After launching in January for early access, Rockfish Games has released Everspace 2’s first major content update. Contracts/Hinterlands adds Smuggling, which sees Elek distracting enemies while the player delivers cargo. Sneaking is key here and you’ll venture to several different locations in Union to complete smuggling operations.
Other new content includes new main and side missions, the new Bomber heavy fighter and a new companion. The level cap has also been increased to 15 with three new perks added. You’ll also encounter new Outlaw units like the Bloodstar Overseer, Bloodstar Prospector and so on. Resolution scaling, Nvidia DLSS support and experimental HDR support have also been added.
Unfortunately, Vanguard hasn’t been added with this update and there likely won’t be any maintenance patches until the next big content update in Summer (since the current update is fairly stable). Text-to-speech or TTS has also been added as placeholders to the new missions with additional voice recording sessions happening some time before the full launch. These can be disabled if one so chooses.
UPDATE NOTES:
Features
- Added new main and side missions
- Added new player ship class: Bomber (heavy fighter)
- Added new companion
- Increased level cap to 15 and added three new player perks
- Added EMP Missiles
- Added new Outlaw units: Bloodstar Prospector, Bloodstar Overseer, Outlaw Drone Carrier
- Added new Bloodstar-branded equipment
- Added resolution scaling setting
- Added NVIDIA DLSS setting
- Added experimental HDR support
- Added setting for third-person camera stiffness
- Added keybindings for cycling through on-screen enemy targets
- Added batch actions for processing multiple items at once
- Added overview screen for data tab
- Added new WIP narrated cinematics
- Added new/hint indication marker for some menu tabs and items
- Added current conditions bar to ship menu tab
- Added dedicated mission inventory to hold mission items instead of ship cargo
