and snack trash is smaller. Less janitorial work between shifts.
- Empty refill items can now be dumped directly
- Fixed bottle scales, improved animations, and cleaned up general customer behavior
- Fixed a case where customers would get stuck in a puking loop (you're welcome)
CONTROLS & FEEL
- Input handling updated for better responsiveness
- Tweaked default mouse sensitivity and fixed low-sensitivity edge cases
- Fixed jump input being queued while ragdolled. No more launching yourself into orbit the moment you stand up.
VISUALS
- Brighter mornings and a full lighting cleanup pass
- Fixed the infamous pink hands
- Cleaned up oversized FPS hand textures
- Fixed missing highlights on several interactive objects
TALK TO US
If a quest feels off or you've got a wild idea for the bar, hit us up in the Steam Discussions or on Discord. We've still got plenty on our list, and we want to hear yours.
See you behind the bar. Proto Division
This announcement was originally published by Proto Division on Steam on Apr 23, 2026.
Open the original on Steam