Chapter 3: Reality Thread 6 What’s Cooking in E2V1?

Published: January 5, 2026

Wishing a Happy New Year to all Earth 2 Players!

Jan 6, 2026 – Sydney, Australia – We’re fittingly welcoming in the new year with the release of Chapter 3: Reality Thread 6 as it feels like a great way to kick things off and continue the momentum we’ve been building release by release, delivering a substantial mix of new systems, refinements and foundational upgrades across E2V1.

Reality Thread 6 introduces Chapter 3, which includes the first implementation of cooking, but it also delivers a wider set of improvements and additions that touch many parts of the game: stability and responsiveness upgrades to key gameplay systems, quality-of-life changes that improve how quickly Players can get into the world and new content and mechanics that expand what Players can do once they’re inside it.

You’ll see this reflected across the release in multiple ways, everything from core usability work like improvements to property data syncing and refinements to inventory and Action Bar systems, through to new gameplay layers like clothing craft and equip, expanded emotes to help Players express themselves and continued Badge Holder access rollout.

We’ve also mixed the Chapter order slightly so certain systems can be tested earlier while other Chapters continue to come online in parallel. That’s why Cooking is arriving now as Chapter 3 – it allows us to validate a key preparation and sustainment layer while other gameplay pillars continue to mature.

Finally, it’s worth noting the pace: Reality Thread 6 is being released just over two weeks after the major Chapter 2 release in Reality Thread 5. That cadence reflects our ongoing approach – iterating quickly as a result of time already spent developing core systems to date, testing with real Players on live services and reinforcing the foundations that future gameplay will rely on as E2V1 continues to expand through 2026.

As with all major E2V1 updates, there may be issues or unexpected behaviour during the rollout of new features. However, as we’ve consistently demonstrated with every Reality Thread release to date, our team will identify, address and improve those issues while continuing to refine the systems and gameplay experience as development moves forward.

Cooking Pot Set

The Cooking Pot Set marks the official introduction of cooking within Earth 2, opening up an entirely new survival and preparation layer for the exploring Character. Crafting a Cooking Pot Set unlocks the ability to prepare cooked meals, providing Characters with enhanced restoration across multiple vital systems including health, hunger, stamina and thirst.

This is not simply a cosmetic or flavour-based addition. Cooking represents a meaningful step forward in game mechanics, giving Players greater control over how they sustain their Characters while exploring the vast 1:1 scale world for now, and setting important foundations for future mini-games such as Hordes, open world conflicts or PvP skirmishes, where preparation and resource management will play a far more significant role.

Meals cooked will be designed to outperform raw or uncooked consumables, rewarding Players who invest time into preparation, ingredient gathering, and strategic planning.

Some Players may notice that certain restoration values appear high when compared to Characters that currently operate with 100 health points. This is intentional. Without going into specifics just yet, there are progression-related systems already in motion that will give these restoration values greater meaning as Players spend more time in the world. For now, they serve as a quiet glimpse into deeper mechanics that will reveal themselves naturally as E2V1 evolves.

Currently cooking recipes focus on wild foragable ingredients, encouraging Players to engage with the environment and learn what the land can offer them naturally, but this is only the beginning. Once the agriculture and gardening systems come online, the cooking system will dramatically expand in scope. Gardening will allow Players to intentionally grow specific produce types per garden, enabling targeted recipe creation and reliable access to preferred meals. This creates a natural progression from survival-based foraging to planned food production.

That said, wild foragable recipes should not be underestimated. These meals are designed to pack a punch, especially for Players who take the time to locate the right ingredients or find themselves far from established gardens while exploring remote regions. In many cases, these recipes will serve as essential tools for survival, endurance and preparation during long expeditions.

The Cooking Pot Set is designed to be fully portable, making it a valuable addition to any Character’s inventory. Players can take their cooking capabilities anywhere in the world. Simply place a Campfire, position the Cooking Pot Set and cooking can begin. This flexibility supports both solo explorers and organised travelling groups.

One of the more deliberate design choices behind the Cooking Pot Set is its shared usability. When a Cooking Pot Set is placed on an active Campfire, any nearby Character can interact with it and cook meals, regardless of ownership. This allows travelling groups to coordinate more efficiently, with only one Character needing to carry the Cooking Pot Set while others contribute ingredients or prepare their own meals.

Additionally, unlike the Campfire which is the only other placeable object to date, the Cooking Pot Set is not a single-use item. Once placed, it can be picked back up and returned to the owner’s inventory when no longer needed. To prevent abuse, the system ensures that only the owner of the Cooking Pot Set can retrieve it. Other Characters cannot simply take it, protecting Players from accidental or intentional theft during shared use.

However, Players should be aware of an important future-facing rule. If a Character places their Cooking Pot Set on another Player’s property, the property owner will have the right to take it. Likewise, if a Player places their Cooking Pot Set and leaves it there for too long, another Player may be able to then take it with their Character. Though these system are not activated yet, they are deliberate mechanics designed to reinforce land ownership and territorial control within E2V1. Placement choices matter and Players are encouraged to remain mindful of where they set up camp.

