Welcome to the launch of Stormgate: Campaign One - Ashes of Earth! This is our Necrolyte update, the biggest single update yet for Stormgate!

This release marks a major milestone as we exit Early Access and officially launch Stormgate on Steam with the full 12-mission Ashes of Earth Vanguard campaign, complete with new unlock-able pets and 36 all-new Steam achievements.

We’re also introducing the first part of our revamped Celestial Armada faction, giving them a massive mechanical overhaul focused on streamlining complexity and improving play-ability. Plus, our brand-new Sigma Labs experimental hub debuts with the Terrain Editor Alpha, opening the doors to full community map-making and Custom Games support.

Competitive players can dive into a fresh ladder reset, and our progression system now tracks your factional growth across modes with new Player Card Nameplates. There's also new art, two wild new Challengers in Skirmish mode, bug fixes and a balance update for all factions.

Whether you're here for the story, the strategy, or the sandbox, this patch has something for every Stormgate commander.

Patch Notes:

Campaign:

The full Vanguard campaign is now available, featuring 12 story-driven missions. Each mission includes three Steam achievements, rewarding players for exploration, challenge, and mastery. For those who brave the campaign on Brutal difficulty, new unlockable pets await: Fuzzy Moth (Mission 6), Terror Byte (Mission 9), and Bobble BOB (Mission 12)—each a unique reward for overcoming the toughest fights Stormgate has to offer.

Vanguard Chapter 2: “The Raging Storms”
- Mission 7: “Darkened Skies”
- Mission 8: “Destroyer of Worlds”
- Mission 9: “Dying Light”
Vanguard Chapter 3: “The Twisting Fates”
- Mission 10: “Into Madness”
- Mission 11: “Dead Reckoning”
- Mission 12: “Edge of Eternity”
Campaign Chapter Pets - Unlock each pet by completing the mission on Brutal difficulty:
- Mission 6 - Fuzzy Moth
- Mission 9 - Terror Byte
- Mission 12 - Bobble BOB

Sigma Labs:

Welcome to Sigma Labs, our experimental testing ground for features and modes that are still in development. Here, you’ll get early access to tools and content that aren’t fully polished, but are ready for community feedback. Currently, this area includes Co-op Missions, the Terrain Editor Alpha, and Custom Games. In the future, you may see even more modes appear here such as the much-anticipated Team Mayhem.

Terrain Editor Alpha:

The Terrain Editor Alpha is now open to everyone! You can jump in and start creating your own maps, share them with friends, and explore a growing library of custom experiences built by other players. Whether you're designing competitive arenas or wild experimental layouts, this is your space to get creative and bring your ideas to life.

We're calling this initial release the Terrain Editor Alpha because its current focus is on enabling the community to make custom maps using the standard ruleset for PvP games. This release of the editor doesn't include the tools that will be used to edit game data or triggers, but those will be coming in later releases. Be sure to join the #terrain-editor community on the official Stormgate Discord for tips, tricks, and even recruit playtesters to help you improve your original creations.

On top of bringing the Terrain Editor to everyone, we have also added a few new features since our previous round of testing:

Pathing tool
Rotated tool brushes
Camera-aligned object box selection
The collision budget is displayed in the editor
Minimap shows icons and trees
Added camera action to focus camera on selection
Added camera action to show the entire map from above
New in Editor page under Sigma Labs
Stormgates can be placed in the editor (there still must be 5)
- To add a Stormgate to a map, place a Deactivated Stormgate with a StormgateObjective_TugOfwar on top of it
  - Deactivated Stormgate units need the following placed names: StormgateObjective1, StormgateObjective2, StormgateObjective3, StormgateObjective4, StormgateObjective5
  - StormgateObjective_TugOfWar capture points need the following placed names: StormgateCP1, StormgateCP2, StormgateCP3, StormgateCP4, StormgateCP5

Co-op:

Co-op is still up and running, and players can continue to enjoy it in its current state. Development on Co-op has been kept on the back-burner while we focused resources on other modes and features, but rest assured, this is not the end. Co-op is an important part of our vision, and we plan to return to it with full focus in future updates.

