Hey there, Shatterliners!
A new game season has arrived in our December update.
Here's the list of key changes and fixes in the December update.
New Season Bravo
• Lots of cool stuff in the season rewards.
• New weapon modifications in the Craft Machine (Season Alpha modifications also stay)
• • Centurion Perforator
• • Tornado Diesel
• • Earl Samurai
• • X-Treme Lone Wolf
• • Pacifier Crusader
• • Conciliator Kumo
• • Springer Deep Space
• • Impala Starfall
• • Zenith Deep Space
• • Svarog Art Deco
• • M2 Tactical Pixel
• • Firespray Hot Rod
• • Pilum Kawaii
• • Black Falcon Deep Space
• • Dragonfly Constellation
• • Culverina Shatterline
• • Brute Starfall
• • Gevaudan Danger
New Expedition season: Bodybuilder
• You start with 2/3 of your max health, but your maximum health cap can be increased by defeating enemies with different weapon types (depending on the perks you have). The perk for sidearms is provided by default. Be aware: the increased health cap will reset when you die.
• A whole new set of 14 perks related to the Bodybuilder seasonal mechanic is added to the perk pool (with some of the old perks phased out).
• New primary encounter: Koschei.
• 5 new supply drop encounters.
Сoop Missions and PvP Modes
• Cyber Trail coop episode
• Contaminated Hecatomb episode (event)
• Domination PvP mode (to launch on December 5)
• Instead of PvE missions rotated every day, they are now in a random playlist.
• Demolition Mode was removed from the Versus playlist.
Performance
• We increased performance on the low graphical settings at the cost of some graphics quality compromises.
• We also updated the graphics settings autodetection feature so now it should work better. Additionally, the default Display Mode is changed from Windowed Borderless to Fullscreen.
• The downside of these improvements is that your current graphics settings as well as your chosen server regions will reset. Our apologies for this inconvenience.
Balance Changes
• We changed the mechanics of Malva's Medkit. It now instantly restores anything lower than 50 hit points to the said 50, and heals another 100 over the next 2 seconds.
• Several Ram's abilities were rebalanced or fine-tuned:
• • The Throwing Axe and the Explosive Axe. Ram's Throwing Axe cannot be picked up if damage has been dealt to the enemy; it self-destroys at enemy death; and it doesn't detach from enemies after a timeout anymore. The Explosive Axe now deals small damage on hitting enemies (50 hit points in PvP and 500 in PvE) and detonates after 0.7 sec after impact (previously it was detonating instantly on hit). If it fails to hit an enemy, it remains active for 10 sec. During this time, Ram can pick it back up or an enemy may pass by at a close distance (0.4-meter radius) triggering the axe's detonation within 0.7 seconds. After 10 seconds, the axe will self-detonate, producing a beeping sound 3 seconds before self-detonation.
• • Ram's Gravity Strike charge affects only effective range now (previously it affected also impulse and damage). As a result, it is easier to use the Gravity Strike at a low charge, but the range is limited.
• • And finally, during his ultimate ability flight, Ram can now strafe to the sides using the A and D keys
• The number of retries in PvE missions was increased to 3 per checkpoint.
Animation & VFX
• Updated Brisa's presentation on the Play screen.
• Updated animation for character vaulting over obstacles in third-person view and sprint animation in first-person view .
• New weapon inspection animation for Svarog Cossack legendary pistol modification, Cinetech M5 and Firespray submachine guns, VX-7 Santa Muerte legendary sniper rifle modification, and R60 Gevaudan shotgun.
• New visual effects for Ram's Gravity Strike ability charge.
• Improved jump and ranged attack animation of the Behemoth boss AI.
Game Controller
• The Aim Assist setting was added to the Controller options. You can choose between Off, Weak, Normal, and Strong settings.
User Interface
• Task Widget visual improvements: the task description was moved lower while additional rewards were moved higher; the pop-up task details are larger to include more information.
• The Task widget is accessible in Escape Menu on the Pre-Battle Screen.
• Nameplates are now featured on the Kill and MVP screens.
