Killsquad News

Yep, the Beta of our next update drops... today. Why? Because we love you. And because you made our Black Friday amazing, and because lots of people sent us love in the form of reviews (please keep them coming, they are invaluable for our visibility).

Killsquad is slowly evolving to the 10-ton-monster we always dreamt he would become. So it's time to give you guys some of our love back. Let's cut to the chase, we've got a game to play!

[h3]What's a Beta? Who are you? Why are you inside my computer?[/h3]
A Beta is the first release of our next update. We release it to do final testing and gather feedback. So enter if you like to enjoy the earliest version, but stay away if you'd prefer a fully tested, stable release. This version will be in Beta for the next 1-3 weeks, depending on the Bugs we find.

[h3]How do I join the Beta?[/h3]
Easy, join our Discord here, and join the #beta-instructions channel

[h3]But I hate Discord! How do I join Beta?[/h3]
Oh my god, you guys are so... Ok, here are some handy Beta instructions for you Discord-hating crowd:
Right click on Killsquad, and then:

Properties > Betas > Enter the next code m9XVbZvCRv3bwxeF > Check Code

[h3]But I don't own Killsquad! How do I join Beta?[/h3]
Buy Killsquad and support indies, please. Then join Beta. you'll make the world a better place!

[h3]Ok, I got it, how do I report bugs?[/h3]
Remember said Discord? Please report them pesky bugs at #beta-bug-report.

[h3]But remember I hate Discord! How do I report bugs?[/h3]
Grrrr... Ok, fine. Please email them to [email protected].

[h3]Gotcha. What's in the Beta?[/h3]
Oh, NOW we're talking. Enter our awesome Patch Notes, thanks to Jmen, our QA Lead!
Drum Roll Please!

[h2]Killsquad Xmas update 0.15.0.14 BETA[/h2]

PSA: Please remember that you won't be able to carry the progress you make in the beta to the public version.

Xmas' Update is around the corner and the beta is here! First and foremost.

Cass:

• Fixed the bug where players couldn't attack as Cass after using its Shuriken Skill.
  

This issue should have been fixed. If not, please let us know as soon as possible.

Xmas event and Quests:
Find Presents that are scattered around the planets and decorate your Main Lobby menu by completing the quests.

• Added Christmas-themed decorations in the lobby menu.
  
• Added Christmas gifts in Contracts.
  
• Added "A Very Lethal Christmas!" Quest. Completing this quest will give rewards and decorate the Lobby menu.
  
• Added 12 Quests for Veteran Contracts.
  
• Added 12 Hero Quests.
  

Talismans:

Find and gather Talisman fragments to complete one. You can equip these forbidden objects of the Unseen to level it and up to unlock its full potential and remove its negative status.

• Added Talismans in the game. These objects are permanent unlockable items that can be equipped and leveled up.
  
• Talismans fragments can be found in Colosseum Contracts or in Unseen chests in Contracts near Colosseum ones.
  
• Added 16 new Talismans.
  
• Added Colosseum Fragments.
  
• Added Contract Fragments.
  

UI:

Hero:

• Updated Hero's selection screen.
  
• Updated the equipment and stats region to make it more compact.
  

Inventory:

• Added Talisman tab in the Inventory. It appears once you find a Talisman.
  
• Added Talisman Equipment sections in the Inventory.
  
• Added quick switch between heroes in the Hero and Inventory screen, with the RMB, "Y" with the Xbox Controller and "△" with the DualShock Controller.
  
• Updated Skin's region to include Cosmetics.
  

Skills:

• Updated descriptions and icons on some Skills.
  

Cosmetics:
In this update, you will be able to add cosmetics in your Heroes. These are unlockable and permanent items.

• Character models have been prepared to be able to wear cosmetics.
  
• Added the first wave of Cosmetics, 36 in total. 4 of them being obtainable only during Christmas Quest events.
  
• Added body sections in the Skin section of Hero's selection screen: Head, Arms, Legs and Body.
  

More cosmetics and Body part ones will come in future updates.

Vanity Animations

By holding the "C" key, or pressing twice the L3 joystick with the controller, players will be able to cast an emote inside Contracts.

• Added 4 Emotes on each Hero.
  
• More will be added in future updates.
  

Colosseum:

Vectors will no longer matter in this arena, only your skill.

• Removed Vectors in Colosseum Contracts.
  
• In Recruit's Colosseum Contract, both enemies and players will have their Vector levels matched, regardless of its equipped items.
  
• In Spec Ops' Colosseum Contract, enemies will always be a step over you, with its Vector levels being slightly higher.
  
• Colosseum Contracts will always drop remaining Colosseum Fragments to complete a Talisman, but some will only appear in Recruit or Spec Ops.
  

General:

PSA: As discussed in our Player Survey, we have updated the least popular skill upgrades on each Hero. We encourage people to check and tryout their abilities.

• Added new animations on existing and new skill upgrades.
  
• Replaced Troy's "Focus" mechanic with "Luck of the Draw".
  