Custom Games:

Custom Games has been moved into Sigma Labs to keep it conveniently close to the Terrain Editor. Since Custom Games will be the go-to place for setting up and testing your custom maps, having them side by side makes the creation and playtesting process smoother.

Custom game map names are used in most places
Stormgates have been reworked to better support FFA
New loading screen UI to support a larger number of players
Updated observer/replay UI to support a larger number of players

Celestials Revamp:

The Celestial Armada has begun its long-awaited revamp, aiming to reduce complexity while preserving the faction's hallmark versatility and mobility. In this patch, we’re focusing on foundational mechanics, with deeper iteration on unit interactions planned for future updates.

Patch Highlights:

Arcships now function more like traditional command structures found in other factions. They produce workers, relocate, and cast faction-support abilities.
Collection Arrays have been significantly streamlined. They no longer act as pseudo-command structures, and all of their abilities have been removed.
Prisms are now aligned with standard worker behavior across factions. Up to 12 can mine from each Luminite mine.
The Therium Purifier has been removed. Prisms now harvest Therium directly, without needing to return it anywhere.
Morph Cores are no longer produced by Arcships. Instead, most Celestial structures now have an ability called Matter Reallocation, allowing them to refund most of their cost and transform into a Morph Core. This enables flexible repositioning or conversion into other structures.
Power Banks and Link Nodes have been merged into a single structure that can freely morph between three key modes:
- Gracelight Node (healing)
- Energizer Node (energy restoration)
- Judicator Node (defensive turret)
Aeon Gates are now tier-2 structures built directly from the command panel.
The Power system has been simplified and no longer includes hidden benefits or effects.

For a complete breakdown of changes, see the balance updates below. We have even more changes for the Celestial Armada planned for future patches. Let us know what you think—and enjoy exploring the new Celestials!

Challenger Skirmish:

In this update, AI Skirmish mode has been expanded with two new unique Challengers to face off against, each featuring their own distinct Stats, Units, and Perks that showcase radically different playstyles and philosophies of war.

These new bot personalities are intentionally built around strong gimmicks, creating bold strategic identities with noticeable strengths and exploitable weaknesses. Their lopsided capabilities present a fun challenge for players to puzzle out, adapt to, and ultimately overcome through creative counterplay.These are just the first of our new Challengers, with more unique AI opponents planned for future updates, including a Celestial Challenger coming later.

Major Galt: The Commander - Vanguard

Commands a Havoc faction infamous for their loyalty and relentless aggression. A charismatic mercenary-king, the Major’s speeches rally his ragtag soldiers into a frothing devotion, driving them and their machinery of war to the absolute limit. He is a walking contradiction: reckless but effective, arrogant but admired, and outrageous…but deeply dangerous.

Vokurka: The Hag - Infernal

Serves the Infernal Host as a conduit to the spirit realm, tapping into their honored cycle of life and death and harnessing its momentum to fuel her dark magic. Phantoms swarm as Vokurka’s Curse assails her enemies. Her summoned spirits fear no end, embracing their demise as yet another chance at victory.

Campaign and Ladder Reset:

Campaign Progress Reset: We are resetting certain hero progression elements, but your overall campaign progress will remain intact. This means all completed campaign levels, along with the difficulties you've cleared them on during Early Access, will be preserved. However, hero-specific progress—such as hero levels, items, and talents—will be reset to ensure a fresh and balanced start.

Ladder Reset: The competitive ladder is also being reset. All players will start from the same point, offering a fair opportunity to climb the ranks and compete in the new season.

Player Profiles and Account Progression:

This update introduces the first version of Stormgate’s account progression system. Players can now level up their Vanguard, Infernal, and Celestial races by earning Storm Points through Campaign, Co-op, Versus, and Skirmish matches (Custom Games support coming later!). As you progress, you’ll unlock a new type of cosmetic, Player Card Nameplates, which are displayed on your in-game Player Card and reflect your race-specific progression.

