Seasonal Update "Heist": Full Change Log

Contents

Click a section in the list below to navigate to the corresponding article.

New Content

Season "Heist"

Special Operation "Heist"

In the new special operation, you’ll have to pull off a full-blown bank robbery and destroy data that mustn’t fall into the hands of General Lee Warton. A mission like this can only be handled by the most experienced mercenaries, which you will become at the request of Blackwood. "Heist" is a mission for two partners, who with the help of new cable mechanics, will move along the bank building, open three storage facilities with increasing levels of difficulty, while simultaneously fighting the police and special forces and, of course, immerse themselves in the atmosphere of a dynamic action-packed thriller. It's worth noting that the SED isn’t available in the new mission, this is due to the plot line depicted in the comics before the start of "Heist". The success of the mission will depend solely on your efforts and teamwork skills.

The finale of the story holds an unexpected plot twist and a reward system similar to the one used in "Swarm": a box with cards for the overall mission progress and its special version with even more cards for completing the operation as quick as possible. Using the awarded crafting cards, you can craft weapons from the new "The Big Score" series and the sniper rifle M4 Marksman Custom.

We have created a thematic set of achievements for the new special operation, which can be earned by completing "Heist".

M4 Marksman Custom

The model is a semi-automatic weapon that is capable of destroying the enemy with two impacts at any distance. It favourably compares to its closest competitors (the rifles H&K G28 and Cobalt Kinetics Twenty-Seven) thanks to an increased damage and better rate of fire offset by a less spacious magazine and more modest ammo. The arm comes equipped with 5 unique attachments: a flame suppressor, two handles, a collimator sight and a regular sight.

Click on the image to see weapon specs.

"The Big Score" Series

The looks of the models will remind you about the success of the mission - just look at the weapon frames and enjoy the detailed cutscene with the opening of the vault. In addition, the guns have gold inlays, which symbolize the bank's wealth and will appeal to those who like to shoot from eye-catching weapons. It has 6 main models: SAI GRY LMG, Winchester 1887, LWRC SMG-45, Bushmaster BA50, M4 Marksman Custom и M134-GAU19b Hybrid. 

"Heist" Map for Blitz

The battle on the new map for "Blitz" mode will unfold in locations inspired by the namesake Special Operation "Heist". The main field of battle is an elite bank located in a skyscraper. The rules remain the same: you have to find and defuse a bomb. However, the task is not as easy as it might seem - the enemies will do their best to derail the mission and detonate the charge.

You will be able to think through the tactics taking into account three main plans of action: launch an attack moving along the corridors of the bank; occupy a higher vantage point on the second floor gaining more opportunities to track the enemy's movements, but find yourselves in a more vulnerable position; or combine both approaches and deliver a blitzkrieg attack on all fronts.

By fighting on the new map you will be able to earn two unique packs of achievements — marks for wins and a badge for the first place.

Themed Safe House

We’ve updated the appearance of the Safe House. Now it's designed in the style of the special operation "Heist", with several training rooms, a large central hall and a technical corridor. The guards of the bank, which you will have to rob during the new special operation, are training in the Safe House. It is decorated with themed elements and looks pretty realistic. "Parkour" training is also updated. The location got new easter eggs, which reveal new details of the plot. Will you be able to find all of them?

Battle Pass "Heist"

The new Battle Pass season is exactly what you like: simple conditions, simple tasks and a bunch of cool rewards. The familiar mechanics of simple daily tasks, through which you can get up to 100% of progress, as well as heaps of excellent prizes for their completion! Among them are unique achievements, powerful guns, camouflages, a new set of equipment and skins, up to 1000 free cards, as well as a good deal of useful stuff.

Kalashnikov USA Komrad 12

A modified version of the semi-automatic rifle Saiga designed for the US market. The Kalashnikov USA Komrad 12 is an automatic shotgun boasting excellent specs. It favourably compares to its main competitors Uzkon UNG-12 and Typhoon F12 thanks to increased damage, great firing range and impressive hip fire accuracy, which are offset by an average rate of fire and modest ammo which will be still enough to deal with opponents. The arm comes equipped with 4 unique attachments: flame suppressor, a reflex sight and two handles. This weapon is one of the main rewards of the Battle Pass "Heist".

