Returnal patch 1.3.3 pulled for corrupting save files, affected players need to re-download the whole game
Returnal's latest patch introduced a major problem.
It looks like asking players to turn off PS5 auto updates was the right call for Returnal developer Housemarque, but perhaps in a way the studio didn't predict. The game's latest anticipated patch, version 1.3.3, came out on time Wednesday.
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that something big is wrong with the patch. A number of posts on Reddit, Resetera and elsewhere began popping up immediately after the update's release. They all reference the "CE-100028-1" error, which pops up while playing randomly.
When this happens, your save file has likely been corrupted. If the PS5 automatically uploads it to the cloud, replacing the most recent one, you're probably screwed. Since there's currently no way to back up saves locally to a USB drive, your only hope is preventing the corrupted save from being uploaded to the cloud.
Housemarque has not addressed the save corrupting bug specifically, but the developer pulled patch 1.3.3 shortly after it became clear something has gone horribly wrong. Unfortunately, anyone who downloaded the patch will need to re-download the whole game in order to continue playing.
In fact, the developer is outright asking players to stop playing Returnal until the next patch has been released.
As I write this story this morning, some players have reported getting the saviour patch: 1.3.4, but Housemarque has yet to officially announce its release. You should probably hold off on downloading that one, too, just to be safe.
Although players have been trying to find a way to fix corrupted save files, it's also not yet clear if the new update will do this on its own.