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Resurgence Update is LIVE: New Weapon, Miniboss, Avatar, Difficulty Levels +++

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Hey Hellsweepers, what a ride it’s been! Since launching Hellsweeper VR on September 21st last year, we've delved deep into the fiery pits together—squashed bugs, created an evil twin, added a fresh coat of paint to hell’s walls along with more enemies, and rehauled some of the systems for good measure.

And we are not done yet! A few days shy of our first birthday, we’re releasing another free content drop.

Thank you for your amazing support and suggestions, which have been instrumental in keeping the updates coming. If you love what you see and would like to toss some warm virtual hugs our way, please consider spreading the word, leaving a review for Hellsweeper, or supporting our studio’s upcoming game.😉

[h2]New Weapon: Katana[/h2]
The Katana - or the Sheath, as you’ll come to understand more later - is the most extensive weapon we’ve added to the game to date. It is more than just a sword. It is a new system on its own.


[h3]We’d let you have fun with the weapon and figure out the ins and outs but here are some highlights:[/h3]

Multi-purpose Sheathe: Far from just a scabbard, the sheath serves as a centerpiece for weapon modifications, allowing for various weapon abilities to be attached (excluding Stonefist, Hellhound's Toy, Magic Orbs, and Sweeper's Broom).


Blossom Mechanic: Execute a precise cut, then sheathe the Katana for maximum impact ala Brook’s Kasuriuta: Fubuki Giri from One Piece.


Flashspeed: Unsheath rapidly for a swift slash that not only damages enemies but can also deflect projectiles. Perhaps, if you upgrade your Katana enough, you can get a teeny bit close to Vergil’s Judgment Cut with a single slash ;)


[h2]New Miniboss: Pride Ascends[/h2]
You know him, you love to hate him, and now, Pride is stepping up his game. While his normal variant continues to torment souls as usual, his newly ascended form brings a tougher challenge and might show up when you least expect it. Although Ascended Pride comes with less homing orbs, his targeted attacks pack a deadlier punch with each hit. Watch out for those summoned portals, too!

[h2]New Avatar: Chieko H.[/h2]
What better way to celebrate Hellsweeper’s birthday than by paying homage to the OG hero who paved the way for our studio’s humble beginnings back in 2016?
We’re excited to introduce Chieko, the female protagonist from our very first game, Sairento VR, as a playable avatar in Hellsweeper.

Of course, we've made some adjustments to her design to match Hellsweeper’s theme while retaining her identity as a Sairento agent. If you’d like to see collectible lore pieces for Chieko added in future updates, please let us know in the comments below!

[h2]New Difficulty Tiers: Infernal & Hellsweep[/h2]
Up for a tougher challenge? Our new difficulty levels, Infernal and Hellsweep, are ready to test even the most seasoned players. Dive into deeper and darker corners of hell and reap greater rewards for your bravery.

[h2]Quality of Life Updates and Bug Fixes[/h2]
This update also addresses various quality-of-life improvements and pesky bugs (like the notorious texture bug on PCVR). Check out the full patch notes below for all the details.


[h2]Special Invitation: Join the 13Z Playtest![/h2]
Before you dive back into the underworld, we also invite you to check out our new game, 13Z, set somewhere much closer to heaven.

If you share our studio’s passion for fast-paced, frantic hack-and-slash action with a strategic layer of roguelike elements, your feedback will be invaluable during our playtest. While it's not available in VR yet, we’d love to bring it to VR players if possible. It’s launching its playtest on Steam today at 12 PM EST.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348250/13Z/



[h3]We couldn’t have reached this milestone without you, Hellsweepers. Here’s to continuing our first year journey through the Lands in Twain with swords drawn and spirits high! Happy Hellsweeping![/h3]

[h3]Full Patch Notes:[/h3]
All items with * were inspired by community suggestions!

