⬆️ Upgraded all runtime servers to Node.js v24

⬆️ Updated client binaries and NW to the latest version

⬆️ Updated to Pixi v7 and backported room renderer fixes and optimizations made during the development of Arena

⬆️ Updated private server binaries and Electron

🐛 Fixed binaries for ARM-based macOS

We’re excited to announce that on April 1st (and no, this is not a joke!), we plan to upgrade to Node.js v24 across all game runtime servers! The current version v10 is long overdue for an update. As promised in our roadmap, we are relaunching active development for Screeps: World in 2026, and it’s finally time to make this move. This upgrade will give your scripts a noticeable performance boost and unlock a wealth of new language features.

While we don’t anticipate any major breaking changes, we still strongly recommend testing your code for compatibility at one of the following places:

1. Seasonal World 8.

2. Public Test Realm (PTR)[docs.screeps.com].

3. Local private server build via the Steam beta branch ([c]public-test-realm[/c]) or the npm version ([c]screeps@ptr[/c]).

• Redesigned the item dialogs in the Inventory screen and added a link to the Item Shop for both Steam and web versions.

• Replaced "Forum" with "News" in the main menu, featuring a new notification indicator for unread updates on Steam News.

From now on, we will start restarting the Seasonal World every 3 months, as we promised earlier in our roadmap. The Seasonal World is a parallel realm where all players start on equal footing from a clean slate. All players have GCL/GPL equal to 1, and everyone has a fixed 100 CPU from the very beginning of the season, which does not scale based on GCL. Each season will have its own slight differences in rules and rewards at the end of the season. Here is the planned list of the next seasons:

In order to spawn in the Season World and start playing there, you have to get access to this particular season. You can obtain Access Keys at these locations:

• in-game credits market (from now on keys are often available there because we sponsor them as NPC orders);

• official store (50% discount until February 16);

• Steam Community Market.

Access to Season 8 costs according to the following schedule:

• 5 Access Keys - February 14

• 4 Access Keys - March 1 (season start)

• 3 Access Keys - March 15

• 2 Access Keys - April 1

• 1 Access Key - April 15

All game mechanics are identical to the regular game, however, the world is generated in an unusual way. It is built in the form of a pyramid with a wide base at the bottom and narrowing towards the top. Players can spawn only in the bottom-level sectors. Season score points are earned by owning controllers in rooms, depending on the sector level:

• Level 5 (N99-N81): 25 points per tick of each room controller ownership

• Level 4 (N79-N61): 16 points per tick

• Level 3 (N59-N41): 9 points per tick

• Level 2 (N39-N21): 4 points per tick

• Level 1 (N19-N1): 1 point per tick

The player who accumulates the most score points during the season wins.

Other game changes: the market is not available, and terminals can send resources only to your own terminals.

Note: for this Seasonal World we're going to update runtime Node.js to the latest version possible. This will be a good opportunity to have a smaller scale test before we deploy the new Node version to the Persistent World.

We have made a small change to the built-in game console, now it supports two separate methods:

• [c]console.log[/c] filters all HTML entites on the server side;

• [c]console.logUnsafe[/c] leaves all responsibility to you, please make sure you filter the content appropriately.

Read more in this GitHub issue: https://github.com/screeps/screeps/issues/162#issuecomment-3796847328

Hi everyone!

You haven’t heard from us here in World for a little while because, after recovering from nationwide sanctions and relocating out from Russia (read more here), we’ve been busy working on our other project — Screeps: Arena. We’re very proud of what we’ve created, and of the fact that the Screeps franchise now has two games that complement each other. They’re built to scratch the same itch, but each with its own flavor. If you’re a World player, why should you give Arena a try? Here are a few features:

• Matches run at a super-fast pace and finish within seconds.

• You can quickly test different strategies by using specific opponents as test cases.

• Each match is executed with a single guaranteed code instance — there’s no Memory, since you can store direct references to objects across ticks.

• A new season every 3 months introduces different arenas and challenges to keep the meta changing and leave room for newcomers.

https://testx-steam.c5game.com/steamstore/app/1137320/Screeps_Arena/

In this update we’re excited to announce two things. First, we’ve launched the World + Arena Bundle on Steam, which allows owners of one game to get the other at a 10% discount (this discount stacks with sales). And second, you can now purchase an Arena key for 12 Access Keys directly from within World! We hope this makes it even easier for more players to get more thrills out of programming your creeps.

Where to get Access Keys?