Matchmaking
• Matchmaking was improved to prioritize players' ping values when adding people to a game room. This should improve hit registration.
Game Store
• You can purchase a Premium Season Pass bundled with several completed levels.
• Game Store updates that will rotate throughout the season.
Key bug fixes
• Fixed crashes at the session end and the Play of the Game replay.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where the Phantom Core encounter couldn't be completed if a player disconnected from the game when in the portal.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where Kinetic Armor and Blast Armor perk names were mixed up.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where a player could get stuck in a crystalline formation near the village.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where a player could get an additional weapon after joining an ongoing mission.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where the Chaser marked with the Strife perk continued attacking the players.
• Fixed issue in Expedition with no contamination icons on HUD after the player's reconnection to the match.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where the supply box wouldn't open under certain conditions if a player left the session and another joined afterward.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where a lost supply box and a cat figurine could spawn on the same spot thus making both unusable to players.
• Fixed issue in Expedition where players could see more than 5 contamination levels on the Esc menu if they changed their operative after four contamination levels.
• Fixed issue in Expedition with a missing physics for some tank containers.
• Fixed issue where Kite's remote mine failed to detonate if the animation of pressing the detonation button was interrupted.
• Fixed issue where players could not be invited to the squad if they declined a previous invitation. The game reboot was needed.
• Fixed issue where player badges could be placed all around the match scoreboard.
• Fixed issue in the Redlake episode where players could get outside of the playable area.
• Fixed issue in the Redlake episode where the AIs could follow the players into the canyon and get stuck.
• Fixed issue in the Hecatomb episode where a player could get stuck on the crates in one of the laboratories.
• Fixed issue in the Escort map where the audio announcement was repeated every 10 seconds.
• Fixed issue in the Escort map where a player could respawn under the map.
• Fixed issue in the Escort map where a player could get into non-playable areas.
• Fixed issue in the Escort Mode where the convoyed cart could move on its own, without the attacker team nearby.
• Fixed issue where a destructible door and its visual indicator remained in place after the player was killed and respawned.
• Fixed issue where sniper rifles could start shooting inaccurately after weapon changes.
• Fixed issue where Orbit's ultimate continued working after respawn.
• Fixed issue where the weapon draw animation played twice after the player jumped off a zip line.
• Fixed issue in the Escort and Terminal maps where object outlines on the minimap differed from the actual objects on the map.
• Fixed issue where the scope reticle moved with a delay when the player was ADS and changed aiming direction.
• Fixed issue with absent music on the Hecatomb episode result screen.
• Fixed issue with absent visual effects of the Behemoth boss melee attack.
• Fixed issue with incorrect icons for Ram's Hyperdash and Gravity Strike abilities on the Operatives screen.
• Fixed issue on the Old Town map where the character jittered while standing close to the stairs rail on the bridge.
• Fixed issue where the Lupara Compatta pistol was equipped with the muzzle break attachment, but this attachment was not shown on the pistol during the game.
• Fixed issue with Malva's Pincher Drone that left its physics on the level after being destroyed so that the spot could not be shot through.
• Fixed issue where there was a visual twitch in the Mongoose Headbutt ability when used together with the left or right movement.
• Fixed issue where Brisa's glass mine could damage friendlies if they were trapped there with an enemy.
• Fixed issue with missing visual and audio feedback when trying to use a non-ready operative's ability.
• Fixed issue on the Island map where a player could get on top of one of the villas and have an advantage over other players. We also fixed the issue when a player could pass through the walls of the central building in several hard-to-reach spots.
• Fixed issue on the Island map where players might fail to use the zip line if they were standing close to the fence.
• Fixed issue where Malva's neck intersected her outfit.
• Fixed issue with several missing visual effects on the Brittle Splinter AI.• Fixed issue in the Game Store where the purchased box failed to open.
• Fixed issue where character bodies could be twisted on the match Result Screen.
• Fixed issue where enemy outlines could be seen through the smoke if particle quality was set to low in the graphics options.
• Localization fixes.