Ascend to ZERO News

Hello Ascenders!

It has been quite some time since we last spoke, but we would like to first say that we are extremely grateful for all of you who have started to as well as continue to play the Ascend to ZERO Demo. Players have been sending in their feedback through the survey, in the Discussions, as well as through our Discord.


With that being said, we are extremely excited to announce that a new demo will launch October 13! With this coming update, players can expect a vastly improved version of Ascend to ZERO that caters not only to current players, but also new players who want to get their feet wet. In this notice, we hope to give everyone a preview of things to come as well as answer a few questions that you will have, including what is going to happen to your save file (it’s safe, but please read the entire notice). Bear in mind that while some images in this notice are not fully translated, the demo will be fully translated.

As a side note, if you have any questions after this notice, feel free to leave a comment on this notice or on the Discord!

[h2]Less Grind, More Flow[/h2]
One of the largest pieces of feedback that we got through Steam Next was that while the game was fast-paced, the grind element disrupted the overall flow of the game. Based on all the discussions and survey responses, players felt that to make meaningful progress in the game, they would need to commit time to grinding resources to be able to overcome obstacles.

With that in mind, we made various changes to make sure that Ascend to ZERO feels more like a fluid roguelike game. The main idea of the game is to let players feel powerful through their ability to grow stronger quickly, but if players are focused on accumulating resources, then that progression enters a stop-go situation rather than a naturally fluid motion.



In the coming update, we want to improve the flow in the following ways:

• Alleviate disruptions in gameplay caused by resource requirements
  
• Allowing players to obtain more upgrades and new items in a single run
  
• Reducing the difficulty of progression up to each stage boss

More details regarding these improvements (and more) will be in the patch notes with the update!

[h2]New Items[/h2]
We want players to be able to experience vastly different runs each time they play, but to do that would mean that we would have to add new items, maybe some ways to change how weapons and skills operate, and more. Therefore, that is exactly what our team did.



With the next update, players can expect to obtain a lot more chips in one run. These chips include most of what is available now, but also includes chips that enhance the weapons that you take in with you, chips that increase your stats to unimaginable heights, as well as slot modules that affect the weapon that is in a specific slot. There is a lot of variety that is being added to the game, so we hope players dive in and see what new ways their favourite avatars take down enemies!


Speaking of new ways to take down enemies, we are adding some weapons that have a bit of flavor to the next update. While currently obtainable weapons that are focused on quality provide a sense of power, we realized that they also led to an overall lack of variety and led to a grind-heavy experience. With this new direction, we hope that players can mow down enemies with both power and fun!

Also making their way to the next update are new gadgets! We took in feedback to give some more unique purposes to gadgets. We don’t want to spoil too much, but here are some teasers for you to think about:


[h2]New Ways to Start a Run [/h2]
Following player feedback, we added more content for the Time Machine through the genius, Gabriella. She will have ways for players to improve the capabilities of the Time Machine, allowing players to organize their entry bonuses with a bit more freedom - including increasing the max level of certain Time Machine abilities, additional stat options, and more!



On top of all of the things that a player can do to make an impact on their next run, Mimesis also gets an upgrade where players can drastically alter how a run potentially turns out. There are options that are great for beginners as well as options that can add another challenge for our veteran players!

[h2]Scope of the Next Demo[/h2]
Aside from the things listed in this preview notice, there will be more additions and changes coming with the next update. The update patch notes will go into detail all of the different changes that is going to make its way into the game.

We received a lot of feedback on how the demo can be improved upon and made a lot of different changes to the demo experience, therefore a difficult decision had to be made. Because of the amount of things that are changing as well as the scope of those changes, the new demo will feature Stage 1 in its entirety and Stage 2 will be removed. This allows us to see how the new changes affect the initial gameplay, which will then inform our development for the stages that follow. We also feel that the new demo will be a better and more complete representation of what we envision the launch build will be.

[h3]But wait - does that mean my save file is going to be deleted? Unusable? [/h3]
The short answer is no, your save file is not affected at all. You will be able to load your save file in the new demo without problems and be able to play the new demo with all of the improvements that are going to make its way to the update. You just won’t be able to go on to Stage 2.

