UPDATE 1.1.0 – Sinking Reef

We’ve got a new STARSEEKER content update for you all! This update is packed with new content: A new Region, new unlockable Gear Blueprints, Crew Member Missions, and lots more. In addition to the aforementioned content, this update marks the start of the "Life’s A Beach" Region Rally, with new splashy cosmetic rewards to unlock. Keep reading to learn more about it.

To help break down this update for all the visual learners out there, Joe’s got an overview of some of the biggest new additions as well as some news on what's coming next in a handy video.

Developer Update

We also recently shared a Developer Update on the game's ongoing Early Access development. Check it out if you haven't already. It shares some insights into changes that are going into the game's roadmap and our next updates. TLDR – We are introducing some BIG changes in the next update and we cannot wait for you to see some of the new ideas we are shipping.  

NEW LANDING SITES AVAILABLE!

That's right! The Sinking Reef Region is already open with new Landing Sites to choose from. The Region is ready for you to explore, discover the new Sea Labs, and carry out new Missions with new Blueprints to unlock. Check out the latest Regions of Tephra article to learn more about the Sinking Reef and what awaits you there.

New Blueprints for Gear & Gadgets 

While some of you have been able to acquire this stuff via a lot of swimming and good luck, new Gear is now available via new Crew Member Missions! Complete them to unlock Blueprints that allow you to print these anytime and help you explore the Region: 

• Shock Lasso Nozzle 
• Bouncy Terrain Launcher Nozzle 
• Swim Speed Mod 
• Swim Dash Mod 
• Hard Terrain Mod V1 
• Power Mod V3 
• Health Mod V3 
• Stamina Mod V3 
• Vacuum Canister 
• Shock Canister 
• Tranquilizer Bomb 

SEA LABS

The ESS Starseeker forward team set up portable Sea Labs underwater to try and track more Elysium wreckage in the Sinking Reef, but they've fallen into varying states of disrepair since then. Sea Labs aren't limited only to the Sinking Reef, though; they can be found all around the oceans of Tephra.

There may be valuable discoveries to be found here, or at the very least precious salvage. Just be careful when attempting to explore them, since they can be quite hazardous.

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"LIFE'S A BEACH" REGION RALLY

The Sinking Reef is the first Region we’ve opened up new Landing Sites for since the Tangle, and this time we’re opening it up right away! We’re using a new type of Community Challenge to help reward your exploration of this Region called Region Rallies.

To prepare for the unfamiliar Region, Crew Members have asked every Astroneer aboard the Starseeker to bring back various organic samples found among the beaches and deep oceans throughout Tephra. Put on your favorite swimsuit (of the space variety) and dive in!

The Challenge 

There's a wide variety of organic samples that the Crew Members are looking for, but generally speaking, as long as you find it on the coast or underwater, it should count. The full list includes: Coilcup Husks, Bristle Bulbs, Star Shells, Floral Corals, Seamelons, Glimmerstones, Algae Bulbs, Glow Bulbs, and Kelp Bulbs.

Make sure you leave plenty of Backpack space on your next Expedition! There are some nice rewards for all who participate, so make sure you contribute at least a few samples.

• Start Date: Today! August 5th, 2026. Starting at 11 AM PST, or after maintenance.
• End Date: Sunday, August 9th, 2026. Ending at midnight PST.

Open the DAD menu and under "Objectives," look for the "Event" tab to track your progress.

The Rewards

The more progress the crew makes toward completing the Region Rally, the more reward tiers will be unlocked for all participating Astroneers! Please note that it can take a few minutes after reaching a milestone for the reward to show in your Inbox.

• Tier 1 at 20% of the Goal – Bubble Head Visor
• Tier 2 at 50% of the Goal – Lily Livery Hat
• Tier 3 at 100% of the Goal – Little Daddy Mask

Repeatable Stretch Goal Rewards: These will award all participants with a Swimmer's Pack each time a stretch goal is reached. This pack includes: 1x Swim Dash Mod, 5x Swim Boosts, and 5x of the new Vacuum Canisters. The Swim Dash Mod is only earnable the first time; the following stretch goals still grant the Swim Boosts and Vacuum Canisters.

New Suits – Aquatic Drip

The drip is quite literal with these new cosmetic additions to the EXO Outlet! The shop has been updated with a new set of aquatic-themed cosmetics as permanent additions, all available for Credits. These include the Aquanaut Suit and the Scuba Suit, perfect for your next watery Expedition. Like every other currency in STARSEEKER, Credits are earnable-only.

It's also worth noting that we've decided to leave the Stellar Suit in the EXO Outlet a while longer, for those of you still looking to earn enough Credits to get it. And as a reminder, once the Stellar Suit does leave the EXO Outlet, it will still return to the Clowder Emporium in the future and will be available for purchase from Felix for Baubles.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY CHALLENGE: PULP FRICTION

The Carrotlings have been extra rowdy as of late. They may be a silly/violent bunch, but maybe they know something we don't. Starting August 12th, shortly after the Sinking Reef Region Rally, we’ll start a new Community Challenge to try and gain some intel from them. Diplomacy is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Carrotlings, but maybe we can find a good liaison to help with that. More info coming next week!