Click on the image to see weapon specs.

"Shapeshifter" Gear Set

"Shapeshifter" gear is equipment for hired robbers. It is essential for them to have good protection from bullets in shootouts with the police. 

The new outfits aim to create healthy competition for the existing armour (for example, the Blackwood set) and to diversify the options for possible equipment. This is achieved due to the balance of the "Shapeshifter" specs in comparison with other sets. Thus, the new gear has the best direct armour protection (more armour points for vests, and more damage absorption points for every shot); however, it is less appealing in all other respects since it features lower movement speed values, reduced number of secondary bonuses (for example, bonuses to recoil, spread and reload), and moderate health restoration, as well as a complete lack of armour replenishment.

With the new armour, Riflemen will have more opportunities to conduct effective firefight - to survive longer and gain precious seconds to complete the battle in their favour due to enhanced direct armour, the values of which are higher than those of other class-specific vests. This will add value to the Rifleman and make it a truly versatile class on the battlefield.

So, if you need good additional bonuses, movement speed, regeneration of health points and armour, as well as high, but not the best protection, the Blackwood set will do. While the "Shapeshifter" set will be an excellent pick that will provide the best efficiency in direct firefights due to its really strong armour and the highest damage absorption. This boost will increase the chances of survival - you will have more time to deal with the enemy.

Click on the images below to see new gear in more detail. 

Rifleman Shapeshifter Gear 

Medic Shapeshifter Gear

Engineer Shapeshifter Gear

Sniper Shapeshifter Gear

Shapeshifter Skins

The "Shapeshifter" skins are the outfit of robbers who hide their identities with frightening masks. They instill fear in any opponent and are available in 4 class-specific versions: the mask of a wolf, a bull, a monkey or a raven. The exclusive "Shapeshifter" appearances offer a unique boost - they increase the overall sprint distance by 60%. 

Shapeshifter Rifleman 

Shapeshifter Medic

Shapeshifter Engineer

Shapeshifter Sniper

"Heat" Weapon Series

The series includes both weapon models and camos for 15 arms, as well as a themed smoke grenade. The series features: AN-94 Abakan, Howa Type 89 Custom, H&K MG5 121, Benelli M4 Custom, Hunt Group MH12, Marlin 1894 Custom, PP-19-01 Vityaz, АМB-17, ACR CQB Custom, VKS, SV-98, M14 Crazy Horse, Ruger Mark IV Lite, S&W M&P R8 and Karambit. The weapon frames are decorated with explosives, banknotes and bright flames, which perfectly fit the overall style. The "Heat" series can be earned as a reward in the Battle Pass "Heist".

"Mechanical" Series

The "Mechanical" weapon series sports weapons and camos. It features 14 gun models, including the primary, secondary and melee arms: IWI Carmel, AK-12, HCAR Auto, Kalashnikov USA Komrad 12, Chiappa Triple Threat, Fostech Origin-12, M4 Custom, Gilboa Snake DBR, FN P90 Custom, M4 Marksman Custom, DVL-10 М2, AS50, Kel-Tec SUB2000, HX Outdoors Trident. The "Mechanical" series can be earned as a reward in the Battle Pass "Heist".

Weapon Charms "Heist"

The new charms will remind you of taking part in a sensational robbery and fleeing the police and special forces. Expand your collection, customize weapons and enjoy a fresh look of guns in battle!

Battle Pass Achievements

Participants of the Battle Pass will be able to gain unique achievements and decorate their profiles with them. Earn all the distinctions and showcase your vault hacking experience at the most secure bank!

Unseasonal Novelties

АK-15 Custom

The assault rifle is developed on the basis of the Russian assault rifle AK-12. It is considered a promising weapon with high combat effectiveness. Visually in the game, the model is modified by a number of attachments that give the weapon a unique appearance. The AK-15 Custom offers all the perks of its main competitors, but inflicts more damage due to its larger caliber. It also surpasses its counterparts in the rate of fire and hip fire accuracy. The arm comes equipped with 7 unique attachments: a silencer, a flash suppressor, three collimator sights and two handles providing for a wide variety of modules to be mounted on the gun depending on the fighting style of the weapon owner.  The golden version of the gun sports an increased rate of fire, as well as a more spacious magazine and greater ammo. 

