The Raft v1.1.01 Beta update is a recent milestone that bridge the gap between PC and console players while refining the core survival experience. It primarily focuses on the Beta Branch on Steam, allowing players to test upcoming features before they hit the main game. Key Updates in v1.1.01 Beta
This version introduces several community-requested features and technical overhauls:
Cross-Play Support: Enables Steam players to join worlds hosted on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Full Controller Support: Players can now use controllers natively on PC for a more relaxed gameplay experience.
In-Game Voice Chat: Adds a built-in communication system, making coordination with crewmates easier without external apps.
Security & Network Rework: A significant update to the multiplayer network code to increase security for both hosts and clients.
Bug Fixes: Addresses specific issues like "Error 63" when joining worlds and voice chat stability. Community Spotlight: Why It Matters
Blog posts and developer updates emphasize that while the "Final Chapter" was released in 2022, these 1.1 series updates are crucial for the game's longevity on consoles.
Performance Improvements: The developers have substantially reduced RAM usage to prevent crashes during save file loading.
Quality of Life: Tweaks like preventing domestic animals (Llamas, Goats, Cluckers) from walking off the edge of the raft have been a major relief for long-term players.
For more detailed technical notes, you can check the official Raft Dev Blog or the Steam Community News.
Are you interested in how to opt-in to the beta branch on Steam, or do you want to see some creative raft designs from this latest version? Raft - Steam Community
Reviewing Raft v1.1.01 Beta is a deep dive into the early, formative stages of what eventually became a massive survival hit. In the current context of April 2026, looking back at version 1.1.0x provides a clear picture of how the game’s core mechanics—scavenging, building, and shark-deterrence—were first refined. Core Gameplay & Mechanics
At its heart, Raft is a story-driven survival crafter where you begin stranded on a few wooden planks with nothing but a plastic hook.
The Hook Mechanic: Your primary tool for survival, used to pull in floating debris like plastic, wood, and palm leaves to expand your raft.
Survival Loop: You must balance hunger and thirst while constantly defending your floating home from Bruce, the persistent man-eating shark that periodically bites off chunks of your raft. Raft v1.1.01 Beta
Expansion: Progression involves moving from simple collection to advanced utilities like water purifiers, cooking pots, and eventually engines and sails to navigate toward specific story-critical islands. Version 1.01 Beta Highlights
Version 1.01 was a crucial stability patch following the game's initial major releases. Key refinements in this specific beta branch included:
Control Customisation: Added the ability to bind a key to 'ESC', a major quality-of-life update for players using non-standard keyboard layouts.
Creative Mode Fixes: Progress in creative mode no longer counts toward achievement progress, ensuring the integrity of survival-based challenges. Bug & Exploit Patches:
Fixed a "duplication" exploit where players could water plants and drink at the same time.
Addressed game-breaking bugs related to removing beds while in use or foundations being destroyed while holding specific items.
Improved world-naming to allow the period ('.') character, resolving issues where some save files appeared lost. Critical Reception
Reviewers typically praise the game's unique art style and the satisfying loop of transforming a tiny plank into a floating fortress.
Pros: Highly engaging story, excellent sound design, and deep building mechanics.
Cons: Some players find the progression heavily "story-locked," which can limit pure exploration in the early game. Connection errors in co-op and graphical clipping issues were also noted in early reviews. Legacy & Current State
While the beta versions laid the groundwork, the game has since evolved significantly.
The Final Chapter: The game eventually moved out of early access with the 1.0 Final Chapter update, completing the main storyline.
Console & Cross-play: As of late 2025/early 2026, Raft is available on Xbox Series X/S and Playstation 5, with a specific Beta Branch on Steam enabling cross-play between PC and consoles. Raft Version 1.0 The FINAL CHAPTER is AWESOME!