Steam Profile Pictures: Your Steam avatar is now displayed as your profile picture in game.
Progression Types: We have added a couple types of progression to be aware of beyond Versus Ranks/Leagues and Co-op Commander levels that already exist.
- Account Levels: Playing any mode contributes to your overall Account Level which is usually visible on your portrait. Reaching a higher Account Level will increase your Account Tier, upgrading the borders around your portrait and player card.
- Faction Levels: Additionally, playing in any mode will level up whichever of the three main factions is associated with what you just played. For example, playing as Maloc in Co-op will increase your Infernals faction level, and playing the Vanguard Campaign will increase your Vanguard faction level. We have added a handful of nameplates that appear behind your name on your player card that can be unlocked by leveling up the different factions.
Steam Integration Improvements: We’ve made improvements to how Stormgate connects with Steam, making it easier than ever to find and connect with your Steam friends in-game. This is just the beginning—expect more enhancements in future updates.

Steam Achievements:

Steam Achievements are finally here! In this first iteration, we've focused on Campaign mode, adding 36 achievements—3 for each of the 12 missions. These range from straightforward objectives to hidden challenges, rewarding players for strategy, exploration, and mastery. Here is the full list of these new achievements:

Mission 1: Ghosts of the Past
- Ghost of the Past (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Ghost of the Past” on Brutal difficulty.
- Lost and Found - Locate the secret stash in the mission “Ghost of the Past”.
- Unnatural Selection - Kill the Incarnate in the mission “Ghost of the Past”.
Mission 2: City of Skulls
- City of Skulls (Brutal) - Complete the mission “City of Skulls” on Brutal difficulty.
- Xenobotanist - Locate all flora samples in the mission “City of Skulls”
- King Nothing - Defeat the Marauder Warlord in the mission “City of Skulls”.
Mission 3: Ash and Bone
- Ash and Bone (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Ash and Bone” on Brutal difficulty.
- Fully Operational - Repair all the abandoned city defenses in the mission “Ash and Bone”.
- Not a Scratch - Don’t let the convoy take more than 250 damage in the mission “Ash and Bone”

Mission 4: Grim Company
- Grim Company (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Grim Company” on Brutal difficulty.
- Battlefield Logistics - Fully upgrade the Artillery Tower and recover all supply caches in the mission “Grim Company”.
- No One Left Behind - Complete the mission “Grim Company” without losing any resistance forces.

Mission 5: Veiled Fate
- Veiled Fate (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Veiled Fate” on Brutal difficulty.
- Tactical Collapse - Block all 3 pathways using debris in the mission “Veiled Fate”.
- Guardian Angel - Protect Amara from all damage during the final holdout.

Mission 6: Traitor's Bay
- Traitor’s Bay (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Traitor's Bay” on Brutal difficulty.
- Live Free or Die - Rescue all prisoners in the mission “Traitor’s Bay”.
- Their Guns, Our War - Gain control of all enemy Wall Turrets in the mission “Traitor’s Bay”.

Mission 7: Darkened Skies
- Darkened Skies (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Darkened Skies” on Brutal difficulty.
- System Override - Secure all weaponized platforms in the mission “Darkened Skies”.
- Ghost in the Code - Complete the mission “Darkened Skies” in under 15 minutes.

