Sumo Tanks — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| 8/1 Hotfixes | 2026-08-01 | It's been awhile! This update was supposed to be behind-the-scenes changes... but there were some bugs to fix. So, let's get into those!BugfixesAdded "Backstop Bridge" to Survival Mode.Fixed the missing treads and tank collision splash visuals in Treasure Mode's "Backstop Bridge" map.Fixed controllers not working on the Target Practice menu after finishing a level.Fixed a scenario where the background music would not start on the Survival Mode and Target Practice menus."Stability improvements"What "Stability Improvements" Actually MeansIf you've played Sumo Tanks a lot, you've probably noticed it occasionally crashes. For that, I am sorry.Tha |
| 12/30 Speeding Up Campaign Levels | 2025-12-30 | Happy holidays! If you've played the Campaign Mode before, you'll be familiar with the level start and lives banner that appears before every level. If you have played a lot of Campaign Mode, you are probably tired of seeing that banner, so this small update adds to ability to skip it. Just press pause (escape on keyboard or start on most controllers) and you'll skip right to the level. Thank you to the players who requested this change!Previously, this transition kept players waiting at least 5 seconds before they could player a level. If players had gained or lost lives, this this could take up to 7 seconds while animations finished. Now, b |
| Hotfix for Treasure Mode | 2025-11-23 | This small update is an emergency fix for Treasure Mode, which had been unplayable since engine migration. The mode is now fixed and playable. Sorry for any inconvenience that caused. Additionally, Treasure Mode is slightly rebalanced to make matches faster. The default amount of treasure to win has been changed from 30 to 20, and tanks now lose a small random amount of treasure when they are knocked off the edge instead of a percentage of their total treasure. These changes should make it much less punishing when first place is knocked off the map. I hope you enjoy it! As always, if you encounter bugs or have any suggestions, feel free to po |
| Autumn Update 2025 | 2025-09-26 | The Steam Autumn Sale is almost upon us, so I am very happy to sneak in this update just in time for it. There is a big change behind-the-scenes, but I want to start with what players will care the most about...UI Improvements for ControllersA few months ago, I received feedback that Sumo Tank's controls were confusing for new players. This update includes two changes that I hope will help.Dash Button Shown on "Ready Up"At the start of a match, any tank that has not "readied up" will have its dash button (i.e., the "ready up" button) shown under it.Steam Controls Now Shown In SettingsPreviously, to view Steam controls, you had to either play |
| 6/4 SteamInput Hotfix | 2025-06-04 | Fixes the SteamInput localization. Actions should now be more human-readable when editing SteamInput controller configurations. |
| 2024 Christmas Update | 2024-12-04 | Happy holidays and merry Christmas! New Arena: Present The new map is a small square with 4 holes and a bow on top. Once again, this seasonal map is very good for the "Grappler" tank. Maybe all seasonal arenas will start with "P" and be good for Grappler. Accidental patterns aside, it is a great map for 2-3 tanks that requires constant movement and careful dashing to avoid falling into the holes. This new map can be unlocked by playing at least one Arena Mode match during the month of December. As always, If you miss it, just change your system clock to December and play a match. Bug Fix This update also fixes a bug where AI/CPU tanks would s |
| 2024 Halloween Update | 2024-10-28 | Happy Halloween! New Arena: Pumpkin The new map is a large jack-o-lantern. The map is similar to the "Smile" arena, but much wider and with holes instead of pillars for eyes. These additional holes in it make it a great map for the Grappler tank, and the narrow strips around the mouth and eyes work well for heavy, hard-to-move tanks such as Boulder. This new map can be unlocked by playing at least one Arena Mode match during the month of October. Sorry this update came out only 3 full days before November! If you miss it and can't wait until October 2025, just change your system clock to October and play a match. Seasonal Maps "Pumpkin" is th |
| Easier Cross-Play Between the Demo and Full Game | 2024-07-27 | Recently, Steam made it possible to reinstall a demo after you've purchased the full game. Previously, you had to open up the hidden console on the Steam client and input a specific set of commands. Now, you can just click the "Install Demo" button on the store page. That's a lot easier! Thank you, Steam! As a reminder, here's how cross-play between the demo and full game works: Is there cross-play between the Demo and Full versions of the game? Yes and no. While the demo and full game are separate on Steam and cannot play together, if you purchase the full game, the full game's content is also added to your demo. Your demo, now identical to |
| 7/27 Demo-Focused Update | 2024-07-27 | A little over a day ago, Steam made it easier to download demos after you purchase the full game. Thank you, Steam! In response to this, the following changes have been made to the demo and full game: The demo now includes "demo" as part of its logo on the title screen, making it easy to tell if you are playing the demo or have the full game unlocked. The instructions for reinstalling the demo have been modified to match the new, easier method introduced by Steam. |
| 7/17 Patch Notes | 2024-07-17 | The July 17th update contains the following small changes: Fixed a bug where if your Internet cut out during a level and you reconnected, the next level would not load. Fixed the on-screen keyboard not showing while the game is paused. Fixed the controller/player icon above tanks displaying below the wins counter. Fixed a crash on exit. Sumo Tanks now closes in 2-3 seconds (previously 6-8). |
| 6/27 "Clarity Update" | 2024-06-27 | Happy Steam Summer Sale! The June 27th update is a collection of small-to-medium quality of life changes that center around making the game more "clear" to new players. Hence, it is nicknamed the "Clarity Update." This update is not as exciting as new content, but I hope these changes help new players learn the game and help current players become experts. These changes apply to both the demo and full game. Dashing Rework While most of the changes are purely UI, there is one big gameplay change: dashing now slides along walls. Previously, running into a wall would prematurely end a dash. Now, if you hit a wall, you will slide along it until t |
