Patch Notes Tracker: Monster Lab Simulator 2026
This tracker covers Monster Lab Simulator 2026 by Round 3 Studios (Early Access on Steam). Not related to the 2008 Flash/RPG-era Monster Lab titles. See 2008 vs 2026 Disambiguation.
Monster Lab Simulator is in Early Access. Mechanics, economy values, and mission trackers change between patches. Patch rows below are paraphrased from official Steam news already logged on this wiki. Player and review counts in the status table are the 2026-09-27 check, not a new census. Full developer text lives on Steam.
September 2026 status (this is the update)
Players searching “Monster Lab Simulator update” or posting “the game died?” want a yes/no. No studio statement says the game is abandoned or shut down. The latest public Steam news is Public Beta is NOW OPEN! (2026-09-28). That post is a beta branch, not the default live install. The last numbered stable note is still v0.2.3.3 (2026-04-13). Devlog #3 (2026-04-14) is an older roadmap post, not the latest news item. The old 158-day silence figure counted from 2026-04-14 and is withdrawn. As of the 2026-09-29 check, one day had passed since the beta post. Player and review counts below stay the 2026-09-27 check. The same table is on the FAQ.
| Evidence | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Last numbered stable Steam note | v0.2.3.3 on 2026-04-13 | Still the last numbered stable note. Not replaced by a made-up version. |
| Latest public Steam news | Public Beta is NOW OPEN! on 2026-09-28 | Public beta branch only. Not the default install for everyone. |
| Days after that beta post, as of 2026-09-29 | 1 | Not a shutdown notice. The old 158-day figure is withdrawn. |
| Latest public devlog | Devlog #3 on 2026-04-14 | Older roadmap post. No longer the latest news item. |
| SteamCharts average concurrent, Feb 2026 | 227.45 | Monthly average |
| March 2026 | 125.39 | Monthly average |
| April 2026 | 39.60 | Monthly average |
| May 2026 | 19.84 | Monthly average |
| June 2026 | 17.00 | Monthly average |
| July 2026 | 17.45 | Monthly average |
| August 2026 | 10.37 | Monthly average |
| Last 30 days, on the 2026-09-27 check | Average 7.54; change −27.31%; 30-day peak 23; all-time peak 601 | SteamCharts. Not recounted on 2026-09-29. |
| Recent reviews, on the 2026-09-27 check | 18% positive, 16 reviews in 30 days — Very Negative | Steam recent-review strip on the 2026-09-27 check |
| All-time Steam reviews (2026-09-27) | 507 total · Mostly Positive (70%) | Current all-time strip. Recent 30-day strip is the row above. |
| Steam discussion post | “I never heard anything more from the devs, there are still 2 doors not to new "areas" on the lab” | Original post text. Not verified here as a bug. |
| Earlier wiki review alignment (2026-09-09) | 505 total; recent Mostly Negative | Older alignment, kept as history. It had replaced the 2026-08-18 snapshot (491 total; recent Mixed, 50% of 10 in 30 days). |
If you need bug workarounds while waiting, use Known Issues.
August 2026 status (research snapshot)
The 2026-08-18 store check recorded:
- No new numbered Steam news patch after v0.2.3.3 (2026-04-13) and Devlog #3 (2026-04-14).
- Steam store strip at that check: All reviews Mostly Positive (73% of 491); Recent reviews Mixed (50% of 10 in 30 days).
- Discord snippets mentioned in Devlog #3 are not a substitute for a versioned patch list. Do not change recipes from Discord rumors.
Quick status (research snapshot)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Steam Early Access launch | Feb 13, 2026 |
| Latest numbered stable note | v0.2.3.3 (2026-04-13) |
| Latest public Steam news | Public beta, 2026-09-28 — not the default branch |
| Latest public devlog | Devlog #3 — Fulu customization roadmap (2026-04-14). Older than the beta post. |
| Price (USD, 2026-09-27 check) | $12.99 |
| Review label (Steam summary) | 507 total · Mostly Positive (70%). Recent 30-day strip: 18% of 16 (Very Negative) — see September table |
| Concurrent players | Feb 2026 monthly average 227.45 → Aug 2026 monthly average 10.37. Last 30 days: 7.54 |
| Free prologue | App 4036850 (Oct 31, 2025) |
Counts and sale prices move — treat this table as dated, not live.
