The Future of SCP: Secret Laboratory - Version 13.5 and beyond
Hello, everyone!
It’s been a while since the last content update, and with 2024 approaching its midpoint, we’d like to break the radio silence by outlining the general shift of development direction that we've recently taken.
After many reworks and adjustments to the playable SCPs, we’ve reached the point where we’re comfortable dividing our focus onto other problematic aspects of the game, such as human gameplay and level design. In the following months, we’ll be working on changes to multiple items — primarily usable SCPs and firearms, as well as changes to the respawning system, and obtrusive level design aspects.
That being said, we’re excited to show you our most recent projects, including a few long-term goals.
Version 13.5
We'll begin by discussing Version 13.5, which has been our primary focus as of late. This update features a wide spectrum of balance changes — ranging from simple value tuning, to new mechanics and full item reworks. The update itself has just entered its public beta phase! If you wish to try it out before its final release, follow the instructions below:
Right-click SCP:SL in your Steam library, then select 'Properties'.
Select 'Betas', then from the dropdown box, opt-in to 'publicbeta'.
Close the menu. After waiting for the game to update, click play.
Our exact date of release is yet to be determined, but we're expecting it to be sometime later this month
SCP-1853 Rework
The flagship feature of this update is the long-awaited SCP-1853 rework. We’ve heard many voices over the years commenting on SCP-1853 (‘Performance Enhancer’) and its lacklustre impact on the gameplay loop, especially when compared to its direct competitor — SCP-207 (‘Cola’). Our first solution to this problem was prototyped months ago with our Patreon Supporters, and we’ve been satisfied with the results. We’ve decided to iron out the details and implement it permanently.
The effects of SCP-1853 remain mostly the same. Upon consumption, a number of effects are given to the player:
Increased item pickup speed.
Weight of armor and equipped items no longer reduces movement speed and stamina duration.
Reduction in the time needed to employ items such as — grenades, medicals, SCP items, etc.
Improved handling of firearms, including better accuracy, recoil control, reload times, and switching between hip fire / aiming down the sights.
These effects no longer scale with the number of SCP-1853s consumed. Instead, it now operates on a system called ‘Danger’, which quantifies the strength of the aforementioned effect. SCP-1853 will give temporary buffs to its users whenever they find themselves in a dangerous situation. This can be triggered by a number of events, including, but not limited to:
Receiving damage
Receiving certain negative status effects, such as Cardiac Arrest or Corroding.
Encountering SCPs or armed enemies.
Alpha Warhead becoming engaged.
Being an active target of SCP-096.
We believe that these changes will increase survivability when entering combat, and reward more active gameplay. This is in direct contrast to SCP-207, which primarily promotes an evasive playstyle. To further improve the dynamics, we’ve decided to adjust the effects of SCP-207.
SCP-207 was introduced back in 2019 during the Megapatch 2 Update, which was before the introduction of the stamina system. Over the years, the game has been constantly changing, but SCP-207’s stats have never been adjusted. Due to its relatively high availability and stackability, it has become a quick and easy way for players to improve their own mobility.
Over time, more players have recognised its potential, often resulting in a lot of frustration for the SCP team — being unable to chase down the last target. We’ve decided to address this issue by reducing the maximum number of stackable SCP-207s to three, which resolves the issues presented by the more “extreme” gameplay scenarios.
The infinite stamina granted after consuming the first bottle is quite a powerful benefit on its own, so we've decided to reduce the speed boost(s), while increasing the damage inflicted by the SCP-207 status effect.
Alongside these changes, SCP-1853 and SCP-207 will no longer be obtainable through SCP-914.
Other Improvements
13.5 will bring a number of other in-game changes. We'll continue to fine-tune the stats and mechanics of playable SCPs based on the variable gameplay experience.
The update will also contain a number of bug fixes and backend changes. If you wish to learn more about this update, please refer to this document for a full list of changes. Please note that the exact values are subject to change, as they may be adjusted when the testing phase concludes. Now, let’s move onto our long-term goals.
Heavy Containment Visual Overhaul
We've recently welcomed a number of new artists to the studio — artists who have since been working incredibly hard to bring you a visual update to the existing Heavy Containment Zone!
