History

This article provides a curated history of Spiral Knights. Most of the entries are releases that introduce new content or features. A few other entries describe changes to the business or community of the game.

Purely cosmetic releases are not included. Recurring events are not included after their first occurrence. Releases before the official 2011-04-04 launch are not included, because they are too numerous.

For a more detailed record of all releases, see the Announcements forum and Release/all. Note well that Release/all has not been updated since 2016-05-18.

2017

2017-09-08: Shard bombs and tortofist handguns are buffed, so that more shards can inflict damage on enemies.

2017-05-11: Starlight Cradle levels are introduced. New armor, swords, and bombs are added, themed around sleep and slimes.

2017-04-25: Spiral Knights is removed from the Kongregate and ArmorGames platforms.

2017-01-20: The Hardcore Mode Activated event occurs for the first time. During this event, there is no auto-targeting in Lockdown.

2016

2016-05-24: Golden Slime Casinos are introduced. In certain Clockwork Tunnels levels, knights can play games of chance to obtain crowns and other prizes.

2016-04-06: Ownership of Spiral Knights is transferred from Sega to Grey Havens. Support for the German and French languages ends.

2015

2015-05-13: Rank 10-2 missions are introduced. They include Dreams and Nightmares, where Radiant Fire Crystals can be farmed.

2015-02-11: Rank 10-1 missions are introduced. They extend the game past its original final boss, Lord Vanaduke.

2014

2014-12-03: The much-delayed gunner update arrives. It includes new gunner armor, tweaks to guns, and new versions of guns.

2014-07-16: Tortofist guns are introduced. (Tortodrone shields were introduced earlier.)

2014-05-21: Several missions are tweaked to enhance the game's plot.

2014-04-02: A statue of Nick is installed in Haven's Town Square. Accessory recovery tickets are introduced. A new user interface lets players toggle a map overlay.

2014-02-26: An error causes the price of Prismatic Bolted Vees to plummet to zero. Sega scolds players who exploited the error.

2014-02-26: The March of the Tortodrone event occurs for the first time. Tortodrone shields are introduced.

2014-02-26: The drop rate for Radiant Fire Crystals is increased. (Sometime during the preceding months it was severely decreased without any announcement, leading to some player discontent.)

2014-01-16: Nick Popovich, the principal creator of Spiral Knights, leaves the development team.

2013

2013-12-11: Attack, defense, and speed boosters (temporary bonuses dropped by monsters) are introduced.

2013-10-23: The Shroud of the Apocrea event occurs for the first time. A new sword, handgun, and bomb are added. Acheron is buffed.

2013-10-16: This update is called Arcade Redux Phase 1. Minerals are no longer deposited into Arcade gates to affect gate construction. Instead, gates are generated randomly. There are tweaks to the user interface, including ways to help knights find materials. New pickups are added, including barriers, artillery strikes, ranger signal flares, and auto turret kits. Guild and knight names can now be changed.

2013-09-25: Operation: Crimson Hammer can now be purchased using energy rather than just real-world money.

2013-07-30: This is the largest update in Spiral Knights history. Battle sprites and three difficulty levels are introduced. The game economy is overhauled. Mist energy no longer exists, and elevators cost no energy. Crafting now occurs through Orbs of Alchemy and heating now occurs through the Forge. The Lab section of Haven and new scenario rooms are added. New materials are added, and recipes and mission rewards are altered. Sparks of Life replace the old reviving system, and each party member must pick up his or her own loot. Finally, the user interface is tweaked.

2013-05-22: The dash and shield bash actions are introduced, adding variety to the tactics of the game.

2013-05-01: Gorgo monsters are introduced as a new kind of fiend. Greavers are buffed.

2013-04-10: Compound levels are introduced. They pair multiple themes with swarms of small monsters.

2013-04-03: The user interface is revamped. Devilites are nerfed.

2013-01-30: The Kataclysmic Confrontation event occurs for the first time. The Moorcroft Manor level is changed accordingly. New armor is added, themed around kats. (Interestingly, the release notes only hint at the Book of Dark Rituals and Black Kat Cowl.) Chaos armor is buffed. Guild hall themes and environments are introduced.

