Checked on 21 October 2026 against Update 6.0 (build 0.10.0.653173), Steam app 1783560 by Channel37. [S3]

Short answer. The launch post says "we are proud to launch The Last Caretaker into early access today!" [S23]. Update 6.0 The Jump went live on 19 October 2026 as build 0.10.0.653173 [S1], which Channel37 calls "our eighth Early Access update while being called Update 6.0" [S2]. If a guide says the level cap is 30 [S6], that human growth takes a fixed time [S12], that the Reactive Core uses Plasma Gel [S4], or that UV Light costs 3 points [S1], it is out of date for Update 6.0. The full release is planned for Spring 2027 [S24].

Dates below are Channel37's release dates, the date in each post heading; for some hotfixes that is earlier than the Steam post time [S12]. Player post times are UTC. The Update 3.5 and Update 4 patch notes also list fixes made during beta [S10][S8]; this table gives beta build numbers only for Update 6.0.

Each update and hotfix Channel37 announced

DateBuildReleaseWhat it brought
6 November 2025-Early Access launch"we are proud to launch The Last Caretaker into early access today!" [S23]
10 November 20250.5.0.581804HotfixFirst fix list; bolt-action weapons now reload with the reload key [S22]
14 November 20250.5.0.581999HotfixContinue and Load Game in the main menu; Human Seed scan shows its timer [S21]
16 December 2025-Update 1: Last HumansWarehouse, new Hangar, Forklift DONK-LIFT 3200, Binoculars, Telescope, Night Vision Goggles, Health Injector [S19]
18 December 2025-Update 1 hotfix"Fixed save persistence issues that could corrupt stored zones." [S20]
12 January 20260.6.1.606604PatchRay tracing options in graphics settings [S17]
16 January 20260.6.1.606677Patch"Fixed boat speed issues." [S18]
11 February 20260.6.5.607749, 0.6.5.607807Update 2: Ocean - The Final FrontierCS-17 Courier Skimmer (jet ski), Rocky Islands biome, The Maze (Transposium) [S16][S15]
12-13 February 20260.6.5.607830, 0.6.5.607921Update 2 fixesListed in Channel37's patch thread [S15]
18 March 20260.7.0.608982Update 3: Curiosity WakesCouncil of Humanity and committees, Ram Sharks, Laser Sharks, ArchAngels, Sweetheart grenade [S14][S12]
21 Mar - 2 April 20260.7.0.609056, 609096, 609383, 609525Update 3 hotfixes609383 added a simplified shadow system when ray tracing is off [S12][S13]
15 April 20260.7.2.609842Update 3.5: Shadow Drop"Shadow Drop is an unscheduled update" [S11][S10]
13 May 20260.7.5.610707Update 4Salvage Gyro vehicle and related quests [S8][S9]
24 June 20260.8.0.612115Update 5.0: New HorizonsProject Eden, "Committees activate.", Project Jonah, Research Outpost Theta-9 [S6][S7]
26 and 29 June 20260.8.0.612211, 0.8.0.612251Update 5.0 hotfixes 1 and 2[S6]
31 August 20260.8.5.650920Update 5.5: Deck DropExpanded storage, gyrocopter infrastructure, Fishing Module storage increased [S4][S5]
2 September 20260.8.5.651027Update 5.5 hotfix 1Bulk Storage capacity raised (see below) [S4]
10 September 20260.8.5.651238Update 5.5 hotfix 2"Fixed boat modules being detachable." [S4]
9-16 October 20260.10.0.653002 to 0.10.0.653173Update 6.0 public beta, RC1 to RC9See the beta table below [S3]
19 October 20260.10.0.653173Update 6.0: The JumpTransfer Gate, North Bastion, cold and heating [S1][S2]

Two notes on the table. The Update 5.5 patch thread's title shows 0.8.5.651027, but its body header reads "Update 5.5 Deck Drop - 0.8.5.650920 August 31, 2026"; 651027 is hotfix 1 [S4]. Channel37's website news page dates Updates 3, 4 and 5 one day later than Steam (19 March, 14 May, 25 June) [S25]. A mod page's changelog names game version 0.6.0.606504 [S26].

Advice that later patches made wrong

Grouped by the update that changed it. Quoted lines are Channel37's patch wording unless a player is named.

Update 3

  • "Humans take a fixed time to grow." Update 3: "Human growth now uses a dynamic growth time instead of a fixed duration." [S12] Details on the growing humans page.
  • Scrap and prop weights were changed: "Adjusted weights for scrap materials and world props." [S12]

Update 3.5

  • Friendly by Design and the extra scan. According to Foxen on the Steam forum (23 March 2026), there were threads warning players "to not scan more than the needed 25 sweeties", because one more scan restarted the quest [S27]. The 23 March hotfix (0.7.0.609096) included a general fix, "Fixed scan quests progressing incorrectly when scanning non-required items" [S12]. It names no quest, so any link to Foxen's report is an inference. Update 3.5 fixed "Friendly by Design tracking" and says "The scan requirement for the Friendly by Design quest was reduced." [S10]
  • Repair power cost. "Repair electricity costs now scale better with the amount of damage." [S10]
  • Wind turbines. Update 3.5 fixed wind turbines operating indoors [S11] and reduced their durability loss [S10]. Update 6.0 added a second limit (below).

