As many of you may be aware, our development team is extremely committed to providing an experience that is enjoyable for as many players as possible. We frequently comb the discord, read all the feedback, and visit most streams to get a sense of what players' expectations are and where we can make the biggest improvements.
The earliest LEAP testers will recall that our game was far faster, with players causing destruction at speeds of up to 300km/h. Since then we've slowed things down and improved telegraphing, but there remain a few odd remnants of the high-powered weapons of the time. Many of you are far more skilled with some of the weapons than we anticipated, so we dug into the data to determine why that is. In one particular case, many players noticed the spread on the AR did not bloom in line with several of the other weapons making it quite laser-like. This and some similar cases have been corrected to intended values, and we promise to continue improving all systems to provide as fun and consistent of a gameplay experience that Leap players expect and deserve.
Patch Notes 20.05.2022
Weapons
Avenger AR: tweaks to various spread and recoil values
Incendiary AR: tweaks to various spread and recoil values
M7 Tactical and DTS Enforcer: tweaks to projectile speed and recoil
Hellblade and PSF Shredder: tweaks to projectile speed, gravity, and projectile explosion radii
Plasma Cannon: faster projectiles, less gravity
T32 Flak Cannon: tweaks to rate of fire, ammo per clip, velocity and spread
PSF Stinger: projectile speed, tight-aim and spread tweaks
Concussion LR-TR: tweaks to recoil and spread
Freedom Fire LMG: faster projectile speed, less recoil, spread tweaks
Overkiller: rate of fire and projectile velocity tweaks
Sidewinder Pistol: headshot multiplier, spread, and tight-aim tweaks
Abilities
Pathfinder shields: small cooldown and HP tweaks
TechOps Turrets: small cooldown tweak
Thunderblast: small cooldown tweak
Cloak: small increase to active time
Maps
Many prop collision improvements (with many more coming)
Various map fixes including places where players could get inside/under the map
AI navigation tweaks
Improved water effects
Lighting tweaks
Some minor changes to game-mode specific art
Programming
Improved matchmaking
Chat improvements and fixes
Host can now kick players from lobby
Ragdoll fixes and improvements
Leaderboard fixes
Fixes for some lingering visual effects
Fixed some XP exploits
Fixes for several spawn issues including under map or in objects
Improved gamepad menu navigation
Improved pickup radii on related objects
Background cloud data and Steam alignment fixes
Turrets should now take damage from swords
Many menu fixes
Spectator fixes
Fixes for tooltips and rewards
Tutorial improvements
Many various bug fixes
More stable client and server performance
Download the LEAP Client Now!
GET YOUR LOGO IN LEAP!
Early Access is right around the corner, but before entering that we’re LEAPing into our Open Beta and we’re calling all our content creators who would like to see their logo appear in LEAP!
Any content creator that streams LEAP during the Open Beta (May 20 - May 22) for a minimum of 3 hours can have their logo added to LEAP! The logos will be available on Early Access Launch and will be added as spray paints.
Be sure to tag your friends (in-game) and over social to join in the fun! And if you haven’t requested access to the Open Beta, click here to join!
Get ready to mark this date on your calendars - we’re thrilled to announce that LEAP is launching on Steam Early Access on Wednesday June 1st, 2022!
LEAP has been a true passion project three years in the making. Over that time, the game has gone through many iterations and we are finally ready to open things up to a wider audience.
While the game has been in development for a while, we know that the journey is only just beginning! We have tons of additional content planned and in the works and we look forward to sharing an Early Access roadmap soon.
On behalf of our entire development team at Blue Isle Studios, we wanted to give an enormous shoutout and THANK YOU to those of you who have participated in our alpha and beta tests over the course of development. We have made many new friends, made great memories and had some truly epic battles. We can’t wait to kick things into high gear. See you on the battlefield!
LEAP Beta Test Coming May 20 - 22!
You heard it here folks, we’re running one more beta test right before the EA launch happens, and a huge thank you to our friends at Gportal for hosting this beta! So get those grappling hooks out, and your PV’s all charged up because it’s time to strap in and LEAP into LEAP’s beta!
How Do I Participate in the Beta?
If you’ve participated in our last playtest (May 6-7) you’re already good to go for the beta. Anyone who does not have the ‘LEAP Playtest’ client in their Steam Library will need to request access on our Steam page. Check the image below.
How Long is the Beta Open for?
LEAP’s beta will start at 1pm EST on May 20 and will end at 9pm EST on May 22.
