Deep Field Games continues to enhance their Half-Life inspired survival crafting game with substantial new content. The upcoming Cold Fusion update promises to address player feedback while adding exciting new features to the already highly-rated experience.
A Chilly New Challenge Awaits
The Cold Fusion update will introduce players to the Residence Sector, a new area within the GATE research center that's experiencing an unnatural cold snap. Players will need to investigate the mysterious phenomenon causing temperatures to plummet below safe living conditions. The developer's screenshots reveal an environment reminiscent of Half-Life's Office Complex chapter, showcasing tiled corridors and tree-lined courtyards that capture the mundane yet atmospheric quality that made Black Mesa so memorable. Throughout the facility, players will encounter cold snaps, rolling blackouts, and an eerie black fog, adding new environmental challenges to overcome.
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| An atmospheric corridor within the Residence Sector, mirroring the unsettling chill of the new Cold Fusion update |
Enhanced Weaponry and Customization
A major addition in Cold Fusion is the new upgrade system centered around the Enhancement Bench. This crafting station will allow players to upgrade weapons, armor, and several other item types. Deep Field Games has revealed they're working on approximately 15-20 different permutations for weapons alone. The system isn't designed to simply make everything more powerful—instead, it focuses on adapting gear to complement different play styles.
Military-grade weapons can receive substantial improvements through the Enhancement Bench, which will also remove biometric locks. These upgrades will shift weapons toward a more scientific direction, offering new firing methods and additional damage types. Perhaps most exciting for longtime players, the highly-requested Artifact weapons used by Gatekeepers will finally become accessible, though players will first need to earn a new tier of Biometric gear to wield them.
Improved Base Defense Mechanics
One of the most significant improvements addresses a common player complaint: base assaults just kinda stink. Deep Field has completely overhauled how the game detects player bases. The AI will now look for gatherings of furniture and structures that constitute outer walls, rather than simply spawning enemies inside bases or repeatedly in the same location. While the developer acknowledges this system won't be perfect, they expect assaults to feel a lot more unique and varied and to generally begin well outside the player's base, creating more engaging defensive scenarios.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
Cold Fusion will also introduce several quality-of-life features. Players will finally be able to permanently dispose of unwanted items using trash cans. A character reset option will allow players to reallocate their specs during a game. Additional features teased include paintable tier-two beds and a follow-up to the Core Keeper crossover seen in the previous Dark Energy update.
The Road to 1.0
While Deep Field hasn't provided a specific release date for Cold Fusion, the update language suggests it will arrive in summer 2025 alongside the game's full 1.0 launch. This will mark Abiotic Factor's departure from early access and coincide with its console release, which will feature optional crossplay functionality.
With its overwhelmingly positive 96% Steam review score, Abiotic Factor has already established itself as one of the most successful co-op survival games in recent years. The Cold Fusion update appears poised to further refine the experience while addressing player feedback, potentially cementing the game's status as a worthy spiritual successor to the Half-Life universe that continues to inspire it.