Hi, Mercs and Aliens,

• Numerous balance changes for both classes based on player feedback and data. We are grateful to you for sharing your thoughts with us.
  
• Merc movement Improvements
  
• Max stash size increased
  
• General environment fixes: Improved camera shake and sound feedback
  
• Bug and crash fixes
  
• New weapons available for barter & purchase from traders: M4F1, RD-707, Malyuk
  
• New cosmetic skins
  
• We've held two weekend REP events where you could search for a unique item. We're set to organize those every weekend.
  

• Introduction of a separate mode explicitly designed for solo players. This mode will allow them to participate in matches without competing against teams, providing a more balanced and fair experience.
  
• Introduction of a reward system for mercenaries for eliminating aliens in the game.
  
• Introduction of Mutations for aliens, allowing them to adapt to different situations in the game.
  
• Ability to select the desired region for matchmaking to minimize latency and improve connection quality.
  
• Review and adjustment of melee weapon characteristics to improve game balance.
  
• Special rewards for solo players participating in trio mode.
  
• Introduction of changes and additions to make it easier for new players to get into the game.
  
• Improving the anti-cheat and anti-fraud system.
  
• An update for the item switching system in the game to make it smoother and more responsive. Players often seem to encounter issues where switching weapons or using items feels "clunky" (awkward, delayed), which can detract from the experience. We're inclined to address that.
  

// INCOMING MESSAGE //

Looting Crashes Fixes

• Most crashes related to looting have been fixed. However, some may still occur. Please let us know if you experience any further issues.
  

Merc Changes

• Ammo Exploit Fix: UI now correctly displays the proper amount of ammo.
  
• Reaper Skins: 3 new skins have been added for the Reaper character.
  
  
  
• Fixed a bug when ammo of the same type wasn’t stacking in the backpack.
  
• Merc visibility has been improved, allowing for better vision without extra light sources. This was broken in the last patch.
  
• Nailgun's fire rate has been increased by 10%.
  

Alien Changes

• Slime Spit Update: Slime Spit is now more visible, flies slower, and its damage scales with the time you hold the ability (the longer you hold, the more damage it does). Spitting near a flare will prioritize the flare. The spit ability now functions as a skill-based mechanic—you'll need to aim and calculate the trajectory to hit your target.
  
• Currently, when the spit hits a wall, it expands and splashes, affecting nearby players. However, only the spit that lands on the floor should cause damage with its splash effect.
  
• Alien Skins: 3 new skins have been added for the Alien.
  
• Improved Invisibility feedback: The vignette effect is now brighter and more visible when your invisibility energy is running out.
  
• Improved sound hit feedback: Monster attacks should now feel more impactful.
  
• Fixed a bug where Slime Spit could not be canceled.
  
• Alien rewards up to 10% for Research Facility and up to 15% for Caves of Turion.
  
• The stamina cooldown for Merc and Alien is reduced to 1.5 seconds.
  
• The slime spit ability now costs energy again. We've reverted this change. This change was made to address frequent ability spamming.
  
• Alien respawn time has been increased from 30 to 40 seconds.
  

Other Changes & Fixes

• Improved Cheater Report UI: The button no longer appears if you weren’t killed by another player.
  
• Blackout Ending Feedback: An audio message now warns players 3 seconds before the blackout ends.
  
• Light Switches: Both maps now have synchronized time for light switches.
  
• Speed hacking protection has been added.
  
• Fixed a bug where the game’s language would randomly reset to English.
  
• Research Facility Map: Major cleanup and fixes, including optimized wall models and adjustments to LexRoom. Fixed invisible and black props, such as wooden crates in the warehouse and a laundry machine in Sector A hall.
  
• Caves of Turion Map: Major cleanup and fixes, with optimized small rocks and bobcat model (unused materials deleted).
  
• Patient AI Zombie: Added cloth simulation for more realistic animations.
  
• Main Menu: Various optimizations, including the removal of a laggy skeletal mesh. Adjusted map selector and squad switcher buttons with a darker background added to the switcher. Added a blue line animation to the main TOP menu buttons.
  
• Load Screen Titles: Corrected titles ("LOOT AND EXTRACT / HUNT AND KILL") for Aliens and Mercs.
  
• New optimized ambient sound system.
  
• Some small fixes.
  

• Fixed a crash while looting.

  
  

Cheater Report System Added

• Players can now report suspected cheaters by clicking “Report” on the death screen; this helps us identify and eliminate cheaters more quickly.
  
  
  

Merc Changes

• Exploit fix: If you load more than the maximum magazine capacity in the lobby, excess ammo will be placed in your inventory at the start of the match. A full fix will follow in future updates;
  
• Now, compatible modules and ammunition are highlighted for the selected weapon;
  
• The UV lamp and weapon flashlight have been reintroduced and can now be disabled by EMP;
  
• Merc visibility has been improved, allowing for better vision without extra light sources;
  
• Drone respawn time increased to 40 seconds after alien attacks and 30 seconds after EMP.
  
