Fellowship News

[p]Big thanks to all of you that sent in your questions! There were so many that we had to group them into themes and dive right in. The below video is a podcast format, since people seemed to enjoy that last time, but I know not everyone has an hour to wade through the video for all the key details.

If you're short on time, check out the below summary to get a top-level idea of the main points. Keep in mind that the full interview includes all of the context and nuance that a bulleted list cannot provide.

Now that the build is getting to a more shareable state, next week we'll be showing off more in-game footage of what you can expect on February 19th with the Early Access Season 2 update. Enjoy! [/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h3]Q: What’s changing with the Gem system in Early Access Season 2?[/h3][p]A: The team intends to make targeted improvements to the gem system rather than a full overhaul. Key changes include:[/p]

• [p]Faster gem progression for alts compared to mains.[/p]
• [p]Bug fixes where some dungeons were not dropping gems at all.[/p]
• [p]More interesting gem track bonuses.[/p]
• [p]Weapon traits tied to gems[/p]
• [p]Legendary Aether is being added as a high-end crafting material, allowing players to:[/p]
  • [p]Add empowered sockets to normal items[/p]
  • [p]Add non-empowered sockets to set items (as a deliberate tradeoff)[/p]

[p]Importantly, gems are still intended to be late-game progression. The goal isn’t to make them trivial to acquire, but to reduce unnecessary friction.

We agree that gem acquisition may have taken too long previously, and some tuning is likely. However, gems are still meant to take time, particularly on your main character. Alts will see the biggest benefit.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: What’s in it for veteran players in Early Access Season 2?[/h3][p]A: Systemic changes now, bigger endgame focus later.[/p][p]Early Access Season 2 is primarily focused on improving onboarding and progression clarity for newer players. That said, veterans can expect:[/p]

• [p]Major weapon trait updates[/p]
• [p]Large-scale Hero and Talent tuning[/p]
• [p]A reworked difficulty curve that emphasizes survivability and time pressure instead of one-shots[/p]
• [p]New Curses and retired underperforming ones[/p]
• [p]Two new Heroes[/p]

[p]More high-end focused systems are planned for future resets once this foundation is in place.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: Is there a new 10k mount reward?[/h3][p]A: Yes.[/p][p]There will be a new 10k mount to chase in Early Access Season 2. However, most star map rewards (Hero skins, other mounts) will not be refreshed this season. Previously unlocked rewards remain unlocked.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: Are profile customization and titles coming?[/h3][p]A: Yes, very soon.[/p][p]Profile customization is either landing at Early Access Season 2 launch or shortly after. This includes Titles and account flair focused on self-expression and recognition. The system will launch with a modest set of rewards, then expand over time based on feedback.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: What about loadouts?[/h3][p]A: Not for Early Acess Season 2 but it’s on the radar.[/p][p]We agree that experimenting with builds (especially gems and weapon traits) is currently cumbersome. Loadouts and better refund/experimentation systems are actively being discussed for the future.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: How is the League structure changing?[/h3][p]A: Difficulty is being re-paced.[/p]

• [p]Dungeon timers and advanced mechanics now activate at Paragon Capstone, not earlier Leagues.[/p]
• [p]Early Leagues focus more on learning and execution, with complexity ramping up later.[/p]
• [p]Eternal Dungeons will clearly stand apart in difficulty and coordination requirements.[/p]

[p]This change aims to help more players reach Eternal without removing challenge for experienced groups.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: What is Pathfinder’s Guidance?[/h3][p]A: A new Ascension to help with the onboarding process.[/p][p]Pathfinder’s Guidance highlights a clear path through dungeons, ensuring 100% kill completion and smoother runs. It also provides a temporary haste buff that scales down as players climb through the Leagues and turns off entirely in Eternal.[/p][p]This system is designed to:[/p]

• [p]Reduce early-game confusion[/p]
• [p]Improve Tank and group coordination[/p]
• [p]Make early gameplay feel less sluggish[/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]Q: How is Hero balance shifting?[/h3][p]A: From burst survival to sustained output.[/p]

