Abiotic Factor Crush Depth Update Patch Notes and New Features

The Crush Depth Update was the first major roadmap milestone for Abiotic Factor, expanding the Facility with new places to explore, new systems to manage, and a long list of balance changes and fixes. The headline additions are the Security Sector, the Hydroplant Sector, new portal worlds, fishing, cooking changes, and a temperature system.

Crush Depth Update Highlights

This update pushes the story beyond the Cascade Laboratory. The Security Sector sends players into the dark Cascade Defense Area, while the Hydroplant Sector opens a huge water-filled region above the Cascade Reservoir.

New portal worlds also arrive, including the snowy Alps of Voussoir. The update adds more mysterious locations too, though some remain intentionally redacted in the notes.

Fishing is one of the largest new systems. Players can craft a Makeshift Fishing Rod, cast into several water types across the Facility and beyond, and catch fish or fish-like creatures. Catches can be butchered at the new Chef's Station for materials such as meat, salt, fish bones, and other useful items.

Cooking also changes. All cooking recipes now use the Chef's Counter rather than the Crafting Bench, oven-baked food cooks faster, burn timers are longer, decay values were corrected, and hunger plus thirst values were rebalanced.

Temperature is now a real survival concern. Hot and cold conditions have three brackets, food can provide temporary resistance, cold air can create frosty breath, and screen-edge effects appear under extreme temperature. Being too cold can freeze players briefly, while too much heat keeps its unpleasant vomiting effects. Laboratory work remains glamorous.

The update also adds story achievements, Compendium improvements, performance optimizations, skill cap increases, new perks, accessibility options, facility weather changes, item changes, and many bug fixes.

For returning players, the biggest practical changes are easy to feel during normal exploration. Water areas matter more because swimming, underwater visibility, drowning feedback, and buoyancy all received attention. Bases also gain new utility through changes to benches, Distribution Pads, Dioxohealers, Charging Stations, and item storage rules. Combat shifts through stronger Heavy Weapons, clearer sniper feedback, additional bleeding sources, new weapon drops, and improved thrown weapon damage.

The patch also makes several quality-of-life changes that reduce friction. More item tooltips expose useful categories, charged items beep when finished, radial wheels make holster and flashlight states easier to select, and Storage by Tag is enabled by default as a sandbox option. These are not headline features, but they matter in a game where half the challenge is knowing where the important object went.

Full Crush Depth Patch Notes for August 12, 2024

The original Crush Depth patch notes cover the following changes.

New Sectors and Portal Worlds

• The GATE Cascade Research Facility story continues beyond the Cascade Laboratory.
• Security Sector adds the Cascade Defense Area as a dark gauntlet.
• Hydroplant Sector adds the large Hydroplant above the Cascade Reservoir.
• New portal worlds include redacted locations, the snowy Alps of Voussoir, another obscured world, and one additional mystery destination.

Fishing

• Fishing is now a skill with its own perks.
• Several fish and fish-like creatures can be caught in caves, swimming pools, normal bodies of water, and other water types.
• The Makeshift Fishing Rod is now craftable.
• Bait recipes are usually learned after catching a fish of the related type.
• Fish cannot be salvaged, but they can be butchered at the Chef's Station.
• Fish may contain common or rare items, including meat, fish bones, salt, crafting substitutes, and other useful materials.
• Fishing is planned to improve over time, including possible Compendium data improvements.

Cooking

• Cooking recipes now require the Chef's Counter instead of the Crafting Bench.
• Oven-baked cooking times were reduced.
• Burn timers are much longer, giving players more time to save food.
• Items that were missing decay now decay correctly.
• Incorrectly low or high decay values were adjusted.
• Hunger and thirst values were rebalanced around Cooking level bonuses.
• Antepasta now unlocks at Level 10 Cooking.
• Soups can be poured on the ground through the right-click item menu.

