August 10th, 2022, Shadow Arena Early Access has ended.
A heartfelt thank you to all the players who walked with us on this journey.

Please refer to the [[url=https://shadowarena.pearlabyss.com/index_en-US.html]Early Access Termination Notice[/url]] for additional details.

Thank you.

We will be undergoing maintenance on August 3, 2022 (Wed).
During the maintenance, you will be unable to access the game and the official site.


- Game Maintenance Target: All server

- Game Maintenance Schedule:
> August 2, 2022 (Tue) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> August 3, 2022 (Wed) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> August 3, 2022 (Wed) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Game Maintenance Impact : Unable to access the game


- Maintenance Target: Official Website

- Maintenance Schedule :
> August 2, 2022 (Tue) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> August 3 20, 2022 (Wed) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> August 3, 2022 (Wed) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Website Maintenance Impact: Unable to access all services within the official website

※ Additional Notices
- The maintenance and website maintenance times are subject to change, extension, and/or early completion. Any changes will be provided as an update on this site.
- Once the maintenance begins, you will be automatically disconnected from the game, even if you are waiting in-queue or in a match.

Thank you.

We will be undergoing maintenance on July 20, 2022 (Wed).

During the maintenance, you will be unable to access the game and the official site.




- Game Maintenance Target: All server

- Game Maintenance Schedule:
> July 19, 2022 (Tue) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> July 20, 2022 (Wed) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> July 20, 2022 (Wed) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Game Maintenance Impact : Unable to access the game



- Maintenance Target: Official Website

- Maintenance Schedule :
> July 19, 2022 (Tue) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> July 20, 2022 (Wed) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> July 20, 2022 (Wed) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Website Maintenance Impact: Unable to access all services within the official website

※ Additional Notices
- The maintenance and website maintenance times are subject to change, extension, and/or early completion. Any changes will be provided as an update on this site.
- Once the maintenance begins, you will be automatically disconnected from the game, even if you are waiting in-queue or in a match.


Thank you.

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.

It’s the first week of July as we all beat the summer heat!
Fall was in the air when Shadow Arena was first showcased to everyone. We can still recall the excitement and nerve-racking feelings of presenting Shadow Arena at G-Star and preparing for the first CBT.

This will be the last developer notes of Shadow Arena.
So this developer notes will be more raw and in depth than our usual notes.

Shadow Arena was first showcased on November 14, 2019 through Pearl Abyss Connect 2019 live broadcast and since then, just under 3 years have passed.
We received much feedback from our amazing players, implemented various changes through seasonal content, and worked tirelessly to provide a fun and unique experience within Shadow Arena.
Although we were able to continue with the support of our beloved players, we have decided to terminate the service of Shadow Arena. We would like to take this time to apologize for the sudden decision and say farewell to our players.

We’ve thought long on how to share our thoughts through this announcement. Let alone, we couldn’t even find the right words to say.
Every time we thought about it, all we were left with was a heavy heart.
As we look back on the memories with our beloved players, we would like to discuss the stories that we never got to share through this notice.


# The day when Shadow Arena first started out as a content in Black Desert until it became a standalone title...


▲This picture is from the official Pearl Abyss website. It is a perfect picture moment of the mighty Shultz.

It was a difficult decision at the time, but with the tireless support and commitment of our developers, we were able to showcase and meet our players offline on November 2019 at G-Star. Since the event took place before the Covid pandemic, we were overwhelmed by the interest our players showed at the offline event.

# From CBT to Early Access...

As we prepared for the CBT after the event, we were overwhelmed with the support many of our players showed for Shadow Arena. But in that moment, there were underlying concerns at the same time.
We were worried with the fact that players’ expectations seemed very high during the CBT period.

At the same time, we also worked tirelessly driven by our commitment to ensure that we deliver a fun and exciting gameplay experience to our players. As we look back, we still wonder how we were able to pull it off at the time.


The result of the first CBT presented many shortcomings of the game. However, it strengthened our commitment and we sought to quickly resolve them to show our players an improved version of the game.

After that, it was soon followed by the second, third, and final CBT. Although the testing period was short, we were surprised by what we saw during those periods. We were especially surprised by how players were using combos and skills that we’ve never thought of and utilizing the surrounding areas of the arena in various ways to their advantage. However, players also voiced concerns about gameplay being too focused on small skirmishes and defensive tactics, frustrations that came from getting ambushed, and the issue of “teaming up” in solo mode. Thanks to the feedback, we worked tirelessly to improve the game until the early access launch. To address the shortcomings, we’ve also worked hard in the development front, which served as an important period for us to take a step forward.


It sure feels nostalgic looking back on the early versions of the game.

The game interface of Shadow Arena at the time.

▲ A video screenshot from Dev’s Play (That’s me!)


Looking back, the interface at the time was quite aesthetically pleasing it in its own way.


