Devs Talk: The Way of Winter Patch Preview
In this Devs Talk, we will give you a sneak peek into The Way of Winter patch and walk you through what The Way of Winter PvE scenario is going to look like when it is released on October 17.
[h3]The Way of Winter Scenario Preview[/h3]
Seasonal Phases
The Way of Winter scenario contains 5 seasonal phases, which last 7, 8, 10, 10, and 28 days, respectively.
Just like the existing scenarios, the first 4 phases are the main gameplay phases of a season. During the last phase, you can sign up and wait until it's time to proceed to the next scenario.
Phase 1 - Arctic Domain
Duration: 7 days
The raging wind and snow devastate everything in their path. Prepare yourself to survive in the extreme environment of the Snowy Realm.
Important Gameplay: Public Crisis Events, Hales' Moving House, Cargo Conquest, and Securement Silos are available.
[Vena Fjord] and [Onyx Tundra] are available.
Wish Machine Prize Pool: The [Echoes from the Rift] prize pool.
Phase 2 - Scattered Ash
Lava flows and surges, and the scorching air carries away all hope. The extreme climate brings only arduous challenges.
Duration: 8 days
Important Gameplay: The [Ember Strand] area is available. All areas of the Snowy Realm are unlocked. The new prize pools [Destructive Flames] and [Blazing Fire] are available. Dungeons are available in [Hard Mode]. The seasonal progress task [Eliminate the Chaosweaver] is available.
Wish Machine Prize Pool:
[Echoes from the Rift] Prize Pool
[Destructive Flames] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Weapon Blueprint: Destructive Flame.
[Blazing Fire] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Armor Blueprint: Fire Rune Boots, Lonewolf Hood, Lonewolf Gloves, and Lonewolf Mask.
Phase 3 - A Glimmer of Hope
Humanity's strength shows itself during great crises like a spark that lights up the north. You must work with other Metas to build a home.
Duration: 10 days
Important Gameplay: Dungeons are available in [Pro Mode]. The seasonal progress task [Eliminate the Chaosweaver] is available.
Wish Machine Prize Pool:
[Echoes from the Rift] Prize Pool
[Destructive Flames] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Weapon Blueprint: Destructive Flame.
[Blazing Fire] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Armor Blueprint: Fire Rune Boots, Lonewolf Hood, Lonewolf Gloves, and Lonewolf Mask.
Phase 4 - The End of Ice and Fire
Deep in the snowy mists, giants of ice and fire begin to rise, shaking the earth. The north shall soon be enveloped in the shadow of annihilation.
Duration: 10 days
Important Gameplay: The event [Frost and Flame] is available (the Chaosweaver spawns on the highest level and affects area temperature in a large range; you can completely eliminate this threat). The new prize pools [Tranquil Frost] and [Frost Domain] are available. The seasonal progress task [Eliminate the Chaosweaver] is available. The seasonal progress task [Build and Protect Wonders - Thermal Tower] is available.
Wish Machine Prize Pool:
[Echoes from the Rift] Prize Pool
[Destructive Flames] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Weapon Blueprint: Destructive Flame.
[Blazing Fire] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Armor Blueprint: Fire Rune Boots, Lonewolf Hood, Lonewolf Gloves, and Lonewolf Mask.
[Tranquil Frost] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Weapon Blueprint: Tranquil Frost.
[Frost Domain] prize pool, featuring the Legendary Armor Blueprints: Snow Camouflage Gloves, Blackstone Hood, Blackstone Jacket, and Blackstone Shoes.
Phase 5 - Break of Dawn
The dark days will eventually pass, but the Snowy Realm is forged in hope and courage which shall never fade.
Important Gameplay: A new season becomes available for signing up.
[h3][The Way of Winter] Patch Seasonal Tags Update Preview [/h3]
We plan to update the seasonal tags on October 17. Starting from then, all scenarios will use the same set of seasonal tags, including tags related to seasonal combat environments, cradles, prize pools, Deviant Invasions, and more. They remain consistent so that players can select the same server as their friends, unaffected by the layering mechanic.
Tags Prize Pool
The tags of the new season becoming available on October 17 will include these prize pools:
[Destructive Flames]: Includes the Legendary Weapon Blueprint, Destructive Flames.
[Blazing Fire]: Includes the Legendary Gear Blueprints: Fire Rune Boots, Lonewolf Hood, Lonewolf Gloves, and Lonewolf Mask.
Cradle Override
In the new season available on October 17, we'll make adjustments to the Cradle Override:
All weapon builds will provide buffs, and several keywords will gain new mechanics so that players can enjoy a new experience.
Blueprint Conversion
After the update on October 17, the blueprint conversion feature will become available for all scenarios. Here's how it works:
How to Unlock: In the first season, when you reach level 40, you can access the blueprint conversion feature on the Blueprints screen. Alternatively, you can wait until season 2 for it to automatically unlock.
How to Use: You can spend blueprint conversion attempts to swap the star levels of any unlocked blueprint with another unlocked blueprint of the same rarity and gear type (weapon or armor).
Attempt Cost: Each conversion will cost 1 blueprint conversion attempt. These attempts will recover at various points (when you unlock this feature for the first time, when a new season begins, upon a seasonal balance adjustment, and at a fixed time each week). There is a limit to how many attempts you can have.
That's it for this preview of [The Way of Winter] patch content. For more details, please stay tuned for the full patch note of [The Way of Winter]. We will regularly communicate our update plans, gather feedback, and solve major issues you find in the game. Feel free to share any thoughts you may have with us!
