Wild Assault Dev Log #23: Balance, Matchmaking & Netcode Updates
1. The Dev Log is Back!
As promised, starting this Friday, we’ll continue sharing updates and staying connected with you through the Wild Assault Dev Log!
Combat Cat Studio is committed to Wild Assault's long-term development, with ongoing content updates and gameplay optimizations. During this challenging process, we truly need honest feedback from our Wild Ones. Staying closely connected with you all is exactly why we’re bringing back the Dev Log.
Following the discussions around our first balance patch on April 28, this week's Dev Log will give you a behind-the-scenes look at our weapon and Valiant balance adjustments. We'll also address your questions about matchmaking, network issues and share updates on our current development progress.
2. Weapon Balacing Logic
It’s important to understand that balancing is a massive and complex task. Adjustments involve numerous factors, including Valiant base stats, movement capabilities, abilities, talents, weapons available to each class, and attachment settings.
To minimize negative impacts on gameplay, we approach balance changes with extreme caution. Before implementing our first major balance update, we gathered player feedback through surveys. The final adjustments were determined by analyzing both player responses and backend data.
Below is an overview of our approach to the first weapon balance update:
(1m ≈ 3.28 ft)
[h2]2.1 NK Assault Rifle: Adjusting Mid-to-Long Range Dominance for Tactical Balance[/h2]
In previous versions, the NK rifle dominated mid-to-long-range engagements due to its minimal bullet spread and highly stable recoil. Backend data showed that the NK had an overwhelming lead in kill efficiency and pick rate beyond 50 meters, which led to stale tactical choices, while other rifles like the M4 and AUG saw lower usage.
We believe the NK’s core strengths should lie in close-to-mid-range burst damage and handling feedback. To reinforce this, we’ve increased its overall bullet spread, making sustained fire less accurate. This change isn’t a direct nerf to the NK’s power but rather encourages players to control their firing patterns more precisely:
- Burst fire remains stable for controlled shots.
- Full-auto spraying now requires stronger recoil control to compensate for the wider spread.
[h2]2.2 Shotguns: Limiting One-Shot Kill Range, Enhancing Tactical Depth[/h2]
Shotgun adjustments were a key focus in this balance update. Data showed that shotguns had an 85%+ one-shot kill rate within 15 meters, with an average engagement distance of just 7.2 meters. This "point-blank dominance" led to players over relying on shotguns in close-quarters combat, severely limiting the viability of other weapons.
To restore diversity in close-range engagements, we reduced the effective range of shotguns and slightly decreased pellet density. This means players must now more carefully control engagement distances, while opponents gain a better chance to counterattack. For example, if a shotgun user fails to land critical hits at close range, enemies now have a higher chance to fight back with SMGs or pistols.
We intentionally preserved the shotgun’s one-shot kill potential within 10 meters to maintain its role as the "king of close-quarters combat." Testing shows that after these changes, shotgun win rates dropped by 8%, but their interactive counterplay with other weapons improved significantly.
The goal is to encourage smarter positioning and timing when using shotguns, rather than relying solely on range advantage.
[h2]2.3 Weapon Adjustments Based on a "Weapon Ecosystem" Rethink[/h2]
This round of weapon balancing was guided by a data-driven analysis of multiple factors, including kill distance, headshot rate, and other key metrics to ensure all changes are well-supported. Our primary focus was sharpening role differentiation between weapons to create a more complementary tactical system, while also raising skill ceilings to reward player mastery and prevent extreme power imbalances. These adjustments aim to promote strategic variety and maintain fair, competitive gameplay.
Moving forward, weapon tuning will remain an ongoing process. These adjustments aren’t just about design philosophy, they’re also influenced by unforeseen issues (e.g., bugs or unintended interactions). Your feedback is critical. When we spot widespread player reports or abnormal backend data, we’ll act quickly to refine the experience.
For example, yesterday’s patch addressed the M88 silencer attachment’s overpowered state, a design oversight we initially missed. We deeply appreciate players who provided detailed data, enabling us to deploy a swift fix.
Keep sharing your insights! Together, we’ll keep improving Wild Assault’s combat depth.
3. Valiant Balancing
[h2]3.1 Why Does Jack Keep Getting Nerfed?[/h2]
As mentioned earlier, our balancing philosophy follows a data-driven approach, and Jack’s adjustments were made under the same careful consideration. We analyzed both backend statistics and player feedback to determine the necessary changes.