The update report for Raft v1.1.01 (released in March 2026) highlights the official launch of cross-play functionality on the default branch Update Highlights Cross-play Integration
: Players can now survive together across different platforms. Previously, this feature was restricted to the 1.09_precrossplayupdate beta branch. : Addressed an issue where the Rhino Shark The Raft v1
would disappear at Varuna Point and fixed a bug where removing the Rhino Shark trophy would destroy adjacent blocks. Technical Stability
: Resolved a random disappearing engine bug and fixed visual issues for the character Rouhi. Steam Community Recent Beta Branch History Since early 2026, the developers at Redbeet Interactive
have used the beta branch to test several incremental improvements: v1.1.08 (Latest Beta) : Recent testing of stability for upcoming features. : Initial post-crossplay tweaks. How to Access Beta Versions
If you wish to test future "Beta" updates before they hit the main branch: Steam Library and right-click on Properties from the dropdown menu. Restart Steam to trigger the update. Steam Community
We’ve just pushed a small but critical update to the Beta Branch to address some of the most persistent bugs reported by the community. As we continue to refine the survival experience, these fixes ensure your journey across the endless ocean remains as smooth (and shark-free as possible) as we can make it.
How to Access the Beta:If you want to test these changes early, head to your Steam Library, right-click Raft, and select Properties. Under the Betas tab, choose "beta" from the dropdown menu. 🛠️ What’s New in 1.1.01?
Keybind Flexibility: You can now officially bind the "ESC" key to your preferred functions, providing more control over your navigation.
Foundation Integrity: Fixed a "game-breaking" bug where holding a throwable anchor while a shark destroyed its supporting foundation would crash the session.
Creative Integrity: Playing in Creative Mode no longer counts toward achievement progress—keep those trophies for the real survivalists!
Water Physics Fix: The "infinite water" exploit (drinking while simultaneously watering plants) has been patched. Nature requires balance!
World Naming: You can now include periods (.) in your world names without the save files appearing "lost" in the menu.
Bed Safety: Removing a bed while another player is sleeping in it will no longer break the game state. 🧭 Navigating the Ocean
While you explore, don't forget to keep your Receiver handy. If you are hunting for lore, the second crucial code can be found at the Radio Tower.
Thank you for your continued feedback and for helping us keep the raft afloat! Update 1.01 - Official Raft Wiki
Raft v1.1.01 Beta: The Silent Turning Point in Oceanic Survival Back up your save folder
In the long history of Redbeet Interactive’s survival hit, few updates have been as foundational yet understated as Raft v1.1.01 Beta. While major content drops like "The Final Chapter" introduced massive islands and story conclusions, v1.1.01 Beta served as the essential "turning point" patch that stabilized the game's core mechanics during its most critical growth phase. A Foundation Built on Stability
Before the release of v1.1.01 Beta, the ocean survival experience was often marred by technical hurdles. Players frequently reported "inventory desync" and the notorious "falling through the raft" glitch, which could instantly end a promising run. This beta version was the developer's direct answer to these community frustrations. Key technical improvements included:
Inventory Desync Fixes: Resolved bugs where players joining a friend's world would lose their entire inventory or be greeted by a black screen.
Physics Refinement: Addressed the "falling through the raft" glitch, ensuring that the raft felt like a solid, dependable home rather than a fragile platform.
UI and Navigation: Fixed issues with the world-loading UI scroll and visual glitches in the crafting and chat menus. Refining the Survival Loop
Beyond technical stability, v1.1.01 Beta introduced several quality-of-life (QoL) changes that streamlined the day-to-day survival loop. These adjustments were subtle but significantly impacted the game's "feel":
Hunger Balance: In Hard Mode, the hunger decay rate was tweaked to better balance the survival challenge for veteran players.
Creative Mode Integrity: Achievements were adjusted so that progress would no longer count while playing in Creative Mode, preserving the challenge for survival enthusiasts.
Input Flexibility: One of the most requested features—the ability to bind the ESC key to different actions—was finally implemented. The Legacy of the Beta Branch
The v1.1.01 Beta was part of a larger strategy by the developers to "stress test" new features before pushing them to the default branch. This particular era saw the testing of critical infrastructure like PlayFab voice chat and early foundations for cross-play, which would later become staples of the full release. Feature Category Major Changes in v1.1.01 Beta Bug Fixes
Resolved world-saving issues related to special characters (e.g., "." in world names). Gameplay
Fixed "water duplication" bugs where players could drink and water plants simultaneously. Visuals Fixed a bug where rain was visible underwater. Systems
Restored item loading logic to the more stable version 1.09 method.
For many "Rafters," v1.1.01 Beta represents the moment the game transitioned from a promising student project into a polished, professional survival experience. It was the update that proved the developers were not just adding content, but were deeply committed to the game's long-term stability.
pre-vote first (non-breaking).Rollback possible by disabling new features, but snapshot format changed in v1.1.01 Beta (backward compatible for reads, not writes).