Greetings, Platform Managers!

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the latest update for Drill Core is now live! As you may have seen in our previous internal communication, several new features are now available in Drill Core, and we believe they will boost productivity across the company. To learn more about these updates, scroll down to the end of this message for the full patch notes—or simply update the game in your Steam library and experience them firsthand!

The Dwarf Platform

The HR department is thrilled to share that Drill Core Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with the Dwarves of planet Explosia. Thanks to this alliance, we’ve developed a brand-new platform type, unlocked via a new permanent upgrade, that allows you to integrate Dwarves into your workforce.

Of course, the Dwarves behave a bit differently from your usual employees: Dwarven Demolition Miners will use TNT to blast targeted mining areas, and Dwarven Guards will patrol at night using high-performance jetpacks to defend the platform from above.

In addition to a unique workforce, the new Dwarf Platform comes with two brand-new buildings for managing your employees and several unique upgrades.

New Boss: Icewarden

Frozen planets now feature a unique boss that will truly test your workers: the Icewarden. This frosty foe is equipped with powerful shields and unique attacks, so be sure to prep your turrets accordingly.

Planet Conditions

Each planet now comes with its own unique set of conditions that will affect how you manage your workforce during drilling operations. These 33 unique conditions will impact your mining operations and change every time you start a new contract. We’re confident that you’re up to the challenge, Platform Managers!

Platform Bonuses

There are now 28 distinct platform bonuses at your disposal, influencing both your workers and your mining operations. You’ll need to optimize these bonuses to get the most out of every contract—this is true platform management!

New Technology Type

You’ll notice a brand-new type of technology that can now be unlocked during your contracts: Boost Technology. This new tech offers 30 unique bonus technologies for you to discover as you drill.

Quality of Life Updates

Naturally, we had to include a few quality-of-life features in this update:

• Improved pathfinding AI for your workers

• Controller support (still in beta)

• New trophies to unlock

• Numerous bug fixes for a smoother overall experience

And that’s not all—check out the full changelog below if you’d like more details, or just update Drill Core in your Steam library and jump in!

The Board would also like to remind you of some key additions from previous updates, including Steam Cloud Save, Windowed Mode, and the ability to save during an active contract—all introduced in recent patches since Early Access launch.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest Drill Core news, or join the conversation on our Discord server!

Best regards,
The Research & Development Department at Drill Core Inc.

Full Changelog:

Features:

• Added Dwarf Platform, including:

  • New platform type

  • Permanent upgrade that unlocks the platform

  • 10 Dwarf Platform upgrades

  • New workers

  • New order system for Demolition Miners

  • New lab upgrades for Demolition Miners

  • New building: Dwarf Barracks

  • New building: Ore Extraction Plant

• Added Icewarden boss to frozen planets

• Added Planet Conditions (33 unique conditions)

• Added new technology type (30 unique bonus technologies)

• Platform bonuses are now unlockable

• Added 28 unique platform bonuses

• Added unique platform upgrades (Lucky Number & Efficient Distribution)

• Workers will now avoid areas with potential fire/ice block attacks

• Added Manual button with a link to the game wiki

• Added tooltips when hovering over buildings and turrets (displaying name, type, and work speed %)

• Added controller support

• Added key rebinding

• Added a new icon for workers who cannot find their way back to the platform

• Added ability to change the Main Building button

• Core HP now displays a percentage when hovered

• Turret name is now displayed in the turret upgrade window

Balancing:

• Minigun now overheats

• Fury Turret damage increased from 5 → 7

• Saw Drone damage increased from 9 → 12

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a bug where certain miners would fail to retreat