August Dev Notes - CAT#2
Hello, Vikings!
Thank you so much for your long wait, as well as the constant support and feedback you've shared with us even after the last test ended. Thanks to your enthusiasm, our dev team was able to gain extra energy to prepare for this upcoming test.
The 2nd Closed Alpha Test (CAT#2) that many of you have been waiting for will finally begin on September 1st!
We went through every valuable feedback you left, and the entire team has been constantly brainstorming and refining to present "a more immersive and seamless, thrilling combat."
Before opening the gates to the new battlefield, we would like to introduce the key changes applied to the current build step-by-step so you can enjoy this Alpha Test even more thoroughly.
In CAT#2, we focused most on the fun of creating a wider variety of builds and providing a seamless, immersive combat experience.
To this end, we expanded build choices by adding new Oparts as well as Set/Blessing-exclusive Oparts. Additionally, we improved the overall experience through a dungeon loop system overhaul and performance optimization so you can play longer and more comfortably.
⚙️Major Changes
Set Exclusive Oparts
During CAT#01, many of you shared that while combining Oparts was fun, you wished for a clearer sense of direction when building your loadouts. We completely agreed—we wanted players to experience the satisfaction of committing to a distinct concept and seeing it come to life, rather than just picking Oparts based purely on raw stats.
That’s why for CAT#02, we’re introducing Set Effect Oparts!
Collecting 2 or more Oparts from the same set will now trigger powerful additional synergy effects. Dive in and craft a concept build that’s truly your own, now sharper and more defined than ever!
For example, depending on how many pieces of the Madman Set you collect, you can unlock unique effects—such as increased Attack Speed at 2 pieces, or health recovery upon taking damage at 3 pieces. Collecting Set Oparts can often prove to be much more efficient than just gathering random individual ones!
Blessing Exclusive Oparts
We have prepared Blessing-Exclusive Oparts to clearly emphasize the unique personality of each Blessing and achieve build diversification. By utilizing exclusive Oparts that match your selected Blessing, you can feel the excitement of flexible strategies and crazy synergies.
In addition to the main changes introduced above, we have improved detail by detail so that you can naturally experience them during gameplay.
Based on the feedback sent by players and internal testing results, we repeatedly reviewed and modified systems, combat, weapon balance, NPC AI, and UI/UX.
Below, we would like to introduce the major changes applied to this CAT#02 by category.
⚙️System Changes
For CAT#2, we focused on making combat seamless and rewarding. We cut out elements that slow down the action so you get a real sense of achievement the further you push!
Overall Game Frame Rate Optimization
We’ve optimized frame rates so the game runs buttery-smooth, even during massive enemy spawns. This reduces battle fatigue and keeps you fully immersed from start to finish!
Dungeon Loop System
Clearing the final stage no longer means you have to reset and start from scratch.
The Loop System offers you the choice to continue your run by seamlessly looping back to the initial theme while carrying over your fully developed build. This allows you to push your limits even further and experience the true potential of your character combination in a continuously evolving challenge.
We built this feature for everyone asking: "How strong is this build I worked so hard to make?" Now, you can jump straight back into the action without the hassle of starting from scratch every single time! 
The difficulty levels have been condensed into 3 stages.
We’ve replaced the old 5-tier difficulty with a brand-new Difficulty Score system that scales with the Dungeon Loop!
Starting on a higher difficulty gives you a higher score right from the start. But don't worry—even if you begin on an easier level, your score will automatically rise as you push deeper into the dungeon, constantly challenging your limits!
Adjusted overall currency gain rates and Fafnir Bank currency costs/deposits
Currency drops are now standardized by monster tier! You'll earn a bit less early on, but way more in the late game.
We also revamped Fafnir Bank—it’s much cheaper to unlock early, and late-game storage got a huge buff!
Plus, a few small tweaks were made, including increasing shop ammo prices from 100 to 150.
⚔️Combat, Skill, and Stat Changes
This combat update focuses on two simple goals: making sure you always know how you died, and ensuring your build works the way you want it to. We removed unfair mechanics and cleaned up the combat so that skills, Oparts, and stats connect much better!
Elemental Resistance Logic Update
Previous: Trigger Chance − Resistance Chance
Updated: Trigger Chance × Resistance Chance
Changed the debuff for Tyr's Miracles from Increased Damage Taken to Decreased Movement Speed
Tyr previously took increased damage after using skills, which often led to frustrating and confusing sudden deaths.
Balanced Oparts that provide Damage Reduction and Healing
We stopped builds from making you immortal, but kept combat exciting. Building defensively should still feel rewarding and keep you on your toes
Cooldown Reduction effects now apply immediately
Oparts and buffs now instantly cut down time on skills that are already on cooldown
Status effects now trigger only once per shot
Hitting multiple status effects in one shot didn't actually give any extra damage—it just made the screen messy. We fixed this to keep your screen clean!
Added enemy penetration logic to Odin.
Added close-range (within 5m) penetration mechanism to the Odin, allowing shots to pierce through targets and hit enemies behind them.
Discharge status effect mechanics reworked
Before: Hitting a target with Discharge spawned extra projectiles.