Can I Stream or Make any Video/Post Images on Social?
YES AND YES! We strongly encourage content creators to take part in Streaming LEAP! Feel free to tag us or use the hashtag #playLEAP!
I Have Feedback for the Game, Where can I send it?
Firstly, thank you very much! We’re all ears on what our community members would like to see come to LEAP. For anyone who wants to request feedback please fill out the form here.
Content Creators Wanted!
We need you! If you’re a content creator and want to help with LEAP’s Early Access Launch week please send us a DM so we can work with you.
Please email laura@blueislestudios.com or reach out over Discord and message l a u r a
Final Thoughts…
As we work our way toward our Early Access launch, we’ll share more details about what you can expect LEAPing into EA.
Please join us as we embark on this journey to make LEAP one of the most enjoyable community supported FPS game out there! We can’t wait to bring you all along on this journey together. Thank you from the Blue Isle Studios Team.
Our next open playtest is only two days away, and with that being said we would like to introduce you to our new PvE game mode: Special Operations.
A lot has changed since our first open beta. As a result of all the amazing feedback we received, Special Operations was born. We’ve run this game mode a few times in closed playtest and now we invite you to come in and test out this new game mode for yourself! And for all you hardcore PvP lovers out there, don’t you go thinking we forgot about you. Our Competitive game mode (PvP) will be available as well!
Now pick up those weapons and register for access today! Head on over to LEAP’s Steam Page and click ‘Request Access’ so you’ll be able to participate in the May 6 - May 7 playtest, everyone is welcome!
And while you’re there perhaps add LEAP to your wishlist.
Special Operations Objectives
Team up with your friends or connect with players online as you face off with a slew of intense power as waves of UEDC mercenaries try to eliminate you. This game mode is full of brand new enemies not yet seen from our previous playtests and many different abilities to keep players on their toes.
Game Mode Objectives Each game objective is designed to send you and up to three allies across a wide array of objectives, each designed to push you to your limits.
Levels of Difficulty You and a group of up to three allies can LEAP into three difficulty levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each difficulty level ramps up the intensity in a variety of ways, so stay sharp out there!
Powerful Enemies In Special Operations
Agnicorp spared no pennies in hiring the strongest UEDC soldiers to protect their top-secret assets; please take caution while engaging in combat, they will not go down easily.
Let’s turn this over to our very favourite Mercenary, Merc to see what he has to say about the new game mode…
With that being said there’s still a lot more to share with you all, so please tune in and if you have any questions at all we’re all ears! See you on the battlefield soon.
Do you accept your mission?
LEAP into our Open Playtest!
Hello fellow Mercenaries, the time has come where we need the most elite fighting forces to LEAP into action and join this epic battle!
Our second open playtest is finally dropping! When you may ask? LEAP’s open playtest will take place this Friday, May 6 starting at 10am PST and will run until May 7th at 6pm PST.
How To Request Access?
For anyone who has not yet joined our closed playtests, you’ll request access to LEAP via Steam starting on May 6th. No keys required!
I have LEAP and/or LEAP Playtest Clients
‘LEAP’ Client
You’ll need to request access to the playtest client that will be done over on Steam. Just hit the ‘request access’ and we’ll give you access to the game.
‘LEAP Playtest’ Client
Woohoo! You’re already a step ahead and will be ready to participate in LEAP’s open playtest. Be sure to update your game prior to May 6 so you’ll be ready to jump into the action right away.
We’ve enlisted our friends over at Nitrado to recruit their best fighters; if you wish to grab yourself an early key, you can head on over to their Discord server.
First and foremost, we thank all participants who took part in our last closed playtest. We received a lot of solid feedback which has led to brand new changes, bug fixes, balancing changes, and a few more important playtests to come!
We initially developed Special Operations to assist our more casual players, as PVP can be a bit daunting for new players. Our playtesters’ feedback has helped us improve this new game mode to provide an experience that is suitable for casual and experienced gamers alike! We’re now working on our next steps…
Full Speed Ahead!
The new Special Operations mode had a lot of solid feedback and some important elements that have undergone changes for optimal gameplay such as:
Artifact Timer: The timer has been adjusted to be more lenient, we’ve increased the time players will have to complete their in-game objectives
Concise Waves: To lessen any confusion on which wave players are currently on, we’ve adjusted the UI to be easier to understand. And for late joiners, we’ve fixed the bug that was preventing you from knowing what wave you’re on.
