Dredge's forthcoming passive mode will let you bob about without the hassle of monster attacks

Dredge, the sinister fishing game from Black Salt Games and publisher Team 17, is about to get a lot less sinister (only for those who want it to, of course).

Thanks to an upcoming passive mode, those who simply want to take to the seas and bob around on the beautiful blue without having to worry about the denizens of the deep interrupting their serenity will be able to do just that. In short, when this free update goes live, "monsters that usually attack fishing boats will no longer be aggressive".

As well as this new feature, Dredge players can also expect a new photo mode (that comes with a new in-game character) and the addition of map markers in the future.

While we do not have any exact dates for any of these free additions, the developer has stated the first update (which will see the map markers making their debut, along with some general in-game fixes and balance changes) will arrive sometime this month.

Dredge's photo and passive modes will then be added in a subsequent update, that is slated for sometime in Q2.

A third free update is also planned for Q3, and this will see the introduction of boat customisations, such as "paint schemes and flags".

That's all the information we have on these particular updates for now, but Black Salt Games has promised it will share more with us later in the year.

Lastly, Dredge is also getting a paid DLC, which is set to launch in Q4. Again, current information on this is relatively sparse, however we do know this DLC will involve the game's mysterious Ironhaven Corporation, and it sounds like the company will be getting involved with some shady dealings.

Black Salt Games stated Ironhaven Corporation is "looking to establish an innovative drilling operation in the area to revitalise the towns and populations", which sounds innocent enough, except that its "ultimate goal is unknown". In fact, the developer calls its operations "potentially nefarious", so there is that.

In the meantime, if you are one of the many that have reeled in Dredge for yourself, but need a little extra hand, be sure to check out our guides. Here are a few to get you started:

• How to get Abyssal and Hadal fishing catches in Dredge
• How to catch aberrant fish in Dredge
• How to get the Music Box relic in Dredge