Hello Goblins! This one's a day late because in the UK we've got Easter Bank Holidays that are wrecking 2 weeks in a row, planning-wise 😅

Anyway let's dive into what we've been up to on Trash Goblin!


We've completed the first pass of Upcycling gameplay! It's still a little rough around the edges and we want to add some polish & features, but the player can combine a Trinket with... any other Trinket, as long as their sockets match up correctly! This unlocks so much creativity for the player, and also means we can get customers requesting some really weird mashups!



We can't wait to see what you make using this system, and we're going to add a few more things including the ability to spin/rotate Trinkets once in place so you can choose which way each piece faces.



Here you can see how we're working on some ideas of how to show the sockets/attachment points. One of the challenges is not obfuscating a socket icon when one is on the other side of a Trinket, but also ensuring the player understands that only those they can reach are 'valid' - meaning they have to rotate the Trinket around a bit during this process.

Meanwhile please do come on over and talk to us about the game on our discord!
And if you missed the Kickstarter, head over to the shop on our Patreon!

We have some exciting news for our #BestCommunityEver! We are teaming up with Western Star Trucks to bring you a chance for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Last year Western Star started a new tradition by hosting the unique Star Nation Experience event in Bend, Oregon, for their community. Now, for the 2024 season, we have been invited to participate! Alongside us and Western Star Trucks, two lucky American Truck Simulator players will have the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Oregon from 8th to 11th August and take part in the unforgettable Star Nation Experience 2024!


To give you an idea of what the participants can expect, let's take a look back at last year's event. In the heart of Oregon's untamed wilderness, Western Star Trucks made history with an epic 4-day event in 2023, marking the first of its kind in the trucking industry. It was a wild, adrenaline-fueled adventure celebrating everything that makes Western Star and the Star Nation community special. Eight winners of the raffle got access to the Daimler Truck North America facilities and leadership, along with an exclusive preview of the latest X-Series lineup. The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the behind-the-scenes tour of Daimler's High Desert Proving Grounds in Madras, where they took on the ultimate driver challenge, pushing Western Star X-Series trucks to their limits.


And that's just the beginning, participants also indulged in a variety of outdoor adventures, from trout fly-fishing, and brand photoshoots to ATV rides, and even had the chance to meet with the legendary STARSQUATCH. It was a wild ride from start to finish, showcasing the true spirit of trucking enthusiasts coming together for an unforgettable experience.

Despite being strangers at the beginning only connected by their love for Western Star Trucks, this group immediately came together as friends and became like a family by the end of the trip. Want to see more? Dive into all the action-packed details here.

Following the success of the Star Nation Experience event in 2023, Western Star has approached us with a desire to recreate the magic in 2024 with two members from the #BestCommunityEver involved as well!


Perhaps you recall our special live stream last year, where we had the honor of hosting Anthony Pires, former Brand Manager of Western Star. During that stream, we hinted at the possibility of such a collaboration, and since then, developments have been quietly underway behind the scenes. Now, we're thrilled to announce that this project is indeed becoming a reality, and we are partnering with Western Star once again for the Star Nation Experience 2024. The event will retain the essence of its predecessor but our community will have the opportunity to participate alongside us! Want to see more? Watch the teaser for this year's event here.

Do you want to put the Western Star X-Series to the test at the Madras Proving Grounds, meet the masterminds behind the product, and spend the weekend landing monster trout and trailblazing the Oregon terrain on ATVs? Then test your luck and enter the raffle to be one of those two lucky winners of the all-expenses-paid trip and join us at the Star Nation Experience 2024 from 8th to 11th August in Bend, Oregon. You can apply here!

Before applying, we strongly advise you to review Western Star's Terms and Conditions, read the FAQ, and thoroughly examine the application form as there are specific limitations for applicants this year. For instance, this opportunity is exclusively available to individuals from the USA or Canada who are 21 years of age or older. Also, while not required for entry, a Commercial Drivers License will be required to participate in all Grand Prize trip activities. Western Star Trucks will then select two winners from applicants who meet all requirements. We wish everyone the best of luck!


In addition to the fantastic activities awaiting participants at the event, we're happy to reveal that Oscar and Nemiro from our team will also be attending. They'll not only meet with the participants and winners but will also be on hand to capture all the unforgettable moments and memories throughout the Star Nation Experience 2024!

Don't miss out on any updates regarding this exciting collaboration between us and Western Star by signing up for the Star Nation Experience 2024 newsletter at the end of this page. Also keep a close eye on Western Star's Facebook and Instagram, and our X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Get ready to embark on this unforgettable adventure with us!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/270880/American_Truck_Simulator/

Added UI Improvements

Added Spectator

That's a wrap on an amazing PAX EAST 2024! It was an absolute blast watching players discover the first-ever hands-on demo of Dustborn. Thank you to all players who stopped by to stay hi, take pictures with our cosplayers or to play the game!





