The Enginefall Closed Community Playtest is live, and the new build changes how the game feels in a big way: climbing, more grounded movement and new hit validation.
Red Rover Interactive went after performance, combat, base building, inventory and anti-cheat, all at once.
Less floating, more ground
Plenty of players, and the team itself, felt movement was too floaty. So a lot got dialled back:
- Full sprint speed now only works forwards or diagonally forwards.
- Weapons and armor no longer slow you down.
- No more crouch-sprinting, and reloading interrupts your sprint.
- Sprint stamina is much higher, top speeds are lower.
- Jumps are a bit lower and landing slows you briefly, so bunny-hopping no longer pays off.
- Fall damage is heavily reduced for now, but will get harsher again later.
New: climbing
For the first time, you can climb over walls and ledges. Hold the jump key while moving towards a climbable surface. You can even catch yourself while falling, but you cannot shoot while climbing. The maximum height is currently about one player-built wall and will be reduced. The animations are openly unfinished.
New hit validation
A new system checks on the server more accurately whether a shot actually landed. Shots are predicted on your machine so combat feels snappier. Blood means your client thinks you hit. Only an X on your crosshair means the server agrees. Bullets are also no longer blocked by foliage.
On top of that, every gun got a recoil pass, SMGs deal more damage, there are new weapon sounds and you can now hear footsteps through walls. Explosions also pass through other players, so your friends no longer work as human shields.
Base building and inventory
- Building: ladders and half-height stairs are new, and the build menu is now a radial wheel with costs shown.
- Base Core: upkeep is shown on the HUD and has been disabled on the Dagger.
- Inventory: drag items out of any container to drop them, split stacks inside loot containers and equip gear straight from containers.
Under the hood there is a lot of optimisation, especially for lower-end PCs. The test runs until September 28.
FAQ
Can you climb in Enginefall now?
Yes, in the current playtest build you hold jump in front of a climbable surface.
What does the X on the crosshair mean?
That the server confirmed your hit. Blood alone only means your client predicted one.
How long does the playtest run?
Until September 28, 2026.