Scrap Mechanic

Drilling Thunder Expansion launched on July 24, transforming Survival with new locations, a full story, and fully voice-acted NPCs. The release also added Excavation Island, dynamic lighting and weather, expanded bot encounters, and a major world-generation overhaul.

• Survival overhaul: Drilling Thunder added new Growlabs, reworked ruins and terrain, and a main quest about the rogue bots. The bot roster more than doubled, including the dangerous Red Explosive Totebot.
• Building and exploration tools: The Claygun enabled terrain shaping in Creative and Survival, while the Schematicbot unlocked new Craftbot parts. Scrap City gained a Garage for building creations across modes, and the release added a large collection of blocks, interactive parts, garments, and Steam Achievements.
• Creative additions: September added capsules for Minerbot, Green Tapebot, Yellow Tapebot, Blue Totebot, Yellow Totebot, Cablebot, Cablebot Multi, and Red Totebot. Creative Mode also received the /weather, /timeofday, and /timeprogress commands, while Survival parts and previously missing parts returned to Creative and Challenge modes.
• New mechanics: The Vacuum Pump and Large Chest could harvest Beehives and Freezers, and breaking a Growlab Balloon Crate before exiting through the entrance elevator counted as completing the Growlab. Character acceleration from stepping onto fast-moving objects was also limited.
• Balance and presentation: The resource and crafting rebalance reduced grind, while the Drilling Thunder visual upgrade added dynamic lighting, weather systems, and more detailed materials. Subsequent changes also standardized Growbed harvest rates with normal soil and restored effects such as Boombox playback on the Lift.