• [p]Less emphasis on one-shot mechanics[/p]
• [p]More focus on damage optimization and time pressure[/p]
• [p]Melee DPS gaining slightly higher maximum potential than ranged to compensate for uptime risks[/p]
• [p]Some overperforming ranged Heroes being tuned down[/p]

[p]Build diversity is expected to change significantly as a result.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: What’s happening with Tariq and Heavy Strike?[/h3][p]A: Higher skill ceiling, less automation.[/p][p]Heavy Strike and Face Breaker now punish incorrect usage, preventing macro-based play. The goal is to make Tariq more reactive, engaging, and skill-driven.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: Who are the new Heroes?[/h3][p]A: A support-focused Tank and a time-manipulating Healer.[/p]

• [p]Sune (codename) is a support tank who can heal allies and make meaningful tradeoffs between self-survival and group support.[/p]
• [p]Lisa (codename) is a damage-driven healer who converts incoming damage into delayed effects and heals allies through her own damage output.[/p]

[p]Both Heroes are designed to feel fundamentally different from existing roles.[/p][hr][/hr][h3]Q: What’s the long-term direction of Fellowship?[/h3][p]A: More variety, more ambition.[/p][p]Looking ahead, the team wants to explore:[/p]

• [p]Non-humanoid and “weird” heroes[/p]
• [p]Raids (with proper scope and support)[/p]
• [p]New game modes[/p]
• [p]Expanded cosmetic systems, including weapon skins[/p]

[p]The guiding principle is depth first, breadth second.[/p]

[p]With Early Access Season 2 coming in just a few weeks, I wanted to make sure we answer the question "do I need to grind out the existing vendor cosmetics or mounts right now or should I wait?" We will not be making major changes to the cosmetic offering from vendors and the Reward track in Early Access Season 2, so that means the following:[/p]

• [p]Players will keep all cosmetics they've previously bought/earned (apart from the Seasonal Leaderboard Trims)[/p]
  • [p]If they unlocked the ability to purchase it, but haven't purchased it; the stats powering that unlock will be reset in the purge.[/p]
• [p]The Mount and Cosmetic Vendors will both include the same cosmetics to unlock and buy across all Heroes[/p]
  • [p]We are aware of a bug with the Cosmetic Vendor locking out Hero purchases for X when you have bought for Y. We're working on a solution, but none of those items currently blocked are exclusive to Early Access Season 1.[/p]
• [p]The Winter Vendor and the Event Skins will be removed with the reset, so those Cosmetics will need to be picked up before the February 19th update.[/p]
• [p]The Reward track Cosmetics and Mounts are going to be maintained into Early Access Season 2[/p]
  • [p]This is true of the basic mounts/recoloring unlocks[/p]
  • [p]There is potentially one exception. We are looking to replace the 10k Dungeon Rating Spider reward, but are currently unsure if we are going to have time. No major promises here.[/p]

[p]Hopefully this provides clarity for all of you and helps you to plan out what you want to achieve in the next few weeks.

Have a great weekend everyone![/p]

[p]Hi Fellows![/p][p]We’re finally ready to talk about what’s coming next for Fellowship. As you may have seen on Discord, February 19 is our current target for the upcoming update; marking the transition from Early Access Season 1 into Early Access Season 2.[/p][p]This video is a high-level overview of what you can expect. We’ll be doing deeper dives on individual features in the coming weeks, but for now, here’s what’s on the way:
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][hr][/hr][h2]What Carries Over?[/h2][p]With the move into Early Access Season 2, we’re doing a full progression reset to ensure a fair and clean starting point for everyone.[/p][p]What resets:[/p]

• [p]Hero progression (gear, abilities, talents)[/p]
• [p]All currencies on your account[/p]

[p]What you keep:[/p]

• [p]Cosmetics you’ve earned or purchased[/p]
• [p]Event rewards[/p]
• [p]Vendor cosmetics[/p]
• [p]Mounts you’ve unlocked[/p]

[p][/p][p]NOTE: Leaderboard Trims will reset, as they’re tied to seasonal progression. If you have unused currency, make sure to spend it before February 19 since it will not carry over.[/p][p]This reset helps us keep progression balanced and avoids situations where stockpiled resources trivialize early seasonal play.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Two New Heroes Joining the Roster[/h2][p]We’re excited to confirm that two new Heroes are on the way![/p]

