As our game inches closer to its [b]1.0 release[/b] candidates (our “stabilization” phase), I've had a few moments to sip some dubious green tea and reflect on the journey so far. My first realization: it's already been 14 months since we entered Early Access. Surprisingly, this period has felt more intense and memorable than even the years spent in initial production. Why? I think the answer lies in the feedback loop we established with players. Every addition, change, and removal has led to an unfiltered stream of feedback, revealing insights we could never have gathered from pre-release play sessions with closed groups or involuntarily enlisted friends. Early Access has fundamentally reshaped us as developers and redefined our mindset. So how exactly has Void Crew been affected by this beast we know as [i]"Early Access"?[/i] [h1]The Impact of Early Access on Void Crew[/h1] [h2]PAX East: Our First Player Encounters[/h2] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43802314/384c66c1058112d057fa79b6ab797481a410a504.png[/img] Our Early Access journey kicked off in spirit at PAX East in Boston. Although technically not yet in Early Access, the limited single-sector build allowed players to try out key features like space combat and EVA. The sight of players [i]queuing for hours[/i]—some even returning multiple times—was immensely validating. I still have my scribbled notes from that event, with “usability” as a key theme, but overall, we left with renewed confidence that Void Crew had an eager audience. [h2]The Early Access Launch[/h2] The actual Early Access launch was [b]nerve-wracking[/b], to say the least. Like any game on Steam, our rating from players would be critical, and we watched each review trickle in with bated breath. Thankfully, the reception was positive! (And if you haven't given us a thumbs up yet... well, now’s a good time! 😄) Reading through the reviews systematically was hard—especially when someone dismissed months of work with a simple “lame.” However, patterns emerged. Early Access carries an [b]unspoken agreement[/b] between developers and players: the game is now “theirs” as much as ours. This shift meant changes would be met with friction, and we committed to listening and responding accordingly. [h2]First Update: Collector and Heavy Autocannon[/h2] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43802314/77ece487b20a633162bed891e97ceb70cd948350.png[/img] Our first update brought the [b]Collector “loot goblin”[/b] and the [b]Orison Heavy Autocannon[/b]. These were in progress as we launched into Early Access, as we wanted to offer something new quickly. Most of our initial resources, however, went into bug fixes and resolving issues that surfaced post-launch. Reviewing that changelog now, it’s clear we were in full “bug-squash” mode. [h2]Addressing Solo Play: Update 1.5[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/EM2iheS.gif[/img] One recurring pain point was solo play. Both data and player feedback showed a worrying number of solo players struggling with the game's difficulty. We pivoted our roadmap to introduce [b]“The B.R.A.I.N.”[/b] module just before Halloween, making solo play much more feasible while still enhancing cooperative play with more tools. We also added the [b]Cruise Mode[/b] toggle, primarily aimed at improving solo play but also becoming a favorite for any Pilot making a mad dash to the Astral Map while under fire. This update, paired with bug fixes and optimizations, was well-received and gave solo players a new way to enjoy Void Crew. Balancing the game for solo players while also keeping it enjoyable for four-player crews—and balancing overall—is a complex affair. The game becomes boring when there's nothing to do, but many solo requests are about automating various aspects of gameplay. When the BRAINs were introduced, the number one request was to add them to the Fabricator for everyone. We didn't want to do that because, at the time, we didn't have the mechanical foundation to make 3-4 Auto-Turrets viable for a solo Ectype while making them less optimal for four-man crews. (We do now!) [h2]Patches and the Holiday Update[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Tm01uhU.gif[/img] Behind the scenes, we began working on broader tech improvements to address the bigger review feedback. To add more variety to the runs, we introduced various [b]new enemy types[/b]. But the BIG change in this update was the [b]Void Tunnel[/b] sequence, which had previously been a simple timed sequence taking players to the next Objective. Players had been requesting some breathing room between Objectives, and the Void Jump was an obvious place to add that while also making an iconic moment in the game stand out more. It also meant we could keep the high-intensity getaways intact while leaving room for gathering around the Astral Map to choose the next Objective. "More varied runs" was a major headline on our internal list of priorities. With the introduction of the Void Tunnel, we also saw an opportunity to introduce the surprise Objective: [b]The Void Interdiction[/b]. We had concerns