'Hover Junkers' Gets Massive Content Update: New Toon, New Guns, LAN Mode

Hover Junkers was one of the Vive’s launch titles and was the first multiplayer shooter available for the platform. After months of work behind the scenes, StressLevelZero has rolled out Loadout, which includes new weapons, more "junk," and a new character. The developers also added a LAN mode for the rare few of you who have more than one Vive.

The Loadout update will have a staggered release. The initial update is already available, and it includes a new character called Fang Razorclaw. He looks like the kind of guy who lives in the mountains and fights bears with his hands, sporting a thick, full beard; a coat made of animal hide; and a wolf head (with an eye patch) for a hat. Razorclaw also gets optional gloves and Aviator sunglasses.

A big part of Hover Junkers’ gameplay revolves around building up your hovercraft’s defenses using junk that you salvage from around the world. The Loadout update also includes 17 new items that you can use to dress up your transportation and shelter you from enemy fire. These parts are also available now.

  • barricade
  • bottle stack
  • diving suit
  • double slates
  • filing cabinet
  • flamingos
  • fridge door
  • port door
  • raft door
  • shark trophy
  • skateboards
  • spike
  • ticket machine
  • tires
  • Broken boat
  • water heater

The namesake of the Loadout update is the new loadout scene where you can customize the list of guns that are available in your avatar’s weapon selector. The loadout bunker also lets you get a feel for the different guns before you venture into combat.

The Loadout update includes a grand total of eight new guns to choose from, but you’ll have to wait a little bit longer before the full arsenal is released. StressLevelZero decided to stretch out the release of the guns over the course of a month. The company will launch two new guns each week, starting with the Stapler and the Quadshot, which are available now.

The Quadshot is a four-barrel shotgun that offers a tighter spread than the TripleBarrel, but its shells are less powerful the than three-barrel option. The Stapler is a highly accurate semi-automatic pistol. This gun has the lowest recoil in the game, but it is limited to 10-shot mags, so you have to use your shots effectively.

Hover Junkers: Loadout also includes LAN Mode, which allows you to play locally without worrying about lag from the internet getting in the way. If you happen to have two Vives and two play spaces for them in the same house, you can now host a local game from one of your own PCs. You probably shouldn’t even bother trying if you don’t have a top shelf gaming rig to host the game, but if have money for two Vives, you probably already do have a high-end system.

The Hover Junkers Loadout update is already out on Steam. If you have the game, it’s already up to date.

 Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years.