Bringing together the deckbuilding of Slay the Spire, the strategic ship combat of FTL, and a little of developer Edgeflow Studio's own special sauce, Breachway has been cruising through early access since September. During that time, we've seen numerous experimental updates being tested on the beta branch, and now the culmination of that work is finally here. In what it titles Breachway's "biggest update yet," Edgeflow unleashes more than 40 new cards along with dozens of redesigns and a wealth of upgrades that effectively doubles the amount of options in the game.
"We are happy to announce that the update we've been working on for the last four months is finally live on the main branch," the roguelike has to offer. One of the most impactful changes is that every card in the game, new and old, now has an upgraded version that can be drafted on higher-tier equipment, essentially doubling the number of cards you can find.
Alongside this comes the introduction of over 40 new cards and redesigns for dozens of existing ones. The equipment on your ship now includes variations, creating far more diversity with "more than 30 versions of each equipment type" that can mix up the number of card slots, subsystem slots, and their drafting library tier. You're now much more likely to change out items over the course of a run, and will have the chance to upgrade gear that you already own if you want to commit to it.
The early-game experience has been reworked to make initial unlocks and progression more gradual and comprehensible, with a guided introduction to the core systems and mechanics of the strategy game ensuring that new players don't feel overwhelmed. A new-look menu system on the map and shops makes navigating and examining your options a lot more straightforward.
Point defense, flak, and railgun weapons have all been grouped into a new 'kinetic' family that has specific synergies and interactions. The equipment and cards you'll find in stores or as enemy drops will be affected by the faction of the station or foe in question, meaning you can target specific groups for their favored gear if you have a particular build in mind.
Most equipment that is unlocked through the meta-progression will now be made available for use from the start of a new run, giving you more starting strategies to expand the options available to you from the get-go. There's a new end-of-run stat screen along with the ability to track your lifetime progress, and the ability to create multiple player profiles if you or someone else on your PC wants to start fresh without losing your existing progress.
"Our goal with this update was to address two of the biggest issues you've raised: lack of variety in runs and a weak progression system for new players," Edgeflow explains. "We hope these improvements make your runs more dynamic, your builds more interesting, and your time in Breachway more rewarding overall."
This Breachway update is out now. You can buy the game via Steam Early Access for $19.99 / £17.99. Take a look through the full patch notes courtesy of Edgeflow Studio for a breakdown of all the individual components. With this major overhaul complete, the team says it is now focusing on "balance and content," with future updates planned to hit roughly every two weeks.
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