Bloodshed News

Lock and Load: Bloodshed Full Launch incoming!

Hello, fellow Slayers!

After a great journey, we are happy to say that Early Access will soon come to an end, and we would like to express our gratitude for your time spent on the game so far, your valuable feedback bringing us to this point and your ongoing support!

Through you, we were able to make the best decisions since the first public release of Bloodshed in early stages, and we are so very much looking forward to unleashing the beast in its final form!

As we feel the bag is filled with lots of goodies by now, the price of the game will be increased in preparation leading up to the full release end of May to properly reflect the additional content. We have added a lot of content to the game in the previous months. The price change will come into effect end of this week.

Those of you who have already purchased the game and bought into our vision early: Thank you, again!
And for those of you who missed the train, do not worry – we feel quite safe saying that you will get enough bang for your bucks!

Happy Slay Day!
com8com1 Software & Headup

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2747550/Bloodshed/

🤘 Early Access Roadmap Update #2 for Bloodshed is OUT NOW!

Greetings, Survivors!

We're excited to bring you another thrilling update packed with new features, enhancements, and content that will elevate your Bloodshed experience. Let's dive into what’s new!

[h3]Weapon Traits – New Tactical Possibilities![/h3]

First up, let's dive into a topic that has been on our minds and yours for a while: Weapons! After we started the Early Access phase, you consistently pointed out your desire for more incentives to experiment with different weapons during your runs. And we’ve listened! But before we dive headfirst into a comprehensive overhaul of our weapons, we had to ask ourselves: "What should such a feature look like to meet your needs and align perfectly with Bloodshed and its gameplay?"

We've put a lot of thought into this and gathered a variety of ideas, and we’re excited to present our prototype solution in the upcoming update: the brand-new Weapon Trait System! Once unlocked via the associated relic, you’ll discover workbenches scattered across all main mission maps. Here, you can give your weapons unique special abilities – making your favorites even more powerful and unique in every run!

Depending on the weapon type, you’ll have access to up to three traits that are randomly rolled for each run. All you need to do is reach the appropriate level for the weapon and activate the trait at the workbench. This means more incentives to use different weapons, genuine reasons to level up, and significantly more tactical options!

We had a blast testing this feature, and we found that the gameplay dynamics shift dramatically based on the available traits. We hope you’ll enjoy this feature as much as we do!

[h3]New Missions – Off to New Adventures![/h3]

Now things are getting exciting – two brand-new missions are on the horizon! This time, we’re taking you on a journey that will test not only your nerves but also your trigger finger.

First up, prepare for a wild boat ride on an old, dilapidated steamer that has been hijacked by the cult. Stand your ground against the cult’s crew and their minions, and make it to the other shore as alive as possible! As you battle through the waves, a host of new creatures will make your life a living hell, and during the mission, new paths will open up to you.

Your next destination? A cursed fishing village on a remote island. Here, you’ll have to fight your way through winding harbor installations, dimly lit caves, and a stilt village along the shore, all while the relentless rain pours down on you. Get ready for some real Lovecraftian atmosphere! Just be careful not to plunge into the poisoned waters in the heat of battle unless you’re up for a painful swimming lesson!

Of course, we haven’t forgotten about the music – a brand-new track will guide you through the missions in three different intensity levels, shifting in intensity based on the action. So buckle up and prepare for an adventure that will make even the bravest survivors sweat!

[h3]New Character – Father Fidelis, the Master of Chains[/h3]

We proudly present our newest survivor: the slightly frail yet brave Father Fidelis! Equipped with a hefty dose of stubbornness and his legendary whip, Chain Fury, he will fearlessly confront the cult and its minions.

With its high action radius, this weapon allows you to take down a whole group of undead foes with ease. And when things get dicey, swing up to new heights using the grappling hook function – is there a genuine Spider-Man hiding beneath that monk’s robe…?!

Of course, Father Fidelis comes with some brand-new one-liners. What would an old-school shooter be without a few cynical quips? We hope you’ll love him as much as we do – we certainly had a blast during testing!