Jack has always been a highly debated valiant, with opinions sharply divided on his strength. Key points of debate include: the difficulty and power of his sniper rifles, his tactical ability (Q) dealing damage through cover, his signature ability (E) providing wallhack vision, his ultimate ability (Z) being available too frequently, the effectiveness of his SMG loadout, and his stacking power in coordinated squads.
This round of adjustments aims to create a more balanced and enjoyable combat experience while addressing long-standing issues in Jack’s design.
As the first and currently only scout in the game, Jack was forced to fulfill the most traditional role of the class, providing battlefield intelligence for allies in his area. This necessitated a large-scale, long-range reconnaissance tool as his "core skill." However, this clashed with his animal theming as a wolf: A creature whose senses (like smell) work subtly and continuously, not in sudden bursts. To reconcile this, we initially gave him a wide-ranging, spammable scouting ability, a decision that, in hindsight, violated basic balancing principles. But since Jack had to be a wolf, we kept the mechanic as an experiment.
Unsurprisingly, this proved once again that cutting corners in design will always backfire when tested by players. This is a lesson we’ve now learned the hard way. Jack’s balance predictably collapsed, forcing us to prioritize healthier gameplay and realign him with his intended scout class. For now, this is a stopgap measure. Like all the Wild Ones, we want Jack to fight as a wolf, but his current "traditional scout" constraints hold him back. When more scouts join the roster, Jack will no longer need to "fill the role" and can finally embrace his true nature — a rebirth we look forward to.
[h2]3.2 Why Will Hongying Get a Smoke Mechanic?[/h2]
As a medic, Hongying is designed to serve the critical role of reviving teammates during intense combat. We recognize that performing revives carries significant risk, so providing reasonable cover felt like a natural solution.
Initially, Hongying’s design included this capability. However, to better emphasize her animal-inspired traits, we shifted focus toward agility and mobile revive gameplay — removing the cover ability and enhancing her mobility and revive mechanics to balance risk and reward.
During testing, we received consistent feedback regarding the medic role’s need for revive cover. After observing actual gameplay, we realized that the risks far outweighed the benefits, as mobility alone couldn’t fully compensate for the lack of cover during revives. This highlighted a need to better balance her role’s functionality with her animal-themed characteristics.
Due to tight development schedules, this adjustment wasn’t finalized in the current version. As mentioned earlier, we’ve added it to our future update plans.
4. Matchmaking
Since the Early Access launch, we've been continuously monitoring match quality, which fluctuates in real-time based on player population. During this period, we've made multiple adjustments to provide the best possible gameplay experience.
Wild Assault has a well-developed matchmaking system, but the final outcome depends on the number of available players at any given time.
Regarding matchmaking, we're aware of the major pain points:
- Low player population leading to uneven matches.
- Large skill gaps between teams.
- Solo players facing premade squads.
- New players matched against veterans.
- Back-to-back intense matches feeling exhausting.
Looking ahead, we'll also expand gameplay variety to deliver more diverse experiences for all players.
5. Netcode
Since Wild Assault is a globally launched game, network conditions vary across regions, leading to complex connectivity issues.
We’ve received feedback from players in certain areas, especially regarding high latency and unstable connections, and have prioritized these issues for immediate improvement. Currently, we’re actively collecting and analyzing network data to implement optimizations as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience! We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
6. Current Development Progress
Now that Wild Assault has entered a weekly update phase, many of you have expressed curiosity about our current development focus. Firstly, addressing critical issues remains our top priority. We are constantly working to reproduce, identify, and resolve problems based on your detailed feedback (thank you again!) At the same time, we’re also dedicating significant effort to new content development. Here are some exciting details we’d like to share:
- New Game Mode: A new game mode is coming in Season 1! Once the core functionality is ready, we plan to conduct small scale test runs. Stay tuned for updates!
- Season 2 New Map Update: Whitebox testing is finished, and we’re moving into detailed map design this week! We're refining the layout with more detailed designs for pathways, structures, and obstacles.
- New Valiant: Meet Crock... Soon! We’ve completed the modeling, 3C refinement, SFX design, and animations for this new Valiant. We hope you’ll love this fierce, relentless, and cold-blooded warrior when they arrive in Season 2!
- Achievement: As of May 8th, we’ve received 552 submissions for the Achievement System Design Survey. Your creativity sparked some bold new directions for our team! Many of these ideas are now being reimagined and brought to life by our artists. Thank you for the inspiration!
BTW, we’re planning to introduce a new female valiant in a future update! What animal would you like her to be? Share your ideas with us!
Survey: https://wjx.cn/vm/PmpuMaZ.aspx
Combat Cat Studio
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