New Content & Main Gameplay Elements
  • New playable avatar: Chieko
  • New weapon: Katana: it's a brand new system!*
  • New Mini Boss: Pride has ascended!
  • New Traits:
  • --Instant Reflection: Mega Laser becomes a one-hit attack but damage is greatly increased.
  • ---Mounting Bracket: Certain weapons can now be attached to the underbarrel of the Rifle."
  • Tribute and Roulette will now appear in Vault.
  • Added 2 new difficulties:
  • --Infernal
  • --Hellsweep
  • Stats can be used as tribute for the Tribute objective.
  • Added 2-handed effects when using the Mace's Flail mode*
  • Curved Laser' trait can be cast continuously instead of a one-hit attack.*
  • [MP] Players can now choose to start the game with 'Empty Loadout'.*


Balancing
  • Added a curve for certain types of trait effects, the incremental gains will decrease with more stacks.
  • Limited the number of projectiles gained from certain traits but damage is improved instead.
  • Fire-infused weapons will deal 25% more damage.
  • Volt-infused weapons will behave faster. eg, guns will fire faster.
  • When reloading the Shotgun, the numbers of bullets added will be based on the size of the magazine instead of 3.
  • Updated the icon for the Map Modifier Removal effect for Roulette. It will no longer trigger combat after Roulette as well.
  • Added Empty Slot effect for Roulette, when it grants nothing. It will not trigger combat after the Roulette.
  • Levitation Reload will only restore 70% of a gun's ammo.
  • Capped the shop prices based on the difficulty.*
  • The 'Prime Shot' and 'Smoking Barrel' traits now affect a certain percentage of bullets in the magazine instead of just the first and last bullet.


General and QoL Updates
  • Reduced loading time in between levels.
  • Added toggle for Bullet Time in the Options, allowing players to toggle Bullet Time instead of a 3 second effect.*
  • [STEAM] Added slider to adjust the sensitivity of the grip sensors of the Valve Index controllers.*
  • When items are destroyed due to reaching the item limit, it will priortise items that are not in use first.
  • Added more descriptions to traits so that the effects are easier to understand.*
  • Advanced Melee Grip will be disabled when Sticky Grip is enabled, it will default to Double-Tap.
  • Switching the Rifle's firing mode can now be done while holding a weapon.
  • Added a latch to Shotgun's pump-action mechanism, allowing players to pump it while holding a weapon.
  • [MP] Weapons held will not despawn when the weapon cap has been hit, prioritizing unused weapons first.


Bug Fixes
  • [PCVR] Fixed 'Texture Quality' buttons not working as intended.*
  • Fixed Charge Magic's augment tree not displaying as intended.*
  • Fixed enemy crystals not spawning when gore is disabled.
  • [PCVR/PSVR] Fixed player shadows not casting properly.
  • Fixed difficulty modifiers are not applied in the first Act.
  • Fixed enemy health slider not working in the Training Room.
  • Fixed too many traits causing loadout issues.
  • [MP] Fixed issue where guns have a different buff tier when seen by different people.
  • [MP] Fixed weapons dropping slowly like a leaf when released.
  • [MP] Fixed issue where holding magic orbs for too long in MP will cause them to detonate.
  • [MP] Fixed issue where holding weapons will always appear to be held at the base grip position (i.e. holding only the shotgun slider will appear as holding the handle by other players)


[h2]Looking Ahead: The Alliance Update[/h2]
Anticipate more action with the upcoming Alliance Update, potentially landing as early as December this year. Featuring a new game mode, another daunting miniboss, fresh weapon skins, and map tweaks—we're pushing hard to deliver it ahead of schedule!


[h3]Finally, we’d like to end this update by once again thanking each and every one of you who has played a role in Hellsweeper’s journey.[/h3]

To our amazing players—both old and new—thank you for diving into the fiery depths with us. A special thanks to the content creators who’ve helped spread the word and showcase our game to the world. And to our incredible community members, including our Discord moderators and active participants who welcome and guide newcomers through Hellsweeper’s challenging mechanics—you are the heartbeat of our community.

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms

New Roadmap for Hellsweeper VR

Hey Hellsweepers,

It’s been a little quiet since our Ascension update back in June, but for good reason. We were working hard on our new roadmap and we're finally ready to unveil it here... Spoiler Alert: The next big update is dropping in 2 weeks!


[h3]Here’s What’s Coming:[/h3]
September Anniversary Update:
We’re dropping new content including the much-anticipated katana (this isn't just any sword... it's a system!), a new miniboss, a new playable model, some fresh new traits and our usual goodie bag of QoLs with every update!