The Cooking Pot Set is implemented using our Global Building System, meaning it is treated as a persistent building object within the world. Unlike a Campfire, which will expire after a period of time or once a Character saves and respawns from it, the Cooking Pot Set remains permanently on the tile until retrieved by its owner. It can be placed with or without an existing Campfire. If the Campfire expires or goes out while the Cooking Pot Set remains, the Cooking Pot Set will stay exactly where it is.

Placing the Cooking Pot Set follows the same interaction flow as placing a Campfire. Players must move it from their inventory into the Action Bar. When selected, the terrain placement system activates, visually indicating valid placement zones using green and red highlights. As with other placeable objects, the terrain must be relatively flat in order for placement to succeed.

Because the Cooking Pot Set is retrievable, we highly recommend placing the Cooking Pot Set before placing the Campfire to ensure the Cooking Pot Set can be placed on the desired terrain to reduce the risk of wasting a Campfire, because some terrain will allow a Campfire but not a Cooking Pot Set.

To actively cook meals, the Cooking Pot Set must be positioned on a tile that has an active Campfire. Without a Campfire, cooking recipes will not succeed. The Character must also be present on the same tile as both the Cooking Pot Set and the Campfire. Once positioned, Players can approach the Cooking Pot Set and press C to initiate the cooking process.

The standard Crafting UI is reused for cooking, ensuring familiarity and consistency. When valid cooking ingredients are placed into the crafting interface, the system recognises them as cooking recipes and processes them accordingly.

Cooking is fully integrated with multiplayer and the Global Building System, meaning all interactions occur in real time. Other Characters will see Cooking Pot Sets being placed, removed and interacted with live, reinforcing the sense of a shared, persistent world.

Please be mindful that each time a Cooking Pot Set is placed or retrieved, the action is validated by our backend systems. As a result, there may be a brief delay before the Cooking Pot Set appears or disappears in the world.

The Cooking Pot Set was custom designed and modelled by the Earth 2 team, with additional attention paid to environmental feedback. One such detail is a subtle bubbling sound effect, which becomes audible only when a Character is close to a Cooking Pot Set that is actively positioned over a Campfire. These touches help reinforce immersion and situational awareness.

Over time, cooking will become an increasingly important part of gameplay, particularly as a preparation step for Players planning to take on Hordes. Loading up on the right meals before combat can make a meaningful difference, especially when gearing up for larger, more demanding Hordes found on higher tier properties, actively staked in regions with greater land demand. This is very much a lock, load and prepare system, where thoughtful preparation directly impacts survivability and performance of your Character.

The Cooking Pot Set is only the beginning. The cooking system will expand to include additional buildings and structures over time, supporting more advanced food production and specialisation. Looking further ahead, cooked meals and food items will also be sellable via kitchens and restaurants, opening up entirely new economic and social opportunities within E2V1.

Dev Log – Cooking Pot Set System

Bringing the Cooking Pot Set online required coordinated work across design, gameplay systems, world persistence, UI, audio and multiplayer. Features like this can often be perceived as lightweight or straightforward, so we wanted to share a small glimpse into just some of the areas our team needed to design, build, and validate for this feature alone.

Below is a list comprising of some of the tasks our team had to cover for the initial cooking feature:

Designed the core cooking gameplay loop, including ingredient input, recipe validation, output items and failure conditions
Defined new food item types and how they interact with Character vitals such as health, hunger, stamina and thirst
Balanced early-stage restoration values while accounting for future Character progression systems
Created the Cooking Pot Set as a portable, placeable object that integrates with the Global Building System which can also be retrieved
Implemented ownership rules so only the Cooking Pot Set owner can retrieve it, while still allowing shared usage
Built support for shared interaction, enabling multiple Characters to cook using the same Cooking Pot Set
Integrated Campfire dependency logic, ensuring cooking only succeeds when an active Campfire is present
Handled edge cases where Campfires expire while a Cooking Pot Set remains placed on the tile
Implemented terrain validation rules and visual placement feedback (green and red placement states)
Added Cooking Pot Set support to the Action Bar system for placement and interaction
Extended the existing Crafting UI to recognise and process cooking recipes
Ensured cooking interactions function correctly in both single-player and multiplayer scenarios
Synced Cooking Pot Set placement, removal and interaction events across multiplayer in real time
Implemented persistent world behaviour, allowing Cooking Pot Sets to remain on tiles across sessions
Designed and modelled the Cooking Pot Set asset to match E2V1’s visual language
Added contextual audio feedback, including proximity-based bubbling sounds
Tested interaction edge cases such as rapid placement, retrieval and shared usage
Verified compatibility with teleportation, saving, respawning and inventory systems

It’s also worth keeping in mind that this is only one component of a broader Reality Thread 6 release, arriving just over two weeks after Reality Thread 5.

This work establishes the foundation for expanding cooking into additional structures, agriculture-driven recipes and deeper preparation mechanics tied to future gameplay experiences.

