MENACE Alien Update (v0.7.14): Blaster Queen, Harpy Queen and Evolved Warrior

MENACE’s Alien Update (v0.7.14) has been live since August 20, 2026. Overhype Studios adds three units to the alien wildlife, the early-game faction: the Blaster Queen, the Harpy Queen and the Evolved Warrior. The update stays compatible with existing save games.

Update, October 26, 2026: The Mission Selection Overhaul of October 1 adjusted these units. The Evolved Warrior now appears later in the campaign, Alien Warriors show up less often in early and mid-game army lists, and an Evolved Warrior’s wings no longer move once the unit is killed. The eight-to-ten-operation threshold quoted below therefore reflects the Alien Update’s release.

What v0.7.14 contains:

Blaster Queen: a large bioplasma-firing creature, designed as a ranged anti-armor option
Harpy Queen: a massive, fast Harpy variant with an acid spray and a discipline aura
Evolved Warrior: a winged warrior that crosses long distances and attacks with its claws
New skin for the Stingers and new 3D model for the Enhanced EM Assault Rifle
Balance: morale recovery doubled for all alien units

Three new creatures for the alien wildlife

Overhype Studios says it wants to keep the aliens relevant and challenging beyond the early game, into the mid game. The three new units answer that goal with very different profiles.

The Blaster Queen mixes the existing Blaster Bug with the size and staying power of the classic Queen. It hauls a massive ball of heated bioplasma over long distances, and the ball explodes on impact. The studio presents it as a new ranged anti-armor option: it can shred vehicle armor, but it is most effective against heavily armored infantry.

The Harpy Queen is a massive, fast version of the Harpy that players must take out before it gets to attack. It sprays a wide area with acid that degrades armor and burns flesh. Like the other Queens, it brings an aura that boosts the discipline of nearby xenos, which makes it a priority target.

The Evolved Warrior breaks the idea that hanging back with long-range firepower is enough. This warrior has grown wings to leap long distances, land next to troops and tear them apart with its claws. The studio sums it up: it is time to bring close-combat firepower.

When they appear, and why pricier units

At release, the new units show up roughly after the eighth to tenth operation, so players should not expect to meet them right away. Overhype Studios adds a second goal: offering more units with high point costs, so fewer units are needed to fill an army. Fewer units mean faster turns and less pressure on hardware.

Skin, weapon model, balance and fixes

The Stingers get a new skin to make them easier to spot on the battlefield, the Harpy a new attack animation and the Blaster Bug a new shooting sound. The volume of some alien idle sounds goes down, and several pirate vehicles gain backlighting.

The Enhanced EM Assault Rifle, buildable through the Construct blueprints, gets its own 3D model.

On the balance side, the Alien Bombardier’s discipline drops from 70 to 65 and morale recovery doubles for all alien units. The fixes also cover missions: “Restore Energy Supply” had neither early-game reinforcements nor alternative map layouts, and “Escort Research Truck” had wrong reinforcement settings. The Signal Blocker OCI becomes a bridge OCI, the Counterstrike perk no longer sometimes uses the wrong fire mode, and mines are no longer destroyed by a smoke screen placed on top of them.

What changes for players

For players who found the alien wildlife too easy to handle, these three units add ranged, area and melee threats that call for different answers. On paper the promise is clear, but only time will show whether they really change squad compositions.

Watch two points: the spawn threshold, already adjusted since, and the effect of their high cost on mission pace. The Alien Update keeps up a steady rhythm after the July OCI Rework and the August Terrain Update.

Going further

Sources: Alien Update — now live · Alien Update at Turn Based Lovers · Mission Selection Overhaul