Hello Jans,

Today's hotfix is strictly focused on performance optimization. This is the first of two planned updates, with the second scheduled for next week. Following our recent transition to the new Unreal Engine, we identified the engine upgrade as the root cause of most recent technical issues across industry, and these tweaks are designed to address them directly.

Because this is a Friday deployment, we have opened a legacy Steam branch containing the previous live build. If the new patch breaks anything for you (we certainly hope not!), you can safely roll back to this branch with full save-file compatibility.

Thank you for your ongoing feedback! If you experience any further issues, please don't hesitate to send them over to our support team.

PATCH NOTES:

- Implemented multiple performance improvements across the game related to our transition to Unreal Engine 5.5. These changes affect many different systems and areas of the game, helping improve overall performance and stability.

- Fixed an issue where graphics settings shown in the UI were not always correctly applied when launching the game.

If you encoutered issues after hotfix:

To access rollback branch of The Alters 2.0.1:

• Open Game Properties: Right-click the game in your Steam Library and select Properties from the drop-down menu.

• Navigate to Betas: Click on the Betas tab located on the left side of the properties window.

• Select Your Branch: Click the Beta Participation drop-down menu on the right and select the "last_variable_2.0.1" from the list. Steam will automatically begin downloading the selected version.

Take care,

~ 11 bit studios Team

Hello Jans!

The long-awaited moment has come.

The Alters: Last Variable, a brand new story expansion is available now on Steam!

This time, the spotlight falls on Jan Scientist. While the original mission may be over, his greatest challenge is only just beginning. A mysterious Oasis has appeared where nothing should be able to survive, becoming an obsession that no single mind can fully comprehend.

Fortunately, Jan is never truly alone.

To uncover the truth behind this impossible phenomenon, you'll once again assemble a crew of alternate versions of Jan, each bringing unique scientific expertise to the mission. A Geologist. A Biologist. A Chemist. A Physicist. Together, they will attempt to solve one of the greatest mysteries the planet has to offer.

Grab Deluxe Edition with 35% Discount!:

https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/54533/The_Alters_Deluxe_Edition/Watch the Launch Trailer below:

Start a new story and pick Last Variable from the main menu before or after the main scenario.

Experience an entirely new chapter that follows Jan Scientist after the events of the main game. Lead a team of scientifically minded Alters as they investigate the mysterious Oasis and search for answers hidden beneath the planet's surface.

The Oasis is constantly evolving. Transform the environment to unlock new areas and valuable resources, but be prepared for the consequences. Every change to the landscape awakens the planet's defensive mechanisms, bringing more frequent earthquakes, deadly radiation waves, and other environmental hazards.

Build across different soil types and unlock entirely new construction possibilities. Research advanced technologies and construct new modules, including the Cryosleep Chamber, allowing you to extend your mission and witness the long-term consequences of your scientific discoveries.

Each planetary cooldown creates a short opportunity to explore a dramatically transformed world. Establish Field Labs that allow your Alters to continue their research while Jan remains in cryosleep, opening up new strategic possibilities and expanding your scientific operations.

Tomorrow, July 14th, at 4pm CEST We will be hosting an AMA in r/games, where you can ask \[person name/the team] any question about The Alters and its new DLC, wether its about the development of the game, its core themes , or even just to say hi!:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/

Some of you wondered which ending is canonical in The Alters. Well we didn't pick one which is right and gave you full freedom to interpretate all endings from base game, BUT Last Variable DLC continues one of these endings, and we thought we will share a guide how to achieve this ending in the base game to keep all the events connected (don't read it if you didn't finish the game!):

• Updated game to Unreal Engine 5.5 

• Higher quality textures - sharper, more detailed textures throughout the game world.

• More accurate geometry - improved model and environment precision, with fewer graphical simplifications.

• Improved shadow quality - more realistic and smoother shadows, adding greater depth to the visuals.

• New sharpness slider

• Updated internal systems and middleware to their latest compatible version.

• Better skeletal mesh optimization - improved character animations and models, resulting in smoother gameplay and reduced hardware load.

• Upscaler updates - support for the latest versions of TSR, FSR, and DLSS.

• Optimized memory management to help reduce unexpected performance issues.

• Fixed key bugs related to Rebellions - resolved issues affecting story-related events.

• Fixed loading screen bugs - eliminated issues causing freezes or errors during loading.

• Numerous other minor bug fixes - various smaller issues across the game have also been addressed for a smoother overall experience.

• Primary and secondary monitor 4K support - the game now properly supports dual-monitor setups running at 4K resolution

We hope you'll enjoy returning to The Alters and uncovering everything that awaits inside the Oasis. As always, thank you for your incredible support, feedback, and passion, it was amazing journey for us! We can't wait to hear your theories once you've experienced Last Variable for yourselves.

Good luck, Jans.

~ 11 bit studios Team