# X4: Foundations X4 Foundations 9.00 "Empire Update" Public Beta is Now Live!

- Product: X4: Foundations (https://whatsnew.fyi/product/x4-foundations)
- Vendor: Egosoft
- Date: 2026-03-11
- Original notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/392160/view/528744981882470468
- Permalink: https://whatsnew.fyi/product/x4-foundations/releases/2026-03-11-x4-foundations-9.00-empire-update-public-beta-is

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- **added** — Priority Orders feature to rapidly issue orders and manage fleets
- **added** — Ships can now have a weapon heat factor causing overheating with many guns
- **added** — Ships can now have shield modifiers for higher capacity or recharge rate
- **added** — Main statistics for engines, shields, and weapons are now shown in the ship loadout screen
- **added** — Torpedoes can now be targeted and missile interception has generally improved
- **added** — Ammunition reloading is now shown on the HUD
- **added** — New Ship Showroom station module for collectors
- **added** — Kha'ak ships can now be recycled into a versatile new ware
- **changed** — Turret accuracy has been vastly improved
- **changed** — Destroyers make more use of their main batteries with steering and turret improvements
- **changed** — AI pilot aiming is now more organic with evasive manoeuvres and strafing being more effective at throwing off their aim
- **changed** — Capital ship movement has been reworked to influence their combat performance
- **changed** — Physical size of weapons on S and M ships and the rules by which they are connected have been changed
- **changed** — Newer ships can now use older weapons and older ships can now use newer weapons
- **changed** — Full rebalancing of more than 200 weapons and turrets, over 90 shields, and more than 200 ships
- **changed** — Prices now better reflect the quality level of ships and equipment
- **changed** — Large ships are not as vulnerable to small weaponry
- **changed** — Heavily armoured and shielded ships are a more viable option
- **changed** — Turrets are more varied from faction to faction
- **changed** — Overhaul of the resource area system changes the way new resources emerge after a resource area has been depleted

We're thrilled to kick off the Public Beta for the X4: Foundations **"Empire Update" (9.00)**! This free major update includes numerous features and reworks that influence how you engage with combat, strategy, and the economy.

The Empire Update includes a **balance pass across hundreds of weapons, ships, and shields**, alongside sweeping **improvements to combat** that will put your piloting skills to the test. Combined with other AI improvements, combat will be more dynamic, challenging, and rewarding.

In addition to the comprehensive under-the-hood combat improvements, we've also implemented a highly-requested **Priority Orders feature** to rapidly issue orders - all the better to smoothly manage your fleet in the midst of the Empire Update's more challenging combat! Not only that, but a new asset pipeline has allowed us to improve the ship visuals and **increase loadout variety** in update 9.00.

Several impactful non-combat features are arriving with this update: Kha'ak ships can now be **recycled into a versatile new ware** that adds an additional layer to the economy, while a significant **overhaul of the resource area system** changes the way new resources emerge after a resource area has been depleted.

This update also includes a **new Ship Showroom station module** for collectors, upgrades to the UI and map menu, more elaborate NPC stations emphasising faction identity, and more.

Find **more details** and a **full changelog** in this news post, and **join our Public Beta** to experience the update for yourself.

The Empire Update (9.00) is still a **work in progress** and 9.00 Beta 1 represents the first iteration of several larger gameplay changes that will continue to evolve throughout the Public Beta phase. This update introduces **deep systemic changes** affecting combat, strategy, and economic gameplay, and may encourage players - especially long-time pilots - to rethink familiar approaches. Development does not stop with the start of the Public Beta; **your feedback plays an important role** as we continue refining and balancing these systems ahead of the final release. We invite you to share your thoughts in the [Public Beta Feedback forum](https://forum.egosoft.com/viewforum.php?f=192) and help us shape the update together. Thank you for your continued support!

> **How Do I Take Part in the Public Beta?**
Every player who owns X4: Foundations has the opportunity to download the new 9.00 Public Beta version. In order to ensure that beta participants are aware of the [risks and rules involved](https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=192&t=405396), we ask all interested players to visit our forum, where they will find the rules and disclaimers, as well as practical instructions for participating in the beta. [Follow this link to our forum](https://forum.egosoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=192&t=405397) - no registration required - to find the relevant information.

>

##### Combat Mechanics

The biggest changes to the combat system lie under the hood. We have painstakingly worked through a number of minor weapon aiming issues. Each improvement is relatively small by itself, but the compounded effect of this effort should have a significant positive impact on the feel and outcome of combat:

- Turret accuracy has been vastly improved.

- Destroyers make more use of their main batteries, while also benefiting from steering and turret improvements.

- AI pilot aiming is now more organic. Depending on the skill of the pilot, evasive manoeuvres and strafing are more effective at throwing off their aim.
Update 9.00 also includes a host of more obvious combat features:

- Ships can now have a weapon heat factor; ships with many guns may, for example, overheat faster.

- Similarly, ships can now have shield modifiers for higher capacity or recharge rate.

- The main statistics for engines, shields, and weapons are now shown in the ship loadout screen.

- Torpedoes can now be targeted, and missile interception has generall

_[Truncated at 4000 characters — full notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/392160/view/528744981882470468]_