https://shadowarena.pearlabyss.com/ko-KR/News/Notice/Detail?boardNo=802&countryType=ko-KR[/url][url=https://shadowarena.pearlabyss.com/en-EN/News/Notice/Detail?boardNo=803]3rd CBT - Looking Back on the Memories Together [/url] [img]https://s1.pearlcdn.com/shadowarena/live/Upload/News/29f410e98c220220707093619543.jpg[/img] ▲The system was fundamentally different from the current one, and there were only a small number of heroes. hat cringey commentary was most likely from [GM] Bear. [url=https://shadowarena.pearlabyss.com/en-EN/News/Notice/Detail?boardNo=505]3rd CBT – How the Tier System works![/url] [img]https://s1.pearlcdn.com/shadowarena/live/Upload/News/90a28f014e420220708015347548.jpg[/img] ▲ We originally aimed to establish a tier system unique to Shadow Arena. But during the the development process, we decided to use a mainstream tier system. Early Access Launch [previewyoutube=szqiMmdf-iw;full][/previewyoutube] ▲This photo still gives us the chills! [b]# [/b][b]Official[/b][b] [/b][b]Tournament[/b] After the Early Access launch, we integrated a system where tiers are assigned to offer goals and rewards after tallying the ranking. But to give a better sense of direction and purpose to the game for our players, we also hosted official tournaments. We devoted a lot of resources to prepare for these tournaments and development, and thanks to the support of our players, we were able to host various tournaments. [previewyoutube=66P2dzI_IRY;full][/previewyoutube] ▲ 강초한 was the winner of the first official Shadow Arena Regional Cup. At the time, there was only one Blackstar’s Successor (skin) on the server. From the countless tournaments that were held, some will recall them as fond memories of honor, while some may remember them as the day they suffered defeat. But we all remember how sweaty our plams were from of anticipation, and being blown away as we watched players deal and manage in tricky situations in a skillful way. We can also remember the loud cheer and screams of the commentators, developers, and service team as we watched a player secure the final kill and arise as the winner. [b]# [/b][b]Event[/b][b] [/b][b]Match[/b] In addition to large tournaments, we also hosted small event matches for our players. After launching a new hero, the developers introduced the hero’s concept through their gameplay and also informed the hero’s unique aspects of their style of gameplay. An event match was also hosted where 30-40 players played the same hero to offer a unique experience and we also sent out skins as rewards at the time.. After the weekly maintenance, we also hosted a GM defeat event so players could interact with GMs. We can still remember the names of the players... who fervently pursued to take us down during that time! We also remember a player who defeated everyone else first except for the GM. It was a pretty intimidating experience. But of all the matches, the hunger game event tournament in Trio mode event is by far the most memorable one. We can relive those moments of preparing and practicing for the tournament in such a short period of time. The time when the developers and service team passed on their knowledge on performing combos to players practicing in the Sparring Ground through the entire night — these moments will truly be unforgettable. [b]# [/b][b]Shadow[/b][b] [/b][b]Arena[/b][b] [/b][b]Renewal[/b] We realized this topic is one we can’t leave out as we look back on the development process and memories. It might be a little long, but since it is our last developer notes, we wanted to share this to everyone. For new players, Shadow Arena is a game that has difficult control, a growing roster of new heroes, unintuitive interface, and more objects were being added at the time. In addition to these, various other factors have contributed to the steep learning curve, which often created an unpleasant experience. After the hunger game event tournament, we were able to experience the concerns that we feared most. This became the reason why we decided to renew the game. It was around that time that we pulled the breaks on our weekly maintenance and spent a month in development for game renewal. [img]https://s1.pearlcdn.com/shadowarena/live/Upload/News/96ec112f45b20201230092104394.jpg[/img] [img]https://s1.pearlcdn.com/shadowarena/live/Upload/News/67c3b61378320201230091412818.jpg[/img]▲ The interface that was under development at that time. We made various changes to make Shadow Arena more accessible for new players. We simplified the skills for all heroes, improved the skill commands, and reduced the cooldown of skills. We also added and tested Trio mode as a main mode, changed the fog of war system, and the role of each heroes. To eliminate the stress that stemmed from farming, we removed several items, reworked the interface, and added a shop system where players could purchase items that best fit their growth system. We also revamped the tutorial, and through FGT sessions, we were able to show the improvements made to the game to our players. As a result, there was an increased activity of new players, but there were other opinions that Shadow Arena had lost the unique traits which made it fun. Many expressed their disappointment towards the combo and traits unique to each hero being lost and the lack of tournaments that were held during the renewal period. [b]# [/b][b]Mastery System, Solo[/b][b] [/b][b]Mode, and Hero[/b][b] [/b][b]Reboot[/b] After the reboot, in order to bring back the “fun” elements to Shadow Arena, we added a mastery system. The mastery system offered even more skills which allowed heroes to be used in different ways. It was also implemented to resolve the issue of support heroes being difficult to utilize in Solo mode. In addition, to reduce the frustration that came from being permanently incapacitated, the skill “Barrier” was added. [img]https://s1.pearlcdn.com/shadowarena/live/Upload/News/7696ddf076e20210527044356672.png[/img]▲ The Mastery system that was updated within a short period of time. Also, the gameplay became more simple due to the smaller number of skills that were available. We also reworked certain heroes to increase the fun factor. There were players who have supported the change and we are grateful for that. We were able to go beyond the boundaries and challenge ourselves in various ways. After the reboot, players continuously gave feedback in which being about hero balance. We will next discuss below on this matter as well. [b]# Regarding Game Balance[/b] At first, we started with 6 heroes (Jordine, Yeonhwa, Ahon Kirus, Gerhard Shultz, Haru, Herawen), and now have a total of 22 heroes. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the amount of discussions we’ve had on hero balance were endless during the course of development. There were many factors to consider such as counterbalance for each hero in 1v1, skill mechanic issues, hero balance that changed depending on the game mode, the gap between beginner and experienced players, and the relative balance correlation to item stats. All in all, we worked towards tackling balance issues and implementing change until this day. As many are aware, battle royale genre games require a player to quickly adapt to various situations. Because of that, players tend to gravitate towards versatile heroes, who can adapt to various situations. Looking back on the 1v1 Arena content that was prepared upon the frequent player requests, initially, players enjoyed the fact that pure brute strength dictated whether one secures victory or faces defeat. Nevertheless, the selection of the most viable heroes was chosen in 1v1, and in the end, it took away the fun hence even bringing us to the decision of removing it from the main mode at one point. [img]https://s1.pearlcdn.com/shadowarena/live/Upload/News/2b20f88e22520220707060244376.png[/img] ▲ “King of the Hill” 1:1 Arena Because of that, although it may not seem like it, we have thoroughly reviewed the feedback and inquiries from our players. And using our internal data as a base, we've had many discussions and conducted countless tests to adjust the balance. From 2020 to 2021, hero balance was such an important factor that balance adjustments were made as often as 1 to 2 times a week. There were times where it felt like we had hit a wall upon realizing that no matter how many adjustments were made, it was difficult to provide the perfect balance that was satisfactory for all players. And when we encountered errors during those times, it was never easy to share this type of news. [b]# Speaking of FUN in Shadow Arena [/b] While focusing on tackling the constant various balance issues, 2021 had gone by in a flash. As a result, at the beginning of 2022, we took the time to look back at the past year of our progress and we came to ponder on the question as to what makes our game fun. Most of the updates after the 2021 reboot focused on Heroes and as mentioned previously, it especially revolved around hero balance. The remaining improvements were made on item balance, game system, and other contents. Major updates focused on improving tutorials, AI bots, simplifying combos, and item system rework. The reboot focused on increasing the accessibility for beginner players, so that they adjust better to the game. Regards to that, we can say that we met our goals. However, this process brought on other issues such as: purchasing only efficient items, relying on certain heroes, following a standardized farming route and selecting certain certain mastery skills. This eventually led the reboot to lose its initial purpose. Ever since the reboot, although Shadow Arena was a battle royale genre game, keywords such as repetitive play, similar item settings, and predictable strategy was being associated with its gameplay. This was far from the ambiguous qualities that a battle royale game should have. If there is a lack of uncertainty in a battle royale, in the end, it could easily become a game where the winner is ultimately determined purely based on a player’s skill. Victory that relies on the skillfulness of a player is quite natural in a PvP game. But we believe that the sense of accomplishment through survival of a fierce battle and claiming the title as the final winner is what differentiates battle royale games from PvP games. . This is probably the reason why our players were strong supporters of Shadow Arena. However, we noticed that maintaining the reboot update took away from the fun of performing skills and combos involving intricate control and this was a major fun factor of Shadow Arena. It was only recently that we changed the direction of things and reverted to a total of 5 skills. Although increasing skills enhanced the fun in performing combos, we also foresaw the disadvantages this may cause and added the ‘Roll’ skill to balance out the specs. Additionally, we reorganized the game structure so that players could obtain random sub-equipment and consumption items through treasure chests, added the Flow of the Arena system and new skills as well as various rare and boss equipment items to enhance the ambiguity of the game. Although this is all in the past now, the evaluation of these changes was positive, so we were happy on this note. Although it may have been stressful for some players as the emphasis on strategic gameplay had been reduced and the luck factor had increased, it delivered beneficial changes to the game as it led to varying gameplay situations. This was also a verified system that was evident in the initial stages of Shadow Arena. [b]# In all honesty [/b] Looking back at the period when Deathmatch mode was first introduced and the FGT was proactively put into action, the direction on how new players could best settle into the game was deeply thought through. If we could not resolve this issue, it would be evident that our game would prove itself to be very limited. A common similarity that exists in battle royale games is that only a few people achieve a sense of accomplishment and when they die, their farming and hard work go down the drain. It is hard to deny that if one experiences an unfair death due to intrusion, imbalance, or death due to various bugs or unauthorized programs, it can bring on even a greater sense of disappointment. Issues like so were a constant work-in-process for Shadow Arena as well. To relieve this sense of disappointment, the introduction of Deathmatch was for new players to adjust more easily to the game. We were satisfied with the feedback on Deathmatch as it was what we were expecting to hear. Unlike the previous FGT, we were relieved that the notion of “disappointment” was not apparent in this FGT. This was probably due do the fact that even if you die in Deathmatch mode, die, the game does not simply end. So, the stress around this is lifted and there is the benefit of being able to win with the support of your teammates even if your performance wasn’t so great. Also, if a certain hero was better fitted in certain situations, you were able to change heroes and use this as a strategy to carry out the game. When proceeding with every update, we thought deeply about the possible issues and came up with a solution to them. Deathmatch mode also served as a patch to resolve the problem of the influx of new players which was problematic at the time. However, we believe that everyone who has played Shadow Arena so far enjoyed the thrilling aspects that existed in Shadow Arena. The battle royale genre involves a lot of players and becoming the sole survivor among those many players is probably the most satisfying and exciting element of the game. However, under the current circumstances, we thought that it would be difficult to provide such an experience at this time. [b]# [/b][b]Last[/b][b] [/b][b]Season of Shadow[/b][b] [/b][b]Arena[/b] The service of Shadow Arena has come to an end as we go into the Final Season. Nevertheless, our goal is to host an even better gaming environment whether it be for a sole player. With this, we will continue to proceed with updates until the service closing date. Lastly, this being the last season, we would like to thank all our players and show our gratitude by making all Heroes and products available for purchase for 1 Silver. Special skins can also be acquired during the event period, or they can easily be obtained as Battle Pass rewards. We will strive to service Shadow Arena so that players can have an enjoyable experience until the end. Although Shadow Arena will no longer be in service, the tales of the heroes who have taken part in countless battles will continue to live in the world of Black Desert, where Shadow Arena initially began. [previewyoutube=jWUbkSqCgck;full][/previewyoutube] [b]# Our last developer note...[/b] Cheers to all the ace players, leaders and fellow supporters of Shadow Arena… Jordine 강초한님, Schultz 박사장님, Orwen Banishing님, Herawen Bakemono, Badal 스시, 란 HyejinFiora, Bari Gold강, Sura 양사마, Haru 날다람쥐, Yeonhwa BONA, Venslar Bambolina, 콜라님, Kahmen, 우는하마... Jordine DeGomez, Ahon Mime, Schultz Radom, Yeonhwa Slaith, Haru 紅鞋, Sura Dok, Goyen 月无缺, Tagahl Affect, Bari YMYYMY... To the players who were great leaders to new players in discord AND in Sparring Grounds 큐떱, 윤재, 야자냐, 또또칸, Reh르에, 희태, Gaedu, HeukPin... Lastly, to the glorious players who achieved a top tier rank in the last beta season 9 in each server… 生锈的剑, Genck, 튜토리얼, NicoNicoMeow, BriggsTGK, axidoukio, 來北美打爆你, Nickiy, Guiido, OneNightStand, 结UNBELIVABLE结, fakeguru, DeGomez, Coolminator, MegosCaptian... To many more players we may have forgotten to mention here, you know that we love you! Thank you to our players for having shared this experience, this journey will never be forgotten. We would also like to say thank you to the developers and service team who worked extremely hard and gave it their all till the end. From newly added arenas for each mode, a new renewal mastery, various consumable items, and the yet to be released Hero Kayal Nesser... Although there is a flood of things we would like to share, we will leave things here as we wrap up the final developer notes of Shadow Arena. We thank you again, Sincerely from the Shadow Arena Team. 3rd CBT - Looking Back on the Memories Together


