Tape to Tape News

Jan 16th Hotfix #2 Build#9409

Important Please ensure that the build number shown in the top-right corner of the main menu is 9409.
If it differs, perform a clean uninstall and reinstall of the game.

AI

• Breakouts are slightly less aggressive, with defenders holding deeper positions
  
• Man-to-man defensive pressure has been reduced, opening more offensive passing lanes to the defense
  
• Defense joins the offense less often and plays more conservatively to avoid being caught out of position on turnovers
  
• Tentative fix applied to prevent goaltenders from being unable to collect the puck underneath them after a save

General

• Various buffs applied to benchwarmer players
  
• Squad relics have received balance buffs
  
• Kelly Jelly has re-joined the Speedy Squad
  
• Sergei Lancelov has re-joined the Defense Squad
  
• Rory McShaggy has re-joined the Basic Squad
  
• Cam Amber has re-joined the Trio Squad
  
• Trio & Defense Squad relic now earns +2 (from +1)

[h3]Steam
Community Hub Feedback Thread[/h3]
[h3]Discord
Community Server[/h3]

Jan 15th Hotfix #1

• Reduced the accuracy of some opponent Campaign Team players across all difficulty levels
  
• Fixed several cases where goaltenders could become stuck or end up out of position
  
• Adjusted various goaltender stats
  
• Rebalanced the checking formula, as body checking was harder than intended in some situations
  
• Trio Squad – Reward selection is now offered to all 3 players instead of just 1
  
• Increased Maurice Cassoulet’s Speed stat
  
• Renamed difficulty levels to Rookie, Pro, and Veteran
  
• Added stats and abilities to some Benchwarmer players
  

We are fully aware that the game is currently too difficult, especially on the lower difficulty levels, and we agree that it does not feel right in its current state.

We are actively monitoring player feedback, run results, and internal statistics, and we are already pushing changes to bring the experience back in line with what these difficulty levels are meant to represent. Expect ongoing balance updates, with a strong focus on making the early and mid difficulties fair and enjoyable.

[h3]We know this is frustrating. We hear you, and we are committed to fixing it quickly.[/h3]

Known Issues & Topics Actively Being Worked On:

• Difficulty Balance (High Priority)
  Difficulty Levels 1 and 2 are currently overtuned compared to previous versions. These difficulty levels are being actively rebalanced and will be adjusted in upcoming updates.
  
• Campaign Team Power Levels
  Some campaign teams and elite players are performing stronger than intended. Their attributes and behaviors are under review and will be adjusted where needed.
  
• Squad Player Stat Adjustments
  Some recent rebalancing passes may have been too aggressive. We are reviewing squad player stats and will be restoring strength in areas where the game currently feels unfair.
  
• Performance Issues on Portable Devices
  We are investigating performance drops and instability on handheld and portable hardware.
  
• Inconsistent AI or Goaltender Behavior
  Some AI and goalie behaviors can feel inconsistent or unreliable. Several fixes are already live, with more targeted improvements coming. Clips shared on Discord are extremely helpful for identifying edge cases.
  

• Reduced the accuracy of some opponent Campaign Team players across all difficulty levels
  
• Fixed several cases where goaltenders could become stuck or end up out of position
  
• Adjusted various goaltender stats
  
• Rebalanced the checking formula, as body checking was harder than intended in some situations
  
• Trio Squad – Reward selection is now offered to all 3 players instead of just 1
  
• Increased Maurice Cassoulet’s Speed stat
  
• Renamed difficulty levels to Rookie, Pro, and Veteran
  
• Added stats and abilities to some Benchwarmer players
  

We are fully aware that the game is currently too difficult, especially on the lower difficulty levels, and we agree that it does not feel right in its current state.

We are actively monitoring player feedback, run results, and internal statistics, and we are already pushing changes to bring the experience back in line with what these difficulty levels are meant to represent. Expect ongoing balance updates, with a strong focus on making the early and mid difficulties fair and enjoyable.

[h3]We know this is frustrating. We hear you, and we are committed to fixing it quickly.[/h3]

Known Issues & Topics Actively Being Worked On:

• Difficulty Balance (High Priority)
  Difficulty Levels 1 and 2 are currently overtuned compared to previous versions. These difficulty levels are being actively rebalanced and will be adjusted in upcoming updates.
  
• Campaign Team Power Levels
  Some campaign teams and elite players are performing stronger than intended. Their attributes and behaviors are under review and will be adjusted where needed.
  
