Icarus Adds a Single Barrel Launcher for More Precise Grenade Fire
Week 241 also restores the Steel Screw recipe to 100 screws per Steel Ingot and previews next week's Workshop Flashlight.
Icarus Week 241 adds the game’s first weapon in a new Launcher archetype. The Tier 2 Single Barrel Launcher lets prospectors load grenades, smoke bombs, flares, and other throwable items before firing them with more range and control than a hand throw.
RocketWerkz detailed the update in its official Steam announcement. The studio also restored the Steel Screw recipe after players strongly rejected the recent reduction in output.
A new way to use grenades
The Single Barrel Launcher grew out of work on the Elysium missions and the existing Flare Gun. RocketWerkz said the original flare-focused device suggested a broader weapon category that could fire several projectile types across different tiers.
Week 241 introduces the Tier 2 model alongside two new projectiles: the Crude Grenade and the Smoke Bomb. Both can still be thrown by hand, but loading them into the launcher gives players greater distance and control. Existing grenades and flares can also be fired, with the launcher taking over the Flare Gun’s role.
The update lays the groundwork for higher-tier launchers and more specialized projectiles in the future. The launcher is also tied into weapon racks, quests, crafting stations, ammunition recipes, and the Elysium mission flow.
Steel Screw recipe returns to 100 output
RocketWerkz had reduced the Steel Screw output from 100 to 10 per Steel Ingot as part of the recent Anvil changes. After receiving overwhelmingly negative feedback, the studio decided that the adjustment did not fit the current state of Icarus and restored the previous 1:100 conversion.
The update also fixes pouch and bag weight calculations, a client-side issue where removing a food buff could clear only its interface icon, and an underground debuff that could remain after using the unstuck option inside a cave.
Next week’s Workshop Flashlight
RocketWerkz is scheduled to add the Workshop Flashlight next week. It will arrive with a pre-charged 7.5 kJ battery, giving prospectors a portable light source for nighttime work.
Patch Notes: Changelog 3.0.19.154458-rel-DangerousHorizons
Week 241’s changelog covers the launcher’s new ammunition system, the Flare Gun transition, projectile behavior, quest updates, crafting fixes, and the Steel Screw recipe reversal.
New Content
- T2 Launcher – Projectiles fired from launcher now explode on impact. Added ability to make projectiles ignore this e.g. smoke grenades
- Adjustments to distancing of flare ballistic fly audio to account for the flare gun no longer firing the flare – adding more sizzle to the start and more distancing length
- Fixing a quest hint tip referencing Flare Gun instead of Single Barrel Launcher
- Launcher is now visible on the weapon rack
- Fixed launch force multiplier for Flares so that Launcher can reach required height in Ely1 mission
- Fixing Launcher and Rudiementry ammo so itsa craftable on the machining bench, fabricatory and manufacturer as well
- Fixing Launcher being unable to fire new and existing ammos
- Ballistic – Added float to delay the rendering of projectile mesh so it doesnt spawn directly in the players eyes
- T2 Launcher – Fixed reload canceling when ADS right at the end of the animation, will now wait for reload to be finished
- Tweak to rudimentary grenade mesh and added a version for the rudimentary smoke grenade with different textures
- Updating Static Meshes and Icons for the Rudimentry Ammos
- Rudimentary Smoke/Grenade – Changed to new mesh and made grenade rotate in air same as frag
- Updating Quest Descriptions so they mentioned the launcher and not the flare gun
- T2 Launcher – Can now use all types of grenades
- Updating Descriptions for the Single Barrel Launcher and The Rudimentry ammo
- Better distancing of basic frag grenades. More realistic medium and far distant explosions iwth less mid and top end clarity
- Updating Quests to cater for the new T2 Launcher instead of the flare gun
- Swapped Flaregun BP unlock for T2 Launcher in its place. Organized recipes so Launcher comes first. Unlocked Smoke and Grenade recipes. FG blacklist Flaregun, unlocked Launcher and rudimentary ammo data. Updated Grenade meshable to show item in hand. Substantial shuffling of
- Tier2 unlock tree to make room
- T2 Launcher – Reverting frag payload change as the radius was already reduced by the stats
- T2 Launcher – Reduced rudimentary frag radius to be less than the regular frag grenade
- Added small amount of collision damage to Frag/Smoke ballistics
Rudimentary frag now explodes on impact - T2 Launcher – Added t2 recipe
- Adding basic frag audio event and adding to rudimentary frags for the launcher
- T2 Launcher – Rudimentary Nails now have smaller scale
