Are you a sparkling person, positively glowing with charisma? Are you caustic, with a wry smile and acerbic wit that you picked up from your emotionally distant grandmother? Are you the toast of Twitch, buying everyone drinks, singing old songs? Are you a folk hero of the online world, darling of the streaming masses?
Prepare your best bluffs, write your most epic speech, rally your fans, and get ready to face the cold, crowd, and chaos that is the Darwin or Die!
Darwin or Die is a new monthly community event open to all Darwin Project players. Unlike the Top 100 Showdowns, it is a show designed to not only highlight players’ abilities, but also create the most entertaining and interactive experience for the viewers. Think Hunger Games or Running Man!
We’ll be activating all of Darwin Project’s available Spectator Interactions, so expect viewers to be able to influence the matches in all sorts of spectacular ways.
Players, be warned: It will be unfair, unpredictable, and incredibly fun!
We’ll share more specifics about the format closer to the event. For now, all you need to know is that Darwin or Die is a wild, no-holds-barred Darwin Project romp where mics are required! The winner will be rewarded the exclusive King Momo Hat, which they will have the privilege to wear only until the next month when the King Momo Hat will once again be up for grabs.
For more details on how to participate, read the full blogpost here.
See you in the arena!
Preview the November Patch in a Technical Playtest this Friday
Hello inmates,
Once again, we’d like to invite you to try a work-in-progress version of the upcoming Darwin Project content update. We’ve got some exciting new features coming in the November patch and you can try them out on Friday, November 9. The improvements in this patch aren’t final, but we’d still like your impressions on them in their current state.
Remember that you’ll be playing an early version, so everything is subject to change and you may experience small issues. More information below!
What exactly am I testing?
The main focus of the November patch is balance, so we’ll mainly be looking for your feedback on several gameplay adjustments. However, we’d also love your thoughts on:
The Show Director Soundboard: A way for Show Directors to highlight key moments in the arena by playing various sound effects
The Playground: A work-in-progress area where inmates can learn the basics and experiment with their equipment
New Private Match options: Once you’ve gotten a feel for the other changes, start up a Private Match with friends to unleash a healthy dose of chaos!
The build contains more improvements than those listed above, and you’ll be able to share your thoughts about everything you noticed in the post-playtest survey.
When is the Technical Playtest?
The Technical Playtest will take place on Friday, November 9 from 2 PM EST (7 PM UTC) to 6 PM EST (11 PM UTC) on Steam.
How can I participate in the Playtest?
1. Go to your Steam library
2. Right-click on Darwin Project and select Properties
3. Go to the Beta tab and enter the playtest code: playtest73429482
4. Click Check Code, then select Playtest from the drop-down menu
5. Restart Steam and launch Darwin Project
Important: Don’t forget to opt out of the Playtest branch once it is over! You can do this by going back to the Beta tab in the game’s Properties and selecting None from the drop-down menu.
Can I stream or record the Playtest?
Yes! Don’t forget to opt out of the Playtest when you are done playing before continuing to stream Darwin Project.
How can I send you my thoughts?
We’d love to hear your feedback about the November patch content! We will be posting the link to the post-playtest survey in the playtesting build as well as our social channels. Please take the time to fill it out and help us make this update the best it can be!
When does the November content update drop?
The next patch will be available on November 20, with patch notes published a few days earlier as usual.
We hope you’ll join us, and see you in the arena!
- Scavengers Team
Celebrate Halloween with the Darwin Project Devs!
Inmates, we'd love to celebrate Halloween night with you! To celebrate the spooky season, we will be playing Duos with 5 unlucky inmates on Steam. We will be LIVE on October 31, from 6 to 8 PM EDT on our official Twitch page with our very own Simon Darveau, Darwin Project's Creative Director, as the Show Director!
We’ve been busy preparing another meaty content update for October! Here’s what’s in store for Tuesday, October 16 on Steam. Expect maintenance to begin at 11:00 AM EDT / 3:00 PM UTC as usual.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to watch our latest Behind the Scenes video to understand why patch 1.16 doesn’t quite correspond to the roadmap we released in July.
See you in the arena!
Battle Pass: The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton
The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton is the first-ever Darwin Project Battle Pass! To learn more about why we decided to add this content and exactly what it entails, please read our dedicated blog post.
Playing this new Halloween-themed content will involve progressing through Tiers to unlock a variety of rewards, including 5 cosmetic item sets and even more ways to customize your character. For the first time, inmates will be able to collect fresh Haircuts and Cloaks, as well as an all-new category of items in the Dressing Room: Face Details. All rewards will be viewable from the Rewards tab in the new Battle Pass menu, but check out some of what you’ll be able to obtain below.
Pictured items:
Brown Stetson (Hat - Both Characters)
Robber Baron (Shirt and Pants - Male Character)
Frontier Killer (Shirt and Pants - Female Character)
Pictured items:
Plague Doctor (Hat - Both Characters)
Good Old Fashion Cyborg (Shirt and Pants - Both Characters)
Pictured items:
Copper Coal Mask (Hat - Both Characters)
Immortal Glanton (Shirt, Pants, and Boots - Both Characters)
Golden Axel Bow (Bow - Both Characters)
Golden Harvester (Axe - Both Characters)
In addition to new cosmetics, playing The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton will unlock age-old documents that you’ll be able to piece together to learn about the bone-chilling fate of Roger D. Glanton, the Darwin Project founder. We’re very excited to be fleshing out the Darwin Project lore with this new tale, and we can’t wait for you to dive into it! Across the art, music, Challenges, and more, our team has worked very hard to bring you what we consider some of our most reinvigorating content yet.
