IMPROVEMENT

FIGHTERS

BALANCING CHANGES

Orochi

• Zephyr Slash is no longer enhanced, including on off-target opponents
  
• Top Heavy Finisher now deals 30 damage (down from 32)
  
• Side Heavy Finishers now have smaller weapon trajectories to better match their weapon
  
• Heavy Finishers now have less forward movement
  
• Chain Link Timing from Dust Devil to Heavy Finishers is now 100ms slower at a minimum

Dev Comment: Orochi has been overperforming at all levels of play. We're addressing some of the most critical issues for the hero at the moment, and will keep an eye on the hero as players adapt to the changes.

We're applying the change we made to Berserker's side dodge attacks to Orochi as well, seeing as the experiment seems to have been successful at knocking down Berserker's effectiveness in group fights.

We're also addressing Orochi's Heavy Finishers, which are some of his strongest points. We're lowering the damage of the Top Heavy Finisher as it tends to overperform and is very easy to access, and we're also lowering the trajectory size of the hero's Side Heavy Finishers as they cover too much ground. On top of these changes, we're also lowering the forward movement these moves have as they tend to cover too much ground and are too strong against external opponents.

Finally, we're slowing down the chain link timing from Dust Devil to Heavy Finishers so that Orochi can no longer get a guaranteed Side Heavy Finisher on opponents when target swapping after a Dust Devil.

We're keeping an eye on Orochi and will see where he ends up to address further issues should they pop up.

Warmonger

• Preying Claw now can be performed from 100ms to 500ms after a Front Dodge (was 300ms to 500ms)

Dev Comment: We've done this change for Warden in the past, and it ended up being very successful with Warden at giving the hero a better way to open up opponents. Warmonger currently has a more difficult time opening up, and we're making this change for the hero so enhance those capabilities.

Lawbringer

• Top Heavy Opener now deals 23 damage (up from 20)
  
• Zone Attack and Make Way now deal 16 damage (up from 15)
  
• Impaling Riposte and Impaling Charge now deal 3 damage (up from 1)

Dev Comment: We're adjusting a few of Lawbringer's damage numbers to make the hero more effective in a few situations and to give back utility to some specific punishes. Zone Attack and Make Way dealing 16 damage puts them more in line with other similar attacks, and gives Lawbringer a slightly better Heavy Parry Punish.

The changes to Top Heavy opener and Impaling Riposte specifically are meant to address a situation where Lawbringer would always get less damage by using Impaling Riposte after a Light Parry and getting a wall splat than using Blind Justice. At 26 minimum damage right now this means that Lawbringer is not as disadvantaged when using this option in the kit.

Berserker

• Chain Link timing between Zone Attack and Chained Light attack when buffered is now 266ms (was 100ms)

Dev Comment: Before this change, opponents had a single frame in which to time a parry attempt for the Chained Light attack after a Zone Attack. Now, the window to parry is more in-line with other heroes, and should give players a higher chance to parry the attack.

Varangian

• Throws now wallsplat from 700ms to 1500ms (was 1000ms to 1500ms)

Dev comment: Varangian had an issue where if you were close to a wall, a throw would wallsplat too late and Varangian was not able to get their correct Heavy Attack punish on the opponent. With this change, it should always be guaranteed.

Jiang jun

• Can now enter Sifu's Poise at the same timing as Dodge is allowed during recoveries on hit

Dev comment: With this change, Jiang Jun can now effectively use Sifu's Poise then use Sifu's Swirl to punish fast bash attempts. This should give the hero better defensive capabilities, especially in 1v1 scenarios.

PHOTO MODE

• Added a Photo Mode in the barracks and in-game

Dev comment: A Photo Mode is now available in the Barracks' Hero Overview and in-game (for solo content only). Photo Mode offers filters, frames and settings to edit the photo before saving it. It also offers, in-game only, two camera modes to move around to take the perfect shot.

BUG FIXES

GENERAL

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Feinting on the last possible frame caused a Feint of next inputted attack
FH-1836[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

FIGHTERS

Berserker

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Berserker's Moveset Page showed incorrect properties on Head Slicer

Afeera

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Afeera would sometimes fail to play sounds

CUSTOMIZATION

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue with Hitokiri Body Type 2's Miyoshino Chest laces area

FH-7353[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where paint patterns weren't centered on Warden's Corporis Chest

FH-7323[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where paint patterns weren't centered on Warden's Radiavi Chest

FH-7331[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue with Valkyrie's Pra Chest incorrectly showing the upper part of the Fulla Chest

FH-7284[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where color does not get applied on the upper portion of standards of Kyoshin's Shisei Chest

FH-7529[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue on Gladiator's Acuminis Chest

FH-7288[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue with paint patterns alignment on Lawbringer's Magnanimus Helm

MAP

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Heroes could go out-of-world on Beachhead map at the wooden ramp to capture zone A
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Heroes could die in Cathedral when running from capture zone C to capture zone B under certain conditions

CONVERTED MAP: CATHEDRAL

War has come to Cathedral!

