Scrap Mechanic 1.0 & Drilling Thunder — Mining, New Chapter & All Changes
Everything in Scrap Mechanic 1.0 and Drilling Thunder: the Chapter 2 underground campaign, drill attachments, plasma drill, cable rolls, the planet's core and save compatibility.
Scrap Mechanic 1.0 & Drilling Thunder — Mining, New Chapter & All Changes
After ten years in Early Access, Scrap Mechanic launched 1.0 on July 24, 2026 — and it shipped with a second story chapter, Drilling Thunder. The headline: survival mode finally has an ending, and it's underground. This guide covers everything the update added: the mining chapter, drill attachments, the planet's core, new enemies, and the save/mod compatibility you need to know before updating.
What 1.0 & Drilling Thunder Add
- Full story campaign — quests, NPCs and a complete survival storyline
- Drilling Thunder (Chapter 2) — an underground chapter with abandoned mines, underground caves and a route to the planet's core
- Drill attachments for vehicles — the mining loop goes from pickaxe to rig
- New enemies and a boss fight — including the Seekerbot
- New biomes, parts and cosmetics on the surface
- Graphics upgrade — better lighting, optimization and fire physics
- Reworked surface world — which is why old saves don't transfer
It's officially both "1.0 and Drilling Thunder" and "the Drilling Thunder expansion" — in practice, 1.0 is the full release and Drilling Thunder is the new chapter inside it.
The Mining Loop
Drilling Thunder reframes mid-game progression around underground resources:
- Drills on vehicles — mount drill attachments to a truck or tank chassis (see vehicle building)
- Cable Rolls power distant machines — mining rigs and surface bases stay connected
- Plasma Drill — the high-tier drill, dramatically faster on hard rock
- Oil ponds & vacuum pumps — fuel economy gets serious underground
A purpose-built mining vehicle (drill front, storage rear, cable roll aboard) transforms resource gathering — it's the single highest-ROI build in 1.0.
Drill placement and cable routing are fiddly. Prototype the rig in Creative Mode, blueprint it, then rebuild in survival — the vehicle building guide has the chassis rules.
The Planet's Core & Story Secrets
The chapter's endgame takes you to the planet's core, where treasure and leftover story secrets sit. Expect: tougher underground enemies, resource-rich cave pockets, and the campaign's climactic content. The full map and location breakdown is in the map & locations guide.
Save & Mod Compatibility (Read Before Updating)
- Creative worlds — survive the transition
- Survival saves — only work after rolling back to the previous version via Steam's beta branch; Axolot recommends starting fresh (see save file guide)
- Mods — parts and custom games mods don't carry over cleanly; mods updated for 1.0 may stop working on older builds. Expect a transition period (see Mods & Workshop)
Price & Specs After 1.0
- Price: $28.99 (raised from $19.99 at 1.0) — the update itself is free for owners
- Specs: minimum Windows 10 64-bit / i5-1235U / 8 GB / Iris Xe; recommended Windows 11 / i5-12500 / 16 GB / RTX 3060 (full table in system requirements)
FAQ
Is Scrap Mechanic 1.0 free? Yes — free for existing EA owners. New buyers pay $28.99.
What is Drilling Thunder? The second story chapter shipped with 1.0 — the underground mining campaign to the planet's core.
Do I need to restart for 1.0? For survival, yes — old survival saves need a rollback to the previous version. Creative worlds carry over.
Are my mods broken after 1.0? Parts/custom games mods need updates from their creators; expect a transition period.
What's the new boss? 1.0 adds a boss fight in the new chapter — details are story-linked.
Related Guides
- Scrap Mechanic Guide — Complete Overview
- Map & Locations — Warehouses, Workshops & Quests
- Vehicle Building — Mining Rigs & More
- Save File & Location Guide
- Mods & Workshop
Official resources: Steam store page · Steam News — 1.0 & Drilling Thunder · Wikipedia · IGN game page
Last Updated: August 12, 2026