Temperature

• Temperature now uses three levels of hot and cold.
• Hot-resistant and cold-resistant gear can counter weather effects.
• Thermal sources have capped hot or cold output but can still offset the opposite condition.
• Foods such as coffee can provide temporary weather resistance buffs.
• Cold air can show visible frosty breath.
• Hot and cold conditions add screen-edge effects, reduced by proper clothing or buffs.
• Severe cold can briefly freeze players.
• Severe heat keeps effects similar to previous overheating, mainly vomiting.
• Spore weather now increases temperature by +1 hot.
• The Stuffy Suit debuff now slows movement instead of heating players.
• Coffee gives Toasty Tummy, granting +1 Cold Resistance temporarily.
• Slushies and Ice Cream give Brain Freeze, granting +1 Hot Resistance temporarily.
• Wristwatch temperature units now update immediately when switching Fahrenheit and Celsius.
• Weathered now permanently grants +1 Hot Resistance and +1 Cold Resistance.
• Temperature debuffs moved to the Health Issues column.

Story and Compendium

• Around a dozen new achievements were added, mostly story-based and hidden by default.
• The Journal now shows when a new Compendium entry is available.
• Some Compendium entry locations were adjusted and made easier to find.
• Mushroom Carbuncle was added to the Compendium and unlocks in the Mycofields.
• Backup triggers were added for Compendium entries that could be missed through certain circumstances, including entries tied to friendly characters.
• The Compendium layout was reorganized to better show category connections.
• Several damage type icons in the Compendium were updated.
• Warren opened a trading post with goods that depend on Facility progression.

Optimization

• Manufacturing West actor count was reduced by around 2,000 or more.
• Distant flickering lights no longer run flicker logic.
• Many particle effects and other small systems were optimized.
• Cascade Laboratories received major performance changes.
• Hidden lights generally fade out at distance instead of blinking out instantly.

Skills, Perks, and Traits

• The skill cap increased to 15, with new perks across the progression range.
• New Agriculture perk Photosynthetic Synergy makes nearby plants grow faster.
• The Coworker no longer grants Sneaking XP.
• Hitting resource nodes now grants XP like hitting NPCs.
• Sprinting perk Red Shift now gives a higher chance to dodge enemy shots while sprinting, with a more obvious sound.
• Skill panel category CRAFTING was renamed to SURVIVAL.
• Hard Hat and Decathlon Competitor now give more XP.
• Red Shift now works against LMGs and other automated turrets.

Accessibility and Interface

• Automove works while operating vehicles.
• Toggle Aim is available.
• Subtitle directional arrows were removed when the sound comes from the player.
• Subtitles now say YOU instead of the player username.
• Flickering ambient light in some portal worlds received a potential fix.
• Rise: Egg now has an outline trigger and is easier to grab.
• The Labs whiteboard containing the Research Backpack is highlighted.
• Dialogue lowers music volume slightly more than before.
• Teleporter effects are less blinding and now use dark purple instead of pink-white.

Facility Weather

• Newer weather systems were added for rain, snow, and other particles.
• Fog weather can be intentionally triggered by eating Fogiri when conditions are right.
• Fog and Radiation Leak weather can each be shut off at their respective locations.
• Spore weather fog was reduced slightly.
• IS-0031 is no longer affected by Facility weather.
• Rare weather end or block events can occur around important story beats.

General Gameplay

This section is where the patch becomes especially broad. It touches server visibility, water readability, fatigue tuning, HUD cleanup, research substitutions, emotes, status organization, vehicle behavior, armor movement penalties, sounds, music, deployable storage rules, radial wheels, localization support, and several enemy or NPC interactions. None of these changes replaces the main new sectors, but they shape how the Facility feels during regular play.

