[previewyoutube=57SH2zKUx20;full][/previewyoutube] With the long-anticipated release of aquatic Super Animals, a nautical new point of interest, zip-lines, a new weapon, and more, there’s a whole lot of ground - er… sea to cover, so let’s dive right in. [h1]Highlights[/h1] [previewyoutube=Ym20MSBaeA0;full][/previewyoutube] [list] [*] [b]The Sea Legs Pass[/b] celebrates upright marine life with a wide range of Super Sea Land inspired items and the coveted Sip emote and Mini Otter pet. [*] [b]The Season 8 Starter Pack[/b] is now available, featuring the Super Cartoon Fennec Fox. [*] [b]Super Fish[/b] and [b]Super Dolphins[/b] have arrived as the island’s first aquatic combatants, with 11 total breeds to unlock between them. [*] [b]Super Sea Land[/b] is the largest and most ambitious new location in years with an Aquarium, Nautitorium, and Sea Legs restaurant to explore, connected by zip-lines. We’ve even created a [url=https://merch.animalroyale.com/collections/unisex-apparel/products/ssl-tee]limited edition tee for it on the Super Merch Shop[/url] that you can check out below! [*] [b]The new Zip-And-Go throwable[/b] can be deployed anywhere to get you over gaps, and connect with other zip-lines. [*] [b]The Superite Laser,[/b] a superite-powered laser blasting cousin of the minigun, has been released from Thomas’s Workshop! [*] [b]The Super Summer Royale event[/b] is live for the next 3 weeks, with new event cosmetics and 2 new Super Animal Breeds: the Super Apricat and Super Banana Dog! [*] [b]Tons more gameplay and sound improvements[/b] to read about below including a complete overhaul of melee attacks with a 3-strike sequence. [/list] Before we dig into everything in the update we also just wanted to thank you all for helping us hit a massive milestone. We’ve officially crossed [b]10 million unique players[/b] who have played Super Animal Royale! [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/31443552305a99bbbaccb482126e3c11e4b0662c.jpg[/img] Your constant excitement, love and support through this journey means so much to us, and it can still be hard to believe how far we’ve come as a small indie team. We’re so proud of what we’ve built with all of you, and hope you have a ton of fun with this update. [h1]Time To Get Your Sea Legs[/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/19d1f92fbc537883ec8500b953a2c377181ddac9.png[/img] The Sea Legs Pass celebrates the uncanny wonders of upright marine life, with forty-nine tiers of seaworthy items including the Oasis Photo Booth scene, Mini Otter pet, Sip emote, and a flotilla of Super Sea Land swag. [list] [*] During Season 8, the Sea Legs Pass will be available for a discounted price of [b]550 S.A.W. Tickets.[/b] [*] As always, you can continue working on passes you own from previous seasons on your second track for as long as you need, and you can purchase them from The Archive for 750 S.A.W. Tickets. [/list] [h2]Season 8 Starter Pack DLC[/h2] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/4ca4e111290518a32686c0b3e2da14978fe69f9e.png[/img] A new season means a new Starter Pack DLC, available all throughout Season 8! The [b]Season 8 Starter Pack[/b] features these retro cartoon-inspired items: [list] [*] Super Cartoon Fennec Fox [*] Cartoon Suspenders [*] Ink Nib Pen melee weapon [*] 600 SAW Tickets [/list] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/2255940/Super_Animal_Royale_Season_7_Starter_Pack/]Last season's (Season 7) Starter Pack[/url] will be available until Tuesday, July 18th, so if you want it, be sure to pick it up before it goes into the vault. [h1]Super Fish and Super Dolphins[/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/4229d03149fa5d957a92caa99421e1fad64068ba.png[/img] Lab Labs have never been the sort to ask whether they "should," and so they've gleefully yanked the fish out of water...and given them machine guns. Some call giving fish legs a step too far, but the good, good pups at S.A.W. Labs call it two steps in the right direction. If it’s fishy characters you seek, seek no further. Start earning DNA for these two new Super Animal species by playing matches! [b]Super Fish[/b] are available in the Research Lab beginning at level 10, with six total breeds to unlock: [list] [*] Super Fish [*] Super Goldfish [*] Super Perch [*] Super Black Goldfish [*] Super Catfish [*] Super Cat Fish [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/bd8e94206b23ea860ee1e6e467ad38ca74e0aa32.png[/img] [b]Super Dolphins[/b] are available in the Research Lab beginning at level 50, with five total breeds to unlock: [list] [*] Super Dolphin [*] Super Blue Dolphin [*] Super Pink Dolphin [*] Super Common Dolphin [*] Super Lilac Dolphin [/list] [h1]See You At Super Sea Land![/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/1b980a4a0b7d7249991b3865b0cb34873c2e18d2.jpg[/img] Built around Super Animal Bay on the island’s Southeast