Release Notes

This is the biggest interface update Arcane Rift has had so far. Every menu in the game was rebuilt with a new pixel frame, the reward screen was redesigned from scratch, and the party now starts its journey in a brand new place: the Rift Guild hub. On top of that, each of the four heroes gained a personal passive that triggers the moment they step onto the battlefield, so swapping characters mid fight is now a real tactical play instead of just a repositioning move.

The Rift Guild Hub

- A new starting place. Runs no longer begin at a plain character selection screen. You now arrive at the Rift Guild hub, walk up to each station and prepare your venture from there.
- Everything in one screen. Manage your party, choose your starting items, and spend crystals on Mana Core upgrades without leaving the hub.
- Party status at a glance. Each member of your current party is shown with their portrait and condition, so you can see who you are taking with you before committing.
- Venture summary. Before heading out, a summary shows your party and your starting items so you can double check your setup.
- New story cutscenes. A Rift Guild intro cutscene now sets up the world and your role in it, and a second scene connects Drakar's defeat to Ariel and Aria's arrival in Olivewood.

New Interface Look

This still is a WIP, so expect more changes coming there.

- New frame across the whole game. Battle menus, action and skill selection, notifications, inventory, party management, save slots, the merchant, the campsite, the map menus, and the tutorial panels all share a new pixel frame and a consistent look.
- Battle HUD refresh. Action and skill panels, the actor status panels, and the on screen notifications were redrawn to fit the new frame and to leave the battlefield less cluttered.
- Hundreds of new icons. Weapons, armor, accessories, potions, skill scrolls, and every character skill received dedicated art. Item lists are now readable at a glance instead of relying on names alone.
- In game language selection. You can now switch between English and Portuguese from the settings panel, and your choice is remembered between sessions.

## Reward Selection Rework

The post battle reward screen was rebuilt to give you the information you actually need before choosing.

- Item type and value are shown. Each option now displays what kind of item it is and what it is worth, so you can judge an offer without opening a submenu.
- Keyword tooltips. Terms that appear in skill and item descriptions now have their own explanation panel. Highlighting an option shows you exactly what its keywords mean.
- Clearer attribute changes. Stat increases and decreases now use distinct highlighting, so you can immediately tell whether a piece of equipment is an upgrade for that character.
- New rarity colors. The rarity palette was reworked so common, rare, and higher tier items read apart at a glance.
- Only eligible characters can be picked. When a reward can only go to certain party members, the ones who cannot use it are no longer selectable, which removes a common source of wasted picks.

Entry Passives and Swapping

Every playable character now has a passive that fires when they enter the battlefield, whether they start the fight or are swapped in. Swapping costs that character's turn, so these passives are what make the trade worth it.

- Aria, Provoking Entrance. On entering the battlefield, she draws enemy attacks until the end of the round. Bringing her in is now a way to protect a wounded ally, not just a body swap.
- Orien, Healing Presence. On entering the battlefield, active allies recover 15% of their maximum HP. Rotating him in doubles as party wide healing.
- Ariel, Mana Flow. On entering the battlefield, active allies recover 20% of their maximum MP. Cycling her through the front line keeps your casters able to keep casting.
- Tristan, Covering Fire. On entering the battlefield, he performs a free basic attack. Swapping him in still gets you damage on the board that turn.

Each passive announces itself with its own notification and effect, and every character sheet now lists their passive so you can plan rotations before the fight starts.

Battle Quality of Life

- Fast forward. Hold the button to run the whole fight at double speed, animations and effects included. Useful for repeat encounters.
- Current character outline. The character currently acting is now marked with a sprite outline, so you never lose track of whose turn it is.
- Party status on the level map. Olivewood and Lorran's Mines now show your party's HP and MP directly on the level map, and the panel updates live as those values change.

Audio and Effects

- New themes for the Rift Guild hub, for Aria, and for the Silver Hand shop.
- A new Mana Core explosion animation with dedicated sound, used in the Rift Guild intro.
- Post battle music transitions were smoothed out.
- Power Boost now also triggers a rage effect, and a temporary Wind Step effect was added.

## Bug Fixes

- Fixed the outline lingering incorrectly on death and while Power Boost was active.
- Fixed the mana recovery notification for Ariel's passive.
- Fixed untranslated text in item selection and in the reward screen title.
- Fixed layout shifting in the Mana Core upgrade menu.
- Fixed a black screen that could happen during the Ruffian Ambush event.
- Giving up now correctly grants the gem reward.
- Battles now correctly check for victory after entry effects resolve.