The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton will run from Tuesday, October 16 to Tuesday, November 13.
Download new Glanton-themed wallpapers from our media page!
New Tile: Gould City
The birthplace of Roger D. Glanton, Gould City is a Victorian-era New England Tile with an autumnal atmosphere.
In Gould City, inmates can explore a large cathedral and fight on the streets among Victorian houses. Behind the cathedral is a spooky graveyard covered in fog. On the periphery of the city are farm settlements with cornfields, scarecrows, and farmhouses. Twin bridges lay across the frozen river and connect to an old part of town. For a spookier experience, explore Gould City at night with only the city lights to guide you!
While Gould City is thematically related to the Battle Pass, this new Tile is a permanent addition to Darwin Project, so inmates will still be able to enjoy it after November 13. We will add it to the bank of possible Tiles in the same way we did with On-The-Rocks Shipping Co, meaning it will be available to everyone immediately after the patch.
Improved Sudden Death
The sudden death radius will now become smaller and move around, challenging inmates to stay within its boundaries as they carry out the final fight of the match. We also changed the visual effects of the sudden death walls to improve visibility.
Previously, in the larger sudden death area inmates would play more cautiously, often trying to remain hidden and extending the match in a way that wasn’t very exciting for spectators. As the final showdown in a match, we wanted to make sudden death more spectacular. The solution we decided on makes for more exciting fights where navigation, Tools and Powers all become very important, and each decision can quickly lead to victory or defeat. We’re really proud of the result!
New Way to Shoot the Bow: Shoot on Release
Some feedback we regularly receive from new players is that they expect their Arrows to fire from their Bow when they release the shoot button. We’ve made this new control scheme default for Darwin Project newcomers.
While current players may choose to stick with what we now call the “classic” Bow control scheme, we’ve added the option to switch to the shoot-on-release controls inside Gameplay Options.
Once Shoot on Button Release is enabled, two new options will become available in the Gameplay Options. The first is Enable Axe Attack on Cancel Aim, which makes the button to cancel a nocked Arrow (left mouse button for keyboard and mouse by default) also swing the Axe when pressed. The second is Show Cancel Hint, which is on by default but allows inmates to hide the Cancel hint when the Bow is drawn.
Halloween fun! [From October 16 to November 20 only]
Placed some jack-o’-lanterns throughout the map
Developer comments: Something good might happen to inmates who harvest them…
Replaced lobby drones with pumpkins (please don’t destroy these; they’re worth 2999 Darwin Dollars a pop)
Changed the main menu music for a Halloween version of the Darwin Project theme
Changed the main menu background to Gould City
Optimization
Significantly optimized various UI, audio, and environmental elements
Developer comments: These might not sound like things that will improve performance, but we’re pretty confident that all players will see a better framerate consistency with patch 1.16. As mentioned in the latest Behind the Scenes video, we’re keeping optimization at the top of our priority list so that everyone can enjoy a smooth experience in the arena as we continue adding content and improving existing features.
Gameplay
Show Directors will now gain Actions Points 20% faster
Leveling up as a Show Director will now grant a Fan Gift
Developer comments: This will allow Show Directors to participate in the in-game economy and wear earned cosmetics when they play as an inmate.
Added a double-tap roll option (with sensitivity slider)
Developer comments: In response to player feedback, we’ve added a new way to use the roll. Enabling the double-tap in Gameplay Options will allow inmates to quickly press the movement key twice to execute a roll. Note that this will not replace the default roll input.
Improved navigation in the On-The-Rocks Shipping Co. Tile by reducing the size of some containers to make them reachable by jumping
Modified resource spread in the On-The-Rocks Shipping Co. Tile to be denser towards the center
Moved some pieces of broken wooden objects that were obstructing navigation in some cabins’ interiors.
Made Boomshrooms easier to hit from above
The stamina bar will now be displayed at the center of the screen at all times except when full
Developer comments: This change is intended to help players better manage their stamina
Visuals
Added detail to the Glider
In the Gameplay Options, turning off blood will now also turn off the Beach Party visual effect where inmates appear naked
Developer comments: This is a temporary measure while we work on replacing Beach Party’s implied nudity with swimsuits following player feedback.
Added a timer in the lobby to indicate when the match will automatically start
Reworked the Electronic activation visual effect
Northern lights are back in the sky during nighttime
Developer comments: Well, this is embarrassing. It seems the northern lights mysteriously disappeared sometime during our Alpha or Beta tests without us realizing. We even optimized them in the last patch! Anyway, they’re back now.
Improved visual effect for antenna on top of cabins with Holomaps
Reduced Arrow trail visual effect duration
Updated the crosshair
Added bears
Developer comments: We were inspired by the valorous community movement #addbearstodarwin
Other
Reworked the Play button so it is now possible to start a match with a single click
Split mouse sensitivity into two sliders (mouse sensitivity and aim mouse sensitivity) in Mouse and Keyboard Options
Added an option to change matchmaking region in Gameplay Options (still available from the main menu as well)
Renamed Melee Attack to Axe Attack in Mouse and Keyboard as well as Controller Options
Renamed Camo to Invisibility
When entering a password to join a Private Match, the code will be displayed as asterisks
Accepting a friend invite while in a lobby will now bring the invited player back to the main menu
Prevented players from switching profiles when searching for a match
Discover The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton with the First Darwin Project Battle Pass
Hello inmates,
We have lots to share with you today about the direction Darwin Project is headed in and some exciting new content coming in the October patch just a few days away. Please watch Behind the Scenes 4: An Update on What's Next by clicking the image below.
