The multiplayer climbing adventure PEAK just received its most ambitious update since launch. On November 5, 2025, developers Aggro Crab and Landfall Studios released The Roots, a haunting new biome that transforms PEAK’s entire difficulty curve and strategy. This isn’t just a cosmetic addition – The Roots biome brings entirely new enemy types, mysterious mushrooms with unknowable effects, overhauled cooking mechanics, and atmosphere that fundamentally changes how you approach climbing the mountain with friends. If you’ve been searching for a reason to reunite your Discord climbing crew, this update is it.
Welcome to the Forest of Nightmares
The Roots isn’t just a color palette swap of the existing Tropics biome. While it appears jungle-like at first glance, The Roots is fundamentally a redwood forest, and it feels dramatically different. Think ancient trees, dense mushroom clusters, and creatures that shouldn’t exist. If you have a genuine phobia of bugs or spiders, Aggro Crab included a Bug-Phobia mode in settings – they’re serious about warning players about what they’re about to encounter.
The forest aesthetic is gorgeous in an unsettling way. Redwoods tower over climbing paths. Vines hang from branches. Mushrooms glow with an eerie bioluminescence. The weather effects are distinctly forest-themed with fog rolling through the canopy. Everything about The Roots screams “beautiful but dangerous,” which perfectly encapsulates PEAK’s core loop of spectacular fails and clutch saves.
The atmosphere immediately signals that this biome plays by different rules than Alpine and Mesa. You’re not climbing a mountain anymore. You’re traversing a living, hostile forest where every surface might betray you.
The Spider Nightmare Scenario
The most significant new threat in The Roots is the spider. These aren’t just another enemy type – they represent a fundamentally new climbing hazard. Spiders can dangle from tree branches, creating swinging hazards you need to time your jumps around. But worse, they can grab you directly and release you mid-air, potentially sending you tumbling down the mountainside.
That grabbing mechanic is important because it removes your agency in a specific, terrifying way. You can’t always just out-climb spiders or find alternative paths. They can physically snatch you from the mountain and throw you into the void. That’s genuinely threatening in ways previous PEAK enemies weren’t.
The Roots also introduces giant beetles as enemies, maintaining the forest ecosystem theme while adding different attack patterns to learn. And yes, there are zombies too, because apparently the forest has an undead problem. The Halloween spirit lingers even though the holiday has passed. The devs are leaning into the spooky vibe, and it works.
Shroomberries and Mysterious Properties
The real innovation in The Roots update is the Shroomberries. Every color of Shroomberry grants a random effect, which changes daily alongside the map rotation. You don’t know what a blue Shroomberry will do on Monday – it might be completely different on Tuesday. This creates genuine discovery moments where players experiment with mysterious mushrooms, feed them to unsuspecting teammates, and laugh when strange things happen.
That unpredictability is exactly what makes PEAK special. The game thrives on chaos and emergent moments where you’re not sure if you’re about to get a beneficial buff or something that sabotages your run. Shroomberries embody that perfectly. You’re standing at a critical climbing section, someone finds a mysterious red mushroom, and suddenly everything changes.
Beyond Shroomberries, The Roots introduces Fortified Milk, Cloud Fungus, Bounce Fungus, and the developers hint at additional secret items without revealing them. The intentional mystery encourages players to experiment, share discoveries with their communities, and collaboratively uncover what each item actually does.
The Roots also introduces items available across all biomes: the Rescue Claw (self-explanatory), Checkpoint Flag (creates a save point), and the Book of Bones, a new mystical item whose properties players are still discovering.
Cooking System Overhaul: Set Everything on Fire
What initially sounds like a minor quality-of-life change actually transforms PEAK’s entire item economy. The cooking system overhaul allows “a lot more non-food items” to actually do something when cooked. If it seems like a good idea to set something on fire, you probably should.
Previously, cooked non-food items like bandages would grant extra stamina, which was valuable but somewhat boring. Now, the developers hint that many items have cooking-specific effects that players need to discover. Additionally, previously poisonous berries are now safe to eat once cooked, eliminating them as hazards and adding them as resources. Mushrooms remain impossible to cook poison out of, maintaining that threat level.
This cooking overhaul reframes item discovery entirely. You’re not just collecting items – you’re strategizing which items to cook based on what challenges you’re facing. It adds another layer of tactical decision-making to every run.
