Ho, ho, ho! Were you nice or were you naughty? We will see with this year’s Winter Tales: Gifts from above event. So without further ado, let’s see what we’ve cooked up for you!

Winter Tales: Gifts from Above 2024 Event

The temperatures have plummeted in Villedor and the snow has enveloped the cityscape. It can mean only one thing: the return of the fan-favorite Winter Tales: Gifts from Above! Santa’s preparing his superspeed plane-shaped sleigh and stockpiling it full of presents, Baka’s taking his pitch outside the Bazaar again, but it’s down to you to get the decorations out and on the tree! Get ready to enjoy familiar festive features and more as Winter Tales: Gifts from Above 2024 kicks off December 11, alongside the release of Patch 1.20, and will run until January 2.

No Place to Go? Let It Snow!

Villedor has once again been hit by the frosty weather, and its citizens are ready to celebrate the festive season. They’ve got a tree, but it’s missing the decorations. But where are they, you may ask? Complete the bounties on offer from Baka or loot containers to get your hands on a mixture of trinkets, ornaments and other decorations, then dress the tree to make sure the holiday cheer spreads for all to hear! For your hard work, you’ll be rewarded with presents, such as the Killer Krampus Outfit, and Winter Sweets, which can be spent at Baka’s stall. But what’s on offer?

Baka’s Back with His (Festive) Shack

For someone locked up in a cage, he certainly moves quickly. The Halloween stand has been exchanged for something more festive and offers up some great and unique items, including the boomerang-style Skoll, Snowballs and much, much more. He has also ordered some new stock with the Killer Krampus items, including The Punisher weapon, used to reprimand those naughty zombies. So before taking on any bounties, make sure to check out all of Baka’s wares!

Killer Krampus Has Come, To Give You a Fright

While Baka has a selection of the Killer Krampus items, there’s some that he couldn’t get in stock before the festive rush. That’s where Santa, and his contactless delivery service, comes in! With each level increase of Baka’s reputation, you will get a letter you can send to Santa using the box located next to the stall. Once you send it, an airdrop (and its presents) will be comin’ in hot, so you best get your best running shoes on. What awaits you at the dropsite? Well…

Jingle All the Slay

The dreaded Uncle Snows and their minions, the Naughty Infected and Virals, are back and out for blood. And now there’s a new festive zombie type in town: the Ice Spitter. As the name suggests, they will shoot icy projectiles, so watch out! While you will find those Naughty Infected all over Villedor, the most hardened Uncle Snows will be making sure that no one gets their hands on those airdrops that promise worthwhile rewards!

Be sure to get involved in the airdrops each week as the rewards inside will change, allowing you to get the entire Killer Krampus Gear Set for free. The Uncle Snows will put up one hell of a fight, but you can level the playing field with Winter Boons. By killing certain Naughty Infected, you have the chance to get these buffs, and yes, you can stack them!

One More Update for 2024…

Alongside the release of Winter Tales: Gifts from Above 2024, we’ll be releasing Patch 1.20. This patch will streamline the Prologue so players can get into the action much quicker, making it the perfect time to jump into the game for the first time, or finally return to see what else has changed since your last visit to Villedor. The patch also addresses various issues, including those relating to crashes and co-op, and several that have been reported by the community, such as the headless Aiden during the stomp animation.

…And One More Present for You All!

This is the season for giving after all, so until January 2, all players will be able to grab the Above the Law Bundle completely for free. Just like the Killer Krampus, this bundle is all about making sure those not following the rules get punished, so pick it up and keep law and order in The City. And if anyone gives you any grief, pull out the Seesaw Saw to show them you really mean business!

Winter Tales: Gifts from Above 2024 will run from December 11 until January 2.

Prologue Improvements

We decided to take a look at the prologue and introduce some improvements that would enhance the beginning of the game. Our main goal was to create a more streamlined experience with more readable and easier-to-follow objectives. We have also added some new tutorials, adjusted wordings, rebalanced some early weapons, and reworked the introduction of some early-game features. As a result, it’s now even easier to jump into the game, get to Villedor and make your name among the survivors!

Game Updates

Along with those improvements to the prologue, Update 1.20 introduced the following fixes and improvements to the game:

Co-op

• Fixed the occasional issue with other players falling through the elevator floor in the VNC Tower when playing in co-op

Gameplay

• Fixed the issue where sometimes killing a Bolter during night time encounters rewarded no experience
  
• Fixed the issue where slow motion doesn't work for Parkour Shot during Far Jump
  
• Fixed the occasional issue with a headless Aiden being visible if the player looks down during a Head Stomp
  
• The Agony Claws Knuckledusters no longer clip into the character’s leg when crouching
  
• Fixed the issue with Power Shot not working during a slide

Technical

• Fixed the crash sometimes happening on Xbox Series X when accessing additional DLC content that’s installed whilst the title is suspended
  
• Fixed the issue with the final cutscene not playing during the “Satellite Dream” quest
  
• Fixed the issue where SFX are sometimes not played when the player is crawling through metal air vents
  
• Fixed the issue when after turning the monitor off and on several times, the screen goes black and doesn't even display the Microsoft Dashboard on Xbox Series X
  
• Fixed the issue with lightning disappearing for a moment when shifting the camera

UI

• Fixed the issue with Hakon’s Crossbow being the wrong rarity in contrast to the Shop Bundle
  
• Fixed the issue with objectives not being marked as night objectives during the “Cain” quest