'It’s about to get even darker, more disturbed, and violent': Barotrauma's Calm Before the Storm update introduces new PVP outpost and alien ruins

If you've ever wanted to perish in undersea alien ruins on one of the moons of Jupiter, now's your chance thanks to the latest update for 2D co-op horror game Barotrauma.

The "Calm Before the Storm" update brings a slew of new features to support your frightening submarine expeditions on Europa, including a new mission, alien ruins, a ruin-themed outpost for PVP, additional modules for abandoned outposts, updated level backgrounds, and the ability to set up a "reserve bench" for bots.

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The devs summed up the new additions in a press release on Thursday: "Whether you're brave enough to explore alien ruins, reckless enough to throw hands in PvP, or just looking to yell at bots in new and exciting ways, Calm Before the Storm delivers another batch of improvements, reworks, and lovingly implemented chaos. All carefully tuned to ensure one thing: you’re never truly safe beneath Europa’s ice."

In addition to those new features, Calm Before the Storm also includes some fixes and quality of life updates like improved AI for bots and improved balancing for the radiation mechanic that may have been a bit too punishing before. Although, now there are creatures that benefit from radiation exposure, so don't let yourself feel too safe.

Interestingly, the new modules for abandoned outposts were actually created by a fan of the game, a community modder by the name of NotWendy. They've also created custom submarines you can access through the Barotrauma Workshop on Steam.

For those who haven't explored Barotrauma yet, it's a bit like FTL crossed with Rimworld with a splash of Among Us, where you and your friends are tasked with keeping a submarine operating as you explore the perilous alien oceans beneath the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa. Developers Undertow Games and FakeFish describe it as "the ultimate 2D co-op submarine simulator where survival is an afterthought and betrayal is just another day at the office."

Now's the perfect time to try out Barotrauma if you haven't yet since you can snag it for 50% off on Steam through April 26.

Stevie Bonifield is a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories. Outside of writing, Stevie loves indie games, TTRPGs, and building way too many custom keyboards.

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