CBT 3 is just 2 days away and that means it’s time to unveil all the changes coming to Project ZETA in our biggest update to the game ever! Keep in mind that the nature of beta testing means everything is subject to change. Some of what you read here may be updated by the time the beta opens or even as the test goes on, so look to them as a reference rather than being anywhere close to final.
Also, while not expressly mentioned in the Patch Notes, The Aran Plateau in general has seen lots of visual changes to help players better understand at a glance where they are on the map. We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback on those and all of our CBT 3 changes!
Without further ado, let’s get into the Patch Notes!
Game Rule Changes
Aran Plateau Layout
The Aran Plateau has been overhauled for a more streamlined game experience. It is now split into 5 visually distinct sections to give better visual indication of where you are at. These sections are Sun, Star, Tree, Wind, and Moon.
In addition, all Ballasts have been removed except for the 3 in the center ring. The next few sections will go over Aran Mode’s new rules, win conditions, features, and more.
Aran Mode Victory Condition
We’ve shifted the overall scoring system away from a point total to focus on the number of Prisms captured. Your team’s rank is now determined by Prism Points. One Prism capture equals one Prism Point.
Aran Mode Early Recall
Teams who reach 4 Prism Points will be granted Early Recall. If two teams reach this threshold simultaneously, it will result in a tie for first place.
Prisms / Prism Points
Prisms can no longer be found out among the Aran Plateau and instead are captured by defeating Prism Bosses.
Teams earn Prism Points by capturing a Prism from a Prism Boss and returning it to a Ballast located in the center of the Aran Plateau.
A Hero holding a Prism can begin to take control of a nearby Ballast. Once control has reached 100%, the Prism can be Returned, scoring your team 1 Prism Point.
Prisms can be upgraded to Singularized Prisms (S-Prisms) by scoring 3 kills and/or assists while holding one. You will gain control of Ballasts faster while holding an S-Prism.
Prisms and S-Prisms both have a decay timer, and will disappear if not Returned to a Ballast fast enough.
Once your team has earned 2 Prism Points, S-Prisms become mandatory for additional scoring. Holding a common Prism at this point will help point you toward conflict.
Permanent and Temporary Buffs
There are a number of new buffs available to earn that range from temporary to permanent and can give your team a strong advantage over enemy teams.
Defeating a Prism Boss grants your team a permanent buff that can stack up to 3 times.
At max stacks, you’ll receive a Damage boost and Cooldown Reduction, along with an additional Damage Boost and Life Steal while your HP is low.
Defeating Mugante, the Alpha Monster, grants you a temporary buff.
Grants a Combat Haste and successful attacks apply damage-over-time stacks that tick for a percentage of the target's max HP.
Monster Camp Rewards
Like before, defeating monster camps will earn you XP and Shards. The further you go away from the starting zone and toward the center of the Aran Plateau, the higher rewards you receive from monsters.
Some Monster Camps include a Watcher and have higher rewards than average.
Elite Monsters, such as Moonhowl, grant massive Shard and XP rewards just like Prism Bosses do. They should be considered high-priority targets!
PvP Rewards
Kills and Assists
PvP is the core of the game and can earn you high amounts of Shards and XP as well.
The player who deals the final blow will receive Kill Credit and rewards.
Players who dealt damage leading up to the kill will receive Assist Credit and rewards.
PvP Bounty System
Players on a kill streak will become an increasingly valuable target to take down.
Reaching 3 kills without dying will place an initial Bounty on the player.
This Bounty starts at 50 Shards and can increase up to a maximum of 800 Shards.
Players who kill the Bounty Target will share the Bounty Reward.
Aran Mode Match Progression
Common Rules
5 Teams of 3 compete.
Matches now last 24 minutes, spread across 6 4-minute phases.
Alerts for the Prime Boss, Prism Bosses, and Alpha Monsters occur 2.5 minutes before they spawn.
Phases
At the start of each Phase, Monster Camps respawn and all players are temporarily revealed on the map. In addition, each phase has its own unique events.
Phase 1 | Barriers blocking certain pathways are removed 90 seconds into the match. |
Phase 2 | 3 Prism Bosses and 2 Alpha Monsters spawn. |
Phase 3 | 2 Prism Bosses, 2 Alpha Monsters, and 1 Elite Monster spawn. |
Phase 4 | 3 Prism Bosses and 2 Alpha Monsters spawn. |
Phase 5 | 2 Prism Bosses, 2 Alpha Monsters, and 1 Elite Monster spawn. |
Phase 6 | 1 Prime Boss, 3 Prism Bosses, and 2 Alpha Monsters spawn. |
Fast Travel
Traversing the Aran Plateau doesn’t have to be a slow ordeal. There are several different ways to get to your destination quicker.
