This is a big one, folks! Update 1.1 is here, and with it comes an array of new content. Leading the charge is Team Deathmatch, challenges and rewards, new spells and crossplay with the simultaneous SteamVR-release! All in all, there are more than 200 changes to Wands Alliances in this update. Since there are a lot of minor tweaks, we hope you excuse us if we don’t list every single altered line in the code base. Let’s roll.
Patch notes, Wands Alliances: Uprising (client version 1.02.2 -> 1.1)
Updates
New game mode: Team Deathmatch!
Team deathmatch can be played on all three levels. In TDM, the objective is for your team to get as many kills as possible. First team to 25 kills, or the team with the most kills when the time runs out, wins. In this game mode you respawn whenever you die. You also have the possibility to change character and spells mid match.
In the post-match lobby, players will now vote on one of three combinations of random map and game modes.
Spells
Three new spells are dropping this update, one for each class.
Damage: Weeping Willow. A tile spell that deals low damage to the first enemy that enters it, and that also applies anti-healing for eight seconds. (Anti-healing is a status effect that prevents the target from receiving any healing.)
Control: Northwind. A very fast projectile that deals low damage and disarms its target for a few seconds. (Disarming is a status effect that prevents the target from casting any spells.)
Support: Revelator. A small turret that can be placed anywhere. The Revelator constantly scans its surroundings. If an enemy steps within range, they become tagged for a short period. (Marking is a status effect; it marks a target’s location, which the other team then can see through objects on the map.)
Challenges
There are now challenges you can complete. They will be based on your in-game performance, and each challenge comes with a unique reward! By completing challenges, you unlock titles and portrait borders for your character, as well as the new spells.There is now a new page on the progression menu in the hub where you can see the progress of all your challenges.
During post-match you will also get a live update of how far you’ve progressed on the various challenges as well as see those you completed. If you complete any challenge, you’ll gain the reward related to that challenge here.
Titles and portrait borders
To be able to show off how amazing you are at the game, there are now a variety of titles and borders that you get to customize your avatar with. By completing challenges you’ll unlock various cosmetic items which you can then equip. Create your own unique identity and show what you’ve accomplished to other players!
On the progression menu in the hub, there is now a new page with the option of customizing both the portrait border as well as the title of your avatar.
Borders: Portrait Borders will be shown around your avatar image in the hub, and around your character’s icon in the kill feed. The challenges to unlock borders are the most difficult ones, so it comes with prestige to carry one.
Titles: Titles are names or phrases you can equip to suit your personality, and they will be shown under your username. There are 34 titles to be collected. Which one suits you best?
Status effects
To increase readability, with the Uprising update we are adding status effects. These are effects that a player can be affected by that will have various kinds of lasting impact. You’ve already seen a few of them (Frostbite locks you to your lantern, Scales of Ice makes you invulnerable for one hit etc). With this update we have however worked more thoroughly to make the status effects both clearer and more concise in their design.
Existing spells have been rebuilt to use the new status effect system. Status effects will now appear in your HUD when you are affected by them.As of Uprising, the current status effects are:
- Anti-healing: When applied to a player, they can no longer receive any healing for the duration of the effect.
- Armor: A player with the armor status effect applied takes less damage from spells.
- Disarm: While a player is disarmed, they can’t cast any spells. They can however still teleport.
- Slower and faster cooldowns: Various spells come off cooldown slower and faster.
- Invulnerability: All damage is negated for the duration of the effect.
- Locked: The affected player can’t teleport until the effect wears off.
- Marked: A marked player’s location can be seen through objects by the other team.
Quality of life updates
- Instead of always displaying the top ten players, the leaderboard will now display the top three and your current placement compared to them, along with the three players above and below you. With this change, your position will always be shown regardless if you are #4 or #500.
- Leaderboard now tracks won matches instead of rounds won (due to several game modes).
- Added loading animations to multiple menus for better readability.
- In the post-match lobby, you will now be able to see the number of players who have voted on the different upcoming map/game mode.
- If you reach level 200, your account level border will evolve one last time. (This one’s for you, @NinjaKCD!)
- Added ticking clock SFX in the post-match lobby when the countdown reaches 10 seconds remaining.
- Crouching below the allowed threshold no longer makes the screen fade to black. Instead, the screen darkens and the player gets a notification that they are too low.
- Added more nuanced detail in the account level border to better show progression.
- Battle kit order is now saved in between matches.
- Level limit in matchmaking has been tweaked. Players can now face players of a wider range of levels compared to before.
Visual updates
- Updated water shader in main menu
- Added reflections to water in main menu
- Added smog effect to skyline in main menu
- Added floor reflection to Maetropolis
- Updated chimney smoke effect
- Updated water shader in The Rookery
- Updated textures on environment machines
Bug fixes
- Insta Heal can shoot through walls and objects
- Lightning Strike’s main VFX not showing correctly when player in close proximity
- Unlockables are often not centered above arrow
- Long player names displaying poorly above player’s head
- Wands have no vials when picking spells
- Artillery character trait is displayed in post-match lobby
- Multiple instances of spawnables may appear briefly when cast
- Inaccurate account level information is shown when progression menu is loading
- Time Bubble and Gravity Well lack charging VFX
- Four players are in one team
- Party members can be placed in different games when matchmaking