December 2024/Q1 2025:
Get ready for a new game mode (this is a HUGE one that we've been working hard on!), another tough miniboss, weapon skins, updates to the maps and more!

Apart from working on new content for Hellsweeper, our team at Mixed Realms has also started on our next game, 13Z. While it's currently available on PC and is thematically different from Hellsweeper, we’d love to be able to bring it to VR too! There's going to be a global playtest in a couple of weeks and we hope you can give it a try as we'd love to hear your feedback.

[h3]Why do we keep adding more content?[/h3]
Since the last update, we occasionally get asked why we still keep adding more content to Hellsweeper VR. Simply put, we love this game and cherish the community that has grown around it. Fans of our first VR game, Sairento, will recall how we updated it for years. We would really love to be able to do the same thing for Hellsweeper as long as it's feasible for our studio and we have the support of VR gamers.


If you want to stay updated on Hellsweeper VR, we invite you to join us on our various channels:
Discord | Reddit | Twitter | Tiktok.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms

Hotfix Notes for Ascension Update: Patch 1.5.1

Piping hot, as always. All items with * are updates inspired by community suggestions. Thank you!

Bug Fixes:
- Fixed Phantom Limb Flail Mace not damaging enemies.
- Fixed Mace's hookshot unable to pull halfbody minions and spiderheads.
- Fixed description of traits not displaying values correctly.
- Fixed Blizzard Storm preventing the player from moving.
- Fixed "Spider's Web" trait not increasing chain's length.
- Fixed "Favorite Child" and "Leaving Home" traits not affecting the correct stats.
- Fixed "Secret Powder" trait not restoring durability of guns.
- Fixed unstable burst speed when firing Ice Shards.
- Fixed missing trait UI after looking at enemy weapon skills in the Loadout UI.
- Added extended barrel model for the Shotgun.
- Changed forging requirements for "One And Only" trait.

QoL:
- [PCVR] Added OpenXR loader for Rift and Steam to reduce the chance of players loading into a black screen.
- [PSVR2] Improved throwing detection.
- Added aim-assist for magic, melee and unarmed projectiles.
* Added forging in the Shop.
* Added stat chart for skills when getting a new trait.
* Added option to disable Blast skill when using Melee weapons.
* Added option for throwing-assist.
* Added button to show forge recipes in the Loadout UI.
* Increased length of Mace.

Balancing:
- Increased reload speed of Tempest.
- Limited knockback force for "Grand Symphony" to prevent players from flying out of the map.
- Reduced knockback force for "Bass Note"" from 20% to 10% to balance it with "Grand Symphony".
- Reduced knockback force for "Boom Da Beat Box" from 40% to 30% to balance it with "Grand Symphony".
- Increased explosion radius of "Item Refund" as it seemed to not be working when triggered.

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms Team

Ascension Update: Traits Overhaul, Frost & Volt Wrath, Two-Handing Bonuses!



WARNING: This update will reset ongoing roguelike runs due to the major changes to the traits system!!! It's available for all platforms, with Pico to follow soon.

Hi Hellsweepers,

Coming in hot from the Wrath Update earlier this year, we’ve got a bag of new goodies to keep your sweeps in hell frantic, formidable and FRESH!

The Ascension Update delivers the community-requested overhaul of the traits system, more elemental variants of Wrath, new ways to play melee and more! We’re able to keep updates coming because of your support. So, if you enjoy Hellsweeper, tell your friends, leave a positive review and most of all, have fun Hellsweeping!

[h3]Watch the highlights here:[/h3]
P.S. We're also working on a new roadmap which we plan to unveil soon.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

UPDATED TRAIT SYSTEM

Let’s start with the big one. We’ve heard your pleas and by popular demand, equipping traits has been streamlined to make them more accessible yet impactful. This overhaul essentially -
  • Reduces the need to memorize more complex recipes for forging stronger traits.
  • Streamlines the number of UI panels during forging.
  • Shifts some of the more fun traits into a new category so they can be equipped at the start of the run instead of having to forge them later or relying on RNG.

