Void & Voltage

The post-1.0 content updates just keep coming. Last time we got a ton of new content and this time, with 1.2, is no different. Let's dive in to exactly what we know is coming, and what we don't.

The biggest piece of info we have is a steam news post from the Core Keeper team. You can read that here. There have also been numerous teasers and hints dropped from the official Core Keeper Twitter account, though none of it covers any major features not already disclosed.

This update will be coming on January 28th, along with the Nintendo Switch 2 release of the game.

The Main Courses

The two things we know we're getting are, of course, "void" and "voltage". This refers to the new sub-biome "void" and a new host of features relating to electricity and technology.

Voltage

The biggest addition, in my opinion, is the "Breaker's Reach" biome. They say it can appear at the very edge of the world, or maybe they meant that metaphorically. It's hard to tell with the Core Keeper team. In this new mechanically-themed area, you can expect to encounter hosts of robotic enemies in the form of Chargers, Patrollers, and Swarmers.

There will also be a slew of new items including tools, weapons, equippable gear, and crafting materials. Some of these include tons of decorative items, off-hand items, a new unspecified minion tome, miniguns, mortars, grenades, remote detonators for explosives, explosive oil barrels and even a flamethrower, as shown in the GIF below. There are many more items that the Core Keeper team decided to keep secret so players can discover them naturally, which is a decision I can get behind. One of my favorite aspects of Core Keeper is the wonderful feeling of discovering something unexpected.

Somewhere in this new area is the new boss "S.A.H.A.B.A.R". We don't know much about this mechanical menace other than it's a gigantic robot, and it has laser-targeted energy beams. That leaves a lot to the imagination, but one thing's for sure - it's going to be cool, as all robots with lasers are.

Now onto my personal favorite part - the automation. This update promises to add all sorts of machines and automation, which makes sense with the mechanical theme of the new biome. It seems the core of these additions is the Advanced Automation Table, a new workbench to make use of all of these new items, and possibly even some of the existing items currently made on the electronics table.

Two of the main uses for this table are hinted at. You can automate gardening with the Seed Extractor and Robot Farm Arm, and there will be an improved method of salvaging and item disposal. There are also new generators, proximity sensors, and something described as "critter catchers" which could be similar to the bug net, but something tells me it will be more like a placeable electronic trap if it's made at the Advanced Automation Table. I can't wait to get a hold of this table and see what other crafting recipes it offers.

The "Voltage" part of this update is right up my alley. I love the vibe, the mechanics, and the promise of new and interesting forms of technological destruction. All of this seems like it will be placed solidly in the endgame, progression-wise, so you don't have to start a new save for this. Even if you have a world that has already reached 100% completion, you can load up this expansion and dive right in without feeling out of place.

Void

The second, albeit smaller, half of this update is the Void sub-biome. It seems to be a sub-biome that can apply to several existing biomes. Due to spacetime distortion, existing areas and all of their inhabitants have been warped into void-touched versions of themselves. Some examples provided of new enemies are Void Larvae, Void Cavelings, Void Shaman, and Void Brutes. These enemies will have new attacks like explosive flames, arcane beams, and lightning orbs. The Core Keeper team mentions they could continue expanding this new void-warp system if players enjoy this small taste. There are more additions that I'm sure they aren't telling us, as they tend to do. They do end the sneak peek of this biome with one last warning - "Beware the Void Hydra!" I am thinking this is similar to the wilderness, ice, and fire titans which are Hydras, but this time with a void theme. But it remains to be seen if that's truly the case.

Everything Else

Other than the two main parts of this update, Void and Voltage, there are some miscellaneous additions mentioned as well. Echo maps are one of them, which are used to locate important areas. This is a highly requested addition, and will presumably allow you to scan for certain generated structures in a similar way to how the boss crafting statues allow you to craft scanners that scan for bosses and mark them on the map. There are also six new crafting statues with waypoints, many new scenes, achievements, paintable items, and more. Some new mechanics include minion improvements, the ability to break previously indestructible items, and more.

The full patch notes will be released on January 28th when the update drops, so keep an eye out for those. In the meantime, if you don't have an endgame save, you have some time to get out there, explore, and prepare for the mechanical menaces' arrival.

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