Hey racers!
We’ve got a new Tidal Rush update rolling out, focused on stunt animation progress, HUD clarity, and a lot of under-the-hood systems work that sets us up for future features.
This update is more about foundations and iteration than flashy headline features – but you will feel the difference on the water.
Stunts & Character Animation
Stunts continue to evolve with major groundwork laid this update:
First iteration of stunt animations fully plugged in
Network fixes and cleanup for stunt transitions
Input buffering improvements (especially while steering)
Fixed edge cases like stunts triggering during crash landings
Character trick animations cleaned up and exported
Jump time prediction layers fixed
Still early, but this is a big step toward making stunts feel expressive and reliable.
HUD, Minimap & UI Improvements
We’ve started to work on an improved clarity and readability across the HUD:
Hazard indicators now show players behind you
Minimap now displays character head icons, sorted by race position
Map UI icons updated for missing pickups
Inventory UI tweaks (cleaner rendering, smoother spinning item boxes)
Updated track maps based on new concepts
Missiles aren’t shown on the hazard indicator yet — that’s coming later.
Weapons, Emotes & Feedback
Character emotes now trigger on:
Weapon hits
Taking first place
Shield VFX fixes
Fixed edge cases like:
Torpedoes hitting yourself right after spawn
Mega missiles tunneling through shields
Torpedo visuals updated with new wake trails
Camera, Controls & Feel
More camera tweaks (especially in tunnels and during resets)
Reduced camera flipping issues
Improved self-righting logic
Drift edge-case fixes (no drifting during crash landings)
Pickup collection logic tuned (including cooldown tweaks)
Tracks, Flow & Tools
Behind the scenes, a lot of work went into tools and track tech:
Continued progress on Polybrush-based flow painting
Flow data moved to UV channels (unlocking foam & depth painting)
Water shader vertex color features enabled
Flow calibration improvements
Multiple track rebakes (culling, flow, lighting, waterfalls)
Higher-resolution track prefabs and updated collisions
This work is largely invisible — but it’s critical for better water behavior and visuals going forward.
Audio, Networking & Stability
Engine sound tweaks based on audio feedback
LAN mode improvements and UI updates
Multiplayer nullref fixes
Stat tracking groundwork for challenges & unlocks
What’s Next
This update moves several core systems forward:
Stunts
HUD clarity
Long-term progression
As always, your feedback helps shape where we focus next — especially on camera behavior, and stunt responsiveness.
Thanks for riding with us!
– Your Shiny Team