This update cuts measured idle combat render work from about 38 ms to 8 ms per frame, repairs controller actions and focus across the full run, improves major game screens, and makes many cards and rewards work as described.
New Content
- Operator selection is now presented as a pirate broadcast, with clearer focus and a stronger launch sequence.
Performance, Interface, and Quality Improvements
- Measured idle combat render work fell from about 38 ms to 8 ms per frame, a 4.4× reduction. We also removed repeated controller-map rebuilds that caused 100–150 ms interface tasks during pointer movement.
- Store cards now align with the painted wells, separators, and card recesses across the full shop layout.
- Recovery and salvage cards now align with their scanner sockets.
- The title edition text now has stronger edge contrast and clearer letter shapes.
- The game frame has more depth, and the operator footer has a clearer action hierarchy.
- The Chief Visibility Officer HUD now aligns with its VERIFIED interface art.
- Enemy effect popovers no longer overlap each other and now fit their combat layout.
- Boss Chrome rewards now have more distinct effects, so each trophy can change a run in a different way.
- Payload cards explain their detonation result more clearly, and Chrome shop details remain visible when you need them.
- The About screen now has a reliable Discord community link with a clearer action label.
Card Balance and Gameplay Changes
- [CyberMaster] Reading the Room: Cost 0 → 1. Draw 2/4 → 2/3. Your next two cards this turn now count as on-beat.
- [El Money] Mythic: Rarity 2 → 3. Cost 1 → 2. Prizes are now Mythic or better.
- [Tinkerer] Incubate: Payload 3/4 → 5/6. Firewall 8/11 → 6/8.
- [Tinkerer] Port Nick: Damage 7/12 → 3/5. Payload 4/5 → 8/10.
- [CyberMaster] Work the Crowd: Damage 6/8 → 4/6. Draw 1/2 → 2/3.
- [El Money] Clip Farmer Badge+: Your first BOOST each turn gains one extra tier.
- [GG] Low Sweep: Damage 7/9 → 4/6. Apply 1/2 Throttled.
- [GG] Razor String: Cost 0 → 1. Now draws one card.
- [Keeper] Five-Move Vow: Instead of drawing six cards at once, draw 2/3 cards at the start of each turn.
- [Tinkerer] Airgap Tap: Now hits all enemies for 3/4 damage and applies 2/3 Payload.
- [Tinkerer] Dark Launch: Payload 10/12 → 10/14. Shuffles one extra Glitch into your deck.
Bug Fixes
- Controller focus now reaches stims correctly, and moving down from a stim now targets the enemy area.
- Combat, the run top rail, the deck viewer, and Keeper actions now use reliable Steam Deck navigation targets.
- Operator selection now follows the visible two-dimensional layout instead of jumping through a hidden list order.
- Card selection in shops and upgrades now follows the visible card grid.
- The post-combat mastery screen can now continue with the controller A button.
- The shop selection reticle now stays on items that can actually be selected.
- Act 2 route selection now starts on a valid choice and confirms with the A button.
- Victory screen controls now follow the visible two-by-two action grid.
- Card rewards, treasure, starting Chrome, deck viewing, combat, and defeat screens now use natural directional exits and focus movement.
- Controller focus now appears only on the active screen. Card rewards start on a valid card, combat targeting locks unrelated controls, and map, shop, Idle Ops, Act transition, collection, and victory controls no longer expose false or duplicate actions.
- Combat turns now end automatically when no legal action remains.
- Lobby Sweep now shows its payout once and explains the result clearly.
- Reading the Room now shows its remaining charges during combat.
- Card effects now match their descriptions across combo triggers, draw effects, multi-hit attacks, and targeted bonus damage.
- Effects that change the cost of your next card now work for every operator.
- [CyberMaster] Cut It Up+: The upgrade now changes the Beat and keeps its per-change combo damage.
- Compliance Clipboard now blocks and reflects the first enemy debuff each round.
Restart Steam to download the update.