Greetings, Space Marines. Librarian Husky here. The dev team has just released a massive update regarding future patches, and there’s a lot to go over. We’re talking about connectivity issues, AI bots, campaign adjustments for PVE balancing, weapon updates, quality of life improvements, and, of course, PVP changes. It’s a lot to unpack, so let’s get started from the top. Prepare for the latest intel, brothers!

Community Q&A and Engagement

This is the first of what will be a series of Q&A sessions with the community. The blog post opens with the words “Dear Space Marine players,” and announces the launch of a new platform focused on community engagement. Players have already been using it to provide feedback, and the developers are listening. Some of the ideas brought up by the community will be implemented, with year one’s plan already featuring several. Now, let’s take a deep dive into the key upcoming patches.

Connectivity Issues

A large number of players have reported issues related to servers, such as loss of saved progress or difficulty in connecting with friends. The development team is increasing server capacity to alleviate these issues and is dedicated to resolving them as quickly as possible.

AI Bots and Gameplay Challenges

AI bots have been a persistent problem for many players, especially in solo play, as they are often ineffective. The developers are fully aware of these concerns and are working to improve AI performance, making solo gameplay more enjoyable. They encourage players to keep sending in feedback, as more updates are on the horizon.

AI Bot Performance in Objectives

Bots tend to struggle with objectives and crucial situations, often being too passive. They were designed this way to ensure the player remains in the spotlight, but this has sometimes made them overly inactive. The next patch will improve bot behavior, especially in boss encounters during the campaign. Further adjustments to objective handling are being considered for future patches.

Veteran Difficulty Adjustments

Veteran difficulty has received criticism for being too hard in solo mode because of the lack of support from AI bots. To remedy this, the devs plan to adjust the difficulty slightly, making it more manageable without removing the challenge. Other difficulty settings will remain untouched for now.

PVE Class Balancing

One of the major concerns has been the balancing of the Assault class, with players pointing out that the jump pack doesn’t feel as versatile in PVE compared to the campaign. The team is collecting data to better understand how to improve this aspect in future updates.

Melee Weapon Mastery

The current system for melee weapons, specifically the blocking tray, has been criticized for hindering the potential for mastery by not offering a perfect parry window. Developers agree and have confirmed that changes to improve this system will be included in an upcoming patch.

Bolt Rifles and Weapon Balancing

The bolt rifle family has been underperforming, while the melta gun is considered overpowered. Developers discovered a bug allowing the melta gun to heal users above their contested health threshold, which they intend to fix in the next patch. As for general weapon balance, they note that some of the issues stem from enemies acting as bullet sponges rather than faults in the bolter weapons themselves.

Difficulty Tweaks and Enemy Health

Players have voiced concerns that enemies, especially on higher difficulties, take too many hits, making combat feel less fun. The devs are testing ways to tweak enemy health while maintaining a proper balance of challenge and engagement. These changes aim to make combat more satisfying without compromising difficulty.

Quality of Life Improvements

Players have requested the option to allow multiple of the same class in operations mode, as they find it frustrating to match with others who also want to play the same class. Although improving matchmaking is a priority, it’s a complex issue that will take time. Additionally, the team is considering expanding private lobbies to accommodate these requests.

Q&A Highlights and Player Behavior

One of the standout topics during this Q&A session was addressing toxic behavior, particularly when players are kicked by friends late in a game so someone else can gain XP. The developers agree this is unfair and plan to change how XP is awarded, ensuring it reflects each player’s actual involvement in the mission.

Saved Loadouts and Customization

Currently, saved loadouts do not include skill tree customization, which limits their usefulness. Unfortunately, developers have stated that this is not a high priority at the moment due to other pressing tasks, though it’s something they may revisit later.

PVP Matchmaking and Custom Lobbies

In PVP, players have requested the ability to queue as a squad of six. The devs are aware of this need and are working on adding custom PVP lobbies with more control over matches, such as adjusting frag limits or class restrictions. These changes are in progress, but a release date isn’t yet set.

Weapon and Class Balancing in PVP

Weapon and class balance in PVP is another area of concern. Players feel that shot grenades are overpowered, while the assault class seems underpowered in melee combat. The team is reviewing data and plans to make adjustments to create a more balanced and enjoyable PVP experience.