11 New Badges and 8 New Emotes
The Roots isn’t just about gameplay changes. It includes 11 new badges specific to the biome, each with associated cosmetic rewards. These aren’t just cosmetic achievements either – they provide concrete goals for dedicated players working toward mastery in The Roots.
Eight new emotes round out the cosmetic additions, giving your climbing squad new ways to communicate the chaos unfolding on screen. PEAK’s emote system is genuinely hilarious because climbing is inherently comedic – players dying in spectacular ways, barely escaping danger, accomplishing impossible feats. New emotes give you more ways to celebrate or mock each other’s performances.
The Map Rotation Strategy
For the first week after launch (November 5-17), The Roots replaces Tropics entirely – you’re getting nothing but forest climbing. After November 17, The Roots enters the standard biome rotation alongside Tropics, Alpine, and Mesa. That means your map combinations expand to potentially include Roots-Alpine, Roots-Mesa, and so on.
The two-week exclusive period lets players and communities really dig into The Roots without rotation dilution. It forces everyone to learn spider evasion tactics and experiment with Shroomberries before the rotation mixes things up. That intentional pacing shows good community management – give players time to master the new content before randomizing it into regular rotations.
Minor But Meaningful Improvements
Beyond major features, The Roots includes quality-of-life improvements that matter for the co-op experience. Players can now join games or receive invitations without launching the game first (provided Steam is running). That’s genuinely valuable for coordinating with friends – no more need to physically open the game just to accept an invite.
The update also confirms that The Roots represents the latest evolution of PEAK’s design philosophy. Aggro Crab and Landfall aren’t just adding biomes for content – they’re introducing entirely new mechanical and strategic challenges that force players to reconsider their climbing approach.
FAQs
When did The Roots biome launch?
The Roots biome launched on November 5, 2025 for PEAK on PC via Steam. The update is also available on other platforms where PEAK is supported.
What is The Roots biome like?
The Roots is a redwood forest biome with spiders, beetles, zombies, mysterious mushrooms, and dense tree environments. It has a spooky, Halloween-inspired aesthetic that’s distinctly different from previous biomes.
What are Shroomberries?
Shroomberries are items that grant random effects which change daily alongside the map rotation. Each color of Shroomberry has a different effect, creating discovery moments and encouraging experimentation.
How long is The Roots exclusive?
The Roots replaces Tropics entirely from November 5-17. After November 17, Roots enters standard rotation and can appear alongside other biomes like Alpine and Mesa.
What is Bug-Phobia mode?
Bug-Phobia mode is an accessibility option available in settings that presumably replaces spiders and other bugs with less frightening alternatives, making the biome more accessible for arachnophobic players.
What new cooking mechanics were added?
Many non-food items now have effects when cooked. Poisonous berries become safe to eat when cooked. Mushrooms still cannot be cooked to remove their poison. Players are encouraged to experiment with cooking items.
How many new badges were added?
The Roots includes 11 new biome-specific badges, each with associated cosmetic rewards for unlocking them.
What are the new items across all biomes?
Rescue Claw, Checkpoint Flag, and Book of Bones (a mystical item) can now appear in all biomes, not just Roots.
Are there new emotes?
Yes, 8 new emotes were added to allow more varied communication and expression during climbs.
Can I play The Roots solo?
PEAK is primarily designed as a multiplayer co-op experience, though solo play is supported. The Roots biome is playable both solo and with friends.
Will The Roots stay in the rotation permanently?
Yes, after the initial November 5-17 exclusive period, The Roots will rotate randomly into future runs alongside other biomes like Tropics, Alpine, and Mesa.
Conclusion
PEAK’s Roots update represents exactly the kind of expansion content that keeps cooperative games alive. A genuinely new biome with distinct atmosphere, legitimate new mechanical challenges in the form of spider enemies, mysterious items encouraging discovery and collaboration, overhauled cooking systems that change strategy, and new cosmetics to chase. The Roots isn’t content added because the developers felt obligated – it’s content that demonstrates genuine ambition for expanding what PEAK can be. The first week of exclusive Roots-only climbing will feel fresh for everyone, forcing players to adapt strategies and work together against new threats. After November 17, when Roots enters standard rotation alongside other biomes, PEAK’s experience becomes meaningfully more varied and complex. For Discord communities, friend groups, and anyone who’s experienced PEAK’s chaotic multiplayer joy, The Roots is the update you’ve been waiting for without knowing it.