▲The system was fundamentally different from the current one, and there were only a small number of heroes.
hat cringey commentary was most likely from [GM] Bear.

3rd CBT – How the Tier System works!

▲ We originally aimed to establish a tier system unique to Shadow Arena. But during the the development process, we decided to use a mainstream tier system.



Early Access Launch


▲This photo still gives us the chills!


# Official Tournament


After the Early Access launch, we integrated a system where tiers are assigned to offer goals and rewards after tallying the ranking. But to give a better sense of direction and purpose to the game for our players, we also hosted official tournaments. We devoted a lot of resources to prepare for these tournaments and development, and thanks to the support of our players, we were able to host various tournaments.



▲ 강초한 was the winner of the first official Shadow Arena Regional Cup. At the time, there was only one Blackstar’s Successor (skin) on the server.



From the countless tournaments that were held, some will recall them as fond memories of honor, while some may remember them as the day they suffered defeat. But we all remember how sweaty our plams were from of anticipation, and being blown away as we watched players deal and manage in tricky situations in a skillful way. We can also remember the loud cheer and screams of the commentators, developers, and service team as we watched a player secure the final kill and arise as the winner.


# Event Match


In addition to large tournaments, we also hosted small event matches for our players. After launching a new hero, the developers introduced the hero’s concept through their gameplay and also informed the hero’s unique aspects of their style of gameplay. An event match was also hosted where 30-40 players played the same hero to offer a unique experience and we also sent out skins as rewards at the time..

After the weekly maintenance, we also hosted a GM defeat event so players could interact with GMs. We can still remember the names of the players... who fervently pursued to take us down during that time! We also remember a player who defeated everyone else first except for the GM. It was a pretty intimidating experience.

But of all the matches, the hunger game event tournament in Trio mode event is by far the most memorable one. We can relive those moments of preparing and practicing for the tournament in such a short period of time. The time when the developers and service team passed on their knowledge on performing combos to players practicing in the Sparring Ground through the entire night — these moments will truly be unforgettable.

# Shadow Arena Renewal


We realized this topic is one we can’t leave out as we look back on the development process and memories. It might be a little long, but since it is our last developer notes, we wanted to share this to everyone.

For new players, Shadow Arena is a game that has difficult control, a growing roster of new heroes, unintuitive interface, and more objects were being added at the time. In addition to these, various other factors have contributed to the steep learning curve, which often created an unpleasant experience.

After the hunger game event tournament, we were able to experience the concerns that we feared most. This became the reason why we decided to renew the game. It was around that time that we pulled the breaks on our weekly maintenance and spent a month in development for game renewal.


▲ The interface that was under development at that time.


We made various changes to make Shadow Arena more accessible for new players. We simplified the skills for all heroes, improved the skill commands, and reduced the cooldown of skills. We also added and tested Trio mode as a main mode, changed the fog of war system, and the role of each heroes. To eliminate the stress that stemmed from farming, we removed several items, reworked the interface, and added a shop system where players could purchase items that best fit their growth system. We also revamped the tutorial, and through FGT sessions, we were able to show the improvements made to the game to our players.

As a result, there was an increased activity of new players, but there were other opinions that Shadow Arena had lost the unique traits which made it fun. Many expressed their disappointment towards the combo and traits unique to each hero being lost and the lack of tournaments that were held during the renewal period.


# Mastery System, Solo Mode, and Hero Reboot

After the reboot, in order to bring back the “fun” elements to Shadow Arena, we added a mastery system. The mastery system offered even more skills which allowed heroes to be used in different ways. It was also implemented to resolve the issue of support heroes being difficult to utilize in Solo mode. In addition, to reduce the frustration that came from being permanently incapacitated, the skill “Barrier” was added.

▲ The Mastery system that was updated within a short period of time.



Also, the gameplay became more simple due to the smaller number of skills that were available. We also reworked certain heroes to increase the fun factor. There were players who have supported the change and we are grateful for that. We were able to go beyond the boundaries and challenge ourselves in various ways.

After the reboot, players continuously gave feedback in which being about hero balance. We will next discuss below on this matter as well.


# Regarding Game Balance

At first, we started with 6 heroes (Jordine, Yeonhwa, Ahon Kirus, Gerhard Shultz, Haru, Herawen), and now have a total of 22 heroes. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the amount of discussions we’ve had on hero balance were endless during the course of development. There were many factors to consider such as counterbalance for each hero in 1v1, skill mechanic issues, hero balance that changed depending on the game mode, the gap between beginner and experienced players, and the relative balance correlation to item stats. All in all, we worked towards tackling balance issues and implementing change until this day.

As many are aware, battle royale genre games require a player to quickly adapt to various situations. Because of that, players tend to gravitate towards versatile heroes, who can adapt to various situations.

Looking back on the 1v1 Arena content that was prepared upon the frequent player requests, initially, players enjoyed the fact that pure brute strength dictated whether one secures victory or faces defeat. Nevertheless, the selection of the most viable heroes was chosen in 1v1, and in the end, it took away the fun hence even bringing us to the decision of removing it from the main mode at one point.


▲ “King of the Hill” 1:1 Arena



Because of that, although it may not seem like it, we have thoroughly reviewed the feedback and inquiries from our players. And using our internal data as a base, we've had many discussions and conducted countless tests to adjust the balance. From 2020 to 2021, hero balance was such an important factor that balance adjustments were made as often as 1 to 2 times a week. There were times where it felt like we had hit a wall upon realizing that no matter how many adjustments were made, it was difficult to provide the perfect balance that was satisfactory for all players. And when we encountered errors during those times, it was never easy to share this type of news.

# Speaking of FUN in Shadow Arena

While focusing on tackling the constant various balance issues, 2021 had gone by in a flash. As a result, at the beginning of 2022, we took the time to look back at the past year of our progress and we came to ponder on the question as to what makes our game fun.

