HEADWINDS - Patch Notes 1.13.0
Solo vs Squads matchmaking arrives for high-level Raiders alongside the Bird City map update and a new Trophy Display progression system.
Key Changes
- 1New Solo vs Squads matchmaking toggle for level 40+ players with +20% XP bonus
- 2Buried City 'Bird City' update adds verticality, new ziplines, and rooftop combat
- 3Trophy Display project added with rewards including 300,000 Coins and blueprints
- 4Full gamepad rebinding and mouse smoothing options implemented
- 5New three-strike progressive ban system for anti-cheat
- 6Players can now dodge-roll to remove Ticks during a specific window
- 7Higher tier weapon drop rates increased in weapon cases
- 8Stella Montis received 40+ stuck-spot fixes and a Night Raid lighting overhaul
- 9Open Party system allows friends to join players even while they are in-round
- 10Fixed input registration issues for players running above 30 FPS
All Changes
🎮Gameplay(12)
- newSolo vs Squads: Added Solo vs Squads matchmaking toggle for players level 40 and above.
- buffSolo vs Squads: Players in Solo vs Squads receive a +20% bonus XP at the end of the round regardless of outcome.
- newTrophy Display: Introduced the Trophy Display project, a 5-step long-term building project requiring ARC parts.
- newTrophy Display: Trophy Display rewards include blueprints, Raider Tokens, Howl emote, a guitar, and 300,000 Coins.
- newAugments: Added 2 new types of Epic Augments.
- newQuests: Added 7 new quests to the game.
- buffTick: Players can now dodge-roll during a brief window to remove a Tick that has grabbed them.
- buffWeapons: Increased the chances of finding higher tier weapons in weapon cases.
- nerfARC: Lowered the chances of finding Matriarch and Queen unique parts in their armor pieces.
- nerfBlueprints: Lowered the spawn rate of condition-specific blueprints in containers during Electromagnetic Storm, Hidden Bunker, and Locked Gate.
- fixDefibrillator: Fixed an issue where two players using a defibrillator simultaneously would revive a player with full HP.
- changeAim Assist: Aim assist is now consistent across different framerates.
🗺️Maps(12)
- newBuried City: Introduced 'Bird City' permanent map condition for Buried City, adding nests, trinkets, and more ziplines.
- changeBuried City: Increased flying ARC presence and player proximity on rooftops in Buried City.
- changeBuried City: Removed the musical puzzle from Buried City; the guitar is now purchasable at Shani's.
- fixStella Montis: Fixed the Seedvault extraction glitch on Stella Montis that allowed staying after closure.
- changeStella Montis: Updated Night Raid lighting on Stella Montis with most lamps turned off for darkness.
- fixStella Montis: Fixed 40 specific locations on Stella Montis where players would get stuck.
- changeStella Montis: Adjusted loot spawn locations on Stella Montis for more even distribution.
- fixBastion: Fixed Bastion spawning out of bounds and attacking through walls in Stella Montis.
- fixDam Battlegrounds: Tweaked cliffs and elevator shaft collisions on Dam Battlegrounds to prevent getting stuck.
- fixDam Battlegrounds: Fixed collision issues inside the Pattern House on Dam Battlegrounds.
- fixDam Battlegrounds: Fixed unintended reachable location in Water Treatment.
- fixSpaceport: Adjusted ARC spawn locations during Hidden Bunker on Spaceport to prevent spawning on antennas.
🤖ARC(6)
- changeARC: Improved ARC navigation and traversal over obstacles.
- buffLeaper: Leaper is now more effective at walking after losing its legs.
- fixShredder: Dead Shredders are now correctly labeled as scavengeable when pinged.
- fixSnitch: Fixed Snitches aborting ARC calls if a Lure Grenade was thrown during the animation.
- fixSnitch: Snitches no longer make noise after being destroyed.
- fixSpotter: Fixed Spotters following players into buildings and getting stuck.
🖥️UI/UX(8)
- newGamepad: Added a new tab for free rebinding of most gamepad buttons.
- newMouse: Added an option for mouse smoothing in the settings.
- newSocial: Added 'Open Party' option allowing friends to join seamlessly, even during a round.
- newSocial: Squadmates can now invite others to the party, not just the party leader.
- newDiscord: Added Discord integration to invite or join friends directly through the Discord client.
- newMatchmaking: Added a matchmaking delay option to help mitigate stream sniping.
- fixAudio: Fixed VOIP trigger action displays and improved wording for push-to-talk vs toggle.
- fixUI: Fixed an issue where weapons in Expedition stash slots didn't appear in the upgrade screen.
🛡️Anti-Cheat(1)
- newAnti-Cheat: Implemented a three-strikes progressive ban system (30 days, 60 days, then permanent).
🐛Bug Fixes(7)
- fixAchievements: Fixed progress tracking for 'Enemy of my Enemy' and 'Hook, Line, and Sinker' achievements.
- fixPerformance: Fixed various game crashes and clipping issues.
- fixPerformance: Fixed input registration issues occurring at framerates above 30 FPS.
- fixGuitar: Fixed an issue where players could play the guitar while using a zipline.
- fixMovement: Fixed player movement becoming unresponsive after network connection issues.
- fixMovement: Fixed ladder issues where players would fall or jump off unintentionally.
- fixPS5: Fixed graphics settings resetting to default on PS5 after a restart.
Summary
The Headwinds update (1.13.0) introduces significant new ways to play and progress in the Rust Belt. Skilled players level 40 and above can now opt into Solo vs Squads matchmaking for a 20% XP bonus. The Buried City map has been transformed with the 'Bird City' condition, adding verticality through more ziplines and rooftop combat. Additionally, a new long-term Trophy Display project offers high-tier rewards like blueprints and 300,000 Coins for hunting dangerous ARC groups.
Gameplay & Systems
Beyond the new matchmaking, the update implements a three-strike progressive ban system for anti-cheat and adds highly requested features like full gamepad rebinding and mouse smoothing. Players also gain a new defensive maneuver against Ticks, allowing a dodge-roll to remove them during a brief window.
Map & Loot Adjustments
Stella Montis received extensive polish with over 40 stuck-spot fixes and a lighting overhaul for Night Raids. Loot tables have been tweaked across all maps: weapon cases now have a higher chance for top-tier gear, while the drop rates for Matriarch and Queen unique parts from armor have been slightly reduced to encourage full destruction of the ARC units.