[img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41614667/293b75da1e59908de777612616aa5eb32ddd38bf.png[/img] Good Morrow! We hope you’ve all been having a wondrous time on the battlefield since the Reclamation update released at the end of 2023. As we forge the next update, we wanted to have a conversation with the Chivalry community about some of the exciting things coming in Update 2.10 (which is coming very soon!) and speak on some of the pain points we’ve seen from players that we haven’t had the opportunity to provide an official response to yet. Before we look to the future with our 2.10 update, we wanted to reflect on the 2.9 Reclamation update and bring our learnings to the (round) table. [b][h3]Reclamation Update 2.9 - Recap[/h3][/b] 🔹[b]The Reclamation of Montcrux - Map[/b] A key feature of 2.9 undoubtedly was the brand new map and battlefield experience of ‘The Reclamation of Montcrux.’ When our team came up with the initial concept behind Montcrux, they based the idea on an epic medieval movie-style fight where the Agathians had to fight a literal uphill battle to reclaim the home that was once theirs. While Montcrux encapsulated this memorable feeling, we understand that sometimes, leaning into the more thematic side of level design can make parts of this map feel less competitive than others. We’ve been closely monitoring the balance of Montcrux and have previously implemented some changes in the 2.9.2 Hotfix to balance out the Attackers and Defenders. Feedback and performance will continue to be monitored. If more adjustments need to be made to give that epic feeling that a win was earned well or that a loss is just a temporary setback, we will continue to adapt as necessary. We have heard community concern that Montcrux is shorter than players would have liked to see. As the map is meant to focus on thematic moments, having a concise battle structure made more sense. For now, we don’t plan to add additional phases to Montcrux. Still, we have a future map in the works that will satiate that desire for a long and hard-fought epic battle, so sharpen your swords, collect your quivers, and be ready. 🔹[b]Siege Crossbow - Weapon[/b] Our original intent behind the Siege Crossbow was a weapon that would be able to rival the non-objective siege weapons and constructables around the map and give opposing teams a fighting chance against ballistas, catapults, etc. However, the unique nature of the Siege Crossbow and its signature ability to damage these constructables brought unforeseen complications late in the development cycle of Update 2.9 that would have created a less-than-favorable situation. Due to our desire to craft the best experience possible for all our players, the hard decision was made to cut the damage it dealt to non-objective constructables for the 2.9 release and address those obstacles further in the next update. These events unfolded late into the development of 2.9, leaving us unable to communicate this situation more clearly with our players. We apologize for any confusion around the initial release of the Siege Crossbow. We are excited to announce that our team resolved those complications for Update 2.10! We can’t wait to see what all of you do with the Siege Crossbow in 2.10 now that it’s gained so much of its versatility back, and we are excited for you to share that new destruction with us. Please. 🔹[b]Last Peasant Standing - Game Mode[/b] Last Peasant Standing has been one of our most requested game modes. We love the enthusiasm we’ve seen based on its first run through the rotation. We are as excited as y’all to see it return to the limited-time queue.  🔹[b]Launch Delays[/b] The delays of Update 2.9 are already a topic that we’ve touched on in the past. Still, we’d like to assure the community that since the launch of 2.9, we have made vast improvements that should make the previously seen delays unlikely to be repeated. Our team is dedicated to doing everything we can to prevent these delays from happening in the future. Now, we’d like to look forward; there are a few subjects that we’d like to officially acknowledge and give additional context to that we haven’t had an appropriate opportunity to touch on so far. 🔸[b]Cheaters[/b] Cheaters are a topic that almost every multiplayer game has to address at some point, but also an issue that has to be handled with the utmost caution. Any additional information we reveal regarding our process in handling cheaters or what alterations we are making could give those bad actors an advantage in trying to circumvent the systems we’ve put in place. We can say in no uncertain terms that addressing “cheaters” or players who try to use third-party software to gain an unfair advantage within Chivalry 2 is one of our top priorities. Our team has issued thousands of account, IP, and hardware bans to prevent these users from being able to continue their detrimental behavior, and we are working on a more robust form of Anti-Cheat. These steps are just part of the overall system and work hand-in-hand with reports from our players to fight the scourge that is cheating. 