The free Rampartloom Playtest has received a massive update on October 19, 2026. Developer changes focus on smarter AI opponents, improved tower defenses, new communication features, and a redesigned interface. Players can also discover 20 additional Steam achievements.
The latest update combines several improvements introduced since October 16. Build 26035956 is now live alongside its matching game server version.
Players must update the game through Steam and restart it before joining matches.
Rampartloom AI Opponents Are Getting Smarter
One of the biggest changes in the Rampartloom update involves AI behavior. Normal and Hard bots now make better decisions when attacking and defending.
Starting from round five, these opponents prioritize the strongest units they can afford. They continue purchasing available units until their attack budget or sending capacity runs out.
The update also introduces a new Super Attack system.
During eligible rounds, each team has a 15% chance to trigger a Super Attack. There is also a 70% chance that neither team receives one.
When selected, participating bots save their gold instead of immediately spending it. They then launch powerful attacks shortly before the next payout.
After receiving additional income, they follow up with another wave of units.
Meanwhile, opposing bots focus on strengthening their defenses.
These changes should make battles more challenging, especially for players who previously found AI opponents predictable.
Stronger Defenses and Better Tower Placement
Rampartloom’s AI improvements extend beyond offensive strategies.
Bots now evaluate tower placement more carefully. Powerful transformations prioritize locations that cover larger portions of the battlefield.
They can also begin purchasing stronger tower forms after constructing 20 towers. Previously, they waited until all 60 starter towers were completed.
Additional defensive improvements include:
- Saving gold across multiple payouts for important upgrades.
- Responding to opponents who appear to be preparing attacks.
- Occasionally spending an entire round improving defenses.
- Prioritizing missing tower transformations before purchasing duplicates.
- Following existing construction limits and upgrade requirements.
These changes aim to make AI-controlled defenses more effective without allowing bots to ignore the game’s economy.
17 Tower Forms Receive Visual Upgrades
The October 19 update also introduces 17 renewed tower forms across the Brass Automata and Root Circuit factions.
Brass Automata receives updated models for Gear Sentry, Rapid Bolt, Signal Tower, Pressure Bomb, Heavy Piston, Clockwork Keep, and Brass Colossus.
Root Circuit receives improvements to Sprout Coil, Resin Node, Thorn Engine, Root Heart, Storm Bough, Crown Reactor, and Elder Trunk.
Venom Coil, Bramble Engine, and Rot Crown also receive distinct upgraded appearances.
These renewed models feature improved animations, moving mechanical components, and visual attack effects.
However, the visual improvements do not introduce additional combat mechanics.
Players using Reduced Effects can suppress temporary effects and projectile trails while keeping the mechanical animations.
Tower Balance Changes Make Battles More Interesting
The update introduces several gameplay adjustments to existing towers.
Archive’s five attacking forms now gain base damage per second equal to 2.5% of their target’s maximum health. This bonus depends on attack intervals rather than applying the full percentage with every hit.
Venom Coil also receives a useful improvement.
Alongside its existing poison effect, the tower can now slow enemies by 30% for up to two seconds.
Meanwhile, non-attacking support towers provide a 10% attack damage bonus to friendly towers from the same faction within their owner’s lane.
These bonuses cannot stack.
Tower removal has also become less restrictive. Players can now sell towers unless an active enemy assigned to that lane is within the tower’s current attack range.
Global Chat and Team Communication Arrive
Communication receives a major upgrade with the introduction of Global Chat.
Players can communicate directly from the main menu without joining the same party.
Global Chat remains accessible during matchmaking and when a match has been found.
The system retains messages from the previous 48 hours, with navigation available through 40-message pages.
During matches, players can use two communication channels:
- Enter: Open TEAM chat for teammates.
- Shift + Enter: Open ALL chat for everyone in the match.
The game also disables building, selling, sending, and camera shortcuts while players type messages.
Match conversations remain separate from Global Chat.
Online Matchmaking Gets Faster
Players looking for online matches should notice a shorter waiting period.
The human-player gathering window has been reduced from three minutes to two minutes.
If six human players are ready before the timer expires, matches can begin earlier.
Otherwise, AI opponents fill eligible empty positions after the gathering window closes.
The developers have also corrected a client and server version mismatch that previously caused connection problems.
However, authentication, connection, and drafting can still add time before matches begin.
Improved Interface and Camera Controls
The update introduces several interface improvements designed to make Rampartloom easier to navigate.
Menus, buttons, dialogs, and tower selection panels now use more compact layouts.
Selected towers retain their original colors instead of turning into white silhouettes.
Other improvements include:
- A wider starting camera view.
- Improved faction information in the economy table.
- New F1–F6 shortcuts for navigating battlefield lanes.
- F8 access to the complete controls menu.
- 39 customizable keyboard actions.
- Clearer tower range, damage, and requirement information.
- Improved unit health feedback.
- A redesigned lobby, loading screen, and results interface.
- Reduced tower firing sound volume.
Players can also inspect all 12 factions through the new FACTIONS menu.
This includes their towers, abilities, costs, and upgrade requirements.
Rampartloom Tutorial Receives Major Improvements
New players should have an easier time learning Rampartloom thanks to changes to the Tutorial.
The introductory experience now starts directly in WING and provides a more structured explanation of the game’s mechanics.
Players learn how to construct towers, unlock units, manage income, and coordinate attacks.
The Tutorial also introduces the shared 25-life system.
Additional improvements prevent players from accidentally skipping explanations or getting permanently stuck during certain lessons.
Tutorial opponents follow separate restrictions, allowing beginners to learn without facing the full aggression of Normal and Hard AI.
20 New Steam Achievements Added
Achievement hunters have another reason to return.
Rampartloom now features 40 Steam achievements, including 20 new milestones introduced with this update.
The new achievements reward players for completing matches, winning battles, constructing towers, sending units, and defeating enemies.
Some notable additions include:
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A Familiar Battlefield | Complete 25 matches |
| Loomkeeper | Complete 250 matches |
| Ever at the Rampart | Complete 500 matches |
| Victory Weaver | Win 25 matches |
| Crown of the Rampart | Win 250 matches |
| Wing Guardian | Win 5 matches as WING |
| Flank Commander | Win 25 matches as WING |
| Unyielding Wing | Win 100 matches as WING |
| Center Guardian | Win 5 matches as CENTER |
| Heartland Commander | Win 25 matches as CENTER |
| Unyielding Heart | Win 100 matches as CENTER |
| Maze Architect | Build 500 towers |
| Master Builder | Build 1,000 towers |
| A City of Towers | Build 5,000 towers |
| Marching Orders | Send 500 units |
| Wave Commander | Send 1,000 units |
| Endless Offensive | Send 5,000 units |
| Steadfast Defense | Defeat 5,000 units |
| No Passage | Defeat 10,000 units |
| Legendary Bastion | Defeat 50,000 units |
Only completed Practice and normal online matches count toward the relevant achievements.
Training, Sandbox, unfinished matches, and automated tests do not contribute to these milestones.
Existing valid progress should carry over, although the developers are still observing how the new achievements unlock during live play.
Rampartloom Playtest Remains Free
Despite the size of this update, Rampartloom has not reached its commercial launch.
The free Playtest remains available every day throughout development.
The developers are continuing to test gameplay balance, performance during large battles, and longer online sessions.
Some matchmaking problems also remain unresolved. One service path still rejects matchmaking tickets, although the dedicated quick-match system successfully started a live match during the latest developer check.
Players can report issues and share feedback through the game’s Settings menu or the official Discord community.
With stronger AI, updated tower models, improved communication, and additional achievements, the October 19 update gives players plenty of changes to explore while development continues.
