What you need to know
- Vampire Survivors was one of the hottest new games of 2022, amassing a gargantuan following of passionate players.
- It's a simple shoot-'em-up roguelike, but it's addictive gameplay loop and boundless well of content and secrets keeps you hooked.
- Developer Poncle has now released the first free content update in 2024 for Vampire Survivors, and it'll be the first of many this year.
- The Space-54 Update includes a new stage, two new characters, more weapons and relics, and — yes — more achievements.
2024 has seen several games set the video games community on fire, but one legendary surprise hit from the past is refusing to be just a temporary fling. Vampire Survivors is still very much alive and well, and the first (of many) updates in 2024 just landed. It's free, packs new content and achievements, and it takes players to space (which is becoming something of a trend for Vampire Survivors).
The Space-54 Update is enough by itself to get players to return and turn their screens into particle-infused masses of chaos and numbers, but developer and publisher Poncle also teased what's coming next for Vampire Survivors, including cross-save, online co-op, and plenty of additional content.
Vampire Survivors — The Feely One
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though. The Space-54 Update falls under the 1.9.0 version number, and brings with it some fresh new content in addition to a sizeable number of bug fixes and improvements. Mostly, though, players are here to find more reasons to play. You'll be able to slay your enemies as two new characters (hello, Space Dude), find four new weapons and a new relic, and explore the colorful and movement-impeding Space 54 bonus stage, which you can unlock by collecting five Gold Fingers in other stages.
Never mind all of that, though. We're getting new achievements! This update includes seven achievements for the shiny Space-54 content, as well as one achievement for the Adventures added in a previous Vampire Survivors update (which had no achievements before this point). Beyond the latest Vampire Survivors update, though, Poncle also discussed what's next for the popular roguelike game.
What's next for Vampire Survivors?
Poncle confirmed in the Steam patch notes that testing for full cross-save support is going well in the Steam and Android public betas. Vampire Survivors has released on practically every platform under the sun since its debut, so cross-save support will be a huge boon for players wanting to take their Vampire Survivors fix on the go. The developer is also exploring the possibility of cross-platform DLC (basically cross-save, but for your purchases) but advises that players shouldn't get their hopes up thanks to protective platform holders.
Elsewhere, the developer has nailed down the next three updates for Vampire Survivors as part of its "chaos roadmap," including the darkest setting the game has seen yet. New story-like Adventures are in the works for the main game (as well as a mysterious new mechanic for all Adventures), too. Behind-the-scenes testing on getting online co-op up and running is progressing well according to Poncle, which will make it even easier to play Vampire Survivors with your friends than the existing local co-op. Finally, Poncle is still running a series of secret experiments in Vampire Survivors, but the developer didn't have any more to share with this update (and probably won't for a while).
As an aside, the Vampire Survivors team advised players that updates are taking a little longer because the game is now available on so many platforms, but it seems the goal is a simultaneous global release for updates (like today's drop, which is available everywhere Vampire Survivors is).
What is Vampire Survivors?
Vampire Survivors is a quirky, addictive roguelike shoot-'em-up released in 2022 that tasks players with slaying hordes of enemies, slowly increasing in power and knowledge each run until you effectively become a god of death and destruction. To say Vampire Survivors blew up in 2022 is a severe understatement, as it became one of the hottest new video games of the year, and still boasts a massive following of players. It has consistently and regularly seen free content updates, DLC expansions, new features and improvements, and more platform releases.
Today, Vampire Survivors is available on Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, Switch, Android, and iOS, and is also available through Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. It's absolutely packed with content, including a ton of expansions to the base game, three DLC add-ons, story-like Adventures, and new features like local co-op with friends. You just have to look at the Steam reviews to see how loved (and popular) this game is.
The best part? The price. Vampire Survivors costs just $5, and adding all three premium DLC expansions still won't make the game cost more than $15. It's an incredibly affordable title that's guaranteed to hook you for hours. I'm not ashamed to admit I have over 60 hours in Vampire Survivors now, and I'll certainly be returning to the game in the future. It's good to see that 2024 is looking to be another bright year for one of the best Xbox games, even with the current success of other runaway hits like Palworld and Helldivers 2.