[h3]What does this mean for Cold Moon Hacker? [/h3]
Players who have already unlocked Cold Moon Hacker will be able to use the avatar in the new update if they load their save file. Starting a new save file would mean that Cold Moon Hacker would not be able to be unlocked as she can only be found in Stage 2.

[h3]What about my legendary gear? [/h3]
Similar situation with the Cold Moon Hacker - those who already have it will be able to use the gear in the new update by loading their file. Starting a new file would mean that players would be able to unlock legendary gear through hard mode of Stage 1.

[h3]If Stage 2 is removed, what does that mean for the Next Fest Event reward? [/h3]
Players who cleared Stage 2 and unlocked Chrono Child - White Night will be able to use the avatar in the updated demo. For the Steam Next Fest Event reward, the new demo does not affect your eligibility nor does it alter your save data, but please do not delete your save file. Deleting the save file can make it extremely difficult to deliver the reward at launch.

[h3]Is there a way to see the cool new things you guys are working on? [/h3]
We honestly appreciate the amount of interest that everyone has in Ascend to ZERO and want to work with the community to develop a strong roguelike experience. After the new update, we are going to keep taking in feedback, communicate more often, and share updates through our official channels!

[h2]Road Ahead[/h2]
We are excited for players to check out the new demo coming out on October 13! We hope that you get to not only have fun with the new update, but also continue to give us feedback to help us shape the best Ascend to ZERO experience possible. Follow us on all of our channels to stay up to date as we will be revealing more things as we head to the new update!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2697940/Ascend_to_ZERO/

X/Twitter: @AscendtoZERO YouTube: @flywaygames Discord: Join the community

- Ascend to ZERO Team

Hello, Ascenders!

In this update, we have introduced various optimizations and UI improvements to enhance your demo play experience.

Additionally, several bugs discovered during gameplay have been fixed, and we would like to inform you of the details below.



[h3]⚪ Graphic Optimization[/h3]

To provide a smoother play experience, we have carried out graphic optimizations and overall improvements.

• Environment lighting has been optimized to improve performance in certain areas.
  
• Background polygons have been further optimized to enhance overall performance.
  
• VFX optimization and improvements have been made to enhance performance during battles.
  
• Damage rendering has been optimized to improve performance during combat.
  

[h3]⚪ UI Update[/h3]

The item UI has been newly improved, and an item comparison feature has been added to make equipment selection more convenient.
Additionally, UI animations have been added, visibility has been enhanced, and further polishing has been done.

• The item UI has been improved overall, increasing visibility and readability.
  
• An item comparison feature has been added. By clicking an item to lock it in comparison mode, its effects will be displayed next to those of other items for easy comparison.
  
• Entry animations have been introduced throughout the UI.
  
• The minimap has been improved to maintain visibility under various brightness conditions.
  

[h3]⚪ Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Issues occurring when switching between windowed and fullscreen modes have been fixed.
  
• The issue of monsters disappearing during teleportation has been improved.
  
• A bug causing monster death animations to persist during cutscenes has been fixed.
  
• The problem allowing avatar changes after entering a stage has been resolved.
  
• A residual effect issue that appeared when effects were removed under certain conditions has been fixed.
  

We will continue to reflect your valuable feedback to create a more complete game.
We appreciate your interest and participation, and please look forward to the next update!


[h3]Play Now![/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3279910/

Thank you.

- Ascend to ZERO Team

Hello, Ascenders!

In this announcement, we would like to inform you about the special skin giveaway event held during the Steam Next Fest period and share our future plans.

We sincerely thank everyone for your participation and interest, and we would also like to share the future direction of the game's development.


[h3]Steam Next Fest Event Results[/h3]



During the Steam Next Fest in June, all Ascenders who cleared Stage 2 received the 'Chrono Child: White Night' skin! In addition, we promise that a special avatar, usable in the official release version, will be given in the future.

A large number of players participated in the event during Next Fest, and thanks to you, we were able to collect valuable data and a variety of feedback. Once again, we sincerely appreciate your enthusiastic interest and participation in the event.

• Although we manage the event reward recipients separately, to ensure safe delivery, please try to keep the save data you used to participate in the event without deleting it!
  
• The method and specific form of reward distribution will be announced again at the time of the official release.
  
• The special skin will be provided for use in the official release version, and there will be further opportunities to acquire special skins through various events, so please look forward to it!
  
