UPDATE Spring Cleaning - new mode, revamped visuals, balance tweaks
[h2]Hello, Horde![/h2]
Winter is already behind us, and spring is stretching its wings. And you know what that means—it’s time for some spring cleaning! Both in real life and in the world of Be My Horde. So brace yourselves because the appropriately titled SPRING CLEANING UPDATE is here! But before we dive into what we've cooked up for you, let's chat about what's going on behind the scenes.
[h2]WHEN CAN WE GO TO HELL?[/h2]
You already know we’re like an open book—no secrets here. So, let’s be straight with you. Initially, we planned to unleash the so-called Hell Update in mid-April. The biggest, baddest, and most epic Be My Horde update to date, packed with tons of new content and improvements.
However, we need to push it back to the end of May. This update is really ambitious with which we ventured into uncharted territory with some features, and to make sure it’s polished (wink wink), we need extra time. You know us—we’d rather delay an update than give you something half-baked. So yeah, expect Hell Update to arrive in about two months.
[h2]Quick reminder: You can follow the development on our Discord server, where we regularly share work-in-progress stuff in Moriana’s Diary thread![/h2]
We hear you. Lately, we haven’t been rolling out as many minor but cool updates, and while new Moriana skins may be cool, they’re not enough, right? That’s why we decided to do some much-needed Spring Cleaning—making the current version of Be My Horde even better!
We’re talking about tons of visual upgrades, a new weather system, a brand-new No Perks mode, a bunch of balance tweaks, and a sea of minor improvements that finally complete the first chapter of Moriana’s story.
Oh, and there’s a new contest, too! So, without further ado, let’s see what’s in store.
[h2]WEATHER FORECAST: “LOOKIN’ GOOD!”[/h2]
What’s spring cleaning without a little makeover? A massive boost to the look of Be My Horde was a big focus of this update.
First and foremost, we’ve introduced a brand-new weather system. From now on, as you embark on your crusade, you’ll experience three different seasons—spring, fall, and winter. The first two got major visual upgrades with improved environments, textures, and color changes. The latter is completely new, taking you back to a winter wonderland. Yes, we even have snowmen. And yes, blood looks amazing on the fresh white snow… wait, that came out weird.
Each season also has three different weather states: clear skies, rain, and storm. Rain clouds may roll in at any moment, completely changing the look and feel of your crusade in seconds.
Speaking of blood (as one does), it’s no longer just a boring red puddle. Now, when you gruesomely take down an enemy, their lifeblood splatters onto the ground before slowly seeping into the dirt or snow. Yes, we spent time improving the realism of slaughtering innocent peasants—why do you ask?
We’ve also revamped the starting location, improved visual effects (like Mage’s fireballs), and, as our art director so eloquently put it, “added a bunch of small shit.” The full list will be at the end of this announcement!
[h2]PERKS, PERKS, PERKS—EVERYWHERE![/h2]
Perks are a huge part of Be My Horde—right after Moriana herself and, well, the horde! So, we want them to be as polished and impactful as possible.
Introducing: BANISH SYSTEM. You can now discard a perk when leveling up, removing it from future selections. This allows for more strategic control, letting you fine-tune your build during a run. To unlock Banishing, you’ll need to upgrade a specific Dominion structure. Upgrading it further increases the number of times you can banish perks.
We’ve also upgraded the building, which gives you a free perk at the start of a run. Once leveled up, you can choose which perk you want from a selector screen while beginning the crusade. More freedom = more mayhem!
On top of that, we’re adding three brand-new perks: Undying Resilience, Indomitable Might, and Frenzied Haste—each boosting your minions’ health, damage, or attack speed. Your zombie horde just got even deadlier.
And, of course, we made a few balance tweaks. Some perks got buffs, some got additional tiers, and one even got renamed (RIP Vampire Strike, hello Vampire Hunger)—the full list is in the patch notes below.
[h2]NO PERKS CHALLENGE[/h2]
Ever wondered how long you’d last without any perks? Now’s your chance to find out! The NO PERKS MODE removes all perks from your run, making the crusade way harder. See if you can stand up to the challenge without precious auras, summoning circles, and sheep!
And to make things even more interesting, we’re launching the NO PERKS CHALLENGE!
The prize? A black box filled with Be My Horde merch, including a glass cemetery vessel, a mug, a sheet of stickers, a lanyard, and a pin.
