Hello, Martians! 🔴
We have a massive announcement for you today. After years of development, millions of lines of code, and countless dust storms survived by our community, we have set the date for leaving Early Access. Mark your calendars:
📅 v1.0 Release Date: January 30, 2026 🚀
By a cosmic coincidence (or perhaps destiny?), this date marks almost exactly 1000 days since we first launched into Early Access in May 2023. It has been a long, harsh, challenging, and incredible journey.
We have come a long way
Looking back, the game has evolved massively. While our recent focus on the Co-Op update was a huge technical undertaking, we haven't forgotten the roots of the game. We’ve been consistently expanding the world of Occupy Mars throughout Early Access.
Here is a look back at our mission log*:
- May 2023: Early Access Launch 🚀
- August 2023 - Exploration Update: 35+ new features, 2 new vehicles, Heavy Suit.
- January 2024 - Nuclear Update: 20+ new features, Events system, Supply Drops.
- August 2024 - Anniversary Update: 60+ new features, Launchpad, Decorations.
- December 2024 - Winter Update: Infinite Technologies, Rover Map, Hangar Rework.
- November 2025 - CoOp Update: Online Multiplayer & complete rework of core systems.
* (Plus dozens of patches and QoL updates in between!)
🚀 v1.0 is all about CONTENT
We’ve heard your feedback regarding the recent focus on Multiplayer. The Co-Op update built the foundation. Now, v1.0 will deliver the key content update that completes our original vision.
Coming in v1.0 (January 30th):
- Spotty the Robot: Feeling lonely in single player mode? A friendly robot dog companion will be available to help you on your journey! 🐕🤖
- Chemistry Tech: The Chemlab and advanced Chemistry technologies will finally arrive, adding a new layer of depth to crafting and survival. ⚗️🧪
- Vertical Grid Buildings: The long-awaited scaffolding grid system is here! You will finally be able to build vertical structures and complex bases exactly how you imagined. ▦🏬
- Multiplayer Polish: Weather sync, remaining vehicles, and technologies in the co-op mode. 👩🚀👨🚀
- Campaign Mode: We are finally bringing all features and technologies together into an improved campaign that you can complete. 🚀
...but that's not all!
Reaching version 1.0 is a huge milestone - it means our original Roadmap will be complete, but it is not the end of the road. It opens the door for us to start working on Console Versions of the game, while continuing to cooperate with the community.
We are still hard at work at implementing the remaining features and fixing bugs, so the next couple of weeks will be pretty intense for us, but we have set ourselves a deadline we are determined to meet.
👕 Official Merch Shop by Tilt
Finally, a treat for collectors and a cool little milestone for our studio. For a long time, we wanted to bring the art from our games into the real world, and many of you have been asking for this too.
Thanks to our cooperation with Tilt, we have launched an Official Merch Shop! If you ever wanted an Occupy Mars Mouse Pad or Floor Mat, they are now available, and we hope that T-shirts and Hoodies will also be added soon. This is handled externally, so our team remains 100% focused on the game.
Check out the collection here:
Thank you for sticking with us for these 1000 Sols. Whether you joined us on day one or just landed yesterday - thank you.
Get your rovers ready. The biggest update in the history of Occupy Mars is coming in just a few weeks!
See you on the Red Planet,
Occupy Mars Team