6/6/25 - Chaos Chain Update 1.72.0 (Balance Adjustments, QOL Improvements, ETC)
Chaos Chain
Attention, freelancers. I've got a new update for you!

Here is the next update for the game. I did a lot of changes to game balance, player agency in terms of viability of different builds, and a whole lot of other improvements! Check out the full change log below!
*Please note that these changes are not in any particular order.*
[h2]BETA Update 1.72.0 Changelog:[/h2]
Bug Fixes:
- FIXED some typos
- FIXED enemies with cyware that could use synergy stims in combat but didn't have them in their loot drop lists
- FIXED the campfire inside the shipping warehouse area (After the related quest) not acting as a campfire object (It was visual only but now it works like other campfires - giving you increased stamina regen nearby it and allowing you to rest and save, manage your squad, etc)
- FIXED red shipping container side graphics saturation not matching the front graphics
- FIXED a bug caused by my own testing (I left a small buff on the main character in the public branch)
Changes & Additions:
- Finished work on the Piker Cemetery: Service Tunnel area (Just need to finalize the quest associated)
- Added some map-specific soundtrack settings for a few areas (Didn't add new music, just set specific tracks for certain areas)
- Added razor blade misc loot item ("1984" called to say hi)
- Added tactical fatigues body equipment (Inv: 2, Body, Protection: 1, Armor, 5% Rupture, -10% Target Rate,
+1% Critical Evasion, +1% Evasion, +3% Ranged Evasion) - Indigo now starts with tactical fatigues instead of a stab vest (This will only affect new playthroughs)
- Added support armature equipment (Inv: 3, Gear, Support, Init: 15, -5% Interference Res, +3% Ability Point Regeneration, +5% Critical Evasion)
- Clarified some skill descriptions for easier readability
- Added new item icon art
- Updated several areas
- Expanded various dialogues with unique NPCs
- Added thug hacker enemy graphics (Sprite and battler images)
- Added thug hacker enemy type (He uses an icebreaker hackpad and an armican d10 trickster pistol as backup --- This is the first enemy hacker in the game, but many more will be coming now that I have a baseline to work with)
- Added enemy hacker combat profile (This isn't perfect by any means and it is intended to be this way --- Enemies using hackpads and combat hacks will NOT always target the best/optimal target for their attacks and may even make mistakes --- This is intended to simulate them not being aware of who is the most vulnerable to interference through electronic warfare)
- Added new randomized road travel event "Dog eat dog world"
- Added a new ammo box tile entity graphic variant
- Added a new generator tile entity graphic
- Updated several shop listings
- Updated randomized loot lists
- Steady now gives 33% instead of 20% to avoid losing AP when hit by a melee weapon or an exotic weapons
- Psionic abilities/skills are now marked separately with parenthesis around the names (Just a way for me and players who use the special background to keep track of them easier)
- Added Unbreakable learnable talent (3 Skill Point cost, makes it so the character does not become panicked and lose mettle when an ally is downed)
- Updated learnable skill lists
- Mend psionic ability now cures poison and sickness but it now costs 15 mettle instead of 11
- Remedy psionic ability now cures burnout and burning but it now costs 11 mettle instead of 7
- Concussion grenades now do 65% shock instead of 75% shock but also gives 70% stunned and 60% confused instead of 65%/55% (The main utility of these have been improved)
- Flashbang grenades now do 55% shock instead of 65% shock but also gives 65% stunned and 65% confused instead of 60%/60% (The main utility of these have been improved)
- Updated enemy grenade skills to reflect the changes above
- Enemy chance to use grenades/bombs is now based on ALIVE members of their group in combat instead of TOTAL (Kill more of them, the chances decrease - this is intended to replicate the fact that as your own characters/companions die, your options usually decrease in terms of what you can do)
- Further reduced overall enemy chance to use grenades/bombs by 10% (It should be rare seeing as how they are quite catastrophic)
- Reduced chance for enemies to use skills like "Jump In Front" as well as target related skills by 5%
- Boss related team support skills such as "Priority Target" and "Encourage" are now based on target related skill chances for being used instead of time/round based
- Updated several enemy loot drop lists
- Increased base chance for all kinds of lootable containers to spawn loot
- Randomized containers now have a higher chance to spawn low tier ammo such as battery packs and nails
- Randomized lootable ammo containers can now spawn a very small amount of grenade launcher type ammunitions
- Randomized lootable ammo containers can now spawn an extremely small amount of rocket launcher type ammunitions
- Randomized lootable ammo containers can now spawn a small amount of arrow type ammunitions (For bows)
- Randomized lootable ammo containers can now spawn a small amount of bolt type ammunitions (For crossbows)
- Doubled the base chance for regular ammo types (Bullets) to spawn inside randomized lootable ammo containers
- Increased chance for dud rounds item to spawn inside randomized lootable ammo containers (This is just an additional chance - it does not affect the chances for real usable ammo to spawn inside them)
- Added extra visual effects to some interior areas to liven them up (Puddles, roaches, smoke, flickering lights, etc)
- Added more texture to the crosswalk tiles (They looked too pristine)
- Changed some exterior tileset colors slightly (Trying to add a bit more color to the environments to make them not look so samey and dark)
- Deleted some leftover assets no longer being used
- Added some more NPC blocks to a few exterior areas with tight passages to prevent them from body-blocking the player
- Cleaned up A LOT of item icon art
- Removed some extra overlay graphics that were redundant in certain exterior areas
- A LOT of other minor tweaks and adjustments
Please let me know of any bugs or issues you may encounter so I can fix them. This update will be available for download shortly.
A friendly reminder: if you're enjoying the game so far or have ideas you'd like to share, please consider leaving a review for the game. This not only helps with much needed visibility, but also gives me important feedback for the game to help it become a better final product. Also, if you have questions, concerns, or requests, please visit the official Chaos Chain Steam Forums or join the official Discord Channel!
Official Links:
That's all for now, enjoy!
Stay Alert. Stay Armed. Stay Alive. Don't lose your humanity.
-Cryptic ːCStudiosː