Traits are now also divided into four categories:
  • Normal & Rare: Both types can be equipped at the start of the run but Rare traits are more powerful and sell for more obols.
  • Forged: Functionality remains the same, but the recipes have been simplified.
  • Special: Reserved for traits with conflicting effects (e.g. Pump Action and Lever Action for the Shotgun). These significantly modify skills, are not stackable, and have their own specified slot. They can be brought into the run if equipped.

We’ve also removed the trait limit because… there’s always room for chaos.

Lastly, you can now sell unwanted traits for Obols. There’s a lot you can do with a couple extra Obols in your pocket. ;)

TWO-HANDING BONUSES

With great power comes great responsibility, great enough to need both your hands to carry the sheer weight. We’ve made the Sword and Axe more deadly with some new two-handing bonuses!

[h2]Sword[/h2]
Holding the Sword with both hands will increase the hit range of your blade, perfect for those enemies that are just a little out of reach.


[h2]Axe[/h2]
Nothing strikes fear into demons like a spinning blade of death! Holding the Axe with both hands will now conjure a buzzsaw to cut through your foes.


NEW Elemental Variants: Wrath

We introduced Wrath in our previous update to round off the seven deadly sins. Now, it’s back with a vengeance! With new Frost and Volt variants, they’re deadlier than ever and seeking to throw a wrench into your runs.


bHaptics Integration

Get ready for some next-level immersion! With the integration of bHaptics on Meta Quest, as well as improved integration on Steam, your dangerous encounters with the demons of Hell are about to feel more real than ever before!


Patch 1.5 Ascension Update Patch Notes


⭐ Means this update was a Community Suggestion!

Main Gameplay Additions / Updates:
  • Two-Handing Bonus for Axe and Sword
    --- Holding the Sword with both hands increases the hit range of the blade.
    --- Holding the Axe with both hands conjures a buzzsaw above the Axe.
  • Added bHaptics Integration for Quest 2 & 3.
  • Improved bHaptics Integration for PC.


ENEMY UPDATES:
  • Added Frost and Volt variants of Wrath.


TRAIT SYSTEM UPDATES:
  • ⭐ Forging Traits has been streamlined.
  • ⭐ Infinite Traits are now allowed.
  • ⭐ Added a new category of traits called Special Traits to allow more unique skill customization.
  • Players can sell unwanted traits in the Shop for Obols.


NEW GUN TRAITS:
  • Split Barrel (Guns) - Increases the damage of the gun but doubles the ammo per shot.
  • Burst Trigger (Pistol) - Fires the Pistol in a short burst.
  • Barrel Under Barrel (Pistol) - Attaches additional barrels to the Pistol.
  • Secret Powder (Bullets) - Guns are repaired when manually reloaded.
  • Cooling Agent (Tempest) - Tempest is immediately cooled with Frost when it overheats.
  • Water-Colored Palette (Tempest) - Increases the damage of the Tempest during overheat.


NEW MELEE TRAITS:
  • Blood Thirst (Axe) - Increases damage and life leech.
  • Knight Strike (Mace) - Enemies are knocked into the air when hit by a two-handed mace attack.
  • Batter's Pride (Mace) - Increases size of two-handed attack AOE.


NEW MAGIC TRAITS:
  • Chaos Unleashed - Further increases AOE damage.
  • Feeding Chaos - Further reduces AOE mana cost.
  • Time Warden's Kiss - Further increases magic infusion duration.


NEW BOW TRAITS:
  • Overdraw - Increases arrow damage but increases mana cost per shot.


NEW COMPANION TRAITS:
  • Hefty Meal - Further increases the health of the companion.


NEW SUPPORT TRAITS:
  • Disciplined Fists (Unarmed) - Increases combo duration and damage.
  • Gentle Fist (Unarmed) - Open-hand strikes will knock back enemies.
  • Paranoia (Blast) - Moving the hand in the opposite direction when performing Concussive or Radial Blast will reverse the forces.
  • Boom Da Beat Box (Blast) - Increases size of AOE and push force.
  • White Cicada (Blast) - Reduces mana cost of Radial Blast.
  • Little More Juice (Unholy) - Increase the number of projectiles conjured when using certain enemy weapons or limbs.