Lifts transport you between the 3 layers of the Aran Plateau
Teleporters transport you to another Teleporter location of your choice. The teleporter in the middle of the map can reach any other teleporter, but cannot be teleported to.
Photon Streams allow you to quickly travel through the lanes between other Photon Stream locations.
Vision and Information
In general, your position on the map is hidden from enemy players. However, there are certain things that will show your position on the mini map to your enemies and their teammates.
Hero Vision
Hero vision determines what your hero can see and share with their team. It is calculated using two zones as shown in this image.
This means that the area around your hero and a long cone in the direction they are facing all contribute to shared vision among your teammates.
Some abilities, such as Laveck’s Ramspike and Piper’s Blooming Traps have been updated to grant additional vision.
You can also now cast abilities into brush to reveal enemies that may be hiding there.
Watcher Vision
Some enemy camps contain a new object called a Watcher.
Capturing a Watcher for your team grants you full vision of that entire sector and should be considered a powerful control tool.
The Watcher will remain under your control for 5 minutes or until an enemy team claims it for themselves.
Position Reveals
Some events during the game will grant temporary vision of enemy teams.
Phase Transitions temporarily reveal all players.
Prime Boss, Prism Boss, and Alpha Monsters reveal players who engage them.
Scoring a Prism Point grants temporary vision of enemies to your team only.
Standing near a Teleporter reveals your location to all players.
Lift Vision
There are several lifts around the Plateau that take you between layers of rings. While in a higher ring, you will be able to see what is below you before using the lift.
Warning Alerts
Throughout the game, you will be alerted to what is going on around the map. In some cases, such as player deaths, these alerts will be global to all players, while others will only get alerts if they are in adjacent sectors to the event.
Adjacent Sector Alerts:
Mechanism Use
Clearing Monster Camps
Defeating Prime or Prism Bosses
If your team has 2 or more Prism Points, you will begin to hear alerts from further away while holding a Common Prism.
Enemy Power Indicators (Nameplates)
The background color of an enemy’s nameplate will now change color along with their relative power. A red tint indicates that an enemy is stronger than you, while a blue tint marks a weaker opponent.
Tutorial
The Tutorial has been overhauled and will now better help new players learn the basics of the game. You will be placed in the tutorial immediately upon your first login and it can also be accessed again at any time through the “How to Play” button in the lobby.
Heroes
Two new heroes, Yufei Shen, and Yul & Sun-ha, have been added. In addition many heroes have seen their abilities modified and improved, so we’re listing all heroes and their skills here.
Vesper (Assassin)
The One Who Knocks - An Assassin who utilizes stealth to land precise attacks and eliminate enemies with massive burst damage.
Passive - Weakness Exploit
Deals bonus damage to enemies whose Health is below a certain percentage.
Ability 1 - Spinning Blade
Dashes a short distance, and then spins, dealing damage to targets within range.
Ability 2 - Swift Harvester
Charges forward, slashing all targets in her path, inflicting Slow.
Ability 3 - Shadow Vesper
Temporarily gains Stealth and Haste.
Ability 4 - Heretic Purge
Marks targets hit by Spinning Blade and Swift Harvester with a Heretic seal.
On cast, quickly dashes at a seal target and slices through it.
Shadow Vesper's cooldown is reset if it deals the final blow on an enemy.
Scaglione (Bruiser)
The Draconid Hunter - A powerful Hero who can endure through enemy attacks while persistently applying pressure.
Passive - Opportunist
Attacks apply an Exposed Weakness seal to targets.
Hitting a seal target with Gap Strike, Formation Collapse, Spinning Spear, or Final Breath decreases all ability cooldowns.
If a seal target is within Scaglione's range, moving toward the target grants her Haste.
Ability 1 - Gap Strike / Formation Collapse
Gap Strike: Stabs her spear forward. Enables Formation Collapse after 2 hits.
Formation Collapse: Charges forward with a spinning strike, dealing damage and inflicting Stun on all enemies in her path.
Ability 2 - Spinning Spear
Swings her spear in a flurry, dealing damage to nearby targets, and gaining a shield.
Gains a stronger shield for each enemy hero hit.
Ability 3 - Rush / Crushing Claws
Rush: After charging forward, grants herself Haste. While this ability is active, Basic Attacks enable Crushing Claws.
