We reported last month about FTL’s free, Chris Avellone-penned expansion, but now we know more about exactly what it contains. In a post over on the FTL site, the team introduce a new race of “metallic lifeforms” called The Lanius.

Just when I thought I had enough ways to get all my friends killed.



The Lanius are scavengers who seek out metal deposits, to feast on the scrap and detritus left from intergalactic battles. They don’t need oxygen to survive and even suck the oxygen out of any room they’re in. Not by being so funny that no one can pay attention to anyone else, either. This is bad news for my tiny RPS crew on their starbound voyages, as they just love that oxygen stuff.

The post over on the FTL site has a bunch of GIFs showing off the new race’s animations. My favourite is this melty demise:

The post also outlines a host of other new additions, including new playable ship types, drones and an emergency backup system that can provide a brief push of power when you need it most. The earlier announcement post also outlined a bunch of quality-of-life style features that would make it into the game as well, including the ability to save a set of crew positions and then order everyone onboard to assume them at any point. “Battle stations!” I’ll yell at my computer, before pressing the button and watching in horror as oxygen-sucking metallic monsters teleport onboard and suffocate the crew of the USS RPS.

Is it wrong, on a PC games site, to mention that the expansion will release early next year alongside an iPad version? Because I will be lying on my couch when I get us all killed.

And in the game.