Core Keeper’s free Void and Voltage update revamps endgame

Why this update actually changes how you play Core Keeper

Core Keeper’s next free update, Void and Voltage, isn’t just another biome drop – it reshapes the late game. Landing January 28, Pugstorm’s patch adds Breaker’s Reach (a mechanical biome), a new dungeon and boss called SAHABAR, a Void sub-biome with evolved enemy variants, and a suite of automation toys that could turn your base into a small, delightful factory. If you play Core Keeper co-op, this is the kind of content that will pull friends back in and change how you approach progression.

• New biome + boss: Breaker’s Reach and SAHABAR introduce mechanical enemies and laser-heavy combat.
• Automation overhaul: Advanced Automation Table, generators, critter catchers, proximity sensors and other electronics.
• Void threat: A sub-biome with evolved enemies and new combat mechanics – explosive flames, arcane beams, lightning orbs.
• Community requests: Echo maps, crafting statues with waypoints, achievements, new scenes, paintables, and quality-of-life improvements.

Breaking down Void and Voltage – what you’ll actually see in-game

On paper, Core Keeper has always been “Terraria meets Stardew Valley with a Rimworld top-down camera” — that shorthand helps sell the vibe, but it doesn’t capture the loop that hooks you: tight combat, resource-driven crafting, and cooperative base-building. Void and Voltage leans into two of those pillars: combat and automation.

Breaker’s Reach looks to be the most visually distinct area yet: inorganic, mechanical fauna and hostile machines like chargers, patrollers and swarmers. The headline enemy is SAHABAR, which Pugstorm describes as “a machine straight out of your nightmares” with laser-targeted beams and timing-based special abilities. That sounds promising on a co-op table, but also raises the usual questions: will this boss be a gating difficulty spike? Will mechanics feel fair in random multiplayer sessions?

The Void sub-biome is the other curveball. Instead of simple palette swaps, enemies evolve — gaining explosive flames, spinning arcane beams, or lightning orbs — and a new combat mechanic that sounds like it will force you to rethink positioning and crowd control. If you’re the kind of player who practices dodging in the safer biomes, this will reward that muscle memory; if you go in unprepared, it’ll probably be miserable.

Automation: the quiet star of the update

What really hooks me as a sandbox fan is the Advanced Automation Table and the suite of electronics coming with it. This isn’t a single gadget — it’s a set of building blocks: new generators, critter catchers, proximity sensors, and recipes for gardening, salvaging and item disposal. For a game that already rewards clever base layouts, actual automation components could finally let players scale farms and resource loops without endless tedium.

That said, automation changes the pace of the game. It can flatten out some of the resource-grind satisfaction if everything becomes fully automated, and it risks making endgame trivial if powerful production chains are easy to set up. I’m keen to see how Pugstorm balances complexity vs reward — and whether these systems become a canvas for player creativity (and adorable base contraptions) or just another optimization treadmill.

Other goodies and community wins

Void and Voltage bundles a long list of community-requested features: echo maps that help locate key areas (huge QoL), six new crafting statues with waypoints, more scenes, achievements, paintable items, minion tweaks, and even the ability to break some previously indestructible items. There are also new weapons and toys — flamethrowers, miniguns, mortars, grenades, remote detonators, new armor sets, off-hand items, a new minion and a tome — which should keep combat fresh.

These are the sorts of updates that matter to a live indie title: they extend lifespan, answer player requests, and give streamers and communities new content to play and experiment with. Pugstorm shipped out of early access in 2024 to a 94% positive Steam reception; this kind of free, substantive update helps justify that goodwill.

What this means for players — and what to do before January 28

If you’ve shelved Core Keeper, Void and Voltage is an excellent re-entry point: you’ll have time to finish the main progression, gather stronger gear, and assemble a co-op crew to tackle Breaker’s Reach. If you’re deep into the endgame already, expect to retool your builds for the Void’s evolved threats and to design automation layouts that could change how you farm resources.

My advice: finish a few boss runs to stockpile components, clear out inventory slots for automation experiments, and recruit friends who enjoy engineering as much as combat. And bring a flamethrower — it sounds like a blast, literally, but watch your placement.

TL;DR

Void and Voltage is a meaningful free update that pushes Core Keeper’s late game in two directions: tougher, mechanically varied combat (hello, SAHABAR and the Void) and deeper automation that could rewrite how bases function. It’s the kind of content that keeps co-op sandboxes alive — and, if Pugstorm balances the systems well, it could be one of those updates players spend dozens more hours exploring and optimizing.