corner, Super Sea Land is one of the island’s largest locations, containing three significant points-of-interest: [list] [*] The Super Animal Bay Aquarium is a hypnotic warren of towering fish tanks, many of which have been smashed open for land-based fighting to flow through them. [*] The Sea Land Nautitorium is an outdoor amphitheater where guests floated in pools watching Super Dolphins perform on land. [*] The Sea Legs restaurant once allowed guests a chance to taste a genetically crafted delicacy found only in the park. [/list] Zip-lines crossing Super Animal Bay allow for fast travel within the area, and sand bars provide even more looting opportunities between the buildings. [h2]Limited Edition Super Sea Land Tee[/h2] [url=https://merch.animalroyale.com/collections/unisex-apparel/products/ssl-tee][img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/addf5cb1a8689ebf234cd28b7f70d116eff2e4a3.png[/img][/url] We haven’t figured out the logistics of opening a real Super Sea Land yet, but at least we can make the shirts! We designed the [b]Super Sea Land Visitor Tee[/b] to celebrate the grand opening of Super Sea Land, and it was inspired by the in-game Super Sea Land Visitor Outfit that you can earn in the Sea Legs Pass. [url=https://merch.animalroyale.com/collections/unisex-apparel/products/ssl-tee]Get it in the Super Merch Shop, while supplies last[/url]! [h2]Additional Map Updates[/h2] [list] [*] There are several new permanent zip-lines around the map to discover beyond those found at Super Sea Land! They create new shortcuts over bodies of water, including a particularly long line east of Superite Mountain. [*] The beaches, rivers, dam, swamp, and Welcome Center fountain all have new animated water effects. [*] The forest and beach area above Pixile Port has been expanded. [*] The top left corner of SAW Security HQ’s barracks has a new opening. [*] New paths have been added throughout the island’s grassy forests to better link parts of the environment and guide players through them. [*] A pillar has been removed from bungalow houses to link paths up to their entrances properly. [/list] [h1]Zip-and-Go: New Deployable Zip-line Throwable [/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/8c372a03365c84f3dce077ddf4c61114b0710b9b.png[/img] Unlike the new permanent zip-lines that can also be found around the park, these zippy throwables can be placed wherever you want. Throwing them works similarly to a grenade, but deploys a usable zip-line via a small drone that flies to where you’re aiming. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/bd6b3cc826154be145257493244c9ed09de6852d.jpg[/img] You can make paths across water and over small objects using this, but be careful - you’ll have your hands busy while riding and can’t shoot! You’ll exit the zip-line upon reaching a node, or you can press the interact button to jump off, so long as you’re above ground you can stand on. [list] [*] Zip-lines can be linked together to extend their length. You can ride along multiple nodes continuously by pressing in the direction of the next line you want to ride. [*] Collect and deploy up to 3 Zip-and-Go lines (or 4 with the Bandolier powerup). [*] Ninja Booties give a 15% faster zip-line travel speed while equipped. [*] If you run out of health while on a zip-line, you’ll end up in a downed or dead state upon reaching the end of the line. [*] A new daily challenge has been added for riding zip-lines! [*] And just because we know some of you will try it: you cannot squish someone with a hamster ball while they’re riding on a zip-line. [/list] [h1]Superite Laser: A Superite-Powered Powerhouse![/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/95262b088baeb10360f19af3cfb68d8346544b62.png[/img] The newest paragon of Super Animal technology has been released from Thomas’ Workshop: the [b]Superite Laser![/b] This charge-up light machine gun fires beams of superite at an astounding rate. Its low damage per shot and high recoil compensate for its frenzied firing speed. The Superite Laser uses superite cartridges for ammo, which can be found by breaking special new superite crates found around the map, and the gun itself can be found in uncommon and rare varieties. All of the regular kill milestones for colored weapon skins have been added for this new gun, and it also has its own entry for kills on the stats screen. [h1]Cool Off with the Super Summer Royale event[/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/1f398c76675efd58319d63ce5b06a60d0b1c29e0.png[/img] 2023’s [b]Super Summer Royale[/b] event has begun! Fruit has been scattered around the island to collect, redeemable for 8 new event-exclusive cosmetics. A wave of legacy items has also returned from past Super Summer Royale events. Some can be earned in the event using fruit and some have made their way into Cackling Carl’s Cart. The Super Summer Royale Event runs from [b]July 11th to August 1st.