July Development Update, Infrastructure, AEF, Security & More
Hello everyone!
It's been another busy month here at Furr-Tec Studios, and we'd like to share what we've been working on across our infrastructure, the Avatar Exchange Format (AEF), Anti-Extinction, and the technology powering our ecosystem.
Much of our recent work has focused on building the foundations that will support the project for years to come. While these improvements aren't always immediately visible, they are essential to delivering a stable, secure, and scalable experience.
Account Infrastructure
One of our biggest milestones this month has been upgrading our account infrastructure to PostgreSQL 19 Beta 1.
This upgrade improves overall database performance, reduces latency, and helps us streamline account creation. It's another important step toward opening public account registration.
Our account system is being built around passwordless authentication using WebAuthn/FIDO2 passkeys, allowing supported devices and password managers to securely authenticate without traditional passwords. Two-factor authentication is also planned for a future release.
When accounts become available, we intend to collect only the information necessary to provide our services. Depending on which features you use, this may include:
Steam ID
Steam display name
Furr-Tec username
Email address (when applicable)
Steam account linking is already operational. It allows your Steam display name to appear in-game while only using the information required for that integration.
We've also deployed our service status platform, allowing players to monitor the health of our online services whenever they're available.
Security & Privacy
Security has become one of the largest focuses of our infrastructure work.
Rather than treating it as something added later, we're building security directly into our development process.
Our systems are being designed around the principles found in:
ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Information Security Management
ISO/IEC 27018:2019, Protection of Personal Data in Cloud Services
Although we are not currently certified, our infrastructure and documentation are being built with future certification in mind.
Current protections include:
Passwordless authentication
Minimal personal data collection
Encryption during transmission and storage
Redundant encrypted backups
Documented operational security controls
Security and privacy reviews for third-party providers
Authentication credentials and account metadata remain within approved production regions. Any cross-region transfers are limited to encrypted backups, disaster recovery, or legal obligations.
Protecting player data is something we take seriously, and we'll continue improving these systems as the platform grows.
Website Improvements
We've also updated several legal and informational documents across our services, including:
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Software License Terms
These updates help prepare the platform for future public services and SDK releases.
Steam Achievements
Several Steam achievements are currently being prepared, including:
Creating or uploading an avatar
Signing into your Furr-Tec account
Additional achievements will be added as new gameplay systems and platform features become available.
Avatar Exchange Format (AEF)
Development of the Avatar Exchange Format continues at a steady pace.
This month we've completely redesigned the interface, replacing the original prototype with a much more polished experience.
We've also implemented seamless authentication through
Instead of manually entering credentials inside the SDK, you'll authenticate securely through your browser before being returned directly to the SDK.
We've also continued development on several gameplay systems including:
Avatar weapon importing
Projectile-based weapon mechanics
Advanced ballistic profiles
Power UI Framework support for transit stations
Basic Anti-Extinction customization interfaces
In-game avatar customization
Knotted IK
Our custom Knotted IK system has continued receiving improvements.
Recent work includes:
Improved digitigrade leg support
Animation layer integration
Smoother movement
More stable terrain interaction
Knotted IK remains under heavy development, so testers should still expect occasional bugs while we continue refining the system.
Patreon Testing
Active Patreon supporters can now participate in testing our experimental CoreCLR Player.
Using Unity 6000.7.a2, we've observed performance improvements exceeding 8% compared with Mono and IL2CPP builds.
Performance has continued improving throughout Unity 6's development, and we're excited to keep exploring what CoreCLR makes possible.
If you're an active Patreon supporter and would like to participate, feel free to contact us for access to the dedicated testing branch.
Avatar & World Storage
We're also preparing support for up to 25GB of storage for avatars and worlds.
Additional information will be shared as the upload, moderation, and storage systems move closer to release.
Looking Forward
Much of our work over the past month has been focused on strengthening the foundations of the Furr-Tec ecosystem.
Whether it's improving security, modernizing our account platform, expanding the Avatar Exchange Format, refining Anti-Extinction's technology, or preparing our online infrastructure, every improvement moves us closer to opening more of the platform to the community.
We're incredibly grateful for everyone's patience and continued support while we build these systems the right way.
There's still a lot more to share, and we're looking forward to bringing you along for the journey.
Thank you for supporting Furr-Tec Studios, and we'll see you in the next development update.