The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton is the first-ever Darwin Project Battle Pass, and we want to talk a bit about why we chose to add this content and what it entails.
Ever since the Easter Egg Hunt in spring, a lot of you said you miss in-game events and are interested in new opportunities to collect unique cosmetic items. We reflected for a long time about how to make future events more meaningful, because while players had a fun time collecting Easter eggs in the arena, we felt we could provide a deeper experience.
We decided that the next limited-time event would be a great opportunity to expand the lore behind Darwin Project. Our writer (the same who gave us the wonderful Mabel Beeswell) came up with a fantastic, spooky tale about how the Darwin Project began. The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton is the story of the man who started it all: the Darwin Project founder himself.
Playing this new Halloween-themed content will involve progressing through 50 Tiers to unlock a variety of rewards, and some of those rewards are age-old documents that you’ll be able to piece together to learn about the bone-chilling fate of Roger D. Glanton. We just can’t wait for you to discover the story! Combined with the art and music that our team has worked very hard to produce, The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton is probably our most refreshing new content so far.
The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton will run from Tuesday, October 16 to Tuesday, November 13 on Steam.
Why the Battle Pass format? It’s no secret that many players today are accustomed to the Battle Pass progression and reward systems (but don’t worry if you aren’t; we’ll have detailed information in-game as well as on our official website). We also like the idea of players knowing exactly what they’ll unlock and when―especially when there’s a lot to discover. The Battle Pass format allows us to organize all the content in a way that allows players to keep track of earned and upcoming rewards, with no luck needed to obtain specific items.
Purchasing the Battle Pass is not required to enjoy The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton, but doing so will allow inmates to unlock more rewards and have access to Premium Weekly Challenges to help reach higher Tiers. The Battle Pass will become available in the Shop for a limited time starting on October 16 for 1000 Ramen. We estimate the total value of all items that can be unlocked with the Battle Pass to be over 16,500 Ramen, so it’s great value―not to mention that inmates will be able to recoup a large part of the Ramen cost by playing.
Let’s talk about the rewards! On top of the lore we already mentioned, progressing in The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton will unlock a ton of exclusive cosmetic items related to Glanton’s story. You can expect more extremely cool styles for your clothes and weapons. There are over 65 rewards to earn in total! Among these is a brand new way to customize your character: Face Details. Additionally, a lot of you have been asking for new Cloaks and Haircuts―you’ll be able to add more of those to your collection as well!
To advance Tiers and obtain the rewards inside, you will have to earn experience points (not to be confused with Fans). Playing Darwin Project normally―as an inmate or Show Director―will grant XP toward The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton, as will completing the Daily Rehab Program (only while the Battle Pass is active).
Completing Weekly Challenges will also allow inmates to reach higher Tiers. These Challenges will be revealed at the start of each of the four weeks that the Battle Pass is active, and will require more attention to your playstyle and to your environment than the tasks assigned to you in the Daily Rehab Program. Note that Challenges can only be completed by playing as an inmate.
Reaching the final Tier through play after purchasing the Battle Pass will take an estimated 25 to 50 hours. At Tier 50, you’ll gain access to the Ultimate Challenges section of the Battle Pass where a final set of Challenges await. For The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton, they are called Inferno Challenges and will reward you with a special 7-piece item set variant upon completion. Unlike the Weekly Challenges, you’ll still be able to complete the Ultimate Challenges―if you’ve unlocked them―once the Battle Pass ends.
At any point between October 16 and November 13, you can choose to spend Ramen to purchase one or many Tiers. Purchasing Tiers is not required to reach the end, but will help players who get started later or who just want to speed things up. Any experience points in your current Tier will carry over to the next one when purchased with Ramen.
That’s all the key information about the Battle Pass! We’re sure you still have lots of questions, so please keep an eye out for more details as well as a complete FAQ in the coming days.
As you might have guessed, the new Tile that we’re also adding in the October patch will be thematically related to the Battle Pass content. We will add it to the bank of possible Tiles in the same way we did with On-The-Rocks Shipping Co, meaning it will be available to everyone immediately after the patch. Stay tuned to our official channels for a first glance!
To reiterate an important point we brought up in the Behind the Scenes video: In the coming months, we’re keeping optimization at the top of our priority list so that all of you can enjoy a smoother experience in the arena. We’ve been reading your survey responses closely and want to ensure that you are satisfied with how Darwin Project performs on your PC. We also want to note that creating our Battle Pass content has not interfered with this focus, and we will be doing everything we can to optimize Darwin Project even as we continue adding more content and improving existing features.
There won’t be a new Battle Pass available as soon as this one ends, so don’t feel pressured to save up your Ramen just yet. In fact, because The Death and Life of Roger D. Glanton will be the first limited-time event of this scope that we deliver, your feedback will be incredibly valuable for us to help determine whether we create more in the future! Once you get a chance to play, please let us know what you think on any of our official channels. And as usual, see you in the arena!
