Scrap Mechanic leaves Steam Early Access after 10 years, hits version 1.0

Scrap Mechanic left Steam Early Access on July 24, 2026 and launched version 1.0 after exactly 10 years in development. Axolot Games also says the game is now a full release on Steam, with a patch notes post laying out what changed. The studio marked the milestone with a major update and a long-awaited end to the sandbox's early-access run.

The 1.0 update brings a full story line, a reworked world, a new area, new enemies, new building parts, new cosmetics, and improved visuals. It also arrives alongside Drilling Thunder, a second story chapter that completes the survival mode story. In other words, this is not just a status change on Steam — it is the point where the game's survival campaign finally reaches its end.

Drilling Thunder focuses on underground content. The update adds an abandoned mine, underground caves, drill attachments for vehicles, and a route down to the planet's core, where players can uncover treasure and leftover story secrets. Axolot Games also says the patch changes the surface, and the Steam notes list further tweaks beyond the headline additions.

For players who already own Scrap Mechanic, the 1.0 update is free. New buyers, however, are facing a higher price: the game now costs $28.99 in the US. Axolot Games also released a separate cosmetic DLC, Scrap Mechanic — Fan Pack, available on Steam alongside the full release.

There is one catch for anyone returning after a long break. Old creative worlds should survive the transition, but survival saves will only work after rolling back to the previous version, which makes starting over the safer option. Mods are in a similar spot: some may still work, but anything that adds parts or custom modes is likely to break until its creator updates it.

The Steam page describes Scrap Mechanic as a multiplayer survival sandbox adventure built around physics-based construction, with over 400 building parts and mod support for more than 1,000 player-made parts. Version 1.0 also raises the hardware bar, with Windows 11 and an RTX 3060-class GPU now listed in the recommended specs. After a decade in Early Access, the question is no longer what the game might become, but how many players are ready to rebuild their saves from scratch.

Previously, Leaves Early Access July 24 highlighted the introduction of a story campaign and new biomes.

Are you ready to start over in Scrap Mechanic, or will the 1.0 changes push you away from old saves and mods?