The long-awaited Hardcore Mode has finally arrived in A Dusty Trip, bringing the toughest survival experience yet. This update also introduces a brand-new Car Quest, a free vehicle reward, new survival items, and numerous quality-of-life improvements.
Here’s everything included in the update.
Hardcore Mode Explained
Hardcore Mode is designed for experienced players who want a much more difficult survival challenge. Nearly every part of the game has been adjusted to make surviving your journey significantly harder.
Hardcore Mode Changes
- Only the default starting vehicles can be used.
- Lobby backpacks still function, but you cannot bring stored items from the lobby into a Hardcore run.
- Passive health regeneration has been removed.
- Mutants are considerably stronger.
- Mutants now spawn during the night.
- Loot is much rarer.
- Vehicles consume more fuel and other liquids.
- Food now spoils over time.
- Roads are more damaged, making driving more dangerous.
- Realistic lighting makes nighttime travel much darker.
- Vehicles now take collision damage.
- Mutants can also damage your vehicle.
- Additional hidden Hardcore mechanics have been added for players to discover.
Hardcore Rewards
Completing Hardcore Mode offers extra incentives.
Fort Ironpass Reward
Clearing Fort Ironpass now rewards:
- 2x the normal amount of Shards
There is also a brand-new Hardcore Badge for players who complete the challenge.
New Car Quest
A mysterious NPC has appeared with a series of tasks.
Complete every objective they assign and you’ll unlock a brand-new vehicle.
Rewards
- New questline
- Four new badges
- Exclusive Monsoon vehicle
New Vehicle: Monsoon
The update introduces the Monsoon, a compact pickup truck.
According to the developers, it features:
- Durable construction
- Compact size
- Strong performance
- Good balance between utility and speed
The Monsoon is earned by completing the new Car Quest rather than purchased directly.
New Items
Three new utility items have been added.
Rain Catcher
The Rain Catcher automatically collects water whenever it rains.
Useful for:
- Long survival runs
- Water storage
- Reducing dependence on rivers and wells
Spanner
The Spanner serves two purposes.
It functions as:
- A melee weapon
- A repair tool capable of fixing vehicle damage
This makes it one of the most valuable tools for Hardcore Mode, where vehicle damage is much more common.
Digital Clock
The Digital Clock displays the current in-game time.
Knowing the time helps players prepare for:
- Nightfall
- Mutant spawns
- Travel planning
Vehicle Improvements
Several changes improve vehicle handling and maintenance.
These include:
- Vehicle health tooltips now display part durability.
- Removing vehicle parts is easier.
- Less physics flinging when attaching or removing components.
- Big Wheels wobble much less.
- Wheels can no longer have items welded onto them to prevent vehicle-breaking bugs.
- Fixed Gamepass vehicles that couldn’t be equipped.
- Fixed multiple vehicle-related bugs.
Item Improvements
Item handling has also been improved.
Changes include:
- Picked-up items now keep their original orientation.
- Hose Drainer now transfers liquid directly into nearby open containers.
Quality-of-Life Changes
The update also includes several general improvements.
Death Screen
- Improved end-of-game death screen.
- Added a Play Again button for faster restarts.
Lobby
- Small visual improvements.
- Additional performance optimizations.
Performance
The developers have implemented numerous backend fixes to improve overall stability and reduce bugs.