2012

2012-11-14: Guild halls now customizable. Homecoming Celebration includes free sword, shield, and furniture. Garrison section of Haven introduced.

2012-09-12: Ghosts in the Machine danger mission introduced. Spectator mode for player-vs-player introduced.

2012-08-08: Shard bombs revamped and new shard bombs introduced. Tweaks to other bombs.

2012-08-01: Heart of Ice danger mission introduced.

2012-06-19: Compound 42 danger mission introduced.

2012-06-28: Danger missions introduced with Legion of Almire.

2012-06-19: Party Finder introduced.

2012-05-09: New early-game missions. Damage buffs to all handguns and bombs. Tweaks to swords, handguns, bombs, and some armor. Tweaks to monsters, payouts, levels, lighting.

2012-04-25: Process for creating new knights improved. Unique variants can now be locked at Punch.

2012-04-18: Height and eye modifiers introduced. Graphical optimizations.

2012-04-10: Prestige badges introduced.

2012-04-04: Anniversary event introduced.

2012-03-22: Many armors buffed, including Chaos. (Earlier that month, Volcanic Demo Suit buffed.) Sword attacks tweaked.

2012-03-07: New rank missions introduced, though Vanguard rank. Dark Retribution-line bombs nerfed. Operation: Crimson Hammer tweaked.

2012-02-29: Operation: Crimson Hammer mission introduced. New sword, bomb, and armor.

2012-02-22: Missions and Supply Depot introduced. Gremlin Grounds levels and little gremlin monsters introduced. Changes to handguns, including damage types on Antigua-line guns.

2012-01-04: Wolvers, zombies, and retrodes nerfed.

2011

2011-12-19: Drone monsters (wisps and shankles) introduced.

2011-12-12: Winterfest event, Event Hub user interface, European servers, scenario rooms, craftable heart pendant trinkets introduced.

2011-11-30: Featured Auctions, Auction House item preview, and personal color change introduced.

2011-11-17: Three Rings acquired by Sega.

2011-11-16: Arsenal stations introduced, so that knights can change equipment at the start of each level, rather than just at the start of each stratum.

2011-10-21: Divine Avenger charge attack changed, so that it fails when the knight's back is against a wall.

2011-10-19: Shadow Lairs introduced. New armor. Royal Jelly fight changed. Dark Harvest Festival event introduced.

2011-10-05: Accessories, lockboxes, Prize Wheel, and Boost merchant introduced.

2011-09-14: Lockdown player-vs-player game and loadouts introduced.

2011-09-02: Candlestick Keep levels introduced. Danger rooms changed.

2011-08-22: Polyp and howlitzer monsters introduced.

2011-08-02: Player-vs-player introduced with Blast Network game. New swords, handguns, bombs, and trinkets. Recipe tweaks.

2011-07-20: Punch (buying unique variants) and Vise (unbinding items) merchants introduced. Crafting can give up to three unique variants. Tweaks to some levels.

2011-07-06: Ironclaw Munitions Factory levels introduced. New armor, handguns, and bombs. Tweaks to swords, handguns, and bombs.

2011-06-14: Spiral Knights becomes available through the Steam platform. (The exact date is hard to pin down, but 2011-06-14 is the first mention of Steam in the release notes and the Announcements forum.) There is a huge influx of new players.

2011-06-09: Miscellaneous tweaks, including the canonization of which damage types are inflicted by which monster families. Blackened Crest shield now available from Brinks.

2011-06-02: Gloaming Wildwoods levels introduced. New sword, bomb, and shield.

2011-05-26: Achievements introduced.

2011-05-17: Auction House and Advanced Training Hall introduced. Crafting costs increase and recipe costs decrease. Upgrading a bound item produces a bound item, altering the economy for pre-crafted items.

2011-04-27: Piercing swords and high-star Brandishes introduced.

2011-04-04: Spiral Knights official launch. Over the next few months, bug fixes and tweaks too numerous to be catalogued here.