Help us Improve Darwin Project!
Hello inmates!
We need your feedback! Please help us make Darwin Project be the best it can be by filling out this 15-minute survey for our inmates on PC. We need your responses by Thursday, September 27, at 3 PM EDT, so we can have time to analyze your answers and make the necessary updates or improvements. Thank you so much!
Watch the Top 100 Showdown and Test the WIP version of the Spectator Betting System
Hi, inmates!
Today, September 22, we will be testing the work-in-progress version of the Spectator Betting System at 2 PM EDT. Read more about this feature in our recent patch notes.
If you'd like to get first-hand experience, make sure to tune into any of the streams of the following Show Directors from 2 PM EDT and try it out! Note that this feature is still in development, so there will likely be bugs. Please do send them to us and give us feedback here or on the Feedback channel in our official Darwin Project Discord server.
Thank you!
Patch Notes 1.15 - Changes for September 18
Hello inmates,
We’ve got another gigantic set of patch notes for our September content update!
Patch 1.15 is coming to Steam Tuesday, September 18. Expect maintenance to begin at 11:00 AM EDT / 3:00 PM UTC as usual.
Again, thanks to all the Steam players who previewed these changes in our technical playtests and sent in feedback! Don’t hesitate to keep sharing your thoughts about any of this content on our official channels.
See you in the arena!
New Combat Move: Roll
The roll is a new stamina-consuming move that inmates can use in combat as a fast dodge option or to quickly get into close range with an enemy.
We’ve added this first new basic move to deepen gameplay following feedback from players asking for additional ways to achieve more advantageous positioning in combat―something that often determines the outcome of an encounter in Darwin Project.
Players can roll with Caps Lock on a keyboard or by pressing down on the right stick with a controller. With the roll replacing the crouch input on the controller’s right stick, we’ve remapped the crouch to the left stick by default and added an option to swap it with the sprint in Controller Options.
The roll can be used in a variety of different situations depending on the result players are after: swinging the Axe during a roll will combine into a roll attack, trading some stamina for the chance to surprise an opponent, and performing a roll might sometimes be the only way to avoid an incoming projectile spotted at the last second.
We hope inmates enjoy their newfound acrobatic ability and use it to make Darwin Project matches even more spectacular to watch. The roll is the first of major combat enhancements coming to Darwin Project as our Fight Strike Team continues to work on improving fight mechanics.
New Show Director Power: Beach Party
Beach Party is a new Show Director Power that transforms the arena with a tropical atmosphere that warms up all inmates, helps them detect resources (including deer and Loot Chests) in the same way as the Detector, and doubles the amount of items received when inmates harvest all resources except Electronics. It costs 5 action points to activate.
Beach Party is sure to be a hit among inmates on the verge of freezing or low on Wood or Leather. But because this Power affects all inmates still alive, players using this opportunity to chop down as many trees as they can must still be on the lookout for well-placed traps or freshly stocked up enemies flying in on a Glider.
We had a blast putting together the visual and audio effects for Beach Party and hope Show Directors will have just as much fun surprising inmates by changing the climate of the arena!
Want to add Beach Party to your Show Director Deck? Just keep leveling as the Show Director to unlock it!
New Electronic Power: Shrink
Shrink is a new Electronic Power that inmates can craft and use on themselves after looting an Electronic resource. It can be equipped in the Crafting Wheel immediately once patch 1.15 releases.
Activating the new Shrink Electronic Power will turn inmates very small for 15 seconds, making them jump higher, leave no footprints, be more difficult to see and hit, and safely walk over Traps without activating them. However, shrunk inmates will deal 100 less Axe and Arrow damage and be knocked back farther when hit.
The Shrink Electronic Power will prove particularly useful for inmates who enjoy sneaking up on their opponents to catch them off-guard, and it can also come in handy in a fight where the only way out is to suddenly become much more difficult to aim at. Use the Shrink to lay Traps and loot defeated players unseen, or whip out the world’s tiniest Glider in a pinch!
New Spectator Interaction Feature: Betting
UPDATE: 9/18: We’ve decided to postpone this update to spectator interactions in order to further test it with your help. Stay tuned to our official channels for more information!
We’ve updated the Darwin Project Twitch Extension with a new feature for spectators: Betting
When watching a livestream on a Twitch channel with the Spectator Interaction Extension enabled, spectators will be able to become even further involved by placing bets on which inmate or team they believe will be the last one standing. Spectators can place bets even if there is no Show Director in the match.
This betting interface will replace the Crowd Favorite vote as the main way spectators can select their champion in each Darwin Project match (votes launched by the Show Director remain unchanged).
To bet, spectators use a currency we’re currently calling Darwin Dollars. Spectators will earn 50 Darwin Dollars per minute they watch the stream, or 100 per minute if they are a channel follower. [Known issue: Refreshing the stream prevent Darwin Dollars from accumulating normally] Spectators will be prompted to choose the amount of Darwin Dollars they want to bet on their preferred inmate, with the payout multiplier based on each player’s performance. The multiplier will update every 10 seconds depending on how spectators place their bets.
Note that betting will be unavailable in Private Matches for the time being, and that spectators will not earn Darwin Dollars by watching the stream when the players are in the lobby.