1. Purchase in the official Item Store.

2. Earn them as season rewards.

3. Buy them on the in-game market. And here’s something new: every month we will sponsor a number of Access Keys (and CPU Unlocks too by the way) and list them as NPC orders on the market. This will let you make use of your credits while also helping to control credit inflation.

So what’s next? Arena still has two major updates (Trophies and Decorations) left in its pipeline. Once those are done, we’ll be fully shifting our focus back to World. Here’s our roadmap for 2026.

• Regular seasons. We’re bringing back regular Seasonal World restart every three months. Two months of active seasonal gameplay, then a 2-week break, and another 2 weeks for the pre-spawn phase before the next season begins. We want to keep expanding on the seasonal concept as a fun way to experience the MMO world for players who enjoy fresh content and a fair start.

• Power Creeps. We still have two Power Creep classes[screeps.com] that were designed but never released: Commander and Executor. We plan to develop and launch these classes in one of the upcoming major updates.

• New mechanics. We’re revisiting some previously discussed but unreleased ideas for new game objects and mechanics, such as Warp Containers[screeps.com].

• New shard. We’re planning to launch a new shard where controller ownership will be available by unlocking the shard with a one-time spend of several Access Keys. Since this shard is supposed to be "premium," we’ll be doing everything we can to make ticks as fast as possible, potentially even around the 1-second mark!

• Runtime update. We’ll update Node.js to the newest version and work on bringing ideas from Arena’s runtime into World. This includes ES module support, folder support, built-in JS definitions, better native script uploads through the Steam client, and an official VSCode/vscode.dev extension with editor, console, and memory features.

• And of course many long-overdue fixes and improvements along the way.

It’s still difficult to give any concrete dates or the exact order in which these updates will be released. But we’re confident that 2026 is going to be a packed and exciting year. Stay tuned!

• 5 Access Keys - August 13
  
• 4 Access Keys - September 1 (season start)
  
• 3 Access Keys - September 15
  
• 2 Access Keys - October 1
  
• 1 Access Key - October 15

This season's rules are almost identical to the Season 1, but with an exciting twist: the world is unequal! Upper areas are teeming with resources, while the lower areas present a more challenging landscape.

New resource items will randomly appear in all rooms, ready for the taking. Gather these precious items and transport them to special structures located in crossroad rooms to boost your season score. But beware! These structures are initially barricaded by massive walls, requiring you to dig your way through to reach them. The players who deliver the most score resource will claim the ultimate season rewards.

Other game changes: every player has constant 100 CPU, the market is not available, terminal structures can send resources only to your own terminals.

• 5 Access Keys - January 19
  
• 4 Access Keys - February 1 (season start)
  
• 3 Access Keys - February 15
  
• 2 Access Keys - March 1
  
• 1 Access Key - March 15

In this season, your starting position - whether closer to the resource-rich top or the more novice-friendly bottom - is an important factor in your overall strategy.

The season begins in a large area of 40 x 100 rooms. Prepare for a world that evolves daily, opening new rooms to the right and progressively closing those on the left. The first half of the season sees a steady pace of change, with one line of rooms opening and another closing each day. In the second half, the pace intensifies, with two lines closing for each new one that opens, heightening the sense of urgency and strategic depth.

Your mission is to claim and develop rooms as swiftly as you can. As the world moves, so must you. The energy you invest in upgrading each room becomes your beacon of triumph. When a room you've claimed closes, it's not a calamity but a celebration, as you're rewarded with score points equivalent to the controller progress it made from zero. Remember, energy spent on maintaining RCL 8 rooms doesn't count – it's all about expansion and progress!

As the season ends, the final territories will be closed and scored, marking the culmination of your strategic journey.

Other game changes: every player has constant 100 CPU, the market is not available, terminal structures can send resources only to your own terminals.

• 5 Access Keys - May 26
  
• 4 Access Keys - June 1 (season start)
  
• 3 Access Keys - June 15
  
• 2 Access Keys - July 1
  
• 1 Access Key - July 15

A new empty world is created. Every player has 100 CPU.
This season introduces Thorium, a unique and non-renewable mineral that is found in each room with a controller.
Both creeps and decayable structures, such as roads and containers, experience accelerated aging and decay when they come into contact with Thorium. This rate of decay increases logarithmically based on the total Thorium present on the same tile.
After mining Thorium, your mission is to transfer it to a special structure - the Reactor, located in the center of each game sector, and claim it. Each claimed Reactor consumes 1 unit of Thorium per tick, generating score points for the player who claimed the reactor. For every tick the Reactor operates continuously, the points awarded increase logarithmically.
Players with the most score points win the season rewards.

Other game changes: the market is not available, terminal structures can send resources only to your own terminals.