General Gameplay Updates:
  • Added a slider to adjust the strength of Small Jump.
  • ⭐ Added a slider to adjust the dash/jump indicator's distance.
  • ⭐ Added a panel for Trophies at the Profile Canvas. [PSVR Only]
  • ⭐ Added a panel for Achievements at the Profile Canvas. [Non PSVR and Pico Only]
  • Added a Lore Codex page to the codex altar in the hub map.
  • Increased the damage of the Rifle.
  • ⭐ Reduced recoil of the Rifle.
  • ⭐ Mana cost for each trait is now displayed with the trait's info.
  • Moved the Training Room to the Tutorials section.
  • ⭐ Option for Bladewave's aim-assist now affects weapons like Stone Fist and enemy weapons.
  • ⭐ Raised the style points cap from 45000 to 60000.
  • Reduced the conjuration cost of Melee weapons.
  • Updated the center of mass for all objects for better handling.


Updates & Changes to Player Progression, Skills and Abilities:
  • Haze Magic - Mirage Dragons now increases the chain count of the Haze Serpent's projectiles.
  • Charge Magic - Healing Ward now increases the healing range of Magic Ward.
  • Bullets - Smooth Rounds now repairs the gun's durability per shot.
  • Bullets - Liberty now reduces the gun buff by a certain amount when equipped.
  • Guns - Stacking Laser Sights now increases damage.
  • Guns - Stacking Sweat & Iron now reduces mana cost.
  • Levitation - Stacking King's Grave now increases the number of rocks created.
  • Mace - Stacking Sight Guidance now increases damage.
  • Unarmed - Gorilla God now only affects Stone Fists.
  • Max blessings have been increased to 12.
  • Hang Time is now activated by raising both hands above the player's head, replacing Somersault but retaining its bonuses.


Bug Fixes and Optimization:
  • Fixed bug with the "Monster Hunter" Achievement not unlocking on the Oculus Quest. [QUEST Only]
  • Fixed bug where "Secrets of Suffering" and "A Bloody Sweep" are not tracked properly. [Non Pico Only]
  • Fixed bug where the objective indicator on the HUD keeps appearing despite the option being disabled.
  • Fixed bug where the timer for the style points is not resetting when enemies are hit.
  • Fixed bug where Healing Ward does not heal companions.
  • Fixed infusing the staff once in multiplayer being counted as infusing twice.
  • Fixed casting Mega Laser burning the non-caster's mana.


Do you have Questions?

For those who might have questions regarding Hellsweeper VR, we have an FAQ section.

If you have a report or a bug you’d like to send us, Join our Discord: Please select the Hellsweeper role and open a thread under #support.

For broken saves, game breaking bugs, and any other similar issues, please send your save file to [email protected]. Your save file is located here:

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\LocalLow\MixedRealms\HellsweeperVR\savefile



Chat with Us

If you want to stay updated on Hellsweeper VR, we invite you to join us on our various channels:
Discord | Reddit | Twitter | Tiktok.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Crafted with Love,
The Mixed Realms team

Important Reminder for the Upcoming Update



Hey Hellsweepers!

You won’t have to wait long -- the Ascension Update (Patch 1.5) will drop on 20th Jun at 7AM PST, and with it comes not just the usual array of content, QoLs, bug fixes, but a very important announcement.

[h2]👇[/h2]

[h2]Progress of ongoing runs will reset upon the next update.[/h2]
We recommend that you wrap up any ongoing Roguelike sweeps before Ascension hits so you won’t miss out on any rewards you’ve earned.

[h2]Traits System Overhaul[/h2]
One of the most common pieces of feedback we receive from the community is how tricky the current traits system is, especially forging. Good news – we're fixing that in the Ascension Update! It's a big job that meant we had to tweak some backend data stuff too. We know that this is a sacrifice, but we promise that it won’t be for naught!

The improved traits system will feature:
  • A streamlined trait-forging experience.
  • Access to better traits at the start of the run.
  • Ability to sell traits to earn Obols.
  • New & deeper ways for unique skill customization.

Beyond traits, there’s MORE to the Ascension Update which we can’t wait to share with you soon… though you might’ve seen them already if you’ve been sneaking into our sneak-peeks channel on Discord. ;)

Thanks for your understanding and support. See you in Patch 1.5!

Crafted with Love,
Mixed Realms Team