Shadow Arena News

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.

Here are the updates made to Shadow Arena during the client update on July 28 (Tue).

* Patch Size: 20.42 MB (Approx)


Please launch the game client to receive the latest update to apply the changes below.
Check out all the details below, and we will see you in the arena!


■ Fixes & Improvements
- Made improvements to the tournament monitoring system.

Thank you.

Thank you to all those who submitted questions for the July 2020 Dev AMA.
And now, here are the answers to 15 of your most burning Shadow Arena questions:


1) Do you have any plans to add a system in which we can see the actual damage numbers being inflicted? I think this would help us see exactly how much damage each skill does, determine skill efficacy, and to catch bugs better. Maybe it can pop up on the chat window in a way that doesn’t interfere with the game?
From: 강초한

We’ll consider ways to display damage numbers in-game.

Your idea of having the damage numbers displayed in the chat window is something we can do, but we’ll be looking for cooler, more impressive ways to display the damage numbers.


2) How are you planning to monetize the game after release (apart from hero skins)?
From: Rainbird

We’ve mentioned in our June 2020 “Ask the Devs Anything” responses that we’re considering Battle Passes. Besides this, we’re only looking to add animations (e.g. emotes), icons, and cosmetics to the Shop. We have no intention of adding P2W monetization elements to Shadow Arena.


3) With the current state of the game, having no Dark Shift (“Q” skill, “Black Spirit” skill) available means fighting is impossible. Are there any plans to change Dark Shift?
From: benxiao88

We have more ideas in mind for Dark Shift and Blink. By the time these responses are published, you will have seen some of these changes applied in the July 23rd update. The cooldown time of Dark Shift will decrease when you’re affected by CC and Blink will be available regardless of the situation you’re in (unless you’re under certain CC effects). Additionally, we’re looking to add “other options” that are similar to Dark Shift.


4) As mentioned in the last AMA the team has been waiting until SA reaches a point of what you envision it to be to start marketing and advising the game how close do you think you are to that point.
From: Cloud13

Even now we’re still focused on building Shadow Arena up more and assessing how enjoyable the game is, so we still need more time. Thank you so much for your patience and for your continued support for Shadow Arena. We know how much it means to you all, so we’ll do our best to get to that point soon and to put our best foot forward when we do!


5) How long are you going to keep Sparring Grounds in its current state? It’s meant to be for practice but you can’t practice without involving other players in it.
From: 발키리

We definitely have plans to improve the Sparring Grounds, but there is a limit to our manpower and the time that we’ve got. That’s why we have no choice but to prioritize other aspects of the game that we feel need improvements first. The plans we do have in mind though consist of not only improving on its major functions but also to add community-based features. Once we’re finished with our prioritized tasks, we’ll turn our attention to the Sparring Grounds.


6) Out of the CMs, who’s the best at Shadow Arena and what hero does he/she play?
From: HyejinFiora

That would be CM Magic. (That’s right, the name choice isn’t random; this CM works wonders in the game.) Magic’s hero of choice is Herawen.


7) Will you try to rework Badal? He is in such a bad state, his kit doesn't fit in Shadow Arena.
From: Wokoren

We’ve got some big changes planned for Badal in Round 2 of the Beta Season. We hope you can wait a little longer to see what these changes are, so please stay tuned!


8) Do you have any plans to add character customizing features?
From: Cherubim

Currently, we do not have plans to add character customizing features.


9) Who will be next hero in Shadow Arena? Can you tell us some hint?
From: Leensviel

By the time these responses are published, Gorgath, the Earthen Guardian, will have been out for less than a week. We occasionally share some tidbits/hints of upcoming heroes before they’re released in our Discord, so make sure to pop into the server and check if the CMs have shared anything juicy in the chat!
▶ Check out the Shadow Arena Discord


10) Will you add another ranking system to the King of the hill (1vs1) and hope it'll be separated from the main rank?
From: Pipiskalka

There are a couple of things that come to our mind when we’re thinking of a ranking system for a 1v1 mode. We’re currently putting a lot of thought into what a 1v1 mode should entail. Players may disagree about how true 1v1 skill is really measured and we don’t think the game is currently ready to divide player matchmaking. However, if KOTH becomes popular enough and there is no problem matchmaking amongst players, then we definitely see no reason why we can’t put it in.