[h3]New Enemies – The Air Gets Thinner![/h3]

Over the past few months, we’ve been secretly working on a brand-new enemy feature that you’ve been asking for, and with the new update, we’re finally introducing flying enemies to the battlefield! Kicking things off is the Grinspire – a demon summoned from the depths of hell, who will chase you down with dangerous fireballs. Better not get too close, as he bites! At least he puts on a friendly smile during his antics…

Additionally, you can expect three more brand new enemies. Watch out for these fiends, as they’re sure to heat things up!

[h3]Additional Stuff – More Than Just an Update[/h3]

In addition to all these new features, you can look forward to new spells, relics, and objectives. Stats enthusiasts will be pleased with new trackable values, and achievement lovers won’t be left out either.

And if English isn’t your first language, we have a special treat for you: we’ve finally made preparations to localize Bloodshed – it was quite a bit of work! But it’s worth it: the German localization can now be activated via the options menu, and we plan to roll out additional languages soon.

We’re super excited to hear your feedback and can’t wait for you to dive into these new adventures. So get ready – the next chapter of Bloodshed is here, and it’s going to be bloody!

[h3]TL:DR - This is the full Changelog of Version 0.13.4:[/h3]

Weapon Trait System

We’ve introduced the brand-new Weapon Trait System!
Once you unlock this feature through the corresponding Relic, you’ll discover workbenches scattered across all main mission maps. These allow you to equip each of your weapons with unique special abilities, making them even more distinctive and powerful as long as you wield them.
This system is our response to the feedback we've received regarding weapon progression: players wanted more incentives to focus on multiple weapons during each run and fully utilize their upgrades. With the intricate functionalities of the Trait System, players are now rewarded for leveling up weapons while simultaneously diversifying their capabilities, creating unique tactical possibilities in each run.
In this initial version, we’ve implemented a robust selection of 23 Traits for you to explore.
Happy experimenting, and we’d love to hear your feedback!

Missions

The first two missions for Episode 2 have been added!
The first mission unlocks after completing the boss battle in Episode 1.

Enemies

Prepare yourself for four new foes!
Cannon Cultist: Beware of this monstrous enemy and their little companion armed with deadly cannonballs!
Banshee: If you hear this wicked hag howling in the distance, it’s time to make a quick escape!
Grinspire: Our first airborne enemy is agile, can take a beating, and rains down deadly fireballs upon you—don’t let that friendly smile fool you!
Chainsaw Reborn: Watch out for this undead beast wielding a chainsaw! Take him down quickly while you still have the chance.

Characters

Father Fidelis joins the Survivors! Armed with a deadly chain whip and a powerful grappling hook, he can catapult himself to dizzying heights as he confronts the forces of evil.

Spells

Turret: Place deadly turrets nearby to protect yourself from enemies.
Scythe: Whirl this razor-sharp double blade at your foes—then catch it again for a devastating one-two punch!

Passive Abilities

Evolution: Gain a substantial advantage with increased XP gains!
Duration: Extend the duration of your spells for even more effective attacks.

Global Upgrades

Evolution: Also a recommended upgrade! Permanent increases to XP help you level up faster.
Area: This upgrade expands the effective radius of your spells—permanently!

Objectives

8 new objectives have been added for you to tackle.

New Music

A new background music track with three intensity layers has been added for Episode 2, enhancing your gameplay experience.

New Achievements

6 new achievements have been introduced for you to unlock!

Relics

Weapon Traits: Unlock the all-new Weapon Traits feature to empower your arsenal!
Explosive Barrels: Watch out! Deadly explosive barrels will now spawn throughout all main missions.

AI Enhancements

A new AI and behavior system for flying enemies has been implemented.
Defeating an exploding enemy caused by the player now counts toward your kill count, and affected enemies will drop loot.
Enemies now instantly react to damage instigators.
Melee enemies now attack more swiftly when directly in front of the player.
Enemies actively seek out the player within a certain range when they have no current target.
Improved line-of-sight behavior for all enemies.

