UPDATE: As we close in on the EVERSPACE 2 PC launch, we thought we’d drop a quick update on this post.
First, the bad news. As mentioned during last week’s livestream, native Linux support for EVERSPACE 2 is going on the backburner. We spent a significant amount of effort pursuing a native Linux build, but due to the Vulkan implementation in Unreal Engine 4, we’re seeing 50% - 80% performance compared to the DX11 Windows version in Proton. We’re also seeing significant issues with features like SSGI which are causing frequent video RAM leak crashes. Long story short, as long as the game is on Unreal 4, we’re unlikely to see any help from the Unreal team on this and even then, it’s a longshot. We don’t have plans right now to update to Unreal 5 as that would be a significant undertaking.
Now the faint good news here is that we’re still working on optimizing the Proton experience. We realize this isn’t ideal for some Linux players, so we’re offering a full refund to Kickstarter backers who specifically wanted to play natively on Linux. No questions asked, but refunded keys will be revoked. Just message us on Kickstarter and we’ll make it happen.
The team is still pursuing MacOS, and support for this platform will come in a post-launch patch.
EVERSPACE 2 has had a number of optimizations done for Steam Deck, but we are by no means calling it quits on this front. We have a number of areas to improve the general quality of play and UI before we plan to submit for the Steam Deck Verified check.
Greetings, pilots!
ROCKFISH Games Communications & PR Director, Lee Guille here! You'll see me pop up between big announcements as we continue to share development updates leading up to launch and beyond.
It’s fantastic to see you all hyped up about the April 6 release date and that amazing trailer put together by the team! Diving into the comments on Steam, Kickstarter, and our Discord, we pulled out a few frequently asked questions that we wanted to get answers out for.
Will Linux have full support on day 1?
We know we have a number of excited and vocal EVERSPACE 2 Linux fans in the community. Ensuring the game is playable natively on Linux is high on our priority list. Right now, Linux support is planned to be included at 1.0 launch, but we do want to caveat that by saying game development sometimes throws unexpected curveballs that can be difficult to field as a small team—we had to learn that painfully from the Linux version of the predecessor, but overall Unreal Engine 4’s Linux support is in a much better state, now.
Of course, supporting the much larger audience of PC players is our top priority as we move towards launch. The team will be spending the next few weeks working on that front before shifting focus to Linux support. We are reasonably confident in hitting the 1.0 date with Linux, but will update if that changes.
Ok! But what if I’m playing on a Mac?
Similar to Linux, we are aiming to support MacOS players when we launch at 1.0 on April 6. The team is still digging into optimization, which OS versions will be supported, and needs on these platforms. While we don’t anticipate MacOS support slipping from the 1.0 date, we cannot rule that possibility out completely. More news on this closer to launch.
What’s the deal with Steam Deck?
Currently, we’re targeting full Steam Deck support for 1.0, but we’ve still got work to do. At this time, full Steam Deck support ranks just below Linux and MaxOS in priority since it wasn’t one of Kickstarter promises. In case work is not completed by 1.0, it will be rolled out soon after.
EVERSPACE 2 has not been fully optimized for Steam Deck yet—we need to well… optimize it further. In addition to thorough testing, we have many changes to make such as adjusting the on-screen text size (that’s a big one), changes to the UI that currently shows mouse and keyboard/controllers, and plenty of other little things that would create an ideal handheld experience.
All that said, Steam Deck owners can pick up and play EVERSPACE 2 right now, and they’ll have a pretty OK time. “Pretty OK” is not the quality bar we’re aiming for though, so more work needs to happen. Naturally, the Steam Deck version will also benefit from general performance optimization that are currently in the works, so we expect to be able to share good news soon.
News on the save game wipe!
We’ve been taking in all the feedback that has been shared by the community on Steam, Kickstarter, and our Discord. How and if we can support Early Access save games has been a long running conversation here in the studio.
For good reason, we’ve said there will be a save wipe at v1.0. Mainly we approach this from a technical standpoint as old saves can become incompatible when making major changes to the game during development. Also, overall game balance changes can impact old saves as new content is added and old content modified, plus you could miss out on content that was added to earlier areas in the game. For instance, depending on how far someone has already played through the campaign, some of the recently announced Visions will not play for them.
While the latter would still be an issue, Andi, one of our senior game designers and gameplay programmers who’s been with us for almost 20 years—where did the time go—came up with a solution to bridge the gap for saves between Early Access and 1.0, so now you will be able to continue playing from the point you left off before April 6th. Using a pre-1.0 Early Access save game will likely create bugs or cut off access to some achievements during that playthrough.
FAIR WARNING: EVERSPACE 2 has changed quite a bit over the course of Early Access, so by not starting a new playthrough at 1.0, you’ll miss out on all kinds of content and loot. For example, mainframe components added in an update won’t appear in containers you’ve previously looted. This means you’ll never get them in that playthrough and you’ll have frustrating moments as you hunt through systems looking for loot that your map completion tracker says should be there.
TL;DR: You’ll be able to continue with any of your saves, but we strongly recommend creating a new save game at 1.0, especially if you are planning any sort of completionist run.
Work in progress in-game messaging. Not final text or layout.
Old save games will be marked in-game and when they’re loaded, you’ll see a message similar to the above (this is a WIP example), so that you know for certain that the save game you are playing may have issues related to it.
That’s everything we have for now. We’ve got lots to do and a deadline to hit. See you in space!
Lee & your dedicated ROCKFISH Games Team 🚀🪐👽