• Enemies will launch upwards in the air, instead of away from the player, with Kosmos' "Stomp" and Cass' "Dimensional Tear".
  
• Removed his buff damage passive every time he dodged. Instead, that extra damage is distributed to his other skill upgrades.
  
• Added Unseen Chests. These can give players Talisman fragments or Unseen Trinkets.
  
• Added Talisman EXP orbs. These can appear when you have a talisman equipped and level them up.
  
• Added Weather particle effects: Rain and Snow.
  
• Cass' Decay skill lasts 1 second longer.
  
• Added more translations in every supported language.
  
• Added Portuguese Community Translations. More to come in upcoming updates (Thanks a lot Mazter!).
  
• Added dmg buff % after a crit stat in Troy's "Cognita Finem", Cass' "King of Spades" and Zero's "Stinger".
  
• Removed the extra crit stat in Troy's "Cognita Finem", Cass' "King of Spades" and Zero's "Stinger".
  
• Fixed the issue where players would suddenly stop after skipping the dialogs by spamming the B or O button with the controllers.
  
• Fixed some emissive and vfx materials being too bright after Core Update's rendering changes.
  
• Fixed the bug where the upgrade "BETTER WEAPONS IN BLACK MARKET" could still appear in the gear "KORMOS-4994" (Thank you "Hissatsu").
  
• Fixed the bug where the "Upgrade Available F1" UI to show the text on its correct size in every supported language.
  
• Fixed the bug where the text at the rewards screen wouldn't appear on its correct size in every supported language.
  
• Fixed tutorial splash screens to appear on its correct size in every supported language.
  
• Updated localization files.
  

[I will expand these patch notes in upcoming updates. Apologies for any inconveniences (Jmen).]

[h3]What are we doing right now:[/h3]

• Updating the texts of all the available languages (Thank you for your Portuguese reports Mazter!).
  
• Bug fixing.
  
• Sleeping a bit.
  
• If your game crashes, a Crash reporter will appear. Please add the details of what you were doing at the time of the crash and send it to us. If you want to, feel free to contact us directly here at [email protected], with your "Saved" folder (C:\\Users\\%USERNAME%\\AppData\\Local\\Killsquad) attached.
  

Enjoy!

Hello guys!

Black Friday weekend is over, we hope you had fun!

Let me begin thanking all the new community members for their support. Sales have been rising since we released our last update, CORE, a month ago. Traffic has grown x4. It’s not huge, as many players prefer to wait until games come out of Early Access, but we’re happy to see a clear upward trend. 2020 has been a tough year for us all. But we are slowly beginning to reap the results of all the hard work.

With CORE we began a bold transformation: dropping systems that didn’t work, and adding new ones instead. We will continue doing this. Christmas will bring Talismans & cosmetics, and we have some big surprises lined up for early next year.

But the purpose of this article is honest, simple and direct: today, I want to ask you to consider posting a review of Killsquad, if you think we deserve one. Simple as that. Sometimes all you gotta do is ask. So this is us, asking.

Now, I wouldn’t waste your time if this wasn’t important. Here’s why reviews matter:

As many of you know, Steam’s review system allows games to get more visibility based on score. That’s a fantastic approach: rumour says reviews boost visibility up to 500%. We are already seeing some of that visibility boost: we are up some 10 review points in one month, and sales have indeed grown.

Then, why do I feel we need to remind you to post a review, if you think Killsquad deserves it?

First, a lot of us don’t remember to review games. We are having fun and just forget to do it. That’s why we ask you to think for a second: do you like what we are doing? Then a review really does help. Why? Because dissatisfied players, who didn’t like Killsquad, are very motivated to post a review and explain why they are dissatisfied. But players who liked it, often forget to do it. Of course some players hate Killsquad, there is nothing wrong with that, and we accept their reviews as “fair game”. They will post a negative review, and we take those on board as a way to make the game better. But the thousands of people who actually enjoyed Killsquad, and never took the time to say “hey, this game is fun” create an emptiness where we feel negative opinions are over-represented. So if you think the game is worth it, and want to support us, please do spend a minute reviewing it.

On top of that, Early Access games tend to be reviewed worse than full launches. It makes sense: rating an unfinished product is tricky. If I rate Diablo III, I ask myself: is this a good game? But if I rate an Early Access title, the question should be: “is this a game I want to support, so they keep developing it?” It’s quite different. And not everybody sees that. We get some negative reviews saying “the game has a lot of good things, but it’s not ready yet, so I am going to give it a negative review”. We respect that, but please be aware that is actually counter-productive. If you post a negative review, our visibility is lowered. And that game you thought had potential has less chances of success.

Third, Early Access games are dragged downwards by the first weeks of reviews: people who reviewed the game in its first days, and never took the time to revisit their review, and say “hey, the game has come a long way since then, I am going to change my initial review”. Look at No Man’s Sky, for example: it had a really tough start with reviewers, but today it’s an amazing achievement with millions of happy players and a thriving community.

