Armored Arthropods of the Oceans: Crustaceans

Ahoy Universe Architects,

In the previous Life update, we traversed through land and water alike in search of mollusks. While they have unique survival tactics, their fragility lies in their sensitive, soft bodies. Are there others that can protect themselves more easily from the perils of the sea?

Semblance dives into a new marine adventure, seeking specimens that have evolved powerful defenses without sacrificing mobility or awareness. Guard yourself from head to toe: it’s time to discover…

Official Crustaceans announcement trailer: Watch it now on Youtube

Crack Open the Code

A new branch of evolution is making waves. Crawl, swim, and scuttle your way through the new Crustacean tree to get to the meat of their mysteries. Explore why crustaceans are so tough, what other abilities help them survive, how they’re related to insects, and more.

• Discover the Arthropods trophy node, setting the foundation for the Crustacean generator

• Strengthen your simulation with 25 robust Life nodes

• Uncover three new unlockable nodes while increasing your Research Level

• Claim five fortified achievements when you collect up to 1,000 Crustaceans

Snap Along

Shuffling across the Ocean Garden floor is a new member of the evolution crew. Add the 3D lobster to your underwater collection after unlocking the Crustacean generator at Research Level 81.

Fine Shellfish Dining

Are you ready to feast? New premium items have been added to today’s menu! It may not be a fancy lobster dinner, but these fresh faces bring a unique charm to your simulation spread.

• The Hermit Crab and Mantis Peacock Shrimp Augments are ready to scurry their way into the simulation (and your hearts).

• Use Logits and equip the Nano-Crab Cosmetic. Watch your new Nanobot helpers comb through the Primary tree in search of efficient finds.

Metabit & Knowledge Progression Update

We’ve made changes to how Metabits and Knowledge are earned in response to player feedback about strategies that made it more advantageous to wait for long periods of time. Our goal is to make progression feel smoother and more rewarding during active play.

To support that, Metabit and Knowledge multipliers are now more powerful, as they apply to all converted Metabits and Knowledge in your current simulation. As a result, Time Chambers now have a stronger impact overall because they increase the value of every completed fill instead of only future fills. To keep progression balanced, we’ve adjusted the following Time Chamber upgrades:

• Metabit Time Chamber I and Knowledge Time Chamber I boost decrease from 10x to 5x

• Metabit Time Amplifier and Knowledge Time Amplifier boost decreased from 10x to 5x

We’re actively listening to player feedback and will continue to monitor how these changes feel in-game. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, as your feedback helps shape future improvements.

Additional Improvements:

• FIXED: Time Chamber translations were missing in certain languages

• FIXED: The Darwinium Synthesizer fill timer would reset if it was claimed before reaching the maximum amount

• FIXED: An issue where Time Chambers displayed doubled times in the Beyond and Mesozoic Valley

• FIXED: A bug where the Dancing Flatworm cosmetic was not working

• FIXED: Crash issues on low memory devices

• Added minor updates to the early game experience

• Addressed several other bug fixes and improvements

Crustaceans is available to play now on Steam and will arrive on Android and iOS by 06/03/2026 at 11:59 PM ET.

Congratulations to the winning concepts of the Design A Nanobot Skin contest, and thank you to everyone who participated! We thoroughly enjoyed looking through everyone’s ideas and discussing which potential cosmetics resonated most with the Cells team.

Now, it’s time for a new contest: get ready for the Crusty Clash. Vote for your favorite maritime arthropod in the ultimate popularity contest, the winner will become the next 3D addition to one of the Cells gardens. We'll be sharing more details after the mobile release.

We’re also excited to share our updated roadmap for 2026. New content will continue to be released on a monthly cadence. Development on the Beyond has completed and we’re happy to announce the return of Explore Events.

We have a lot planned ahead. Keep your head up in the cloud as Semblance sets her sights higher.

Stay Cellular,

The Cells Team