🔸[b]Team Switching[/b] Throughout the history of Chivalry, players have been given the option to choose which side of the battle they’d like to contribute to. Although this feature is not seen within many multiplayer games nowadays, we believe it still holds a special place within Chivalry to allow players to live their fantasy and choose which side of the epic battle they’d like to fight on. Suppose they’d like to play as the noble Agathians, the dreadful Masons, or the ruthless Tenosians. The team switch feature opens the choice up to the player. While we see its value even if some players may be misusing the option, we have been exploring a method to bring both visions closer together (balance vs preference). Our team has been monitoring some negative feedback around the team switch feature and the calls for its removal. At the center of these feelings seems to be the situation in which a player doesn’t believe their match is well-balanced and will use the team switch feature to join the “winning” team, contributing to a further imbalance. To help address that underlying issue, we have been working on a new change we hope to release very soon. It will be a skill-based team-balancing feature that will consider a player’s global rank before a match to even out a match’s attacking and defending sides. Despite knowing that the skill-based team-balancing system won’t completely remove the possibility of unbalanced matches, we are excited to hear player feedback after this new feature has launched regarding the team switch feature and its place within Chivalry 2 afterward. 🔸[b]Official Mod Support[/b] Although we have heard requests from parts of the community that official Chivalry 2 mod support would be valued, at this juncture, we don’t have it on our timeline for something we’d be able to deliver in the foreseeable future. In addition to today’s Community Blog, we’ll be releasing the Chivalry 2 [url=https://chivalry2.com/conduct/]Code of Conduct[/url] and updating the rules of our Official [url=https://discord.com/invite/chivalry2]Chivalry 2 Discord[/url]. We hope both changes will help clear up any possible confusion and also help us build a stronger Chivalry 2 community moving forward! [b][h3]Update 2.10 - Teasers[/h3][/b] As mentioned in today’s blog, we’d also like to tease a few fun and exciting new things coming to Chivalry 2 with the next update, 2.10: [b]Duel of the Fêtes[/b]! One of the biggest new additions for this update is the introduction of three maps! The first of which, Frozen Wreck, will feature a Free-for-All and Team Deathmatch version ready for players to take on. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41614667/efa640fd8d4bc8e52cfb0a5be967b2c7403cf9f0.png[/img] Watch where you step! While fighting on Frozen Wreck, you can never be too sure if the ice underneath your boots will be around for long. This frozen wasteland will test even the most veteran of fighters. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41614667/c8828f8196919ef754e0535fd3179c57dee81af6.png[/img] Also, coming in 2.10, we’ll have another Free-for-All map and a new, what we’d call “Social” map available to play and explore at launch! Furthermore, 2.10 will introduce a new campaign pass and community-requested cosmetics like three variations on the Agathian Monk to be used in FFA/Duel game modes. Stay tuned for further info on cosmetics as part of the 2.10 campaign pass. Like our previous campaign passes, there is no time limit on unlocking everything, and it comes with free and paid reward tracks. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41614667/bed44b95123c15450bff519c3003ee392affb8b5.png[/img] Show off your spiritual devotion while you deal with the sinners on the battlefield with these new Monk FFA cosmetics. Calling Friar Tuck Fans, your time is nigh. In addition to other cosmetics, the new Vantearian Messer is breathtaking. How anyone could ever run around the battlefield with anything other than this piece of art will be a mystery for the ages. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/41614667/af9144ecb212ea87d4f0ebf8d72c9f6e2a643fde.png[/img] The 2.10 Update will also come with many bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements. Most notable is the ability for players to select their Matchmaking region of preference within the Game Options menu. We’d also like to announce that Unofficial Servers are close at hand! We have a ton of additional information to share on when they will launch and how players will be able to engage with them, but we’ll be tackling that on another day. We can’t wait to show you more about the 2.10 Update for Chivalry 2. Be sure to follow our social media to catch some additional teasers. The patch notes will provide complete information regarding the changes and new features once 2.10 has been released! Fare thee well, [i]Chivalry Community Team[/i]