Update, 6 October: the update is live as version 1.3.4.0.160241. We've added the new custom zone settings, the open fishing bugs and the clothing numbers from the patch notes.
SCUM's last Into the Wild update went live on 5 October, a few days later than planned: Gamepires had hoped to ship it before the end of September, but testing turned up problems with the new fishing changes. It brings a fishing rework with quests and a leaderboard, seagulls and crows, clothing made from mutant kills and a new Deathmatch arena, alongside the paid Specialist Angler Pack. There's no wipe attached, so a server owner's job is updating and, if you use custom zones, checking three new settings.
What's in the update
Fishing, reworked
A bigger fish now fights back. Gamepires says it will "pull more strongly from side to side", and how fast you reel decides whether you tire it out or give it time to recover. Bait and equipment choices matter more than they did, and an updated HUD shows line tension and bait condition while you're mid-catch.
On top of the catch itself:
- Fishing Quests in three tiers, tracked through the Journal. They pay Fame and cash, and some of them pay out in more fishing equipment.
- A server leaderboard for the biggest catches, so prisoners on the same server can see how theirs measure up.
Two fishing bugs are still open. Pulling a fish ashore while walking backwards can snap the line, so Gamepires says to avoid it for now, and frame rate can affect how reeling behaves. Fixes for both are in progress.
Seagulls and crows
After free-roaming wildlife came back to the Island earlier in the season, birds have followed. Crows are back inland and seagulls along the coast, flying, perching and gathering in flocks. A flock circling a corpse or an active fishing spot tells you something is nearby.
They're also an early warning. Make too much noise near a flock and it takes off, which gives other prisoners a clue that someone is nearby. Bring one down and it can be skinned for cookable meat and feathers.
Clothing from mutant hunts
Mutant Animals are some of the rarest targets on the Island, and until now hunting them didn't lead to much beyond the Master Hunter quests. From this update, materials recovered from mutant kills can be crafted into new clothing.
TEC1 Research Facility as a Deathmatch arena
The TEC1 Research Facility was built for the finale of the Apex Hunt. It now joins the Event system as a battleground for Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch.
New custom zone settings
Three new custom zone settings split NPC damage to vehicles away from player damage: NPC Melee Damage to Vehicles, NPC Melee Weapon Damage to Vehicles and NPC Projectile Damage to Vehicles. All three default to Allow, and they don't follow your existing player damage settings. If a zone is meant to keep vehicles safe, NPCs can still damage them there until you disable these too. Default custom zone regions can also no longer be deleted.
Fixes, and cleaner clothes
The patch notes carry a long list of fixes. The clothing change Gamepires flagged in advance now has numbers: dirt builds up at 5% per hour instead of 20%, clothes only look dirty from 30% dirtiness, and rips only appear once durability drops below 70%. Crawling along the ground "like a grub" still dirties clothing much faster.
The fixes that matter most on a server:
- Server crashes when some players tried to join, and a Secret Bunker database error that could stop players connecting.
- A large number of quests triggering a networking warning that blocked connections, and slow-loading base elements getting players kicked.
- Apex Facility loot containers not refreshing after a server restart.
- Proximity chat reaching about 40 metres instead of 80.
The Specialist Angler Pack (paid DLC)
The optional Specialist Angler Pack launched alongside the update. It adds a full Specialist Angler set (Rod, Reel, Waders, Boots and Backpack) that can be crafted or bought from the Fisher Trader, plus three new emotes.
It also comes with a starter supply of bait, hooks, floaters and fishing line. Each character can claim that from the trader "once per server", at no in-game cost. None of those consumables are exclusive to the pack: every player can find or craft them. Steam lists the pack as non-refundable because it contains consumable items.
What your server needs to do
- Take a backup before you update. On a self-hosted server, copy the whole
SCUM\Savedfolder, which holds the world database and your server settings. - Update the server. Players' clients update themselves through Steam, and players on the new client can't join a server that's still on the old build.
- Check your custom zones. If you use them to protect vehicles, disable the three new NPC damage settings in those zones, since they default to Allow.
Self-hosting? The dedicated server is Steam app 3792580, and it ships a Windows server binary only:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 3792580 validate +quit
What's coming next
- Until the next update: the temporary Awareness and Archery progression boosts from Into the Wild stay on through 5 October's update and end with the one after it. Nothing already earned is taken away; those skills just go back to levelling at the normal rate.
- The next update (no date yet): a standalone release, not the start of a new season. Gamepires' current plan is tattoos through a new placement system, with more than 40 free for everyone and two optional cosmetic packs; Photo Mode made free for every player; and work towards controller support on PC. Photo Mode leaves Supporter Pack 2 at that point, and existing owners get replacement tattoos in its place.
- A partial wipe of official servers comes with that same next update: "Character stats and gold will be retained, while bases, gear and supplies will be cleared." Private servers are not affected: "Partial wipes will not be enforced on private servers." Gamepires will confirm the date and wipe timing ahead of the update.
- A 'Survivalist' ruleset, someday. Gamepires is exploring a harsher official ruleset (fewer or no traders, scarcer powerful loot, retuned puppets, hordes, metabolism, sickness and wildlife) and wants to give private server owners a Survivalist preset they can adjust. It "isn't attached to an update yet."
- Mod support: still planned, but "it won't arrive in 2026."
Gamepires also says the tattoo packs will be the last paid DLC of 2026, after the Specialist Angler Pack.
FAQ
Do I have to wipe my private server for this update?
No. The 5 October update has no wipe. The partial wipe announced for the following update applies to official servers only, and Gamepires says it won't be enforced on private servers, so whether you ever wipe is your call.
Do my players need the Specialist Angler Pack?
No. Everything else in the update is free, and the bait, hooks, floaters and line in the pack can be found or crafted by anyone. The pack's Rod, Reel, Waders, Boots, Backpack and emotes are what owners get on top.
Is the update out?
Yes. Gamepires posted the patch notes at about 3 PM UK time on 5 October, for version 1.3.4.0.160241.
Can I add mods to my SCUM server after this update?
No. Mod support is on Gamepires' longer-term plans, and it has said it won't arrive in 2026.
Will my players lose their Awareness and Archery progress when the boosts end?
No. The boosts end with the update after this one, and Gamepires says nothing already earned will be lost. Experience in those skills just returns to the normal rate.
Sources: Gamepires' October Update patch notes, the October Update Preview & What's Next and the August Into the Wild update notes.