Localization

Language options for English and German are now available.
Stay tuned for additional languages coming soon!

Meta Game

Statistics: Weapon traits claimed are now tracked for your progress.
Statistics: Explosive barrel takedowns are now counted toward your kill count.

Miscellaneous

Destructible item containers (columns) now check for unoccupied spawn positions, reducing the chance of multiple objects appearing in the same spot.
Fixed layout issues with stats display in pause mode to prevent line break problems.
Mini maps have been added for the Tower of Trials and Temple of the Damned.
Corrected a bug that misrepresented stats when upgrading passive abilities.
Updated the column texture in the Headquarters background scene.
Fixed display issues for gamepad rumble strength in the controls options menu.
Resolved an issue in the main menu that occurred when pressing Esc (or the Cancel button on gamepads) while a safety prompt was active.
Added "Quit Game" buttons to the meta game and pause menus.

As always, your feedback and thoughts are really appreciated! If you want to give us any feedback please do so in the comments, in the Steam Community Hub, or on our Discord channel. That would really help us a lot! 🤘

Happy Slay Day!
com8com1 Software & Headup

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2747550/Bloodshed/

🤘 Early Access Roadmap Update #1 for Bloodshed is OUT NOW!

Happy Friday, Slayers!

Right in time for the weekend, we've some good news for you! As you may have seen on our roadmap, we have promised you the first Early Access update for February with new content such as challenge maps, new music, more voice lines, new unlockables as well as bug fixes, polishing and adjustments.

And with this we keep our word: The first Early Access roadmap update for Bloodshed is available as of now, which actually has more to offer in addition to the announced new content!

[h3]This is the full Changelog of Version 0.12.17:[/h3]

Headquarters

A set of eight new objectives has been added.
A set of three new achievements has been added.
A new global upgrade for the Attraction stat has been added (needs to be unlocked by solving the corresponding objective).
Leaderboards have been added for the new Bonus and Challenge mission types.
A new statistic item has been added, tracking the total number of collected Golden Skull Coins.
Collection Menu: Global upgrades are now also listed in the Collection menu and their unlock status is taken into account in the overall completion calculations.
Character Selection: Fixed an issue with Seraphina's special ability description; now displaying the correct hotkey.

New Relics

Backpack Reloader: Automatically reloads weapons stowed in your backpack while you're using another gun.
Damage Indicator: Shows you the origin of incoming attacks.

Interface

The in-game HUD now displays the remaining ammunition of all magazine-bound weapons as a horizontal bar above the respective inventory icon.
The complete reloading of a weapon is now visualized by a highlighting effect on the corresponding inventory symbol.
Changed order of menus; pause menu is now rendered above fade screens.
On the result screen, you can now choose between returning to the Headquarters or restarting the mission (by popular demand).

New Missions

A new (optional) bonus mission based on the familiar Graveyard map has been added. Uncover the secret of the cathedral and find out what sinister schemes are going on inside! This mission is also the first to make use of a new internal feature which allows us to dynamically increase the size of the play area during a running session.
A set of two short (optional) Challenge Missions has been added. This new mission type offers special gameplay objectives and requires you to complete the job as quickly as possible. Face the challenge and break all records! By the way, the record hunt is not a requirement: You can of course play the missions at your own pace.
To access the new missions, you first need to collect Golden Skull Coins. Explore the regular Main Mission maps and keep your eyes and ears open to find out how to get hold of these shiny artefacts!

Spells

Aura of Repulsion: Those Cultists are getting on your back too much? With this new spell you can quickly get yourself some room to breathe!
Ring of Blessing: It's always good to have a little extra HP up your sleeve. With this new spell, you can create your very own healing area.
Caltrops: Spike the ground at your feet with painful caltrops and deliver your enemies a lethal bleed.
Devil's Trap: Fixed an issues with Duration stat being not applied correctly to the lifetime of the pentagram area.