• Hydroplant Uniform is available after finding a redacted unlock.
• The server browser version increased, so older servers no longer appear until updated.
• Water visuals were adjusted with and without goggles.
• Hunger now reduces fatigue less.
• Sugar High and exertion fatigue were slightly reduced.
• Coffee now gives slightly less incontinence.
• Positive buff color on the HUD changed slightly.
• Research Minigame supports recipe substitutes such as Any Couch, Any Filing Cabinet, and Any Pipe.
• Flashlights now flicker.
• GATE Dance and Fear emotes gained footfall sounds.
• Random ambient sounds no longer play while submerged.
• Buffs and debuffs were moved to the Health Issues column to reduce overcrowding and separate temporary from permanent effects.
• Heavy armor Weighed Down appears in Health Issues and still gives Strength XP while moving.
• Buff icons were updated.
• Bleeding is more common, including from snipers, LMGs, and other heavy hitters.
• Dialogue changed slightly for a character from the end of the previous sector.
• Sitting with the camera underwater ejects the player from the seat, including couches and vehicles.
• Vehicle flipping improved, including a fix for vehicles teleporting away when flipped.
• Underwater debris particles were added.
• Objects and people shifted in the upper loft office of Adjustment Wing.
• Ignition has new visual effects on victims.
• Fall damage was improved for low velocity, jetpack use, Gravity Dampener use, and shorter falls.
• The Order can now be found in the Wildlife Pens and Adjustment Wing after Helmholtz.
• IS-0091 has new sounds and effects when depositing essence.
• The head of 0121 is no longer radioactive.
• Snipers generally respawn more slowly.
• Lasers received general optimization.
• Vomit and mouth positioning were improved.
• SMG and shotgun distant fire sounds and gunshot occlusion were adjusted.
• Snipers received better sound and visual feedback, more precision, and clearer targeting readability.
• Recipes granted by NPC conversation can now auto-pin properly when no research is required.
• Storage by Tag is now a sandbox option and is on by default.
• Swimming now plays drowning sounds when 15 seconds from death.
• Pathing into the broken pipe near Security Sector entrance improved.
• Clients better see the correct state of the giant Vacuum Decor in Labs.
• Armor weight reduces movement speed a bit less above Weight Class 1.
• IS-0407 became tougher.
• Area music plays more reliably.
• Salvaging has a new UI background.
• Scientists have reduced positive buoyancy and stay more stationary in water.
• Medkit deployables only hold medical items, and fridges only hold consumables.
• Exor netted sound was added.
• Exor Quills move faster toward targets.
• Holding Holster opens a radial wheel for selecting holster state.
• Flashlight and holster radial wheels were added.
• Crafting Bench rename button moved left to support other languages.
• Bleeding HUD images should no longer load blurry at first.
• The scientist outside Silo 3 stays longer.

Facility and Portal World Changes

• Radioactive waste flows and lava flows received updated artwork.
• Vehicle ramps widened in Office Plaza, Wildlife Pens, and an Office Level 2 hallway near Data Farm.
• A Manufacturing West crate clipping issue was fixed.
• Blank TVs received new content: Forklift Certification, Trams, Trams, Trams!, and Immurement and You.
• Existing owned TVs should update with the new content.
• Swimming has new underwater ambient audio.
• Floating furniture by Abe and Janet was fixed.
• A Containment stair missing its underside face was fixed.
• Police cars in Flathill and rocks by the Caco Crate now have collision to prevent stuck spots.
• A floating out-of-bounds plug socket was removed from the Office Sector.
• Security Sector entrance pathing changed slightly.
• Wildlife Pens map gained a you are here icon.
• Portal to Rise was improved so players can better understand how to open it and where to find it.
• Newman has new dialogue after opening the portal to Rise.
• Flathill doors that only swung one direction were fixed.
• The Rise Compendium trigger moved into a more critical path location.
• Rise music is louder.
• Rise elevator doors were improved and moved.
• Flathill Arcade door should no longer get stuck on a light fixture.

Item and Deployable Changes

The item section is one of the largest parts of Crush Depth. It includes new gear, balance passes, recipe adjustments, item visibility improvements, tooltip cleanup, deployable behavior changes, and several storage rules. Heavy Weapons receive direct buffs, while charging equipment and Distribution Pads are made more predictable.

