Follow the evolution of Sandustry from Early Access to full release. Inspect official Steam patch notes, hotfix highlights, balance changes, and upcoming modding features.
Released September 14, 2026. Major fluid logistics overhaul: intersecting pipes now form automatic Pipe Bridges instead of accidental mixing; holding Alt+C creates unified blueprints of structures and pipes; resolved multi-threading building stall bugs; fixed conveyor portal mirroring; hardened liquid boundaries against leaks.
👀 Upcoming: First Major Content Update — Developer Sneak Preview
A developer sneak preview posted to r/SandustryGame on September 30, 2026 received 151 upvotes. No release date or version number has been announced. The developer confirmed in Update #4 patch notes: "The new content I'm working on has a lot of prerequisites like big map changes and other overhauls."
Sandustry is 35% off during the official Hooded Horse Autumn Publisher Sale on Steam, available from 2 October 2026. This is the lowest price since Early Access launch on 13 August 2026.
Key Highlights
35% discount on Sandustry during the Hooded Horse Autumn Publisher Sale on Steam.
Full Early Access game: destructible worlds, automated production chains, pixel-perfect logistics, and ancient civilization secrets.
Developer Lantto Games shared a sneak preview of new content coming in the first major content update, posted to r/SandustryGame on 30 September 2026. The post received 151 upvotes and 13 comments. No version number or release date has been confirmed. The announcement follows Update #4 (v0.5.7), which the developer described as 'likely the last minor patch before the first big content update.'
Key Highlights
Developer confirmed: the first big content update is actively in development following Update #4.
Developer stated in the Update #4 patch notes: 'The new content I'm working on has a lot of prerequisites like big map changes and other overhauls.'
Sneak preview image shared by u/Nickadial (developer account) received 151 upvotes — the highest-engagement post on r/SandustryGame in the tracked period.
No specific mechanic names, version identifier, or release window have been officially confirmed at time of writing.
Official Update #4 introduces the complete Pipes Overhaul with manual connection logic and automatic Pipe Bridges, fixes multiple building stall and propagation bugs, and enables unified blueprint copying with Alt+C.
Key Highlights
Pipes Overhaul: Pipes no longer automatically connect to adjacent pipes when built. To extend a network you need to start or end on an existing pipe tile. Building over a crossing pipe line will now create a Pipe Bridge.
Unified Blueprints: Holding Alt+C will now select both structures and pipes, enabling players to create unified blueprints.
Pipes Mode Tools: Players can now select, move, and copy/paste pipes while in Pipes Mode using standard selection tools, with full Undo support.
Building Stall Fixes: Fixed multiple bugs causing buildings to stop working and propagating, and eliminated Lava leaks through Advanced Filter Walls.
Detailed Fixes & Changelog (Click to expand)
Pipes no longer automatically connect to other adjacent pipes when built. To extend a network you need to start or end on an existing pipe tile.
Building over a crossing pipe line will now create a Pipe Bridge.
The overlay now displays the meta color of the last piped liquid on the pipes.
You can now select, move and copy/paste pipes while in Pipes Mode using the normal selection tools. Undo now also takes pipes into account.
Holding Alt+C will now select both structures and pipes, enabling you to create unified blueprints.
Fixed multiple bugs and issues causing various buildings to stop working and propagating.
Lava can no longer leak through Advanced Filter Walls.
Fixed Presence Sensors staying active after contained elements expired on worker threads.
Fixed a bug making it possible to create a pass-through Filter by picking a Filter Wall.
Fixed a bug where Conveyor Portals were incorrectly attached to the wrong pair after mirroring them with Ctrl+H.
Moving the player no longer prevents you from overriding structures.
You can now correctly rebind the Override / Replace Structures key binding.
Open Doors now let airflow from Aerokinetic Fans pass through.
Cursor tooltip position now takes Cursor Size into account.
Fixed a bug where you could duplicate elements using the Vacuum.
You can no longer assign Hauler Lines inside artifact rooms.
You can no longer fill the Vacuum with Clouds.
The Volcanizer icon no longer flickers with the cooldown animation when used.
Official Update #3 introduces dynamic Lava terrain destruction across Fluxite, Redsoil, and Strataform blocks, unlocks Critter petting interactions, refines negative-temperature Thermal Buffer physics, and squashes physics-loop edge cases.
Key Highlights
Hungrier Lava Mechanics: Lava now actively melts and destroys Fluxite, Redsoil, and Strataform terrain tiles upon physical contact. Encasing lava channels in Basalt or Foundations is now mandatory.
Critter Petting & Interaction: Players can now directly pet and calm local Critters, preventing agitation around sensitive conveyor lines.
Thermal Buffer Sub-Zero Physics: Introduced responsive thermodynamic interactions when Thermal Buffers operate under negative temperatures.