11) What was the reasoning for not having the NA/EU server tourneys that were announced in May? And when can we expect an NA tourney if ever?
From: Mime

We’re truly sorry that these tournaments are getting delayed. When we feel that we can successfully run a tournament in the servers you’ve mentioned, we plan to immediately host tournaments at that time.


12) What was the purpose of changing the turning movement from beta? It was easier and flowing feeling. Now it feels harder and not at ease.
From: God-King

The “turning movement” feature which was available by clicking the mouse wheel during the beta was a feature that was difficult for many players to use, so we decided to replace it with a simpler mechanic (the current Alt function) with the launch of Early Access.


13) How are you dealing with players who use cheats and hack programs?
From: ГаННибаЛ

We are constantly monitoring and detecting cheats and hack program users through a cheat detection security program and our own hacktool detection systems. We are continuously improving these two systems to ensure a cheat-free, fair gaming environment in Shadow Arena.

We also investigate every player-submitted reports of suspected cheats and hack program users, then take appropriate disciplinary action in the cases that call for them. Please be sure to report any suspicious activity through our in-game “Report” function or notify a CM in our Discord server if you have something to report.


14) An excerpt from your last Dev Note: “Next up is combat, among this was the game flow’s overreliance on combos and control skill that we want to change to give more possibilities for diverse and tactical playstyles.” Does this mean you will replace skills or add new ones? I personally think there aren’t enough skills for diverse gameplay.
From: Giksorio

We’re thinking of diversity and flexibility in game strategy apart from a player’s mechanical skill, like different ways and methods of getting stronger, as well as decisions like where do I take a fight, and when? The changing of the Jump Gate locations in our July 23rd update is a part of this. We think you’ll be able to see more of this direction in our upcoming updates.


15) How exactly do you deal with the bug reports you receive from players?
From: kingporo

We receive our bug reports through various sources, and an important source is from our players reporting it on Discord or in other communities. Once we receive reports of bugs, we take a look at each report individually. Seeing video clips of bugs is incredibly helpful in helping us to figure out what went wrong and how to replicate a problem. We focus on critical bugs first, then work our way to fixing the other bugs that we’ve confirmed. Please keep track of our “Known Issues” notice to see what bugs we’re aware of and working to fix.

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.

Here are the updates made to Shadow Arena during the maintenance on July 28 (Tue).
* Patch Size: 213.2 MB (Approx.)

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


■ Monitoring System for Official Tournaments
- Added a system for monitoring official tournaments/competitive events.


■ Heroes

- Fixed an issue where you could not inflict damage with Basic Attacks, Sprint Attacks, and Crater Shock (F) to an opponent with their back against a wall.

- Earth Alchemy Stone (RMB): Adjusted the skill as follows.
> Added a debuff “Alchemy Overload” that will be applied to the caster upon using the skill. Using Earth Alchemy Stone while this debuff is active will reduce Gorgath’s HP by 500. However, his HP will not be reduced if he is at 900 HP or under.
> Reduced the HP of created rocks from 10,200 to 5,000.

- Rock Manipulation (1): Adjusted the skill as follows.
> Reduced the rock’s explosion area for level 1–3 from 2.3M to 2M.
> Reduced the rock’s explosion area for the Ultimate Level from 3M to 2.6M.

- Rockwind (3): Adjusted the skill as follows.
> Reduced the duration of the rock whirlwind created around Gorgath from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.
> Changed the duration of the rock whirlwind for nearby rocks to 8 seconds.
> Reduced the continuous damage of Rockwind by 16.7%.


- Forbidden Alchemy (4): Adjusted the skill as follows.
> Reduced the time to perform another action by 0.8 seconds.

> Reduced the duration time of the AP and DP buff that was obtainable by using the skill from 5 minutes to 2 minutes.