• Bartering with traders now also grants you reputation points with the current trader. The reputation gained equals 1.5 times the sum of the reputation of the items you offer for barter;
  
• Items from the Starter Kit now go directly to your Backpack instead of the Stash;
  
• Turret bullet resistance increased by 15% on the Research Facility map.
  
• Fixed a bug where the Drone could push players out of the Central Elevator in the Caves of Turion;
  
• Fixed physics issues with bodies/objects in all elevators in the game.
  

Alien Changes

• Updated Alien Reward System: Rewards are now based on the value of the Merc’s items at the time of death;
  
• Flashlights for duo and trio teams turn off for 7 seconds after an EMP;
  
• Damage from the Modular Weapon Flashlight reduced from 50 to 40;
  
• Alien FOV no longer breaks when crouching;
  
• Aliens can now use abilities during melee attacks;
  
• You can no longer exit Invisibility until the entry animation finishes, preventing accidental exits;
  
• Aliens can open doors while staggered (when hit while invisible);
  
• EMP now turns off weapon flashlights;
  
• Light sources no longer slow alien movement;
  
• Drones or weapon flashlights no longer slow alien attacks;
  
• Spit ability aiming speed increased by 20%;
  
• Room light intensity adjusted so aliens don’t burn out as quickly;
  
• Slime Spit cost reduced to 0 energy;
  
• The energy required for Scream Wave was reduced to 55 units.
  
• Fixed a bug where Gas Cloud and Slime Spit could pass through the floor;
  
• Monster hits are no longer slowed after taking damage from firearms;
  

Other Changes

• Fixed several server crashes.
  

Hey Mercs

⚠️ INCOMING MESSAGE // WEEKEND EVENT ⚠️

• Nest Research Tent
  
• Cave Central
  
• Sector B Research Hall
  
• North West Cave Hall
  
• Warehouse
  
• North East Cave Hall
  
• Sector C Research Hall
  
• South Ravine
  

Hi again, Mercs & Aliens,

Okay, let’s start with the priority tasks that affect both playable classes.

• Many players are complaining about lag during gameplay, which occurs due to high ping when matchmaking, after a long wait, places you in a distant region. We’re already working on region selection, which requires a matchmaking overhaul and will appear in the upcoming hotfix updates within two weeks.
  
• The cheater report system will expand with each patch. The first iteration will be released next week, and it will give us more power to ban cheaters. We’ll be able to automate this process even more. Just yesterday, there was a wave of bans, and I think you noticed that there were significantly fewer cheaters in the second half of the day. Each report of a suspicious player is looked at and we’re automating the process while we’re working on it. This will allow us to deal with cheaters more strictly.
  
• Experimental solo mode: This is a complex and large task as it will affect the game’s balance and might split the player base, impacting matchmaking. We’re working on it and figuring out how to implement it correctly. In this mode, there will be one alien against solo mercs. The number of mercs will be determined after testing.
  

Priority issues for Alien Monsters

• The UV lamp and weapon flashlight not turning off with EMP is a bug that will be fixed in the patch next week. We have decided to temporarily remove them from the store until we implement the hotfix in the game, as they significantly impact Aliens' gameplay.
  
• The monster’s abilities are activating slowly, and sometimes activating the EMP light kills you when it should turn off. We’re looking for a solution to fix this, and we need more time to rework the technical aspects of the monster’s abilities.
  
• After fixing the damage registration from light on the Alien, it has started dying noticeably faster. We believe the Alien shouldn’t die quickly and should have the opportunity to react to external threats so as not to cause frustration. We’ve decided to seriously rework this aspect of the game so that Aliens don’t die quickly but also so that they need to retreat for a while to gather resources after an attack, giving the mercs a chance to catch their breath. This is a complex task requiring testing and balance adjustments. We’ll prototype and test the new alien gameplay within the team, as it’s a very important part of the game. Alien gameplay has never been secondary to us, and in the future, you’ll see many changes in this aspect. You will notice the reduced light damage in today's server-side hotfix.
  
• Slowing down the monster’s attacks is a mechanic designed to prevent the Alien from rushing into the light. This mechanic introduced a bug where the attack slowdown lingers throughout the entire game session. We’re investigating the cause of this bug and will try to fix it in the next patch.
  
• Alien attacks currently feel unpleasant. We want to test faster monster attacks to eliminate the delay between hits, reducing the damage but keeping the damage per second intact. If we see that it works well within the team, you’ll see it in the next patch.
  
• Aliens burn out after the blackout ends. We plan to add a notification about the end of the blackout so that Aliens have a chance to react to the light turning back on.
  
• The trap egg placement needs improvement. We’re working on reworking it. We’ve gathered feedback, and we have a solution, but it will take time.
  
• The drone currently slows down the Alien with its flashlight. We plan to remove this aspect in the next patch.
  

Priority issues for Mercs

• Item switching currently feels very unresponsive and, as many say, clunky. We have a solution to this problem and are already working on reworking item switching. It’s a very complex task that, while it might seem simple, requires completely reworking part of the inventory logic from a technical standpoint. We plan to include this fix in the next major update but don’t expect it in hotfix patches. Rest assured, item switching will work at its best. We’ve already tested a prototype of this mechanic within the team, and it feels great. The rework has introduced many bugs, so we need time to fix them before adding this to the game. We’re thinking of making a video of this prototype to show you how it works.
  
