[Dev Notes #33] March 2025
Dear CEOs,
This is Kim Hyun Soo, the Head PD of CounterSide.
We thank all our CEOs for all the support and love sent to CounterSide.
In this month's Dev Notes, we'll provide more details about the upcoming updates during April.
[h2][ New Substream - Moonlight ][/h2]
As introduced in the last Dev Notes, the new substream, Moonlight, will be updated.
Lucia Ridge, who has been making money through fraud under the guise of exorcism, receives a request from a wealthy client and heads to a mansion. Expecting easy cash, she instead finds herself confronted with mysterious supernatural phenomena.
Even amid chaos, Lucia is determined to earn as much money as possible while resolving the situation.
Uncover Lucia’s true motives and the nature of the supernatural events she encounters in the upcoming substream, Moonlight, coming up on the next update on April 1.
[h2][ New Awakened Employee - Exorcist Lucia Ridge ][/h2]
The main protagonist of Moonlight, Lucia Ridge, will be updated along with the substream.
Lucia is a Counter-type Striker who unleashes special attacks in response to Hitstun and CC. Moreover, she is designed as a melee character who disrupts the nearby enemy's skill activation.
Lucia exploits people's fear of the unknown for her gain.
Lucia Ridge sometimes takes on the role of a devout cleric, while at other times, she acts as a greedy miser, moving solely to fulfill her objectives. While her true purpose remains a mystery, one thing is certain—amassing wealth brings her a sense of stability.
Stay tuned to see what Lucia’s true motives are and what kind of performance she will deliver.
[h3]◆ Exorcist Lucia Ridge[/h3]
[h2][ New Employee - Katharina ][/h2]
The next Counter Pass employee after Vanguard Exorcist Nicole Primer is Katharina.
Katharina is a 3-cost Counter-type Supporter who can nullify debuffs on allies and provide buffs to enhance combat effectiveness.
In the story, Katharina is a young girl striving to overcome the curse placed upon her. As a devout nun, she prays to God every day, pleading for her curse to be lifted, and drinks grape juice to quench the thirst caused by the curse.
Though she may appear cold and blunt, Katharina is quite clumsy, yearning, and a spoiled child.
She also possesses a charming contrast, revealing a completely different side to those who earn her trust.
We hope the CEOs look forward to discovering Katharina’s many unique charms.
[h3]◆ Katharina[/h3]
[h2][ New Gauntlet Season ][/h2]
On March 30 at 08:00 (UTC-5), the 2025 Royal Season will end, and starting March 31, the 2025 Devoted Season will begin.
As previously announced, the Gauntlet changes will take effect in the upcoming season.
However, while many of the CEOs have expressed satisfaction with certain aspects of the changes, we have also received concerns and valuable feedback. The development team has made some adjustments based on the input.
Firstly, the removal of point deductions upon defeat will now only apply up to Grand Master League 1. This means that until the CEOs reach the Challenger League, CEOs can challenge the Gauntlet without worrying about losing points.
In addition, we plan to expand the match with the NPC up to Grand Master 1 for cases where matchmaking does not occur within a certain period. This improvement will allow CEOs to continue to play matches even when it is difficult to find opponents.
However, since continuous participation will allow CEOs to eventually reach the Challenger League, the league requirement to obtain the exclusive Gauntlet skins will be adjusted to Challenger League 3 or higher.
We understand that many CEOs highly value the limited Gauntlet skins. While we carefully considered the feedback, these skins serve as rewards for those who achieve specific milestones in the Gauntlet. Thus, this adjustment was necessary, and we ask for the CEOs' understanding.
Secondly, many of the CEOs expressed concerns about reducing the number of bans. The development team acknowledges these concerns, and after careful consideration, we have decided to maintain the current number of bans.
Moreover, as mentioned in the previous developer notes, any employees that have already been banned at Ban 1 or higher will no longer be selectable for voting in the Casting Ban system.
Lastly, the limited Gauntlet skins and frames from previous seasons will be available for purchase in the Gauntlet Shop.
These limited skins and frames will be added to the shop in order of release each time a new limited Gauntlet skin is introduced.
Starting with the 2025 Devoted Season, where the [Empress of the End World – Replacer Queen] skin will be available, the [Overlord of the End World – Replacer King] skin and the [Frame: Noble Will] will be added to the Gauntlet Shop. In future seasons, when new Gauntlet skins are released, the [Late-night Encounter – Six-Wing Amy Firstwing] skin and the [Frame: Sub Rosa] will also be added.
The limited Gauntlet skins and frames can be purchased for 500 Season Points, which CEOs earn at the end of each Gauntlet season.
We hope that this update will provide a second chance for newer CEOs or those who were unable to obtain previous limited Gauntlet skins due to various circumstances.
The changes will take effect on April 1 after the regular maintenance.
[h2][ Awakened Exclusive Gear ][/h2]
Following the release of exclusive gear for Sprouting Star Solovey, the exclusive gear for Gha'agsheblah Eve Meitner was added on March 25.
Since Gha'agsheblah Eve Meitner is an employee who is frequently used by new and returning CEOs, we have made her the first Awakened employee to receive exclusive gear.
The next exclusive gear we have planned for is Yoo Mina: Fenrir Type, which can be obtained through Mainstream progression. In the future, we will continue adding exclusive gear for existing Awakened employees.
Unlike the previous two, obtaining the exclusive gear for Yoo Mina: Fenrir Type will be available in the Mainstream and the Mainstream event shop, which will be added in the future update.
We hope these additions will help new and returning CEOs reduce the burden of gear setup and enhance the gameplay experience.
[h2][ Balance Adjustments – Snipers][/h2]
Following the balance adjustments for Rangers and Strikers, we are reviewing balance changes for Snipers in April.
Similar to the Striker balance adjustments, we plan to tune the stats of Sniper employees. If further improvements are needed after the balance adjustments, we may introduce Alternium Reactors to enhance them further.
More details on the targeted employees and specific adjustments will be posted in the upcoming patch notes.
This concludes the brief overview of the April update.
Thank you.
