Back to Basics Update

Hello Survivors!

Today we have some exciting news. A new game mode! We are introducing a Basic Mode for new players learning the game and for seasoned players who want more simplified gameplay. The mode will include shorter rounds, a smaller map, a simplified ruleset, and no additional roles.

For those who like to spice things up, we also added more to the custom game mode! Enjoy a wealth of choices for how you want to enjoy your Project Winter experience. Have less than 5 players, control escape vehicle capacities, timer limits, a larger range for the number of traitors in the game, and so much more!

[h3]NEW FEATURES & GENERAL CHANGES[/h3]
Basic Mode added! This is a new game mode designed to help first-time players ease into the main game mode or provide an alternative for veterans looking for a more fast-paced, streamlined game mode. It includes the following features:

• 15 minute rounds
  
• Smaller four-quadrant map
  
• Repair objectives only
  
• No additional roles (survivor and traitor only)
  
• Only blizzard global events
  
• No armory or truth serum lab
  
• Reduced pool of bonus objectives
  
• Reduced set of crafting recipes available
  
• Advanced items (combat stimulants, flares, etc.) no longer appear in crates
  

Custom Game changes:

• Minimum player limit for starting a match is now disabled for custom matches (players will not be eligible to earn points when playing with fewer than 5 or with no traitors)
  
• Minimum/maximum traitor sliders can now be set from 0 to 7, respectively (note these settings may be ignored to ensure one survivor is always present in the match)
  
• Game duration slider can now be set as low as 15 minutes
  
• Added new settings for disabling the truth serum lab or armory
  
• Added new setting for controlling whether berry bushes should respawn
  
• Added new settings for changing the traitor airdrop timers
  
• Added new setting for controlling escape vehicle capacity
  
• Added new setting to control whether power lines leading to second objective should be visible or not
  
• Custom game settings for the current match can now be viewed from the in-game ESC menu
  
• Hovering over the custom game icon in lobby browser will now only reveal settings that are changed (to make it easier to read)
  
• Updated various parts of the main menu play tab UI to go along with the addition of basic mode:
  
• Lobby browser now allows players to select a preferred game mode, which will display its description on the left and sort all lobbies of that type to the top of the browser window
  
• The host game and quick match buttons will now display a new game mode selection screen to specify which type of lobby you want to create or join
  
• The lobby screen design has been updated to be colour-coded based on the game mode of the lobby
  
• Removed option for Classic Mode on host game popup. This can still be played via a custom game with player roles disabled and all other settings left unchanged
  
• Locked lobby filter option in lobby browser now saves and persists between matches and subsequent launches of the game
  
• Added new cosmetic rarity colour for items purchased with artifacts, and improved cosmetic sorting to show newest items first for each rarity tier
  
• Improved UI for showing when escape vehicle has been sabotaged via the cabin radio
  
• Players speaking over the proximity voice channel will now have their indicators in the lower left fade based on their distance from your player
  
• Added crafting recipe item icons to tooltips of items that can be crafted or cooked
  
• Added additional messaging on the repair objectives UI to better inform new players of how to repair them
  
• Added new location indicators for most buildings and removed location indicators for environmental areas
  
• Mega blizzard notifications text updated to show timer and better indicate the mega blizzard is not immediately starting
  
• Updated visuals of tutorial page of game guide and removed video tutorial
  
• Added new message to the launch splash screens to emphasize that voice communication is recommended for playing the game
  
• Refreshed gameplay tips that appear on loading screen and reduced the time it takes for them to cycle
  
• Improved security for voice chat features
  

[h3]BALANCE CHANGES:[/h3]

• Increased radius of effect for hot springs activation and sabotage
  
• Increased number of seats removed from sabotaging the escape vehicle for lower survivor counts
  

[h3]BUG FIXES:[/h3]

• Fixed dying in areas where warmth changes at different rate (cabin, in water, etc.) continuing to apply if player is cloned later in the match
  
• Fixed issue where player’s items could darken and briefly becoming unusable if a ghost player disconnected under certain circumstances
  
• Fixed various areas where alternate keybinds weren’t being scaled for correctly on the UI
  
• Fixed various issues with controller navigation and button colours not being consistent with the rest of the UI
  
• Fixed solar flare audio not stopping if game ends while it’s triggering
  
• Fixed dragged player corpses being released too easily
  
• Fixed text elements not appearing on radial wheel when running at 4K resolution
  
• Fixed odd behavior of animals patrolling near steep slopes in the terrain (notably a bear near the canyon)
  
• Fixed host game popup being left on screen after an invite was accepted, if it was enabled
  
• Fixed menu screen becoming black if disconnection occurs during fade-out to playable tutorial
  
• Fixed investigate option showing on player corpses when roles are not enabled (as this provides no information unless there can be a detective present)
  
• Fixed points earned or lost for stealing resources from repair consoles awarding double the intended value
  
• Fixed players killed via bridge sabotage awarding points for survivors stopped in addition to survivors killed for the sabotaging traitor
  
• Fixed issue where player could be teleported into and trapped in a tree from solar flare event
  
• Fixed various map issues where players could get stuck in terrain or animals would behave improperly
  
• Fixed sabotaging cabin radio incrementing the “escapes called” stat
  
• Fixed issue where being downed while dragging a body was not releasing the body from being dragged for other clients
  
• Fixed cases where players could get stuck on a bridge that was repaired after a sabotage
  
• Fixed first-aid kits counting as crafted items rather than cooked items on stats page
  
• Fixed non-recyclable items not returning to correct colour when recycle mode is disabled
  
• Fixed traitors not receiving additional points for sabotaging an objective more than once
  
• [Blackout] Fixed issue where druid fire was too bright when player was near it as a ghost
  
• [Blackout] Fixed portal animation not resetting properly for players who’ve escaped and returned to the portal as a ghost
  

[h3]
Keep your feedback coming![/h3]

We are eager to see the new gameplay these changes will bring! As always, we are listening and we encourage everyone to leave feedback in our community Discord in the #suggestions channel.

Stay tuned for more updates in the future, and thank you for your continued support!