Welcome back, bounty hunters!

Today we come with a fresh update, filled with fixes, tweaks and improvements, but also some new content. As you can tell, we have packed a lot into this patch, so let's begin with the TL;DR-Summary of what you can expect in this update:

• Introduction of new local Co-Op mode
  
• Introduction of gamepad support
  
• New Weapons and Modules
  
• New Garages & Shops
  
• Various bug fixes and improvements
  

For more information covering the new content, please read this detailed overview right here:



Especially one of the features is something that we’ve been working on in secret in parallel to other tasks, not sure if we can pull it off. Looks like we made it though, so it’s official:

You can play Glitchpunk in a local co-op mode - and with 3rd party features like Steam Remote Play or Parsec it is also possible to play with your friends over the internet.


So, what's exactly new in version 0.3?

CO-OP MODE

We introduce a hop-in/out cooperation mode where an additional player character spawns and both of you can complete the whole game together. After the according option is activated in the settings, Player Two can drop into the game anytime by using the dedicated button on the desired input device.
Important note regarding remote co-op: Since the input is bound to the local limitations of the host, the co-op mode can either be played via shared keyboard or gamepad(s). Dual Keyboards aren’t supported on OS level without 3rd party software.
The second player can do most of the stuff that the first player does, with minor exceptions of custom logic related to hacking, character upgrades, and some of the missions. Still, the second player benefits from the same stat power-up modules, and abilities, can recruit mercenaries, buy and use weapons and items, drive separate cars, etc. Just remember that if one of you commits a crime, then both players are being chased!

Despite being a local co-op mode, you can play with your friend over the Steam Remote Play feature or Parsec services. Those two have been tested and greenlit by us - if there are any other solutions you’re using, feel free to test it and let us know so we can share the good news on our Discord. Some software might work better or worse, depending on the internet connection and various other factors.

2. NATIVE GAMEPAD CONTROLLER SUPPORT

Some of you have been fighting for this since the festival demo in early 2021. At last, there it is! Please remember to make sure you have the generic gamepad profile selected for Glitchpunk (you can access it in Steam’s Big Picture mode). For the day of release, the default profile for Glitchpunk set by us should work for you exactly as intended, although if you have selected another profile by yourself, then please remember to switch to one which doesn’t remap keyboard input to the gamepad.

3. NEW MODULES AND WEAPONS

Three more special weapons make an entrance:

• Grenades are perfect for throwing behind corners or dropping under your feet while running away from a chase.
  
• Heavy machinegun, bombing heavy, deadly shells that will easily dispatch of any vehicle and drop even toughest enemy dead with just a few shots; an all-around weapon, but not the cheapest one,
  
• Lasergun, bringing an absolutely devastating power, gibbing living creatures, and bombing cars within seconds; with great power comes to a great price though, so try to not die too quickly after buying one.
  

We also drop some more modules, a few of which will play a bigger part in future cities’ mission logic. As for now feel free to test them and provide us with your feedback regarding their usability and balance. First, we introduce two new hacking modules:

• Mimic, allowing you to steal somebody’s identity for as long as you do not attack, get close to the person you stole the identity from, or if you run out of focus. This way entering enemy gang territories, avoiding the police, or stealth missions become much easier.
  
• Buddyguard makes your worst enemies become your best friends, at least for a few seconds. Useful both as means of easier dispatch and short-term support in street fights.
  

Besides that, three more modules provide passive upgrades:

• Kinetic Overcharge, increasing instakill chance when dealing melee damage. Gibbing your opponents with bare fists becomes a reality!
  
• V-Optics increases both focus limit and itss regeneration speed, so you can hack stuff longer…
  
• .. and you might want to pair it with Triple Chipmunk which gives you more hp than any other module ever did.
  

4. NEW VEHICLES AND GARAGES

To bring some more variety to the streets, we bring you three more new, fully driveable vehicles:

• Scooter delivery bikes from which you can buy some stuff directly, just be careful to not scare their drivers off or you might not get the deal they offer,
  
• a big coach bus which can carry as many allies as you want,
  
• and a retro sedan for those who’d like some more retro-futurism in their garage.
  

Speaking of garages, we got some new car upgrade shops for you:

• two types of mines, including classic proximity bombs and hacking beacons. They affect both characters and cars, so that you can stop any kind of chase, be it with deadly force or just to slow someone down.
  
• Escape tunnels leading to various parts of the city, so you can get there quicker for a small price. Very useful during police chases.
  
• Dismantle shops, where owners put up a big sign showing the exact model of the car they want and how much are they willing to pay. In essence, it’s a side gig that can earn you some cash and give you a reason to learn more about different car models and the topography of the cities in Glitchpunk.
  

5. EVEN MORE OPTIMIZATION

Some updates ago we introduced a solution that was supposed to fix some issues regarding the performance that come from the amount of meshes and materials loaded at once. We decided to introduce then the level streaming, which decreased dramatically the amount of stuff in the memory at once, although it turned out that for some of you the constant loading and unloading of stuff, despite being asynchronous and using separate threads, caused massive hitches.

This is something we did not expect and we discovered that it varies between machines, so with this update, we introduce an option to toggle the level streaming on and off as you please, so you can select what works best for you. While it should work without exiting the game, we suggest restarting Glitchpunk just to be extra sure.

Besides that, we introduced a few smaller tweaks and tricks to make the game run faster. At the same time, we liked the idea of allowing you to take control of your experience with the game’s performance and have the freedom to either push it or turn down some gameplay effects. Today we introduce an option to customize the amount of traffic and pedestrians on the streets. It can be used to adjust between 50% and 200% of default values.

We hope that with these you will experience smoother gameplay! We do not stop at these however, more tweaks coming in the future.

- - -



Besides all of the above, this update comes with a big pile of tweaks, balances, and fixes. We tested this build internally for quite some time, but still - there might be some ways to break the game - we count on your creativity! As always, share your thoughts, reports, and feedback either on Steam Community Hub or, preferably, our Discord, where we respond much faster.

Cheers,
Maciej, Lead Developer and founder of Dark Lord
&
Daedalic Entertainment