Shadow Arena News

Hello!

This is the Lead Producer of Shadow Arena, “Byulbram,” Kwangsam Kim.

We're already nearing the end of the month-long Beta Season Round 2 that is scheduled from July 23rd until August 20th. Compared to the 1st Round which ran for 2 months, the 2nd was given a shorter time period for us to examine the new ranking/tier systems and quickly make changes if necessary before the next stage.

After all, it would be unfortunate if the round kept going with unreasonable rules/format due to somewhat critical issues to the new systems. Luckily, we confirmed that the new ranking/tier system of the 2nd round worked as intended and I believe it is time for us to implement the next new system that we’ve been planning.

Enter the “Rival System”.

In a ranked match with the “Rival System”, a player with the most similar skill level as you will be automatically designated as your rival. When you perform better than your rival, you can earn bonus ranking points in addition to the ranking points you obtain from the match.

This system gives players a chance to keep earning ranking points even if they don't get 1st place in a match and compete against other players at a similar skill level. Of course, you'll still be able to get ranking points based on your match ranking/kills, while the additional rewards for your performance against your rival will be included in the calculations for tier points you earn.

There is a chance that this Rival System may encourage passive playstyle, so we have added a few additional rules. For example, the game will now let you know if your designated rival is nearby, so you can earn more points by finding and defeating them. However, this Rival system will only apply to ranked match players and will not apply to normal match players.

It is true that we do have some concerns with the implementation of this new system. Some unexpected issues may arise, but more importantly, our players may view it unfavorably.

That's why we're going to have a week-long test period before the start of Round 3. The ranking rewards of the 2nd round will still be based on the rankings as of August 20 maintenance, but the ranking points/ranks will be kept for an additional week while testing the new Rival System until they will be reset at the August 27th maintenance with the official start of the 3rd Round. (Any ranking point changes between August 20th and August 27th maintenance will not be reflected and rendered null.)

If there are no critical issues and everyone is welcoming of this new system, we plan to start the 3rd round with the Rival System on August 27th.

There are also many other changes planned for the 3rd round. We expect to either make some rule changes to encourage different kinds of playstyles or a couple of other important adjustments from August 20th onward to polish the game further. Additionally, we're even preparing new content such as a "5v5 mode" and "deathmatch" mode. Besides everything above, we're also preparing a tutorial for beginners and a replay mode where you can save and share your matches to help you get better, which we expect to release soon.

We hope you continue to look forward and support us for the upcoming 3rd round!

Thank you.

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.


Here are the updates made to Shadow Arena during the client update on August 14 (Fri).
* Patch Size: 19.38 MB (Approx)



Check out all the details below, and we will see you in the arena!

Run the launcher and get the latest update, to get the following changes applied.


■ Fixes & Improvements
- Fixed an issue where the client would sporadically close when in Spectator mode.


Thank you.

The heart-pounding action begins this August 19th.

Who shall be crowned the champion of the Asia server?

Watch the live broadcast and don’t miss a single second of the thrilling matches!

[h2]2020 Asia Champions Showdown – August Participants Announcement[/h2]
■ Event and Live Broadcast Schedule

- August 19, 2020 (Wed) 21:00 (UTC+9) - Expected to Run for 3 Hours

▶ Watch the event on our official channel (Twitch)



■ Participants

* Participant selections are based upon Solo ranking.

* Players selected as participants were sent a Discord channel URL by in-game mail.

Please make sure to enter this Discord channel as further event communication and information will be provided through it.

* The Champions Showdown will start at the scheduled time even if a participant fails to enter the arena or there are less than 40 participants before the start time.



■ Please refer to the [Link] for more details and the event rules.

Additional Notices

- Exceptions may be made regarding the penalties stated in the rules if you are unable to participate in the event due to unforeseeable circumstances (force majeure) such as a natural disaster or national emergency. Any changes will be provided on this page or through the official communication channel without a separate announcement. (Update)

- There will be a total of 4 rounds, and it may take more than 2 hours to complete all the rounds. We recommend having extra time to continue playing on that day if the time takes longer than expected.

- Pearl Abyss reserves the right to change/cancel the event depending on mitigating circumstances. If changes are made, they can be found on this event page.

- If you have any other questions or concerns related to the event, please contact us via [Support].

- Any matters not listed on this page will follow the [Shadow Arena Competitive Rules] and[Shadow Arena Terms of Service].

Cursed Wanderer - Year 217

A female warrior calling herself "Igrid" appeared at Terrmian Beach and attacked the worshipers at the Altar of Agris to steal their flame. People feared that she was the cursed warrior mentioned in ancient legend. The cursed warrior that was to wander after losing her god's flame.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

| Difficulty
★★☆☆☆

| Combat Style

Igrid wields her mighty Battle Axe and Shield, which enables her to use offensive and defensive skills. Her shield can block enemy attacks then counter them with an attack of its own. She can leap into the air and knock down her foes, or just sprint up to a prey to grab then slam them down. However, her attacks are either slow or use HP as a resource. Therefore, it's absolutely crucial to time her skills right.


| Inherent Skills


Shield of Revenge
Block attacks from the front. When an attack is blocked, the shield will shoot out lightning. Hold the button to keep the shield up while moving.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


Avalanche
Charge forward quickly to grab your enemy then leap up into the air and smash their face on the ground.

