LOS ANGELES (June 25, 2026) – Stegophiles at developer Dark Machine Games and publisher DreadXP shadowdropped a brand new, massive free update today for its horror-tinged roguelite speed-climber White Knuckle, The Nest Update, alongside a stellar new trailer showcasing the significantly expanded gameplay that climbers can experience when they begin their journey today on Steam. White Knuckle has already racked up an impressive Early Access community since its debut, touting more than 10,000 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam with more than 400,000 wishlists ahead of its 1.0 launch ($14.99, https://store.steampowered.com/app/3195790/White_Knuckle/).
Join the climb and heel hook your way over to today’s tension-fueled new trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQ2OBLSdts
The Nest introduces White Knuckle’s Fifth Region, an entirely new explorable area within Habitation Blue’s containment sector that houses all remaining creatures who were once subject to experimentation. New enemies abound in The Nest Update, including the return of The Mass, a terrifying, flesh-absorbing entity discovered by the facility's researchers. The Mass can take a new form as The Hunter - an unsettling new enemy that can be slowed, but not stopped.
Players who beat The Nest in Campaign Mode will unlock an all-new Endless Mode, but the task is not going to be easy: Four new sub-regions will ensure your death at the slightest mistake. Each trek through The Nest will consist of two subregions per run, either Infested Labs or Hot Zone, followed by the Feeding Trough:
- Interlude 4: Symbiosis
- Free the Grub Mother from the Mass, trapped in an energy field by the sector’s scientists before the fall of Habitation Blue.
- Infested Labs
- Research sector of Habitation Blue, overrun with the flora and fauna once studied there.
- Hot Zone
- The once-secure containment sector, housing creatures that invaded Habitation Blue.
- Feeding Trough
- Feeding grounds for creature hordes & The Mass in shafts connecting to the Power Station.
Launched in Early Access in 2025, White Knuckle quickly ascended to success with a passionate, expansive fanbase and near-universal acclaim for its unique take on climbing mechanics, tension-fueled gameplay and satisfying combat within an innovative environment design that sees players vertically traversing a decaying concrete tower stretching miles below the surface. But you’re not alone, and knowing what to grab and when will mean the difference between life and death. So tighten your grip, and no matter what, do not fall.
Other important content additions from today’s free update for White Knuckle include new Denizens who await your arrival, including a powerful new ally or adversary, depending on your choices: The Grub Mother is a psionic guardian of familiar friends. Seek her aid, or beckon her wrath, based on your decisions. The Nest also introduces The Roach Merchant, manager of vending machines and his own Bazaar - barter with this peculiar acquaintance for items and new unique tools that will assist in your journey.
White Knuckle’s The Nest Update also provides powerful new enemies in the form of Barnacle Zombies, which are Barnacles that have fused with the corpses of guards and scientists from Habitation Blue. Deadly new Tick Roaches, Grub Ants, Spider Swarmers and more eerie new enemies are waiting to be discovered on your climb.
New mechanics like helpful door latches, which allow for manually closing doors to buy time during an escape, and Signal Orchids, that grow continuously providing much-needed rails to grip, offer fresh ways to gain an upper hand as part of today’s free update.
Several new items like The Handgun allow for enemy sniping from a safe distance, and new perks like Deep Pockets, one of several new perks debuting today, allows you to turn your pockets into pouches to stack items.
Rounding out The Nest Update are several dozen fixes, enhancements and balance changes as well as a variety of cosmetics - Roach Hands allow you to choose from a variety of colors and opacities while Stone Hands give you four custom palette types and more cosmetics to choose from.
Climb. Run. Survive. White Knuckle exists Early Access in 2027. See the full update list here and grab on to future updates by following Dark Machine Games and DreadXP.