Mission 8: Destroyer of Worlds
- Destroyer of Worlds (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Destroyer of Worlds” on Brutal difficulty.
- Celestial Conduit - Secure all power sites in the mission “Destroyer of Worlds”.
- Avatar of Destruction - Kill 100 enemies using Arkulus powers in the mission “Destroyer of Worlds”.
Mission 9: Dying Light
- Dying Light (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Dying Light” on Brutal difficulty.
- Critical Reserves - Secure all supply caches in the mission “Dying Light”.
- We Keep Them Safe - Complete the mission “Dying Light” without letting any civilians die.
Mission 10: Into Madness
- Into Madness (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Into Madness” on Brutal difficulty.
- Tear the Veil - Destroy all Eldritch Vortexes in the mission “Into Madness”.
- Blink and You're Dead - Destroy a Desolator within 15 seconds of it spawning in the mission “Into Madness”
Mission 11: Dead Reckoning
- Dead Reckoning (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Dead Reckoning” on Brutal difficulty.
- Atlas, Rise - Reactivate all heavy mechs in the mission “Dead Reckoning”.
- Cold Hard Cache - Claim 2500 or more total resources from neutral structures in the mission “Dead Reckoning”.
Mission 12: Edge of Eternity
- Edge of Eternity (Brutal) - Complete the mission “Edge of Eternity” on Brutal difficulty.
- Terminal Protocol - Complete all bonus objectives in the mission “Edge of Eternity”.
- No Time for Eternity - Complete the mission “Edge of Eternity” in less than 15 minutes.

Backer Rewards: Name a Unit

A huge thank you to all the backers who purchased the Name a Unit perk through Kickstarter or Indiegogo! Your chosen names have now been added to the game and are randomly assigned to units as you build them. Keep an eye out—you might just spot your custom name on the battlefield. The Create an NPC backer perks are still in the works and will be coming later. We can’t wait to bring those characters to life.

Twitch Drops – Digital Distortion Fog of War:

From August 5 to September 1, tune into participating Twitch streams to earn the exclusive Digital Distortion Fog of War cosmetic through Twitch Drops! Just watch eligible streams while logged into your linked account, and the reward will be yours. Don’t miss your chance to add this unique visual effect to your collection! Click here for the full details of how to redeem drops or enable drops for your stream.

Pricing and Bundle Adjustments:

Each of the three paid Campaign chapters is getting a 10% price reduction. You’ll still be able to purchase all three together through the in-game bundle option.
All Heroes will be 15% off as a temporary offer, due to Team Mayhem being unavailable and no recent Co-op updates.
The current bundles are being renamed:
- Basic Edition
- Deluxe Edition
A new Ultimate Edition bundle is being introduced, which now includes the Heroes Ryker and Warz.
- The price of this new bundle will increase slightly to reflect the fact that it contains all currently playable content available today.
- Important: If you purchased a previous version of the Ultimate Edition, you will not automatically receive Ryker and Warz. The updated bundle is a separate product.

Balance Updates:

Vanguard

Command Post/Central Command/High Command

Servo Overcharge is now a targeted ability.
Servo Overcharge movement speed bonus decreased from 50% to 30%.
Servo Overcharge armor bonus increased from 25 to 50.

Rampart

Reinforce no longer autocast for 2 seconds after the Rampart has finished transforming.
Reinforce will now only autocast on targets that have less than 75% health.

Sentry Posts Variants

Right-click to load will now have a higher priority than right-click to Rally.
Rally commands will no longer bet set from the Quick Macro Panel.

Flak Cannon

Anti-ground range decreased from 12 to 10.

Hedgehog

Outer radius (How much units bump into other units) decreased from 0.8 to 0.6.
Inner radius (How much units bump into structures and terrain) decreased from 0.8 to 0.375.

Sentinel

Fixed an issue where Sentinels were doing slightly more damage than expected.

Infernals

Shrine/Greater Shrine/Elder Shrine

Imp recharge time increased from 17 seconds to 18 seconds.
Summon Effigy cooldown increased from 5 seconds to 25 seconds.
Summon Effigy cooldown is now decreased by 20 seconds if summoned within Shroud.
Hellspawn Resurgence cost decreased from 75 energy to 50 energy.

Tribute Pyre

Supply granted increased from 10 to 15.

Shroudstone

Weapon period decreased from 1.8 to 1.3

Effigy

Vision range increased from 11 to 15.