[/b] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/c2ab4577276be97f28f7a5a6be82d48937a3f0b7.jpg[/img] Two new sweet breeds of Super Animals are available in the Research Lab, too: the [b]Super Apricat[/b] and [b]Super Banana Dog![/b] [h1]Pillage Some New SAW Shop Swag[/h1] Before you ask, no, Ms. Macawsome will NOT stand on your shoulder. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/950ce7f303e7fed448d2a18dad958a2575130370.png[/img] The [b]Pirate Bundle[/b] is available for purchase in the SAW Shop! Remind those landlubbers that the sea’s not all fun and games with the included cosmetics: [list] [*] Pirate Dress outfit [*] Pirate Bandana hat [*] Black Flag melee weapon [*] Flintlock magnum skin [/list] We have two more new SAW Shop items that are also currently available this week: the [b]Monkey Dance emote[/b] and [b]Water Pistol skin![/b] More brand-new SAW Shop items will be rotating into the shop over the coming weeks as well, so keep an eye out. [h1]Melee Attack Overhaul[/h1] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33586940/f6a5376aafe03bc20e0e2eb67644ae20d7de69ba.jpg[/img] We’ve completely overhauled how melee attacks work in SAR to make them feel more dynamic, and we can’t wait to hear what you think of the new mechanics! Attacking with your melee now initiates a directional combo of 3 different swings, with the third, circular strike gaining increased hit radius. In the previous system, swinging your melee weapon used to slow you down similar to firing a gun. Now, when you swing you'll actually get a slight boost in speed, faster than your regular walking rate. It's not as fast as Super Jump Rolling, but it's a big help in chasing down foes when you're stuck without a gun. In the Bwoking Dead game mode, Zombie Joes also get this directional improvement and have a new attack animation, however they do not cycle through different swing types since they’re not armed with a melee weapon. This overhaul aims to make attacking with your melee weapon a better, more fluid option in close quarters if you don’t manage to snag a weapon early game, or if you run out of ammo, and it also makes chopping grass and breaking crates feel much better while looting. [h1]Also Surfacing This Update[/h1] [h2]Listen Up - New Audio Effects and Improvements[/h2] SAR’s gotten a ton of audio overhauls this update to improve the auditory experience! Here’s some changes to keep an ear out for: [list] [*] Most character-related sounds and emotes now use stereo audio. This improves the quality and depth of many sounds that were previously only played in mono. [*] Added stereo spread to environmental music (for example, the stage shows and water fountain). [*] Updated the sound for using Super Tape so it provides a more distinct ending to mark completion. Also, a bug where the tape sound effect could play multiple times if pressed quickly at higher pings has been fixed. [*] Impossible Tape has a new taping sound (sounds more super!) [*] Added a new spatial hit impact sound for when enemy players are hit. This sound plays immediately when you hit another player (client side), while the original 'ding' hit sound will still also play when the server confirms the hit & damage. [*] Updated enemy player hit sounds to be louder and more reactive sounding. [*] Less important sounds will now have audio levels ducked if important sounds are triggered (ie hits, grenade landing, squadmate knocked). [*] Fixed player hit sounds triggering multiple times in one frame. [*] Fixed hamster ball hit sounds triggering multiple times in one frame. [*] Self-damaging poison no longer plays the sound for an enemy player being hit. [*] Waterfalls in close proximity no longer play identical audio clips, which caused audio phasing issues [*] Sound added for the large screen at S.A.W. Security HQ. [*] Sound added to the fish tanks at Penguin Palace. [*] Added a specific sound for breaking the wood blockades at S.A.W. Security HQ. [/list] Be sure to stop by Super Sea Land to enjoy some of the new tracks too, especially the Aquarium’s ambiance track! We’ve been excited to share it with you, as it’s quickly become one of our favorites. That Jake guy really knows what he’s doing. [h2]New Milestones[/h2] [list] [*] Kill milestones for the Superite Laser have been added, as mentioned above. [*] New win milestones have been added for reaching the Top of the Food Chain, along with new cosmetics as rewards! These are the Royal Scepter melee weapon at 50 wins, and the King’s Outfit at 100 wins (Super Edition required to claim). [*] A new milestone has been added for becoming the unfortunate victim of a Health Juice Factory production accident. Hopefully its reward is suitable workman’s comp (Super Edition required to claim). [/list] [h2]More Gameplay Changes[/h2] [list] [*] The most important change: