Returnal Something Went Wrong Save Error Explained

Some Returnal players are facing a save data error following Housemarque's recent Returnal patch.

Unfortunately, in their efforts to fix and stabilize their game, Housemarque might have made Returnal that much more problematic for their players. Following the release of Patch 1.3.3., several players came forward with complaints they were experiencing corrupted saves and data errors when attempting to jump into the game post-update.

Returnal Something Went Wrong Save Error

The error in question occurs when players attempt to load a previous save or during normal gameplay on that save. A pop-up appears on screen, reading "Something went wrong. (CE-100028-1)." Players who select "Okay" are returned to the game seemingly without issue.

Except this is return to normalcy is a lie. In reality, that error message is an alert to players that none of their progress is being recorded.

In addition to loading a save, the pop-up has also been encountered after combat, when entering a new room, when picking up an item, and more, according to firsthand accounts. Essentially, any action that would prompt an autosave instead prompts this message.

Housemarque offered their "sincerest apologies" in a tweet published on Wednesday, May 5. They removed the patch and rolled the game back to version 1.3.1. in a NEW-new update titled Patch 1.3.4. This went live on Thursday, May 6, just a day after its previous update dropped.

The developer went on to post the "patch notes" of Patch 1.3.4. to their website blog. This post offers specifics on save-salvaging and whether or not it's viable. The bottom-line, of course, is that any save affected by 1.3.3. is pretty much gone unless the player never actually opened the save or its file size is still intact.