You can expect over 8 hours of gameplay, huge city and slum locations, a variety of missions, battles with enemies, and of course, the limitless parkour that players have come to love about STRIDE!
We've put in a ton of work over the past few months and want to thank our development team. And of course, a big thank you to you, our players, who have supported us and participated in beta testing 😎
And of course those players who bought the original STRIDE in Early Access (between Sept 4, 2020 and June 10, 2022) can get Fates for free at launch. Because, at that time, story content was listed on the store page. In order to do that, please write us an email to stride.fates@joyway.games with your Steam account username and a screenshot of purchase history.
Announcing the release date for STRIDE: Fates on Steam VR!
Hello guys,
We have fantastic news!
🔥The release of STRIDE: Fates on STEAM is set for May 16th🔥
Get ready for over 8 hours of dynamic adventures awaiting players!
We've come a long way to reach this moment, and we know many of our players have been eagerly anticipating it!
Also, we would like to remind you that Steam players who bought STRIDE in Early Access (between Sept 4, 2020 and June 10, 2022) can get Fates for free at launch. Because, at that time, story content was listed on the store page. In order to do that, please write us an email to stride.fates@joyway.games with your Steam account username and a screenshot of purchase history. We will send you a key immediately after the release.
Enhancing everything players love about the freerunning nature of STRIDE, the full-fledged sequel 'Fates' pushes the parkour action formula even further with new gameplay and a story-driven campaign.
Yes, Fates is a true sequel and a full-fledged separate game by all means, from content and playtime to technology and value for the players.
This decision has several reasons:
1️⃣ Player value
Back in December last year, we planned to release Fates as a new game mode with a free update, with corresponding scope.
But after hearing the voices of our players and the VR community, it was decided to go all-in and make the best game we are capable of. The update was officially canceled in less than a week from its original announcement.
Instead of an hour of gameplay, we made a separate game, better in every aspect, with new content, mechanics and 5-8 hours of story campaign (depending on side quests and time spent in open world locations).
In the latest trailers, we have only shown you a few locations, and haven't even touched on characters, quests and other content yet. More surprises will come that we don't want to spoil right now.
2️⃣ Technological advancement
The development of STRIDE started back in 2019 with a small team of very enthusiastic, but new-to-the-scene developers. With all the years of updates and introduction of multiplayer, the code base of the project has been growing larger and more convoluted. Despite several restructurizations, some technical debt and restrictions are still present in the project.
When we started developing Fates as an update / DLC, we encountered the limitations of the original STRIDE, as the new project contains a lot of content that is very different from the original. The new content required significant changes to the game engine and other technical aspects.
At some point, after fruitless attempts to upgrade the existing engine, we had to restart the project and basically re-do almost all the code from scratch, and now the new engine is incompatible with the original STRIDE.
For example, now we can use the Vulkan API for graphics to improve the performance on standalone headsets. This allowed us to improve the visuals through physically-correct rendering (PBR) and made possible to create huge open-world locations with content that was previously inaccessible to us due to the technical and architectural limitations of the original STRIDE.
Reworked STRIDE Engine now offers advanced levels of graphics, physics and interactivity on standalone VR. We refined every aspect of the original STRIDE: shooting and weapons, enemy variety and their AI… the list goes on and on.
When you run, fight, interact with characters or solve puzzles, you will feel a major leap in technology.
What content will the game feature?
STRIDE: Fates is a story-driven adventure, set in a wide range of locations of a dystopian Airon City. From dirty slums to affluent skyscrapers, you will parkour and shoot your way through many places to challenge your reflexes and enjoy the view.
Blockbuster-level narrative.
Climb buildings, vault through windows, and slide down cables with lightning speed.
Explore open-world locations under the watch of snipers and drones.
Feel the thrill of close-quarters combat with tactical shooter mechanics.
Use your gadgets and hacking skills to outwit thugs and corporates.
Meet a motley cast of characters to shape your Fate.
Puzzles, collectibles and more cool stuff that will be announced later.
In terms of length, the campaign will take 5-8 hours of action-packed gameplay (depending on side quests and time spent in open world locations).
Story Setup
Step into the shoes of Nick Young - a parkour spec-ops officer (aka chaser). Raised in the slums of Airon City, at the very bottom of the food chain, he got a golden ticket out.
To survive and climb the ladder in elite police forces of SkyChase, you will have to deal with power shifts in gangs, dirty family feuds, corporate secrets, forbidden tech and much more.
Your fate is bound with other motley characters in this story. Will you accept the destiny or fight against it?
How much will the game cost?
We will announce the price a little later. It will be a full price for a VR game, adequate to the market.
It's important to remember that on Steam, while the game was in Early Access, it was stated on the store page that a story mode will be available for free one day. We fully appreciate our early adopters. Despite the fact that the game grew in gameplay value and received numerous updates that weren't initially planned (including multiplayer, currently counting 6 game modes), we know that many of you have been waiting for the campaign.
And therefore, Steam players who bought the game in Early Access (between Sept 4, 2020 and June 10, 2022) can get Fates for free at launch. Because, at that time, story content was listed on the store page. In order to do that, please write us an email to stride.fates@joyway.games with your Steam account username and a screenshot of purchase history.
Add Fates to your wish list and stay tuned, we have a lot of closed tests planned!
Long live tournaments in Stride! Welcome a new update with:
New **Tag Champions (TC)** multiplayer mode, in which players from different teams take on the roles of chasers and evaders, earning points for their teams.