• Some Ascenders may be curious about the official release date; while nothing has been finalized yet, we will share related news as quickly as possible.
  

[h3]Future Game Updates and Plans[/h3]

We deeply appreciate the valuable feedback sent during the Next Fest period, and based on your feedback, we plan to continue with various new attempts and challenges!

The current demo build will serve as the stage for these improvements, and it may go through multiple updates and adjustments, so please look forward to it.

Also, we will continue to introduce more enjoyable and special events, so please stay tuned for more news!



We thank all Ascenders for your continued interest and support, and we will come back to you with good news in the future.

Thank you!

- Ascend to ZERO Team

[p]"Enemies? Eliminated. Time? Frozen. I don’t stop."

The experimental and witty influencer 老biu&星星知多少is back?
This time, diving into the time-bending, death-looping roguelike Ascend to ZERO!

In this video,
he reinterprets the game’s core mechanics?
time freeze, combat loops, avatar system?in his own unique style,
growing endlessly through countless retries and creative builds.

📌 Official collab video with 老biu&星星知多少!

In a game where split-second decisions and relentless combat rule,
he breaks past death and embraces the loop.
And the entire journey? Surprisingly smooth?and hilariously entertaining.

🕹 Ready to take the challenge yourself?
Step into Ascend to ZERO, the ultra-fast roguelike where time and combat collide!"
[/p]

『Chrono Dispatch』 has linked to your timeline.

Hello, Ascenders!

Welcome to the third Chrono Dispatch.


[h3]◼ Next Fest Has Concluded![/h3]



During this Next Fest, more Ascenders than ever joined us in-game!

Thanks to all the valuable reviews you left, we even achieved a recent rating of "Overwhelmingly Positive". We sincerely appreciate your support!


Some of our most enthusiastic Ascenders know that we ran a survey to gather your thoughts on future development. That survey gave us a clear picture of which content you want most!

In this Dispatch, we’ll revisit those results and talk about the path ahead.



First, strengthening the systems for item farming and crafting was the top request! We were thrilled to see it aligns perfectly with the direction we’ve been heading.

Requests for new stages and sustainable content came in second. We’ll keep adding diverse areas and challenges to ensure your adventure never grows stale.

There were also features that received more—or less—interest than expected, which we found intriguing. But fewer votes doesn’t mean an idea gets ignored! Based on your detailed feedback for each item, we’ll be reshuffling our long-term development priorities.

Thank you to all Ascenders who played passionately and took the time to complete the survey.



[h3]◼ Optimization Update News[/h3]

While Next Fest gave us clues about our future roadmap, it also highlighted some performance bottlenecks that were getting in the way of smooth play. Thank you again to everyone who reported issues and shared feedback!

In this update, we’ve resolved various performance bottlenecks across the game so you can enjoy a smoother experience.




◼ Projectile Handling Optimization

We’ve partially mitigated the frame drops caused by firing many projectiles at once.

Previously, you may have noticed major drops when multiple projectile hits triggered simultaneously. Now, we’ve simplified collision detection for high-hit attacks and removed unnecessary updates to reduce the computational load.


◼ Enemy Entity Optimization

We’ve also addressed the frame drops that occurred when enemy counts surged after entering Stage 2.

While we already limited updates to active combatants, performance still lagged when too many enemies appeared. We’ve introduced new logic to drastically lower update frequency, so you’ll see more stable performance even amidst large hordes.


◼ Terrain Collision Optimization

We minimized the calculations for interacting with collision objects placed throughout the map.

In the past, moving around would trigger excessive collision checks; now the overall collision complexity is simplified to reduce the processing burden.


◼ Unnecessary Update Minimization

We’ve tightened restrictions on update calls for objects that aren’t visible or affecting gameplay.

By variably adjusting execution frequency for background object updates, AI logic, and other repeated computations, the CPU can focus on core tasks.



It’s not perfect yet, but you should notice a clear step up in performance!

Next up, we’ll tackle graphics rendering optimizations to eliminate more bottlenecks and improve stability on additional hardware—so stay tuned!



[h3]◼ Keep Journeying With Us![/h3]

Your passion and feedback during Next Fest have been a powerful driving force. We’ll continue listening to every Ascender’s voice and repay you with even more polished updates!

Thank you.

『Chrono Dispatch』 has unlinked from your timeline.