Hyper Light Breaker has shadow dropped a new update with floating islands, difficulty modifiers, a beefy new tank character, and a challenging duo boss that's 'technically 4 bosses' depending on what order you beat them in

Side profile view of new Hyper Light Breaker character, a big crocodile man with a spikey goatee.

In a new trailer at the Gamescom edition of the Future Games Show, Heart Machine simultaneously revealed and launched the latest early access update to Hyper Light Breaker, which includes new systems, a playable character, a fresh boss, and floating islands in the open world. I got a chance to see the new additions in a hands-off gameplay presentation last week, and here are the topline changes:

• A new ramen vendor and collectible ingredients for cooking noodle dishes that give single-run buffs.
• "Glitch bar" difficulty system: Think Hades' heat bar or Halo skulls, with most of the current modifiers focusing on enemy damage, stagger, and other numerical adjustments.
• Sky Labs floating islands, which feature platforming challenges, wave fights, and unique loot.
• New boss fight featuring a pair of gunslinging twins.
• New playable character, a tanky, heavy-hitter type.