Options

Accessibility Menu: Added ‘Upright Billboards’ option. With this option enabled (default), billboard sprites are now always rendered upright, significantly increasing aiming accuracy and eliminating the discrepancy between an enemy's hitbox and their rendered sprite that occurred when viewed from a steep angle. Disable this option to return to classic rendering, where enemy sprites will be fully rotated towards the camera (but bear in mind that this will affect accuracy for technical reasons).

Enemies

The Gluttonous Reaver has learned a new trick: Standing in its vomit stream will now briefly impair your vision.
A new boss enemy has been added: The hulking Pumpkin Menace is lurking for unwary survivors.
Chaos Creatures now drop Treasure Chests when defeated.
Sacrifice and Skeleton Sentinel now drop more XP.
Damage areas created by the Inquisitor are now removed when completing a mission.

Audio

Mixed and mastered tracks: Suspense (boss level background music), Boss Intro and Theme, Forest-mission background music.
Added new music for Challenge missions.
Revised the voice line/audio commentary system, increased minimum cooldown between common commentary lines.
Added new voice line audios and event triggers for all characters; new triggers are: good/bad luck, defeat larger enemy/boss enemy, damage taken, headshot, pick up health with low HP, pick up item, collect money, collect XP.

Miscellaneous

Fixed an issue where certain weapons (i.e. AK-47) would automatically fire a shot after reloading.
Made sure that existing temporary data from a previous session is now completely wiped when starting a new game with an empty savegame slot.
Fixed rare issue where gameplay continued in the background while a Treasure Chest event was running.
Fixed rare issue where Treasure Chest/Slot Machine event and Level Up event were active at the same time; the Level Up event now waits for the Treasure Chest to finish.
Fixed several lighting issues.
Reworked the Intensity Manager; this internal system now measures the current stress level in a more reliable way and adjusts the background music intensity accordingly.
Added icons for level-up screen fallback options (Health, Money).
Removed the Auto-Shooting info screen during the startup sequence for the Early Access version.
Implemented several performance improvements.
Fixed several smaller issues.

🔥 In the Midst of Bloodshed: #1 Breathing Life into the Gang of Survivors!

Greetings, folks!

As we work on the upcoming Early Access updates for Bloodshed, we'd also like to tell you more about how the game came to be. And that's what we are kicking off today with the making-of update series 'In the Midst of Bloodshed'.

In Bloodshed, you can expect a diverse array of unique characters, each entering the fray with their own strengths and weaknesses. Although you’ll control these characters from a first-person perspective and won’t see them directly in the game, it’s important to us to breathe life into them through individual character portraits.

The character selection screen in Bloodshed

The character development process is both exciting and multifaceted. Initially, we focus heavily on gameplay: How should the character feel? What makes them unique compared to others? What stats and special abilities do they bring to the table, and what weapons or spells do they wield in battle? Once we have established a functional foundation and are satisfied with the gameplay, we turn our attention to their appearance and backstory.

Ideally, we already have a rough idea of the character traits that will influence the design. To create more diversity, we develop different archetypes, which we then refine until a clear picture of the character emerges.

Character fact sheet and moodboard from our development wiki

A crucial tool in this process is our character profile. This contains standardized information that describes both the visual design and the personality of the character. We determine which stereotypes apply to them, which notable quotes best express their nature, and what their proportions and physique look like. Finally, we create a short biography or backstory that fully encapsulates the character.

Another important element is our mood board, which consists of a variety of images that align with our visual vision. Armed with all this information, we approach our talented character artist, who produces the first sketches of the character. These are often still in black and white but already contain a lot of detail.

Character line art, colorization with basic colors blocked in & the final artwork of Jared, our ruthless gunslinger

After refining the details, we move on to the initial coloring phase, where we establish the basic color palette. In this stage, we also define materials and lighting effects to bring the character to life. Once everything feels right, the final artwork is completed and integrated into the game.

We hope you enjoy discovering and experimenting with the heroes of Bloodshed. Stay tuned for more issues of 'In the Midst of Bloodshed' providing you more insights into our development process!

See you next time!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2747550/Bloodshed/

Let's sneak into the upcoming Bloodshed Early Access update! 👀

Greetings, friends!