Please note that these are still in its early stage, and are subject to change. New room variants and layouts are also planned, but please note that this is primarily a visual touch-up for the existing Heavy Containment Zone. Its current version features room models from different eras of our development timeline, resulting in noticeably inconsistent aesthetics. Resolving this issue is something which our artists are excited to work on, and is a goal which they can comfortably work towards — as it doesn’t detract from other level design projects.
Weapon System Enhancements
Towards the end of the last year, we’ve announced our plans to rework the Experimental Weapons (covered in this post), but we’ve encountered several limitations during implementation. The weapons system was written as part of the Parabellum update nearly three years ago, alongside the rework of all in-game items. While working on the implementation of the new Experimental Weapons, it became clear that our framework would have difficulties supporting such unconventional guns.
We’ve decided that shifting our focus to a firearm-focused refactor is the best course of action. This also gives us an opportunity to adjust some core mechanics. It’s important to note that while most of the firearm code is being written from scratch, this refactor isn’t nearly as massive as the one that occurred during Parabellum.
The following section is a summary of an older Patreon teaser, which is publicly available here. We recommend that you give it a read if you wish to learn more.
Conventional Weapon Changes
Our general goal is to slightly lessen the learning curve to make it easier for beginners to grasp more of the weapon system(s). The intent of these changes are to place players on a more level playing field in the event of a gunfight, while still allowing skillful plays to shine. We also hope to address some problematic attachments such as scopes, lasers, and suppressors.
Line-of-fire Indicators
Our game lacks sufficient indicators when stepping into line of fire, especially when the shooter is using a suppressed weapon. To counter this, we’ve decided to add more audiovisual cues.
Firing a weapon will now have a chance to produce a tracer — a bright particle effect simulating the bullet's trajectory. This allows for easier identification of the shooter’s direction, and warns players before they step into a line of fire. The game still utilises hitscan, meaning that the effect is purely cosmetic — playing after the hit is already calculated. Tracers produce a “whooshing” sound as they fly next to the player.
Bullets hitting an obstacle or player will now produce an impact sound. While this is a simple feature, it serves as an important cue. This significantly lowers the effectiveness of suppressors in hallway camping situations. The bullet holes themselves have also received a number of additional effects, making it easier to identify what other players were/are trying to shoot.
Running Accuracy
In Parabellum, we introduced a system that hampered accuracy while running or jumping. It was introduced as a means of solving a problem involving awkward gameplay in gunfights, as the most effective method used to be jumping around in an attempt to lower the chance of an enemy hitting you. Our current running accuracy penalty is very high, forcing players to rely on lasers to make their weapons usable. To address this issue, we’ll be lowering the baseline running penalty for all firearms, allowing more guns to remain usable while running. In addition, the lasers will no longer affect running accuracy, only the baseline hip-firing accuracy. This'll mean that the accuracy penalty added while sprinting will only depend on the type of weapon used, weight, and length.
In addition, accuracy will now be presented as ‘accurate range’, which sounds more intuitive than ‘angular dispersion of inaccuracy’ to newer players, but you may choose to switch back to the old units in the UI settings.
Other
There’re a number of smaller issues which we’re planning to resolve during this rework:
The recoil will be simplified, reducing the sudden changes in horizontal sway. This makes the weapons more controllable, even to players with no knowledge of their recoil patterns.
To increase the relevance of semi-automatic pistols, they will now fire continuously upon holding the fire button. This turns them into less powerful SMGs, with near-instant draw time, greatly increasing their viability as a backup weapon.
The Night Vision Scope will now produce a less blurry image, while Telescopic Sights will slightly increase the density of fog, levelling out the chances of two players spotting each other.
Revolver Rework
The .44 Revolver was the first model created for Parabellum, made by Mikel — our newest artist at the time. Mikel has since learned a number of new skills over the years, and has always kept a vested interest in improving upon the Revolver's model — but we’ve never had a good opportunity which would allow him to do so. However, the recent weapon rewrite, combined with Mikel’s lack of current assignments, opened a window for a relatively seamless integration of this project.
As of now, the Revolver is the divisive gun in the game. It’s not friendly to new players, not easily adaptable to different playstyles, and generally has little place among the other guns the game has to offer. We’ve decided to redesign the revolver to become a much more adaptable and powerful sidearm, so that a greater number of players actually find use with it.
