Starbound update includes new race, new combat, new universe

First stable update in almost a year

Wow. It has been a long time. I thought that maybe I had missed a stable update somewhere along the line, but by Chucklefish’s own admission, this is the first one since last March.

To take a step back, development on Starbound is a little unusual: it is currently in Early Access, and players can be traditional and wait for proper updates or opt into the unstable track that changes more frequently but may be filled with bugs. I prefer the former option, but then I haven’t played at all since last May.

That is going to change soon, because stable update version Upbeat Giraffe is live today, and it brings with it a huge list of changes. These changes include a fundamental difference in how the universe is laid out and progressed through, ocean world types, upgradable ships unique to each race, a hub world for taking missions, magic staves, bug catching and a ton more. Check out the Starbound blog for the full list.

To commemorate the first major update in almost a year, Starbound is currently 25% off its normal price of $14.99 on Steam, and more diligent players than I have shared pictures of their houses on Twitter using the hashtag #UpbeatGiraffe.

Destructoid reached out to Chucklefish for comment on a date for the final version. “Still no date for final release!” was the response.