Titan For Everyone: On entry, Titan was the default class. That has been switched to Pathfinder to better reflect a well rounded starter loadout.
Enhancing Enemy Variants: Enemy variants now spawn differently, and will ramp up in difficulty as waves progress.
Additional Improvements:
Doubled the width of capture zones
A more concise wave description
Many quality of life and bug fixes currently in the works, stay tuned!
What’s Next for Special Operations Mode?
Brand New Maps Redrock was the only map that was played during the closed playtest, but we'll be adding a lot more maps into the rotation soon.
Game Objectives Each time you enter a match, your team's objective will be randomly generated. During each match, there will be a different objective, some may be Asset Assassinations, Capture the Core, among others!
Bronze, Silver, Gold and More? Come together with your fellow mercenaries to face three different levels of difficulty. This PVE mode was created to be inclusive for all levels and play styles, and with that in mind, we can already see how strong and competitive a lot of you are which means more challenges are yet to come!
Our Next Playtest
Our team is glad that you all understand that we're adding to the game, not taking away any modes from it. Our next playtest will focus on our Special Operations mode as we continue to make improvements, but we will also make our PVP game mode available for anyone who would prefer to play that instead. We are always looking for feedback, so choose whichever mode you would like to join during that time.
Our next playtest date is April 20th from 12pm - 3pm EST and it will once again be a closed playtest.
For anyone who is looking to take part in this playtest we’re sending out a bunch of new game keys, so if you haven’t signed up on our website yet please click the link below as this will be a first come first serve basis.
Hello to all our friends and fellow Mercenaries, today is the day we’re setting off on our first closed community playtest. This is an exciting time for us as we’ve been prepping for today in order to introduce our brand new game mode.
What the Horde is Special Operations Mode?!
We need your help! The ever malicious Agnicorp is once again up to something, and have enlisted the UEDC to protect their top-secret research. As an elite LEAP mercenary, you’ve been tasked with taking them down. Squad up into teams of four and fight to bring peace and stability back to planet earth!
Game Objectives
Team up with your friends or connect with players online as you face off against intense power as waves of UEDC mercenaries try to eliminate you! This game mode is full of brand new enemies not yet seen from our previous playtests and many different abilities to keep players on their toes. There are objectives you will need to follow in order to secure your team with a victory; coordinates on the map will highlight your task, whilst you and your teammates take out all the UEDC soldiers that stand in your way.
Please take note regarding game mode difficulty which is set to Silver by default. This mode is fairly challenging and we suggest starting on Bronze to ease your way into the more difficult modes. Please check the graphic below where to change your game mode.
Powerful Enemies
Agnicorp spared no pennies in hiring the strongest UEDC soldiers to protect their top-secret assets; please take caution while engaging in combat, they will not go down easily.
Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the new enemies you will encounter: Specialist - One of those sneaky snakes who like to hide and are equipped with a sniper rifle.
SpecOps - Stealth Assassin… Basically a guy with a sword who turns invisible. Yeah good luck.
Many more enemies await in the shadows, be prepared to give it your all in order to take them down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are we allowed to stream/record the game? Is it under NDA? You are 100% allowed and encouraged to stream the playtest and any LEAP content. You are not under NDA for this playtest. In fact if you do stream the game or record it please send it to us so we can review the footage for future updates.
I didn’t get a key, how can I participate in the closed playtest? Keys were distributed to those who signed up to: playleap.com/playtest and were given out on a first come first serve system and we encourage new interested players to sign up for any future closed playtest content. We periodically hold small giveaways on our social pages, so please follow them if you’re hoping to get lucky. ;)
Patch Notes - 06.04.2022
Brand new co-op game mode
New cosmetic items
Updated player progression
World context pings
Improved level lighting and effects
Increased and improved player spawn locations
Improved player revive system
Improved server browser and menu experiences
Several areas of improved map art
Improved audio game-wide
Improved collision on many world objects
Improved overall squad communication and telegraphing
Many misc bug fixes
Many misc server and client performance improvements
The scheduled playtest we had planned tomorrow needs to be pushed back one-week from now. We’re sorry for the short notice and for all who took time off for tomorrow, but this will give us more time to address some critical updates for the new game mode to ensure it runs as smoothly and bug-free as possible.
The new playtest date will be Wednesday April 6, at 1pm EST - 3pm EST.
As a reminder, to participate in this closed playtest you’ll need the ‘LEAP’ client downloaded (highlighted in red), which IS NOT the Alienware key. If you do not have this key and wish to participate in future closed playtests, please sign up here.
