Our first playtest has officially come to an end, and the response has been incredible:
Over 75,000 players signed up, and more than 42,000 joined us underwater!
Most importantly, you told us that you had fun playing with your friends and that makes us incredibly happy. Thank you for playing, reporting bugs, sharing ideas, and helping us make the game better. ❤️
We’ve been reading your feedback across Discord, the Steam forums, and the in-game survey. Here are some of the most common topics.
Your Most Common Feedback
- 💧 CO₂ filters and oxygen This was by far the most requested change. Filters currently deplete too quickly, with limited ways to recover during missions. We’ll review and rebalance this system. Ultimately, we want to build a game our community enjoys.
- 🗺️ More missions and variety This was only our first playtest! Future rounds will introduce additional content. The final game is planned to feature a campaign with more than 30 missions, alongside PvP and single-player modes.
- 🎙️ Push-to-talk and voice chat Already in progress. We’re improving voice-chat stability and adding a push-to-talk option for the next playtest.
- 🍖 Hunger, food, and stamina balancing We hear you: these systems can currently feel too punishing and distract from operating the submarine. We’ll adjust their balance for the next round.
- 🔧 Clipping and falling through walls Noted! We’re working on fixes for players being pushed through walls, leaving the submarine geometry, or falling out of the map.
- ⛽ Fuel and engine management You shared some great ideas for deeper fuel, resource, and engine mechanics. We’ve taken plenty of notes.
- ⚔️ PvP submarine combat Yes, PvP is already planned for release! It isn’t available in the playtest yet, but submarine-versus-submarine combat is part of our roadmap.
- 🔭 Periscope zoom and bearing indicators Great suggestions. We’re looking into better zoom controls and clearer navigation information.
- 🤫 Stealth and silent running Engine shutdowns, noise indicators, and more meaningful silent-running mechanics were frequently requested. We’ll be reviewing these systems too.
- 🌊 Open world and free roam This wasn’t originally within our planned scope, but your ideas around exploration, sandbox gameplay, and resupplying were very interesting. Our design team is already thinking about how some of these concepts could fit into the game.
One more thing… You mentioned something about monsters and creatures from the deep?... ummm NOTED!
⚓ What’s Next on the Radar?
- Add S.O.N.A.R. to your Wishlist: This is crucial for helping us reach more players and recruit fresh crews.
- Follow the game on Steam: Stay in the loop and get notified the second the next playtest goes live, so you can jump back in with your friends. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4096830/SONAR__Submarine_Operators_Not_Actually_Ready/
- Join our Discord: Share your thoughts, report bugs, and find crewmates in our rapidly growing community.
- Keep your eyes peeled: Our next playtest session is just around the corner!
For now… welcome back to port, and once again, thank you for all your support!