Welcome back Star Knights!
I'm very excited to be able to share that the release date for the Blackstar Castle update is April 11th 2025. It's been a long way since the Early Access release so this announcement will be also go over all the new content and changes to expect with this update. While there have been a couple of minor updates in the past, this is the first major step outlined in the roadmap. A more detailed patch notes will come with the update's release.
Fight through a corrupted fortress
A new area, Blackstar castle, has been added with includes a new boss, new enemies, and new challenge levels. The enemies in this area follow different spawning and combat rules, adding extra variety to the run. Prepare to learn new attacks and face new foes as you traverse the old headquarters of the Order. The former Grandmaster of the Vortex awaits you...
A squadron of enemy fighters fly in formation
Master an improved arsenal
A new attachment class, Volatile, has been added. This class is built around critical hits, allowing for massive damage. 5 new attachments have been added, and a couple of previous attachments have had their alt paths changed to upgrade into Volatile attachments. Furthermore, almost every attachment has been changed or rebalanced in some way, from balance tweaks to complete mechanical overhauls.
A new Volatile attachment slings an asteroid at an enemy and scores a high damage critical hit
Overcome the power of an ancient force
The Void Crystal ascension system has been completely reworked. Through playtesting and feedback, one of the major issues that has come up is the lack of substantial difficulty increase as players progress through the Void Crystals. The drawbacks and buffs have been changed to curses and blessings, with further Void Crystals having more curses. While early crystals remain relatively unchanged, allowing for new players to ease into and learn the game, later crystals are now much harder, adding a challenge for even the best players.
Some of the reworked Void Crystals
Create powerful new builds
With this update comes a new ship, the Shortsword, and two new Crew Members, the Priest and Technician. Previous crew members have also been rebalanced or changed, with some gaining more unique abilities. The amount of relics has increased from 60 to 95 with 15 common, 15 rare, and 5 legendary relics added. These new additions allow for a wider range of build opportunities and new ways to play.
A handful of available relics
Enjoy a number of improvements
This update brings dozens of smaller improvements and additions, such as a third tier of attachment synergies, new music tracks, economy rebalances to make it easier to get more credits in later areas, rebalances to enemies and bosses (including new attacks), and more. Not to mention a host of bugfixes and optimizations to make playing a more fun and smooth experience.
A complete changelog will be released with the Blackstar Castle update on April 11th.