Eclipse is coming! Features of the major June update. Part 3
Hello, survivors!
Let’s continue exploring the new features of the upcoming season. In part three, we’ll cover the epic frontal wheel, the legendary shotgun, details on the new faction, new brawls and old brawls (the return of “Squad battle”!)… There’s also mention of some situational weather effect that impacts combat. Let’s dive in!
We remind you that all the new features described in the “Developer blog” are not final and may be changed before they are introduced into the game or may not make it into the game at all. This also applies to all visual materials.
New faction in the Wasteland: The Eclipse
Aris’s attempt to merge the Oracle’s fragments led to the emergence of a new faction, and the energy blast he released forced the Khaganate and the Engineers to retreat. In the commotion, Aris had vanished…
So who exactly are the “Eclipse”? They are former operatives of international renown, the best of the best soldiers whose bodies have undergone implantation and various forms of mechanisation, yet they have not lost their human minds or willpower. Now they are the most advanced and technologically sophisticated group in the Valley. The “Eclipse” biorobots have only one goal: to protect the Oracle at any cost. Are you ready to help them?
“Wayfarer” epic frontal wheel
Looking at this technological marvel, one wants to scream, “Where are they?!” The Lunatics are going to be sad that there’s nothing explosive in the new movement part, although it has the ability to perform a 180-degree turn, which does hint at having an explosive temper.
It would be interesting to count all the times when players will exclaim, “What a twist!” when you activate this new feature. The “Wayfarer” perk turns the armoured car in the direction the camera is facing, whether by 45, 90, or 180 degrees. You can even make a dramatic screeching stop on your armoured bike, just like Kaneda. In short, the new movement part offers a ton of tactical possibilities! Including the ability to shock everyone around you.
P.S. How many references do you want in this devblog entry? Yes.
“Extremum” legendary shotgun
Time for the final key part of the new season. It’s already clear that “Eclipse” focuses on fast and deadly strikes, followed by the successful withdrawal of their biomechanical bodies from the battle. The new shotgun fits this playstyle perfectly, but its strength lies not only in its rapid-fire blasts against enemy armoured cars. You could say that it is, in fact, an armoured car itself.
What’s that box at its base? The thing is, while “Extremum” isn’t busy destroying enemies, it stays inside this protective container, but as soon as you open fire, the shotgun pops out like a jack-in-the-box. This is the first weapon in Crossout that has variable dimensions, so to speak. It’s a good thing the new weapon overheats quickly (in its case, that’s actually a plus), so you won’t have to keep the shotgun in a vulnerable open position for long. Of course, that doesn’t mean it deals little damage. It just does it very quickly, because while the “Extremum” isn’t firing, it builds up a charge that increases its rate of fire for the next burst.
Structural parts of the new season
Brawls in the update
Are the old-timers here? We hope you’ll let us know if you’re still around. The old favourite “Squad battle” is back! Three teams of four survivors and a shrinking sandstorm. You know what to do.
The update will bring two new brawls: “Short circuit” and “Elimination” protocol. “Short circuit” is an asymmetrical mode where one team of survivors must defend generators until the progress bar reaches 100%, while the other team must try to destroy those generators.
Welcome to the training grounds of the “Eclipse” pathfinders! The “Elimination” protocol brawl is a four-player match where each player receives a secret contract to kill a specific opponent, knowing only the number of hunters that are after themself. To maintain cover, two AI decoys of each player with the same name and armoured car roam the map, but these decoys do not fire and cannot use active modules. The players’ objective is to impersonate these decoys and identify the real target among the identical vehicles, following certain rules:
- Mindless shooting is not beneficial. First, carefully study the target and make sure it’s not an AI player, and only then shoot;
- Skillfully use social camouflage skills. Pretend to be a simple AI armoured car driving around and confuse the players hunting you. You can also outmaneuver and destroy the hunters to earn extra points;
- And remember: all players (including yourself!) can be destroyed with a single shot.
Also, the “Test prototypes” brawl will begin once again at the start of the new season. It is a good way to test out new parts. Finally, “For the Emperor!” brawl will return, as well as the finale of the “Operation” series, where you’ll once again be able to face off against the mad scientist.
Desert storm
Out of the blue, the sandstorm from “Squad battle” breaks out of the brawl and disrupts the Valley’s daily routine. This weather event adds variety to battles for a limited time. Most maps in the “Get the scrap metal!”, “Get the wires!” and “Get the batteries!” missions will have a chance of a sandstorm event triggering at a random moment! Its form (circular or in the shape of a “wall”) will depend on the battle mode, such as “Assault” or “Domination”.
This blog entry concludes the series of publications about the new season, and you will be able to learn more about all the rewards and features of the season from our livestream next week. Stay tuned and good luck in battles!