Welcome back, Hunters! Two weeks have passed since our spine-chilling Halloween playtest, when you had the chance to get the elusive Weaver 'Scarecrow' skin, a perfect way to haunt rival squads in the Arena. Today, we invite you to dive into a flow of captivating updates in our latest version 0.29: Engage with an unfamiliar Hunter named Fletcher, navigate the rebalanced Ursus' abilities, teleport between two points in the blink of an eye, discover the new Achievements tab in the Hangar, and more. Settle in as we embark on a journey through the realm of Steel Hunters! [h2]Ursus Rebalanced[/h2] We have refined the balance within certain Ursus systems following the feedback you have shared with us in version 0.28. For the primary weapon, the Auto-shotgun's scatter has been tuned and significant adjustments were made to all the Weapon's Mods. Consider the Wrangler Mod: an effect here amplifies damage when firing consecutively. Now, achieving a maximum buff of 20% requires only 5 continuous shots. This adjustment addresses the weapon's major challenge: with only 8 rounds per clip, players previously needed to swiftly reload to maintain continuous fire. The secondary Weapon's Mod, Persuasion, has been revised, and its base damage was raised from 85 to 90. Damage amplifies by 5% for 15 seconds when all pellets from a shot hit an opponent. Additionally, achieving critical hits with all pellets has the effect of a scatter reduction buff. After a two-second aiming phase, the Hunter receives a 20% damage resistance buff. This change seeks to enhance gameplay intricacy and fairness. The nature of the Burst Glance Mod itself ensures minimal time spent in the aiming state. This observation led us to the decision of reducing the base damage to 60, down from the preceding 65 points, as well as moderating the Vampiric effect. Should both shots strike the same target, the next burst will deal a 20% Vampiric damage, a decrease from the former 30%. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42049322/e8159971b893b15354af0007f46e8615e7b43f4e.jpg[/img] The F.A.N.G. Rocket serves as Ursus' main ability. Its Commandos Mod rocket damage grows proportionally to the flight distance. The damage scales to a maximum of 50% (prior 35%) over a range of 180 meters. This adjustment serves the challenge of striking distant targets accurately. The second modification, the Bombardier, rendered Ursus exceedingly powerful, that is why even applying the Mod with full rage, the Hunter can deal one rocket's damage of 50 points only. Moreover, each rocket now inflicts an additional 2% damage (down from 3%) based on the target's maximum Structure points. Freejack Mod of Ursus's auxiliary ability - Glacial Armor - has recently been reworked. When the Shell is activated, it grants Ursus a supersprint, that remains almost invincible to incoming damage. The fundamental Shell value now stands at 8,000, a decrease from the preceding 10,500. This Mod also grants Ursus a Protection Aura, which diminishes incoming damage for both Ursus and any squadmate within a 50-meter radius by 30% (a reduction from the former 40%). The development team chose to maintain the majority of this effect's potential, recognizing its implications not only for Ursus but also for the Hunter's allies. [h2]Teleportation[/h2] Now it's time to unveil a useful addition to our gameplay experience: the Teleport feature! Now integrated into both the maps, this new functionality is complemented by immersive visual effects, sound effects, and user interface enhancements. At its core, the Teleport feature operates through pairs of linked teleportation zones, each with a central Terminal. Once activated, players can interact with these Terminals to initiate a teleportation countdown and swiftly travel between linked points on the map. Not only does this feature add a strategic dimension to gameplay, but it also offers players a visually and audibly engaging experience. Whether you're planning a surprise attack or making a quick escape, teleportation is set to redefine how players navigate and strategize in the game. https://youtu.be/m5tIJanclLo [h2]Achievements[/h2] In this latest game update, we are thrilled to present the "Achievements" feature, which now comes with its own dedicated tab within the Player Profile. These achievements are categorized into two main types: One-time achievements that celebrate unique and standout moments in battle, and Progressive achievements which evolve with a player's experience and progress within the game. Among the newly introduced achievements in version v0.29, players can now earn titles like "Survivor", "Reaper", "Giant Slayer", and more, each representing distinctive feats accomplished during gameplay. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42049322/42dd124ad94b71a2240d701a8cdd75def8025058.png[/img] Besides the brightest features of version 0.29 listed above there's more on our plate to present to you: new animations including a forced landing one (looks terrific!), subtle visual changes to the trees on both the maps, improved sound effects and a row of new music tracks, such as 'Reeft', 'Esgyr', 'Rayzex', and 'Sandosc', all of which you will be able to hear in battle. https://youtu.be/B2J19gYKxNU We really hope that diving into the game will be as captivating for you, as its development is for us. Your feedback about the changes we have made is highly valued and is what we rely upon in our development endevours. Thank you for staying with Steel Hunters community and see you on the Arena!