Meat Lab 5 2025-05-19.a

We're monitoring the game feedback, bug report channels, and general chat for areas of improvement as we continue to balance and flesh out these systems. Here's some updates for tonight @Playtest News

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• Breakable armor pieces (and the Butcher’s legs) can now get hit by all weapon types.
  
• Ringo waits a little longer for smoke to clear after spawning before starting to move.
  
• Made some changes to aim assist which should allow it to help, but at a lower level of effectiveness, while in the recovery phase of weapon recoil. Previously, it would remain inactive until recoil was entirely recovered.
  
• Increase Duration of Sentience Buff 10s → 30s
  

[h3]Adjust Carl's Hunter Protection Quests[/h3]

• Combine Hunter Protection 1.2 into Hunter Protection 1.1
  
• Increase Hunter Delay on Hunter Protection 1.1 60s → 120s
  
• Remove Hunter Protection 1.2
  
• Increase Hunter Arrival Time 150s → 180s on Hunter Protection 1.1
  

[h3]Adjust Rewards for Carl Quests[/h3]

• Adjusted Carl Rewards to grant a percent increase instead of a flat amount
  
• Ancient Meat Knowledge – Now grants +5% Meat Ability Damage
  
• Fish Meat Knowledge – Now grants +5% Meat Ability Damage
  
• Rock Meat Knowledge – Now grants +5% Meat Ability Damage
  
• Franken Felled – Now grants +10% Permanent Health
  
• Spiral Spine 1.1 – Now grants +5% Head, Torso, and Leg Meat Durability
  
• Spiral Spine 1.2 – Now grants +5% Head, Torso, and Leg Meat Durability
  
• Toily Tumbled – Now grants +10% Permanent Health
  
• Mutation Terminal – Now discovers @ Employee Rank 2
  
• Artifact Terminal – Now discovers @ Employee Rank 3
  

[h2]Enemies[/h2]

• The hunters now play awesome animations to go back home when you complete a prime directive while they are present
  

[h3]Hunter Balance Changes[/h3]

• Scale Ringo & Starr’s Health +2% per 10 seconds spawned
  
• Reduce Starr's Sprinting Melee Attack Damage 100 → 50
  
• Reduce Starr's Melee Attack Damage 100 → 25
  
• Reduce Ringo's Health 2000 → 1800
  
• Reduce Ringo's Grasp Attack Damage 40 → 30
  
• Increase Starr's Incapacitation Time 15s → 30s
  
• Increase Ringo's Incapacitation Time 30s → 60s
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug if Ringo had been channeling her grasp attack on the player while despawning the debuff would persist until the player died
  
• Fixed VFX and SFX bug with Starr’s healing ability; the visuals and sounds now loop for the entire 30 second state
  
• Fixed whack a mole event being uncompletable if the leg ability slot was mutated. Thanks for the reports @s1toast
• Fixed some bugs where some VFX tied to the Mutant Tag Team bosses were not rendering properly on clients
  
• Fixed pathing bug where Hunters couldn’t reach spawn position in Tibbler’s Run
  
• Fixed pothole in Tangus town, sorry Rebecca!