Keen Software House has shared new details on Combat NPCs coming to Space Engineers as part of the Warfare 3 update. The studio sat down with Lead Designer Ryan Keel to explain how the system will work, following a wave of player questions since the original Warfare 3 reveal.
According to Keel, NPCs will be added across existing encounters, not just new ones. That means Cargo Ships, Factorum sites, and other locations players already know will get populated with characters who react differently depending on the situation. Hostile NPCs will guard their territory and push back against intruders, while friendly ones will carry on with their own routines in the background.
More than set dressing
Keel said the goal is for these NPCs to add context and backstory to the places they show up, turning static locations into spots that actually feel lived in and purposeful instead of empty structures sitting there waiting to be explored.
Factorum Encounters are singled out as an area the team is especially curious about. Adding defenders to these already dangerous zones is expected to raise the difficulty and give players another reason to approach them with caution rather than treating them as simple loot runs.
What this means for mod users
Combat NPCs are part of a free update, so anyone running Space Engineers with mods should expect the usual post-update shakeup. Encounter-related mods, NPC overhauls, and anything touching Cargo Ships or Factorum spawns are the most likely candidates to need patches once this lands, since the base game is adding its own logic to those same spots.
It is a good idea to back up your save and mod list before updating, and to check mod pages for compatibility notes once Warfare 3 goes live. Scripted encounter mods in particular could clash with new hostile or friendly spawns if they were not built with this update in mind.
The Warfare 3 Pack, which includes the Assault Turret Type II alongside this NPC work, is available to wishlist on Steam now. Keen has not given a release date for the free update itself beyond confirming it is in development.
Source: Steam · Image: Steam