Patch log (official Steam news)
| Date | Version | Summary | Player impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-28 | Public beta (no new numbered stable version) | Public beta of the next major update, combined with the My Best Friend Update. Not the default branch. Fulus reworked: behaviors, needs, bonds, personalities, and interactions, plus Fulu customization. Also a Deathmatch mode, new tablet apps, and full controller support. The full feature list is saved for the official release post. | Back up saves before opting into the beta. Windows saves: %userprofile%\AppData\LocalLow\Round 3 Studios\Monster Lab Simulator\Saves. |
| 2026-04-14 | — (Devlog #3) | Roadmap on Fulu color/accessory customization, relationship interactions, more Fulus. | Not a live feature dump — wait for numbered builds before changing routes. |
| 2026-04-13 | v0.2.3.3 | Rare-egg mission fix; Battle Room feeder missions; Weekly Protocol Create Fulus progress; Daily Experiment team-element drift; Easter event/mission fixes; Oxar→Oksar naming; tutorial softlocks. | Re-check stuck missions after updating. |
| 2026-04-01 | v0.2.3.2 | Hatch prompt keybind UI; couch-nap softlock; Egg Hunt special eggs storable in Refrigerator. | Fewer softlocks; bank seasonal eggs. |
| 2026-04-01 | Seasonal event | Egg Hunt: 7 special eggs after Level 5; better rare odds; Floralis figurine for collecting all. | Confirm event still active in your build. |
| 2026-03-27 | Community | Official Round 3 Studios Discord for feedback/bugs. | Prefer official channels for reports. |
| 2026-03-18 | v0.2.2 | Healing chamber HP display; Steam Cloud sync; achievement fixes; Weekly Protocol / EYF softlocks. | Saves + protocol missions more reliable. |
| 2026-03-03 | Hotfix | Extraction Machine fixed amounts instead of RNG. | Essence recycle loops become predictable. Executable loop: Empower / Extraction / Powder guide. |
| 2026-03-02 | Empower Your Fulus (major) | Higher EXP; Level 10 quest chain; powders + extraction + empowering machine rarity loop; Battle Room orb flow; clearer Merge RNG; better battle rewards. | Mid-game path shifted — use Empower guide; revalidate old economy notes. |
| 2026-02-20 | Hotfix | Robot Helper carries three objects; movable Orb Vending; Daily/Weekly generated after tutorial; fridge orientation fix. | QoL for new labs. |
| 2026-02-18 | v0.1.8 | Amber egg drop tweak; Daily/Weekly rarity targets; duplicate completion fix; habitat heal description. | Mission trackers more trustworthy. |
| 2026-02-14 | Economy hotfix | Min/max Fulu sell prices raised after launch demand. | Order-selling margins change. |
| 2026-02-13 | EA launch | Steam Early Access live (Windows). | Paid EA branch available. |
How to read version numbers
- Launch Monster Lab Simulator.
- Check Settings or the main menu for a version string (e.g.
v0.2.3.3or a Steam build id). - Record the full string with any recipe, economy, or achievement test you log.
- Prefer Steam news + in-client version over third-party “update” videos that mix older footage.
Why version tracking matters
Early Access can change:
- Economy values (sell prices, essence costs, order rewards)
- Breeding / hatch mission conditions
- Merge Machine and Extraction behavior
- Achievement conditions
- Habitat and Battle Room flow
Data without a version number is hard for other players to trust.
Known issues and fixes
Use this section to link patches to active issues.
| Date | Version | Issue | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-13 | v0.2.3.3 | Weekly Protocol Create Fulus progress not saving | Fixed (per Steam notes) | Re-test on updated clients |
| 2026-04-13 | v0.2.3.3 | Hatch a Rare Fulu from a Common Egg mission | Fixed (per Steam notes) | |
| 2026-03-18 | v0.2.2 | Steam Cloud save sync | Fixed (per Steam notes) | |
| 2026-03-03 | — | Extraction RNG volatility | Changed to fixed amounts |
See the Known Issues Tracker for community reports still open.
How to submit patch data
If you have a newer Steam news entry or an in-game version string we missed:
- Note date, exact version, and what changed for players (not marketing fluff).
- Prefer a Steam news URL or a short clip + version screenshot.
- Do not invent patch numbers or copy lists from unrelated “monster lab” games.