Scrap Mechanic Chapter 2 (Drilling Thunder): what it adds, how to start the underground campaign after 1.0, new mining tools, enemies, boss, and Chapter 1 vs 2.
Scrap Mechanic Chapter 2 — Drilling Thunder: How to Start, New Content & Challenges
Scrap Mechanic's Chapter 2 — "Drilling Thunder" is the underground campaign that shipped with the 1.0 release on July 24, 2026, ending ten years of Early Access. Chapter 1 is the surface-world survival story; Chapter 2 takes you below the planet — abandoned mines, caverns, drill rigs and a route to the planet's core. This guide covers how to actually get into it, everything it adds, and how the two chapters differ.
Here's what you'll learn:
- What "Chapter 2" officially is (and why it's called Drilling Thunder)
- The exact steps to start it after 1.0 — including the save situation
- Every new tool and resource: drills, cable rolls, the plasma drill, oil ponds
- New enemies and the chapter boss
- A side-by-side Chapter 1 vs Chapter 2 breakdown
- Whether it's free and how much the game costs now
Official resources: Steam store page · Official Scrap Mechanic Wiki — Drilling Thunder · Steam News — 1.0 & Drilling Thunder · Wikipedia
What Chapter 2 Actually Is
After a decade of survival sandbox with no real story, 1.0 shipped a full narrative campaign — and the second act of that story is Drilling Thunder. The official wiki describes it plainly as a major game update and the game's second chapter: the surface world (Chapter 1's territory) is where you build, farm and survive; Chapter 2 moves the campaign underground, into abandoned mines and terra-heavy caverns, chasing the mystery of what's buried beneath the planet — with the planet's core as the endgame destination.
Per the official Scrap Mechanic Wiki: "Chapter 2, otherwise known as 'Drilling Thunder' is a major game update." It's the story chapter that finally gives Survival mode an ending.
The trailer from Axolot Games frames the tone: "they're up to something really shady underground... YOU ARE the drilling thunder."
How to Start Chapter 2 (Read This First)
The one thing that trips up returning players: you start Chapter 2 through a new world, not your old save.
- Update to 1.0 — the update is free for existing owners
- Create a new Survival world — old Early Access survival saves do not carry over cleanly; Axolot recommends starting fresh (details in our save file guide). Creative worlds survive the transition
- Follow the main quest line — you start with the crash ship: put out the fire, reconnect the ship console, unlock the logbook, then set waypoints to the mechanic station. This opening chain is Chapter 1's tutorial wearing story clothes
- The underground campaign opens through the story — as the quests progress, mining and the descent become the focus: build a vehicle with a drill attachment, find the plasma drill for hard terrain, track down the master battery, and keep digging
Chapter 2's resource loop assumes you have a vehicle-mounted drill — hand tools can't chew through terra mass at a usable rate. Prototype the rig in Creative, blueprint it, then rebuild in Survival. Our vehicle building guide covers the chassis rules.
What's New: Tools, Resources and the Mining Loop
Drilling Thunder reframes mid-game progression around underground resources:
- Drill attachments for vehicles — the mining loop goes from pickaxe to rig
- Cable Rolls — power distant machines, so mining rigs and surface bases stay connected
- Plasma Drill — the high-tier drill, dramatically faster on hard rock and terra mass
- Oil ponds & vacuum pumps — fuel economy gets serious underground
- Terra mass and underground minerals — the new resource layer that only the plasma drill extracts efficiently
A purpose-built mining vehicle (drill front, storage rear, cable roll aboard) is the single highest-return build in 1.0 — the same conclusion our Drilling Thunder guide reaches.
The plasma drill runs on batteries — carry spares and build a charging setup at your mining outpost before going deep, or you'll be walking back to base mid-excavation.
New Challenges: Enemies, Boss, and the Raid Rebalance
Chapter 2 brings harder combat to match the new depth:
- New enemy types underground, including the Seekerbot — the full roster is in our bots & enemies guide
- A chapter boss fight — 1.0 adds a boss encounter in the new chapter; details are story-linked
- Fruit farming raises raid difficulty — per community tests, growing fruit (a new farming layer) increases the bot raid pressure, so expanding your farm underground means planning defense (see raid defense)
- The warehouse is no longer just a dungeon — dev blogs showed warehouse parts becoming removable and new quests/story elements added inside, with the interior getting more dangerous
Chapter 1 vs Chapter 2: Side by Side
| Chapter 1 (surface) | Chapter 2 — Drilling Thunder (underground) | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Surface world, forests, fields, crash site | Abandoned mines, caverns, terra-heavy depths, planet core |
| Story | Opening campaign: survive, rebuild, discover | The descent: find what's buried, reach the core |
| Tools | Hand tools, pickaxe, standard crafting | Drill attachments, plasma drill, cable rolls |
| Resources | Scrap, wood, stone, seeds | Terra mass, minerals, oil ponds |
| Pressure | Raids scale with crops | Underground enemies + boss, deeper resource runs |
| Ending | — | The campaign's climax (first real ending for Survival) |
Is It Free? Price After 1.0
Yes — Drilling Thunder is free for everyone who owns Scrap Mechanic. The 1.0 update itself raised the game's price to $28.99 (from the Early Access $19.99) for new buyers, but owners got the entire update — Chapter 2 included — at no cost. The full spec and pricing details are in our system requirements and the 1.0 & Drilling Thunder overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 2 in Scrap Mechanic?
Chapter 2 — "Drilling Thunder" — is the underground story campaign shipped with the 1.0 update (July 24, 2026): abandoned mines, caverns, drill-based mining, new enemies, a boss, and a route to the planet's core.
How do I start Chapter 2 in Scrap Mechanic?
Update to 1.0, create a new Survival world (old EA saves don't transfer), follow the main quest line from the crash ship, then build a drilling vehicle and descend as the story directs. The underground chapter opens through the campaign.
Is Chapter 2 free?
Yes — it's part of the free 1.0 update for existing owners. New buyers pay the new $28.99 price.
What's new in Scrap Mechanic Chapter 2?
Vehicle drill attachments, cable rolls, the plasma drill, oil ponds, underground resources, new enemies (Seekerbot), a chapter boss, fruit farming, and warehouse changes.
Do I need a new save for Chapter 2?
For Survival, yes — old Early Access survival saves need a version rollback to keep working; Axolot recommends starting fresh. Creative worlds carry over fine.
Related Guides
- Scrap Mechanic 1.0 & Drilling Thunder — Mining, New Chapter & All Changes
- Scrap Mechanic Map & Locations — Warehouses, Workshops & Quests
- Scrap Mechanic Save File & Location
- Vehicle Building — Mining Rigs & More
- Scrap Mechanic Bots & Enemies — Seekerbot & Raids
- Scrap Mechanic Survival for Beginners
Last Updated: August 13, 2026
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