Crushing Claws: Charges a certain distance, dealing damage to targets on impact before retreating backward.
Ability 4 - Final Breath
Stomps the ground, dealing damage and inflicting Slow on targets within range.
She then channels energy into her spear and hurls it forward, dealing additional damage to targets within range.
Yufei Shen (Assassin)
The Boss Lady - A Hero who unleashes devastating damage through stylish ability combos and buildup.
Passive - Sharp Focus
Hitting enemies with an enhanced attack, Crossfire, Judgment / Execution, or Deadly Negotiation adds a stack of Sharp Focus.
At 4 stacks, Yufei inflicts additional damage.
Ability 1 - Crossfire
Fires crossing shots that explode at the point of intersection, dealing AoE damage.
Targets hit by Crossfire are inflicted with Slow, and targets hit by the point blast are Stunned.
Ability 2 - Judgment / Execution
Fires a special bullet while retreating, marking targets with Fate and revealing them.
Recast to dash to marked targets and deal additional damage.
Ability 3 - Deadly Negotiation
Fires in all directions while moving, hitting enemies.
Can be recast once within a short amount of time.
Ability 4 - Dragonheart
Unleashes dragon power to enter Stealth.
While in Stealth, Yufei gains 1 stack of Sharp Focus periodically, stacking up to 4.
Stores damage dealt while the ability is active. On recast, triggers all stored damage to the target.
Killing a target with the recast resets the cooldown of Dragonheart.
Laveck (Bruiser)
The Goat Keeper - A Hero specialized in area control and enemy lockdown.
Passive - Macho Man
Decreases the Defense of nearby monsters.
Has increased base Health Regen in the Momentum state.
Ability 1 - Slam
Laveck slams the ground with his hammer, dealing damage in the surrounding area.
This ability can also be used to destroy his Ramspikes.
Ability 2 - Ramspike
Plants down a Ramspike, dealing damage to enemies hit, and inflicting Slow.
The spike persists for a while, continuously inflicting Slow on enemies within range.
If destroyed by Slam or Rampage, the spike triggers a chain reaction and explodes, dealing bonus damage and inflicting Stun on targets within range.
Ability 3 - Anchoring
Hooks an anchor to a Ramspike, jumping to it and granting Damage Reduction to nearby allies.
Ability 4 - Rampage
Laveck leaps onto his goat, Brawler, and becomes Unstoppable, charging forward in the direction of the cursor.
Hitting a wall or target while moving forward deals damage to all targets within range, inflicts Airborne, and ends Rampage.
This ability can also be used to destroy your Ramspikes.
Senes (Bruiser)
The Iron Lady - A Hero who dives into enemy lines to disrupt formations with crowd control.
Passive - Iron Guard
Gains a shield when her Health drops to a certain amount.
Ability 1 - Seismic Upheaval
Channels her strength and slams the ground with a powerful strike, inflicting damage and Slow.
Damage increases depending on channel time.
Using after fully channeled inflicts Airborne on enemies within range along with damage.
Ability 2 - Condemn
Swings her weapon forward, dealing damage and inflicting Stun, then inflicts Slow and pulls them in.
Ability 3 - Vanguard
Temporarily gains Haste, and becomes Ghosted, allowing her to pass through allies and targets without collision.
Ability 4 - Trial of Valor
Jumps to a target location while Unstoppable, dealing AoE Damage upon landing.
Creates a barrier zone that applies Slow.
Enemies inside the barrier zone take increased damage, while Senes recovers Health.
Inho (Bruiser)
The Resonant Guardian - A powerful Hero who dives into the fray, sustaining with Life Steal while disrupting the battlefield.
Passive - Guardian of the Imperial Family
Gains Haste when enemies are in his sight.
Ability1 - Onslaught
Unleashes 3 quick strikes with his fists.
On ability hit, temporarily enhances Basic Attacks.
Ability 2 - Predator Strike
Leaps to the selected location, then slams the ground, dealing damage to targets within range and inflicting Slow.
Ability 3 - Bloodlust
After channeling, lets out a roar, dealing damage to targets within range and gaining Damage Increase.
Fully channeling the skill provides a longer and stronger buff.
Gains Damage Reduction while using the skill.
Inho’s Omni Life Steal increases on rank-up of this skill.
Ability 4 - Summary Execution
Inho goes for the throat, inflicting Suppress and slamming them to the ground, dealing damage and inflicting Bleed.
The slamming action causes a shockwave in the area, dealing bonus AoE damage.
