RimWorld Just Launched Into Space and No One Was Ready for This

RimWorld has officially yeeted itself into zero gravity with its brand-new expansion, Odyssey. Released on 11 July 2025 and developed once again by Ludeon Studios, this isn’t just a regular update — it’s a full orbital revolution for the iconic colony simulator PC title. A fan-favourite for chaotic storytelling, unpredictable disasters, and modding dreams, RimWorld now lets you build a fully-fledged space station. Yes, that’s right — we’re leaving the dust-covered ground behind and shooting for the stars, literally.

What’s Odyssey All About?

The Odyssey expansion boldly goes where the game has never gone before. Colonists (or pawns, as players know them) can now construct, live on, and conduct research aboard a customisable orbital station. Players will manage life in orbit, microgravity effects, and even launch exploratory missions to nearby space ruins. This latest DLC isn’t just a change of backdrop — it fundamentally alters game mechanics. Zero-G introduces new challenges like fluid drift, oxygen supply, and freezing temperatures. Colonists will float around in their modules, tethered to the station’s life-support systems. And yes, accidents in space? Far more terrifying.

Station Building Mechanics, Space Suits & Zero-G Drama

It’s not enough to slap down some walls and call it a day. Odyssey introduces an isometric blueprint system tailored for space station simulator gameplay. You’ll need to intricately connect life-support lines, decompression chambers, and docking bays to keep your pawns alive and productive in the void. New equipment includes orbital tech: kinetic fasteners, radiation shields, and modular solar arrays, not to mention the delightfully dangerous space suits—because yes, colonists can go EVA (or just float away into the infinite void, RIP Randy’s favourites).

Orbital Exploration? Yes Please

Exploration missions are a big part of this update. You can now send colonists to explore derelict starships, scavenge alien tech, and uncover the wreckage of past civilisations—anything from lore-packed ruins to haunted satellites. And while you’re scavenging, beware. Odyssey is sticking true to RimWorld roots with ambushes, mechanical infestations, and… well, mysterious space-time anomalies that may or may not rip your crew apart. The tension of classic RimWorld disasters meets the vast silence of space — expect drama.

Visual and UI Overhaul Fit for Outer Space

Ludeon didn’t simply expand the game vertically — they gave it a facelift, too. The Odyssey expansion introduces new UI elements for mission planning, station layout overlays, and EVA management. Space visuals feel bright but clinical, evoking that realistic indie sci-fi game energy we’re all here for. Think hard shadows, cold blues, and floating toolkits drifting ominously in the corner of your screen.

When, Where, and How Much?

RimWorld: Odyssey is out now on PC via Steam and Ludeon’s official website, priced at £15.99. No Epic Games Store or console launch has been announced — and honestly, this level of micromanagement chaos screams PC-only for the foreseeable future. There’s no fancy pre-order shtick this time around since the DLC was surprise-announced and immediately released on 11 July 2025 following a low-key teaser trailer. It’s the first major commercial DLC since 2022’s Biotech, and it’s already shot into the top charts of indie simulation games this month.

Do Old Saves Work? And What About Mods?

Here’s the kicker — yes, most save files carry over. But let’s be real: you’ll probably want to start fresh to fully enjoy the space era. As for mods, Ludeon devs say the update is “mostly compatible,” though major overhauls will likely need time to catch up with the new orbital tech and physics layers. The modding community is already buzzing — expect planet-hopping, alien races, and zero-G ritual sacrifices hitting the Workshop in no time. Peak RimWorld energy.

More Than Just a DLC – A Genre-Definer?

RimWorld Odyssey catapults the game into entirely new territory. It’s not just more content — it’s a full shift in perspective, turning a ground-based colony sim into a fully-fledged space management simulator. Fans have long dreamt of taking colonies beyond the rim, and Ludeon just delivered, hard. It’s part strategy game, part survival horror, part floating soap opera, and unapologetically addictive. If you’re in the mood for a DIY space station disaster story, this is it. Nothing else on the market manages this blend of simulation, emergent narrative, and orbital catastrophe like Odyssey does.

And like always, the best disasters in RimWorld are the ones you accidentally create yourself. Odyssey just makes them far more… weightless. Strap your pawns in — it’s going to get messy.