(Ultimate Level Effect: Increase Movement Distance +50%)
[previewyoutube] [/previewyoutube]


Volcanic Leap
Swing up with the Battle Axe to send your enemies flying. If the swing hits, she will jump into the air and slam down with the axe to damage everyone in the area. She also has Super Armor while in the air.

(Ultimate Level Effect: Invincible while in the air)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


Thunder Strike
Shock nearby foes while gathering the power of lightning, then slam the axe forward. Break their guard and deal huge damage on impact.

(Ultimate Level Effect: Doubles the range of the smash attack)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


Altar Destroyer
Charge up then smash down the axe with both hands. It's a slow, but it deals a ton of damage and knocks down everyone in the area.

(Ultimate Level Effect: LMB while attacking to take an extra step forward.)
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.

Here are the updates made to Shadow Arena during the maintenance on August 13, 2020 (Thu).
* Patch Size: 431.6 MB (Approx.)

Check out all the details below, and we will see you in the arena!



The Beta Season Round 2 which began on July 23rd will be coming to an end on August 20th. This time there will be a week of testing before the start of Round 3 on August 27th. The tier rewards for Round 2 will be based off the tiers on August 20th.

[h3]■ New Hero - Igrid [/h3]

- Igrid, a new Hero, was added.
> Igrid wields a mighty Battle Axe and Shield, both enabling her to use powerful offensive and defensive skills.
▶ Learn more about Igrid

Igrid may be slightly slower, but she’s a great melee Hero with massive damage potential. Most of her skills don’t blow opponents away, so they stay in front of her, making it easier to combo with other skills.

Additionally, while her Shield of Revenge (RMB) skill has a longer cooldown compared to other shield-wielding Heroes and consumes a lot of stamina, it retaliates whenever it blocks an attack by releasing lightning strikes and reducing the opponent’s AP to give her an edge.

You should also keep in mind that Thunder Strike (3) has a fast stacking Stun effect when the skill is activated which can build the opponent’s DP buff. However, the final attack of Thunder Strike (3) is fixed damage and is not affected by this buff. Still, any follow-up attacks after Thunder Strike will have reduced damage, so we recommend using Thunder Strike at the latter half or at the end of a combo.


[h3]■ Events [/h3]
- [All Heroes Rotation] event has started.
> Event Period: August 13, 2020 (Thu) after maintenance – August 27, 2020 (Thu) before maintenance
> Play all of Shadow Arena’s Heroes (including the newest Hero, Igrid) for free during this 2-week event!
▶ Go to the Free Hero Rotation page


- [Let’s Play Igrid!] event has started.
> Event Period: August 13, 2020 (Thu) after maintenance – August 20, 2020 (Thu) before maintenance
> Play the newest Hero, Igrid, in a Solo, Team, or King of the Hill match to get 3,000 silver as a reward.
▶ Go to the [Let’s Play Igrid!] event page

- Don’t miss out on the Battle Pass event! You can get tons of rewards with Battle Points earned by just playing!
> Event Period: August 6, 2020 (Thu) after maintenance - September 17, 2020 (Thu) before maintenance  
▶ Go to the Battle Pass! event page

[h3]■ Heroes [/h3]
- Reduced the amount of Skill Points earned from defeating a Hero by 20%.
- Fixed an issue where pressing E while crouched when Blink (E) was on cooldown sometimes caused you to perform an unnatural motion.
- Fixed the wind visual effect for sprinting to appear more smoothly.
- Fixed the flight path of skill projectiles to fly normally instead of bending in an arc.
- Added a blue effect to appear around the screen when you have low stamina.



- Fixed the wind visual effect and sound for “acceleration” to appear when sprinting for 0.2 seconds.
- Sausan’s Tremble (3): Adjusted the skill’s knockdown time from 0.5 seconds to 0.6 seconds.



- Clairvoyance (2): Slightly adjusted its attack timing. The timing of the attack when performed after receiving an attack or by pressing LMB during the block was adjusted to 0.25 seconds.
- Back Kick (F): Fixed an issue where the max damage was incorrectly stated in the skill description.
> Before: 440 → After: 220


We’ve added a slight gap to Clairvoyance’s (2) block and follow-up knockdown attack. This change is meant to give some wiggle room by leaving a gap for Blink, etc. when caught by Clairvoyance, and at the same time, leave a window for skills that ignore Super Armor.



