Dredge: The Iron Rig release date and gameplay details

The platform looms.

dredge the iron rig platform

The Iron Rig is the second premium DLC for Dredge following The Pale Reach. It adds a new story that’s designed to be enjoyed alongside the base game, giving you a new purpose in this world of cosmic horror fishing and many more gadgets to utilize.

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As far as we know, the DLC is the last one planned for the game, and it has been coming for a long time. After an initial delay to allow developer Black Salt Games more time to make the experience the best it could be, it’s finally going to be released for all platforms in 2024. I devoured every inch of Dredge and its abhorrent fish when it was first released, and I can’t wait to see what this DLC does to build upon what is already a solid base.

When is the release date for Dredge: The Iron Rig?

Dredge: The Iron Rig will be released on August 15, 2024, and it will launch for all platforms simultaneously. You can add the DLC to your wishlists on digital storefronts such as Steam, but there’s also a physical collector’s edition that looks like it could twist your entire collection with its cosmic energy.

Where to buy Dredge Collector’s Edition

dredge collectors edition
Image via Black Salt Games

You can pre-order the Dredge Collector’s Edition from the developer’s official page on the product. At the time of writing, it’s only available via Amazon in France, Germany, and Spain. However, as the distribution pipelines are ironed out, more countries will be added over time. At £99.99/€99.99/$99.99, it’s not the cheapest collector’s edition I’ve ever seen, but it’s certainly got a lot of value in it for that money.

Dredge Collector’s Edition will be released in November 2024 and packs in a slew of physical content that any fans of the game will adore. I like that it doubles down on the best items you get from collector’s editions. See below for everything you get in this massive package.

  • Collector’s Box to encompass it all.
  • Dredge Complete Edition with the game and a spooky reverse inlay.
  • An A3 map.
  • A double-sided A3 poster.
  • Sign of Ruin replica.
  • Double-Sided Coin.
  • A message from the developer in a bottle.
  • Fish species notebook.

What does The Iron Rig add to Dredge?

monochrome iron rig and dredge
Image via PlayStation

The Iron Rig brings a new location from which you can pick up work at any point in Dredge‘s story, Ironhaven. A new NPC there will recruit you and task you with collecting resources from every area in the game. That means you can progress Ironhaven’s technology trees alongside the base game and give yourself a real advantage.

Of course, if you’ve already got a save right before the end of the game, this is still going to add hours of content for you to sail through. What you get from Ironhaven is new equipment, abilities, and consumables. You’ll also be building up a base of operations there, which is a first for the game since every time we’ve had a meaningful impact on a location, it’s been restricted to one or two changes to NPCs.

As you help Ironhaven expand, its drilling operations will cause a dark liquid to start spilling out into the seas, changing and twisting everything. You’re going to be investigating what this liquid is doing to the waters and use a new tier of fishing equipment to see what’s lurking in its inky depths.

Will there be more fish in Dredge: The Iron Rig?

captain looking at ironhaven in dredge
Image via PlayStation

Yes, Black Salt Games has confirmed that there will be over 50 new fish species to collect in The Iron Rig in Dredge. Some of these are going to be Abberations resulting from the black liquid Ironhaven is stirring up, but you’ll also be picking up never-before-seen species from the very bottom of the ocean like you’re an ichthyologist off the coast of Chile.

About The Author
Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp
Jamie is a Staff Writer on Destructoid who has been playing video games for the better part of the last three decades. He adores indie titles with unique and interesting mechanics and stories, but is also a sucker for big name franchises, especially if they happen to lean into the horror genre.
More Stories by Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp