Hydroneer just released its biggest update to date. Update 2.0 reworked the codebase to further optimize the game, added a new vehicle system, and introduced Multiplayer using Steam Remote Play. The developers also planned out the upcoming updates, which will focus more on farming and digging machinery.
Multiplayer
Players can finally play the game with their friends but limited to split-screen mode, for now. Players can choose to play co-op locally or use Steam’s Remote Play feature to play split-screen multiplayer. There’s one advantage to using remote play. Only one player has to own the game, and the second player can just join the Remote Play session.
Vehicle System Rework
Vehicles have always been inconsistent in Hydroneer as they tend to fly off into space. This issue has been resolved in Update 2.0, and that’s not all. The developers also improved the handling of vehicles to make them fun to drive.
Players might notice the Excavator vehicle missing from the game. The developers removed it but will be reintroduced later in Update 2.2, which is focused on digging machinery.
Hydroneer Update 2.0
- New Pickaxe and Shovel tools can dig to a certain depth depending on their tier.
- Rake tool for leveling out dirt, helpful for building.
- Throwable TNT explosives.
- Firefly Jar lighting object.
- Toolbags can now be refilled by dropping spanners into them.
- Voxel plugin update. Performance improvements and much smoother voxels!
- Icehelm and Snowrune Falls areas added with a new dig site in each.
- Icehelm horizontal dig site. Like normal dig sites, the deeper you go the better the resources.
- Traveling merchant who will sell you your first drill and harvester.
- New stores: Icehelm Housing, Icehelm equipment, and Bridgepour cottage store.
- Icehelm transporter pipes: send items directly through the abandoned city with ease.
- Unstuck points now have separate locations for players and vehicles.
- Stock market redesign
- Now only purchase certain resources.
- Character movement code rework. Input will no longer be locked out on an axis if that button is already held down when holding down the new axis button.
- Steam backend API accessor updated to Steamcore. Game will handle on Steam a bit nicer, and fixing some crashing errors after closing the game.
- Day/Night cycle major optimizations and improvements.
- Fishing bobber now always lands in the correct orientation.
- Crafted items on the anvil will no longer ping away if a large item.
- Fixed issues with the cave textures.
- Lantern optimizations.
- Vehicles now collide with trees.
- Vehicle key tooltip now shows the controller keybinding if using controller.
- Fixed issues with keybindings being broken occasionally.
You can read more about the update here.