Most of the updates after the 2021 reboot focused on Heroes and as mentioned previously, it especially revolved around hero balance. The remaining improvements were made on item balance, game system, and other contents. Major updates focused on improving tutorials, AI bots, simplifying combos, and item system rework.
The reboot focused on increasing the accessibility for beginner players, so that they adjust better to the game. Regards to that, we can say that we met our goals. However, this process brought on other issues such as: purchasing only efficient items, relying on certain heroes, following a standardized farming route and selecting certain certain mastery skills. This eventually led the reboot to lose its initial purpose.
Ever since the reboot, although Shadow Arena was a battle royale genre game, keywords such as repetitive play, similar item settings, and predictable strategy was being associated with its gameplay. This was far from the ambiguous qualities that a battle royale game should have. If there is a lack of uncertainty in a battle royale, in the end, it could easily become a game where the winner is ultimately determined purely based on a player’s skill.

Victory that relies on the skillfulness of a player is quite natural in a PvP game. But we believe that the sense of accomplishment through survival of a fierce battle and claiming the title as the final winner is what differentiates battle royale games from PvP games. . This is probably the reason why our players were strong supporters of Shadow Arena.
However, we noticed that maintaining the reboot update took away from the fun of performing skills and combos involving intricate control and this was a major fun factor of Shadow Arena. It was only recently that we changed the direction of things and reverted to a total of 5 skills. Although increasing skills enhanced the fun in performing combos, we also foresaw the disadvantages this may cause and added the ‘Roll’ skill to balance out the specs. Additionally, we reorganized the game structure so that players could obtain random sub-equipment and consumption items through treasure chests, added the Flow of the Arena system and new skills as well as various rare and boss equipment items to enhance the ambiguity of the game. Although this is all in the past now, the evaluation of these changes was positive, so we were happy on this note.
Although it may have been stressful for some players as the emphasis on strategic gameplay had been reduced and the luck factor had increased, it delivered beneficial changes to the game as it led to varying gameplay situations. This was also a verified system that was evident in the initial stages of Shadow Arena.

# In all honesty

Looking back at the period when Deathmatch mode was first introduced and the FGT was proactively put into action, the direction on how new players could best settle into the game was deeply thought through. If we could not resolve this issue, it would be evident that our game would prove itself to be very limited.

A common similarity that exists in battle royale games is that only a few people achieve a sense of accomplishment and when they die, their farming and hard work go down the drain. It is hard to deny that if one experiences an unfair death due to intrusion, imbalance, or death due to various bugs or unauthorized programs, it can bring on even a greater sense of disappointment.

Issues like so were a constant work-in-process for Shadow Arena as well. To relieve this sense of disappointment, the introduction of Deathmatch was for new players to adjust more easily to the game.

We were satisfied with the feedback on Deathmatch as it was what we were expecting to hear. Unlike the previous FGT, we were relieved that the notion of “disappointment” was not apparent in this FGT. This was probably due do the fact that even if you die in Deathmatch mode, die, the game does not simply end. So, the stress around this is lifted and there is the benefit of being able to win with the support of your teammates even if your performance wasn’t so great. Also, if a certain hero was better fitted in certain situations, you were able to change heroes and use this as a strategy to carry out the game.

When proceeding with every update, we thought deeply about the possible issues and came up with a solution to them. Deathmatch mode also served as a patch to resolve the problem of the influx of new players which was problematic at the time. However, we believe that everyone who has played Shadow Arena so far enjoyed the thrilling aspects that existed in Shadow Arena. The battle royale genre involves a lot of players and becoming the sole survivor among those many players is probably the most satisfying and exciting element of the game. However, under the current circumstances, we thought that it would be difficult to provide such an experience at this time.

# Last Season of Shadow Arena

The service of Shadow Arena has come to an end as we go into the Final Season. Nevertheless, our goal is to host an even better gaming environment whether it be for a sole player. With this, we will continue to proceed with updates until the service closing date.
Lastly, this being the last season, we would like to thank all our players and show our gratitude by making all Heroes and products available for purchase for 1 Silver.
Special skins can also be acquired during the event period, or they can easily be obtained as Battle Pass rewards.
We will strive to service Shadow Arena so that players can have an enjoyable experience until the end.
Although Shadow Arena will no longer be in service, the tales of the heroes who have taken part in countless battles will continue to live in the world of Black Desert, where Shadow Arena initially began.



# Our last developer note...

Cheers to all the ace players, leaders and fellow supporters of Shadow Arena…

Jordine 강초한님, Schultz 박사장님, Orwen Banishing님, Herawen Bakemono, Badal 스시, 란 HyejinFiora, Bari Gold강, Sura 양사마, Haru 날다람쥐, Yeonhwa BONA, Venslar Bambolina, 콜라님, Kahmen, 우는하마...

Jordine DeGomez, Ahon Mime, Schultz Radom, Yeonhwa Slaith, Haru 紅鞋, Sura Dok, Goyen 月无缺, Tagahl Affect, Bari YMYYMY...

To the players who were great leaders to new players in discord AND in Sparring Grounds
큐떱, 윤재, 야자냐, 또또칸, Reh르에, 희태, Gaedu, HeukPin...

Lastly, to the glorious players who achieved a top tier rank in the last beta season 9 in each server…

生锈的剑, Genck, 튜토리얼, NicoNicoMeow, BriggsTGK, axidoukio, 來北美打爆你, Nickiy, Guiido, OneNightStand, 结UNBELIVABLE结, fakeguru, DeGomez, Coolminator, MegosCaptian...

To many more players we may have forgotten to mention here, you know that we love you! Thank you to our players for having shared this experience, this journey will never be forgotten.
We would also like to say thank you to the developers and service team who worked extremely hard and gave it their all till the end.

From newly added arenas for each mode, a new renewal mastery, various consumable items, and the yet to be released Hero Kayal Nesser...

Although there is a flood of things we would like to share, we will leave things here as we wrap up the final developer notes of Shadow Arena.

We thank you again,
Sincerely from the Shadow Arena Team.

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.

Shadow Arena was first showcased at G-Star in November 2019. After completing the fourth CBT, it was released as early access on May 2020. Since then, we've walked a journey accompanied by players for 2 years and 8 months.
Shadow Arena made its first debut as content in Black Desert. However, we decided to make Shadow Arena into a separate spin-off title and worked towards establishing it as a new kind of “action battle royale” for players who enjoy PvP games.

Despite our efforts to introduce various elements to the game, we thought that Shadow Arena in its current state was inadequate in offering a unique experience. With deep consideration, we regret to inform you that the service of Shadow Arena will be terminated.
We would like sincerely thank all the players who have been in support of Shadow Arena as we deliver this news.

For details on the service termination and refund schedule, please refer to the following information below.


July 8, 2022 (Fri) 11:00 (UTC+9)

■ Game Download Unavailable
- Downloading the Shadow Arena Client be unavailable via official website and Steam store.
- Game service through previously downloaded client will be available until the service termination date.


■ Termination of Gcoin Purchases
- Gcoin purchases on the official website and in the Steam store will be unavailable.

■ Shop Clearance Sale
- All items in the shop will be available for 1 Silver.

■ Final Season Begins
- Final season’s Battle Pass rewards will be significantly higher than before.
August 10, 2022 (Wed) 11:00 (UTC+9)

■ Game Service Termination
- The game service through the official website and Steam launcher will be unavailable.

■ Official Website Service Termination.
- Shadow Arena’s official website will be terminated.
- All posts on the community page will be deleted after termination.
- Make sure to save any information you wish to store on your PC.
- Customer Support regarding the refund process will still be available after service is terminated.
- Users may create Pearl Abyss ID even after the service ends.


■ Official Social Media and Community Channel Termination
- The following official social media channels of Shadow Arena will be terminated.
- Official Youtube, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, Discord
- The Shadow Arena Steam Community will be terminated.

■ Refund Request Period and Method
- Period: July 8, 2022 (Fri) 11:00 – August 10, 2022 (Wed) 11:00 (UCT+9)

- How to apply for a refund: Please select the Customer Support – Request Refund category to request a refund within the period.

* For Steam users, please request a refund through the Steam Login feature on the official website.

