Sandbox survival action game Core Keeper has officially launched its massive free 1.3 update, titled “Riders of the Underground,” across PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One. Developed by Pugstorm and published by Fireshine Games, the cross-platform title—which has surpassed six million players globally—introduces mountable livestock, traversal mechanics like the hookshot, and sweeping combat adjustments for magic and summoner builds.
Saddle Up: Transforming Livestock into Traversable Mounts
For a game rooted in deep subterranean excavation, verticality and movement economy dictate pacing. The introduction of the new “Saddle” item changes this operational loop completely. Instead of restricting mount mechanics to isolated creature types, the update allows players to craft or acquire saddles and mount virtually any livestock species present in the game.
Equipping a saddle is frictionless: place it on the desired animal, and the player assumes a mounted state. Dismounting is just as simple, returning the creature to its unburdened state. Pugstorm has also added behavioral configuration layers for these animals. When unmounted, players can program their livestock to hold position, roam freely within a localized radius, or follow the player character natively.
This transforms farm animals from passive resource generators into mobile logistics assets. Navigating sprawling underground corridors no longer requires purely on-foot movement or extensive rail networks.
Navigating Subterranean Fissures with the Moss Biome and Hookshot
Exploration mechanics receive a direct technical upgrade via the addition of the “Orex” and the “Hookshot.” Found within the newly implemented “Moss” sub-biome—an overgrown, damp environment nested inside the established Forgotten Ruins—the Orex provides a reptile-inspired riding option unique to this damp ecological zone.
When terrain morphology introduces gaps, chasms, or structural fissures, players previously relied on manual bridge construction or circuitous pathfinding. The newly introduced Hookshot bypasses this architectural friction entirely. By targeting designated anchor points across physical gaps, players can instantly traverse structural voids.
This addition shifts the mechanical ceiling for map traversal, accelerating exploration speeds across procedural generations. The Hookshot and mounted livestock work in tandem to compress travel time between base camps and frontier excavations.
Expanding Combat Loadouts Through New Pets and Gear
Combat meta and role specialization undergo substantial adjustments in version 1.3, specifically targeting magic and summoner playstyles. Pugstorm has overhauled these core combat loops to provide finer balance and richer gear synergies.
Accompanying these structural tweaks are three distinct new pets:
- Hoppet: A marine-origin companion specializing in ranged projectile denial, applying a mechanical slip debuff to targets on successful hits.
- Azeos Jr.: An avian combatant deploying localized energy shards capable of applying crowd-control stun states to enemies.
- Third Unveiled Companion: An additional mystery pet rounding out the roster.
These companions integrate with new armor sets and weaponry—such as Moss Armour and the Nature Scepter—giving players expanded statistical configurations to tackle high-tier subterranean encounters.
The Path Toward the Next Expansion Frontier
The “Riders of the Underground” patch represents the inaugural milestone in Pugstorm’s broader content roadmap leading toward the previously outlined “The Maw” expansion pipeline. By focusing upgrades on core traversal, utility items, and class balancing rather than isolated surface additions, the development team continues to refine the foundational architecture that has sustained the survival title’s massive player base across eight distinct gaming platforms.
