Big changes are afoot! The big headline feature for this update is that we’ve rolled out a new Brute primary attack for Versus mode. We, based on feedback from lots of play sessions with the community, felt like the co-op version of the Brute primary attack is less impactful than we wanted. So we’ve adjusted the Versus version of the Brute attack to be a charge with a user-controllable ground pound at the end. To start the charge, simply hold your attack key and release it when you’ve got the most Survivors in the area of effect circle on the ground. (Note: this attack is experimental. We’ll be adjusting the damage it does based on feedback from the community.) Co-op players need not fear the new Brute. The traditional leap attack was working great for AI-controlled Brutes, so we didn’t apply the new change to co-op games. But wait, there’s more. We’ve also made a bunch of other significant changes to both Versus and Co-Op mode. [h1]Director changes[/h1] [list] [*] We’ve changed the way spawns are selected by the Director. Previously, if the Director thought a spawn was unacceptable, it would stop evaluating that spawn for future waves of aliens. Now, each spawn will be evaluated for for suitability during each alien spawn wave. This should encourage players to stick closer together, as teams that spread out will face a great deal more common aliens than they did previously [/list] [h1]Versus Changes[/h1] [list] [*] Adjusted the alien special third-person cameras to be more stable, to reduce motion sickness [*] A bug that prevented players from starting and cancelling the Gooper alt-fire (aka the Happy Dance) has been fixed for mouse & keyboard players. A fix for gamepad players will be in the next update [*] Fire VFX is more readable and less disorienting when you’re surrounded by enemies on fire [/list] [h1]More Episode 4 fixes[/h1] [list] [*] Fixed fire that was mis-sized in several areas of Episode 4 [*] Fixed several holes in the world in Episode 4 [*] Dramatically reduced the volume of the episode 4 finale generator sounds [/list] [h1]Sound Changes[/h1] [list] [*] Added ambient sounds to episode 4. The Isolode is in bad shape by the time the Survivors are heading for the self-destruct switch. Expect to hear lots of creaking, groaning, leaking, and crackling as you explore the first level of Episode 4. [*] Increased the oomph of the special weapons. After our primary weapon balance pass earlier this year, we were worried that the special weapons were sounding a bit anemic, especially the laser and arc rifles. We’ve bumped up their sound and intensity a bit to accommodate. [/list] [h1]Lobby Changes[/h1] [list] [*] Team selection widgets should work more reliably when the host changes modes [*] Fixed “a ton” of UI state bugs that could occur when the host and party members got out of sync in the lobby [/list]