• Squad Player Stat Adjustments
  Some recent rebalancing passes may have been too aggressive. We are reviewing squad player stats and will be restoring strength in areas where the game currently feels unfair.
  
• Performance Issues on Portable Devices
  We are investigating performance drops and instability on handheld and portable hardware.
  
• Inconsistent AI or Goaltender Behavior
  Some AI and goalie behaviors can feel inconsistent or unreliable. Several fixes are already live, with more targeted improvements coming. Clips shared on Discord are extremely helpful for identifying edge cases.
  

[h3]Steam
Community Hub Feedback Thread[/h3]
[h3]Discord
Community Server[/h3]

Patch Jan 15th 2026

• Reduced the accuracy of some opponent Campaign Team players across all difficulty levels
  
• Fixed several cases where goaltenders could become stuck or end up out of position
  
• Adjusted various goaltender stats
  
• Rebalanced the checking formula, as body checking was harder than intended in some situations
  
• Trio Squad – Reward selection is now offered to all 3 players instead of just 1
  
• Increased Maurice Cassoulet’s Speed stat
  
• Renamed difficulty levels to Rookie, Pro, and Veteran
  
• Added stats and abilities to some Benchwarmer players
  

We truly appreciate your feedback and will continue improving all necessary aspects of the game.

We are also aware that some recent updates may have caused issues with certain game files. If you are experiencing problems or are unable to properly receive an update, we recommend performing a clean reinstall. We are actively working on a permanent solution and will share more information as soon as possible.


Update January 15th 2026

We are actively monitoring player feedback, run results, and overall statistics, and will continue making dynamic adjustments across many aspects of the game especially the DIFFICULTY LEVELS. Don’t hesitate to join our Discord server to share clips and feedback!

[h3]Rest assured, we’ll keep pushing updates as we iterate on feedback. Thank you for your patience and for helping us improve the game![/h3]

Known Issues & Topics Currently Under Discussion:

• Difficulty Balance
  Difficulty Levels 1 and 2 are currently under review, as they may be slightly more challenging than in previous updates.
  
• Campaign Team Adjustments
  Some players on campaign teams will have their attributes revisited, as they may be performing a bit too strongly in certain cases.
  
• Squad Player Stat Adjustments
  Some recent rebalancing may have been too aggressive. We are looking into increasing certain stats across select players.
  
• Performance issues on portable devices
  
• Instances of inconsistent AI or Goalies
  Some bugs have already been addressed, with more fixes on the way. To help us better identify remaining issues, we’d really appreciate clips showcasing anything that feels inconsistent. These can be shared directly with us on Discord.
  

[h3]Link to the Steam Community Hub Feedback Thread[/h3]
[h3]Discord Community Server[/h3]


[h3]Hello everyone and Happy New Year 2026![/h3]

We’re excited to bring you another update to the Campaign 2.0 Beta Branch! Your feedback has been a huge help in shaping this update, and we’ll be sharing some interesting numbers and stats at the end of the update post. For now, here’s what you can expect in this patch:

Developer Update & 2026 Plans
Gameplay Updates (AI, Goaltenders, UI/UX, Balance, Bug Fixes, etc.)
Campaign 2.0 – Global Player Statistics
Community Q&A

[h3]2026 Plans[/h3]

As we’re now in 2026, we can officially say that this year will be Tape to Tape’s launch year!
While this milestone comes with a lot of work, we still plan to keep players updated as much as possible and may continue updating the Beta branch to support testing and feedback. However, we do not expect to add any new major content (such as squads or features) before the 1.0 launch. We want players to discover a wide range of new features all at once when the game officially releases.

Most of the core content is now complete, and our focus has shifted to balancing and polishing the game before we’re ready to stamp Tape to Tape with its official release seal. Expect significant improvements and refinements across the UI, UX, visuals, and audio experience. Our team is hard at work ensuring that the additional content and features feel satisfying and support many different ways to play and beat the game.

Our final major hurdle is console porting, which we’re actively working on. We’ll share more updates on that as soon as we can!


IMPORTANT

To trigger the game update, a full Steam restart may be required. Also, make sure to properly switch to the Beta branch by selecting the demo-0.2 branch in the Betas section of the game’s properties.



[h3]Gameplay Updates[/h3]
While some new content has been added to the game, most of the major work in this update focused on improvements to the AI and goaltenders. As always, we’ll continue monitoring feedback, and we encourage players to join our Discord community and share clips of any notable moments especially situations where goalies may feel unfair or where the AI could perform better.