Mori (Bruiser)
The Ronin - A Hero who deflects enemy attacks to create openings, cutting down targets with lethal strikes.
Passive - Flowing Steel
Attack Power also grants Cooldown Reduction.
Ability 1 - Earth Sunder
Slashes at enemies with force.
If enhanced by Afterimage, inflicts Stun.
Ability 2 - Crane's Flight
Quickly dashes and slashes at enemies.
Gains a shield on hit.
Ability 3 - Afterimage
Retreats, leaving an afterimage, and then dashes forward again.
If an enemy attacks the afterimage, Mori becomes enhanced, and the cooldown of Earth Sunder is reset.
Ability 4 - Voidbreaker Slash
Gathers Soulfire while Unstoppable, and delivers a powerful forward slash, cleaving enemies in its path.
On successful hit, Mori becomes Invincible and enemies are Immobilized.
Piper (Marksman)
The Sentinel of the Great Sacred Tree - A Marksman who maintains distance to stack marks before detonating them to deal massive damage.
Passive - Spirit Mark
Basic Attacks and Skybloom Barrage hits apply stacking Spirit Marks.
Landing Verdant Piercer on marked targets consumes all marks to deal bonus damage and reduce the Cooldown of Verdant Piercer.
Ability 1 - Verdant Piercer
Piper channels her aim, becoming Slowed.
Ability range increases based on channel time.
Fires a shot that pierces through all enemies in its path. Damage increases at full channel.
Ability 2 - Blooming Trap
Places a trap at a target location that lasts for a set duration.
The trap enters Stealth and triggers when an enemy touches it, applying Slow.
2 seconds after triggering, it explodes to deal damage and inflicts Stun on enemies in the area.
Ability 3 - Warden's Grace
Dashes quickly in a target direction, temporarily granting Haste and Attack Speed.
Ability 4 - Skybloom Barrage
Fires arrows into the sky to create a Skybloom Barrage at the target location.
Deals continuous damage and applies Slow to enemies in the area, applying one Spirit Mark every second.
Diad (Marksman)
The Lone Ranger - A Marksman who builds momentum to deliver powerful ranged attacks.
Passive - Lethal Momentum
Landing 2 Basic Attacks enhances Diad's next Basic Attack.
Hitting enemies with enhanced Basic Attacks from Explosive Round and Lethal Momentum grants bonus Attack Damage and Haste stacks.
Ability 1 - Explosive Round
Temporarily enhances Basic Attacks, causing them to deal AoE damage.
Ability 2 - Cluster Bomb
Fires a cluster bomb, dealing damage to enemies hit, knocking them back, and inflicting Slow.
Ability 3 - Tactical First Aid
Temporarily gains Health and Haste.
Ability 4 - Glitchbuster-6
Throws an explosive at a target location, dashes backward, then triggers the explosive.
The explosion deals initial damage in the target area, followed by a secondary explosion that deals bonus damage.
Makena (Mage)
The Priestess of the Purple Flame - A Mage who wears down enemies with Damage over Time effects before unleashing a burst of abilities to overwhelm them.
Passive - Infernal Echo
Damaging skills apply Burning Ember, dealing Damage over Time.
If a target dies while affected by Burning Ember, they explode, dealing AoE Damage to nearby enemies.
Ability 1 - Cinder Burst
Sends out a fireball that deals damage and Slows enemies.
If the target is affected by Burning Ember, Stuns them instead.
Ability 2 - Blazing Rupture
Creates a field of flames which explodes and Slows after a short duration.
Ability 3 - Cinder Gale
Deals damage to nearby enemies, and gains a shield.
Gains a larger shield, depending on the number of targets hit.
Ability 4 - Draconic Inferno
Unleashes a torrent of painful flames, dealing Damage over Time to targets within range.
At the end of the ability, sends out a burst of flames in front of her to deal additional damage.
Nimzy (Mage)
The Prankster - A Hero who dictates the flow of battle with versatile Crowd Control effects.
Passive - Twinkle Tag
Skill hits apply Twinkle Marks to enemies.
If an ally hits a marked target with an ability, the mark is consumed to deal bonus damage.
Ability 1 - Candy Comet
Fires a Star Candy that travels forward and then returns.
Deals damage on each hit and inflicts Slow.
Catching the returning Star Candy resets the skill's cooldown.
Ability 2 - Candy Storm!
Creates a storm of candy and sends it forward, dealing damage to enemies and inflicting Airborne.
Ability 3 - Zoom, Zoom!
Grants Haste and a shield to nearby allies.
Ability 4 - Trick or Treat!