about meeting the player demand for a moment of calm and then slapping a surprise fight on top of it, but felt that as long as the communication was in place and the risk was low early in the runs, it would probably be okay—even if players died, they'd have a good story to tell. A particularly challenging technical issue was the [b]network handling of carryables[/b], which sometimes broke the game. After untangling this legacy system, things ran smoother, and we even managed to throw in seasonal fun with a [b]sleigh-inspired Remnant Freighter[/b]! Around this time, we also realized we had begun treating the game too much like a "live" title rather than an Early Access one. As a small team, allocating time for seasonal content meant delaying permanent features the game also needed. On the other hand, players enjoyed the Holiday additions, so there's something to be said for adding content that keeps the current community excited. [h2]Extending the Game: A Complex Update[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/KNI2XRZ.gif[/img] Our least popular update, however, was the extension update. Despite [b]new Elite enemies[/b], [b]Freedom Loadout[/b], [b]Codex Lore entries[/b], and much-requested fixes, our rating took a hit. Some changes—like removing excess Biomass and Alloys for XP and simplifying loot mechanics—were controversial. In hindsight, we realize we breached that “unwritten contract” with players by making unexpected changes we believed to be minor. A [b]swift patch[/b] helped us regain trust, and we learned something about listening to player sentiment in real time. We also learned that Void Crew is not the best medium for communicating lore amidst all the chaos and player conversations. We'll leave the lore in the Codex and let players take center stage, generating their own tales of victory and defeat. [h2]Roguelite Endless Mode: A Fork in the Road[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/yoMRCcT.gif[/img] One of the biggest requests from players was to [b]“keep going”[/b] in Void Crew. The finite nature of runs limited replayability, so we tackled this by developing the roguelite Endless Mode over several months, which also enabled us to introduce larger challenges like bosses. Maintaining a deployed game while overhauling core code was no small feat, but this update has been essential in enhancing replay value. The introduction of Endless Mode caused some rumblings among our existing players—a lot of feedback focused on the strong sense of "winning" a run, with limited objective runs providing a good sense of a finished session. Some players were also disappointed that "Epic Loot Boxes" could no longer be guaranteed from doing a two-objective run on Insane difficulty. We had long discussions about reintroducing the sense of being rewarded for shorter runs, and making it feel viable to play for an hour and then sign off. Daily Missions were placed on the roadmap, and we revised the mechanics for loot boxes so they're less likely to contain duplicates. [h2]Fruits of Our Labor: Building on a Solid Foundation[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/rD9ctIY.gif[/img] With this new foundation in place, we finally had the platform to add long-desired features like big Bosses, Relics, Emotes, and performance tech (DLSS/FSR). We also continued to refine solo play, matchmaking, and more. Each update has brought us closer to realizing the game Void Crew was always meant to be. [h2]Bringing It All Together for 1.0[/h2] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43802314/9c84af2b448f0594b22079169b8cb252f2d90600.png[/img] [i]So, what’s left?[/i] Plenty. We’re tirelessly tying up loose ends, polishing features, and making improvements that will give the game that final "great" factor. For example, we’ve reworked the [b]Fabricator[/b], improved [b]UX and UI elements[/b], and made [b]upgrades[/b] feel more meaningful. It’s all about going the extra mile to give Early Access the send-off it deserves. In closing, Early Access has challenged us to improve Void Crew in ways we couldn't have anticipated. We’re beyond grateful for everyone who’s joined us on this journey, and excited to bring you a game that reflects your feedback and our growth. We would like to thank all Early Access players for your support and feedback. All the encouragement and positive vibes, gave us extra energy in rough periods. All the input for improvements made us try even harder. Thank you! [b][i]Stay tuned—more is coming soon![/i][/b] In the next article, we'll cover more about what new features 1.0 will entail! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43802314/f61381aaded974d0c8225588f127d6cda088e7f5.png[/img] Get more news and sneak peeks on our [url=https://discord.com/invite/joinvoidcrew]Discord[/url]—don't hesitate, join naaauw! Until the next rambling... // Daniel, Creative Director, Hutlihut Games [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43802314/f61381aaded974d0c8225588f127d6cda088e7f5.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/43802314/f3fca3cda71652b7aee363dcb0e64e197b18d814.png[/img]