We’ve made a bunch of fixes and some changes since the fire ant update, so many in fact that we want to run an optional beta before full release to make sure we haven’t damaged some vital system somewhere. This opt-in beta will run for a short while.

Please note that optional betas are only accessible on the Steam Windows 64 bit build.

If you would like to join the beta, the code is fireantfixtest. If you don’t know how to join a beta and would like to, follow the instructions below:

1. Find Empires of the Undergrowth in your Steam library, right-click on it and choose "Properties"
   
2. Choose the "Betas" tab
   
3. In the box titled "Enter beta access code to unlock private betas", enter fireantfixtest
   
4. After the "Access code correct" information appears, make sure you've chosen "Open beta" from the "Select the beta you would like to opt into" drop-down menu
   
5. Press close - the game will now update to the beta branch.
   

Any and all feedback on this optional beta is very much appreciated - please post it to the community discussions!

Patch Notes

4.1 Cold Blood

• Bullfrog will now always eat creatures intended to feed it instead of being beaten up by them if they get too close
  
• Titan health bar will no longer appear during feeding events if the bullfrog is dead or has hopped away
  

4.2 A Bridge Too Far

• Player’s ants still in the Monomorium colony after it floods will now die
  
• Monomorium nest entrance now looks correct after end-of-level flood cinematic
  
• Reduced ‘Top of the Hill’ level end requirements on all difficulties
  
• Underground aesthetic updated
  

Formicarium Challenge 4

• A few decals added to cupboard interior after FC4 for extra detail
  
• Fixed an issue where continuing play too quickly after FC4 could cause the end to not properly happen
  

Freeplay

• Little black ants & big-headed ants will no longer be called Atta cephalotes in defeat screen
  
• Fixed a convoluted issue in freeplay causing random leafcutters to spawn in the place of dead queens
  
• Fixed an issue in freeplay where if dead enemy colonies were in the game, creatures would be less likely to attack the player
  
• Fixed an issue where the freeplay setup info would always appear as if 4 players were in the game (1v1v1v1)
  
• Fixed an underground tile that was crashing games in Basin
  
• Fixed an issue that could cause fire ant queens in freeplay to be off the ground
  

General

• Fixed carried aphids sometimes being removed if the ant is distracted whilst picking it up
  
• Fixed refund being prevented for 2nd refuse tile / leaf drop-off chamber
  
• Moving queens in 2.2 can no longer be killed by environmental creatures
  
• Replaced queen worker chamber crown icon with a flag
  
• Extremis will not crash the game any more
  
• Fixed army ants despawning in Beetles Rise Up! which sometimes made the level unwinnable
  
• Fixed autoclicker food duplication issue
  
• Various UI elements made more stretchy to account for languages with longer sentences
  
• Distance increased between Battle Arena lanes to prevent abilities with knockback hurling critters into the other lane
  
• Team stripes added to abdomens of fire ants, little black ants & big-headed ants
  
• Fire ant & little black ant queen mesh repositioned so they should float less
  
• Reduced size of all little black ant eggs to make them properly little
  
• Fixed population totals not being updated when a tile is cancelled before being built
  
• Removed access to a decorative plant that looked appetising to leafcutters in 3.2
  
• 'Play More' button removed from 2.2
  
• Buried creatures (! & ? icons underground) will now only ever be visible by their rendered outline; no more accidentally seeing the model poking out somewhere
  
• Couple more first-time playthrough hints added to the first formicarium
  
• Fixed an issue where Formicarium Challenge 2 would never end if all creatures were dead at some point after spider spawn
  
• Numerous texture optimisations; they should pop in faster
  
• Various animation optimisations added
  
• Font update in minor improvements panel
  
• Some formicarium decorations moved closer to the formicarium so they can be seen in play
  
• Can no longer click through augmentations menu to select a tile
  
• Reduced size of fire ant worker eggs so they are not poking out the top of the queen
  
• Cancelling a tile before it is built will now correctly update population totals
  
• Objectives will now update faster when something has changed
  
• Star level is now taken into account for minimap & physical size of buried creatures
  
• When an indestructible tile is made destructible (by, for example, a toad burrowing through it in 4.1) the tile break effect will play
  
• Corrected some spelling issues in the Freesound credits
  
• Chinese localisations updated
  
• Credits updated
  

EDIT 2nd September: A couple of things that don't warrant a new version number but have been added:

• Mac package added to the beta
  
• Windows 32 bit package added to the beta
  
• Choice of DX11 or 12 removed - until we implement an engine upgrade, DX11 is the best option
  
• Steam Deck issue resolved