Creates a magic zone in a target area, dealing damage to enemies inside while inflicting Polymorph and Slow.
Nimzy cannot move, and Polymorphed enemies cannot leave the magic zone.
Thorin (Bruiser)
The Romanticist - A Knight combining powerful force and defensive capabilities to disrupt and break enemy lines.
Passive - Iron Will
Gains Tenacity based on current Health.
Tenacity increases as Health decreases, reaching its maximum value when Health drops below a certain threshold.
Restores Health when affected by crowd control effects.
Ability 1 - Crosscut / Severance
Crosscut: Slashes forward with his sword.
Severance: Performs a greater secondary slash with his sword.
Ability 2 - Dawn Waltz
Gains Haste when moving toward enemies.
Gains an aura that deals continuous Damage to nearby enemies.
Successfully hitting enemies with the aura 4 times allows recasting the skill to swing his shield forward and Stun enemies.
Ability 3 - Vanguard Rush
Dashes forward, dealing damage to enemies in the path and knocking them back.
Recast to slam his shield down, dealing damage to enemies and inflicting Slow.
Ability 4 - Raging Tempest
Thorin raises his sword to deal damage and Slow enemies, before pulling them in.
He then gains a shield, which detonates after a short duration, dealing damage to nearby enemies.
Allies within the skill's area of effect gain Haste.
Yul & Sun-ha (Mage)
The Shamanic Duo - A Hero who controls the battlefield from a distance, switching forms at critical moments to take down enemies.
[Yul]
Passive - Shared Path
Can transform into Sun-ha by building Resentment.
Ability 1 - Spirit Snare
Throws a Sacred Rope to tether to a target, dealing damage and then Rooting them after a delay.
Ability 2 - Banishing Blade
Sends Sun-ha flying toward a target area, dealing damage to enemies in the path and increasing their Damage Taken.
Sun-ha temporarily remains in the area to attack alongside Yul. Successful attacks grant Attack Speed Increase to Yul.
If Yul is within range of Sun-ha, he can recast the ability to teleport to Sun-ha's location.
Ability 3 - Spirit Ward
Yul wraps himself in talismans to gain a shield.
Ability 4 - Serenity
Cleanses the soul and reduces Resentment.
Continuously recovers Health while the skill is active.
[Sun-ha]
Passive - Shared Path
Can transform back into Yul by lowering Resentment.
Upon death in Sun-ha form, she revives and automatically seeks out nearby Heroes to fight for a short duration before dying again. The player cannot control her during this frenzy.
Ability 1 - Spite
Fires vengeful energy that damages all targets in its path and marks them with Chill.
Ability 2 - Soul Rend
Sun-ha dashes forward, piercing enemies along her path.
Hitting a target marked with Chill resets the Cooldown.
Ability 3 - Tormented Wail
Sun-ha erupts with sorrow and rage, dealing damage to nearby enemies. Deals additional damage to targets marked with Chill.
Ability 4 - Final Embrace
Releases a surge of cursed energy, dealing Damage over Time and inflicting 1 stack of Darkness per hit.
Darkness converts to Fear if the final attack hits a target with max Darkness stacks.
Battle CODEXES
All CODEXES from CBT 2 have been reworked or replaced.
Leveling up a CODEX to Rank 2 and 4 grants it additional effects that greatly increases its power.
For the complete CODEX List including descriptions, please head to our comprehensive Patch Notes Article on our website
Known Issues
Visual Rework
We are in the process of reworking all heroes to align with the game’s updated visual style. In the meantime, there may be stylistic inconsistencies between old and updated character art.
The following heroes are currently scheduled for a rework:
Laveck
Diad
Piper
Vesper
Yul & Sun-ha
Yufei Shen
Training Grounds
On controller, the "Auto-reset cooldown" function shares the same key binding as "Jump." Consequently, jumping will toggle the Auto Reset function.
Other Issues
This list will be updated as testing continues, should any new issues be found.
If you made it this far...
As you can see, we’ve been hard at work adjusting the game based on your feedback and our findings from CBT 2. We can’t thank you enough for helping us shape the game thus far and we’re looking forward to hearing what you think of the latest version of Project ZETA.
Once the servers open up, get in and try everything out! Once you have, remember to fill out our CBT 3 feedback survey and give your opinion on what’s great and what still needs work!
And remember, Project ZETA is still very much in development, so expect there to be more changes based on your feedback in the future.
For now, study up on your favorite hero and get ready to storm the Aran Plateau once more, because CBT 3 starts soon!