• [p]🛡️ A new Tank[/p]
• [p]💉 A new Healer[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]A New Play Space: The Forest Meadow[/h2][p]One of our biggest focuses for this update is improving the new player experience, while also giving existing players something meaningful to do outside of Dungeons or while waiting in queue.[/p][p]Enter the Forest Meadow (just a working title that we'll change for the update).[/p][p]This is a low-pressure, drop-in / drop-out play space designed to:[/p]

• [p]Help new players learn mechanics at their own pace[/p]
• [p]Let players experiment with Heroes, abilities, and builds[/p]
• [p]Give you something fun to do while waiting in queue[/p]
• [p]Unlock the left side of the Rewards track[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Hero Balance & Talent Updates[/h2][p]We’re also making a pass on Hero balance across the existing roster.[/p]

• [p]Adjusting underperforming builds[/p]
• [p]Reworking certain mechanics (like Tariq's swing timer for example)[/p]
• [p]Making targeted improvements primarily at the Talent tree level[/p]

[p]A full list of balance changes will be shared closer to February 19.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]In-Game Store & New Cosmetics[/h2][p]The in-game store is arriving with this update.[/p]

• [p]New cosmetic options[/p]
• [p]A clearer way to support the game[/p]

[p]We’ll share full details, and a dedicated preview, once everything is ready.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Communities[/h2][p]Some features won’t land exactly on day one, but will roll out shortly after as part of this update cycle.[/p][p]One of the biggest is Communities.[/p][p]Whether you’re pushing high-end content, learning at your own pace, or anything in between, Communities are designed to help you find your people.[/p][p]You’ll be able to join multiple communities, set a primary one, and potentially display it on your profile; effectively acting as a lightweight guild or clan system with this early iteration of the feature.[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Profile Customisation[/h2][p]Profile customisation is also on the way, possibly on February 19, or shortly after.[/p][p]This will initially have options like:[/p]

• [p]Frames[/p]
• [p]Backgrounds[/p]
• [p]Titles[/p]
• [p]Icons[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Quality-of-Life & UI Improvements[/h2][p]We’re continuing to make steady improvements across the game, including:[/p]

• [p]General UI polish[/p]
• [p]Gameplay flow improvements[/p]
• [p]Hero-specific keybinds (FINALLLYYY!)[/p]

[p]A full list will be shared closer to launch.[/p][hr][/hr][p]We’re fully committed to the long-term health and accessibility of the game, and we can’t wait for you to get your hands on what’s coming next.[/p][p]The next few weeks will be packed with info so we'll see you again really soon![/p][p]Much love,
The team from Chief Rebel[/p]

[h2]PATCH NOTES - FOR THE JANUARY 15, 2025 PATCH[/h2]

We hope you’ve all had a great break and have enjoyed the holiday event. We’re back and refreshed, working full steam towards our upcoming reset, and the new heroes.

For this week’s update we’re only removing the ‘secret’ vendor, but leaving in the Ghorn, Krumbug, and Eira curses available to play within the dungeons. Since players have been using them to get higher scores on the leaderboard, we felt it unfair in the last few weeks before the reset to make it harder for those looking to progress.

So now these three spirits of winter will remain until the reset, and we’re looking longer-term about whether there’s a place for them post-reset as well.

We’re also leaving in the warm wishes and the Snowman vendor, so access to all the items sold there will remain until the reset as well.

[h3]GENERAL[/h3]

• Removed the Winter Decorations from The Stronghold
  • Removed the secret vendor
    

[p]We've been talking about a new Tank and Healer that we've been working on and thought it'd be cool to show you some concept art so you can start to get an idea of the direction we're heading in!

The big content update and reset in February is going to be our biggest yet and while we have a "it's ready when it's ready" mentality for releasing these Heroes, we're excited to get early feedback and thoughts from our community.

In the coming weeks, we can't wait to show you more of what's coming in February. 2026 is going to be a big one for Fellowship and we're so stoked to have you along for the ride.

Happy Holidays!
The Devs at Chief Rebel
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]