From Press Release:
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 the changelog in our Steam news post, and join our Public Beta to experience the update for yourself.
Please support us!
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 and help us shape the update together.
