Hello Vikings!
When the Madhattrs unleashed their spell to summon Floki back to Valhalla, the arcane energies didn't simply vanish after their work was done. Some of that power lingered, seeping into the corners of the realm where light seldom reaches. There, in those forgotten depths, it found Omen.
A twisted reflection of the noble Floki, Omen is what happens when hope curdles into something darker. Born from residual magic and the island's hidden fears, this shadow-wreathed Vera emerged not with a triumphant howl, but with a whisper that chills the soul. Where Floki inspires courage, Omen breeds doubt. Where Floki brings allies together, Omen tears them apart.
At the same moment, far across the realms bordering Valhalla, Syke sensed a disturbance. These deeply empathic beings are attuned to emotional currents across realms, and the spike of darkness flowing into Valhalla resonated like a scream in their collective consciousness. Compelled by an overwhelming need to restore balance, Syke crossed into the realm, seeking to counter shadow with connection, fear with trust, and isolation with unity.
This hefty patch introduces two powerful new Veras to Floki Island: the ruthless Omen and the empathic Syke. It also brings the Professor's latest invention, the Runic Beacon, a tool that revolutionizes how you track and engage with Vera encounters across the open world. Alongside these additions, you'll find new data management options, PvE AI enhancements, and targeted bug fixes and quality of life improvements to keep your adventures running smoothly.
Take a look! ⚔️
Omen and Syke
Two new Veras have emerged on the island, each offering entirely different approaches to combat.
Omen
Omen controls the battlefield with spectral shadows and stat-draining howls, punishing enemies who move carelessly. These cunning predators toy with their opponents, trapping them in fear before they can fight back. Omen, as the darker counterpart to Floki shares its legendary rarity. Currently one of the rarest Veras known to exist, only the skilled Tracker has ever managed to find one. Note that the Random Track option cannot locate Omen, only manual tracking will lead you to this shadowy Vera.
Syke
Syke creates powerful psychic bonds with allies, sharing health and attacking together from any distance. Whether healing from afar, splitting damage to outlast enemies, or unleashing coordinated strikes, a Syke turns two Veras into something stronger than the sum of their parts. While not as rare as Omen, Syke still takes patience to find. They appear a bit less often than Grabburs and Trojuns, making each discovery feel rewarding.
With Syke, a new Status Effect is introduced:
- Bonded - Damage is split between you and your Bonded ally.
Vera Encounter Rework
The Professor has worked day and night and has finally completed the prototype of his latest invention: the Runic Beacon.
You can activate this curious artifact by pressing the 'R' key, causing it to emit energy ripples that resonate with the essence of nearby Veras. The faster the Beacon pulses, the closer you are to a zone where a Vera Encounter can be found. In addition, it periodically emits Sparks that help guide you toward the nearest encounter zone.
What's more, encounter zones hold more secrets within them which you'll need to experience firsthand to discover.
Lastly, we previously introduced the ability to flee during the Vera Draft stage. We've now taken this a step further by revealing the Wild Vera you'll be facing, including its level and stats, before entering combat. This allows you to choose whether to proceed or flee directly in the Open World, avoiding unnecessary trips to the Battle HUB and saving valuable time.
AI Improvements
We've made significant improvements to PVE battles and how wild Veras fight. Lower level opponents are now easier to handle and use their abilities less effectively, while higher level Veras will challenge you with smarter tactics. All wild Veras now make better use of their rune abilities and complete movesets. For example, you'll notice Madhattrs redirecting Arcane Bombs at you more frequently. Good luck out there!
Data Management
A new tab has been added to the Account menu where you can manage your play account data.
From this tab, you can choose to remove the locally stored play account information from your device and unlink your account (including withdrawing any remaining BNB). This does not permanently delete your play account, and you can restore access at any time using your saved private key.
Networking Fixes
Tackled a range of networking bugs that have been disrupting gameplay across the community. We've addressed what we've identified so far and have added internal tools to better diagnose any outstanding or future issues, and will keep a close eye on things going forward.
Updates and Fixes
- Improvements to Quest Tracking - Your feedback about the new quest system has been duly noted, and improvements have been made!
- Vera Reveal - When encountering a wild Vera, we've added sound effects as it's revealed.
- Fainting Animations - Fixed Vera faint animations so they now display properly for opponents.
- Spectating Bugs - Fixed the scoreboard displaying incorrect information when leaving a spectated match.
- Occlusion Culling - Fixed various visual bugs related to occlusion culling.
- HUD Visibility After Fleeing - Fixed an issue where the HUD would disappear after fleeing from a Vera encounter, leaving players without access to critical interface elements in the open world.
- Mail Notification Accuracy - Resolved a bug where the mail icon incorrectly indicated unread messages when no new mail was present. The notification now properly reflects your actual mailbox status.
- Skaerrot Terrain Shift Visual Bug - Fixed incorrect coloring and data display on the hexboard where Skaerrot's Terrain Shift ability would leave behind green tiles after missing, causing visual confusion during combat.
- Runix Notification Display - Corrected an issue where fleeing from an encounter after paying the Blacksmith to unlock a chest would display an incorrect (and absurdly large) Runix value. The notification now shows accurate values or is hidden when no Runix is earned.
- Audio Balance Improvements - Adjusted audio levels to provide consistent volume between the main menu, character selection, and open world. Open world sounds were significantly louder than other scenes, creating a jarring experience when navigating between areas.
- Fleeing Keybind Enhancement - Added keyboard support to the fleeing confirmation dialog. You can now use the flee hotkey to both initiate and confirm fleeing from encounters, making the escape process more streamlined.
- Arsenal Timeout Correction - Fixed a critical issue where timing out in the Arsenal after accepting an encounter would leave players unable to flee, forcing them to surrender to escape. Players are now properly transported to combat after the timeout expires.
- First Time Menu Language Selection - Corrected a bug in the first-time setup flow where users could unintentionally change languages by scrolling with their cursor in the center of the screen while on other setup screens. The language scroll view is now properly disabled when not in focus.
That's all for today! While we've done our best to catch all the bugs, it's possible that a few might have slipped through. We have faith in our Vikings to help us identify and report any issues they come across. Don't hesitate to communicate with us about any problems or bugs you encounter through our community's Discord: https://discord.gg/NJXccsQSfg
Until next time!
The Valhalla Team
