Creepy Jar has revealed new details about the upcoming Update 3 for StarRupture. The update promises more than 20 customization settings, giving players greater control over their survival experience. However, the announcement also contains disappointing news for multiplayer communities.
The developer has confirmed that active support for dedicated servers is coming to an end, leaving existing server communities facing an uncertain future.
Update 3 Introduces More Than 20 Customization Settings
The upcoming update aims to give players more freedom over how they experience StarRupture. Rather than forcing everyone to follow the same survival rules, Creepy Jar wants players to customize several gameplay mechanics.
The developer has already revealed five settings.
Building Stability
Players will be able to disable building stability restrictions. This allows greater freedom when constructing large factories and complicated structures.
Buildings must still connect to existing structures or terrain, but stability limitations will no longer restrict construction.
Passive Enemies
A new passive enemy setting will prevent hostile creatures from attacking players or buildings unless provoked.
This option could benefit players who prefer exploration, factory construction, and resource management over constant combat.
Fire Wave Frequency
Players will gain control over the frequency of Ruptura’s eruptions.
Changing the interval between these dangerous events should allow players to create a more relaxed experience or maintain the game’s original survival pressure.
Survival Stats Depletion
Another setting will allow players to adjust how quickly hydration and nutrition decrease.
This provides additional flexibility for players who want to spend less time managing survival needs.
Starting Corporation Level
Players will also be able to choose their starting corporation level.
This could make repeated playthroughs more appealing, particularly for experienced players who want to skip earlier progression stages.
Dedicated Server Support Is Being Discontinued
Unfortunately, the announcement also confirms a major change to StarRupture’s multiplayer infrastructure.
Creepy Jar has decided to discontinue active support for dedicated servers. The studio introduced the feature experimentally when the game entered Early Access.
According to the developer, this decision will allow the team to focus entirely on single-player and traditional cooperative multiplayer through listen servers.
Unlike dedicated servers, listen servers require one participating player to host the session.
This creates several limitations for communities that currently operate their own servers.
Existing Dedicated Servers Will Remain on Version 0.3.5
Dedicated servers will not disappear completely.
Creepy Jar confirmed that version 0.3.5 will remain available through a separate Steam branch after Update 3 launches.
However, there is a significant catch.
Version 0.3.5 will receive no further updates, including the upcoming Update 3 content.
This means dedicated server communities must choose between remaining on an outdated version or abandoning their existing hosting arrangements to experience future content.
For players who have invested considerable time into building factories, developing infrastructure, and maintaining persistent worlds, this presents a serious problem.
Why Dedicated Servers Matter for Survival Games
Dedicated servers are more than an optional convenience for multiplayer survival games.
They provide persistent environments where communities can continue developing their worlds without relying on a particular player to remain online.
For a game such as StarRupture, which emphasizes large industrial structures, automation, exploration, and cooperative progression, persistent multiplayer environments offer several advantages.
- Persistent worlds: Communities can access their factories and structures without waiting for a specific host.
- Independent hosting: Server administrators can manage their environments without tying them to an individual player’s gaming session.
- Large constructions: Dedicated hardware can handle server-side workloads independently of a player’s gaming PC, although performance still depends on optimization.
- Community management: Established groups can maintain shared worlds and organize their own multiplayer experiences.
- Long-term progression: Players can develop projects across different schedules without requiring the original host to participate.
Removing future dedicated server support risks discouraging players who specifically purchased or invested time in the game for these features.
It also creates difficulties for game server providers that currently offer StarRupture hosting.
A Decision That Could Hurt the Community
While Creepy Jar describes dedicated servers as experimental, the feature has been available since Early Access launched.
Players and communities have already invested time and resources into using it.
The decision is particularly concerning because StarRupture revolves around progression, construction, and automation. These mechanics naturally encourage long-term projects that benefit from persistent hosting.
A community operating a dedicated server may now face the prospect of abandoning its existing infrastructure.
Some players might migrate to listen-server multiplayer, while others may decide to move to survival games that continue supporting dedicated hosting.
There is also the question of existing save files.
Creepy Jar has not clarified whether dedicated server worlds can be transferred directly into future listen-server sessions. Without a reliable migration option, communities could potentially lose access to their existing progress when moving to newer versions.
GamingHQ’s Perspective: A Disappointing Direction
At GamingHQ, we believe dedicated servers are an important part of multiplayer survival games, especially those built around large-scale construction and long-term progression.
We understand that maintaining multiple multiplayer systems requires development resources. However, discontinuing support for an existing feature can have consequences beyond reducing the studio’s workload.
Communities invest time, money, and effort into maintaining their servers. Some even rent dedicated hardware specifically to provide a stable environment for their members.
Leaving these communities behind on an outdated game version is hardly an ideal solution.
It is also disappointing to see this decision during Early Access, when players are actively supporting the game’s development.
We would much rather see Creepy Jar explore alternatives, including community-supported dedicated server development or a longer-term maintenance solution.
What Happens Next for StarRupture?
Update 3 remains in development, and Creepy Jar has not announced an official release date.
The update’s full name also remains undisclosed.
While the upcoming customization settings represent a welcome improvement, the decision to abandon dedicated server support could overshadow these additions for multiplayer communities.
Creepy Jar has emphasized that more features are planned throughout Early Access.
Whether the studio will reconsider its dedicated server decision remains unknown.
For now, communities running dedicated servers should consider backing up their existing worlds and preparing for the transition to version 0.3.5’s separate Steam branch.
StarRupture has plenty of potential, but maintaining the trust of its existing community should remain an important priority.