Imp

Weapon missile speed increased from 15 to 20.

Gremlin

Supply granted decreased from 2 to 0.
Health increased from 45 to 65.
Weapon damage increased from 6 to 8.
Weapon missile speed increased from 10 to 20.
Fixed a bug that allowed them to be Cursed.

Brute

Health increased from 195 to 200.
Attack period increased from 1.2 to 1.6.
Infernal Fury stun duration decreased from 0.5 seconds to 0.25 seconds.
Now spawns 1 Fiend on-death by default, down from 2. If a Brute has >90% of its health remaining, it will spawn an additional Fiend.
Fiendsplosion now adds +1 Fiends, down from +2.

Fiend

Health increased from 50 to 60.
Damage increased from 7 to 12.

Gaunt

Gains a new upgrade on the Ritual Chamber:
- Soulbound Chakrams: Grants Gaunts:
  - On-Hit: If this unit is in Shroud, targets are Cursed.
- Cost: 25/25.
- Research Time: 30 seconds
Reaper’s Rush now requires the Soulbound Chakrams upgrade.

Spriggan

Cost decreased from 100/50 to 75/50.

Flayed Dragon

Build time increased from 0 seconds to 120 seconds.
Cooldown decreased from 300 seconds to 0 seconds.
Blighted Breath cast range decreased from 13 to 4.
Blighted Breath cooldown increased from 10 seconds to 15 seconds.

Celestials

General

Cascade Field range increased to 15. Most structures were previously around 10 range.
Non-Arcship structure vision range increased from 11 to 13.
Power no longer has any hidden buffs or debuffs depending on what Power state you’re in.
Sufficient Power is now required to build structures.

Arcship/Arcstation/Arcfortress

Reworked to be the clear Command Structure of the Celestial faction.
Starts off grounded and immobile.
Arcships, Arcstations, and Arcfortress no longer have the Skyward Salvation ability.
Gains the Power Surge ability that used to be on Collection Arrays.
- Energy cost increased from 25 to 50.
- Power Surge can now target Collection Arrays but can no longer target Command Structures.
- Power Surge no longer increases the movement speed of structures.
- Power Surge production speed bonus increased from 100 to 150%.
- Power Surge health regeneration bonus increased from 10 health per second to 30 health per second.
- Power Surge Overload penalty removed.
Gains the Zenith Scan ability that used to be on Collection Arrays.
- Zenith Scan initial large revealer duration increased from 2 seconds to 5 seconds.
- Zenith Scan small revealer duration increased from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.
Can now Lift Off, giving it the ability to move around.
Can now Relocate. This allows Arcships to lift, move, and land at a designated location with a single button/ability.
Can now construct Collection Arrays and will automatically do so if it’s next to a Luminite Mine without a Collection Array. This ability has a cooldown of 60 seconds.
Flying movement speed increased from 1 to 2.
Build time decreased from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.
Arcship health increased from 800 to 1200.
Flying Arcfortresses now have the Purify and Fate’s End abilities.

Collection Array

Reworked to be primarily a mining structure rather than a hybrid of a Command Structure and a mining structure.
Built from Arcships instead of from the Quick Macro Panel or through Morph Cores.
Can no longer build Prisms.
No longer has any abilities, including Sovereign’s Watch, Power Surge, or Zenith Scan.
Supply cost decreased from 4 to 0.
Health decreased from 800 to 600.
Build cost decreased from 450/0 to 0/0.
Build time decreased from 110 seconds to 25 seconds.
No longer auto-harvests.
Can no longer Lift Off.

Morph Core

Can no longer be built from a structure.
Can no longer attack.
All Celestial structures, with the exception of Arcship variants and the Collection Array, gain a new ability:
- Matter Reallocation: Transforms this structure into a Morph Core.
  - This transformation takes 5 seconds.
  - Players will be refunded the cost of the structure minus 50 Luminite.
Morph Cores can now morph into any structure with the exception of Arcship variants and the Collection Array.
- The cost to do so is the original cost of the structure minus 50 Luminite.
- The time it takes to Morph into a structure is now the same as the normal build time of the structure.
- Morph Cores can now only morph within Cascade Fields, with the exception of building Arcships.
Supply cost decreased from 2 to 0.

