Voxel-based metaverse The Sandbox is back with the release of version 0.9.7 of their Game Client, introducing a host of additions and improvements that all help create a more enjoyable metaverse experience.

What’s New in 0.9.7?

In 0.9.7, the UI has been completely overhauled with animated elements and updates to the minimap, inventory, portrait, and more. Next to UI improvements, the game has received a host of gameplay and social updates, improving core mechanics and making avatar customization easier than ever before.

Gameplay

A host of new enhancements have been introduced that enable new gameplay possibilities. Specifically, it’s now possible to activate oxygen consumption when diving. This also means that, depending on the diving speed, consuming oxygen could be slower or faster.

Fall damage is now available for developers to use in their experiences, meaning that it’s now possible to add more realism to your games with this new optional feature. According to the official changelog, players can now experience buffs and debuffs, with active ones visible through various UI elements and visual effects.

The default navigation speed has been increased by a bit, while new avatar sounds can now be heard as you explore the metaverse. To make the experience more comfortable, the default zoom for the third-person camera has been tweaked.

According to an official tweet, players can now enjoy new gameplay possibilities that include “Puzzle, Resource Management, Loot, Chance, Skill & more.”

Social Features

When it comes to social features, users now have a better way to express themselves in the metaverse thanks to an improved emote wheel that is now more organized with more categories and pages, making it easier to navigate and use. Speaking of navigation, the team has introduced seamless navigation, meaning that you can now actually go to any experience without leaving the Game Client itself. To complement that, you can now also select and equip your avatar directly in the game, making it simple to customize your character whenever you want.

Thanks to the introduction of a new chat system, players can now communicate with each other across multiple LANDs using Community Chats. You can also follow players in-game, view whether they’re online or offline, and more. These improvements make socializing in The Sandbox a much more enjoyable experience.

Full details can be found in the official patch notes linked in the below Twitter thread.

The Sandbox has recently opened LAND publishing to all creators, making it possible for all holders to launch their experiences on the map instantly.