New mission incoming. Playtest #2 is starting soon

All hands on deck! A new transmission just came in from HQ.

First of all, a massive, heartfelt thank you for making our first playtest round such a blast. You have surpassed all our expectations! Because of that success, and because we hate leaving anyone stranded at the docks, we’ve decided to launch a second playtest round for everyone who missed the boat the first time around.

The best part? You won't have to twiddle your thumbs for long.

This second test is happening tomorrow: starting July 31st and running until August 3rd.

If you haven’t done it yet, claim your spot right here:

CHANGELOG

Improvements & New Mechanics:

• Filters & CO₂
• Added a new Snorkel station, allowing the crew to draw in air while surfaced, store it in a tank, and use it later while submerged.
• CO₂ filters can still be used underwater as a strategic backup once the Snorkel air supply runs out, perfect for those moments when surfacing feels like a particularly bad idea.

Sonar

• Active sonar can now be switched off. Without sonar pulses, you’ll be sailing blind and unable to detect nearby contacts, but enemy vessels will also have a much harder time locating you. Silence can be a very effective weapon.

Engines

• Engine noise is now based on the actual RPM instead of the throttle lever position. More speed means more noise, and more opportunities for enemy ships to notice your questionable decisions.
• Added multiple engine power modes: Silent Running, Cruise Speed, and Force Engine. That last one is not exactly recommended due to the risks involved unless you’re trying to break a leaderboard record.

Periscope

• Added zoom to the periscope station.

Weapons

• Torpedo ranges have been added to the manual, giving crews more operational information and helping them choose the right torpedo for each situation.

Diagnostics

• Improved the Stealth, Air, and Engines views to display the new system information more clearly.

Voice Chat

• Added a push-to-talk option, making voice chat easier to configure for different player preferences.
• Improved audio controls: sound effects and voice chat volume can now be adjusted separately.

Leaderboards

• Game metadata and mission files are now encrypted to prevent players from tampering with leaderboard scoring conditions and to prepare the systems for a future PvP mode.
• Leaderboards are now separated by crew size for every mission: 1, 2, 3, or 4 players. A three-player crew now competes against other three-player crews, while still being able to view every leaderboard for that mission.

More Missions

• Added a fourth Very Hard mission to the playtest. It is designed to put the new stealth features, leaderboards, and improved submarine systems to the test. Good luck. You’ll need it.

Other Improvements

• Improved the lighting during the end-of-mission sequence.
• Greatly reduced the build size, so the game takes up less disk space and downloads and loads faster.
• Optimized the network packet architecture to reduce latency.
• Added the manual to the main menu, so it can now be read before a mission as well as during gameplay.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed several voice chat issues.
• Added environment occlusion to periscope tagging. Objects can no longer be tagged through walls or when they are not visible.
• Improved performance, with particular attention to Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and similar handheld devices.
• Improved stability by forcing DX11, avoiding several DX12 crashes that occurred while the game scene was loading.
• Added a cooldown to the shove action. Spamming the button no longer resets the action or allows players to continuously push crewmates.
• Fixed a performance drop caused by receiving many hits in quick succession.
• Fixed the fuse replacement achievement not triggering when only one fuse was broken.
• Reduced the depth requirement for the Go Deep achievement from 2,000 to 1,300—a depth the submarine can actually reach without discovering a new dimension.
• Fixed an issue where a player could remain invisible to the rest of the crew after a prolonged connection slowdown.
• Prevented the manual from being opened while loading a torpedo or during incompatible animations.
• When the bridge has no power, the diagnostic station buttons no longer flash or emit light as though they were powered.
• Fixed the Mine 3 and Mine 4 icons being swapped in the lobby.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to push crewmates out of the map by running into someone who was pinned against a wall.
• Improved the interaction reservation system to prevent two players from placing items in the same slot simultaneously. Two players can no longer load the same torpedo slot or insert two filters into the same location.
• Fixed incorrect gamepad cursor offsets on the lower buttons during the end-of-mission salute sequence.
• Fixed the geometry of several hats that caused character head meshes to display incorrectly.
• Fixed strange eye movement before characters looked at the camera and saluted at the end of a mission.
• Fixed several untranslated text strings at stations including Diagnostics and Weapons.
• Fixed item-placement animations that incorrectly used both hands for certain single-slot objects.
• Fixed mission introduction text on loading screens always displaying the first mission’s description instead of the selected mission’s text.
• Improved colliders in several areas that allowed players to interact with objects through walls.

At Abylight Barcelona, we don't just build games for our community; we build them with you. Every bit of feedback is incredibly useful to us. If you run into bugs, have wild ideas, or just want to tell us what you loved, please shout at us! We read absolutely everything you send.

Keep up with the latest news by following our Steam Developer Page, or simply hit that wishlist button to help us reach new players.

See you in the deep blue! The Abylight Barcelona Team