- T2 Launcher – Added more clarity to the ballistic table by giving launcher config its own title
- Added Grenade Launcher ammunition set item icons
- T2 Launcher – Changed mesh of rudimentary smoke/grenade/nails projectile to be a launcher cartridge and the ‘bundle of stones’ to be a stone wrapped in rope. Made launcher completely accurate on y axis and halved the x axis inaccuracy. Made the bundle of stones bigger so you can see it properly when fired
- Added T2 Launcher item icon
- Launcher T2 – Changed mesh to the new one. Fixed the ADS positioning. Added proper itemables with temp names for all the rudimentary ammo/caltrops
- T2 Launcher – Changed Rock golem grenade/frag grenade payload explosion scale to be a variable so their children can change it. Changed the rudimentary explosion scale visual to be much smaller than the other 2. Made the sound played a variable so sound can easily come and adjust to match the new lighter explosion
- T2 Launcher – Added temp recipes for all rudimentary ammo and changed some names to include ‘do not touch’
- T2 Launcher – Added itemable row with new icon
Fixed
- Fixing quest that was erroneously overridden in previous Beachhead submission
- Beachhead – Retargeting quest, deleting defunct blueprint from old version
- Beachhead improvements, primarily around separation into subquests to reduce cognitive load
- Some small talent tree shifts: namely the torch tree and Cloth/Leather Armor sections are earlier
- Cont4ct Device moved to the very start of the T2 Tree
- T2 Launcher: Increase fire inaccuracy. Changed to Shotgun camshake. Increase reload time to 3s
- Steel Screws recipe output :: 10 >>> 100 (revision of previous change)
- Changed DLC links to use Steam markup URLs
- Added ITM Shader based version of Grass material for prop usage
- Strange Harvest mission info tip made less prescriptive in how to build up to the downed vessel
- Pouch Weight Bug – Fixed an issue where moving a pouch with items inside wouldnt correctly update. Fixed an issue where pressing the ‘sort’ button would completely wipe the weight of the contents in the bag. Fixed a bug where the weight context stats e.g.
- Modifiers – Fixed a bug where clicking to remove a buff on clients would only remove the UI and not the effect
- Underground Client Bug – Fixed a bug where clients would occasionally get a purely visual phantom ‘underground’ debuff when hitting the unstuck key (teleport) while in a cave
Future Content
- Readded stomped XL Aquarium mission ItemsStatic data
- RAD_A – Added new ‘mission’ version of XL Aquarium for use in mission (doesn’t require power/water). Updated Greenhouse prebuilt to use it
- Further launcher load tweaks and timing adjustment
- Adding new launcher turn load audio and adjusting timing
- Updated T2 Launcher icon. Updated mesh LODs and collision. Added new SKItem BP. Fixed FlareGun SKItem BP pointing to BoltAction rifle preview context
- Weapon Rack T4 – Added optional electricity that turns on a display light (temp point light)
- Added art assets for the T2 frag grenade
- Adding launcher turn reload audio event and notify
- Adding launcher reload audio
- T2 Launcher – Rudimentary frag and smoke are now throwable
- Disabled Rudimentary Stone and Caltrops grenade recipes. Updated Smoke and Grenade recipes and display names. Updated collision on caltrops mesh
- Reduced radius on rudimentary grenade from 833 to 750. Reduced caltrops bleed chance to 50%
- Changed valid ammo types name/description to Rudimentary Projectiles
- Updated launcher and rudimentary projectile recipes
- Removed additional spherical collision from Stone projectile, added LOD. Changed to 10DOP collision on 40mm grenade mesh
- Rudimentary Nails – Removed explosion damage. Added new niagara effect with less impact than a regular explosion to show the nails flying out but not damaging player. Nerfed caltrops to deal significantly less damage but keep the slow. Nail Caltrops destroy on touch
- Modified smoke grenade payload base class to accept custom max smoke size and VFX. Modified rudimentary payload to be half the size of thrown version with same lifetime length. Fixed busted material in initial explosion VFX and removed disabled content
- Launcher T2 – Fixed rudimentary stone flying away due to bad collisions when dropping onto the ground
- Launcher/Flaregun – Fixed being able to fire early after reloading right as the bullet gets in the chamber
- Added three projectile assets for the T2 launcher
- Added t2 grenade launcher fire audio, event and data table setup
- Updated first person reload animations and textures for the T4 launcher
The launcher gives Icarus a fresh tool for handling grenades and utility projectiles, while the restored screw recipe answers one of the update’s biggest balance complaints. Tell us what you think in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Icarus
Developed by RocketWerkz