- Changed the buff of Twin Fairy Arrow (3) to fire an additional Twin Fairy Arrow when using Thunderbolt Arrow (1) or Arrow Storm (2).
- Twin Fairy Arrow (3) will now enhance Thunderbolt Arrow (1) and Arrow Storm (2) when used. (Same as the additional arrow fired when enhancing Natural Marksman.)
> Enhanced Thunderbolt Arrow (1): Fires 1 arrow that deals fixed damage
> Enhanced Arrow Storm (2): Fires 5 split arrows that deal fixed damage (Does not deal the additional arrow damage when used at close-range.)
> The additional damage effect of the Twin Fairy Arrow (3) differs per level.
# Twin Fairy Arrow Level 1: 400 Fixed Damage
# Twin Fairy Arrow Level 2: 550 Fixed Damage
# Twin Fairy Arrow Level 3: 700 Fixed Damage
# Twin Fairy Arrow Level 4: 700 Fixed Damage & +50 HP Recovered per Hit
- Fixed an issue where Orwen would stop sprinting when using Natural Marksman (RMB) while sprinting.
- Natural Marksman (RMB): Increased the skill’s range from 30m to 45m.


We’ve received a lot of feedback saying that Orwen was too weak after the change last week that removed Stiffness from Natural Marksman (RMB). We also clearly saw this to be true in the numbers for match results this past week. So, we’re giving Orwen some significant buffs.

Orwen can now attack from a much greater range than before. (You’ll find it easier to aim by using the mouse wheel zoom if it’s too far for you to see). This buff is intended to give Orwen more time to pepper enemies with arrows before they can respond and makes it easier for her to hit fleeing foes.

As for the changes to Twin Fairy Arrow (3), they are meant to reduce the loss incurred when using other skills during the activation time and to slightly increase the instant damage potential of her close-ranged combos.



- Thunder Breaker (3): Changed to deal double damage by allowing 2 hits to register when its first hit is used at very close-range (within 0.5m).
- Sleeve Tangler (2): Fixed an issue where the damage dealt by the grab was not included as stated in the skill description.


Following up the update on August 6th, we’ve given Badal slight buffs. Thunder Breaker (3) was changed to allow 2 hits to register when the skill is used at close-range, increasing its instant damage potential. You’ll really notice this effect when using Thunder Breaker when it’s been enhanced by Golden Gate (4) against an opponent that’s running in to attack or at close-quarters in the midst of a combo.



- Wing Breaker (2): Fixed an issue where the damage dealt by the grab was not included as stated in the skill description.



- Fixed an issue where Lahn would move in non-combat stance when moving after using a Social Action via Chat.



- Earth Alchemy Stone (RMB): Increased the time before Gorgath can perform Rock Manipulation (1) after using Earth Alchemy Skill by 0.5 seconds.


[h3]■ Items [/h3]
- Fixed the incorrect tooltip descriptions of the effect icons that were applied when using the Silver Booster or Mastery Booster that can be received from the Battle Pass.
- Fixed an issue where Laytenn’s/Puturum's Power Core was not given in Ancient Weapons Showdown.
Although the notice and item description correctly stated the effect of the Booster items as 20%, the tooltip that appeared when mousing over the effect icon at the bottom of the main lobby incorrectly stated it as 30%. This was fixed today.

[h3]■ Spectate Feature [/h3]
- Added a feature that automatically transfers you to the perspective of the nearest player by pressing E when in Free Cam perspective for Spectator mode.
> This feature will only activate when there’s a player within approximately 50m and will not work when there isn’t a player within this range.
- Changed Spectator mode to automatically switch you to the perspective of the player that defeated the player you were originally spectating.


The spectator and cheering features were created to let players relax by watching other players battle it out when they wanted a break from playing. However, it was rather difficult to find a player to watch if the game was already underway. Therefore, we added the ability to press E to go to the nearest player.

Keep in mind that you can cheer for a player you are spectating by pressing Q, and you’ll receive silver as a reward every time this player defeats another player. (If you see something like a small firefly while playing, it means someone is cheering you on. Try not to disappoint them.)

[h3]■ Lobby Menu Improvements [/h3]
- Added the ability to view your profile in the Record tab.
> Note: You can still view your profile from the ESC menu as same as before.
- The Hero selected in the previous match will now be the Hero selected by default in the main lobby.
- Changed the menu selected as default when selecting each menu of the main lobby as follows.
> Hero Menu: Hero Introduction sub-menu selected by default.
> Introduction Sub-Menu: Skill page selected by default.
> Achievements Menu: Challenges selected by default.
- Improved the Hero Introduction page to display the skill description summaries below the skill names
- Improved the Introduction page to display the level 1 skill description when a skill is selected.
- Changed the design of the confirmation button for the game’s Terms of Use.


We plan to bring major changes to the UI, but we can’t just leave everyone waiting until it’s finished, so we want to make some adjustments to illogical or hard to understand portions beforehand. The UI quality-of-life improvements will continue for the next couple of weeks.


[h3]■ Other Fixes and Improvements [/h3]
- Laytenn and Puturum will now visually display a “RIDE” effect above them when they are ridable.
- Added graphical effects and audio that will be played when the message appears for a successful or failed promotion match.
- The Hero selected in the previous match will now be the Hero selected by default in the main lobby.
- Fixed an issue where the icon displayed in the Compass UI during a match was slightly pointed to the left of the actual direction.
- Changed the size and design of the World Map.
- Changed Solo and Team matches to start more quickly.
- Increased the HP recovery of all AI Bots by 10%.
- Changed Team match to give you a HP Potion x1 when resurrected.
- [Thai Language] Fixed an issue where the description of daily quests did not have the correct content.