Thank you again for all the support, we can’t wait to get you all into the next playtest!
If any of you have been following our Discord you would have noticed some hints that we’re running a new playtest, and guess what’s happening? Our next closed PC community playtest is starting on: MARCH 30th 1PM EST (Toronto Timezone) and will be open for 2-3 hours.
During this time we ask you to LEAP into the game and play for those hours as the servers will only be open during this short window.
Get ready warriors because this time we have something brand new LEAPing out of every direction. You and your fellow mercenaries must team up to take down the impending danger before all hope is lost!
Who can participate?
All closed playtesters are welcome to participate in the playtest, (this does not include Alienware keys that were given out from the beta). To participate please leave an indication in the Discord if you’ll be able to attend this playtest, instructions will be posted in the #Announcements to indicate how to sign up.
Highlighted in red is the version of LEAP you’ll need in order to participate, to check which version you have, open Steam and look at your Steam Library.
Feedback After Testing
During this time we will have a short survey for you all to fill out (it should take no more than 5-minutes), all we’re looking for is feedback on how the new game mode played. What did you like about it? What didn’t you like? Was there anything you wished were different/added into the game?
Will there be future Playtests I can join?
To put it simply and sweet, YES! We are looking to ramp up our playtests, and will likely have a secondary large-scale community playtest a few weeks following our closed playtest. For anyone wishing to take part in future playtest we urge you to join the Discord and sign up for our playtest at: https://www.playleap.com/playtest
More information on this open community playtest will follow in a few weeks so stay tuned!
LEAPing into some Q&A
Hey there LEAPers and Mercenaries! It’s been a couple of weeks since our last post, the team over here at Blue Isle Studios has been working non-stop since the beta. As mentioned we’re digesting all the feedback to adjust our roadmap accordingly. If you missed our last update there’s a link to it at the bottom of this update.
On to the next - As for some frequently asked questions we wanted to give some players an update!
Price? Is the game going to be F2P, is there going to be a cosmetic shop we need to pay RL money for?
LEAP will not be free to play; there will be a fixed price which is still to be determined. Regarding cosmetics and in-game items to purchase - while the game is in Early Access (EA), all shop items are purchased using in-game currency. Some of you may have already seen some shop items during the beta. Anyone interested in a sprinkle donut skin for your PV?
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When is the next beta/playtest?
We do not have any specific date yet for our next beta, once we do we’ll be sure to let all of you know when that happens. For playtests, these typically run 1-2 hours to test out new features and to give feedback like ‘was it fun?’, ‘what did you like/not like about this feature?’, etc. These playtests are typically announced a couple of days before the playtest date, which gives players plenty of time if they are able to make the scheduled time.
If anyone is interested in keeping an eye on these playtests we suggest you join our Discord so you’ll be the first to know when these playtests will take place: Discord Link
What kinds of game modes will LEAP have?
Players were able to play two modes during the beta: Control and Stomping Grounds. There are more modes that will be released as LEAP goes into Early Access, one of them teased over social media being: Asset Assassination. We have a few more modes that have not been shared, tune in for more information on those soon!
Will there be full controller support?
Yes absolutely there will be! There is already controller support in LEAP, although it is still being worked on at this time, but don’t you worry it’ll be ready for EA.
Is LEAP coming to Playstation/Xbox?
Yes and Yes! Playstation’s announcement video has already gone out and Xbox will have an announcement trailer coming soon.
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Competitive Mode?
As of right now LEAP does not have a competitive mode in the core game. But that’s not to say we won’t support it. We’ve provided LEAP full mod support so if the community wants to come together and create a competitive mode we fully support that. From our beta feedback we can see that there are A LOT of fantastic players already, we’ve created smaller player counts to accommodate for 10 v 10 matches, to make things a little bit more competitive. Nothing is off the table, if enough of you want something keep asking, just know your requests are being heard.
Does LEAP have Mod Support?
Uh HECK YEAH! That was one of the first things we ensured was possible when developing the game. The skies the limits, please mod to your heart's content!
When is LEAP going to be released?
The most frequently asked question. We’ll be LEAPing into Early Access sometime this year, no date has been made at this time. So stay tuned!
That’s about all for now folks. We’ll be releasing a new gameplay video shortly, please look forward to that coming real soon. Until next time, can’t wait to see y’all on the battlefield!
If you want to check out a full overview of our last post regarding the beta and feedback click the link: (https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/906930/view/5318190105559583166 )
