Public builds
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Counted once we have watched for 90 days (since 21 Oct 2026)
Distinct builds deployed to a game's public (default) Steam branch, as Steam's client network describes them.
Checked within minutes of each Steam change. Observed since 21 Oct 2026.
Source: Steam client network (PICS), App info, public branch. Full methodology
Latest public build
Build 26389759
Update posts
53 postsPosts announcing an update, tagged or not
Posts in a game's official Steam news feed that announce an update: tagged as patch notes by the developer, or plainly about a patch or a released update.
Source: Steam Web API, ISteamNews/GetNewsForApp. Full methodology
Typical gap between builds
7 hoursMiddle gap across the last 32 builds we saw
| Build | Went live | Patch notes |
|---|---|---|
| 26389759 | None posted | |
| 26362414 | None posted | |
| 26360450 | None posted | |
| 26348351 | None posted | |
| 26338691 | None posted | |
| 26323589 | None posted | |
| 26315935 | Smoother Fights, Six Onslaught Augments and Pure Fixes | |
| 26306903 | None posted | |
| 26293584 |
| Posted | Update |
|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2026 | Boss Rematch, a Living Main Menu and Moving Backdrops Patch notes |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Space Comes Alive Patch notes |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Space just got much prettier Patch notes |
| 28 Sept 2026 | Convoy Breakouts, Rival Strikes and a Sharper Swarm Patch notes |
| 20 Sept 2026 | Nova Swarm: Overlay, Menu & HUD Improvements Patch notes |
| None posted |
| 26286869 | None posted |
| 26275910 | None posted |
| 26281321 | None posted |
| 26271477 | None posted |
| 26259467 | Ten New Story Echoes, Sturdier Saves and Steering in the Fly-In |
| 26253748 | None posted |
| 26244393 | None posted |
| 26239162 | None posted |
| 26231543 | None posted |
| 26226538 | None posted |
| 26222136 | None posted |
| 26206289 | None posted |
| 26201273 | None posted |
| 26199532 | None posted |
| 26198328 | None posted |
| 26193801 | A Ten-Chapter Story, Brighter Cores and Smoother Bombs |
| 26178659 | None posted |
| 26164198 | None posted |
| 26139973 | None posted |
| 26133756 | Hyperspace Fly-Ins, Fifty Bosses and Alien Carriers |
| 26121353 | None posted |
| 26109202 | None posted |
| 26093889 | None posted |
From Steam’s client network, last checked . Builds before 21 Oct 2026, when we started watching, aren't listed. Patch notes are the developer’s update post from an hour before to a day after the build. Not every build gets one. How we count
| 19 Sept 2026 |
| Nova Swarm: Smoother Combat Performance Patch notes |
| 19 Sept 2026 | Reliability, Protection & Combat Clarity Patch notes |
| 14 Sept 2026 | Combat Balance & Player Feedback Fixes Patch notes |
| 12 Sept 2026 | New Threats, Snake Broods & More Surprises Patch notes |
| 7 Sept 2026 | Boss Overhaul, Varied Waves & Clearer Combat Patch notes |
| 6 Sept 2026 | The Swarm Has Evolved: A Major Nova Swarm Update Update |
| 29 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm: Distinct Powerup Art & Clearer Pickups Patch notes |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Cabinet Wonders: bugfixes and visual improvements Patch notes |
| 16 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Endless Rank, First-Run Clarity & Combat Polish Patch notes |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Clearer Menus, Safer Warnings and Better Run Reports Patch notes |
| 9 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Cleaner Combos and Powerup Pairing Patch notes |
| 8 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Cleaner Combat, Controls and Hangar Clarity Patch notes |
| 6 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Keyboard Remapping, Wonder Audio and Interface Fixes Patch notes |
| 2 Aug 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Nova Command, Viking Flagships & Better Boss Fights Update |
| 26 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Sixty Wonders, Smoother Bosses & some bugfixes Patch notes |
| 25 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Overrun & the New Command Deck Patch notes |
| 22 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Tactical Drafts, Premium VFX & Final Transmissions Patch notes |
| 20 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Cabinet Wonders & Combat Clarity Patch notes |
| 18 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Better Dodges, Builds and Tactical Choices Patch notes |
| 13 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Aces, Nemesis Protocols & Rival Wings Patch notes |
| 11 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Tactical Draft & Run-Build Update Patch notes |
| 8 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: 100+ Improvements since last patch! Update |
| 5 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Pilot Orders and Clearer Powerups Patch notes |
| 2 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Brighter Boss Fights, Slower Slow Time Patch notes |
| 1 Jul 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Run Report and Smoother Mayhem Patch notes |
| 30 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Cleaner Dodging, Better Rewards, Calmer Menu Voices Patch notes |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Focus Drift Control Patch notes |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm: The Mayhem Update Update |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Update: More Mayhem, Full Reinforcement Waves, Hangar Fixes Patch notes |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Hotfix: Hangar, Reinforcements, And Ascendant Balance Patch notes |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Update: Projectiles, Boss Fairness, And Mayhem Polish Patch notes |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Hotfix: Readability, Near Miss Feedback, And Leaderboard Polish Patch notes |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Hotfix: Mayhem Score And Pacing Adjustment Patch notes |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Hotfix: Codex glow, bonus feedback, and exit option Patch notes |
| 21 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Update - Mayhem, Scout and Sector Run Patch notes |
| 18 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Update - Cinematic Hangar Menu, Sector Challenge startt points Patch notes |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Update - 2026-06-17: Sector Signals and bugfixes Patch notes |
| 15 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Update - 2026-06-15 19:45 CEST: 81 Achievements & Boss Voices Patch notes |
| 15 Jun 2026 | Enemy Readability Pass: Support Ships Look Like Ships Now Patch notes |
| 14 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Patch Notes: Codex Intel & Threat Clarity Patch notes |
| 12 Jun 2026 | Nova Swarm Has Mutated: A Genre Revolution Update Update |
| 11 Jun 2026 | The swarm has teeth now Patch notes |
| 11 Jun 2026 | First patch progress update: UI, controls, and boss clarity Patch notes |
| 8 Jun 2026 | Pre-Release Update — Codex & Polish Pass (6 June 2026) Patch notes |
Steam keeps no record of past build numbers, so before 21 Oct 2026 a game’s update history comes from its own Steam news: posts tagged as patch notes, and untagged posts that plainly announce a patch or a released update. Older posts are still being read in, most played games first. How we count
The arcade classics, rebuilt for 2026. A vertical shmup where swarms hold formation, then peel off and dive. Read the wave, rescue captured fighters, draft your build and chase real players up the rival ladder, one named pilot at a time, through endless sectors and 50 bosses.
