# The Riftbreaker The Riftbreaker World Expansion IV Experimental Update

- Product: The Riftbreaker (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/the-riftbreaker)
- Vendor: EXOR Studios
- Date: 2026-01-29
- Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/780310/view/532122047321473394
- Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/the-riftbreaker/releases/2026-01-29-the-riftbreaker-world-expansion-iv-experimental-u

What's New is an index, not a publisher: every entry below links to the vendor's own release notes, which are the authoritative source. Entries are labelled where they are hand-curated sample data, pre-releases, or drawn from a secondary source such as a developer blog.

Reuse: the summaries, labels and curation here are © What's New. Quote freely with attribution and a link back; wholesale republication of the corpus is not permitted — terms: https://whatsnew.fyi/terms. The vendors' own release notes remain their publishers'.

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- **added** — Introduce Open Campaign mode as an entirely new game mode for experienced players
- **added** — Add Cryo Fields biome as part of World Expansion IV
- **added** — Allow players to choose their starting biome in Open Campaign mode from all available Galatean zones
- **added** — Remove story-based objectives in Open Campaign mode, allowing players to visit biomes in any order based on economic and technological needs
- **added** — Remove story-based research locks in Open Campaign mode, making all technologies available to research
- **added** — Make Open Campaign mode accessible without DLC content, allowing players to establish outposts in all biomes
- **changed** — Open Campaign mode features only one objective to build the Prime Rift Station instead of multiple story-based missions

##### Hello Riftbreakers!

We have just released a massive update for the experimental branch of The Riftbreaker! It features the highly anticipated World Expansion IV, including the brand-new Cryo Fields biome, as well as an entirely new way to play the game - the Open Campaign mode. This update brings many changes and improvements to the game, all of which will be released for free to all of you in just a couple of weeks. It is now the time for testing and finishing touches, and we would really appreciate your help with this. This article will tell you how to access the experimental branch, what feedback we are looking for, and, of course, a brief overview of the most important features of World Expansion IV.

**_One of the several art pieces we have prepared for you for the experimental release!_**

This Experimental Release is available to everyone on an opt-in basis. Please be aware that things might not work as intended, and you may encounter problems. If you don’t want to take any risks, please wait for the public release of this update. If you would like to help us test the new update ahead of the official release, follow these instructions.

**This update is (most likely) incompatible with any current mods.** Please remove all mods before playing. **MAKE SURE TO MAKE A BACKUP COPY OF YOUR SAVE FILES!** Make a copy of 'The Riftbreaker' folder from your documents and keep it safe.

-  Create a backup copy of your save folder (Documents/The Riftbreaker)

-  Disable Steam Cloud save backup for The Riftbreaker

-  go to your Steam Library

-  right-click on The Riftbreaker

-  select 'Properties,’ then 'Betas,’ and use the following password: IknowWhatImDoing

After that, you will be able to choose 'experimental' from the drop-down menu. Download the update, play the game, and let us know if you encounter any issues. We also have a channel on Discord: #rb-experimental-feedback. We encourage you to join and share your feedback.

All the features of the World Expansion IV Update are available both in solo and co-op play. If you want to test the co-op mode, please make sure that all players are on the same version of the game. You can check the build number at the bottom of any menu screen in the game. This is also important if you want to play using the dedicated server. You must update the server separately from your main copy of the game and switch to the experimental branch for the dedicated server as well.

**With these technicalities out of the way, let’s take a look at the contents of World Expansion IV. **

##### Open Campaign Mode

The Open Campaign Mode is an entirely new game mode **intended for experienced Riftbreakers and those who prefer jumping into the game blind and figuring things out on their own.** There are several key differences between the regular Campaign Mode and the Open Campaign:
In Open Campaign, you can choose your starting biome.

The regular Story Campaign is a guided experience, with narrative elements easing you into the world of Galatea 37. It always begins in the most welcoming biome - the Tropical Zone. The Open Campaign throws all safety nets out of the window. **You are free to choose the starting biome from among all the Galatean zones available in the game. **Each will come with its unique set of benefits and challenges. Will you trade the safety of the Tropical Zone for an abundance of Sludge and Flammable Gas in the Acidic Plains? Are you ready to handle the Volcanic Area without any heat resistance technology? Your early game experience will vary wildly, depending on the biome you pick, leading to entirely new possibilities in each playthrough.

**_If you are into building crazy large structures for artistic purposes, the Open Campaign will be the perfect playground for you. You can build an economy that will sustain your most wacky projects. Still - beware! Galatean creatures are as dangerous here as in the regular campaign!_**

##### Open Campaign features no Story-based objective

_[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/780310/view/532122047321473394]_