The arm comes equipped with 7 unique attachments: a silencer, a flash suppressor, three collimator sights and two handles providing for a wide variety of modules to be mounted on the gun depending on the fighting style of the weapon owner. 

By landing killing blows with the new weapon, you'll get memorable distinctions.

"Lucky Rabbit" Series

The seasonal Ranked Matches weapon and camouflage series line-up has been replenished with a brand new one - the spring collection "Lucky Rabbit". This special line-up is designed for the best fighters, who can boast regular impressive victories and enjoy the overall excitement of the battle while eliminating competitors in the struggle for the highest leagues. 

Toy Hammer

Another prototype of the most lethal arm on the planet has been specially manufactured in the secret laboratories  - and now we are ready to present it. Don’t be fooled by its innocent toy-like design - this weapon has a huge destructive potential! All of your enemies will fear it, because you will be able to tarnish their reputation just like the well-known "Hype Zone" Spray. With this no joke murderous new weapon you will definitely have fun in April!

Colourful achievements will mark proud owners of the novelty! By delivering killing blows with this arm, you can earn two unique stripes.

Other

• The "Snow Leopard" camouflage for the Kalashnikov USA Komrad 12 was added to the seasonal winter Ranked Matches camouflage box and the Kalashnikov USA Komrad 12 "Snow Leopard" - into the crafting system.

Technical changes

Improving the situation with "freezes"

Technical problems with "freezes" have the utmost priority in our work. We direct a lot of resources to investigate the situation and find a solution. In the proccess of analyzing the problem, we found several reasons that might affect the appearance of "freezes". In this update, we have prepared a solution for part of the cases and have already implimented it into the game client. The rest of the changes are work in progress - we’ll tell you more about them in the future.

Please assess these changes and share your feedback in the comments - this will help us in the next stages of solving the issue. We’re continuing to investigate the situation, studying feedback and technical data. We will also be gradually implementing new solutions that can solve problems with "freezes".

Crouch/stand up command improvements

Improving the "bloody" effect upon impact

You may be familiar with this situation: there is an active shootout, you make a shot, you see blood on the opponent, but the game does not count the damage and in the next frame you’re dead. This is confusing - there was blood, but the damage was not counted. Why? The truth is that the  mechanics are not perfect  - the game client processes the information independently and compares it to the server, which leads to these misunderstandings. We want to improve the mechanics in this update. Below we explain how this used to happen before we implemented the changes.

1. First, you receive a fatal shot, but you don’t know this, because the game client has not yet got this information from the server.
2. Almost at the same time, with a delay of a few milliseconds, you shoot at the enemy (on your client's side). You see the shot on your screen, and the information which is about to be sent to the server for verification.
3. Next comes the step of confirmation (validation) of the shot from the server. At this stage, the server has already received information about your death, which happened a frame earlier, confirmed it and sent it to you.
4. A moment later the server has processed information about your shot, but rejected this event (since it happened later) and sent the corresponding data.
5. You sequentially saw two types of events:
   • the client's view of the events: the fact of your shot happening, it hitting the enemy (later, as it turns out, it being too late), the "bloody" effect on the opponent's body;
   • the server view of the events: the initial death of your character, hence the impossibility of receiving damage, the lack of the "damage cross" indicator when shooting at the enemy and then the death frame. The absence of the "cross" of damage is due to the fact that its display now depends on the server's information, and not the client,  like it used to be before improving mechanics in one of our previous updates. 
6. The exchange of information "from client to server to client" takes milliseconds, the same amount of time passes in-between these events. In short, all of the described steps occur so quickly that it may seem as if they are fixed at one point in time. However, this is not the case: there is a slight delay of a couple of milliseconds between the client's and the server's outcome. During this time, the client manages to display the result that was rejected by the server - this causes misunderstanding and frustration.

Now, the server will be responsible for the permission to draw the "bloody" effect upon impact like it happens with the "damage cross". In other words, "blood" and "damage cross" now reflect the actual fact of inflicting damage, validated by the server, and not the speculation of the game client before the server checks the shot.