Update 4

  • Gyro and jet ski repairs got cheaper: "Reduced repair material requirements for the gyrocopter and jetski." [S8]
  • "Reduced mosquito attraction to petrol sources." [S8]
  • Saves: "Improved save game management, including backup restoration options, import, and export save games" [S8].

Update 5.0

  • "Level 30 is the max." That was right in May: albydefa wrote "level 30 is the max level you can't go over and have more skill points" [S28]. Update 5.0: "Increased the player level cap from 30 to 35." [S6] ProRogueBear's Update 6 video says at [10:14] that the "level cap is still level 35" [S29]. On 20 October Typhoid Mary wrote: "At level 35, you should have enough point to unlock all skills with 2 leftover." [S30] That is one player's count, posted in a thread where Belle had written about unusable upgrade points [S30].
  • Built storage containers can be relocated: "Added the ability to relocate built storage containers." [S6]

Update 5.5

  • Reactive Core recipe. "The Reactive Core now requires Quantum Crystal instead of Plasma Gel." [S4]
  • Grenade Ignition box. "The Grenade Ignition box now uses an Uncommon Part Box." [S4] The announcement shortens it to "Uncommon Part" [S5].
  • Ammo crafting time. "Ammo now takes 10 seconds to craft." [S4]
  • Forklift magnet. RC2 of Update 5.5: "Reduced the forklift magnet's maximum carrying weight to 500 kg." [S4] RC4 added "Forklift magnets can now lift skeletal objects." [S4]
  • Bulk storage capacity. Hotfix 1 (2 September) raised Bulk Storage capacity; the capacity figures are on the Storage and tanks page [S4].

Update 6.0

All from the Update 6.0 patch notes [S1]:

AreaPatch text
Carry weight"Items stowed on your back now count toward carry weight, the stow range is shorter, and Felis units can now be stowed." [S1]
Resource balancing"Resource balancing between modules now works by percentage instead of fixed amounts." [S1]
UV Light skill"The UV Light skill now costs 2 points instead of 3." [S1]
Wind turbines"Wind turbines no longer work in water." [S1]
Boat switches"Boat switches now only toggle the lights." [S1]
Health injectors"Health injectors are slightly less effective." [S1]
Copper scraps"Fixed copper scraps taking 10 seconds to recycle instead of 3." [S1]
Solar while you are away"solar panels produce half their output while catching up" [S1]

On the carry-weight line: Juggernaut's beta-day advice, "YOU are the ultimate storage - you have unlimited carrying capacity", was posted on 19 October at 00:00 UTC, before the release [S32]; the official note above is the rule now.

On percentage balancing: the change affects how batteries and backpacks fill when modules are linked, and the details are on the Storage and tanks page.

On catch-up: the notes say "Modules now catch up much faster after you have been away, without slowing down the game" [S1]. Darke (20 October) says the game still runs "an hour or two of catchup production" when you return to an area, then adds "I haven't noticed it much myself" [S34]. In the same thread, Little Red One (20 October) wrote "My system locks up and I have to reboot if I approach Laz" [S34], so catch-up load may still be an issue for some players.

On boat switches: before Update 6.0, FriendOwl (18 May 2026) put two hull stabilizers on the roof, "connected to a switch in the cabin on the ceiling" [S38]. Since Update 6.0 the notes say switches "only toggle the lights" [S1]. Boat drift after Update 6 is on the known issues page.

Update 6 beta builds

Channel37 ran Update 6.0 on a public beta branch first, announced on 9 October as rolled out "to the public beta branch in Steam" [S3]. The release notes list nine release candidates without dates [S1]; the beta thread gives them [S3]:

RCBuildDate in the beta post
RC1 to RC40.10.0.6530029 October (posted 14 October) [S3]
RC50.10.0.65307012 October [S3]
RC60.10.0.65309513 October [S3]
RC70.10.0.65312614 October [S3]
RC80.10.0.65315815 October [S3]
RC90.10.0.65317316 October [S3]

RC9 has the same build number as the 19 October release [S3][S1]. On release day Thiesen wrote: "At this point the branches should essentially be the same..." [S35]. Gate changes by RC are on the Transfer Gate page; heating changes by RC are on the cold and heating page.

Release status and the outdated FAQ

  • Full release: "Version 1.0 launches in Spring 2027, on PC and Xbox at the same time." [S24]
  • Xbox: "It is coming to Xbox in Spring 2027, with Xbox Game Pass on day one." [S24]
  • Multiplayer: "The Last Caretaker is currently single-player only." [S24]
  • Early Access length: the Steam store says "We plan to stay in Early Access for at least 12 months." [S36] The launch post says "we are proud to launch The Last Caretaker into early access today!" [S23]; the full release is planned for Spring 2027 [S24].
  • Roadmap: Channel37's roadmap page reads "Last updated September 9, 2026" and shows the plan as an image [S37]. The image lists three more updates, 7, 8 and 9, as "CLASSIFIED" after Update 6, with the launch marked "SPRING 2027" [S39].

The official FAQ is out of date on one line. As of 21 October it still says: "The next one, Update 6.0, is planned for PC in early October 2026." [S24] Update 6.0 reached the beta branch on 9 October and the live branch on 19 October [S3][S1]. The news page's 9 September post said much the same at the time: "Update 6.0 arrives on PC in early October" [S25].

Sources and version

Checked on 2026-10-21 against Update 6.0 (build 0.10.0.653173)