Today the Grounded Team releases the latest free update for the game: The bugs fight back, available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows 10/11 and with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Steam Early Access. Players have had fun exploring the farm since the Early Access launch and have conquered many, many, many bugs. But the bugs are tired and can’t take the attacks anymore.
Newly added Grounded There are three different ways the bugs can take revenge on players. First, there is in true Obsidian fashion fraction reactivity. Beetles will take the fight back to your base when they get tired of you invading their territory or killing their kind. The more you annoy a particular species, the more likely it will come knocking on your door.
Second, you can decide what kind of bugs you want to attract with the wave emitter. Toss your pile of collected insect parts from downed creatures into the machine and watch the mix waft through the garden. This will cause the corresponding bugs to get angry and seek revenge on you. Of course, the more you add, the angrier the bugs get, so keep that in mind and don’t just throw in heaps of parts without thinking.
The trio is rounded off by the new ones MIX.Rs spread all over the yard. These tanks mix some good old raw science for Wendell’s experiments. Players can get this pile of Raw Science for themselves by turning on the MIX.R, but this will overdrive the system, causing it to make a scene. The nearby bugs don’t take well to what the MIX.R is doing and will do anything to destroy it, so it’s up to the players to defend the MIX.R until its process is complete in order to destroy them huge reward of Raw Science to collect from everyone.
Building bases will help defend against the hordes of bugs that will lash back at players, but the team also made sure to include some new support items. Players can now upgrade their armor, ultimately allowing them to opt for a permanent buff like a cloud of dust released when attacking, or an increase in the damage they can take. New turrets have been added, like the Pollen Tower, which can help slow and stun those creepy crawlers when they try to knock down bases. The Pebble Turret shoots pebbles at high speed to keep the hordes at bay. And the newly added Explosive Burr Traps will be dormant until players decide to spice things up by strategically placing and triggering them.
It’s not just building a decent defense that gives players an edge over the swarm. A new feature added to the PEEP.R allows players to “peep” creatures, giving them a creature card to collect. These cards contain information on what this insect is weak and strong against, how many of these creatures the player has killed, and more to aid players in their journeys. There’s even a chance of snagging very rare gold editions of these cards, so get out there and check them out.
While the base defense features, armor upgrades, and hordes of bugs out for revenge make up the bulk of this update, there are also a whole host of new community-requested quality-of-life features making their way into the game. From the ability to name each and every crate that players have taken the time to organize their hard-earned and crafted items in, to the ability to dispose of the piles of items that a “friend” has thrown around the garden , when they “helped”. Clear away some weed, there’s plenty in store. Check out the latest Grounded Developer vlog on the Obsidian YouTube Channel for more details, or check out the full patch notes. As always, the team encourages players to share their feedback on anything in this update with them through the Official Discord server so that we can continue together Grounded the game we all want to play.
Grounded is available now as an Xbox Game Preview title on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Windows 10/11 and with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Steam Early Access for $29.99.
For more information please Visit the official website.