The Revolver will be remodelled and will receive a new set of attachments, mechanics, and animations. It will remain a sidearm for Chaos Insurgency Marauders, with the Shotgun serving as their primary weapon. It'll also retain a similar attachment layout, with options to change barrels, cylinders, sights, and grips.
The most noticeable change will be the new 7-shot cylinder, which'll replace the current 8-shot one. It features .410 buckshot rounds, turning the revolver into an effective close-quarters weapon at the cost of headshot capability. This adaptability is sorely lacking from the current revolver; which forces the user to adapt to a certain playstyle, instead of the player customising the revolver to their liking. We’re also adding a flashlight attachment, which means the Revolver is no longer the only gun in the game to lack one.
Other projects
We’re currently working on several other smaller projects, which we’re planning to cover in future posts. As an example, we’ve been working on solutions that would address the elevator camping problem, but we haven’t yet decided on our final course of action — so we aren’t comfortable sharing any details.
In addition, we’ve started work on the Reinforcement Overhaul, which is another project focusing on reworking the respawn system. It incorporates a number of new objectives, affecting which team will spawn, and how often. We’re also introducing a concept of ‘mini-waves’, a smaller wave of reinforcements which can be earned by a respawning team shortly after a full respawn, designed to compensate those who have died too early.
From other exciting news, we've finished work on all our reworked character models, and our teams have been working on animating them during these past few months. Stay tuned for future posts, which will provide more details about these changes.
The Internet is not a safe place
Dear Community Members,
I address you today regarding a situation that deeply concerns us all. A few weeks ago, we received reports about alleged instances of child grooming associated with an individual connected to Northwood. We’ve acted swiftly, cutting our connections on the same day of the report. Due to the sensitivity of this matter, we’ve decided not to comment on that situation publicly, and hand over this case to relevant authorities. While many of us remained active on social media platforms, answering questions, the lack of an official statement was misinterpreted as us pretending like everything’s alright — it’s not.
The internet is not a safe place for children, it can be exploited by pedophiles through tactics like child grooming. While this form of exploitation extends far beyond our platform, I feel personally responsible for informing you of these dangers. Predators often use their position to appear as trustworthy individuals. This allows them to establish relationships with children, gradually manipulating them into engaging in inappropriate or harmful activities.
If you are a witness to any suspicious behavior from anyone associated with Northwood, particularly concerning the welfare of children, I urge every one of you to immediately report this to relevant authorities and our team. We aren’t able to keep our eyes everywhere, and we heavily rely on your reports.
You can contact my Human Resources team at hr@scpslgame.com — you can also report any other form of staff misconduct, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, abuse of power, etc. Your fast response could be crucial in preventing further harm.
We have multiple people working for us, having access to this mailbox. This ensures fastest response time and prevents any bias from an individual from affecting the case. Despite their best efforts, if you believe your case has been mishandled, or it requires extra confidentiality, please send your report directly to me at hubert@scpslgame.com
Please spread awareness about these dangers and stay safe when talking to strangers online. Remember that not everyone may be who they say they are. If someone tries to pressure you into doing something you're not comfortable with or makes you feel scared or confused, trust your instincts and talk to a trusted adult immediately. Thank you for your attention and support.
Hubert Moszka
Northwood x Terabit Hosting
Exciting news!
Northwood Studios is thrilled to announce a brand-new partnership with Terabit Hosting, making it easier than ever to host your own SCP: Secret Laboratory servers directly through the game!
What does this mean for you?
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Improved performance: enjoy smooth gameplay with optimized servers designed specifically for SCP: Secret Laboratory.
Enhanced security: benefit from Terabit's DDoS protection and advanced security measures to keep your servers safe and secure.
Want to try out a game server? Here's a 25% off discount code for 3 months: NWDEAL
Version 13.4.2
Hello everyone. This update consists of some fixes to our most recent release, version 13.4.1.
Fixed an issue disallowing SCP-173 to kill targets.
Cleaned up code responsible for handling stamina usage and weapon targeting.
Thank you all, and see you in the dark. ~ Northwood Studios
Version 13.4.1 is now live!
Hello everyone. Following the recent conclusion of the Christmas event update, we’re launching a hotfix with numerous balance changes, bug fixes, and backend system updates.