During the event, we held an exclusive panel featuring host Katy Bentz (Life is Strange), writer Jess Erion, and the talented voice actors Dominique Tipper (The Expanse) as well as Safiyya Ingar (The Witcher). They shared cool stories about the creation of Dustborn and their journey bringing its cast of characters to life!

Looking for behind-the-scenes insights into the making of Dustborn? Catch the livestream here:


Wishlist the game now to stay updated on everthing related to Dustborn!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/721180/Dustborn/



Join our official Dustborn Discord channel and chat with us and many others!

This patch implements Linear instead of Exponential interpolation which makes the game incredibly smoother in the 144-400 fps range.

There are also separate keybindings to toggle walk and sprint if you prefer to press them once instead of holding the key.

Our first Season, Humble Beginnings, starts now! As you work your way through the Season, you’ll be able to collect 42 new skins for Subjects, Terrors and items, as well as Crypt keys for additional rewards along the way as you earn XP. Progressing from Uncommon to Legendary Skins, you’ll have a range of new bling to flaunt as you deceive and deduce.

A number of these rewards are part of the Premium pass, which you can purchase for 500 Shillings on the Season tab.


Speaking of Crypt Keys, the Crypt is open for business! The Crypt will be the go-to place to unlock Subject, Terror, and Item skins, including ones you may have missed out on in previous events.
Favour that existing players had earned before we made the move to XP will see that Favour exchanged for Crypt Keys! All unspent favour, plus the value of any bought plinths will be converted automatically as follows:

• 10k+ favour -> 1 Crypt Key
  
• 100k+ favour -> 2 Crypt Keys
  
• 200k+ favour -> 3 Crypt Keys
  
• 300k+ favour -> 4 Crypt Keys
  
• …and so on.

Titles have arrived - they unlock automatically as you level up. If you’ve already passed the rank requirement, you will find your unlocked titles waiting for you after you’ve played a game following this update. Each Accolade has a unique title, like ‘Chameleon’ for using your Mimic role and going on to win the Ritual, or ‘Killjoy’ for destroying items like traps or motion sensors. To equip them, head to the Ascension tab to show off to your party and fellow players in the end of game screen.

We’ve been adjusting the requirements for existing Accolades, lowering the requirements on 18 Accolades that were out of line with our intended progression rate. None of your progress was lost as a result of this change!

We also reduced the total Accolade point requirement for hitting each Ascension rank to ensure you feel that you’re progressing faster. None of your progress has been lost and if you’ve gone up a rank from this you will automatically equip your new Implant after playing a game.

Like the relationship between Selena and Justin, Deceit 2 can feel complicated to the new player. We have been improving existing SFX and UI, and adding new elements to make things clearer for new players too.

Running around in the mayhem of Millhaven or the weirdness of Wurgen, you may not immediately spot souls ready to be released back to the Peddler. We’ve implemented new figures to aid direction, and draw you to these souls. Once released, souls will enter the Implant on your hand with a new animation, and are transferred straight to the Peddler.

We’re in the process of reworking our in-game Glossary to make it more useful. We’ll continue to work on onboarding to make the game quicker to get to grips with.

Last but not least, we’ve been hard at work to improve our infrastructure and systems so that players can more reliably connect to games. We’ve made notable improvements around ensuring players that can’t connect to our servers don’t get put into the game queue, and progress on cancelling games as soon as possible if a player fails to connect. We’ll be continuing to work on this in the coming weeks.



As we gear up for the full console launch next week, don't forget to wishlist Deceit 2 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S – and feel free to share the news with your friends.

Your feedback is invaluable to us, and it's crucial for us to keep improving—even as we gear up for the console launch next week. Please keep it coming!

The Deceit Team

• Your preferred character now animates in the Menu’s Ascension tab.
  
• Updated the ‘Soul Capture’ animation played after completing a Task.
  
• Added transition animations for when you enter, and leave, the Inbetween.
  
• Updated the idle animations used for Subjects on the Menu.
  
• Updated the Role reveal animations.
  
• Updated the Experiment’s block animation in 3P to improve clarity around when they are actually blocking.
  
• [FIXED] The Escape Key isn’t held in your hand properly.
  
• [FIXED] The 1P self-use Muzzle animation for masculine characters doesn’t play properly.

• Added a total of 42 new cosmetics for Subjects, Terrors and Items. You can earn these as you progress through the Season.
  
• Updated the gauges on Wurgen’s Reactor.
  
• Updated the Inbetween lighting on both Millhaven & Wurgen.
  
• [FIXED] Alex’s Zombie Santa beard doesn’t load properly.
  
• [FIXED] Several Weak Points have an incorrect visual when in the Inbetween.
  
• [FIXED] Chang’s Dashing Devil mask clips with his face.

• Updated the vote casting and Subject elimination SFX.