PVP Balancing and Overpowered Classes

In capture zones, some classes, like the work-heavy classes, are seen as too powerful. These classes deal too much damage while maintaining high durability. The devs are gathering data to get a better understanding of the overall balance before making changes. Melee adjustments, shot grenade tweaks, and rebalancing heavy classes in capture modes will likely happen in future content patches.

Team Balancing and Matchmaking

There have been ongoing issues with team imbalance across multiple matches, leading to unfair games. The developers acknowledge this problem and are considering implementing a system to shuffle teams after each round, ensuring better balance.

Spawn Locations and Protection

Spawn locations have also caused frustration, with players often being vulnerable to spawn kills. Developers plan to make changes to these locations and implement spawn protection to minimize unfair deaths, improving the overall gameplay experience.

Community Requests and New Features

One of the most upvoted community requests was for new lens colors. The developers confirmed that this feature will be included in the next major patch. Another popular request was for players to choose Chaos Space Marine Legions for each class, but lore restrictions prevent this. For example, a sniper can’t wear World Eater armor due to established lore.

Chaos Armor Customization Challenges

Chaos armor customization presents unique challenges due to the varying sizes and styles of the pieces, which often lead to clipping issues. Additionally, it’s important for players to quickly recognize enemy classes, so keeping visual clarity is crucial. While Chaos customization will be expanded, it won’t be as modular as Loyalist armor sets. The team is actively exploring ways to improve customization while maintaining these distinctions.

New Class Discussion

Many players have asked for new classes, and developers are actively discussing this. However, adding a new class involves significant production effort, including new animations and PVP variants. The community will be kept updated as this discussion progresses.

Armor Colors and Customization Updates

The developers plan to expand color customization, adding features such as customizable hand decals and face masks in upcoming patches. Fans of successor chapters will be happy to hear that all successor chapters will eventually be represented in the game.

New Melee Weapons

Players are eagerly awaiting new melee weapons, and the developers have hinted that they are working on this. Creating new weapons requires significant development time, including designing finisher animations, but it’s something they are committed to delivering in the future.

Marine Face Customization

The ability to customize your Marine’s face is coming, though it’s a feature that will take time to implement. The devs have confirmed that this level of personalization is on the way, which should please those looking for more character individuality.

PVP Crossplay and Custom Lobbies

Optimizing crossplay in PVP is still a topic under discussion. However, the introduction of custom PVP lobbies is seen as a major step toward resolving crossplay issues, providing players with more control over how matches are set up.

Thunderhawk and Battle Barge Customization

While the idea of customizing Thunderhawks and Battle Barges sounds exciting, it’s not something the developers are prioritizing right now. They are focusing their efforts on creating new maps, which the community has generally supported as a more pressing need.

Weapon Additions and Visual Progression

The P Blaster is confirmed to be coming to both PVE and PVP, though it will take some time due to considerations around visual and gameplay progression. The devs have promised to keep the community updated as they make progress on this front.

AI Squadmate Customization

Customization for AI squadmates is something that’s still being discussed. While it’s an exciting concept, it will require careful planning and development. The team is committed to exploring how this could be introduced in future patches.

FOV Slider and Shoulder Swap

The FOV slider has been a frequent request from the community. However, developers are hesitant to implement it because it could affect the game’s visual quality. Since the camera is designed to dynamically shift based on player actions, they are reluctant to compromise that cinematic experience. Still, they are exploring possible solutions.

Shoulder Swap and Melee Animations

Players have been asking for the ability to shoulder swap, but the devs explained that adding this feature would require a complete overhaul of melee animations. As the aesthetic design has melee weapons in the right hand and pistols in the left, they’ve decided not to implement shoulder swap, even though some players might be disappointed.

Class Restrictions on Cloaks and Tabards

Another community request was the removal of class restrictions on cloaks and tabards. However, the developers explained that these items are tied to class identity, allowing players to quickly identify roles in combat. For that reason, the restrictions will remain in place to maintain clarity in gameplay.

Gun Strikes and I-Frames

There has been some debate around the lack of invincibility frames (i-frames) on gun strikes. The devs intentionally left out i-frames, seeing gun strikes as a high-risk, high-reward action. They don’t plan to change this design choice, even if some players find it frustrating.

Future Q&A and Community Engagement

The developers wrapped up this Q&A session by expressing their hopes that it addressed some of the community’s most pressing questions. They encouraged players to stay connected on social media for updates and confirmed that more Q&A sessions will be held to continue addressing player concerns.