And let’s not forget another key benefit of reviews: it’s an invaluable tool for us to gather feedback from the community. Yes, we read all of them, and many game features have arisen from comments by reviewers. Our CORE update, the new Ping system, lots of bug fixes… that all came from someone taking the time to post a review.

So, let’s look at our own data: we have sold +2500 copies in these last few weeks. But we got only 35 reviews. We wish we had more.

So, do you want to help Killsquad grow? Please consider posting a review. At the end of the day, our plan is dead simple: we’re just a team of game devs trying to do a great game. Which requires money to fund development. Money that comes from sales. Sales that come from visibility. Visibility generated by reviews.

Our goal is to keep working hard, deliver more killer updates, and see our community positively. We would like to reach a point where the game is in a solid “Mostly Positive” overall review state, and then come out of Early Access into full launch. We pledge to do our part, building up systems, features and content. But we can’t do this alone. Killsquad needs you.

We’ve said it a hundred times, and we’ll say it again: we will never give up. We will turn Killsquad into an amazing game. Thank you for always being there. And thank you for reading this.

Hello guys!

It's Black Friday, and our heroes inside the Killsquad universe have gone in a shopping spree! Do you want to see all the new cosmetics, coming to you in our Christmas update? Look no further than the video below, straight from the dev team!

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

All these cosmetics will drop as part of our Christmas update mid-December. But there's more:

- Talismans, which bring passive permanent perks to our heroes
- A new Colosseum mechanic to earn these Talismans
- Better balancing of all the existing skills and perks.
- A whole new soundtrack. Yes, the full game is getting new music.

Oh... and it's not only Black Friday for us, it's also Black Friday for you all! Go get Killquad 30% off, during our Steam Autumn event, from now til Monday.

Halloween is over and Xmas is getting closer! This update brings ping display in crowded contracts. Players will be able to judge their network experience in multiplayer without the need of joining in blindly.

[h3]General[/h3]

New Ping system
In the Contract selection screen, once you click a Contract with a player hosting / playing the game, the Ping will appear in the bottom right-corner of it.

• Added Ping to be displayed in the "Confirm Contract" selection screen. Ping numbers will be displayed in green, yellow and red as a recommendation for the multiplayer experience.
  
• Added Join priority between players hosting the same Contract. Clients will Join players with less lag and their pings will be displayed first.
  

[h3]Halloween Event[/h3]

• Reverted back the previous Lobby decorations now that the Halloween Event has ended.
  
• Restricted back Badges, Portraits, Halloween Skins and updated its descriptions.
  

[h3]What are we doing right now[/h3]

• Updating the texts of all the available languages (Thank you again for your Portuguese reports Mazter!).
  
• Revisiting Cass' Shuriken bug.
  
• December's Update.
  
• If your game crashes, a Crash reporter will appear. Please add the details of what you were doing at the time of the crash and send it to us. If you want to, feel free to contact us directly here at [email protected], with your "Saved" folder (C:\\Users\\%USERNAME%\\AppData\\Local\\Killsquad) attached.
  

Hello guys!

Today's dev diary is rather short, as we are working on a number of things that will surface in the next few weeks. Let's go!

Public vs. Private
As you will have noticed, private contracts are back, as we promised, just download the last update (from today) and you're good to go. We needed 2 weeks to do some R+D, that's done, so thank you for your patience. We'll be rolling out some changes based on this R+D, such as...

Ping!
We are working on a Hotfix, which will drop next week, which adds ping counters to all contracts. Here's an image of how this will look like:



Here's a zoom, so you can see it better:


So, before entering a contract, you'll know the quality of service you can expect, and only join if ping seems reasonable to you. These will be color coded (green/yellow/red) for easy scanning.

Talisman work
Last, but not least, our Xmas update is coming up nicely. Here's some work on Talismans, first, the Talisman Chest, where you'll find Talisman fragments:



And here are different UI elements of the Talismans, straight from the developer's hands:



So again, a small update as a lot of work this week goes into internal systems. Next week we kick off our marketing campaign, so we will be way more active on social media. We hope to see you there!

As today we are also dropping a Hotfix with the Public vs. Private, please read below the full patch notes:

[h3]Killsquad Hotfix update 0.14.13.7[/h3]
This Hotfix update includes the return of the Host: Private option, more to come in the upcoming updates. We've gathered enough feedback and we want to thank you for your support.

General:

· Added back the ability of hosting private servers. Thank you for your feedback.
· Reworked the finding sessions to display more consistently players hosting public games.
· Reworked the ping displayed in-game to be more accurate with the ping between players and the Host of the game.
· Removed the loud sparks sounds in the Lobby menu.

What are we doing right now:

· Adding a Ping displayer in the Contract Selection Screen.
· Updating the texts of all the available languages (Thank you for your Portuguese reports Mazter!).
· Revisiting Cass' Shuriken bug.
· December's Update.
· If your game crashes, a Crash reporter will appear. Please add the details of what you were doing at the time of the crash and send it to us. If you want to, feel free to contact us directly here at [email protected], with your "Saved" folder (C:\\Users\\%USERNAME%\\AppData\\Local\\Killsquad) attached.