General Performance & QoL: Optimized large-scale factory physics and eliminated edge-case memory spikes during late-game drone sweeps.
Detailed Fixes & Changelog (Click to expand)
Added erosion collision tests between uncontained Lava and exotic terrain types (Fluxite, Redsoil, Strataform).
Enabled cursor petting interaction on all roaming Critters.
Updated Thermal Buffer state transitions when handling negative cryogenic temperatures.
Fixed collision glitches when placing Launchers adjacent to multi-tier Shaker chutes.
Enhanced save file integrity checks against legacy mod data structures.
Lead developer @LanttoGames confirms Update #2 targeted for mid-September 2026, delivering deep crash diagnostic logging, high-density entity performance tuning, and mod conflict isolation.
Key Highlights
Targeted Release: Mid-September 2026 following Early Access Week 3 community feedback.
High-Density Entity Optimizations: Resolves item despawn glitches and Clearing Frame backpressure on 1M+ Gold factories.
Sandkit Mod Compatibility Layer: Protects vanilla save files against community mod script exceptions.
Detailed Fixes & Changelog (Click to expand)
Refactored physics calculation loop around multi-tier cascading Shakers.
Enhanced subterranean water aquifer audio cues for challenge maps like Digging Madness.
Added native export/import clipboard error detection for large-format blueprints.
Official Steam Workshop integration goes live alongside the Sandkit Modding API, opening community creation for co-op multiplayer (SandTogether), in-game blueprint browsers (SandPrints), and custom logistics.
Key Highlights
Official Steam Workshop support launched for 1-click mod subscriptions and custom maps.
Sandkit modding framework introduced with support for Lua and C# script loaders.
Experimental beta branches (0.5.2 and 0.5.5) provided to protect existing save games from mod breaking changes.
Detailed Fixes & Changelog (Click to expand)
Integrated Workshop subscriber pipeline with automatic local file sync.
Enabled custom UI overlays for blueprint string injection.
Added multi-layer collision hooks for custom conveyor and portal mods.
Fixed background save file sync during active blueprint marquee selection.
Introduced quick-edit filter overlays, eliminated Tier 5 progression softlocks, fixed red block puzzle mechanics, and added rebindable zoom controls.
Key Highlights
Filter Improvements: Click filter overlay labels or 'Edit last placed' to instantly reconfigure filters without demolishing. Distinct 'Allow' vs 'Block' visuals.
Tier 5 Softlock Fix: Resolved issue where Tier 5 research remained blocked after completing the Anomaly investigation.
Red Block Deletion: Allowed deletion of previously indestructible red blocks (<256 tiles) and ensured puzzle door red blocks restore upon open/close.
Puzzle Reset Button: Prevented accidental deletion of puzzle reset buttons; automatically restored on save reload.
Detailed Fixes & Changelog (Click to expand)
Added rebindable keybindings for Zoom In and Zoom Out in Controls settings.
Improved Save Browser file metadata and thumbnail preview icons.
Sandustry launches into Steam Early Access with a 35% launch discount: explore and mine fully destructible worlds, automate complex production chains, and delve deep for an ancient civilization's secrets.
Key Highlights
35% launch discount for the Early Access release.
Explore and mine fully destructible worlds.
Automate increasingly complex production chains where every pixel is a valuable resource.
Delve deep to uncover an ancient civilization's powerful secrets.
Frequent Questions
Sandustry Updates & Version FAQ
What is the latest official patch for Sandustry?
The latest patch is Update #4 (v0.5.7), released on September 14, 2026. It overhauled pipes with Pipe Bridges, introduced Alt+C unified blueprints for structures and pipes, fixed building stalls, and resolved conveyor portal mirroring bugs.
How do Pipe Bridges work in Update #4?
Building over a crossing pipe line in Update #4 automatically creates a Pipe Bridge instead of automatically connecting lines. To extend an existing network, you now explicitly start or end on an existing pipe tile.
What did Update #3 add to Sandustry?
Update #3 (v0.5.6) added critter petting to boost critter capabilities, increased Lava density to 200, enabled Lava destruction of Fluxite/Redsoil/Strataform terrain, and introduced Cinder conversion when cold Thermal Buffers touch Lava.
Is there a Sandustry Update #5 or major new content update coming?
A developer sneak preview posted to r/SandustryGame on September 30, 2026 received 151 upvotes. Developer Lantto confirmed in the Update #4 patch notes that the first major content update is in development with 'big map changes and other overhauls' as prerequisites. No version number, feature list, or release date has been officially announced yet.
Where can I report bugs or view the development roadmap?
Developer Lantto tracks player feedback and feature suggestions on sandustry.nolt.io, and discusses upcoming content and patches in the official Discord server.