• Active Tasks will now have souls standing in front of them to highlight their availability.
  
• Updated the Escape Door sequence so that the game ends as soon as you turn the Escape Key in the padlock.
  
• Everyone is now told when the Mimic switches Team, although they aren’t told what Team they switched to. The Infected will still be told if the Mimic joins them.
  
• Updated the radial wheel interactions for Keyboard & Mouse users to attempt to fix occasionally being unable to select a segment.
  
• You can now hear Walkie Talkie voice chat whilst spectating a Walkie Talkie owner.
  
• The Weak Point interaction hitboxes have been updated on Wurgen.
  
• Wurgen’s decontamination Task will now shut the doors before beginning the decontamination process.
  
• You can no longer see a Ball & Chain on a Subject in Ghost form.
  
• [FIXED] The ‘Escape Artist’ Steam achievement doesn’t always unlock.
  
• [FIXED] It’s possible to use the Muzzle on yourself and another Subject at the same time.
  
• [FIXED] Some players are unable to use the Ball & Chain after purchasing the Werewolf DLC.
  
• [FIXED] The Role reveal animation will occasionally not play as you enter a game.
  
• [FIXED] The Chemist’s poison doesn’t kill the remaining Subjects if they poison the last Subject during the Inbetween.

• Titles have been added to the game! Each Accolade has a Title associated with it, reach the specified rank and the Title will be automatically added to your collection in the Ascension tab. If you reached the required rank for a Title before this update then playing a game will unlock it for you.
  
• 18 Accolades have had their rank requirements reduced to keep them in line with the rest of the Accolades. No progression has been lost as part of this change.
  
• The requirements for each of the Ascension ranks have been lowered. No progression has been lost as part of this change, and if you reach a new rank you’ll receive your new Implant after playing a game.
  
• Your level will now be shown off in the post game lobby.
  
• [FIXED] Your implant can either be incorrect, or not shown, in the Menu.

• Improved the connection testing performed before players can ready up for a game. This was rolled out last week.
  
• Usernames will now be automatically adjusted if they fail to pass a profanity filter.
  
• Usernames are now truncated to a maximum of 16 characters.

• The Waypoint to the Escape Door is now shown as soon as you grab the Escape Key.
  
• Updated the Glossary to make it more accessible.
  
• Updated the Accolade tiles and hover UI in the Ascension tab.
  
• You can now see how many votes a Subject has on them when spectating.
  
• Updated the Collection tab so that variants of cosmetics are now shown alongside their bases.
  
• [FIXED] In-game notifications can overlap radial wheels.
  
• [FIXED] The Accolade hover UI can go off screen in certain aspect ratios.
  
• [FIXED] The ‘unseen’ notification for cosmetics can persist despite clicking on the element it’s associated with.

• Several translations have been updated.

Here's some quick notes on the change.

• Changed the Main Menu
  
• 100 Rooms ADDED! (Unlocked when you beat 10 Rooms)
  
• Easter Eggs - Can you find them?
  
• Fix OOB issue

• Adjusted “A Void Dance” achievement
  
• Adjusted “Master of Direction” achievement (hopefully it won’t auto-grant it now)
  
• Added “Explorer” achievement. Unfortunately, if you have a save from a previous version of the game, you’ll have to re-visit any visited levels to get this achievement.
  
• Fixed collision issue on II
  
• Adjusted secret on VII
  
• Fixed visual glitch in X10
  
• Fixed visual glitch in J
  
• Adjusted map to make panning with the right stick better
  
• Updated log text (mostly just formatting)

Some of the achievements still need testing.

Hello Survivors!

Just a quick note for today!

We invite you to join our Twitch stream TONIGHT, March 28th, at 7:15pm ET for a look at Outbreak: Shades of Horror and its development roadmap!

We'll be taking a dive into the current build of the game, sharing plenty of details, and answering your questions, so please come by if you can! We'll also be giving away games and playing some more Resident Evil 3 later in the stream!

If you're not able to join us tonight, no worries! We'll have the stream VOD uploaded on our YouTube channel once it's over!

Find the Dead Drop Studios Twitch here and follow us so you never miss a stream: http://www.twitch.tv/deaddropstudios

Until next time, take care, Survivors!

Hello Survivors!

Just a quick note for today!

We invite you to join our Twitch stream TONIGHT, March 28th, at 7:15pm ET for a look at Outbreak: Shades of Horror and its development roadmap!

We'll be taking a dive into the current build of the game, sharing plenty of details, and answering your questions, so please come by if you can! We'll also be giving away games and playing some more Resident Evil 3 later in the stream!

If you're not able to join us tonight, no worries! We'll have the stream VOD uploaded on our YouTube channel once it's over!

Find the Dead Drop Studios Twitch here and follow us so you never miss a stream: http://www.twitch.tv/deaddropstudios

Until next time, take care, Survivors!