* In the case you do not request a refund during the refund period, all remaining Gcoin will expire after the service termination.
* Accounts that have been permanently banned are not eligible for refunds due to violation of Shadow Arena’s Terms of Service.


■ Eligible for Refund
- Those with a purchase history of Shadow Arena Gcoin from July 8, 2021 to July 8, 2022.
* Due to the service ending during Early Access, you can request a refund on Gcoin purchases made within a year.


■ Refund Payout Method
- You will receive the refund to your Steam wallet through the same payment method you used to make the purchase.
- We will inform you of the refund amount through the email address linked to your Steam account provided upon sign up

For other inquiries regarding service termination and the refund process, please contact customer support.




We apologize for the sudden notice of service termination. To show our gratitude, we prepared a small gift that can be used in Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile for our users.

■ Eligible Accounts: For accounts that have Shadow Arena playing record until July 8, 2022 (Fri) 11:00
■ Delivery Period: July 20, 2022 (Wed) after maintenance

■ Detail: Black Desert and Black Desert Mobile in-game items

■ Delivery Method: Coupons will be sent to the email address that was provided in the additional information section on the Steam account used for Shadow Arena.

* The Black Desert coupon includes a permanent game pass that will be activiated automatically. However, additional usage of the coupon will be unavailable if an existing game pass is on the account.

* Coupons that can be used in each region will be sent according to the residence that was provided upon signing up for Shadow Arena.


■ How to use Coupon:
- Black Desert: Go to Black Desert Website > Shop > Redeem Coupon and enter the coupon number
- Desert Mobile: Go to Black Desert Mobile Website > Redeem Coupon and enter the coupon number
* The Black Desert coupon can be used once per family.

We would like to take the time to greet all of our players in the final season as we near closer to the service termination of Shadow Arena. We would also like to share information from the development team that could not be shared at the time, so be sure to check out the final development note!


▶ Go to Final Season and Developer Notes

We would like to express our sincere gratitude once again to everyone who has been with us on this journey in Shadow Arena.

We will continue to strive to provide the best service for the remaining time.

Thank you.

We will be undergoing maintenance on July 8, 2022 (Fri).
During the maintenance, you will be unable to access the game and the official site.



- Game Maintenance Target: All server

- Game Maintenance Schedule:
> July 7, 2022 (Thu) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> July 8, 2022 (Fri) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> July 8, 2022 (Fri) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Game Maintenance Impact : Unable to access the game



- Maintenance Target: Official Website

- Maintenance Schedule :
> July 7, 2022 (Thu) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> July 8, 2022 (Fri) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> July 8, 2022 (Fri) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Website Maintenance Impact: Unable to access all services within the official website


※ Additional Notices
- The maintenance and website maintenance times are subject to change, extension, and/or early completion. Any changes will be provided as an update on this site.
- Once the maintenance begins, you will be automatically disconnected from the game, even if you are waiting in-queue or in a match.


Thank you.

Greetings, this is Shadow Arena.



The Beta Season 9 scheduled to end on July 13 (Wed) will end a week earlier during the maintenance on July 8 (Fri).
Due to this, Beta Season 9 Battle Pass will also end during the maintenance on July 8 (Fri). Please read below to check the changed schedule.


* Beta Season 9 Ranking and Tier rewards will be sent based on your last placement before the maintenance on July 8 (Fri).




Schedule after the end of Beta Season 9 will be announced after the maintenance on July 8 (Fri) through a separate notice. Please check the changed dates to avoid any inconvenience to your game use.


Thank you.

Here are the updates made to Shadow Arena during the maintenance on June 15 (Wed).

* Patch Size: Approx. 199.92 MB

Check out the details below, and we will see you in the Arena!




[Dev Note]

Hello, this is the Shadow Arena Development Team.



Starting with the last update, we’ve continued making more hero balance adjustments in this update. We especially made adjustments to the grapple skill by slightly increasing the cooldown and added a decrease cooldown effect upon failing to grapple to reduce the risk involved in failed attempts.
The Grapple skill has a short range, but it is a powerful skill that can neutralize all defensive effects other than invincibility. As a result, we’ll continue monitoring the situation and make balance adjustments should it be required.





Ba-Ri & Heilang

- Improved the action of basic controls.



| Heilang (RMB)

- Decreased the buff effect duration of Heilang: Roar: Combat from 10 sec to 6 sec.



| Crow: Shoo! (E)

- Decreased the casting rate by approximately 0.3 sec.

- Increased the blowback duration from 1.5 sec to 2 sec.



| Heilang’s Territory (R)

- Added an effect that increases movement speed +15% when inside Heilang’s Territory.




Wu-Ju

- Increased the base AP from 180 to 260.

- Decreased the base DP from 80 to 30.



| Take Off! (RMB)

- Decreased the skill casting time by approximately 0.5 sec.

- The first attack will stun the target. Then, press LMB or RMB to quickly perform a smash attack and blowback the target.

- Increased the max damage to approximately 18% - 25%.







Venslar



| Switch Stance (RMB)

- Changed so Switch Stance can be used while using any skill.



| Blades of Retribution / Breath of Elion (E)
- Changed the debuff effect of the last hit of blades of retribution from knockdown 1.4 sec to blowback 1.3 sec.


| Glaring Slash / Shield Throw (V)
- Decreased the damage of shield throw by approximately 20%.



| Heavenly Descent (R)

- Changed to increase travel distance when you hold the skill key.

- Decreased the time it takes to jump when casting the skill by approximately 0.2 sec.




Jousting



- Fixed the issue where damage was not applied when performing a basic lateral attack from its minimum range.

- Improved to quickly transition into another action during a sprint attack.

- Fixed the issue where Sacred Shield (RMB) and Summon Arduanatt (F) could not be used after using Kick.



| Sacred Shield (RMB)

- Changed to maintain shield stance even when Relentless Assault (passive) is active while using Sacred Shield.



| Righteous Torment (Q)

- Increased the travel distance from 14m to 22m.

- Improved so that Retribution can be quickly used while using other skills.

- Improved so that a thrust attack can be performed by pressing Q or LMB during a charge.



| Retribution (E)

- Improved the cooldown from 10 sec to 16 sec.

- Added an effect that decreases cooldown by 4 sec if grapple fails.



| Summon Arduanatt (F)

- Decreased the cooldown from 13 sec to 10 sec.

- Improved to transition to other actions more quickly after using the skill by 0.2 sec.

[Dev Note]

The concept of Jousting is a hero that wields a large and heavy lancia to perform very powerful attacks. But at the same time, Jousting’s combat actions were on the heavier side which seemed a bit frustrating.
By maintaining the concept of Jousting, we’ve made improvements to her mechanics to make her into a more versatile hero.





Tagahl Sherekhan



| Wing Breaker (E)

- Increased the cooldown from 10 sec to 16 sec.

- Added an effect that decreases cooldown by 4 sec if grapple fails.








Gorgath



| Rockwind (E)

- Removed the defensive effect.







Gerhard Shultz



- Increased the base attack damage by approximately 32.3%. (It does not apply to sprint jump attack or sprint attack.)



| Unleashed Beast (RMB)

- Removed the damage and knockback effect that was applied when casting the skill.

- Removed the increase defense and HP recovery effect when casting the skill.

- Increased the duration of super armor from 3 sec to 6 sec.

- Added an effect that increases movement speed by +15% for 6 sec when casting the skill.



| Gate Breaker (Q)

- Increased the cooldown from 10 sec to 12 sec.

- Removed the movement speed buff that is applied on successful hits.

- Decreased the max damage by approximately 34%.



| Rock Smash (E)

-Increased the cooldown from 14 sec to 16 sec.

- Added an effect that decreases cooldown by 4 sec if grapple fails.

- Fixed the issue where it was possible to use skills that were in cooldown under certain situations.

> It occurred when standing attack and jump attack successfully hit the target.



| Sausan’s Tremble (F)

- Decreased the cooldown from 16 sec to 10 sec.

- Decreased the max hit from 3 to 1.

- Removed the blowback effect.

- Decreased the max damage by approximately 14%.

- Increased the attack range from 2.2m - 2.8m to 3.5m.



| Beastly Howl (R)

- Changed to you cannot use other skills while using the skill.

