• New Feature: 9 unique Pets added as a fresh item type.
  • New Character: The Beast Master, a specialist who swaps traditional weapons for a Pet-only arsenal.
  • Engine Upgrade: Migrated to Godot Engine 3.7 dev-1 for better stability and performance.
  • Strategic QoL: New run timeline in the pause menu and Elite attack schematics in the Codex.
  • Key Balancing: Major restrictions added to Bull; Soldier's Damage/Attack Speed bonuses are now static.

The Beast Master Cometh: Pets Overhaul the Meta

Brotato remains the ultimate "just one more run" time-sink, and the Paws & Claws update proves that the game is in safe hands with Evil Empire. While the original developer has moved on, this free upgrade breathes new life into the arena by introducing 9 distinct Pets. These aren't just window dressing; they are a mechanical shift that requires specific unlocks, rewarding veteran players who have already cleared the existing roster.

Our take? The Beast Master is the clear star here. By stripping away standard weapons and forcing a Pet-centric build, it challenges your fundamental understanding of positioning and scaling. To help manage the chaos, we're finally getting pet transparency sliders and a "Whistle" audio cue for Loot Aliens—small tweaks that make a massive difference when the screen gets crowded in later waves.

Mechanical Tweaks and "Bull" Market Crashes

If you're a Bull main, prepare for a tougher climb. The devs have clamped down on the "immortal" builds by adding the Lifesteal restriction group to the character, alongside bans on Tardigrade and Community Support. It’s a necessary hit to prevent the character from trivializing the end-game, but it will definitely force a pivot in how we min-max those runs.

The Soldier also saw a significant rework. By making Damage and Attack Speed static rather than movement-related, the "stutter-stepping" fatigue is gone. It streamlines the character's identity and makes the kit feel more consistent, even if it loses some of that high-intensity micro-management charm.

Technical Polish and Engine Upgrades

Under the hood, the move to Godot 3.7 dev-1 and the merging of console optimizations into the PC build show a commitment to long-term stability. We’ve seen a slew of critical bug fixes, including a "for real this time" fix for unpausing in the Codex and a solution for that annoying black screen softlock when recycling weapons with a controller.

For the data nerds, the new run timeline and the ability to see Elite attack schematics in the Codex are game-changers. Being able to study Elite patterns without having a Boss actively trying to end your run is a massive win for anyone trying to push into higher Danger tiers.

Full Patch Breakdown

Additions & Quality of Life

  • 9 new items, 9 challenges, and a new achievement to chase.
  • Pet and Turret highlight options to improve visual clarity during high-intensity waves.
  • Cursed Landmines now feature cursed particles, and item pop-ups have been added to the solo character selection menu.
  • A new feedback sound for the Whistle item when a Loot Alien spawns.
  • The retry screen now tracks how many attempts you've burned through.

Balance & Bug Fixes

  • Bosses: All bosses now drop a flat 10 materials, standardizing the reward.
  • Enemy Fixes: Fixed the Clam enemy firing overlapping projectiles, which previously made the Jellyshield unlock too easy.
  • Co-op: Massive cleanup of the co-op experience, fixing the upgrade screen, material counts, and shop inventory padlocks.
  • Controller Support: Fixed issues where heavy stick drift caused unintended movement when switching between controller and keyboard.
  • Gold Bag: Squashed the bug that was duplicating materials when added to the Gold Bag at the end of a wave.

Whether you're playing on the Steam Deck or utilizing the Native Linux support that dropped late last year, this update is a mandatory download. The sheer variety added by the Pet system ensures that our "guilty pleasure" will keep us occupied for dozens of more hours.