When did The Last Caretaker Update 5 release?

Update 5: New Horizons released on June 25, 2026, on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

What is Project Eden in The Last Caretaker?

Project Eden is the new progression system added in Update 5, built around construction, crafting, skills, quests, unlocks, and committee-driven restoration. As restoration seeds are returned from orbit, Eden rises from the sea — a stepped garden where players construct Eden modules and cultivate plants and trees.

What new tools were added in Update 5?

Update 5 added TideRipper Hand Jets, the Rhino Dismantler, the Recovery Grinder, the PECO Grid Scan 2000, the Data Recovery Deck with music playback, and Rocket Payload fabrication.

Do I need the Salvage Gyro for Update 5 content?

Parts of the progression path run through Update 4 content: the Recovery Grinder blueprints are inside Silos that require the Salvage Gyro to enter, and the Grinder makes Oil for Stainless Steel used in the First Roots Project Eden quests.

Update 5 "New Horizons" Explained: Project Eden, Committees & New Tools

Q: What is the Committees system?

With Update 5, the Committees awaken — humans in orbit gain new ways to influence the future through long-term development goals, tying orbital progress to visible changes in the world.

Last Updated: July 7, 2026

Data Status

Covers Update 5: New Horizons (released June 25, 2026) plus Updates 3.5 and 4
Sources: official Channel37 announcements (thelastcaretaker.com) and Steam patch notes
Early Access content changes fast — mechanics described here reflect launch-day announcements, not exhaustive testing

June 25, 2026 brought the biggest change to The Last Caretaker's endgame loop so far. Update 5: New Horizons turns your orbital deliveries into something you can finally see: a garden rising out of the ocean. Here's what's new — and if you took a break this spring, what Updates 3.5 and 4 added while you were away.

Coming back after a break? Jump straight to the Updates 3.5 & 4 catch-up section →

Rocket launch in The Last Caretaker - returning restoration seeds to orbit

Quick Navigation

→ Project Eden → The Committees System → New Tools & Items → Project Jonah & Theta-9 → Performance & HDR → Missed Updates 3.5 & 4?

Project Eden: Progression You Can See

The centerpiece of Update 5 is Project Eden — a new progression path that turns committee progress into visible change in the world. As restoration seeds are returned from orbit and committee efforts grow, Eden rises from the sea: a stepped garden slowly rebuilding a future that once seemed impossible.

Mechanically, it's a progression system built around construction, crafting, skills, quests, unlocks, and committee-driven restoration. You can construct Eden modules and cultivate plants and trees — the first time the game has let you build toward something beyond your own boat and bases.

Progression note: The First Roots quests in Project Eden need Stainless Steel, which requires Oil from the Recovery Grinder — and the Grinder's blueprints sit inside Silos you can only enter with the Update 4 Salvage Gyro. We mapped the whole chain with every material count in the Project Eden guide; if you skipped Update 4, start with the Salvage Gyro unlock guide.

The Committees Awaken

Update 5 also activates the Committees system: humans in orbit gain new ways to influence the future through long-term development goals. Instead of one-way deliveries, your orbital population now drives restoration goals that feed back into Project Eden's growth.

New Tools & Items

Update 5 ships six named additions to your toolkit:

TideRipper™ Hand Jets

New personal water mobility tool.

Rhino Dismantler

A heavier take on dismantling. (For the classic tool, see our Dismantle Tool guide.)

Recovery Grinder

Produces Oil — the input for Stainless Steel needed in First Roots (Project Eden). Blueprints are found in the Silos (Salvage Gyro required).

PECO Grid Scan 2000

New scanning device in the PECO line.

Data Recovery Deck

Includes a music playback function.

Rocket Payload Fabrication

Craft payloads for orbital launches.

Project Jonah, Theta-9 & Cultural Memories

Project Jonah — a whale encounter with its own questline, lore, rewards, and a dedicated location.
Research Outpost Theta-9 — a sealed facility studying "Roth's Anomaly."
Cultural Memories — a discovery system spanning Cave Paintings, HoloMemories, and Samples, building on the HoloMemory system introduced in Update 4.

Performance, HDR & Localization

On the technical side, Update 5 brings:

Weather and wave system upgrades
Reduced memory consumption and performance optimization across gameplay, weather, vehicles, physics, cables, and large save games
HDR support
Controller and UI improvements
Italian and Spanish in-game text translations

Took a Break? What Updates 3.5 and 4 Added

Update 3.5 "Shadow Drop" — April 15, 2026

A surprise update driven by community feedback, outside the original six-update roadmap. Focused on broken persistence, unreliable cables, fabrication issues, progression blockers, and performance headroom.

Also added: a craftable Camera Drone (screenshots/photos), PECO support for cartridges and playable minigames, weapon paints for the bolt gun, new rooms/caves/vents/secrets across multiple locations, and a new storm region in the northern sea.

Update 4 "Below Us" — May 13, 2026

One of the game's largest updates: the Salvage Gyro flying vehicle, Gyro Service Towers, new Silo locations, the Eden Cradle seed vault and its questline, the Project Canticle mystery, and the HoloMemory system.

Full unlock walkthrough: Salvage Gyro Unlock Guide (all 3 blueprint locations)

Returning player route: Update 4 first (unlock the Gyro), then into Update 5's Project Eden chain. The Gyro is on the critical path for the Recovery Grinder → Oil → Stainless Steel → First Roots progression.

Related Guides & Tools

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Heading Back In?

Start with the Gyro if you haven't unlocked it — everything in Update 5's progression flows through it.

Salvage Gyro Guide →