Things Players Can Test in This Release

Players can actively test and validate the following behaviours and mechanics:

Crafting the Cooking Pot Set and confirming it appears correctly in inventory
Adding the Cooking Pot Set to the Action Bar and placing it on valid terrain
Terrain validation feedback (green/red placement indicators)
Placing the Cooking Pot Set with and without an existing Campfire
Confirming the Cooking Pot Set remains on the tile if a Campfire expires
Retrieving the Cooking Pot Set back into the owner’s inventory
Verifying that only the owner can retrieve a placed Cooking Pot Set
Testing shared usage by allowing other Characters to cook using the same Cooking Pot Set
Confirming other Characters can see the Cooking Pot Set appear and disappear in real time
Multiplayer interaction consistency when multiple Characters interact with the same Cooking Pot Set
Cooking recipe success when valid ingredients are placed into the Crafting UI
Cooking recipe failure when no active Campfire is present
Audio feedback, including bubbling sounds when near an active Cooking Pot Set
Persistence behaviour of the Cooking Pot Set across saves and respawns
Ensure cooking recipes are identifiable as being displayed in yellow writing in the Public Recipe list

Clothing Item Craft & Equip System

Another significant update arriving with Reality Thread 6 is the introduction of the first Earth 2 clothing system. This marks an important milestone in Character progression, visual identity and long-term customisation. In this initial release, Players gain the ability to craft individual clothing items and equip them directly onto their Character, allowing Characters to officially adjust the appearance of their Character for the first time inside E2V1.

To support this first iteration of clothing, cotton will be used as a key crafting material. While cotton will become significantly easier to obtain once the gardening system is available, Players can already locate areas where cotton grows naturally in the world. Importantly, because equipped clothing items can be teleported with, Players are free to teleport to cotton-rich regions, forage what they need, craft clothing items, equip them and then teleport back without losing their clothing items. This ensures that early access to clothing does not require permanent relocation or long-distance travel.

To initiate the system, we have started with a foundational set of clothing items: a cap, shirt, long pants and shoes. These represent the base layer required for future systems and provide a clear framework for expansion. Male and female Character body types require different clothing items in most cases, reflecting differences in Character models. While there are shared items where appropriate, such as the cap and shoes, it is important to note that male Character clothing cannot be equipped on female Characters and vice versa, ensuring correct model fitting and visual consistency.

Every clothing item introduced in this release has its own dedicated crafting recipe. This means that even visually similar items, such as hats, have separate recipes depending on Character type. For example, a male Character hat and a female Character hat are crafted independently. You will also notice that the default shirts and pants use more neutral tones such as greys and blacks. This is intentional. These colours act as a baseline and will become customisable later as part of a broader clothing and cosmetic skin customisation system planned for the future.

Once a clothing item has been crafted, it can be equipped using the Equip UI, which is accessed by pressing the H key. This interface introduces four dedicated clothing slots: head, torso, legs and feet. These slots define how clothing is layered and displayed on the Character. In this initial release, all base entry-level clothing items can be teleported while equipped. However, looking ahead, there may be restrictions introduced on certain clothing types, particularly higher-tier or special items, where teleportation limitations may apply.

When a clothing item is equipped, it will immediately appear visually on the Character. Each item functions independently, meaning Players are not required to equip a full set for items to display. Characters can wear just a hat, only a shirt, a shirt with shoes, pants with a hat or any other valid combination. This flexibility allows Players to experiment freely and gives early insight into how layered visual systems will work moving forward.

The clothing system has been fully integrated into multiplayer, ensuring visual changes are synchronised in real time. Other Players will be able to see Characters equip or change clothing items as it happens and will always see the clothing a Character is currently wearing. This reinforces visual identity, social presence and immersion within the shared world.

Beyond the immediate visual upgrade, this system represents a progression step in the development of Earth 2. It officially brings us closer to unlocking full cosmetic skins. From the very beginning, cosmetic suits were designed with a prerequisite: a Character must be fully clothed wearing a hat, shirt, pants and shoes before a full-body cosmetic suit can be applied. With the clothing system now in place, that final requirement is within reach. Before unlocking cosmetic skins, however, we want to thoroughly test the clothing system, ensure stability and address any issues that arise from Player usage.

Looking further ahead, we are also planning a custom clothing system that will allow Players to modify and personalise their outfits into unique creations. These customisations may allow Players to create one-of-a-kind clothing items, making visual identity even more personal. However, these changes will come with intentional permanence. Once a modification is applied to a clothing item or skin, it cannot be reversed. This introduces an element of risk where Players must carefully consider their choices for potential reward.

There will be multiple pathways to customisation, with some elements unlocked through activities such as exploring, gardening, fighting Hordes and other gameplay systems. Customisation outcomes will also include a large element of randomness, further increasing the uniqueness of individual outfits. While details on this system will be shared later, it is shaping up to be one of the more exciting long-term progression features planned for E2V1.

Dev Log – Clothing Item Craft & Equip System

Delivering the first iteration of the clothing system required work across Character systems, crafting, UI, rendering, multiplayer synchronisation and long-term progression planning. This system establishes critical foundations for future cosmetic, progression and identity features within E2V1.