> Changed the alchemy completion time of all levels to 7 seconds.
# Level 1: Before 10 sec. → After 7 sec.
# Level 2: 7 sec. (Same as before)
# Level 3 and Ultimate Level: Before 4 sec. → After 7 sec.

> Changed the alchemy tool and nearby created rocks to explode once the alchemy is finished. Gorgath can also take damage from the exploding alchemy tool, and deaths caused by this explosion will be credited as a kill to the alchemy tool instead of a Hero.
# Level 1: 300 Fixed Damage, 4M Explosion Area, 2 sec. Stun
# Level 2: 600 Fixed Damage, 4M Explosion Area, 2 sec. Stun
# Level 3: 900 Fixed Damage, 4M Explosion Area, 2 sec. Stun
# Ultimate Level: 1200 Fixed Damage, 4M Explosion Area, 2 sec. Stun



Gorgath was designed to be strong against melee Heroes, but it was far too extreme. Additionally, he would try to extend fights for far too long.

Therefore, we made a number of adjustments and added some interesting changes.

First off, Earth Alchemy Stone (RMB) was too effective against melee Heroes. It had a short cooldown, involved little risk, and led to prolonged battles where he just waited for his opponent to attack first. So, it was changed to reduce Gorgath’s HP when used consecutively to prevent him from spamming it.

We also reduced the duration and damage of Rockwind (3), as this skill gave Gorgath a clear advantage over melee Heroes since it made it difficult for them to fight Gorgath in close quarters.

Finally, we somewhat changed the properties of Gorgath’s most unique skill, Forbidden Alchemy (4). Now, the “dangerous” alchemy tool will explode after seven seconds at all levels. This explosion will damage and stun all Heroes, summoned rocks, and even Gorgath himself if they are within 4m of the tool.

This opens the possibility of other players stealing the created item, but also enables it to be used in combat.

We also did notice that the buffs from the Ultimate skill level Forbidden Alchemy were too strong at times. So, their duration was decreased.


■ Fixes and Improvements
- Fixed an issue where you could not obtain items from Ruins Golems.
- Lightstones will no longer be obtainable from all monsters.
- Fixed an issue where specters would sometimes not be spawned when a Jump Gate was activated.

Thank you

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena

The maintenance is now finished, and you can now access the game.

Thank you for your patience during the maintenance; we have sent you compensation as a token of our apology for the inconvenience you may have experienced.

Maintenance Compensation Details

- Who is Eligible: Accounts created before the maintenance

- Compensation: 1,000 silver

- Expiration Date: July 24, 2020 (Fri) 23:59

* Note

- If you do not receive the compensation enclosed in the in-game mail before the expiration date, the compensation will expire and no longer be receivable.

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena

We will be performing a maintenance in order to improve the stability of our service.

During this maintenance you will be unable to access the game service.

Please refer below for more details.


■ Maintenance Schedule



■ Maintenance Impact

- Unable to access the game

■ Reason

- Fixes and improvements to certain content

※ Notices
- The maintenance times are subject to change, extension, and/or early completion. Any changes will be provided as an update on this page.

- You will be automatically disconnected from the game once the maintenance begins, even if you are waiting in-queue or playing the game.


We apologize for the inconvenience, and we will do our best to provide a more stable service.

Thank you
 

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.

We’d like to inform you of the measures we’ve taken against violators of the Shadow Arena Terms of Service.

We ask everyone for your cooperation in respecting and observing the Shadow Arena Terms of Service by refraining from any acts that could be deemed as a violation.

☞ Shadow Arena Terms of Service

Please refer below for more details.


■ Notice of Restricted Violators
- Restriction Category : Production, Distribution, or Usage of Unauthorized Program/Macro - 1st Violation
- Restriction Date: July 27, 2020 (MON)
- Restriction Details: Permanent Ban
- Number of Restricted Violators: 5


Thank you


■ List of Shadow Arena PC Restricted Accounts (Cumulative)
- Details: Permanent PC restriction for Shadow Arena services


■ List of Restricted Violators (Cumulative)
- Restriction Category : Production, Distribution, or Usage of Unauthorized Program/Macro - 1st Violation
- Restriction: Permanent Restriction of Shadow Arena Service