[Dev Note]

Shultz is a hero who is defined by his main super armor skill 'Unleashed Beast'.

However, Shultz's strength was unrecognizable due to the duration of super armor being relatively short.

So through this update, to fit the concept of Shultz as a "beast", we simplified the skills to make it more concise to use and increased the usage of his basic attacks when super armor is applied from the main skill "Unleashed Beast".

With this, we removed the skill's crowd control effect that added increased survivability, and rather than increasing the duration of the combo, changes focused on being able to perform a powerful single attack to add efficiency to the gameplay.





Sura



| Third Blade: Searing Flash (F)

- Improved to transition into other motions more quickly after failing to target skill.



| Free-Form (RMB) Meteor

- Improved to transition into other motions more quickly after using the skill.







Lahn


| Crimson Nether Flower (E)

- Increased the attack range from 3.3m to 5m.

- Changed how damage and CC effects are applied to the following.

> Before: Applies equal damage and CC effects within a certain range.

> Now: Crescent Pendulum blade and chain each applies different damage and effects.
Increases damage if a target is hit by the blade. Changed to apply a knockdown effect when last hit is successful with the blade.

- Changed the duration of super armor to until the last blow.

- Changed so other skills cannot be used while using skill.



| Nimbus Stride (R)

- Added super armor in mid-air effect

[Dev Note]

Lahn is a hero who utilizes range between herself and enemies to control the fight by wielding the crescent pendulum. This unique trait is best displayed with her skill Crimson Nether Flower. In this update, we’ve increased the attack range of Crimson Nether Flower to inflict more damage to targets at the end of the attack range, meaning that determining and gauging the range between enemies will be an important part of her gameplay.
Because Crimson Nether Flower granted super armor and applied a crowd control effect, heroes without grapple skills struggled to deal with her. As a result, we’ve decreased the super armor duration and added some risks by adjusting the crowd control effects so that the attack is only applied to targets that were hit at the end of the attack range.





Ahon Kirus



| Phantom Raven (RMB)

- Decreased cooldown from 7 sec to 6 sec.



| Sun of Destruction (R)

- Decreased the skill casting duration by approximately 0.1 sec.







Herawen



| Thunder Viper (E)

- Changed to not consume stamina when casting skill



| Ancient Dragon's Breath (F)

- Decreased cooldown from 12 sec to 10 sec.






| Ancient Relic

- Fixed the issue where a back attack effect would be applied upon targeting ancient relics.



| Flow of the Arena

- Adjusted so probability of appearance on all flows of the Arena are equal.

- Decreased the chances of chasers being summoned from 8% to 4%.



| Deathmatch
- Changed so Deathmatch arena is on rotation.
- Colosseum, Shadow Shrine, Extraction Mill, Wheat Plantation, and Heidel will be applied until June 15, (Wed) 2022 after maintenance – June 29, (Wed) 2022 before maintenance.
> Deathmatch Arena: Colosseum, Shadow Shrine, Extraction Mill, Wheat Plantation, Heidel







▶ Check out Currently Known Issues

Click the link above to view the known issues that are currently being investigated by the developers.

We are currently working to resolve these issues, and we will update players through the linked page as soon as an issue is resolved.

Thank you.

We will be undergoing a temporary maintenance on June 15, 2022 (Wed).
During the maintenance, you will be unable to access the game.



- Game Maintenance Target: All servers

- Game Maintenance Schedule:
> June 14, 2022 (Tue) 19:00 - 23:00 (PDT)
> June 15, 2022 (Wed) 04:00 - 08:00 (CEST)
> June 15, 2022 (Wed) 05:00 - 09:00 (MSK)

- Game Maintenance Impact : Unable to access the game


※ Additional Notices
- The maintenance times are subject to change, extension, and/or early completion. Any changes will be provided as an update on this site.
- Once the maintenance begins, you will be automatically disconnected from the game, even if you are waiting in-queue or in a match.


Thank you.

Here are the updates made to Shadow Arena during the maintenance on June 2 (Thu).

* Patch Size: Approx. 198.87 MB

Check out the details below, and we will see you in the Arena!



[Dev Note]
Greetings, this is the Shadow Arena Development team.

In preparation of the first update after the start of a new preseason, various big and small adjustments were made in regard to changes made in hero balance.

In particular, various fixes brought up by players were applied in this update. As much as we value the feedback of our players, we feel regrettable as developers about not being able to get to these issues beforehand. We would like to express our gratitude to our players who have provided us with valuable feedback and have been in continuous support of Shadow Arena.








Jordine Ducas



| Shield Charge (Q)

- Changed so you cannot quickly use another skill after performing additional jump attack.
> You can use other skills after jump thrust.
- Improved the camera effect.


| Spinning Slash (E)

- Changed the first CC effect of the spinning attack from blowback to knockdown for 1.2 sec.
- Changed additional attack.
> Move forward slightly and perform a powerful spin attack.



| Formation Break (R)

- Changed the CC effect of smash attack from knock up for 1.8 sec to blowback for 1.5 sec.
- Decreased the direction change speed while casting.

[Dev Note]

Regarding the changes made to Jordine’s skills, we focused on strengthening the concept of each of his skills.

For the previous current shield charge, you were able to cancel the additional jump thrust attack after using the skill. Because of that, the duration of the CC effect on the additional thrust attack became somewhat overshadowed leading to losing its initial purpose as a skill. Therefore, adjustments were made to meet the original purpose as a skill through this patch.

The previous additional attack of spinning slash allowed players to experience the fun in charging towards opponents who were blown back by the attack. However, it did not meet the concept of a “powerful skill”, so adjustments were made.

We hope that players experience a different style of fun through these changes in skills.





Yeonhwa



| Fallen Flower (RMB)
- Added control details to skill description.
- Increased the stamina consumption from 20 to 30.
- Increased the stamina consumption by approximately 130% upon maintaining skill.



| Red Moon (R)

- Removed the blowback effect upon quickly performing the last attack while using the skill.
> The blowback effect is applied if the skill is used till the end.

[Dev Note]

After the last update, Scarlet Blade (Yeonhwa’s passive) greatly enhanced her combat abilities by enhancing other skills, and Fallen Flower also added powerful debuff effect, which also increased Yeonhwa’s mobility as well. There was a situation where Red Moon would be canceled after breaking down the opponent’s defense in order to quickly supply the Red Scarlet buff.
As a result, we’ve removed some of the merits that came from quickly canceling the attack, and to allow the opponents to better deal with the attack.





Haru


| Shadow Step (RMB)

- Decreased the duration of stealth from 5 sec to 4 sec.



| Thunder Rip (F)

- Improved so smash down can immediately be used in air after using skill.
- Improved the camera effect.

[Dev Note]

Haru is a hero that excels in evasion and attack maneuvers by utilizing Shadow Step. Due to that, we’ve slightly decreased the stealth duration cooldown from 5 sec to 4 sec.

It was difficult to hit the target with Thunder Rip since Haru would leap into the air before slamming the ground when the skill is used. As a result, we’ve made changes so that additional changes can be made when the skill is in use to increase the skill’s versatility.





Badal the Golden


| Asura Tread (RMB)

- Decreased the attack range of Vice from 2.5m to 2m.
- Improved the skill effect of Vice.
- Fixed the issue where the motion appeared unnaturally upon using Vice after using Asura Tread backward.
- Fixed the issue where you would immediately transition to non-combat sprint when sprinting after using Asura Tread.


| Thunder Breaker (Q)

- Changed so super armor is only applied until the last attack while Golden Gate is active.
> Before: Super armor until the last smash down attack ends.
→ Now: Super armor up until the last smash down attack.


| Golden Gate (R)

- Decreased the increase AP and DP effect from 100 to 50.
- Removed knockback effect after using skill.

[Dev Note]

Badal is a hero that specializes in skirmishes allowing him to excel in 1v1 battle.

In the last preseason, we greatly increased the stats of Golden Gate to allow players to rely more on the Golden Gate skill. However, we realized that the stat increase made him a bit too strong, which is the reason why we decided to readjust the stats and remove the knockback effect.