Designed the core clothing equip framework, defining how items attach to Character models
Created distinct clothing slot architecture for head, torso, legs and feet
Implemented gender-specific clothing rules, including separate item definitions and equip validation
Applied individual crafting recipes for each clothing item and Character type
Integrated cotton as a new crafting dependency, including inventory handling
Updated the Crafting UI to support clothing item creation
Updated the Equip UI and input flow
Implemented real-time visual updates when clothing items are equipped or removed
Ensured clothing items render correctly both individually and in partial or mixed sets
Integrated clothing visuals with Character animation and movement systems
Implemented restrictions preventing incompatible clothing from being equipped
Enabled teleportation with equipped clothing items, including inventory persistence
Integrated clothing state with save, load and respawn systems
Synced clothing changes across multiplayer in real time
Ensured other Players see correct clothing states at all times
Validated clothing behaviour under equip and unequip actions
Tested edge cases involving teleporting, reconnecting and multiplayer desync
Designed the system with future cosmetic skins and clothing customisation in mind
Ensured compatibility with planned permanent and irreversible customisation systems

This initial release establishes the technical and design foundation required for cosmetic skins, advanced outfit customisation and more expressive Character identity systems planned for future Reality Threads.

Things Players Can Test in This Release

Players are encouraged to test and validate the following aspects of the clothing system:

Foraging cotton from naturally occurring areas
Crafting individual clothing items using recipes that will appear in the public recipe list
Verifying separate recipes for male and female clothing items
Accessing the Equip UI using the H key
Equipping clothing items into the head, torso, legs and feet slots
Confirming clothing items visually appear on the Character when equipped
Testing individual item visibility without requiring a full outfit
Mixing and matching clothing combinations (single items or partial sets)
Teleporting with clothing items equipped
Multiplayer visibility of clothing changes in real time
Ensuring other Players can see equipped clothing correctly
Switching clothing items on and off repeatedly to test stability
Verifying that incompatible clothing cannot be equipped across Character types

Global Property Sync System Update

One of the most consistently reported friction points for new Players downloading and entering E2V1 was the process of syncing Global Property Data. In its original form, this system required Players to download and synchronise property data for millions of tiles across the entire world, regardless of whether they would ever visit those locations. In some cases, this process could take hours, creating a poor first impression and delaying Players from actually getting into the world.

Beyond the time cost, this approach also resulted in Players syncing vast amounts of data that provided little immediate value to their gameplay experience. Most Players may never interact with the majority of that data, yet were still required to process it before meaningful exploration could begin.

Because of this, the team made the decision to rework the property sync system. The result is a much more targeted, efficient and Player-focused approach.

With this update, new Players are no longer required to sync global property data. Instead, the system now focuses on syncing local property data, based specifically on where the Player is located at the time of syncing. This means Players only download the property information that is relevant to their immediate surroundings, dramatically reducing sync times and unnecessary data processing.

To support this new approach, we have also implemented multiple automated sync trigger points across key gameplay states. For example, when a Character is spawned, the system will now automatically sync the relevant local property data before the Character enters the world, ensuring that the Player always has the most up-to-date property information for their current location.

Additional automated sync triggers will be introduced over time, including scenarios such as detecting property data while in Character mode and other contextual situations where up-to-date local data is critical. These triggers are designed to work quietly in the background, reducing manual steps while maintaining data accuracy.

Changes like this are not always immediately visible in flashy gameplay demonstrations, but they are critical foundation improvements. Systems such as property data syncing sit at the core of E2V1 and getting them right early has a significant impact on long-term scalability, stability and Player experience. We deliberately invest time into refining these systems now so future Players can enjoy a smoother, faster and more intuitive onboarding experience.

Players will immediately notice the difference. Sync times are dramatically reduced, responsiveness is improved and the experience of entering the world feels far more seamless. Gone are the days of waiting extended periods for global property data to sync before you can begin exploring.

Dev Log – Global Property Sync System

Reworking the Global Property Sync System required deep changes across data management, streaming logic, gameplay state handling and Player onboarding flows. While property syncing can appear to be a simple background process, it is a critical system that underpins world accuracy, ownership visibility and many other gameplay systems.

Audited the existing global property sync pipeline to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies
Designed a new localised property data model to replace full global syncing
Implemented logic to determine relevant property data based on Player location
Built systems to dynamically load and unload property data as Players spawn into the world and in the near future move through the world
Reduced initial data payloads required for new Players entering E2V1
Integrated local property syncing into the initial onboarding flow
Added automated property sync triggers tied to key gameplay states
Implemented pre-spawn validation to ensure property data is synced before Character spawn
Integrated property syncing with Mentar-based spawns
Integrated property syncing with Campfire-based spawns
Added support for property syncing while in Free Flight and Camera modes
Ensured property data remains consistent when teleporting between distant locations
Automatically sync local property data when Characters initiate the local property data via using F9
Implemented backend validation to prevent stale or incorrect property ownership data
Optimised network requests and data batching for faster sync times
Added fail-safes and recovery logic for interrupted or partial syncs
Tested edge cases involving location changes and repeated sync requests
Verified compatibility with multiplayer environments and concurrent Players
Ensured property syncing integrates cleanly with existing land ownership systems

This update significantly improves first-time Player experience, reduces unnecessary data transfer and lays a stronger technical foundation for future world streaming and scalability improvements.

