One of our favourite co-op survival games gets two new classes as it hits full release this summer

It's been just over two years since Pugstorm's subterranean co-op survival game, Core Keeper first arrived on Steam, but today's PC Gaming Show revealed a new trailer, celebrating the game's upcoming 1.0 release. 

The full release will include a new endgame biome, a conclusion to the main story arc, PvP functionality, and two new classes: warlock and mage, both of which use mana as a resource, and introduce new weapons, equipment, and skill trees. 

Set in an ancient cavern of creatures, this vast and procedurally-generated sandbox adventure tasks you with mining resources to build your ideal base. And if that's not enough to get you on-side—who doesn't enjoy spending a ridiculous number of hours on the minute details of your in-game home?—maybe battling monsters, searching for treasures and trinkets, and exploring the different biomes will help sway you.

You start by picking away at walls to gather resources, which are then used to craft weapons, armour, and tools. Tree roots provide the wood to build a wooden base, seeds let you build a farm, and you can find underwater ponds for fishing to help stock up your pantry. There's plenty to do in this underground world and you'll find yourself constantly surprised by your discoveries. 

Selling half a million copies during its first two weeks in early access back in 2022, Core Keeper is in good shape, with several hefty updates under its belt. The launch trailer, which you can watch above, shows off many of the biomes you might find yourself in, including lava-pool-infested caves, or exploring among the collapsed pillars of old ruins. A new type of customisable world generation is also happening with the full release.

It's not all cozy vibes though—you'll need to build bridges to cross dark chasms and face off against powerful bosses which you'll need to overcome. Basically, the deeper you dig, the more you find, and the more you find, the further you want to explore.

If you want to wishlist the game ahead of its full release on August 27, head on over to the Core Keeper Steam page

Sarah James
Senior Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.

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