In addition, we’ve decreased the attack range of Asura Tread – Vice to allow the skill to be used in even in close-quarter fights.

Because Thunder Breaker is greatly enhanced when Golden Gate is active, we’ve made changes so that the skill comes with a small risk if it fails to hit a target.





Tagahl


| Skull Crusher (Q)

- Improved to use lateral attacks after casting skill.
- Improved to perform other motions faster after using skill.


| Wing Breaker (E)
- Decreased the attack range from 2.5m to 2.2m.



Venslar



- Fixed the issue where casting a skill during non-combat sprint caused the skill to go into cooldown without it being used.


| Radiant Pursuit (Q)

- Improved to quickly transition to another action if the attack fails.


| Blades of Retribution (E)

- Increased the casting speed by approximately 16%.
- Increased the duration of stun from 1 sec to 1.5 sec.


| Radiant Slash/Shield Throw (F)

- Fixed the issue where Heavenly Descent/Judgment of Light was used instead if the skill was casted during non-combat sprint.


| Heavenly Descent/Judgment of Light (R)

- Fixed the issue where Radiant Slash/Shield Throw was used instead if the skill was casted during non-combat sprint.



Lahn

- Fixed the issue where casting a skill during non-combat sprint caused the skill to go into cooldown without it being used.


| Third Blade (F)
- Fixed the issue where the passive skill effect did not apply on a successful last hit.






Gorgath


| Rock Explosion (F)

- Increased the attack range from 3.5m to 4.0m.
- Improved the skill hit registration.
- Added super armor effect while casting skill.
- Increased cooldown from 7 sec to 11 sec.


| Rockwind (E)

- Decreased the cooldown from 15 sec to 12 sec.
- Added super armor effect upon using skill.
- Increased the duration to perform an additional attack from 6 sec to 8 sec.
- Increased the knock up CC effect of the additional attack from 1 sec to 1.4 sec.
- Improved to apply additional damage when knockback is applied near Gorgath.



| Forbidden Alchemy (R)

- Fixed the typo in the skill description.
- Improved the color emphasis in the skill description.

[Dev Note]

Gorgath is a unique hero, who uses the Earth Alchemy Stone (RMB) to control a zone or mitigate the enemy’s attack, to engage in combat. But if Earth Alchemy Stone fails to the hit the target, Gorgath would be at a disadvantage.
As a result, defensive effects has been added to certain skills to allow Gorgath to still perform combos even if Earth Alchemy Stone fails to hit a target.





Igrid


- Decreased the base AP from 240 to 230.


| Thunderclap (P)

- Decreased the AP reduction effect from –50 to-30.
- Decreased the AP reduction duration from 5 sec to 3 sec.



| Thunder Strike (Q)

- Changed so skill cannot be used while moving.
- Decreased the attack range of Thunder Charge from 4m to 3.5m
- Increased the max damage of Thunder Charge by 21%.
- Changed so immediately switching the camera in the aiming direction when performing a smash attack is unavailable.


| Altar Destroyer (E)

- Increased the cooldown from 8 sec to 10 sec.



| Avalanche (R)

- Increased the cooldown from 18 sec to 20 sec.

[[/b]Dev Note]

Igrid is currently one of strongest heroes in the game.
Thunder Strike was a skill that could be used while on the move, and its wide attack area and super armor defensive effects allowed Igrid to initiate attacks. In addition, Igrid was able to attack consecutively by taking advantage of the short cooldown and increased crowd control duration when using her other main skills.

We made some adjustments to keep Igrid’s overall power in check, but we think she’ll remain as one of the strongest heroes in the game. With that said, we’ll continue to actively monitor Igrid and make overall balance changes in the future.

Tantu



| Iron Buster (Passive)
- Increased the total number of bullets from 4 to 5.



| Reload (RMB)

- Changed to allow use of Explosive Slugfest when you have maximum 5 bullets.
- Added enhanced effects to Explosive Slugfest when Overload is active.

Category

Before

Now

Explosive Slugfest

Unavailable

Can be used by using up to 5 bullets

Attack Range: 3m

Max Damage: 1040%

Max Number of Hits: 6

Stun: 1 sec

Explosive Slugfest - Overload

Available once

Attack Range: 3m

Max damage: 1040%

Max Number of Hits: 6

Stun: 1초

Available once

Attack Range: 4m

Max damage: 1420%

Max Number of Hits: 7

Blowback for 1.2 sec upon attack

Guard Break

Super Armor

| Focused Shot (Q)

- Increased the maximum number of shots.
- Added an increased projectile speed by 50% effect when Overload is active.


| Power Jump (E)

- Improved so that direction can be selected using directional keys.
> Smash attack can be used when skill is used forward.
- Decreased cooldown of using skills in when Overload is active by 2 sec.
- Increased the duration of knockback CC effect from 0.8 sec to 1.2 sec upon successfully targeting skill.


| Charged Shot (F)

- Increased the aiming range while charging from 5m to 30m.
- Improved to fire a single shot quickly without having to charge.
- Added an effect that increases projectile and charging speed by 50%.
- Fixed the issue where blowback information was missing on the skill description.
- Improved the camera effect.


| Overload (R)

- Decreased the cooldown from 30 sec to 25 sec.
- Increased the duration from 8 sec to 10 sec.
- Added information about the enhancement effect it adds to each skill.
> Explosive Slugfest: Super armor and increase damage, hit count, and attack area
> Focused Shot: Increase projectile speed by 50%
> Power Jump: Decrease cooldown by 2 sec
> Charged Shot: Increase projectile and gathering speed by 50%
[[/b]Dev Note]
Tantu is hero that specializes in ranged attacks.
But unlike Orwen or Herawen, Tantu utilizes a unique mechanism that revolves around the Iron Buster, which is the reason why he tends to be overlooked.
Bullet management is crucial when playing as Tantu, as a result, he relied heavily on his Overload ability, because it grants him the ability to use skills without using bullets.
In order to decrease his dependence on Overload, we increased the maximum bullet count, and made improvements so that Explosive Slugfest can be used even when Overload is not active to maximize his strong melee capabilities.
We expect that these changes will greatly bolster his melee abilities since Tantu will be able to unleash another Explosive Slugfest under the effects of Overload after using an Explosive Slugfest.
We also decreased the cooldown and increased the duration of Overload, so that skills can be used more frequently, and enhancement effect will be applied to each skill as well. We expect that these changes will make Tantu a more versatile hero.



Ba-Ri & Heilang


| Monkey: Reach! (Q)

- Added an invincibility effect that is temporarily applied at the start of the skill..

- Increased the attack range from 2.5m to 3m.

- Improved to allow immediate smash attack by pressing LMB while skill is being casted.



| Crow: Shoo! (E)

- Added a defensive effect when advancing forward while swinging the Celestial Bo Staff.

- Increased the cooldown from 7 sec to 10 sec.

- Increased the maximum damage by approximately 13%.







Hexe Marie


- Changed the skill slot order of Shadow Bullet and Harbinger’s Scythe.
> Before: Shadow Bullet (F), Harbinger’s Scythe (RMB)
> After: Shadow Bullet (RMB), Harbinger’s Scythe (F)



| Shadow Bullet (RMB)

- Increased the duration of cooldown from 3 sec to 4 sec.



| Shadow of Quturan (Q)

- Improved to allow the use of directional keys to perform a charge or lateral attacks.

- Added Bleed effect to apply when the skill is used in its enhanced form.

- Increased the duration of knockup from 1 sec to 1.5 sec when the skill is used in its enhanced form.

- Improved to make it faster to transition to the next action when the skill is enhanced as opposed to its non-enhanced form.


| Contaminated Sacrifice (E)

- Improved the camera animation of the skill.
- Improved to transition faster to the next action after using the skill by approximately 0.2 sec.
- The following skill effects will be applied depending on the number of Power of Quturan.