Things Players Can Test in This Release

Players are encouraged to actively test and validate the new Global Property Sync System by trying the following:

Moving the Camera to a new location in Free Flight mode and initiating a manual property sync
Verifying that only local property data is synced rather than global data by initiating the grid, visiting one location, syncing, then visiting another location you have not yet synced with and initiating the grid again to see whether properties appear or not. Note that location 1 and location 2 should be areas you would expect to see properties such as major cities or popular areas.
Confirming visible sync feedback appears when initiating a local sync
Measuring how quickly local property data completes compared to previous global syncs
Spawning a Character and confirming local property data syncs before or as the Character appears
Spawning a Character from a Mentar and verifying property data syncs correctly
Spawning a Character from a Campfire and verifying property data syncs correctly
Confirm that local property data syncs when F9 is initiated in Character mode
Repeatedly moving between distant locations to test stability and consistency
Reporting any instances where property data appears delayed, incorrect or missing

Inventory & Action Bar Updates

Another area the Earth 2 team focused on during Reality Thread 6 came directly from observing Player streams, reviewing community feedback and analysing internal telemetry. Across these sources, we noticed occasional unstable behaviour involving the Mentar Inventory which also potentially flowed into the Character Inventory and Action Bar systems. While these systems generally functioned as intended, edge cases and inconsistencies were appearing often enough to warrant deeper investigation.

Rather than applying incremental fixes, the team made the decision to allocate dedicated development time to a more comprehensive rework of these systems. The goal was not only to resolve known issues, but to strengthen the underlying architecture in a way that would provide more stable and predictable behaviour long term, particularly as additional gameplay systems continue to layer on top of inventory interactions.

It’s important to highlight that these systems were heavily reworked at a foundational level. As with any significant system overhaul, this introduced new complexity and required extensive internal QA. During that process, the team identified and resolved a large number of unexpected bugs that emerged specifically as a result of the rework. While a great deal of testing has already taken place, wider testing across the current access group may still surface additional edge cases that were not encountered internally.

To give some insight into the kinds of issues uncovered during QA, we encountered scenarios such as the Glider only activating once after being selected in the Action Bar, requiring it to be reselected before it would activate again. In another case, the Glider could fail to re-activate entirely if the left mouse button was held during flight. There were also issues involving VFX and SFX not triggering correctly after using items to replenish vitals, inconsistencies when equipping certain items, objects occasionally not being detected during search interactions, crafting buttons failing to activate and other similar unpredictable behaviours. These issues were not isolated to a single system, but instead emerged from how multiple systems interacted following the rework.

All of the above issues, along with a longer internal list discovered during QA, have now been addressed. That said, due to the scale of the changes, it remains possible that additional issues may still surface under broader Player usage. We appreciate Players continuing to report anything unusual they encounter and we thank everyone for their patience as we work through any remaining refinements. The long-term outcome of this work is a significantly more stable and scalable inventory and Action Bar system, even if it requires a short period of additional iteration.

Dev Log – Inventory & Action Bar Systems

Reworking the Inventory and Action Bar systems required coordinated changes across input handling, UI logic, item state management and gameplay interaction systems. What follows is a high-level overview of the work involved:

Audited existing Mentar Inventory, Character Inventory and Action Bar logic
Refactored item state handling to improve consistency across systems
Reworked Action Bar selection and activation flow
Fixed interaction issues related to item activation timing
Corrected VFX and SFX triggers tied to inventory-based item usage
Fixed broken detection logic for searchable objects after rework
Reworked crafting button activation and validation flow
Ensured consistent behaviour when moving items between inventories
Improved inventory persistence across save, load and respawn events
Validated inventory behaviour during teleportation and rapid movement
Fixed inconsistencies between UI state and backend item state
Verified stability across multiplayer and single-player states

This rework strengthens a core system that almost every gameplay interaction relies on, helping ensure future features can be layered on without introducing compounding instability.

Things Players Can Test in This Release

Players are encouraged to actively test the following areas and report any unexpected behaviour:

Character Inventory

Picking up items and confirming they appear correctly
Moving items between slots
Equipping and unequipping items repeatedly
Using consumables to replenish vitals
Confirming correct VFX and SFX play when items are used
Discarding items and verifying they are removed correctly

Mentar Inventory

Moving items into and out of the Mentar Inventory
Confirming item persistence across saves and refreshes
Crafting using items stored in a Mentar
Verifying item counts update correctly

Action Bar

Assigning items to Action Bar slots
Selecting and reselecting items
Monitoring item activation state without the need to change selected item
Testing held-input behaviour during item usage
Switching rapidly between Action Bar items
Ensuring all existing items work as expected (spear, shield, glider, sippy cup etc)

Crafting

Opening the crafting interface
Inserting and removing ingredients
Verifying crafting buttons activate correctly
Crafting multiple items in succession

Searching & Interaction

Searching objects and confirming consistent detection
Interacting with world objects after inventory changes
Testing search behaviour after teleporting or respawning

General Testing

Switching items between inventories
Teleporting while items are equipped or selected
Saving, loading and respawning with various inventory states

Emotes

To celebrate the start of 2026, we’ve included a light-hearted and social update in Reality Thread 6 with the introduction of additional emotes. These new emotes are designed to add more personality, expression and fun to Characters as Players interact with each other inside E2V1.

For now, all newly introduced emotes are unlocked and available to every Player. This allows everyone to immediately enjoy the expanded range of expressions without any progression requirements. Looking ahead, however, some emotes will become earnable through gameplay, tying expressive customisation more closely to time spent exploring, participating in activities and engaging with future systems.

