A major expansion pack for The Alters, an “award-winning personal survival game” has been released today, July 13, 2026, just over a year since the game’s original release. This expansion pack is titled The Alters: Last Variable, and is expected to contain about twenty hours of gameplay. It will continue Jan’s story, as he begins to “lead a team of new specialists.” 

This description can seem fairly simple for new players to follow. However, for seasoned fans of The Alters, the statement above begs the question of ‘Which Jan?’ This is because, in the original game, players take on the role of “Jan Dolski, the survivor of an ill-fated space expedition.” In order to survive, Jan needs to build a crew. Armed advanced technology, but minimal contact with the outside world, “Jan create[s] alternative versions of himself [called Alters] to escape” the strange and “hostile planet.” These Alters are based on alternate realities of previous choices, each one equipped with “distinct personalities, memories, and regrets.” Despite stemming from the same person, due to their unique experiences, “Alters will clash on how to handle the mission.” Finding a common ground, in addition to managing resources to split among the crew, is the only hope of living long enough to be able to see Earth again.

The Alters: Lost Variable explores the possible ending where Jan Scientist chooses to stay on the strange planet and learn about the Oasis phenomenon. “The Oasis, a lush paradise that shouldn’t exist,” becomes Jan’s latest obsession. This does not mean that Jan will be working alone, however. Players are tasked with creating new Jans, once again requiring balance to survive. “Only a scientific crew of perfectly aligned altered Jan Scientists can offer the expertise needed to unravel the Oasis phenomenon.” This is primarily accomplished by terraforming nine different areas of the planet, which “forcing the landscape to yield answers,” but at a cost. “With each seemingly right step on a research path, the planet responds with implacable earthquakes and radiation, hinting at secrets best left undiscovered.”

This expansion pack will be available on every platform that The Alters can be played on, for an additional cost. This does not include players who have already purchased, or will be purchasing, the Deluxe Edition of the game. The release trailer for 11 Bit Studio’s newest expansion pack can be viewed below via the official PlayStation YouTube Channel.