Tempest Rising’s secret alien faction is live in the public test — and it’s weirdly brilliant

Why this update actually changes Tempest Rising

This caught my attention because Slipgate Ironworks didn’t just patch in the promised superweapons – they dropped a whole new playable race into Tempest Rising’s public test branch. That’s the kind of bold move that can reshape multiplayer metas overnight. If you own the game, you can try the alien Veti in skirmish and quickplay through the Steam public test branch until December 15. What matters for players isn’t just new toys; it’s how those toys force new choices, counters, and mindgames.

• Veti: a playable third faction available via Steam public test branch until Dec 15 – unique economy, builder, and superweapon.
• Superior Firepower: live update adds superweapons for all factions, a global production queue, an in-game codex, and sweeping balance changes.
• Play implications: new tactics, deeper macro choices, and likely balance headaches that Slipgate wants feedback on during the test window.

What the Veti bring to the table

The Veti aren’t a palette swap. They play like an alien civilization obsessed with conversion and sacrifice. Instead of strip-mining the Tempest (the mysterious, map-spanning resource), the Veti build Refinement Altars on top of it to passively harvest credits – a slower, more positional economy that encourages map control and denial rather than brute-force expansion.

You’ll be converting weakened enemies into “Enlightened” thralls that can be sacrificed to power abilities or fed into Ascension Anchors for longer-term upgrades. The Caretaker — a flying builder unit — lays down those Anchors and creates build radii, which means your base layout and Caretaker positioning become strategic resources. Do you burn your captured units for an immediate combat edge, or do you ferry them back to the base for long-term power? That push-and-pull is the Veti’s core decision loop.

The Sanctifier Portal — their superweapon, and why it matters

The Sanctifier Portal isn’t just a big explosion. It summons an “unstable avatar of pure energy” that emits a damaging aura which subjugates enemies and turns kills into Enlightened bodies. It also has a defensive Consume ability that wipes ground units in an area and converts 30% of their health into healing for the Sanctifier. In short: it’s denial, conversion, and sustain all in one. That’s terrifying for rush strategies and forces opponents to rethink front-line trades.

Other update features — so this isn’t just about aliens

Superior Firepower also ships in the main branch with the two previously teased superweapons for the GDF and Dynasty, a global production queue (finally — less micro tedium), an in-game codex to explain units and mechanics, and balance tweaks aimed at shifting opening aggression. The GDF get a buff to early-game pressure with a tradeoff later, while the Dynasty’s Salvage Aura can now generate credits based on damage dealt — a neat economy-scaling tweak that rewards aggressive play.

Why now — and what Slipgate is trying to learn

Dropping the Veti into a public test branch is smart: it lets the devs gather real multiplayer data on matchups, maps, and timing windows without destabilizing the main ladder. Two weeks of live testing is a compact window for feedback, but it’s also enough to reveal glaring balance exploits. Expect players to spam the Sanctifier in custom lobbies to see how it skews macro decisions — and expect Slipgate to listen, because this is the sort of community-driven tuning that keeps competitive RTS scenes healthy.

What players should do (and watch for)

If you want to try the Veti: enable the Steam public test branch from Tempest Rising’s Properties → Betas menu, jump into skirmish or quickplay, and focus on experimenting rather than winning. Test the Caretaker’s build radius limits, how quickly Ascension Anchors scale, and how the Sanctifier interacts with map chokepoints and unit compositions. Report crashes and balance oddities — that feedback is the point.

Be skeptical about immediate balance claims. Superweapons that convert and deny can create one-button wins if maps or spawn positions aren’t considered. The global queue is a welcome QoL change, but the real meta will hinge on how the Veti’s economy tempo compares to GDF and Dynasty on competitive maps.

TL;DR

Superior Firepower is more than a patch — it’s a stress test. The Veti add a distinct, conversion-focused playstyle and a superweapon that rewrites engagements. Try them in the public test branch before Dec 15, play with intent, and expect further tuning. If Slipgate irons this out, Tempest Rising’s multiplayer could feel a lot deeper — but it’ll be messy on the way there, and that’s exactly why this public test exists.