'Space Engineers' Receives Combat Overhaul In Latest Update

The latest update for “Space Engineers” has finally gone live, and it’s brought with it some interesting changes to how vehicle combat works in the game.

Dubbed “Warfare 2: Broadside,” the new patch has overhauled the otherwise bare-bones combat system that the game had. New systems and vehicles or station-mounted weaponry introduced freshened up gameplay and opened up creative options for avid builders.

One of the main additions to the game is the new Target Locking system, which allows players to track targets on-screen while flying a ship or manning a turret. This new feature includes a new targeting reticle with a built-in rangefinder as well as a predictive aiming system that can help players hit moving targets more consistently.

Structures and ships will now emit visible signatures that players can lock onto when using mounted weapons. Fake signatures can be used as a defensive countermeasure by deploying Decoy beacons.

“Broadside” also added new weapons in the form of autocannons, artillery guns, assault cannons and a massive railgun. Each of the new weapons behaves differently from each other, from fire rate, ammunition type, power consumption and grid sizes, with some weapon types only being available in either large grid or small grid versions.

The weapons are excellent for bombarding targets with broadside salvos. However, players can use all other tools at their disposal to turn the otherwise-stationary weapons into aimable turrets, which allow wider fields of fire. This opens up plenty of design options for all sizes of ships and all manners of base defenses that are limited only to the player’s creativity.

The “Broadside” update also added projectile drop, armor penetration mechanics, ammunition and fuel tank detonation mechanics and a host of fixes, minor graphical improvements and QoL changes for modders.

There’s also a premium “Broadside” DLC pack that adds an array of new looks for existing block pieces like Gatling guns, rocket launchers, reactors and more. All of the contents of the pack are cosmetic only; all of the major additions of the “Broadside” update are free for all players.