Spectators will be able to access three leaderboards at any time while watching the stream: Current amount of Darwin Dollars, total gain, and largest gain in one shot (shows top 10 of each). These leaderboards will display the top 10 spectators in each.
This betting feature is just the beginning! We plan to keep improving our spectator interaction feature to further connect Darwin Project broadcasters and their viewers.
Highway Bandit Cosmetics and Change to Boots & Armor
Safety Psycho (male character) and Sentient Hardware Store (female character)
You can purchase these items individually or as 5-piece sets that include the Helmet, Shirt, Armor, Pants, and Boots. The 5-piece sets will be featured during the week of Tuesday, September 18 in the Weekly section of the Item Shop. All Safety Psycho and Sentient Hardware items, including the Nonstop Axe (not pictured) and Screw You Bow, can also be found in Fan Gifts starting September 18.
Plated Denim (male character) and Copper Computer (female character)
You can purchase these items individually or as 5-piece sets that include the Helmet, Shirt, Armor, Pants, and Boots. The 5-piece sets will be featured during the week of Tuesday, September 25 in the Weekly section of the Item Shop. All Plated Denim and Copper Computer items, including the Nuqkarit Axe (not pictured) and Bronze Drill Bow, can also be found in Fan Gifts starting September 18.
Foreign Exchange Student (male character) and Recycling Czar (female character)
You can purchase these items individually or as 5-piece sets that include the Helmet, Shirt, Armor, Pants, and Boots. The 5-piece sets will be featured during the week of Tuesday, September 25 in the Weekly section of the Item Shop. All Foreign Exchange Student and Recycling Czar items, including the Ice Scream Axe and Pink Pipe Bow (not pictured), can also be found in Fan Gifts starting September 18.
Boots and Armors to be Equippable by Male and Female Characters
Patch 1.15 marks a change to the way Boots and Armors can be worn in the Dressing Room. Starting with the Highway Bandit items above, Boots and Armors can be equipped by both the male character and female character. Boots and Armors released after patch 1.15 will also fit both characters in the Dressing Room.
Note that this change will not apply to existing Boots and Armors.
Report System Improvements
Players who violate the Code of Conduct will be more quickly warned, with higher level sanctions continuing to be applied if the violations persist
As part of our ongoing efforts to minimize the amount of hateful language that Darwin Project players are exposed to, warnings for abusive chat will now be delivered more frequently. Players who receive a warning for abusive chat are strongly advised to pay closer attention to their use of voice chat; failure to improve this behaviour may result in a voice chat restriction, temporary suspension, or permanent suspension. Note that this also applies to other Code of Conduct violations such as teaming.
When action is taken against a player who has violated the Code of Conduct, a “thank you” message will appear for players who have reported the offender
A big part of our improvements to the report system is letting our players know that their reports actively help keep Darwin Project matches fun, safe, and positive. We’ll now display a message to players who have helped us take action against an inmate violating the Code of Conduct the next time they go to the main menu. We hope this small gesture helps demonstrate our appreciation for your help!
It will now be possible to report teammates for match sabotage when playing Duos
We’ve heard feedback from players who had unpleasant experiences in Duo Mode when playing with a teammate who deliberately attempted to throw the match. With patch 1.15, it will be possible to report an ally who is inactive, intentionally disruptive, or otherwise engaging in sabotage during a Duo match.
Improved the Axe’s visual consistency
Developer comments: As part of our continued efforts to make Axe combat feel better, we tweaked the Axe collisions and trajectory so they are more visually consistent with the character animation.
Temporarily undid the change from patch 1.13 that made it easier for inmates to hit enemies above or below them with the Axe by looking up or down
Developer comments: Because we don’t have specific animations in place for these directional Axe swings, this change from patch 1.13 proved difficult to understand and led to fighting inmates believing some missed Axe swings should have connected. We’ve undone this change until corresponding animations are ready. The drawback is that fighting on uneven terrain will become more difficult.
Show Directors will no longer be able to activate a targeted Power on a player engaged in a fight
Developer comments: We understand that it felt frustrating for inmates to have the Show Director interfere in a fight with such influential targeted Powers as Heal or Speed Boost. By limiting the use of those Powers to inmates not in combat, Show Directors will still be able to impact the overall match while letting the outcome of individual fights be determined only by the inmates’ skills.
Removed jump height and distance bonus when stamina is full
Developer comments: This change from patch 1.14 was meant to address how the jump made player trajectories so predictable that the first advice any new player would receive is “don’t jump.” However, the jump height and distance bonus made it a bit too difficult to calculate and time Axe swings, resulting in fights with many swings that don’t connect. Note that we did not make changes to the air control and gravity.
Reintroduced the Canyon Tile
Developer comments: The Canyon Tile (North-West zone prior to patch 1.13) was incompatible with some configurations generated by the Tile Mapping system, so it was removed in patch 1.13, but our level designers have tweaked it and it’ll now be back in the bank of possible Tiles that can appear in the map!
Added more BoomShrooms in the On-The-Rocks Shipping Co. Tile
Being hit by a Turret will no longer interrupt players drawing their Bow
Added a slight aim assist for targeting enemy Turrets with the Bow when playing with a controller (can be turned off in the Controller Options)
Developer comments: We’ve received feedback from players using a controller about the trouble that Turrets have been consistently giving them. The Turret alone was never designed be an insurmountable threat, but it was significantly more difficult to take down when playing with a controller as opposed to keyboard and mouse.