Rules:
- Two teams of 1-3 players compete in a series of 30-second 1v1 chases on the rooftop of a skyscraper. - Each player starts as a chaser or an evader. When the chaser tags the evader, the roles switch. - The chase winner becomes an evader but no more than twice in a row. - The time the evader lasted goes towards their team's score. - A player who falls off the skyscraper loses.
Note❗️ Read more detailed rules in the next posts.
New map for the TC mode:
- An arena where players compete as evaders and chasers. - A cozy waiting area where players from different teams watch the match and score, waiting for their turn.
New effects added for bHaptics devices for better immersion:
- Haptics effects when you're tagging a player or are getting tagged.
And last but not least!
Bug fixes:
- Fixed some initialization errors when entering multiplayer. - Fixed problems with hand tracking. - Fixed problems with server responsiveness when tagging/hitting a player in melee. - Fixed a bug with player models being only partially visible. - Some bugs with daily quests have also been fixed.
It's time to challenge your skills and stamina!
Check the second post to learn more about the upcoming tournament with major prizes 🔥
Joy Way ❤️
STRIDE: 'Back to the roots' Multiplayer Update
Striders!
Last but not least update in 2022 is available for everyone. It's based on your latest feedback and we hope it brings you joy and fun ;-)
- More powerful servers have been launched! This means that there will be no drawdowns on the server tick rate, and the players won't suffer from sudden movements or freezes.
- The cosmetic progression system is back! You can unlock cosmetic items and coins by leveling up in the activities.
The improved system is quite straightforward:
- play STRIDE, - get enough experience to level up… - and depending on your level, get a cosmetic item or coins. - there are 68 levels in total.
- Meet new character skins. Two skins are already available, and the third skin is a brand-new one. You can get them by leveling up or making a purchase.
- Now you can get XP points as it was meant to be.
Have fun and let us know your feedback! Feel free to share your ideas in our Discord community. And, if you have any issue with STRIDE, please send a report to our tech support at https://support.joyway.games/
Cheers, Joy Way
STRIDE Multiplayer hotfix: cosmetics items are back!
Striders!
You have all noticed that in the current game version, previously earned cosmetics items are not displayed in the inventory. This was not intentional and we understand why this issue caused such a misunderstanding and negative feedback from you.
Please update the game. All your cosmetics items will be added to your inventory again in 24 hours. This was a technical issue that is now fixed.
The problem with retrieving game server pings has also been fixed. Now it shouldn’t prevent you from playing multiplayer.
We apologize for the inconvenience. Joy Way highly appreciates every player. The devs hope that the new update will be well received.
And we want to remind you there is a new tool that will speed up the process of receiving your bug reports by our developers. Let us know about any issues at https://support.joyway.games/
Have a nice weekend!
STRIDE - Multiplayer Update
Striders!
The game just received a Multiplayer update with important features aimed at improving your experience with the game.
Full-body avatars in multiplayer
The parkour in STRIDE is getting even more realistic with full-body player models. They come with new animations to better convey the actions of all players in a match.
Private lobbies
Many players have been asking for private lobbies. We hear you! Challenge your friends or organize tournaments with up to 10 players in a private, invite-only lobby.
Run Coins (available later) and new cosmetics
All skins for player avatars have been redesigned to match the new realistic models. The cosmetic system itself has also changed, and new paid cosmetic items have been added. Please check the in-game wardrobe for more details.
Please note that Run Coins are not available at the moment, they will be added shortly.
Bug fixes and improvements
• Fixed an exploit that allowed to triple jump • Fixed multiplayer not loading with the 'Initialize inventory system' error • Fixed a bug in King of the Hill, due to which the crown icon could stop displaying above the head of the crown-bearer • Fixed the knife not dealing damage to training dummies
Shortly after this update, we plan to release more patches to fix other existing and potential new bugs and issues.
Please report any problems you encounter here: https://support.joyway.games
Update on STRIDE Fates
Recently we announced STRIDE Fates - a story-driven mode for STRIDE that was scheduled for today.
Based on your feedback, the team made a difficult decision to postpone the release of STRIDE Fates and release it as a complete and long campaign, not an hour-long episode. Please read the full announcement here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1292040/discussions/0/3729574412502505459/
Please let us know about your experience after the update in our Discord server.
Cheers, Joy Way
STRIDE Fates: story-driven mode releasing soon!
STRIDE Fates is an upcoming story-driven game mode for STRIDE.
It will feature new parkour mechanics, new physics, and will tell a story from the life of a chaser in a linear hour-long campaign.
Fates will be available as a free update. The update will also bring important multiplayer fixes and enhancements, such as full-body character models and private lobbies.
Join us at the UploadVR Showcase 2022 on Wednesday, December 7th. The show aims to celebrate VR gaming with new VR game reveals, updates, and more. And we have prepared something cool to impress you with 😉
The show starts at 19:00 UTC / 2pm ET / 11am PT. You can watch it live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Uploadvr/featured.
See you there!
STRIDE now supports bHaptics devices. Join a haptic vest Giveaway!
Remember the haptic suit from 'Ready Player One'?
In the movie, that gorgeous piece of tech allowed you to feel punches and kisses as if the virtual-reality stimulus were coming from the real world.
Today, the future is one step closer, as STRIDE now supports bHaptics devices! Including haptic vests, arm sleeves, and a face cover.
VR parkour is getting even more intense with haptic feedback delivered to every corner of your body. Jumps, gun recoil, hookshots - to name a few haptic scenarios.
Get a chance of winning the top-tier TactSuit X40 vest, participate in a giveaway here: https://gleam.io/WXf9d/gamertag-vr-x-stride-x-bhaptics-giveaway
