In Grounded, you are shrunk to the size of an ant and must survive in the beautiful yet perilous micro-world of a suburban backyard. This harsh and dangerous landscape can be navigated solo or with up to three additional players in co-operative multiplayer, as you work together to progress through thrilling story-based missions or explore the farthest reaches of the intricately detailed game world.

You hear the voice of a mysterious robot named BURG.L. He seems to know what’s going on and lets you know that the machine to turn you back to normal size is currently out of order. For now, everything in the backyard is trying to kill you and it’s up to you – and up to three friends, if you’re playing co-operative multiplayer – to survive the perilous landscape.

The backyard is rife with different kinds of ants, flying insects, and spiders. You must gather, craft, and build bases from scavenged items found in the backyard, searching for life-saving resources such as the dew off grass to quench your thirst or transforming an acorn shell into body armor to defend against a host of unpredictable creatures. Can you thrive against the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?

Obsidian Entertainment announced details for the upcoming free ‘Fully Yoked’ 1.4 update for Grounded which will be available for all players across all platforms on April 16, 2024.

With ‘Fully Yoked,’ the 20 million plus community of Grounded players can experience a beefy amount of new content including the new Ant Queen. You can choose to befriend or betray her, which determines the unique rewards you receive and shapes how the entire colony reacts to you.

In addition, the New Game+ mode brings new and unique challenges to a ‘remixed backyard’. You can level up your weapons to new strengths by purchasing the Yoking Station from the Advanced System Library (ASL) in remixed yards. This new update also adds four new achievements, one new mutation, twelve Ant Queen-related buildings, plus so much more including a full Japanese VO option.

The Reign of the Ant Queens

First up, let’s talk ants. Each of the three ant colonies in Grounded now has a royal leader you can meet, the Ant Queen, who can be found deep within their respective hills. You will face a crucial decision with each queen: to befriend or betray her with a delectable offering. The path you choose determines not only the unique rewards you’ll receive but will also shape how the entire colony reacts to you. But tread carefully – some decisions have ripple effects that might not be immediately obvious…

The Backyard, Remixed

Ready for a backyard makeover, Grounded style? The New Game+ mode brings a thrilling twist to every corner of your backyard, heightening your gaming experience with unique challenges. Each playthrough morphs the backyard in astonishing ways, introducing a multitude of new system enhancements. Accessing this mode isn’t a walk in the yard – you’ll need to conquer the Broodmother, Mantis, Wasp Queen, and emerge victorious in the Javamatic fight. After defeating those bosses, players can choose to leap into an alternate dimension courtesy of Wendell’s new creation, the REMIX.R. Expect different creature spawns, tougher bosses, and a host of eerie anomalies and hidden secrets in these otherworldly dimensions.

In a remixed yard, be prepared to face creatures infused with the essence of Raw Science. These beasts aren’t just tougher – they’re quicker, stronger, and have unique abilities that elevate the challenge. But fear not! Defeating these infused creatures rewards you with special trinkets, also infused with Raw Science. These trinkets come with random, unique properties, offering a myriad of ways to enhance your character. Keep an eye out for Ominent Badges and new BURG.L Chip Trinkets as they too will have randomized properties to give you more options on how to build your character.

To get more powerful, you will need to purchase the Yoking Station from the ASL (Advanced System Library) in remixed yards. Here, you can level up your weapons to previously unimaginable strengths. Be prepared to scour these new realms for unique materials required for these upgrades.

Don’t forget to keep collecting molars, now hidden in randomized spots in remixed yards. Staying as mighty as the backyard’s inhabitants demands constant strength upgrades, and these molars are key.

More New Features to Explore

• Hosts can now load a save while in the middle of a multiplayer session and all connected players will seamlessly transition into the new game world.
• Full Japanese Voice Overs: Immerse yourself completely with full Japanese voice-overs, covering everything from the teen characters to BURG.L, cutscenes, and audio logs. Simply enable this feature from the Game Options menu.
• The 1.4 update adds four new achievements, one new mutation, twelve Ant Queen-related buildings, new baby ant pets, and so much more we can’t list here!
• Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Meanwhile, beginning today, digital preorders are available on PlayStation consoles and Nintendo Switch for these platforms’ release on April 16. Physical preorders have also begun via Limited Run Games for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

Available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (Steam), Grounded is coming to PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16, 2024 for $39.99..