| 5/28 Patch Notes | 2024-05-28 | The 5/28 patch contains the following minor updates to both the demo and full game: Fixed controls getting stuck when unfocusing the game window while holding down a button. Fixed a silly bug where the demo descriptions for game modes was shown in the full game. Fixed a bug where a tank would be disabled at the start of a round if it fell off on the exact frame the round ended (i.e., within 0.0083 seconds at 120fps). |
| Sharing the Full Game with Demo Players | 2024-05-18 | The 5/18 update to the Sumo Tanks demo includes various bug fixes, a few features from the playtest, and, most importantly, the ability to host the full game for other demo players. How can I host the full version of Sumo Tanks for other demo players? When you purchase the full game, the full game's content is also added to your demo, allowing you to share it with other players online. So, once you own the full game, all you need to do is launch the demo and invite players like you normally would. That's it. If you need to reinstall the demo, please see this steam discussion: https://steamcommunity.com/app/2475720/discussions/0/43398590868660 |
| Playtesting Returns & A Release Date is Announced | 2024-05-01 | Playtesting is back! This time it is for the full game. Why have a separate playtest? While the game has been tested as much as possible, it may still have bugs. Playtesting is being run separately to catch any bugs before the full release. If you encounter any bugs, please report them in the Steam Discussions. For a stable version of Sumo Tanks, please wait for the full release. How to join If you were part of the February playtest, thank you! More importantly, you are already approved for this round of playtesting and can join as soon as the update downloads. If you missed the February playtest, you can sign up for this round of playtesting |
| 2/23 Demo Patch Notes | 2024-02-23 | The February 23rd update has the following changing: Fixed a bug where the AI would not change targets. Fixed Steam Input and Steam Overlay issues when launching the game outside of Steam. Performance improvements for lower-end graphics cards. |
| 2/15 Demo Patch Notes | 2024-02-15 | The February 15th patch includes some minor changes to VSync and FPS defaults aimed at reducing visual glitches on monitors with non-standard refresh rates: Increased FPS cap from 60 to 120 FPS, Greatly reduce screen tearing by changing VSync mode from adaptive/related to mailbox. On devices that do not support adaptive VSync, standard/FIFO VSync will be used instead. |
| 2/14 Demo Patch Notes | 2024-02-14 | The February 14th patch contains a few bug fixes and other minor changes: Fixed a crash when playing 85 matches in a single session. The names of campaign levels are now shown. Fixed a bug that caused gaps in the color trail behind shells. Minor campaign rebalancing. |
| 2/7 Demo Quality of Life Update | 2024-02-08 | The February 7th update includes many small changes aimed at improving the experience for new and returning players. Thank you to everyone who has played the demo at Next Fest and given feedback! A lot of these changes are for y'all. Rebalancing Tanks One consistent area of feedback was "Dancer is too weak and Rocket is too strong." Dancer has been slightly buffed and Rocket has been nerfed. Weight Changes Every tank has a weight assigned to it that determines how far it travels after being hit or rammed. Dancer's weight has been increased and Rocket's has been decreased. The result is that it is easier for Dancer to recover from being hit an |
| Online Multiplayer Added to the Demo! | 2024-02-04 | After last week's playtest, online multiplayer has been added to the Sumo Tanks demo. Thank you to all the playtesters who gave feedback and helped catch bugs! Thanks to them, everyone can now enjoy online multiplayer with their friends. How to access online multiplayer There is a new "Online" sidebar that can be accessed anywhere at anytime. To invite a friend to join you, just open the sidebar, click the plus, and select them. Friends can also join you through Steam via the normal "Join Game" option on the friends list. This sidebar can be toggled open and closed by clicking it in the top right, pressing tab, or by clicking "Online" on the |
| Sumo Tanks Live Stream @ Next Fest | 2024-02-04 | Join the developer as he streams the campaign and free-for-all modes in the Sumo Tanks demo! The stream is pre-recorded, but the developer will be in the chat answering questions while working on the latest features for Sumo Tanks. |
| Sumo Tanks Live Stream @ Next Fest | 2024-02-04 | Join the developer as he streams the campaign and free-for-all modes in the Sumo Tanks demo! The stream is pre-recorded, but the developer will be in the chat answering questions while working on the latest features for Sumo Tanks. |
| Public Demo Online Playtest | 2024-01-31 | Online for Sumo Tanks is here! Anyone can try it out by signing up for the playtest on the Steam store page. Until February 4th, the playtest will be open to everyone. After that, the playtest will end and online will be added to the proper Sumo Tanks demo. How can I play online? There is a new "Online" dropdown in the top right of the screen. Clicking the dropdown or pressing tab will open it, and you'll be able to invite friends. Alternatively, your friends can join you directly from Steam without an invite. One player will be the "host" for all others. If the "host" disconnects, all other players will disconnect and return to the title scr |
| 1/24 Demo Update: New & Rebalanced Content | 2024-01-24 | Ahead of Next Fest, the Sumo Tanks Demo has been expanded with new content and rebalanced for new players and tighter controls. New Content New Arena: Parthenon Parthenon is a large arena broken up by several pillars. While the pillars provide cover not found in the Pool and (ironically) Pillar maps, they are too small to camp behind, unlike the walls in Hallway. Matches in this arena involve weaving in and out of cover while closing in for the kill. Expanded & Rebalanced Campaign 14 levels have been added to the demo campaign, almost doubling it to 29 levels! The difficulty of the previous campaign was a problem for many new players, so spec |