Ostranauts Updates
Track the 1.0 launch, PASS/gigs timing, Fire in the Hold, and what to relearn after each patch
Ostranauts spent years in Steam Early Access before Blue Bottle Games shipped version 1.0 on 2026-08-03. Updates in the 1.0 era are not cosmetic patch notes — they reshape how captains fly, fight, mine, and pay the mortgage. Fire in the Hold arrived earlier in 2026 with ship combat, Ceres faction conflict, and asteroid mining gear; the 1.0 release focused on stability, story conclusion, and filling station maps that were placeholders for most of Early Access. Post-launch, v0.15.1.20 retimed PASS ferries and Gig Nexus jobs so exploit teleport loops no longer define early money.
This hub tracks what changed, what broke and got hotfixed, and what returning players should relearn before they undock with outdated habits.
The 1.0 launch milestone
The headline release on August 3, 2026 marks the end of Early Access for AppID 1022980. Dan Fedor and the team emphasized bug fixes, performance, and quality-of-life polish built on top of the Fire in the Hold foundation rather than another massive mechanics drop on launch day itself. That does not mean casual captains can ignore the update — saves that predate combat-ready ships, Ceres traffic, or revised station layouts still need a fresh read of flight, salvage, and life-support basics.
Start with Version 1.0 Launch for a captain-focused summary: Ceres Affair story closure, bounty hunting, Steam Workshop mod support, new station maps (Atlantis, Tharsis Landing, Labyrinth, Voltaire, Jade Rabbit), improved tutorial flow, and the habits Early Access veterans should unlearn.
PASS and Gigs Rebalance (post-launch)
Read PASS and Gigs Rebalance for v0.15.1.20: ferries now advance the game clock, gig durations were retuned, interplanetary couriers must deliver items, AI gains O2 bottle chores, and NAV course offset arrows work again. Player guides: PASS Ferry and Gigs and Gig Nexus.
Crew AI and docking fee hotfixes
Read Crew AI and Docking Fees Fix for v0.15.1.16: recurring berth charges clear on undock, wrong-station fee bugs when crew pilots cross regions, and AI insult/teleport-sit freezes. Player guide: Docking Fees.
Fire in the Hold context
Before 1.0, the Fire in the Hold milestone (2026-04-21) rewrote mid-game ambition. Ship-mounted weapons, point defense, missiles, armor cladding, fire and smoke, asteroid mining, Ceres faction conflict, Steam Deck, gamepad, and Steam Cloud landed as the mechanical foundation launch polish built upon. Read the dedicated Fire in the Hold page for milestone detail.
At 1.0 itself, Blue Bottle added bounty warrants (dead or alive), Steam Workshop with 40+ community mods at announce, and filled station interiors — layered on Fire in the Hold rather than replacing it. Pirates, bounty hunters, and corporate escorts share lanes with salvage tugs — if your checklist still assumes peaceful boneyard hops only, update it.
When reading older forum posts or videos, check the date. A 2024 docking tutorial remains useful for Newtonian flight; a 2024 “safe routes” map may not mention armed intercepts near Ceres, and pre-rebalance PASS tips may still assume free teleports.
Where to go after reading patch notes
Updates tell you what changed; other hubs tell you how to play under the new rules.
- Guides hub — walkthroughs for flight, salvage, gigs, PASS, zones, atmosphere, crew, and combat refreshed for 1.0 assumptions
- Review — broader impressions of whether the release build delivers on years of Early Access promise
- Tools hub — checklists for mortgage shifts, atmosphere, and salvage packing when hotfixes tweak costs or timers
- Systems hub — economy, crew AI, and salvage pricing context when patches touch vendors or permits
How we organize future patches
Major milestones — numbered releases, combat updates, economy rebalance — get dedicated pages like the 1.0 launch and PASS/gigs articles. Smaller hotfixes that only adjust reactor temperature, weapon tracking, or dock clipping may be summarized inline on the latest milestone page until a separate article is warranted.
Official sources remain the Steam news feed, the Blue Bottle Discord, and the community-maintained wiki.gg pages. This unofficial wiki translates patch language into captain workflows: what to retest on your ship, which guides to reread, and which tools to print again.
Returning captains checklist
If you have not played since before Fire in the Hold:
- Read Version 1.0 Launch end to end
- Read Fire in the Hold if you skipped the April 2026 milestone
- Read PASS and Gigs Rebalance if you still treat ferries as free teleports
- Skim Getting Started for shift and mortgage reminders
- Rebuild your undock routine with the atmosphere checklist
- Confirm salvage permits and pricing against How to Salvage and the salvage economy
- Only then plan Ceres or combat runs — armed traffic punishes unprepared hulls
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for spacers who want to stay alive.
When did Ostranauts leave Early Access?
Ostranauts launched version 1.0 on Steam on 2026-08-03 after Early Access began in September 2020. This hub focuses on the 1.0 era and Fire in the Hold systems.
Where are the official patch notes?
Blue Bottle Games publishes on the Steam news tab for AppID 1022980. We summarize captain-relevant changes here and link gameplay guidance on the Guides hub.
I played years ago — do I need to reread guides?
Yes, at least Getting Started and Version 1.0 Launch. Combat, Ceres, mining, and filled station maps change routes and risk profiles from early Early Access.