SAND: Raiders of Sophie Update #4 Brings Hit Registration Improvements and New Anti-Cheat Measures

SAND: Raiders of Sophie has received its fourth Early Access update, with developers Hologryph and publisher tinyBuild focusing on two of the community's biggest concerns: combat consistency and cheating. While the latest patch delivers a wide range of gameplay improvements, the developers have also confirmed that a significant anti-cheat update is nearing completion.

Following growing concerns from players over the prevalence of cheats, the development team says new protections are expected to roll out soon. Once those systems are fully implemented and tested, the ability to capture enemy Tramplers—temporarily disabled due to abuse—will return.

Developers Continue Crackdown on Cheaters

Cheating has become one of the biggest challenges facing SAND during Early Access, particularly as the game's popularity has grown over recent months.

In a development update accompanying the patch, Hologryph confirmed that engineers are actively strengthening the game's anti-cheat systems and deploying additional security measures designed to combat both cheats and cheat distributors.

"We are taking this issue very seriously, and will continue to combat cheats and cheat distributors in every way we can."

The studio has not revealed exactly what technologies or detection methods are being added, but stated the new protections should "go a long way" toward improving the overall player experience.

The announcement follows previous efforts to address exploit abuse and server stability during Early Access.

Major Improvements to Hit Registration

Combat receives the largest set of gameplay improvements in Update #4.

Much of the update focuses on improving player positioning and hit registration while fighting on moving Tramplers—one of the game's signature mechanics.

According to the developers, players should now experience:

• Improved hit registration during combat on moving Tramplers.
• More accurate player positioning after death.
• Better interaction detection while vehicles are moving.
• Improved parkour responsiveness.
• More reliable shooting accuracy from moving platforms.
• Corrected occlusion handling aboard moving Tramplers.

The team notes that hit registration remains an ongoing priority and additional refinements are planned in future updates.

Crow's Nest Exploit Removed

One notable gameplay change affects Trampler construction.

The Crow's Nest structure now requires proper support before it can be built. Existing Tramplers that violate the new building rules will automatically be sold by the game, with affected players receiving a full refund of the construction materials.

The change appears intended to eliminate unintended building strategies that gave players unfair advantages.

Duplication Exploit Patched

Update #4 also addresses a recently discovered duplication method.

While the developers did not provide technical details regarding the exploit, its removal should improve overall game balance and reduce opportunities for economy abuse.

Additional Fixes and Improvements

The update also introduces several quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Improved item dropping while riding moving Tramplers.
• Updated smoke effects that prevent silhouettes from being visible through destroyed Trampler smoke.
• New sound effects for EMP explosions and Upior helmet impacts.
• Improved interaction colliders inside the Trampler Editor.
• Fixed an issue where players could avoid Storm Dive damage.
• Resolved cases where player models appeared stuck in idle animations.

Known Issues Remain

Despite the improvements, several issues remain under investigation.

The current list of known problems includes spectator transparency bugs, crouching restrictions while carrying Repair Kits, occasional expedition invitation issues, floating items, melee invulnerability during specific interactions, and inconsistent bullet registration on speed-boosted Tramplers.

The developers have confirmed these issues are already being worked on and will be addressed in future Early Access updates.

Server Stability Improving

Outside of gameplay changes, the studio reports that server issues affecting the West US and Central US regions have largely been resolved.

However, Oceanic players may continue experiencing connectivity problems while the team works with its infrastructure providers to restore full stability.

Looking Ahead

With improved hit registration, exploit fixes, and a stronger anti-cheat system on the horizon, Update #4 represents another important step in refining the Early Access experience for SAND: Raiders of Sophie.

Although several known issues remain, Hologryph has reiterated its commitment to improving both gameplay quality and competitive integrity as development continues.