Players can now Hook an ally with the Hook
Increased the delay between two Hook throws by 0.2 seconds
Developer comments: This change is meant to make it less likely that players will successfully land another Hook on an enemy just being released from one.
Holomaps will no longer display player names (does not apply to Private Matches)UPDATE: Holomaps now will not display player names in Private Matches either
Damage notifications will now only display damage dealt to you or by you, and to or by an ally in Duo Mode
Developer comments: By limiting the information players receive passively about their opponents, we hope to increase the importance of tracking mechanics.
In Duo Mode, quitting when an ally is still alive will not result in any Fans for that match, and the quitting player’s final match rank will be determined by their current position, with no chance to be improved by their ally’s performance.
Developer comments: This change is intended to further encourage strong teamwork between allies in Duo Mode, even when one has been defeated.
When playing as the Show Director, middle-clicking on the mouse or pressing down on the right stick of the controller will toggle follow camera to the nearest player (to easily switch points of view between two players in combat)
Pressing the Show Director Megaphone button again while using it will turn it off
Optimization
Optimized lighting day cycle, storm, particles, ambient lights, northern lights, birds, footprints, Fire and smoke effects, Electronic activation effects, and Arrow trail effects
Developer comments: In response to player feedback, we are now undertaking continuous optimization efforts to improve framerate in each content update. With patch 1.15, we focused on the most performance-heavy elements of the game.
Visuals
Reworked the equipment menu layout
Updated various buttons (work-in-progress)
Added a small axe icon to player avatars when in combat that is visible only to the Show Director and spectators
Players will now see their Boots, Armor, and Cloak in the lobby (they will still not be visible in the arena until related Perks are crafted)
Added a visual icon to cosmetic items in the Shop, Dressing Room, and Fan Gift menus to indicate whether they were obtained as part of a special event
Added an exclamation mark to indicate new Shop items
Animation
Added new animations for inmates hit by an Axe from the side, from the back, and from a spin attack (currently only available for the male character, but we plan to add them to the female character as well)
Added a new animation when propelled as a result of attacking a BoomShroom (currently only available for the male character, but we plan to add it to the female character as well)
Audio
Added a sound effect when players are out of stamina
Reduced Loot Chest sound range by 30%
Added a sound effect when purchasing an item from the Shop
Shop
Reworked the Shop layout
The Shop will now offer 4 weekly items and 4 daily items at a time, and is now split into tabs
Hunter sets return! Didn’t get a chance to pick up the shop-exclusive hunter-themed sets released in May? Keep an eye on the Item Shop in the coming weeks as the Dead Survivalist, Cheerful Forest Murderer, King Cold Shoulder, Icebreaker Prime, Islander Slayer, and Samoan Smasher styles will return alongside the featured Highway Bandit styles!
Leaderboards
Leaderboard resets will occur on the first day of each month starting October 1st (information about Top 100 Showdown scheduling changes to come soon)
Starting October 1st 2018, players’ Official Rating after a reset will be based on their Rating from the previous season
Developer comments: This change aims to improve matchmaking by reducing the probability for high ranked players to be matched with less experienced players.
Other
Improved matchmaking in Duo Mode
Added a message when trying to purchase an item with insufficient Ramen
Updated the default controller sensitivity
Developer comments: This change should help new players to get acclimated with the basic movement controls.
Changed controller input to purchase an item in the Shop from A to X
In the lobby, the Mute All button will now also mute players who join after pressing it
Reporting a player for abusive chat will no longer mute them by default in future matches
Developer comments: We expect that improvements to the report system will ensure players who make inappropriate use of voice chat have those privileges restricted.
Fixed an issue with the way match rankings are tracked for the first player to be eliminated in a Duo team [Patch 1.14 known issue]
Fixed an issue where the female character would sometimes not react to collisions in the same way as the male character
Fixed some collision issues at the junction of few Tiles
Fixed a visual issue in the Director section of the Career menu where Prestige would appear to increase each time the menu was accessed
Removed the Report button in the bottom right corner of the pause menu (players can still be reported in the pause menu using the yellow icon next to their names)
Fixed an issue where swinging the Axe in mid-air would sometimes cancel the next swing’s animation
Removed the Play Again button from the end-of-game screen for players in a party but not party leader
Fixed an issue where the Rigged Chest sound was slightly different than the Loot Chest’s
Fixed an issue where the square avatars would change to circles in death notification
Fixed an issue where sound waves would sometimes appear red instead of blue when an ally harvests an Electronic
Fixed an issue where the Show Director could sometimes use their Powers twice
Fixed an issue where most animations would not play when caught in a Bear Trap
Fixed an issue where selecting a report category in the report menu would display the definition before the choice was confirmed
Fixed an issue where it was possible to reset keyboard and mouse settings with a controller in the Options menu
Fixed an issue where the UI would not correctly adjust in the career menu when switching from controller to keyboard and mouse
Fixed an issue where the UI would not correctly adjust when switching from controller to keyboard and mouse as a spectator or Show Director drone
Fixed an issue where numbers on player portraits would appear as “inmate” when switching from keyboard and mouse to controller in the lobby
Fixed an issue where pressing B on a controller would not work in the Quit Game confirmation message
Fixed an issue where it was possible to navigate the main menu with a controller before selecting Continue in the Latest News pop-up
Fixed an issue where it was not possible to report more than one player per match
Fixed an issue where it was not possible to report the Show Director using a controller
Fixed an issue where the voice chat icon was not set to muted when entering spectator drone mode
September Playtest: Combat Update, New Electronic Power, and New Show Director Power
Hello inmates,
We’re once again opening up a work-in-progress version of the upcoming patch for you to try out! This time, we’re holding Technical Playtests on two days instead of just one! As you know if you’ve checked out our content update schedule, the September patch will contain a new combat update, Show Director Power, Electronic Power, and more.