Please note that the following updates are not final and may change, be rebalanced, or be reworked as we gather feedback and data from players. The number of available squads will remain capped at four, with no additional unlocks planned before launch.



Gameplay

• Minor squad rebalancing changes
  
• Added another batch of new Relics and Power-ups
• Rewards are now tracked to ensure Power-ups and Relics you haven’t seen yet are more likely to appear
  
• Added new Chaos Event power-ups to the pool
  
• The Prisonners are now an alternate Act 1 boss, replacing Hockey FC
  
• Hockey FC is now an Act 2 Elite Team
  
• Shooting Stars are now an Act 2 Elite Team
  
• The Princess is now an Act 3 Elite Team
  
• Injury system rebalanced – the Fragile mechanic is now more visible and manageable
  
• Player selection algorithm improvements
  
• Shot accuracy system overhaul – fewer shots miss wide; lower-accuracy shots are more likely to result in easy saves, while high-accuracy shots hit target zones more often and with greater precision
• Point Sniper – Shot Power bonus replaced with a chance to trigger a critical shot
• Player skating improvements – better steering, turning, and responsiveness to micro-movements
• Reworked Magnet power-up functionality, as it could previously disrupt plays or potential goals
  
• Adjustments to the Grapple power-up
  
• Mjolnir hammer throw speed reduced
  
• Mega Rebound bounciness reduced
  
• Mega Lob power-up improvements
  
• Increased cooldowns on multiple abilities for balance
  
• Relic Freezer can no longer freeze cursed relics
  
• Campaign – slightly easier to maintain puck control when staggered on Expert difficulty
  
• The option to change lines during a period has been removed; lines can now only be changed between periods
  
• Play Now – goalies are slightly harder on all difficulties
  
• Play Now – the following teams have been reworked with new relics and power-ups: Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Toronto, and Boston. We’d love feedback on balance, as we’ll be updating the remaining teams with small identities to make Play Now teams more fun and distinctive.

[h3]AI & Goaltenders Updates[/h3]

A lot of the feedback has been about the AI and goaltenders, and we hear you. We’re actively working on fixes, reworking formulas, and testing improvements but nothing is ever perfect. We strongly encourage players to share feedback, clips, or screenshots whenever something feels unfair or could be improved. This helps us better understand specific situations and address them when needed.

Elite campaign teams now use new AI behaviors inspired by real hockey strategies, such as crash-the-net pressure, tight protect-the-net defense, or aggressive man-to-man coverage. These are not full realistic simulations. The game is fast, chaotic, and exaggerated by design, and the AI operates within those constraints.

These strategies come with deliberate strengths and weaknesses. Some behaviors are intentionally simplified or exploitable by design, allowing elite teams to feel distinct while still giving players room to adapt and punish mistakes.

For now, these strategy-driven AIs are exclusive to certain campaign opponents. Applying them to player-controlled teams would require significant additional design, technical work, and balancing, and is something we may explore in the future but not in the short term.

AI Changes

• Campaign teams now feature different playstyles (man-to-man coverage, aggressive crash-the-net, defensive protect-the-net, etc.)
  
• Defensemen now return to defensive positions more reliably
  
• Breakouts – AI now uses multiple strategies when transitioning to offense
  
• Pass reception improvements – AI positions more effectively to receive passes in all zones
  
• Puck pursuit improvements – more aggressive and intelligent puck-chasing behavior
  
• Improved defensive play and formations when playing with or against 3–4 player teams
  
• When stickless, AI now prioritizes picking up a stick – fixed cases where AI failed to retrieve dropped sticks
  
• Various minor AI adjustments
  

Goalie Changes

• Complete goalie save formula overhaul – positioning, puck tracking, shot calculation, rebound control and recovery, follow-ups, animations, and bug fixes
  
• Goalie skill stats rebalanced
• Skater prediction algorithm improved (affecting goalie positioning)
• Goalies now cover the puck more often; harder shots have a higher chance of producing rebounds
  
• Desperate saves (dives, pad-stackers) can now trigger on low save-chance shots
  
• Improved performance while enraged
• Fixed edge cases where goalies failed to pick up the puck
  
• Campaign – opponent goalie difficulty now scales by act (stronger in Acts 2 and 3)
  
• Goalie Throwstick animation speed increased; projectile speed reduced for balance and timing is more randomized
  

System Updates

• UI & UIX – new screens, transitions, visuals, and more (many elements still WIP)
  
