Ludeon Studios, the developers behind the popular sci-fi colony construction simulator RimWorld, have announced a significant technical shift for the game. In an upcoming update, version 1.7, RimWorld will transition from the Unity engine to the studio's proprietary Waylith Engine. This move aims to drastically improve the game's performance.
The developers stated that the game will remain visually and functionally identical, but players can expect performance enhancements ranging from two to four times faster. The Waylith Engine is slated to offer quicker startup and loading times, especially for those with extensive mod lists. Examples provided include faster map and world generation, improved general ticks-per-second, and a notable reduction in modpack loading times, with one instance showing a 1500-mod pack loading in 6 minutes compared to a previous 14 minutes.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this engine change is its apparent compatibility with the game's robust modding community. Ludeon has indicated that existing mods should continue to function, though some may be flagged as "potentially unsupported" due to version changes. Player save files will also be transferable from version 1.6 to 1.7, ensuring no loss of progress.
Update 1.7 is currently available on Steam's beta branch for players and modders to test. Initial community feedback on platforms like Reddit suggests the performance gains are being realized and mods are indeed working, though some users have reported an increase in RAM usage. The developers also noted that PCs older than 10 years may not meet the requirements for the new update.
This transition draws parallels to similar engine shifts in the indie development space, such as Slay the Spire 2's move to the Godot engine, which was partly influenced by Unity's past controversial pricing changes. The move to a custom engine allows Ludeon greater control and potentially avoids future licensing issues.