Don’t forget that the features you’ll see in the Playtest are still in development, so you may experience small issues.
What exactly am I testing?
We’re looking for your feedback about the combat update, new Show Director Ability, and new Electronic, in particular, but you’ll be able to share your thoughts about everything in this version in the post-playtest survey. Stay tuned to our social media channels for some details in the next few days, or go in blind for a surprise in next week’s Playtests!
When is the Technical Playtest?
The Technical Playtest will take place on Tuesday (September 11) and Wednesday (September 12) from 4 PM EDT / 8 PM UTC to 6 PM EDT / 10 PM UTC.
How can I participate in the Playtest?
1. Go to your Steam library
2. Right-click on Darwin Project and select Properties
3. Go to the Beta tab and enter the playtest code: playtest73423482
4. Click Check Code, then select Playtest from the drop-down menu
5. Restart Steam and launch Darwin Project
Important: Don’t forget to opt out of the Playtest branch once it is over! You can do this by going back to the Beta tab in the game’s Properties and selecting None from the drop-down menu.
Can I stream the Technical Playtest?
Yes! Don’t forget to opt out of the Playtest when you are done playing before continuing to stream Darwin Project.
How can I send you my thoughts about this preview?
We’d love to hear your feedback about the September patch content! We will be posting the link to the post-playtest survey in the playtesting build, as well as our social channels. Please do take the time to fill it out!
When will the content in this Playtest be officially added to the game?
Darwin Project content updates land on the third Tuesday of each month, so you can expect the features you previewed to arrive on September 18.
Patch 1.14 is headed to Steam on Tuesday, August 21. Expect maintenance to begin at 11 AM EDT / 3 PM UTC. Patch 1.14 is our largest in a while, so kudos to anyone who’s able to make it to the bottom of these patch notes!
Special thanks to all of you who participated in the Steam Technical Playtest and sent us your thoughts about the new Tile and Hook Tool! We’ve improved them with your help (the most notable improvements since the Playtest include making the Tool blockable and reducing the distance it can cover), but more feedback is always welcome!
See you in the arena!
New Tile: On-The-Rocks Shipping Co.
Our artists and level designers have worked very hard to bring you the first-ever new Tile! In On-The-Rocks Shipping Co., inmates will be able to explore an area filled with facilities and machinery dedicated to the mining and transport of pristine ice blocks.
Thanks to the Tile Mapping system, On-the-Rocks Shipping Co. will now become part of the bank of possible Tiles that are assembled in a various configurations to form a new map for each match. More information about this system in patch notes 1.13.
On-the-Rocks Shipping Co. contains new objects, more colour variation, and other details that will make traversing it very different from the original Tiles. There are fewer forest areas and more tall landmarks that will help inmates spot this area from afar.
Still itching for more variation in the Darwin Project map? Don’t worry, more Tiles are on their way!
New Tool: Hook
The Hook is a new projectile Tool that inmates can craft using 1 Leather.
Successfully landing the Hook on an opponent will cause them to be pulled toward the player.
Just like Arrows and Snowballs, the Hook can be deflected with a properly timed Axe swing.
Inmates who identify with the Goon Playstyle and who are adamant about taking each fight to its end will enjoy stopping enemies in their tracks when they attempt to run away. Even in fights against inmates equipped with fully upgraded Boots or a readily available Glider, there’s still a chance to prevent their escape!
To unlock the Hook and equip it in their Crafting Wheels, inmates will have to complete all tasks assigned by Lancaster the Darwin Orientation Drone.
Tutorial
With patch 1.14, inmates will be greeted by Lancaster DOD, the Darwin Orientation Drone! Lancaster DOD’s role is to ease new inmates into Darwin Project by assigning them a few simple tasks. These tasks serve as a tutorial to help players understand the main mechanics and allow them to discover the game in a more guided fashion.
Lancaster DOD will assign inmates a new task as soon as one is completed until inmates have completed all 6. Only after completing these tasks will inmates be admitted into the Daily Rehab Program.
Daily Rehab Program
As more and more cosmetics are becoming available in the Item Shop and demand for cooler, crazier styles continues to grow, inmates have been asking for a more reliable way to earn Ramen. Patch 1.14 introduces the Daily Rehab Program, which offers inmates the possibility of completing a challenge once a day for a Ramen reward.
Inmates can replace the challenge assigned to them in the Daily Rehab Program with a new one once a day.
In-game Daily Rehab Program progression notifications can be disabled in the Gameplay section of the Options.
Career and Leaderboard Improvements
With the introduction of Duo Mode Career stats and Leaderboards―some of the most requested features since we implemented Duo Mode―we’ve also taken the opportunity to make several improvements to the information in the stats and Leaderboards, as well as the way this information is displayed. Patch 1.14 makes the following changes to the Career and Leaderboards:
New Duo Mode and Show Director specific stats A new tab at the top of the Career menu will allow players to switch between Solo, Duo, and Show Director stats.
