In preparation for the launch of Lost Rift on September 25, 2025, we will be launching the Lost Rift Demo on Steam from September 17 to 24. This is your chance to get a taste of the core gameplay loop before the full game launches on September 25, 2025.
In the demo, you'll start your journey on Camp Island, where you'll be introduced to Wade, a character who will help you get established and guide you toward your first Expedition on Western Island. This is where you'll experience the intense extraction shooter gameplay that's at the heart of Lost Rift.
Back on Camp Island, you’ll see the ever-present anomaly wall, which will restrict your access to the starting area for the duration of the demo. The wall will finally come down on launch day, September 25.
Please read on below to see all of the new features and significant changes that we’ve made to the demo since our last public playtest.
Demo Notice: Any progress you make during the demo, including your character and island progress, will not transfer to the launch version of the game. All data will be wiped before the official launch.
We can't wait for players to jump back into Lost Rift. Let us know what you think on our social channels, and be sure to add us to your Steam Wishlist.
No Host Needed: Shared Islands
We've made it easier than ever to play together. You and your squadmates can now access any Shared Island at any time, without needing the player who created the island to be online. Any player with access can launch the island whenever they want. The person who initially creates the Shared Island can send a more secure one-time invite code to each friend, which provides access to the island. Our new invite codes also help prevent unwanted guests from showing up and causing trouble.
Visually Updated Building System
The building in Lost Rift has undergone significant visual upgrades since our last playtest. The thatch building set has been completely visually overhauled and now includes the following pieces:
Thatch Floor Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Triangle Floor Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Wall Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Wall Triangle (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Inverted Wall Triangle (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Angled Roof (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Angled Tile (5x, 3x, 1x)
Wood Vertical Beam (5x, 3x, 1x)
Wood Horizontal Beam (5x, 3x, 1x)
Wood Diagonal Beam (5x, 3x, 1x)
Thatch Door
We look forward to seeing what players can create with all of these options.
Many of the functional and decorative items that can be placed in your base camp have also received visual updates. We will leave these for you to explore!
Get Comfy!
Tired of a boring, lifeless base? Now you can jazz it up with some decorations and get a bonus while you're at it! Decorating your base camp with furniture and other fun items now gives you a Comfort Buff. The more you decorate, the stronger the buff gets.
Check your Camp Comfort Level at the Survivor Beacon
Each decoration gives you comfort points (1-10 points per item)
Some items, like plants, can be placed multiple times for more points (up to 5 of the same type)
Other items, like a bed, only give you points for the first one you place
Your goal is to reach a Camp Comfort Rank of 10 by getting 1000 points. At this max rank, you'll get a big bonus: a +50 stamina buff that lasts for 20 minutes and is refreshed by sleeping at the camp. Your Comfort Buff will also persist when travelling to Expedition, to get the edge over your opponents!
Progression Updates
If you have played in multiple playtests, you’ll know that early-game progression is something we have been hammering away on to perfect it. We have been focused on helping new players become more established at camp and better prepared for the battles ahead on Expedition.
Many changes have been made to streamline the gameplay flow, including adjustments to the amount of resources picked up and harvested, crafting recipe requirements, and the process of unlocking different recipes.
Visual Upgrades
Lost Rift continues to look better than ever as new game art floods the islands. You’ll notice visual changes to foliage, upgrades to POIs on the Western Island, as well as art updates to consumables, decorative items, workbenches, and more.
No Infinite Revives: Heavy Wound System
When you are downed, you will now receive a debuff called Heavy Wound. This debuff will start a timer during which you will not be able to be revived again. The debuff will prevent squads from repeatedly reviving each other during active PVP altercations.
Expedition Rejoin
If you get disconnected from an Expedition due to a server error or a crash, you'll now be able to rejoin your previous mission right away from the main menu. This means your progress, loot, and inventory will be safe. You can jump right back into the action without losing anything!
Enemy AI Improvements
We've been hard at work polishing the enemy AI and combat, making every encounter more challenging and fun. This includes everyone's favorite enemy, Bonkey. We've also made a significant change to how enemies spawn. Now, the number of enemies you face will scale to the number of players in your squad. Whether you're playing solo or with a full squad, you'll encounter a fair but challenging number of hyenas and Outcasts on your Island and during Expeditions.
Finally, we've fixed many navigation bugs that were causing enemies to act dumber than intended. They'll now move more intelligently, so be prepared!
Additional Changes
You can now spectate your teammates on Expedition upon your death.
We are now enforcing a character limit and an Island limit. Each player can create up to three characters and three islands. However, there is no limit on how many of your friends' islands you can join.
We’ve added Transfer Item Stacks and Loot All buttons in the inventory screen, allowing you to optimize your backpack and empty loot faster into chests after Expeditions.
Improved gamepad support, especially in Big Picture mode
Dodos now eat berries!
As the Early Access launch of Lost Rift draws near, the development team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has joined us on this journey. Your passion, feedback, and excitement have been the driving force for us. The finish line is in sight, and we're excited to finally open the Rift to all of you!