How to enter:
1. Update the game and start a No Perks run (you need to have the Hard Mode unlocked);
2. Defeat King Richard III Ovine and post your end screen with your result in the No Perks Challenge thread on our Discord;
3. The player who defeats the king the fastest without any perks wins!
4. Please make sure to turn on the Send Game Data option (you can find it in the option menu in the Gameplay tab) and be connected to the internet. We'll then receive data from all runs, which will allow us to validate submissions. If you have to turn on this option or disconnect from the internet, make sure to reset the game before the run. If you have any questions about it, let us know!
Submit the screenshot of your result by April 7th, 11:59 p.m. (PT). Full terms & conditions HERE.
Good look, necromancers! Now, getting back to the Spring Cleaning update.
[h2]SHAKE IT. FEEL IT. MAKE IT VIBRATE.[/h2]
We completely reworked the screen shake system. Previously, some of you found it a bit too much, so we fine-tuned it. Now, the camera shake dynamically adjusts based on what’s happening on-screen. Resurrecting minions? Shakes are based on how many rise. Getting hit? More impact. Richard III Ovine’s special attacks? Oh yeah, the camera feels them.
On top of that, we’ve added controller vibrations for key moments—because who doesn’t love a little extra immersion?
[h2]WHAT ELSE? WHAT ELSE?[/h2]
Oh, there’s more. We’ve rebalanced some achievements, added button icons, and tons of other minor improvements. Full patch notes below:
💀 Implemented the Banishing feature;
💀 Implemented the Perk Selector feature;
💀 Added the Frenzied Haste perk;
💀 Added the Indomitable Might perk;
💀 Added the Undying Resilience perk;
Old perks rebalance:
💀 Dark Rebirth - added two more tiers;
💀 Speed Dust - this perk has been removed, and its bonus merged with the Healing Dust perk;
💀 Healing Dust - from now on, every healing urn also grants a speed buff;
💀 Changed the name of the Vampire Strike perk to Vampire Hunger;
💀 Fire of Abbys - increased the speed of projectiles two times;
💀 Second Coming - from now both tiers of this ability unleash Blood Harvest;
💀 Blood Dust - urns that grant speed buff and urns that heal have been merged. Now, if one of the effects would be triggered from urns, both are instead;
💀 Flesh Regeneration - instant heal has been changed to a 30 seconds long health regeneration;
💀 Circle of Death - from now on, every tier attracts already resurrected minions instead of enemies. Also, the number of summoned minions changes, and it depends on the tier;
💀 Poisonous Ashes - a poison cloud lingers longer. Also, basic poison at tier 1 is no longer permanent. Tier 3 changes poison to the permanent one;
💀 Swift Decay - tier 1 and tier 2 have been merged into one. Tier 1 has an increased speed buff;
💀 Dark Ritual - greatly increased a damage boost;
💀 Sanctified with Dynamite - from now on, it additionally spawns sheep every 15 seconds.
Achievements rebalance:
💀 Toxic Relationship - changed the number of required poisoned opponents from 60 to 80;
💀 Catch Me If You Can - changed the required time of constant speed buff from 60 to 120 seconds;
💀 Temptation of the Clerics - changed the required number of priests in the army at the same time from 20 to 25;
💀 Wooly Warhead - changed the number of warriors necessary to kill with a one sheep from 10 to 15;
💀 Soul Spa - changed the amount of Moriana healing needed from 300 to 200.
💀 Improvements in the camera shake system;
💀 Implemented controller vibrations.
Controls and settings changes:
💀 Buttons are now displayed as icons;
💀 The "Mouse Only Gameplay" option has been renamed to "Mouse Movement”;
💀 Starting message for resurrection and movement display nows proper button icons.
Visuals improvements:
💀 Implemented a new weather system with dynamic changes between a clear sky and rain;
💀 Added a new season - winter;
💀 Revamped environment objects to fit better into new looks of each season;
💀 More realistic blood with sipping into the ground effect;
💀 Completely revamped map textures;
💀 Added a new, improved starting location;
💀 Reworked Mage’s fireballs VFXs;
💀 Reworked Fire of Abyss projectiles VFXs;
💀 Small changes to the Aura of Decay VFXs;
💀 Improvements to the Paladin’s VFXs, which now depend if he’s alive or undead.
💀 The map has been redesigned to use a 9-tile grid. This eliminates the potential bug in which the player could move outside the map.
That’s a lot, right? And trust us, there’s way more coming with Hell Update. In the meantime, enjoy your crusades, enter the No Perks Challenge to win some sick merch, and stay tuned for more! We hope you love this update.
PRAISE BE MORIANA!
The Polished Games Team
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2499520/Be_My_Horde/