Category

Before

Now

Normal Use

Summon an extra Undying Knight

Summon an extra Undying Knight (unchanged)

Use Power of Quturan

Use 1 Power of Quturan

- Add defensive effect

- Summon 2 Undying Knights

Use Power of Quturan x1

- Add defensive effect

- Decrease cooldown by 3 sec

- Summon 1 Undying Knight



Use Power of Quturan x2

- Add defensive effect

- Decrease cooldown by 2 sec

- Summon 2 Undying Knights



Use of Power of Quturan x3

- Add defensive effect

- Decrease cooldown by 1 sec

- Summon 3 Undying Knights

> Increase maximum damage

| Harbinger’s Scythe (F)

- Changed to make it possible to perform a consecutive spinning attack by using an extra Power of Quturan.
> Before: Use Power of Quturan x1 to enhance skill and perform consecutive spinning attacks
→ Now: Use Power of Quturan x1 to enhance skill, and use another Power of Quturan to perform consecutive spinning attacks.
- Removed the super armor effect when performing the final attack during a consecutive spinning attack.
- Increased the maximum damage by 11%.
- Increased the cooldown of the skill from 5 sec to 9 sec.
- Improved the camera animation of the skill.



| Frightening Crow (R)

- Decreased the cooldown from 25 sec to 24 sec.
- Improved the camera effect.

[Dev Note]
Managing the “Power of Quturan” resource is a key component to consider when playing as Hexe Marie. However, it was easy to gather Power of Quturan, and Hexe Marie players were always able to use empowered skills because skills didn’t used only a small portion of the Power of Quturan resources.

Shadow Bullet allowed quick gathering of Power of Quturan, and Harbinger’s Scythe

Hexe Marie could quickly amass Power of Quturan with Shadow Bullets, and thanks to the short cooldown of Harbinger’s Scythe, use the empowered version of the skill to endure fights for a long period of time. These factors were a little problematic since it made Hexe Marie a bit too strong.

As a result, in this update, we’ve changed the Power of Quturan usage feature, and also changed the order of the skill slots.

The key command for Shadow Bullets has been changed to RMB, and its cooldown time has increased as well.

Because this skill is used primarily as a ranged attack and to farm Power of Quturan, we felt that changing to a mouse key would make the skill more convenient to use.

As for Harbinger’s Scythe, we have greatly increased the cooldown and increased the Power of Quturan consumption as well, which will make it harder to sustain fights for a prolonged period of time compared to before.

However, directional keys can now be used to control the direction of Shadow of Quturan. In addition, players can now perform charges or lateral evasion attacks, which will offer more versatility when engaged in combat.

Durgeff Durkhan


| Fire-rang (RMB)

- Decreased the cooldown from 9 sec to 8 sec.



| Thaw Winter (Q)

- Decreased the cooldown from 13 sec to 12 sec.



| Song of Fire (E)

- Added super armor effect while skill is in use.



| Burning Hula Hoop (R)

- Decreased the cooldown from 30 sec to 25 sec.

■ Contents

- Shadow Lords no longer loses their HP gradually when they are not in combat.
- Decreased the max HP of Gigagord by approximately 7.2%.
- Decreased the max HP of Saigord by approximately 6.2%.
- Decreased the max HP of Margord by approximately 14.3%.
- Changed the Shadow Lord buff effect to the following.

Category

Before

After

All

Buff will disappear upon death

Buff will remain even upon death

Varigord

AP +20, DP +20

AP +20

Gigagord

AP +30, DP +30

AP +40

Saigord

AP +40, DP +40

AP +60

Margord

AP +50, DP +50

AP +80

[Dev Note]
Shadow Lords are objects that gives players the opportunity to acquire powerful buffs and items. As a result, players would focus on claiming control of these powerful objects.

However, instead of having all players vy for control of these powerful objects, we’re seeing a situation where only certain players are claiming control of the Shadow Lords. As a result, we’ve made some changes, so that the “Shadow Lord” concept is more consistent.

In addition, there was also the case where players would easily defeat Shadow Lords, because they would naturally lose their HP over time. We’ve removed that HP reduction effect, which in turn will make it longer to take down Shadow Lords now.

Furthermore, we’ve removed the survival-centered defensive bonus from the Shadow Lord’s buff, but maximized its offensive effects. We’ve also made changes so that the buff will remain even upon death.

- Added additional spawn locations of Stoneback Crabs. Stoneback Crabs will no longer spawn in only fixed locations.

> Changed the order at which Mountain Stoneback Crabs and Steppe Stoneback Crabs appear depending on arena.





- Added Marsh Stoneback Crab

- Defeat Effect: Stamina +15, Movement Speed +8%

> River Stoneback Crab or Marsh Stoneback Crab will appear in the arena. Marsh Stoneback Crab will appear in Extraction Mill and Eastern Marsh.











- Changed the Stoneback Crab buff effect to remain even upon death once it is acquired.
- Fixed the issue where Stoneback Crabs moved back when it was getting hit.
- Increased the amount of tokens that can be obtained from Stoneback Crabs.

Types

Before

Now

River Stoneback Crab

50

150

Mountain Stoneback Crab

110

200

Steppe Stoneback Crab

160

200

[Dev Note]

The next important objects after Shadow Lords are Stoneback Crabs.

However, it takes awhile to take down Stoneback Crabs and the rewards were lackluster and the buff disappeared upon death. Due to these risks, Stoneback Crabs fell out of favor. As a result, we changed the buff to remain even upon death, and increased the amount of tokens that can be earned. We expect these changes will allow Stoneback Crabs to offer a more strategic value to players.



- [Trio Mode] Fixed the issue where Sealing Stone would appear.
- Decreased the tokens that can be obtained from Shadow Soldiers upon destroying a cauldron from 40 tokens to 20 tokens.

- Changed to have small chance of obtaining an item from Shadow Solders who appear when the cauldron is destroyed.



| AI Bot

- Improved to make more diverse purchases from the shop.

- Fixed an issue where AI bots would only perform the cheering motion upon obtaining an item.

- Changed the cooldown of Black Spirit Skills to be the same as regular heroes.

- Fixed the issue where Orwen (AI Bot) would occasionally be able to perform Arrow Storm (E) even under crowd control effects.





| Flow of the Arena

- [Blackstar Follower] Changed the location of some Blackstar Beacons depending on where the last ascension point appears.

- [Blackstar Follower] Added additional Blackstar Beacons.



- [Ancient Transportation Device] Changed the location of some Jump Gates depending on where the last ascension point appears.

- [Ancient Transportation Device] Added additional Jump Gates.



- [Forest Gatekeepers] Changed the spawn location of the Dim Tree Spirit depending on where the last ascension point appears.

- [Forest Gatekeepers] Changed to have only one Dim Tree Spirit appear every 7 minutes.

> The Dim Tree Spirit will not appear in 4:30.



- The Dim Tree Spirit will begin to amass fellow Tree Spirits.

> The Nature Spirits and Small Tree Spirits follow the Dim Tree Spirit.

> The Tree Spirits will escort the Dim Tree Spirit and attack from afar.

> However, defeating the monster will yield no beneficial effects.



- Changed how the Dim Tree Spirit engages in battle.

> Summons 2 Small Tree Spirits if its HP is below 50%.

> The Dim Tree Spirit will start to gather life energy when its HP is below 30%. It will recover its HP once it finishes, and the HP recovery amount will depend on the number of Small Tree Spirits.



- Fixed the issue where the Shadow Lords and Ancient Relic timer location displayed abnormally when the Dark Fog moved to the Eastern Marsh.



- Fixed the issue where the notification message didn’t disappear when a rival defeated an object.

- Added a rival notification that will appear when a rival defeats the Dim Tree Spirit.

- Added a notification that will change when a rival obtained the Dim Tree Spirit’s Armor, orb item, and Shadow Lord gear.

■ Fixes and Improvements to the Pearl Abyss Website

* The fixes and improvements listed below were applied during the May 31 (Tue) maintenance made on the Pearl Abyss website.

- IP address can now be viewed from My Page > Account Security Center > View Login History.
- Fixed the issue where you couldn't access the official website if you didn't have the proper Cookie settings.








▶ Check out Currently Known Issues



Click the link above to view the known issues that are currently being investigated by the developers.

We are currently working to resolve these issues, and we will update players through the linked page as soon as an issue is resolved.



Thank you.