• Tiebreaker / Shootout options removed – now selectable directly in Play Now only
  
• Anthems can now be reliably skipped
  
• Added and fixed multiple VFX for power-ups and status effects
  
• Area-of-effect abilities now display a visual radius
  
• Animation rework – shooting, passing, backhand shots, knockouts, stick throws, and more
  
• Puck customization with home team logos and colors
  
• New stick skins added to match certain power-ups (Safe Bounce, Rebound Magnet)
  
• New SFX and improvements to existing sounds
  
• Improved controller assignment and fixes for Steam Remote Play and Local Co-Op
  
• Render scale option added to graphics settings
  
• Player name indicator toggle added
  
• Various graphics quality improvements
  
• Various replay system improvements
  

[h3]Community Q&A[/h3]

Hockey FC Boss: Petition to remove this bossWe didn’t remove it, but Hockey FC is now an Act 2 Elite Team.
Are we going to get new squads to unlock?No new squads are planned for now. However, an additional squad will be unlockable once the game officially launches.
What happens to achievements and progression from Early Access?Achievements will be reset and replaced with a large number of brand-new ones. Only progression from the Campaign 2.0 Beta will carry over. The Early Access branch will be retired.
The AI cheats and there’s a lot of rubber-banding.The only intentional cheating comes from the Referee’s team shenanigans. That said, we understand frustrating moments can happen. Continued tuning of the AI and goaltenders is ongoing, and the work is never truly done. Sometimes, goalies are simply meant to be scored on—but we’re always exploring ways to reduce the feeling of being “cheated.”
Additional modes and features?We’ll explore additional modes and features post-launch, with more updates planned after version 1.0.
Fights?Yes it’s coming. Just not quite ready yet.
Online?No online mode is planned, but Steam Remote Play is available.

[h3]Campaign 2.0 Stats[/h3]

Here are some stats since the launch of the Campaign 2.0 Beta! Before we dive into the bigger breakdown, here are a few highlights:

Total games played: 595,705
Overall win rate: 88.0%
Total shots taken: 6,115,664
Most goals scored against the Golfers: 71 (71–1 win)
Most shots in a single game: 113 (113–39)

And finally, a special shoutout to one particularly wild game against Hockey FC... the final score was a 24–19 win!

ACT 1 – Clear Rate: 65.3% ACT 2 – Clear Rate: 60.9% ACT 3 – Clear Rate: 65.5%

General Manager Picks

Power-ups Pick Rates
[expand][/expand]
Relics Pick Rate
[expand][/expand]

Hope you enjoyed the stats! We will definitely share more in future posts!

Looking forward to hearing your feedback on this new patch, see you soon!

- The Tape To Tape Team

[h3]Beta Test Branch Change Log & Information[/h3]

Update 10/18/25

Update on most asked questions, patch notes below:

• Meta Progression
  A meta progression system is planned for the full release! For this Beta Test, though, we’re keeping the focus purely on the runs themselves.
  
• Pucks & Blademaster Shop
  The puck currency and the Blademaster Shop will be discontinued to make room for a new progression system.
  
• Visual Bugs / Stuttering / Crashes
  We’re actively fixing reported bugs and will release patches as soon as possible. Please keep reporting any issues!
  
• World Map
  For now, you can cycle through the map using L1 + R1. A legend will be added to help display the controls and node names for easier navigation.
  
• Line Changes
  Changing players mid-game will only take effect in the
• *next period**. While the ruling isn’t currently displayed, a proper UI will be added soon to make this clear in-game.
  
• Squads, Power-Ups & Balancing
  We’re closely monitoring your runs, power-up choices, and feedback. This Beta Test was designed to help us balance these features.
  
• Shot Blocking
  Shot blocking has been temporarily removed. We still love the concept and plan to bring it back once it’s refined and more impactful.
  
• Steam Achievements
  Achievements will be coming for the official release. Expect many new ones to satisfy all you completionists out there. They will replace the old ones.
  
• Customization & Tournament Mode
  IMPORTANT: Customization and Tournament modes have been added back. Please note that there may still be several issues with these features. We recommend using them primarily to customize your team for the Campaign, as save files may become corrupted after the Beta Test.
  
• Fights?
  Fights will be the last major feature added before the full release. The mechanics are mostly done, but they aren’t fully integrated into the game yet. Our development approach is highly iterative—we focus first on features that need a lot of testing and refinement because they influence many parts of the game. Since fighting has a smaller impact on overall gameplay systems, it makes sense for us to tackle it last. We want to make sure everything else is rock solid before bringing it in.

