Hello Rifters! We’re so excited to bring you our first major update, Welcome to Locker Island, on December 17, 2025. This update marks the biggest step forward for Lost Rift since Early Access launched, and is coming with a ton of new features the community has been requesting since players first stepped ashore on our mysterious archipelago.
This release introduces an entirely new expedition island, an experimental PvE-only mode for expeditions, downed personal self-revives, an inbox rewards system, new weapons, new bosses, and much needed quality of life improvements. Below you’ll find some of the biggest changes coming to the game next week.
KEY FEATURES COMING IN THIS GAME UPDATE
Experimental PvE Expedition Mode:
PvE Cooperative Expeditions will allow players to focus on survival, exploration, resource mastery, and story progression without the pressure of unpredictable PvP encounters. Don’t worry, players will still compete against each other for loot in this mode, but in a more cooperative way without the ability to shoot each other. It’s also important to keep in mind that rarer loot will be easier to find in the more competitive PvP-focused mode.
We understand some of our players really enjoy only the survival PvE aspect of the game, so the new mode is an option to make expeditions feel less like a winner-takes-all showdown. This feature is all about giving players the choice, whether to fight others or to just take-on Outcasts and explore the island for loot. As the title says, the cooperative PvE Expedition mode is still Experimental, so please bear with us as we continue to refine how this mode functions.
Expedition Island #2 - Locker Island:
A second island has unveiled itself in the archipelago. This swamp-ridden, eerie expanse is filled with abandoned structures and secrets lost in the mud and mist. Locker Island has nine points of interest, with one yet to be revealed, across a landscape where you’ll find shipwrecks, plane wrecks, and fresh dangers.
New Bogzilla Monster and Boss Fights:
Take on six new boss enemies, 3 on Locker Island and 3 on Western Island. Plus, watch out for a new deadly species of creature lurking in the shadows of Locker Island.
Downed Self-Revive:
Self-revive gives solo explorers and unlucky squads a fighting chance at a comeback. Time it right, and keep fighting your way out alive. Time it wrong, and lose it all.
80+ Lore Notes & Side Quests:
This is the largest narrative expansion the game has received post-early access release. With over 50 updated story notes, 80 brand-new notes, and new side quests, the world of Lost Rift is now richer, darker, and more connected to the dangers surrounding it.
Two New Weapons, the Liberator & Frontier:
Expand your arsenal with the new fully automatic Liberator and the Frontier precision rifle.
Shared Chest Crafting Integration:
Shared chests are a new chest type that can be built to make it easier to craft. That means less shuffling items around and more time creating the things you’ll need to succeed.
T1 Chest Recipe: 20 Wood / 5 Sailor Rope
T2 Chest Recipe: 20 Treated Wood / 20 Metal Scraps / 2 Metal Hook
T3 Chest Recipe: 20 Iron Ingot / 5 Sailor Rope / 1 Control Relay
In-Game Mailbox Rewards System:
Players will now be able to receive items and messages directly from the Lost Rift team. Things like holiday gift items, player rewards, and other communications will get delivered with a new UI button and notification through this new system.
And There’s So Much More:
Quality of Life Improvements across the entire game
AI reaction and spawning cool down updates
A huge set of loot and economy rebalancing
New food types and new fauna to hunt for a meal
Difficulty scaling changes, mining rebalance, trade changes, and the list keeps going
Be sure to check out some screenshots below to get more of a sneak peak on the update!
We have said this time and time again, but your feedback has been key in shaping our long-term plans, and it will continue to guide our work as we refine and expand Lost Rift together. Stay tuned for future information on our first patch, first content update, and beyond. Be sure to join us on Discord, TikTok, and X to connect with other players.
And as always, please consider dropping us a review (it helps us a lot)!