you can now pet other player's Mini Animals in the lobby! [*] The gas radius of damaged Skunk Mushrooms has been increased from 15 to 20, and the number of total damage ticks has been increased from 13 to 14. [*] Minigun windup time is now 0.48s, down from 0.72s. This change aims to help the weapon become better equipped for a variety of situations and worth its legendary status. [*] The Super Juicer now increases your Health Juice maximum to 300, gives double the previous amount from juicing, and if you are at maximum juice it will produce lootable juice cans. Its style has also been updated. [*] Eggs from the BCG now properly check the height of downed players when calculating mid-air collisions. [*] Reworked object interaction so that the nearest interactable object will always take precedence. This prevents issues with zip-line boarding while loot is around, and fixes various other long-standing issues such as boarding Giant Emus inside loot piles. [*] In SvR mode, points are now only deducted for respawning if you died to another player. [*] Adjusted pet movement on conveyors so it can push them while idling. [*] If you eat a Speed Mushroom while already under its effects, the boost’s duration now stacks. [*] Quick chat pings on mushrooms now indicate the type. [*] Dart guns by default will now heal Giant Emus, since they are non-hostile creatures. However, they will still damage the emu if a rider is non-friendly. [*] Wins will now count towards the "Survive until the final gas circle" challenge. [*] Many improvements have been made behind the scenes regarding textures, sounds, characters, and code to reduce the total memory usage of SAR. [*] Several TV screens throughout the map (SART screen, Mini ranch ad screens, and so on) now use video as opposed to sprite sheets, which saves a lot of memory usage. [*] Blush and Black/White Warpaint are now equipped using the beard slot instead of glasses. [*] Players can now use the emote wheel in the main menu. [*] The Laugh emote's animation and sound has been adjusted to fit the tone of the game better and be used more generally. [*] The Customize screen now uses a recycling scroll rect so that players with large inventories will not have lag when changing tabs. [*] On the Challenges screen, you can click on the faded daily/weekly side to change tabs. [*] On PC, the Photo Booth can now save images and GIFs with transparency. This option is provided while on the green screen background. [*] Buying an archived Animal Pass now automatically switches to the progress tab and animates the pass into position. [*] The Steam Deck now uses floating keyboard input instead of the fullscreen keyboard. [*] Improved vignetting to scale with zoom while in private match ghost mode. [*] Added /noboss command for private matches to toggle whether the Giant Mole boss arrives or not in SvR. [*] SAR is now using Unity's incremental garbage collector, which should help prevent stutters that occur after long play sessions on lower end machines. [*] Added /netdata command on PC to show incoming and outgoing data rate. [/list] [h2]Bug Fixes[/h2] [list] [*] Lucky Cat Mines will self-destruct if more than 4 are placed, beginning with the oldest mine. This was the original intended design, but it was not working due to a bug. [*] Fixed a bug where 2 people eating a blue mushroom at the same time would both see the speed effect. [*] Fixed Giant Emus not being able to peck health fruit. [*] Fixed Super Juicer sound playing when eating coconuts & mushrooms on a Giant Emu. [*] Fixed military tent geometry to no longer allow throwables through some corners. [*] Fixed emoting while slipping on a banana causing glitched character animations. [*] Squadmates who leave while in the lobby or disconnect mid-match will have their paw markers removed from the map. [*] Added a tiny start delay to most bullet trails which fixes some longstanding visual issues with bullets appearing through muzzles. [*] Fixed a soft crash if dropping your weapon at high ping and changing to that slot during that brief drop window. [*] Fixed a gem scale bug in the photo booth. [*] Fixed many death explosions that didn't scale up properly in the main menu. [*] Archive passes can now be reactivated if missing any claimed items, even if completed on experience. [*] Fixed credits being unopenable if the Esc key was pressed as it was opening. [*] Fixed a bug where controller users would see item reward popups on the Animal Pass screen, but have selection stuck on the pass itself. [*] Fixed the Research Lab’s tube showing the wrong Super Fox in certain cases when first going to the Research Lab tab. [*] Fixed a soft crash if going to the Research Lab tab before player data was loaded. [/list] That’s all for the Sea Legs Update’s patch notes, Super Animals! Hope your battles go swimmingly. Take care and we’ll see you on the island!