When The Alters originally launched, it didn't take long before the game became a pretty big hit, especially in a critical sense, as many reviewers shared glowing thoughts about the title, including us.
With this being the case, it wasn't a huge surprise to see developer 11 bit studios looking to build on this success by offering a defined DLC chapter, with this revealed during the Not E3 period of early June.
It's known as The Alters: Last Variable and it's regarded as a substantial DLC lasting around 20 hours and looking to deepen the survival mechanics and sci-fi narrative by introducing new mechanics, areas, tools, resources and more.
As for the premise of the DLC, it's set years after the base game, with the narrative synopsis adding: "Years have passed since Jan Scientist refused to leave the planet. The world has transformed around him. And he realizes what he's always feared: this work cannot be done alone. So he begins creating again - versions of himself shaped by different expertise. A Geologist. A Biologist. A Chemist. A Physicist. Together, they cover every possibility that needs to be studied.
"Across years-long planetary cycles, Jan must Terraform barren sectors into habitable zones, extract and refine exotic substances, and unlock research tiers to push the boundaries of scientific understanding. Yet discovery comes at a cost - the planet responds with escalating threats: earthquakes, radiation surges, and the passage of time itself. Field Labs offer the given Alters refuge to conduct research during surface expeditions, but ageing without cryosleep's protection remains inevitable.
"As his team struggles under the weight of differing philosophies—each convinced their own vision of science is correct - Jan faces an impossible choice: will they fracture under the pressure, or conduct research that could define a legacy?"
We're told that Last Variable will expand the planet's defence mechanism by seeing earthquakes, severe radiation waves, and other threats becoming more commonplace. Similarly, players will need to understand and master new soil types, new components, new research modules, and all while the planetary surface changes considerably after each cooldown period.
Long story short, if you enjoyed the base game, you won't want to miss Last Variable when it debuts soon on July 13 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Check out the new gameplay trailer below.