• Thrown weapon damage doubled and impact sounds are louder.
• Swim Goggles are a new craftable headlamp slot item for better underwater vision.
• Kitchen Cabinet drawers, Huge Filing Cabinet drawers, and Armory Lockers animate correctly.
• Many dropped items are larger in the world, making them easier to see and pick up.
• X-Ray Lamp battery dropped from 500 to 375.
• Executive Desk damaged texture scaling was fixed.
• Order Snipers can drop new loot, including a chance at their scoped rifle.
• A new discoverable military weapon was added.
• Drop rates increased for certain IS-0407 items, Ornate Keys, and two other lower-rate classes.
• Ice Cream defaults to Vanilla.
• Anomalies take longer to decay.
• Thermite Molotov weight better matches other throwables.
• Egghead now requires only 1 ebbguh.
• Paint recipes need more glue.
• Tooltips can show more item type information such as Tool or Heavy Weapon.
• Heavy Weapons were buffed across the board.
• New craftable Heavy Weapons include Crowbar 2.0, Carbon Pickaxe, and Impact Hammer.
• Explosive Sledgehammer uses cheaper ammo and is a clearer upgrade over standard Heavy Weapons even without ammo.
• Auto-Salvager and Moisture Teleporter were added as deployables.
• Gravity Cube now allows shields while held.
• Giga Glue drop rate was reduced slightly.
• Maestro armor porcelain is sturdier.
• Lasers show more positive hit effects when reacting with valid targets.
• Laser Emitters can be painted.
• Some invented recipes now include additional items.
• World plants such as Space Lettuce, Anteverse Wheat, and new plants can regrow. Some other objects, including the blue Gravity Dampener, use similar logic.
• Some swords have new swing sounds.
• Small Ramps and Wooden Bridges no longer need a Crafting Bench.
• Some recipes support Any Pipe or Any Oil because new pipe and oil resources exist.
• Charging Stations now require construction.
• Electronics charge evenly at 5% total battery per tick.
• Fully charged items beep.
• Distribution Pads no longer take Medical, Ammo, Nets, or Tool tagged items.
• Distribution Pad area is shorter and easier to jump over.
• Dioxohealer range increased, and the plant cap rose from 5 to 6.
• Slushie and Fog Lantern tooltip text was fixed, and the Fog Lantern is warmer near a Fishing Rod.
• CPUs received minor visual changes.
• Brain Sync unlocks with Memory Brick if missed.
• Steel Cable and Space Lettuce are more common.
• Order Troops may carry more Military Scrap.
• Scuttlebugs in Mycofields drop more Carapace.
• Projection Matrix requires fewer staplers.
• Medkits increased from 6 to 9 slots.
• Anteverse Wheat is lighter.
• Flashlight and lantern intensity were slightly lowered.
• A reddish plant was added in caves and other locations.
• More plants can drop seeds from garden plots.
• Holding interact on a Charging Station opens a radial wheel for low-battery items.
• Corner armchair placement supports more orientations.
• Weight Reduction tooltips now show a percentage symbol.
• Item tooltip information was reordered with more important details first and weight lower.
• Desk Lamps no longer block enemy navigation.
• Electron Grenade costs slightly more to craft.
• Biometric Armwraps were renamed Bio-Metric Armwraps.
• GATE Security Crates are openable if Warren is convinced.
• Fertilizer can be applied directly to soil rather than only valid plants.

Bug Fixes

The fix list is long because it covers many different systems. Combat AI, item durability, character customization, vehicle seats, deployable overlap, crafting data, enemy drops, menu states, animation problems, swimming state, journal behavior, and multiplayer display issues all receive attention.

