HAWKEN REBORN News

For those of you who have been with us since we started Early Access in May of 2023, it should be no surprise that Hawken Reborn has had quite the journey, with many learnings and uphill battles to overcome. From a name synonymous with PVP, to an Early Access moniker that still came with high expectations, Hawken Reborn went live with the intent of developing a Hawken formula for all types of players to enjoy in a tumultuous videogame industry.

Over a year later, we learned a ton about what can work with a Hawken game and what doesn't, based on the mountain of feedback received. While it was great to hear from players as the game was still baking and making major design improvements like the current iteration of Patrol Mode, it's clear to us that we need to make even more significant changes to the game to make a more noticeable dent in this seemingly insurmountable hillclimb. This means that we will be pausing further development on Hawken Reborn in its current iteration.

The game will still continue to be available to play on Steam indefinitely to give players a sense of what a modern version of Hawken can be, but we’ll be going dark until we’re able to release a new version of a Hawken game that can face the headwinds that comes with a franchise of this stature. Until then, THANK YOU to the passionate community who has voiced their feedback and cheered us on during this turbulent time. It was a fun adventure and we look forward to hopping back into the pilot seat again in the future!

Regards,
Hawken Reborn Team

[h2]GENERAL[/h2]

• Enforcers have been rebalanced so that solo players have a better chance of destroying them.
  
• The Raptor Enforcer has been added back into the game.
  
• At TL 60, there is a chance to spawn either the Raptor or the Guerilla Enforcer. See updated Codex picture in-game for details.
  
• There is now an option in the Settings Menu to disable notifications across the front end.
  

[h2]COMPONENTS[/h2]
[h3]Ferrox Mech[/h3]

• Rebalanced to be stronger across the board to meet its Hero Component status.
  
• HULL HP and Shield values have been increased.
  
• The Ferrox recoil MOD tree attribute has been replaced with Maximum Shield Strength.
  

[h3]Centurion Mech[/h3]

• Fixed a bug where the Centurion mech’s textures were glitching when you swapped bays or front end screens.
  
• Removed the Centurion VFX due to issues found when playing in First person.
  

[h3]Cliffhanger Thurster[/h3]

• Lowered the brightness of the thruster VFX which was causing issues for players in third person view.
  

[h2]BUGS[/h2]

• The player TL no longer changes incorrectly if players join during a short period as the session is loading.
  
• The player TL can be zero in a multiplier session.
  
• Fixed a bug where textures were not showing correctly for the Cliffhanger Thruster.
  
• Fixed a bug with the Minigun where if players modded a non TL attribute, the weapon could not achieve a TL of 76.
  
• Fixed a bug where the MMAL’s SFX could be heard all over the game world.
  
• Fixed a bug where doors and gates would appear open whilst leaving the collision in a ‘closed’ state for players who joined after an engagement that contained doors or gates spawned into the world.
  
• Fixed a hole found in the game world geometry in Zone A.
  
• Closed off access to the Korolev Pass area as it is not ready for exploration.
  

Multiplayer Coop takes a major leap forward in Hawken Reborn Update 0.5 as we turn up the heat with a new Player Vs Player Vs Environment (PVPVE) game mode! Along with this exciting new mode, you can expect to see some new mechs and fight your way through our updated Enforcer mini boss system for exclusive rewards only available to skilled pilots brave enough to challenge their presence.

[h2]Player Vs Player Vs Environment (PVPVE)[/h2]

With the current set of multiplayer co-op improvements from our last update, another layer of combat has been implemented to give players another way to explore Illal, only this time, you’ll risk destruction in the hands of other pilots with PVPVE.

This new mode will allow for two sets of 3-pilot-teams to dog fight their way across Illal as each team vies for valuable resources. Along with farming resources from enemy mechs, fallen PVP foes will also drop loot so be sure to stand your ground if you ever find yourself getting shot at by another pilot. Weapons in PVPVE also hit a little differently too due to balancing requirements so be sure to let us know how the game feels in this first iteration of this new mode.

[h2]THE FRACTURE ZONE[/h2]
The gates have been breached from the Refuge and players can now take the fight over to the all new Fracture Zone which features the fiery wreckage of a crashed ship. Across these lands you’ll also come across 30+ new enemy encounters to test your mech loadouts in this hostile zone.

[h2]MECHS[/h2]
[h3]Ferrox (Vex Type)[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Like most of the mechs currently available in Hawken Reborn, players of the original Hawken may recognize our Ferrox mech as a Technician Light mech. As with its predecessor, the new Ferrox jumps into battle as a tough adversary to dispatch with its higher hull health and nimble maneuvering skills.

[h3]Centurion (Bulwark Type)[/h3]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
With its unknown origins and equally mysterious appearance of tubes and heavy armor plating, the latest heavy hitter to enter Hawken Reborn is an original mech, the Centurion. This Heavy Bulkwalk mech not only boasts increased survivability with higher shields and mobility, but is also a prized item that can only be crafted by skilled pilots willing to take down our Enforcers for loot specific to this mech.


A new Centurion Enforcer has been added during the Patrol sessions so be sure to set your sights on this mini boss if they come knocking at your door.

[h2]NEW BULWARK GEAR[/h2]
Speaking of increased mobility with the Centurion, Bulwark Type mechs are getting a few pieces of kit that will give their pilots a little more versatility in battle instead of slowly lumbering around the map.

