Its been two weeks since our Paws & Claws update launched, and youve been busy exploring the Meadow sub-biome, hatching eggs, and levelling up your animal companions. Its been a real pleasure to watch the community jump right into this update, and it brings a lot of joy and meaning to the work were putting into Core Keeper. Weve had plenty of questions about the development of this update and a couple about what the future holds for pets in Core Keeper, so we got together and went through some of your frequently asked questions to give you a little insight into our thoughts regarding Paws & Claws!

Did you have plans to add pets to the game when you first launched Core Keeper in Early Access?

Fredrik: Absolutely! Pets were always part of our vision to add a layer of companionship and even more life to the underground.

Why did you choose the animals and cattle that you did?

Julian: For the first batch of pets and cattle, we wanted to go for designs that were relatable fan favourites. The goal was to make the pets trusty companions you could take with you on explorations and the cattle something you want to protect and cultivate!

What are your favourite pets?

Max: The Subterrier, but I really just want the Moolin as a pet! David: My favourite pet is the Embertail because it sounds so cute when you pet it. Julian: Theres no better choice than the loyal Subterrier. Sven: My favourite is the Embertail. The fact that it has two tails, and makes a heart shape with them whenever you pet it, is hard to beat.

Can you give new players any advice on finding or hatching pets?

David: Pet eggs can be found in various places throughout the world. Some can be found in crates or digging spots, some are dropped by bosses, and some are sold by certain merchants. To hatch an egg the player must create an Egg Incubator, power it up with electricity, put the egg into it, and then wait patiently until the egg is ready to hatch!

What community requests were added with this update?

Fredrik: In response to community feedback, we accelerated the implementation of features like Guest Mode and Creative Mode, Buckets, and rotatable objects. We also had an absolute blast introducing the Glass and the new Paintbrush colours that were requested by the community.

Whats your favourite new feature from the Animal Update?

David: My favourite addition is the new combat mechanic allowing for a secondary use for several weapons. I think this makes the combat much more interesting and something we can keep building upon to add more unique mechanics to certain weapons! Julian: The new colours and decoratives, which I had been looking forward to starting working on for months. Sven: Allowing the player to pet the pets!

What was the most challenging part of developing the Animal Update?

Max: The inventory system had to be extended to support things like the pet talents and names. Sven: The glass material. It really captures the feeling of being in a circus in a goofy mirror hall. I love it.

Will there be more pets/cattle in the future?

Fredrik: Absolutely, and we are really not just about numbers! We are also actively working to improve the way cattle work in our game by introducing things like breeding, different ways to move them around, and adding irresistibly adorable little calf companions!

Will we ever be able to ride cattle? Will there ever be a rideable mount?

Fredrik: The idea of mounts has been galloping around in our minds since the inception of the game. However, were not quite ready to mark a date on the calendar for this feature just yet. Stay tuned for more updates. We hope you enjoyed reading our answers and that youre having a blast with your new pet pals. Weve had such an amazing time developing Core Keeper so far, and were only just getting started! Thank you for all your support, and keep an eye out for a new roadmap on the horizon. Until then, make sure youre part of the Core Keeper conversation over on Discord and Twitter!