Now: Hitting a Discharged target strikes the entire area around them with lightning!
🔫Ammo & Weapon Changes
Along with the new Oparts, we updated our ammo and weapon systems!
We gave every ammo and Opart a clearer job, so your gear choices will completely change how you fight. In every run, you can mix and match bullets, shells, and Oparts to make your perfect build!
Bullets can now hit enemies multiple times
Before, curved bullets only hit an enemy once even if they looked cool, which felt bad.
Now, bullets can hit the same enemy multiple times! This lets you create aggressive builds centered around trajectory and speed.
Added new shell types and adjusted their effects to be more distinct.
New shells are here! Every shell now has its own specialty. Now you can strategically pick the right shell that best fits your build and playstyle!
Odin & Tyr Weapon Design Redesign
Redesigned existing guns to better fit the Nordic theme.
Overall Oparts Balance & Effect Adjustments
We’ve adjusted Oparts effects to allow you to enjoy a wider variety of builds.
Opart Attachment Visual Renewal
Along with the updated weapon designs, Oparts attachment visuals have also been completely revamped.
Bullet duration now gradually decreases with each ricochet
Balanced ricochet builds so they don't feel too overpowered!
Added damage scaling with each penetration
To keep ricochet builds from overperforming, damage will now decrease with each penetration.
🗝️ Dungeon & Combat
We fixed map layouts so enemies don't get stuck, and added breakable items plus new gimmicks to give you more ways to fight!
We also made the "Curse of Greed" penalty less harsh and made area attack visuals much easier to see for a smoother gameplay experience! .
Dungeon Enemy Pathfinding Fix
Enemies will no longer get stuck! We fixed pathing bugs in all dungeons and cleaned up complex terrain so battles flow much better.
Destroying tomb objects now spawns projectiles that target enemies
Tombs aren't just in your way anymore! Destroying them now gives you strategic advantages you can use in battle. .
Adjusted stairs and elevation drops throughout Theme 0 for more natural movement
We smoothed out spots where your character would get stuck or feel clunky, making moving around feel way smoother and more responsive!
Pillar objects in Theme 1 are now destructible
Use the battlefield to your advantage! Break down cover mid-fight to open up clear sightlines and move around more freely.
Simplified the wooden platform structures in Theme 1
We cleaned up the tricky platform layouts, making it much easier to move around and see the terrain clearly!
"Curse of Greed" duration changed from the entire stage to 5 minutes upon triggering
The "Curse of Greed" will no longer haunt you for the whole stage! Its duration is now capped at 5 minutes once triggered.
Added a visual effect when hit by area attacks
Added a new hit effect for area attacks so you can instantly tell whenever you get hit!
👤NPC
We’ve updated NPC behavior to make fights feel much fairer and more realistic!
Enemies won't mindlessly swarm you all at once anymore, and NPC interactions are now much more intuitive.
Adjusted enemy sight and hearing settings
Enemies will no longer swarm you all at once! They’ll now only start chasing you once you get within a certain range.
Weak enemy NPCs can no longer attack each other
Weak enemies will no longer accidentally hit or damage each other!
Enemy NPCs no longer receive half damage from allied attacks
We removed this feature now that weak enemies don't hit or damage each other anymore!
📊UI & UX Changes
We’ve updated the UI & UX so you can check all the info you need during gameplay much faster and clearer!
We made stats, rewards, and gear info easier to read, and cut down extra inputs and animations for repeated runs. We also added FPS settings, camera shake toggles, and ultrawide support.
Hope these changes let you focus more on combat and building your character!
Added chest opening animation
You can now change your chest opening animation in Mimir's Mirror!
Revamped dungeon score reward system and result screen
Redesigned the result screen UI to be more intuitive so you can clearly view your dungeon exploration results and earned rewards.
Updated certain numerical units to be more intuitive
We refined display units for stats and other values that were hard to understand at a glance.
he ammo selection UI now defaults to the currently equipped ammo set
We updated UI responsiveness to make checking active loadouts more intuitive and to reduce unnecessary input steps.
Added FPS limit options in settings (30 / 60 FPS)
We added this option so you can adjust performance settings to best fit your setup!
Added an option to disable camera shake when firing
Added for players seeking precise combat feedback and visual stability.
[Altar of Grace] Added skill descriptions to the Miracle UI
Skill details can now be viewed directly on the Miracle screen in addition to the Grace Info menu.
Added an option to skip boss cutscenes
First encounters are epic, but rewatching cutscenes on every run can get tedious—so we added a skip option to keep your gameplay smooth!
Added numerical display for health recovery amounts
We updated health recovery displays so you can easily see exactly how much HP you gain when healing!
Added ultrawide resolution support
These are the major changes we've prepared for CAT#2. While our development team has worked day and night to build these systems, the final piece to completing the game is always your feedback. We hope you enjoy the revamped dungeon loop and have fun experimenting with your own Oparts builds!
"This feels awesome!" or "This is a bit clunky"—we want to hear it all! Head over to our survey or Discord to drop your honest feedback. We take every comment to heart and will keep grinding to make an amazing game for you!
With combative love,
-Team THECOVE