Highlights

  • Vampire Survivors releases the surprise Laborratory Update.
  • The Laborratory Update adds festive character Santa Ladonna, new weapons, stages, and achievements to the game.
  • Stay tuned for Operation Guns crossover with Contra and possible future crossovers.

Vampire Survivors has announced and shadow dropped the surprise Laborratory Update. Developer Luca Galante, aka poncle, calls the Laborratory Update an AAAA upgrade, as it is the biggest free update Vampire Survivors has ever had to date, adding new features and animations to the game.

Vampire Survivors took the world by storm in 2022, becoming the highest-rated game on Steam, winning two BAFTAs, and selling millions of units. But the game didn't rest on its laurels and continued to release update after update, adding new features, characters, and stages. Lately, Vampire Survivors has been expanding its scope by crossing over with other titles. The latest is the Operation Guns crossover that will mix Vampire Survivors with Contra, with a release slated for May 9, 2024.

Vampire Survivors Contra Collab
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What to Expect from Vampire Survivors' Contra Collab

Vampire Survivors is teaming up with Konami for a Contra crossover DLC, and fans can look forward to a number of cool new inclusions in it.

Before the crossover arrives, developer poncle surprised players with the Laborratory Update, another free update for Vampire Survivors. The Laborratory Update will bring a new holiday-themed character called Santa Ladonna, who comes with a custom weapon, the Santa Javelin. The update will have two more new weapons, including the evolution of the Santa Javelin, a new standard stage called Laborratory, and another bonus stage called Carlo Cart, where players ride a cart throughout the entire stage. There are also 7 new achievements available after this new patch.

Vampire Survivors Laborratory Update Is Available Today

The developer jokingly calls the Laborratory Update an AAAA upgrade as it adds "hyper-realistic features," such as fully-rendered running animations and opening doors. So far, since its release, Vampire Survivors has received over 30 updates, adding new stages, weapons, and relics to the game or simply tweaking it. One of the most notable updates added a multiplayer mode to Vampire Survivors.

The Laborratory Update is part of Vampire Survivors' Chaos Roadmap and is considered version 1.10, along with the Operation Guns crossover. The roadmap also hints at a future update in version 1.11, which could be either a free upgrade or another crossover. On Twitter, Larian director Swen Vincke asked if players would like a crossover between Vampire Survivors and Baldur's Gate 3, but nothing official to that effect has been announced at this time.

Vampire Survivors players can enjoy the new update starting today. The Laborratory Update is available for free on Xbox One, Xbox X|S, Steam, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. The PlayStation version of Vampire Survivors arrives in the summer and will also include the Laborratory Update and the Operation Guns crossover.

Vampire Survivors Laborratory Update Patch Notes

  • Festive new character: Santa Ladonna.
  • Festive new Weapon: Santa Javelin
    • New Evo: Seraphic Cry

  • New Passive weapon: Arma Dio
  • New Stage: Laborratory. A former pinnacle of weapons science, now overtaken by the forces of evil and a corrupted milk magician.
  • New Stage: Carlo Cart. An abandoned underground railway station where lizardmen run clandestine go-cart races.
  • 7 new achievements!