The developers of SCUM have officially confirmed the highly-anticipated 1.0 version will launch this quarter (Q2 2023). Following their attendance at the Reboot Develop conference, the team is now "working at full throttle" to deliver numerous improvements, including armed NPCs, enhanced tutorials, and various bug fixes before the official release.
SCUM 1.0 Launches This Quarter with Armed NPCs
After years in Early Access, SCUM's full release is imminent. Developers Gamepires have confirmed version 1.0 will arrive in Q2 2023, with the team now fully focused on polishing the survival experience following their final pre-launch break at the Reboot Develop conference.
One of the most significant additions coming to the 1.0 release is armed NPCs, a feature prisoners have been requesting since the game's initial launch in 2018. These AI opponents will add a new dimension to the already challenging prison island survival experience.
Extensive Development Updates Across All Departments
The development update reveals significant progress across all teams. Programmers are enhancing the soundscape when players are knocked out, balancing CON attribute gain and vehicle fuel consumption, and implementing a new anti-cheat system. They're also creating new methods for cracking base fortifications and improving server browsers.
Visual improvements include fixes for blurred vision effects, sweat and blood droplets on widescreen monitors, and fog effects near the nuclear plant. The animation team is addressing weapon-related bugs, while vehicle collision issues are being resolved by the Hard Surface team.
New Player Experience Enhancements
Game designers are focusing on making SCUM more accessible to newcomers with improved tutorials and additional codex entries. These changes should help ease the notoriously steep learning curve associated with the game's complex survival mechanics, including its detailed metabolism system.
What's Coming in SCUM 1.0?
- Armed NPCs for increased PvE challenge
- New anti-cheat system
- Improved character and NPC water buoyancy
- Enhanced tutorials and codex entries
- New methods for cracking base fortifications
- Numerous bug fixes and optimizations
SCUM Survivors Showdown Event Announced
Alongside development updates, Gamepires has launched a new competitive event called the SCUM Survivors Showdown. This 24/7 event features content creators competing on a single server for a $5,000 prize pool.
The format includes weekly "Friday Night Showdowns" where teams participate in one-life matches using only what they've managed to scavenge during the week. These high-stakes confrontations will be live-streamed with commentary on the official SCUM Twitch channel.
With the 1.0 release approaching and this new competitive event underway, April 2023 marks an exciting time for the SCUM community as the game prepares to exit Early Access after nearly five years of development.