[h3]Cliffhanger Thruster[/h3]

Take Bulwark mechs to the skies with the brand new Cliffhanger thruster and turn your bulletsponge mech into a much more maneuverable floating fortress.

[h2]Garwood Minigun[/h2]

Bulwarks are known for being able to handle the heat in the midst of battle with their strong shields, but now they’ll be able to dish out some extra heat against opponents with sustained fire from the high capacity Garwood minigun.

Those are the main features that you can expect to see with this release! With combat evolving into a new PVPVE mode and an increased arsenal at your disposal, Update 0.5 is an exciting step forward for Hawken Reborn. We’ve seen what players can do against our enemy AI and now that enemy combatants include other players, we’re excited to see how much piloting skills players are able to flex against each other. This update is also one that will require a lot of rebalancing since it represents an all new playing field for our development efforts so please be sure to join our Discord Server and share your feedback!

[h2]GENERAL[/h2]

• Player nameplates have been improved, including improving the clarity of text on the nameplates.
  If a component is equipped in another mech bay then it will no longer be present in other bays to be equipped/unequipped.
  
• A Notification system has been implemented to draw attention and guide to newly crafted/unlocked components and if components are eligible for upgrading.
  
• New tooltips have been added for new player mech and weapon progression requirements.
  
• The player will now become invulnerable when they are connected to an MTP and have selected 'Return to Hangar'.
  

[h2]FEATURES[/h2]
[h3]PvPvE[/h3]

• PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Enemy) game mode has been added to Hawken:Reborn.
  
• 2 teams of 3 players are now able to join a session if PvPvE is enabled when creating lobbies.
  
• New radar icons have been added to distinguish between the 2 PvPvE teams.
  
• New radar functionality has been added to PvPvE allowing players of the opposing team to be pinged on the radar whilst they’re firing, whilst not firing they’ll be hidden from the opposing team’s radar.
  
• Weapons have been rebalanced exclusively to a PvPvE session; normal values are retained for use in PvE.
  
• Players on the opposing team will now drop loot when they’re destroyed.
  
• Radio Missions will now alternate between both teams in PvPvE.
  
• Team B will now start at either Wyndham Moores or The Fracture MTP when playing PvPvE.
  
• Loot caches in PvPvE mode now only give the loot to the team members of the player that opened or destroyed the loot cache.
  
• A new Codex screen has been added for PvPvE mode.
  
• New tool tips have been added for PvPvE mode.
  
• A new screen following the Patrol end screen has been added for PvPvE showing a summary of player highlights of the session.
  

[h2]GAMEPLAY[/h2]
Centurion

• The Centurion platform has been added to the game.
  

The Centurion is a new platform with unknown origins, boasting high shields and increased mobility in the line up of our Bulwark Platforms.

• The Centurion is a new Bulwark-type mech.
  
• Has its own new modification tree.
  

Ferrox

• The Ferrox platform has been added to the game.
  

The Ferrox is a returning platform as part of the Prosk family. Where its shield lacks it makes up with higher hull values compared to its Vex counterparts.

• The Ferrox is a new Vex-type mech
  
• Has its own new modification tree.
  

Garwood

• The Garwood Minigun has been added to the game.
  

The Garwood is a new weapon designed for Bulwark platforms, with the highest magazine size currently in Hawken:Reborn it’s made to fire for extended periods of time.

• The Garwood is a Bulwark-type mech weapon.
  
• Has its own new modification tree.
  

Enforcers

• A new Enforcer has been added for the higher difficulty levels – using the new Centurion loadout.
  
• Enforcer loot pools have been updated for the Knee-breaker, Centurion and The Guerrilla.
  

The Fracture
The Fracture is the aftermath of a downed ship which decimated the area that controls the water flow of Valkyrie Landing upon its crash landing. In the wake of the destruction, The Fracture became a warzone for the factions trying to stake claim over the cargo onboard.

• The Fracture has been unlocked as a new zone for both PvE and PvPvE game modes.
  
• 30+ encounters are present within The Fracture for fighting and looting.
  

[h2]Player Components[/h2]

• New Codex screens have been added to explain progression requirements for the new mech platforms and new weapon.
  
• Added the 3 new components to the store rotation.
  

[h2]BUG FIXES[/h2]

• Unit banter has been fixed to play during specific AI events.
  
• Locked lobbies no longer show up in lobby lists when searching for parties.
• Fixed an issue where the ‘Transfer Loot’ button at an MTP would sometimes disable itself under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Player mech would float in the air if they were killed whilst flying.
  
• Game Mode selection will no longer reset when creating a party.
  
• Fixed an issue with UI Widgets that prevented them from storing the current state because they thought they were read only.
  
• The Component XP Button will now refresh after you upgrade the component.
  
• Fixed an issue where if you fail to locate a lobby to join you didn’t automatically create your own lobby.
  

[h2]General[/h2]

• Armour plates that were implemented as part of our new Crit Points system can now be individually targeted and shot off the enemy mech leaving an exposed area that deals first shield, then HULL damage when targeted.
  
• ‘New player’ default camera view is now the 3rd person CENTRE view.
  
• Added option for players to select DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 when starting the game.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Disabled the Transfer Items options when connecting to a player portal if no loot has been collected.
  
• Same faction NPC’s that are locally placed, but from separate encounters will now turn hostile alongside their faction soldiers.
  
• ‘Breadcrumb’ waypoint icons will now ‘complete’ for all players, not just the lobby leader.
  
• Failing to locate a lobby to join will now automatically create your own lobby.