Alongside the new emotes, we have also reworked the emote wheel UI. The wheel has been made larger, clearer and more visually refined, making it easier to see and select emotes quickly. Despite these visual improvements, the interaction remains familiar, with the emote wheel still accessible by pressing T.

While future emote releases may include options that are earnable or purchasable, it’s important to clearly set expectations around the emotes introduced in Reality Thread 6. All emotes released as part of Reality Thread 6 will never become purchasable emotes now or in the future. They will remain either freely available or earnable through gameplay only, ensuring these particular emotes are accessible to everyone.

Earnable and purchasable emotes will begin rolling out later, once the custom emote system is introduced. That future system will allow Players to interchange and customise which emotes appear on their emote wheel, giving greater flexibility and personalisation over time.

For now, there’s nothing extra Players need to worry about. Jump in, try out the new emotes, express yourself and enjoy celebrating the beginning of 2026 together inside E2V1.

Things Players Can Test in This Release

Players are encouraged to try out the new emotes and confirm the following:

Opening the emote wheel using the T key
Verifying the updated emote wheel UI appears larger and clearer
Selecting and triggering each new emote
Confirming emote animations play correctly on their Character
Checking that emotes can be triggered repeatedly without issues
Observing emote animations from different camera angles
Confirming other Players can see emotes play in real time
Testing emotes while standing, moving or idle
Ensuring emotes do not interrupt or break Character control
Verifying emotes remain available after teleporting or respawning

This helps ensure emotes feel responsive, visible and fun for everyone as we start 2026 inside E2V1.

Badges – New Pre-Alpha Access

We’re pleased to confirm that Badge Holder access continues to expand with the release of Reality Thread 6. As part of this rollout, Viscount Badge Holders will officially gain access to E2V1 at 12:01am UTC on the day following the Reality Thread 6 release.

We’re excited to welcome Viscounts into the world and look forward to seeing more Players begin their journey inside E2V1. This milestone represents another step forward in our staged access approach, which allows us to steadily grow the active Player base while closely monitoring performance, stability and gameplay systems as they are experienced by a wider audience.

Access for Badge Holders is being rolled out gradually by design. This approach gives the team the opportunity to observe how systems behave under increasing load, identify edge cases, and make targeted adjustments where needed, without overwhelming core systems during this important pre-alpha phase.

At the same time, this rollout strategy allows us to recognise and reward Players who have actively supported Earth 2 over time and chosen to hold onto their properties. Badge-based access ensures that those who have shown long-term commitment are among the first to experience new milestones as E2V1 continues to take shape.

We also understand that there are many different ways support for Earth 2 can be shown, and that long-term commitment is not always fully reflected through land ownership alone. However, at this stage of development, land ownership was the most practical system already in place, supported by existing leaderboard data. Rather than divert valuable development time toward building additional recognition or badge systems during pre-alpha, we chose to work within the framework that was already available. As E2V1 continues to evolve, we may explore additional ways to recognise and reward Player support in the future.

Additional Badge Holder tiers will gain access in the near future, and we’ll continue to share updates as access expands. We’re looking forward to welcoming more of the community into E2V1 as development progresses and systems continue to mature.

Discovery

With Reality Thread 5, we deliberately chose to leave certain new discovery methods undocumented, allowing Players to uncover them organically through exploration and experimentation. While this won’t always be our approach, we felt it was a fun and engaging way to introduce select features – particularly those that reward curiosity, attention to detail and time spent inside the world.

That said, this approach is applied carefully. If a feature is critical to gameplay or progression and Players are unable to discover it on their own, we will always step in and formally disclose it. However, if a feature is non-critical, we may intentionally allow it to remain hidden for longer, giving Players the satisfaction of uncovering something unexpected on their own. Discovery, when used selectively, adds an extra layer of depth and intrigue to E2V1, which is something we very much enjoy including where posible.

We’d also like to congratulate Mr Green, who was the first Player to discover both of the new search-related features introduced in Reality Thread 5. Achieving this within 48 hours of the RT5 release was an impressive effort and a strong reflection of how actively Players are engaging with E2V1.

Moments like this highlight just how invested the current access group has become. Since Reality Thread 5, the amount of time spent inside E2V1 by Players with access has increased by over 1,000% compared to Reality Thread 4. While we fully expect engagement to rise naturally as more features and gameplay systems are introduced, it’s always rewarding to see that increase materialise so clearly in real usage.

This level of activity reinforces the value of iterative releases and layered discovery. Watching Players explore, experiment and uncover systems on their own provides valuable insight into how E2V1 is being experienced and helps guide how and when we introduce future features.

Firetorch Search

Both of the new discovery methods introduced in Reality Thread 5 were intentionally subtle, and neither was particularly easy to uncover – especially the first. No clues were provided in the Reality Thread 5 article, meaning discovery relied entirely on experimentation and curiosity.

To successfully uncover the Firetorch Search, a Player needed to craft a Firetorch and actively use it under very specific conditions. The Firetorch must be placed in the Action Bar, actively selected, and used between 7pm and 7am in-game time. While the Firetorch is active, pressing LMB during this time window initiates a Torch Search.