Power Bank, Link Node, Strike Node, Warp Node

These structures have been removed from the game and replaced with the following:

Gracelight Node, Judicator Node, Energizer Node

All three structures have the following stats:
- 280 health, 50 starting energy, 100 max energy.
Gracelight Node is a buildable structure, costing 100/0 and taking 10 seconds to build.
Judicator and Energizer Nodes are not buildable naturally. However, all three Nodes can morph into one another at no cost.
- Morphing into other Nodes requires a Creation Chamber
- Morphing to a Judicator Node from either of the other two Nodes takes 30 seconds.
- Morphing to a Gracelight or Energizer Node from another Node takes 10 seconds.
Each of the three Nodes has a unique ability:
- Gracelight Node:
  - Gracelight Endowment: Heals a target friendly unit for 600 health over 30 seconds. Healing is canceled if the target unit is damaged.
  - Cost: 25 energy
  - This is a buffed version of Skyward Salvation ability that used to be on the Arcship.
- Judicator Node:
  - Attacks enemy units. Attacking costs 10 energy per shot.
- Energizer Node:
  - Energize: Transfers energy to a friendly unit.
  - This is the ability that used to be on the Power Bank.

Therium Purifier

Removed from the game. The Sovereign’s Fury upgrade has been removed from the game, and the Celestial Hyperdrive upgrade has been moved to the Guardian Nexus.

Guardian Nexus

Gains the following upgrade from the Therium Purifier:
- Celestial Hyperdrive: Increases the movement speed of Arcships, Arcstations, Arcfortresses, and Morph Cores by 50%.

Aeon Gate

Cost increased from 50/50 to 100/50.
Footprint size decreased from 4x4 to 3x3.
Now buildable as a structure instead of through the Arcfortress.
Now requires an Arcstation to build.
Right-click to load will now have a higher priority than right-click to Rally.
Sentry Post rally commands will no longer be set from the Quick Macro Panel.

Prism

Cost decreased from 150/0 to 40/0.
Supply decreased from 3 to 1.
Health decreased from 180 to 65.
Vision decreased from 11 to 10.
Movement speed increased from 2 to 5.
Max charges increased from 3 to 5.
Starting charges increased from 1 to 3.
Build recharge time decreased from 75 seconds to 14 seconds.
Up to 12 Prisms may enhance a Collection Array.
No longer has to return to base to mine Therium.
Outer radius decreased from 0.8 to 0.45.
No longer has the Prismatic Accelerator trait.
Now a ground unit.
Can now attack ground units and trees.

Argent

Damage decreased from 12 (+3 vs Heavy) to 11 (+3 vs Heavy).
High Energy bonus increased from 300% increased damage to 400% increased damage.

Kri

Roll Out research cost decreased from 100/100 to 50/50.

Scanner

Cost changed from 25/25 to 50/0.
Health increased from 40 to 50.
No longer has a flying mode. Always starts off grounded.
Requirement changed from Guardian Nexus to Creation Chamber. It is now a Tier 1 unit, down from Tier 1.5.
Grounded movement speed increased from 4.5 to 7.

Cabal

Cost decreased from 125/100 to 100/100.
Debilitate movement speed debuff increased from -25% to -35%.

Vector

Cost decreased from 150/50 to 125/50.
Inner radius decreased from 0.6 to 0.375.
Outer radius decreased from 0.8 to 0.6.

Scythe

Cost decreased from 200/75 to 150/75.

Seraphim

Bonus damage against Stormgates increased from 300% to 400%.

Animancer

Inner radius decreased from 0.6 to 0.375.
Outer radius decreased from 0.8 to 0.6.

Stormgates