Patch Notes 10/18/25

• Bugs & Fixes (Thanks for your help reporting those)
  
• Typos, UI & Text fixes
  
• Customization & Tournament mode re-added - Please read above important information
• Added an additional squad: Basic Squad (Name TBD)
• Miscellaneous game fixes and adjustments

It is with great excitement that we are officially opening the doors to the Beta Test version of Campaign 2.0!

Here’s what this post covers:

• Campaign 2.0 Beta explanation
  
• Important information, goals, duration, and feedback process
  
• How to play the Campaign 2.0 Beta

[h3]Campaign 2.0 Beta Explanation[/h3]
Campaign 2.0 Beta is the major rework that will be part of Tape to Tape’s 1.0 launch (the official game release). After months of closed testing, we’re finally ready to let the public try a demo of the new campaign.

What is in the Campaign 2.0 and how does it compare to the current game?:

• A full rework of core systems, including major changes in and outside of matches (events, node structures, pathing, and progression)
  
• Removal of the shop and puck currency system
  
• Rework of the legacy Elite and Power-Up unlocking systems
  
• Introduction of new Squads with unique playstyles to start your runs
  
• New Elite Teams and Bosses
  
• A wide variety of new Relics, Power-Ups, and Upgrades
  
• Additional nodes across the world map & more pathing options
  
• Introduction of injuries, Free Agents, and more control over your lineup and bench
  
• Reworks of all the game’s core foundations (AI, Shooting, Skating, Bodychecking, Goalies, etc.)

[h3]Important Information, Goals, Duration, Feedback process[/h3]
Please remember that the features in this Beta Test are not final. We’ll continue to actively gather and implement your feedback to ensure we’re on the right track for the full launch of the new campaign.
Please note that only the following modes are available in the Beta:

• Campaign
  
• Play Now

Other modes are not available at this time, as the focus is solely on testing the campaign, core gameplay mechanics, and new features.

A total of three squads are available for this test:

• Two unlocked at the start
  
• One unlockable by beating the game once

More squads will be available when the full campaign launches.


At this time, there is no set duration for how long the Beta will remain open. We’ll continue to address bugs and any issues that prevent progression as they arise. As for additional content, we’re still evaluating our next steps. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on any changes or additions through future posts.

Our main goal during this Beta is to gather as much information and feedback as possible about the following:

• First Impressions
  
• Squads system
  
• New nodes, power-ups & the pathing system
  
• How Campaign 2.0 compares to the current version

To share your feedback:

Steam Community Feedback Thread Tape To Tape Discord

Note: We would truly appreciate it if feedback is shared through the channels above rather than in an official Steam review, as this is not the final state of the game. Your constructive criticism is incredibly valuable to us, and we’ll use it to keep improving the new Campaign!


[h3]How To Play The Campaign 2.0 Beta[/h3]
In order to play, you may launch the current game and hit the CAMPAIGN 2.0 BETA TEST as shown on the picture. The game will then Exit and switch to a new branch and download the new content. You may hit the button again to be taken back to the current version of the game.



If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment!

Hope you enjoy this Beta Test!

The Tape To Tape Team

Hello there!

Since our last Summer update post, here's what's going on;

We’ve been hard at work making massive changes to the game as most of you know. Over the past couple of months we’ve been testing internally, then with our trusted community testers, and we’re now inching closer to a publicly testable version of the Alpha Campaign 2.0!

With the help of our testers we’ve been able to polish a lot of early development features and fine-tune the balance around the hundreds of new power-ups and relics that have been added. As we showed in our previous Steam post, the campaign has been completely reworked. Get ready for a whole new experience with much more replayability!

As we approach the final waves of private testing, we’re happy to announce that a public testing branch will be opening on Steam in October! We will share the date as soon as possible, but progress is steady and we’re getting closer every day.

We understand that many of you are eager to get your hands on new content. While we would love to push updates more often, the campaign remake ended up evolving into a complete overhaul of the game. The 1.0 version of Tape to Tape will be on a completely different level compared to the current Early Access build in terms of content, replayability, features, and more.

We appreciate your patience, and we’ll continue to keep you updated on future content, release dates, and more. For now, we’re focused on developing the game at a steady pace. We’re truly enjoying the process of working on a project we love, without the pressure of rushing it out.


The Tape to Tape Team