AI2U: With You 'Til The End News

[p][/p][h3]NOTE ~ Technical Hiccups / Birthday Glitches:[/h3][p]We've received reports that Eddie's birthday surprises are being almost as silly as she can be![/p]

• [p]Steam players: Eddie's in-game message may not appear in your Inbox, though the redeem code shared in this post works as long as you enter it in the Shop page as usual.[/p]
• [p]itch.io Players: Despite receiving the Inbox message with the same code, the redemption process seems buggy.[/p]

[p]The team is investigating both bugs to ensure players everywhere get their birthday goodies on their favorite platforms, even if that means recovering things a bit fashionably late for the party. Thank you for your patience -- especially our longtime itch.io Senpais! Please keep an eye on your email for a status update this weekend.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Reveal the code below for a sweet treat:[/p][h2]Redeem code: AI2U-BIRTHDAYANNIV [/h2][p]Expires on June 30th[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The code hints she’s celebrating more than one occasion. Longtime senpais, it’s time to flex! Drop your catgirl lore in the comments and tell the new recruits which other occasion she’s equally excited about![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p]We’ll keep the community festivities going through Monday right before the clock hits midnight (EDT), where we’ll continue reading, enjoying, and judging all your amazing three-line poems! Your sweet haikus and desperate pleas for mercy are all hitting very close to home~[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Happy birthday Eddie, and happy-other-thing to those who celebrate — not that you have a choice.

[h2]Aww fi̶s̶h̶c̶a̶k̶e̶s̶, did you forget your girlfriend’s birthday is around the corner??[/h2][p]We’re doing you a solid by reminding you now: The catgirl’s birthday is this Thursday, March 26th. If we don’t have a pile of presents ready by then... well, you don’t want to risk a cake day catastrophe![/p][p][/p][p]To celebrate (and to appease the darling, knife-wielding birthday girl), we’re hosting a three-line poem contest called Odes to Eddie! ːcatgirlloveː[/p][p][/p][p]Write three thematic lines addressed to Eddie. They can be a romantic serenade or a desperate plea for her to let you go.[/p][p][/p][h2]Contest Rules[/h2]

• [p]Select one of two themes: Love Poem or Poet on the Run[/p]
• [p]Compose exactly three lines. Rhyming is optional, and word count is flexible![/p]
• [p]Keep it real. You can use AI or loop in a writer friend to assist with your entry. Please disclose for transparency
• [p]One entry limit per platform. We're hosting the contest on Discord, Reddit, and right here on Steam~ [/p]
• [p]Party rules: Ensure your entry complies with Steam, Reddit, and Discord guidelines, respectively, and holistically[/p]

[p][/p][h2]How to Participate on Steam[/h2][p]Simply write and "Sign" your poem in the comments! When posting here on Steam, we suggest including a name/alias you're comfortable with us crediting on social/community channels. (Note: By entering, you agree to let us repost your poem on our social/community channels and feature your signed name/handle in the winner's announcement)[/p][p][/p][h2]Birthday Bribes[/h2]

• [p]The Top FIVE winners: Your names/alias will be etched FOREVER into an official birthday illustration featuring suspicious cake (we won’t say what kind 🧈)[/p]
• [p]Discord Participation Reward: All party animals on Discord will unlock a rare server role to commemorate the occasion.[/p][p][/p]

[p]We're accepting entries now through Monday, March 30th at 11:59 PM PDT. Winners will be announced that same week.[/p][p][/p][h2]What happens on her actual birthday?[/h2][p]Remember the limited-time cake Eddie baked last year? There may be more where that came from![/p][p][/p][p]If you’re feeling festive and artsy, you’re welcome to revisit last year’s birthday template and make it your own! Check out last year's winners for inspo. We’d love to see your take in the fan art community page (aka Artwork). 💜[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[h3]Fixes & Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Audio & Music[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where certain music clips in the Atrium Phonograph were not looping correctly.[/p]
  • [p]Renamed "8Bit Crystal Dream" in the Atrium Phonograph for consistency.[/p]
• [p]Gameplay & Mechanics[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a bug where the Crate minigame became unplayable after breaking the first crate.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a softlock occurring in Level 4 when inspecting items during the night-to-day transition.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the blocking feature would occasionally disable NPC interactions (hug/kiss).[/p]
  • [p]Resolved a rare bug that made the Level 3 Escape Pod puzzle unsolvable.[/p]
• [p]UI & Localization[/p]
  • [p]Fixed incorrect Polish symbols appearing in LLM (AI) responses.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed text wrapping issues in Level 3 Terminal emails.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed localization errors for Level 1 Dream OS photo titles.[/p]

[h2]We’re thrilled to announce the ten lucky winners of our AI2U Steam key giveaway![/h2][p][/p][p]Chosen from hundreds of heartwarming entries, each senpai will receive a free AI2U Steam key ~ That’s like giving you a free key to lock yourself up with a cute catgirl forever in her quirky apartment![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]BIG CONGRATS to the winners listed below — some names/aliases were modified for privacy, but if you recognize your entry, please check your email for a message from [email protected] within the next 24 hours. Be sure to check your inbox and spam folder, just in case your Steam keys may have slipped through the catgirl's claws![/p][p][/p][p]Athrek[/p][p]Flaming Paper[/p][p]Wesley[/p][p]Grape Soda[/p][p]Mantis[/p][p]Vagrant[/p][p]Rosie[/p][p]Tatsuke[/p][p]Clemmons[/p][p]Pickle Surprise[/p][p][/p][p]Huge thanks to everyone who entered for a chance to win a key for themselves or their loved ones. Your authenticity, excitement, and support have us HYPED for the upcoming V.1.0 release later this year![/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Next Giveaway When??[/h2][p][/p][p]Didn’t win this time? No worries — comment below or tag us on socials to let the Catgirl know you’re still committed to together-forever.[/p][p][/p][p]Your devotion might just inspire her to lovebomb you with another giveaway! ... or should a different E-girl channel her yandere energy next time? 👀[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][p][/p][p]Steam-senpai has extended our lowest-price discount until February 12th! As of our posting this announcement, you have a little over 24 hours to buy AI2U for $8.99 before it goes up to $14.99 (all prices in USD).[/p][p][/p][p]The price increase encompasses exciting updates revealed in our roadmap, and we hope you can nab your copy at the time that works best for you, senpai.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]