This was a particularly notable discovery because prior to Reality Thread 5, the Firetorch had no associated action. Pressing LMB while holding a Firetorch previously resulted in no behaviour at all. Identifying that this had changed and then narrowing down the correct time window required both persistence and experimentation.

The Firetorch Search introduces a new way to discover certain seeds and items and in some cases provides a higher chance of discovering specific objects compared to other existing search methods. It is designed as a situational tool that rewards Players who explore different tools, time-of-day mechanics and contextual interactions.

Aqua Rune of Discovery Search

One of the items that the Firetorch Search provides a significantly higher chance of uncovering is the Aqua Rune of Discovery.

Once Mr Green discovered the Firetorch Search, he was then able to obtain and use the Aqua Rune of Discovery. This rune unlocks the ability to search for objects while submerged underwater, opening up an entirely new exploration layer that was previously inaccessible.

With the Aqua Rune of Discovery active, Players can now meaningfully interact with underwater environments rather than simply passing through them. This expands discovery opportunities into lakes, rivers, coastlines and other submerged areas, reinforcing the idea that different tools, conditions, and environments unlock different layers of the world.

Together, the Firetorch Search and Aqua Rune of Discovery form a chain-based discovery path, where uncovering one mechanic naturally leads into another. This kind of layered discovery is something we will continue to explore carefully, ensuring it remains rewarding without blocking core gameplay progression.

Dev Log – Discovery Systems

Although these discovery mechanics were introduced as part of Reality Thread 5, they were intentionally left out of that article to allow Players to uncover them naturally. Now that they have been discovered, we wanted to take the opportunity to explain how they work so everyone has a clear understanding.

Supporting discovery-driven features requires careful coordination between design intent, input handling, environmental conditions and search systems. While these mechanics are intentionally subtle from a Player-facing perspective, they still require deliberate structure and validation to function reliably once uncovered.

Designed discovery mechanics intended to be uncovered organically rather than through explicit tutorials
Defined clear boundaries between critical systems and optional discoverable features
Implemented hidden interaction logic without exposing UI prompts or guidance
Integrated time-of-day conditions into search behaviour
Extended Firetorch functionality to support context-sensitive actions
Added Action Bar state validation to ensure searches only trigger when the correct item is actively selected
Implemented new search logic tied specifically to Firetorch usage
Balanced discovery rates for items obtainable through Firetorch Search
Introduced the Aqua Rune of Discovery as a chained discovery outcome
Implemented underwater search capability gated behind the Aqua Rune of Discovery
Integrated underwater searches with existing object and loot systems
Verified discovery behaviour across teleporting, saving and respawning
Tested discovery mechanics under multiplayer conditions
Added internal tracking to monitor discovery success post-release
Established criteria for when undiscovered features should be formally disclosed

These systems are intentionally designed to reward experimentation and exploration, while remaining optional and non-blocking for core gameplay.

Things Players Can Test for These Features

Players can help validate Discovery-related systems by testing the following:

Firetorch Search

Crafting a Firetorch
Placing the Firetorch in the Action Bar
Activating the Firetorch during night-time hours (7pm–7am)
Pressing LMB while the Firetorch is active to initiate a Torch Search
Confirming no Torch Search triggers outside the valid time window
Repeating Firetorch Searches across different environments
Testing Firetorch Search consistency across multiple sessions

Aqua Rune of Discovery

Discovering the Aqua Rune of Discovery via Firetorch Search
Activating the Aqua Rune of Discovery
Submerging a Character underwater using C and initiating searches
Verifying underwater search functionality activates correctly
Testing underwater searches in different bodies of water
Confirming underwater searches do not activate without the rune

Runes

As many Players discovered following the release of Reality Thread 5, a variety of new Rune types had quietly entered the expansive world of E2V1. These Runes were not surfaced directly in the Reality Thread 5 article, as their introduction was intentionally tied to discovery-driven gameplay. New Rune types were predominantly uncovered through actions such as digging with a Shovel, searching at night using a Firetorch or searching underwater after unlocking the appropriate abilities.

New Runes will continue to become discoverable over time, but for now we wanted to provide a clearer outline of what Runes are, how they function and where they fit into the broader E2V1 ecosystem.

At their core, Runes serve as specialised items that unlock abilities or enable advanced crafting. In their current implementation, Runes fall into two main categories:

Runes that can be used directly from the Action Bar, temporarily unlocking a specific ability for the Character
Runes that act as required components in crafting recipes, enabling the creation of more advanced or specialised items

This design reflects a broader philosophy within Earth 2: certain tools, technologies and systems require more than just foraged or raw materials. Some items require additional knowledge, energy or technological components in order to be crafted or produced.

Over time, Rune functionality may expand further. The easiest way for Players to understand how a Rune is used at any given point is to hover over the Rune icon in their inventory, where a short explanation will be displayed if the Rune currently has an active use. If there is no hint, then it may just be a Rune worth holding onto for now until you learn more about it in the future.

Below is an overview of some of the Rune types that were discovered as part of Reality Thread 5.