For Duo Mode, stats tracked are the same as Solo stats with the exception of 3rd Places.
Note that Duo Mode and Show Director stats will be tracked starting August 21, so stats from matches played before patch 1.14 will not appear in the Career stats.
Known issue: We are aware of an issue with the way match rankings are tracked for the first player to be eliminated in a Duo team.
New Duo Mode Leaderboards Stats that will appear in the Duo Leaderboards are the same as Solo stats with the exception of 3rd Places and Official Rating.
Note that Duo Mode stats will be tracked starting August 21, so stats from matches played before patch 1.14 will not appear in the Leaderboards.
New Leaderboard viewing options: All Time and Previous Season A new drop-down menu on the left of the Career menu will allow player to switch between Current Season, Previous Season, and All Time.
Note that the Previous Season will be empty for the first season following this change.
Xbox One Controller Support
Controller support has arrived on Steam!
Cyber Survivor Cosmetics
Cyberspace Legend (male character) and Mind Obliterator (female character)
You can purchase these items individually or as 5-piece sets that include the Helmet, Shirt, Armor, Pants, and Boots. The 5-piece sets will be featured during the week of Tuesday, August 21 in the Weekly section of the Item Shop. All Cyberspace Legend and Mind Obliterator items, including the Cyber Axe (not pictured) and Cyber Bow, can also be found in Fan Gifts starting August 21.
Midnight Reaper (male character) and Mysterious Whisper (female character)
You can purchase these items individually or as 5-piece sets that include the Helmet, Shirt, Armor, Pants, and Boots. The 5-piece sets will be featured during the week of Tuesday, August 28 in the Weekly section of the Item Shop. All Midnight Reaper and Mysterious Whisper items, including the Digital Whisper Axe and Hush Now Bow (not pictured), can also be found in Fan Gifts starting August 21.
Emergency Hacker (male character) and Alert Alert Alert (female character)
You can purchase these items individually or as 5-piece sets that include the Helmet, Shirt, Armor, Pants, and Boots. The 5-piece sets will be featured during the week of Tuesday, September 4 in the Weekly section of the Item Shop. All Emergency Hacker and Alert Alert Alert items, including the Virus Axe and Malware Bow, can also be found in Fan Gifts starting August 21.
Gameplay
Reworked the Arena Electronic Power
- Reduced size of the Arena by 40%
- Reduced duration of the Arena from 20 to 15 seconds
- Made it possible for inmates to deactivate the Arena by pressing the same key again
Developer Comments: These changes create a smaller space to corner an opponent into a fight and will make it easier to use the Arena defensively.
Bushes and trees will now slightly slow down players who run through them and deplete their cold meters twice as fast while inside
Developer Comments: These changes are meant to encourage players to focus on navigating efficiently during pursuit and to discourage them from hiding in bushes for extended amounts of time.
Reworked the jump
- Increased gravity by 10%
- Increased air control by 30%
- Inmates will now jump higher and farther when their stamina is not empty
Developer Comments: The changes to gravity and air control will make the movement more difficult to predict for opponents, with the overall goal being to make jumps more useful in combat and reward inmates who are able to correctly manage their stamina.
Reworked movement speed
- Movement speed while going sideways will now be the same as running forward
- Movement speed while going backward will now be reduced by 30% instead of 20%
- Movement speed while swinging the Axe will now be reduced by 20% instead of 30%
Developer Comments: The first change is designed to increase players’ ability to dodge projectiles, and the others to reward players who take the risk to attack first and execute well-timed Axe swings.
The Spin attack will now damage players earlier in the jump to coincide with the jump changes above
The first player to die in a Duo team will now be automatically turned into a spectator drone
Developer Comments: This improvement will encourage the eliminated player to stay in the match and increase the speed with which they can be useful to their ally.
Improved the Tile Mapping system to prevent more than one of the same Tile to appear in any map configuration
Increased Cage Trap deploy time from 1 to 2 seconds so it is consistent with all other Traps
Reduced Cage Trap HP by 40%
Developer Comments: This change will allow inmates to break free considerably faster and use that time to promptly carry on the fight with their attacker or maneuver into a more favorable position.
Visuals
Bow cosmetics will now also apply a matching appearance for Arrows
Reworked the user interface in the end-of-game screen to clarify information and add Daily Rehab Program progression
Reworked the Ice Bolt icon to better distinguish it from the Power Leap
Updated the visual effect when the Arena disappears
Updated the visual effect when the Bear Trap is destroyed
Improved lighting in the Dressing Room
Audio
Improved the sound effect when swinging an Axe at a player frozen by an Ice Bolt
Added a sound effect on level up
Added a sound effect when walking through bushes and trees
Leaderboards
All Leaderboards will now reset according to the bi-weekly schedule (previously, only the Official Rating and Show Director Average Prestige would reset)
Decreased the placement matches requirement to appear on any average and ratio Leaderboard from 50 to 20
Other
Increased the odds of finding Legendary and Epic items in Fan Gifts
Reduced the odds of finding a duplicate item in Fan Gifts
Added definitions to the Code of Conduct violations on the report menu to help players make more accurate reports
The Early Access disclaimer and summary of latest updates will now appear as a pop-up upon launching the game