We know many of you have been wondering what we are working on at the moment. With this news post we want to shed some light on this. Okay, off we go!

Upcoming Update

Some of you have reported that you are having problems targeting enemies. Headshots in particular were often difficult to place. This is due to the fact that we initially decided to go for a billboard approach in terms of rendering: This means that the enemy sprites are rotated on all axes towards the camera. This technique is particularly authentic, as we are aiming for the typical look of 90s shooters. Unfortunately, it has the disadvantage that, for technical reasons, only the graphics of the enemies are rotated, but not their collision boxes, which causes the aforementioned problems whenever you are not facing an enemy in a straight line.

To counteract this, we have now decided to change the rendering to ‘upright billboards’ - this way, all enemy sprites are standing upright and thus correspond to their hitboxes at all times, which should massively increase your aiming accuracy - headshots are no longer a problem! However, if you're a fan of the old look, you can deactivate this option at your own discretion, but you will have to accept certain inaccuracies in the hit behaviour.

To improve the overall user experience, we have made some minor tweaks and improvements to the UI. Among other things, the loading status of your weapons is now displayed in the UI. This small change allows you to see which weapons are ready for use at any time.

Two new relics will also be integrated into the game - here is a preview of their icons:

We will reveal the exact features behind them at a later date!

We've also added three new, short but challenging missions for this patch to tide you over while we work on brand new main missions. In one of these new missions, you can expect a variant of the familiar Graveyard map with tougher enemies and a special twist at the end. Unlike the main missions, this time it's not about surviving a predefined time, but about completing certain objectives as quickly as possible. We can't wait to see who will have the fastest time!

With the other two missions, we are introducing the new ‘Challenge’ mission type. These missions are clearly aimed at the speedrunners among you, as the aim here is to reach the goal in the shortest possible time and overcome numerous, varied obstacles along the way.

In addition to all these features, there are of course a bunch of new objectives allowing you to unlock some of the new features.

A lot has also been done on the audio side: new voice-lines have been implemented for all characters, which will be triggered on various occasions. New music has also been added for the challenge missions and the boss music and boss intro have been finalised and mastered.

Speaking of music, we have significantly and extensively refined one of our internal gameplay systems - the Intensity Manager. Thanks to a fairly complex calculation system, this system now measures the stress intensity at any point during a session. Based on this, the background music now adapts itself even more finely and the change between the three different intensity levels is therefore much better suited to the current gameplay.

In addition to all these features, we have of course also worked diligently on numerous other improvements and fixes that you have brought to our attention.

In addition to some urgently needed bug fixes, this of course also includes various performance improvements, because phew, sometimes over a hundred active enemies with complex pathfinding and behavior patterns, dozens of projectiles and effects, hundreds of active items, relatively detailed levels and, on top of that, our complex gameplay systems working relentlessly in the background admittedly demand a lot from your hardware (despite the retro look). As the analyses are very time-consuming and we already have our hands full with fixes and new content, we can unfortunately only work on these problems in small steps. We ask for your understanding that we cannot solve all problems immediately. However, we are planning further optimizations in the course of the next updates.

Outlook

We have realized that the weapon feature currently raises two big questions for many of you: Why should I ever change my main weapon? And why should I level up more than one weapon per run? We can understand these questions and are already working on several solutions that will hopefully benefit the weapon feature as a whole.

However, it is not yet certain whether we will be able to roll out these adjustments with this patch. We therefore ask for your understanding in this regard - but rest assured: your feedback is being taken seriously and we are already working on a solution.

A lot of stuff is already in the works for the upcoming patches too. There will be many brand new enemies, as well as new main missions, characters, weapons, spells, music, and much more. Parallel to the current patch, the team is currently working on this new content on all fronts and we are very excited to be able to present the first results to you soon!

As always, your feedback and thoughts are really appreciated! If you want to give us any feedback please do so in the comments, in the Steam Community Hub, or on our Discord channel. That would really help us a lot! ❤️

Stay tuned and happy shooting!
com8com1 Software & Headup

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2747550/Bloodshed/