• Merc animation improvements: Currently, there are many ugly, unpleasant visual moments in the character animations from both first-person and third-person perspectives, such as animation jerks, camera jerks during movement, freezes, and stuttering. All of these are being addressed and will be gradually included in hotfixes.
  
• Mercs can currently quickly swap flashlights to abuse EMP, switching to a non-affected flashlight in an instant. We want to have only one flashlight (or UV lamp) in quick slots. The solution for this is still being considered, but we’ll share more details on that later.
  
• We also want syringes to stack in inventory and quick slots to save space. We’re working on that, but you should expect that change later than all the aforementioned changes above. We will also change syringe healing from instant to HoT (healing over time) to avoid spam healing.
  

Server-Side Hotfix

• Light damage of Flashlight, UV Lamp, and Flares is reduced by 20%;
  
• UV Lamp and Tactical Flashlight are temporarily unavailable to purchase while we're working on EMP hotfix.
  

Hey, everyone,

Lex here, the head of Doghowl studio.

🛠️ HOTFIX 2 🛠️

• Increased stash size provided by stash upgrades by 50% total;
  [Developer’s note: any upgrades you purchased previously (through upgrades or supporter pack) are retroactive and will increase your stash size right away]
  
• Doubled the stack size of all bullet types (e.g., 60 9mm ammo can now stack as 120);
  
• Reduced character’s inertia so movement feels a bit more predictable;
  
• Increased mercenary’s sprint speed by 10%;
  
• Increased mercenary’s stamina by an additional 15%;
  
• Reduced jump cost from 12.5 to 10 stamina;
  
• Reduced the landing sound volume;
  
• Reduced the stamina recovery cooldown from 3 seconds 1,5 seconds;
  [Developer’s note: once you’re out of stamina, it will start regenerating faster]
  

• Reduced glowstick damage from 50 to 40;
  
• Reduced damage of flashlight, UV lamp, and flashlight in close range by 10%;
  
• Increased alien’s stamina by an additional 15%;
  
• Increased melee attack sound volume so it’s better heard by mercs during gunfights;
  
• Removed merc’s helmet flashlight damage;
  [Developer’s note: flashlight damage, even though it was small, triggered attack speed reduction for aliens—this should only happen from items and main lights now]
  

• Reduced AI Hostile Drones’ visibility range from 25m to 15m;
  
• Increased sound radius of big gates and warehouse gates;
  
• Changes spawn points on Caves of Turion so Mercs spawn a bit further away from each other and can’t instantly see the lights in other mercs’ squad spawn;
  
• Reduced the number of mines per sector from 15 to 10;
  
• Increased the amount of AI Hostile Drones in the warehouse to 3;
  

• Reduced mutants HP from 100 to 80;
  
• Improved camera shake from mutant attacks and shots slightly for better feedback;
  
• Bug Fixes
  
• Fixed an issue where the player's mouse would suddenly twitch after shooting.
  
• Fixed an issue where mutants and environmental damage did not trigger visual attack feedback on mercs;
  
• Fixed an issue where players could see their eyes when they spawned;
  
• Fixed an issue that caused dead bodies to drop through the elevator’s floor;
  
• Fixed an issue that caused weapons that players dropped through the elevator’s floor;
  

• One-click in-game cheater report system to speed up bans;
  
• Aliens will start getting additional credits for killing mercs - by getting a cut of their inventory value;
  
• New firearm: SKAR-7 Assault Rifle with 7.62x51mm caliber;
  
  
• UX Improvements that will highlight ammo/modules for selected guns in stash and trade;
  
• More cosmetic items available for in-game currency;
  
• More bug fixes and ongoing balancing.
  

If you want to support us right now, please leave a review on Steam—we read all of them, constructive feedback is invaluable for us, and every ‘Thumbs up’ on Steam helps the game more than you can imagine.

• Matchmaking region selection - so you’re never taken to a different region unwillingly;
  
• Experimental solo queue mode (for solo players only);
  
• Increasing rewards for solo players that queue into regular trio matches;
  
• Tackling ‘clunky’ feel: Animation improvements for merc;
  
• Tackling ‘clunky’ feel: Snappier quick slot item swapping with clearer feedback;
  
• Improvement of server response for alien skills usage, such as EMP, to remove a short lag between skill usage and an actual effect;
  
• Reworking alien egg trap placement. We’ll improve basic egg placement, and aliens will also be able to set egg traps near mercs - but those eggs will take a bit more time to activate, giving mercs time to react.
  

Hey, everyone,

Ghost

Reaper

Q: What is a high-tier character?
A: A high-tier character is a variation of the Merc that is obtained by completing in-game challenges such as reaching maximum reputation with the traders.
Q: How do I access these high-tier characters?
A: Choose the Merс on the class selection screen, then go to Customization; choose your high-tier character in the Outfit box.

Hey, everybody.

• We've implemented Anti-Cheat Software.