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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Grounded’s Fully Yoked 1.4 update launched on April 16, 2024. It introduced Ant Queen choices, a New Game+ mode with a remixed yard, and new progression challenges, alongside PlayStation and Switch versions, Japanese voice-over, and quality-of-life improvements. Obsidian called it the “last planned content update” at release; that wording does not establish whether later maintenance patches followed.
Ant Queens add choices, not boss fights
The update added a queen to each of Grounded’s three ant colonies. The queens are not combat bosses: players can bring an offering and choose to befriend or betray a queen. That decision affects rewards and how the colony responds, and some consequences may unfold later rather than immediately. Obsidian’s 1.4 announcement and patch notes describe the choices and their effects.
How to unlock New Game+
To reach the remixed yard, defeat the Broodmother, Mantis, and Wasp Queen, then complete the Javamatic fight. New Game+ carries over your bases, items, and recipe unlocks, so it builds on an existing save rather than starting from scratch.
What changes in the remixed yard
Infused creatures and trinkets
Creatures infused with Raw Science have increased health, damage, and attack speed. Defeating them can yield trinkets with randomized properties, adding a variable reward to the tougher encounters.
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![Grounded Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Mzlx8eg7L._SL160_.jpg)
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More progression
Milk Molars return in randomized locations. The new Yoking Station lets players upgrade weapons further using materials found in remixed yards. Together, these systems make New Game+ a renewed progression loop rather than only a harder replay.
Platforms, voice-over, and multiplayer
The 1.4 announcement added PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch to the platform lineup and described crossplay across platforms. It also added full Japanese voice-over and the ability to load multiplayer saves. The announcement does not provide platform-by-platform performance benchmarks, so it cannot establish how the update compares across hardware.
Rank #2
![Grounded | Standard - Xbox & Windows [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WKvrf2MnL._SL160_.jpg)
- Explore this immersive and persistent world, where the insect life reacts to your actions.
- Shelter and tools are critical to your survival. Build epic bases to protect you and your stuff from the insects and the elements. Craft weapons, tools, and armor, allowing you to better fight, explore, and survive.
- You can face the backyard alone or together, online, with up to three friends—it is your choice (online console multiplayer requires Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, subscriptions sold separately).
- Uncover the secrets lurking in the shadows of Grounded as you freely explore the backyard and progress through its mysterious story.
- Optimized for Xbox Series X|S: Games optimized for Xbox Series X|S will showcase unparalleled load times, heightened visuals, and frame rates up to 120 FPS.
Quality-of-life and Playground changes
- Pet recovery: A recovery feature helps players retrieve pets.
- Object capacity: A meter shows object-capacity use, and players can change the related setting.
- Playground browser: Filtering and reporting features improve finding and flagging community creations.
- Technical work: The update includes performance, memory, and save-speed improvements, as well as bug fixes.
Obsidian’s April 16, 2024 Steam announcement also summarizes the update’s release-era features.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is New Game+ the right next step?
New Game+ suits players who want another progression run and are ready for the required boss and Javamatic encounters. Existing bases, items, and recipes carry forward, while the remixed yard brings tougher infused enemies, randomized trinkets, and new upgrade materials. The announcement does not give a formal balance comparison, so the exact difficulty shift beyond those stated enemy increases is not quantified.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
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