Mentar Storage Rune

The Mentar Storage Rune is a critical crafting component used to create the Mentar Storage Upgrade Chip. This upgrade increases the available storage space inside a Mentar, allowing Players to hold more items and better support expanded gameplay loops such as crafting, resource collection and future systems.

This Rune plays an important role in long-term infrastructure progression and reinforces Mentars as evolving, upgradeable tools rather than static objects.

Watering Can Rune

The Watering Can Rune is required for crafting a Watering Can, an item that will become incredibly important once Gardens come online. While its immediate use may be limited, this Rune exists to ensure that the gardening system is properly supported from day one, with crafting dependencies already in place.

Introducing this Rune early allows Players to gradually build toward agricultural systems rather than having everything arrive all at once.

Aqua Rune of Discovery

As discussed earlier in the Discovery section, the Aqua Rune of Discovery unlocks the ability for a Character to search for items while submerged underwater. When the Rune is actively placed in the Action Bar and the Character is swimming underwater, search interactions become available in submerged environments.

This Rune expands exploration into lakes, rivers, coastlines and other bodies of water, adding depth to the world and reinforcing the idea that different environments require different tools and abilities to fully explore.

Particle Defoliator Rune

The Particle Defoliator Rune is required to craft the Particle Defoliator, a key item designed to help Players quickly clear vegetation before placing objects or buildings on a tile.

The Particle Defoliator will only be usable on tiles located on properties you own, ensuring it cannot be used to alter land belonging to other Players. This tool supports efficient building and placement workflows by allowing Players to prepare terrain for construction without relying solely on manual clearing.

More details about the Particle Defoliator and its associated systems will be shared in a future Reality Thread once that functionality comes online.

We will not always announce when new Runes become available, but that does not mean they will always be included in every Reality Thread either. They may even appear between Reality Threads or not appear over many Reality Thread releases.

Discovery will remain an important part of the experience and the ability to uncover Runes may depend on search type, environment, time of day or other contextual elements. Players are encouraged to stay curious but not to waste too much time on how and where new Runes might appear.

Dev Log – Rune Systems

Introducing Runes required coordinated work across discovery mechanics, inventory systems, crafting dependencies and ability activation. While Runes are intentionally lightweight from a Player-facing perspective, they are designed to be flexible building blocks for future systems.

Designed the Rune item framework to support both ability-based and crafting-based use cases
Integrated Rune discovery with existing search systems (digging, Firetorch search, underwater search)
Implemented Action Bar compatibility for Runes that unlock active abilities
Added validation rules to ensure Rune abilities only activate under correct conditions
Integrated Runes into crafting recipes as required components
Implemented inventory descriptions and hover-based explanations
Balanced Rune discovery rates across different search types
Integrated Rune systems with multiplayer state synchronisation
Designed Rune architecture to allow for future expansion without rework

This system establishes a flexible foundation that allows new Runes to be introduced gradually without disrupting existing gameplay.

Things Players Can Test for This Feature

Players can help validate Rune-related systems by testing the following:

Discovery & Collection

Discovering Runes through digging with a Shovel
Discovering Runes through Firetorch Search at night
Discovering Runes through underwater searching after unlocking the Aqua Rune of Discovery

Inventory & UI

Viewing Rune descriptions by hovering over their icons
Moving Runes between inventories
Assigning Runes to the Action Bar where applicable

Action Bar Usage

Activating Runes from the Action Bar
Confirming abilities only activate under correct conditions
Removing Runes from the Action Bar and confirming abilities deactivate

Crafting Integration

Using Runes as ingredients in crafting recipes
Verifying crafting fails correctly when required Runes are missing
Crafting items that depend on Rune-based components

Reality Thread 6 – Summary & Looking Ahead

With Reality Threads 1 through 6, we’re beginning to lay down portions of E2V1’s groundwork. What began as world access and core movement has steadily evolved into layered systems for survival, discovery, crafting, persistent object placement, inventory management, combat, teleportation and much more.

Each Reality Thread has intentionally built on the last – sometimes in visible ways, sometimes quietly behind the scenes. Systems like property syncing, discovery mechanics, inventories, Action Bars, runes, cooking, clothing and emotes may seem independent at first glance, but together they form the connective tissue required for larger gameplay experiences to function reliably at scale.

Reality Thread 6 reflects that philosophy clearly. It brings improvements that enhance moment-to-moment play, while also preparing the engine and gameplay framework for much more demanding systems ahead. Mini-games, deeper progression, agriculture, expanded crafting, larger combat encounters and more expressive Player identity all rely on the work being done now.

Looking ahead to 2026, there is a lot to be excited about. The pace of iteration is increasing in respect to the complexity of the release, Player engagement continues to grow with each release and the scope of what’s possible inside E2V1 expands with every Reality Thread. If the first six threads were about establishing some of the early rules of the world, the year ahead will be about putting those rules to the test.

Thank you to everyone testing, exploring, discovering and providing feedback as E2V1 continues to take shape. Reality Thread 6 is just the beginning of what 2026 has in store.

Join the journey, shape the future. Earth 2, the People’s Metaverse.

About Earth2

Earth 2® is a futuristic concept for a second earth; a metaverse, between virtual and physical reality in which real-world geolocations correspond to user generated digital virtual environments. These environments can be owned, bought, sold, and in the near future deeply customised.