SCP Balance Changes
SCP-096
Increased docile movement speed to 3.9m/s (from 3.64).
SCP-096’s screams can now be heard from further away.
Decreased damage of SCP-096’s primary attack to 60 (from 85).
SCP-096’s Charge now deals 35 damage to non-targets (from 45).
Decreased initial Hume Shield to 450 (from 600).
Decreased maximum Hume Shield to 900 (from 1200).
When entering rage, Hume Shield no longer halves.
Increased the delay before Hume Shield regenerates to 15 seconds (from 10).
Hume Shield now regenerates twice as fast while Try Not to Cry is being used. This does not affect the delay before Hume Shield begins to regenerate.
SCP-939
Base health increased to 2700.
Reduced sprint speed to 6.8m/s (from 7).
Reduced maximum stamina to 10 seconds of usage (from 13).
Reduced Mimicry’s cooldown to 3 seconds (from 10).
Reduced Claw attack speed to 0.8s between attacks (from 0.6).
Active generators now produce sound ripples, aiding in pinpointing their locations.
SCP-049-2
Increased maximum speed from Lobotomized Bloodlust to 5.4m/s (from 5.17).
Consuming a corpse will now temporarily max out Lobotomized Bloodlust’s speed increase for a few seconds.
Targets marked by SCP-049’s Good Sense of the Doctor will now show the indicator to SCP-049-2 instances.
SCP-079
Rooms connected by an elevator will now have an icon on SCP-079’s map. Clicking this icon allows SCP-079 to directly visit the room at the top of the elevator.
Disabled ability to switch zones by using movement keys. A setting has been added to re-enable this behaviour.
Improvements and Bug Fixes
Re-added the new SCP-049 and door audio.
Improved Spectator HUD and Muting Settings.
‘Mute other spectators’ no longer mutes the end-game round summary and pre-game lobby voice chats.
Added a ‘Mute pre-game lobby’ option.
Added an option allowing users to mute the end-game round summary screen in the settings menu.
All mute options are now additionally available in the settings menu.
Role names on the spectator player list have been shortened where possible.
Added Hitmarker sound indicators.
Optimized memory usage by the Hotkey system.
Fixed “access denied” sounds not triggering properly by locked generators.
Fixed Massive Labyrinth not muting after death.
Fixed SCP-106’s doors not being openable by SCP-079 during the Alpha Warhead detonation process.
Fixed an out-of-bounds exploit regarding Entrance Zone checkpoints.
Fixed video setting sliders not permitting typing in decimal numbers.
Fixed the `showtag` command being overridden by the badge preference setting.
Added Dutch translations.
Added Galician translations.
Added Turkish translations.
Technical and Backend Changes
SCPs no longer look strictly for human players when trying to find targets. Now uses a team-based approval system.
Added the `IsStatic` property to primitive objects. This disables constant position syncing.
Improved QR codes in the Remote Admin console.
Made multiple optimizations related to querying users in Remote Admin.
Improved Staff Chat
Removed Staff Chat from the Administration tab — it now has its own tab.
When sending a message, the input will now be cleared automatically.
Messages can now be sent with the ‘Enter’ key.
Staff Chat now utilises a user’s group colour instead of one based on their current role.
Refactored some code.
Fixed an issue where some author information would be lost upon the start of a new round.
Fixed instances of LocalAdmin input occasionally being mishandled.
Patched multiple vulnerabilities related to the Remote Admin console.
Fixed player queries incorrectly being logged as accessing IP addresses.
Fixed query data incorrectly being copied based on prior queries.
Fixed IP Address Passthrough being ignored when querying multiple players.
Fixed UseGlobalBans being ignored in full authentication.
Keep your eyes peeled for further updates on the horizon.
Have fun, and see you in the dark. ~ Northwood Studios
Christmas Update 2023 Feedback Survey
Hello everyone,
With our Christmas Update having now been live for a good period of time, we would like to invite you to participate in this feedback survey.
With the entry into a new year; we would like to thank you, our playerbase, for your continued support and interest in providing us with your invaluable feedback — so that our studio may continue to improve upon SCP:SL, and make it the best it can be.
Here’s to another great year!
~ The Feedback Team
SCP-173 has (unfortunately) been recontained.