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PATCH 1.1.0 – IMPROVEMENTS AND BUG FIXES

The focus of this update was primarily on delivering new Region and Mission content to players, so there are fewer live bugs fixed in this update than in the Astral Flux release.

Much like the Art team in the last release, the UI team did a big pass on visual issues across all parts of the UI, and especially on the Customization Closet. Meanwhile, the UX team has cooked up various improvements based on your feedback and you will start seeing those hit in the next two updates!

As always, we are keeping an eye on your reports and trying to address issues as quickly as we can alongside delivering new content, so please keep the reports coming to help us prioritize. Here are the highlights:

Improvements

General:

• Made improvements to character movement so that it now feels more natural while gliding and aiming to throw an item.
• Repositioned a Malfunctioning Demolition Device in the Tangle Region so it no longer spawns on the very edge of a cliff.

Bug Fixes

General:

• Fixed a number of crashes across PC and consoles, including a PS5 specific crash.
• Addressed an FPS drop that players were experiencing when opening the Customizer on the station.
• Fixed an issue specific to the Nintendo Switch 2 where deforming terrain on the planet would create missing voxel pieces.
• Addressed a number of visual issues with flora spawning above the terrain and appearing like it’s floating.

Player Customization:

• AG-17949 – Player Customization items now show up in their correct positions in player profile pictures and highlighted in station screens.
• AG-17430 – Fixed an issue that was preventing the “Explorer” Animation from looping its Walk and Run cycles when toggling it in the Customizer’s Expression tab.
• AG-18598 – Fixed an issue that was preventing swapping between the Animation and Emote categories in the Customizer’s Expression tab.
• AG-18268 – Fixed an issue that was causing the preview area in the Customizer to get out of sync after opening and closing the “Examine” view in the EXO Outlet.
• AG-17996 – Fixed an issue that was maintaining the same character orientation when previewing items in the EXO Outlet, exiting it, and re-entering it.

UI:

• AG-17955 – Fixed an issue that could cause the Account Linking option to be highlighted after closing the Player Info window in the Main Menu’s Game Settings.
• AG-18339 – Made a correction to the Crew Member Mission interaction buttons so that they display in green rather than red.
• AG-18485 – Fixed a visual issue on consoles where accessing the Settings from the Main Menu would show no highlight of the selected option in the Visuals tab.
• AG-18009 – Fixed an issue that would prevent player characters from displaying on the station screens when getting highlighted for earning a Sticker.
• AG-18650 – Fixed a visual issue in the EXO Outlet, where switching between tabs would show the UI dashing in from beyond the intended UI boundaries.
• AG-14736 – Fixed an issue where there were no assigned keys in the bottom UI of the EXO Outlet for navigating between tabs while using Mouse and Keyboard.
• AG-18308 – Fixed an issue where there was no assigned button to confirm and close the pop-up message for using the EXO Outlet for the first time.

Fixed – Get Fluxed Palette

In our most recent Hotfix, we messaged that players who completed Ensign Blandrew's Mission Chain would be receiving the Get Fluxed Palette reward in the next content update. That's this update! So as long as you completed all Missions of the "State of Flux" Community Challenge, up to the "Splashdown" Mission from Muriel, then you should now have this Palette waiting for you in your Inbox.

If you didn't manage to earn it this time around, then don't worry. It will return in the future to the Clowder Emporium and be purchasable from Felix for Baubles.

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KNOWN ISSUES

The following are some of the most relevant issues that have been reported by the community and we’re already working to address.

• AG-19025 – The Golden Pathos Achievement that asks players to complete a Mission Chain currently can’t be earned. Once we issue a fix for this, we’ll make sure to grant it to those who should have earned it.
• AG-12481 – Gliders aren’t applying Palette colors as intended. This is a bug and not intentional.
• AG-4484 – Gliders can sometimes stay unfolded while transitioning into a climb or during the climb over animation.
• AG-11032 – The Expedition launch screen can often repeat a Squad member’s name and make it appear as if the Squad is larger than it is.
• AG-17103 – Player character’s right hand appears dislocated when previewing some cosmetics in the Customization Closet and the EXO Outlet.
• AG-18354 – Controller button mapping changes are reset when closing and relaunching the game.
• AG-18208 – Movement keys cannot be rebinded for Mouse & Keyboard controls.

Tips & Workarounds

• If you experience any griefing from other players, remember you can report them in-game. Go to the Social tab in the DAD menu, select the profile of the offending player, and select Report Player.
• You can change your Display Name by opening the DAD menu and in the Social tab selecting your username under Squad Members. This will open your Player Profile where you can find the Change Display Name option.
• If you’re experiencing connection issues on the Nintendo Switch 2, try going to your Switch’s “Settings”, select “Date and Time”, and in that menu make sure “Synchronize Clock via Internet” is toggled on.

STARSEEKER: Astroneer Expeditions is now available on Steam, the Xbox for PC App, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 in Early Access! 

Follow our STARSEEKER social channels to keep up with the latest news. If you run into an issue while playing the game, please send us a bug report with as much context as possible: starseekersupport@systemera.net  

– Honourael.