• Snipers should no longer get stuck shooting deployables.
• Tools, Ammo, and Medical Items no longer auto-distribute with Distribution Pads.
• Melee swing patterns should alternate correctly.
• First-person leg textures now display correctly when transmogged.
• Radial menus cannot open while inventory or escape menu is open.
• Missing head customization item was fixed.
• TV audio received potential fixes.
• Multiplayer vehicle seats becoming offset or disappearing received a potential fix.
• Rootbear Floats can no longer be repaired.
• Magnum handcannon crouch fire animation was added.
• Assault enemies should no longer spawn in impossible places such as vents.
• {CookedState} text errors in items and recipes were fixed.
• New players should see beards correctly before selecting a head.
• Rechargeable item durability no longer reverts after repair.
• Localization strings were updated.
• Bad-data crafting cases were fixed.
• Containment Bot stuck spot in Adjustment Wing was fixed.
• Hazard Crates show labels when named.
• Previous Recipe now cancels current recipe instead of causing a severe crafting bug.
• Enemies gibbed immediately on death should still drop loot.
• Enemy appearance and patrol route issues received fixes.
• Held items should no longer turn dark or invisible after emoting.
• Sprinting should work when sprint is held before moving.
• Shroom Room stuck spot was fixed.
• TVs can no longer be deployed inside each other.
• Platform Cart weight is now 5 instead of 0.1.
• Journal email scrollbar reset bug was fixed.
• Some leg armor hides clothing to prevent clipping.
• Stealthy scientists should not roll from Sprint unless moving.
• Induction Wing portal door swing direction was fixed.
• Held item positions, including Exor Arm view blocking, were adjusted.
• Exiting ladders and similar interactions correctly sets falling or swimming state.
• Thrown weapons or items should no longer vanish on IS-0091 in a broken way.
• Laser rotation displays properly in multiplayer.
• Figurines and cooking pots no longer allow overlapping deployables.
• Lever recipe duplicate metal pipe entry was fixed.
• Sprinting no longer ends when toggling flashlights.
• Reroute cable client issue with tech scrap in hotbar was fixed.
• Eat and drink sounds were added to several foods.
• Empty coffee mugs can no longer be drunk.
• Sprint no longer cancels crouch when not moving.
• Dead sniper beams should no longer stay active.
• Adjustment Wing Laser Lab ceiling holes were fixed.
• Vending machines should dispense the requested item.
• Anomalies should not appear at invalid times or places.
• Reviving in water correctly sets swimming state.
• Jump Pads no longer launch Large or Huge enemies.
• Hammer dismantles should not complete after interruption by other actions.
• Item Transporter on Crafting Benches should fetch new items more reliably.
• Subtitle, E-mail, and journal typos were fixed.
• Suits should use correct textures after leg armor is equipped.
• Turret target acquisition was improved.
• Pest Teleporter power prompt was fixed.
• Incorrect Journal date and time were fixed.
• Moving items from Hotbar to Equip Slot should not remove buffs such as Gravity trinket.
• Pest Wheel pests should play animations correctly.
• First-person drinking uses only the left arm for better item compatibility.
• Rechargeable headlamp can turn on even when the held light item has no battery.
• Carapace reflects a flat damage value instead of an incorrect percentage.
• Scrapshot FL salvage now returns the scrapshot, flashlight, and metal scrap instead of only a flashlight.
• Potted Plants cannot have furniture deployed on them.
• Battery value should no longer add weight to items.
• Dead Exor Monks should not start firing.
• Deployables placed on painted item stands should not inherit paint incorrectly.
• Small amounts of water are visible in Crafted Barrels.
• Tesla coil now respects lab rat and Leyak interactions.
• Decaying deployed food cannot be repaired with a hammer.
• Removing paint from container deployables no longer removes liquid contents.
• Painted item stands no longer affect the statue on them.
• Wall clocks no longer block paths, take damage, or draw NPC targeting.
• Crafting Bench upgrade effects should display correctly for clients.
• Armory Locker deconstruction output was corrected.
• Dioxohealer no longer operates without power.
• Security pistol flashlight no longer works without a battery.
• Crafting benches should not remove safe zone buffs incorrectly when overlapping safe zones are left.
• Pest Teleporter charge state now saves in the world file.
• Some corpses no longer show clothing through hazmat suits.
• Multiple buttons should no longer appear at once inside IS-0031.
• Clock interaction prompt location was corrected.
• Escape menu should not get stuck from repeatedly pressing Tab and Esc.

The bug-fix list mainly targets multiplayer reliability, interface state problems, enemy behavior, crafting edge cases, item display issues, and deployable interactions. Many of these fixes are small individually, but together they reduce the kinds of interruptions that can make a long Facility run feel unstable. The important takeaway is that the Crush Depth Update is not just a content drop. It also adjusts the underlying survival loop, improves several late-game systems, and cleans up many rough edges from exploration, combat, crafting, and server play.