The SCP-173 Makeship campaign has now ended, and the SCP-173 plushie will shortly enter its production stage.
A massive thank you to everyone who has supported us by purchasing one — we hope that you enjoy your cuddly new friend!
Don’t blink or you’ll miss him!
You have only one week left to acquire the new SCP-173 plushies before they’re placed back into containment!
You can purchase them here: https://www.makeship.com/products/scp-173
Holiday Update — 2023
We’ve just released the seasonal update for SCP:SL. Included is a new playable faction, SCP-956 and SCP-559, and the return of SCP-2536, alongside other smaller features implemented for this year’s winter season.
SCP-2536 Reimplementation
As mentioned last year— what’s a holiday update without a Christmas tree?
SCP-2536 is back again. We’ve reworked the loot table and improved the visuals. With the extra love and care put into this year’s version, we hope you’ll enjoy the return of ‘The Gift That Keeps On Giving’.
SCP-1507 — Pink Flamingos
SCP-1507 is one of this year’s special holiday features. In short, it’s a parade of plastic flamingos — capable of inflicting melee damage and seeing targets through walls.
SCP-1507 is a faction of its own, with only one goal — kill everything. Whilst weak on their own, the sheer number of them is their primary strength. If you hear cawing down the dark Facility halls, be very afraid.
Primary Attack — ‘Peck’
SCP-1507 lunges forward, dealing a strong peck to a single target in front of it, inflicting significant damage. The attack does not stop its usability at living targets — SCP-1507 can break down doors and open gates with its peck. Locked doors won’t stop them…
Special Ability — ‘Vocalize’
SCP-1507 lets out a loud flamingo cry that can be heard from many rooms away. Players within close proximity to the cry will be concussed. By itself, the ability does nothing, but with the help of others…
Passive Ability — ‘One of Us’
When other flamingos use Vocalize near recently slain SCP-1507 instances, a progress bar will begin to fill. If members of the horde work together to fill this progress bar, the slain SCP-1507 will return to life.
An SCP-1507 instance can only be revived once. Death is not the end for SCP-1507…
Passive Ability — ‘Universally Hostile’
The horde knows no limits. SCP-1507 instances can see living targets throughout walls, from multiple hallways away. There’s nowhere to hide…
Passive Ability — ‘The Swarm’
A SCP-1507 instance may not be extremely powerful alone, but together, their strength quickly multiplies. SCP-1507 instances passively regenerate health when nearby other flamingos. Their durability is unmatched, growing stronger together…
We hope you enjoy the inclusion of SCP-1507 in this holiday season.
Snowballs
Another fun feature this year is the addition of snow piles throughout the Facility. Use these piles to grab snowballs and have a snowball fight against your enemies!
Snowballs can be thrown much like any other throwable object, with a twist — you can charge your throw to deal more damage. Headshots also grant a damage bonus.
You can only have a maximum of one snowball in your inventory at a time.
Other Festive Changes
Readded SCP-956 and SCP-559 with a chance of spawning per round.
Readded coffee cups with special messages.
You can, once again, see your breath in the freezing cold Facility.
Resprited SCP-018.
Decorated the Facility with seasonal cheer.
Reimplemented the Chaos Insurgency Express.
Implemented new audio for SCP-049’s abilities.
Implemented new environmental audio for doors throughout the Facility.
Implemented a new skybox and terrain.
Readded coal.
Removed SCP-055.
SCP-3114 will spawn naturally for the duration of the event.
Here’s to another amazing year of SCP:SL. This game still exists today because of you — members of the community. Thank you!
Keep on the lookout for a feedback form soon to come.
Happy holidays, and see you in the dark.
~ Northwood Studios
Your chance to have your very own SCP-173!
To those who haven’t heard, we have, once again, partnered with Makeship to bring you another pocket-sized version of one of the Foundation’s infamous ‘members’.
For a limited time, you can grab an SCP-173 plushie from Makeship’s website: https://www.makeship.com/products/scp-173
We’re happy to announce that the campaign has been fully funded, meaning we can now guarantee the plushie's entry into the initial stages of production.
Once the campaign ends, the plushies will no longer be available for purchase, so grab one while you still can!
We'd like to thank everyone that has purchased one already — however; it'd be best to keep an eye on it once it arrives…