In addition, we have improved the "bloody" effect for shotguns. Now every pellet will have its own effect - blood drops. In this way, you will be able to better understand which part of the pellets hit the enemy, and which missed the target. If all the pellets hit the enemy, the effect will be most obvious - there will be lots of blood, and if some of them missed the objective, each pellet will cause separate blood splashes.

In-game Improvements

Equipment Presets

Now the player can create and save up to three equipment sets (weapons, camos, skins, gear, additional ammunition, and weapon charms). There are special tabs in the Inventory. By switching between them, you will open the saved sets. The choice and configuration of equipment is no different from the usual actions.

Interface: In-game Chat Improvements

We've made a few minor tweaks to make the in-game chat more comfortable.

1. Now the number of unread messages is displayed only for private messages (red dot with a number). Unread messages for other channels will be highlighted with a red dot without numbers next to the text line.
2. Within a few seconds, up to three new messages with the channel tag are displayed above the closed chat area. Clicking on the "fading" chat will open a dialogue.

Other

• DirectX 11: improved game performance (via optimizing light source handling). The effect is more noticeable at low and high resolution settings.
• Sonus: the voice connection provider has added support for some multichannel headsets.
• Updated log-in streak gifts.
• Updated in-game texts and descriptions.

Bug Fixes

Important

• Fixed some causes of game client crashes.
• Fixed a bug due to which the installed achievements were not saved if at least one of the set elements (a badge, a mark or a stripe) was not selected and the slot remained empty.
• Fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the weapon pick was not saved if the player changed camouflages or charms on the arm.
• Sonus: fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the voice chat did not work or had an abnormal volume.

Weapons and gear

• F90 MBR, VSK: fixed a bug due to which the animation of weapon reloading could be missing in the third person view.
• Cobalt Kinetics Twenty-Seven "Pirate" and VSK "Chitin": fixed a bug due to which the weapons had an attachment to be instaled, which was absent in the regular version.
• Guerrilla Sniper: fixed a visual error due to which the textures of the suit on the shoulder were displayed incorrectly.
• "Gorgon" Squad, Elite "Gorgon" squad: fixed a bug due to which on the post-match statistics screen the hair of the model changed its color to black.

PvE

• "Pripyat":
  • fixed some visual artifacts in locations;
  • Act 1: fixed a bug due to which the player could get stuck in the textures of the fallen rack.
• "Sunrise" (Hard): fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the portable shield was not destroyed after taking damage from grenade launchers.
• "Black Shark": fixed an unintended advantage which prevented bots from attacking the player at a certain point.
• Mars (Act 1): eliminated an unintended advantage due to which the player could occupy an advantageous position between the rocks and attack the boss from the cover.
• "Blackwood" Operation: fixed a bug due to which a mine would explode twice if it was destroyed by a shot at the moment of its activation.

Other

• DirectX 9: Fixed a bug due to which the borderless mode did not occupy the entire desktop and did not overlap the taskbar.
• DirectX 11: fixed a visual error due to which the effect of light flares on optics was not visible.
• DirectX 11: fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, water in locations had visual artifacts.
• Interface: fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the button for extending weapons in the Inventory was not activated.
• Interface: fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the player could not activate camouflages on weapons in the Inventory.
• Fixed a visual error due to which unrealistic values were displayed on the reward timer after the completion of a special operation if the mission was started in a private room.
• Fixed a bug due to which the pose of the character in the Inventory changed if the player exited the Safe House using the Esc key while performing a slide.
• Fixed a bug due to which the player could see through the smoke cloud at specific graphics settings.
• Fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the game currency counter displayed incorrect values after restarting the game client.
• Fixed a bug due to which the pop-up window for choosing further vendor items to unlock was not displayed after the end of the match.
• Fixed a bug due to which the renewal dialogue window of the spent consumables was not displayed after completing a match in a private room.
• Fixed a bug due to which the user could not close the chat by clicking on any free space.
• Fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, item descriptions could be displayed in empty additional ammunition slots in the Inventory.
• Fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, the special "Smuggler’s Card" offer was displayed incorrectly.
• Fixed a bug due to which, in some cases, subtitles for comics with the Chinese localization might not fit into the text block.

Known Bugs

• "Mars": some bosses have no health bar.