DOMINION

- Capture Zones A and C have been added alongside the cathedral exterior, while Capture Zone B runs through the interior of the cathedral itself.
- Several modifications made to the navigational flow of the map, allowing Players optimal pathing towards the different Dominion objectives.
- Available in 3 uniquely different weather conditions.
- Available in Matchmaking and Custom match.

IMPROVEMENT

FIGHTERS

BALANCING CHANGES

Highlander Rework

*Dev comment: The Highlander rework is now live! The overall goals of this rework are: *

- Improve entering and staying in Offensive Form
- Adjust Defensive Form and Offensive Form to have access to better tools to deal withopponents
- More easily accessible Guardbreak and Parry punishes
- New Dodge attack in Offensive Form
- Feintable Formorian Kick to allow Highlander to deal with Dodge attacks and catch roll attempts
- Caber Toss from Offensive Form Front Dodge to catch roll attempts

The full list of changes is below:

Offensive Form entries

- Can now hold Heavy Attack while Feinting an attack to fast flow into Offensive Form
- Can now Dodge when entering Offensive Form from neutral after 533ms (was 800ms)
- Re-entering Offensive Form during a Side Dodge while in Offensive Form is nowperformed from 600ms to 800ms (was 400ms to 600ms)

Defensive Form changes

- Light Attacks
- Light Opener Crushing Counter damage is now 18 (down from 20)
- Chained Lights no longer have Uninterruptible Stance

- Heavy Openers
- Top Heavy Opener is now 800ms (down from 1000ms)
- Top Heavy Opener now deals 24 damage (down from 30)
- Top Heavy Opener now causes a Medium hit reaction (down from Heavy)
- Side Heavy Openers are now 900ms (down from 1000ms)
- Side Heavy Openers now deal 27 damage (down from 30)

- Heavy Finishers
- Can now chain to Zone Attack on Hit/Block/Miss
- Now have 100ms of Guardbreak vulnerability (was 200ms)

- Zone Attack
- First Hit can now be Feinted
- First Hit now gains Uninterruptible Stance at 500ms
- Second and Third hits now gain Uninterruptible Stance at 100ms
- Second and Third hits now have 100ms of Guardbreak Vulnerability (down from200ms)
- Second and Third hit Feints are now 200ms (down from 300ms)
- Third Hit now chains to Heavy Finishers on Hit/Block/Miss
- All hits now cause a Medium hit reaction (was Heavy hit reaction)
- Adjusted Weapon Trajectories to better match the weapon visuals

- Other changes
- Celtic Curse is now Feintable
- Celtic Impetus now causes a Medium hit reaction (down from Heavy)
- Adjusted Weapon Trajectories to better match the weapon visuals on all side Heavy and Light attacks, as well as for Celtic Impetus
- Movement Speed has been increased to match Kensei's movement speed

Offensive Form changes

- Formorian Kick
- Can now be Feinted
- Now costs 15 stamina (down from 20)

- Dodge attacks
- Can now perform Caber Toss from Front Dodge by pressing Guardbreak
- NEW ATTACK: Balor's Flight
- Performed by releasing Heavy Attack during Side Dodge
- 14 damage, 600ms attack

- Top Light is now 400ms (down from 500ms)
- Heavy Attacks
- Now deal 26 damage (down from 30)
- Now cost 12 stamina (down from 24)

- Other changes
- Formorian Kick and Caber Toss no longer drain Stamina
- Exiting Offensive Form now costs 6 stamina (down from 12)
- Left and Right Dodges now move 0.5m further

- Bug fixes
- Fixed an issue that allowed Highlander to chain on Defensive Light Attack MISS 100ms earlier than intended.
- Fixed an issue that prevented Highlander from Target Swapping Caber Toss.
- Fixed an issue that prevented Highlander from performing Caber Toss as early as intended when changing stance (was 600ms, is now 200ms)
- Fixed an issue that caused Highlander to have extra backwards movement whenperforming Heavy after Guardbreak while holding a direction with Left Stick.
- Fixed an issue that caused Highlander to cancel Right Heavy (miss) 100ms laterthan intended (from 0-300ms to 0-200ms)

Warden:

- Shoulder Bash Followups
- All Shoulder Bash followups now gain Uninterruptible Stance at 100ms
- New unique animations for the following Shoulder Bash followups

- Side Light, including combo lights
- Heavy Attacks
- Zone Attack

*Dev comment: Warden's Shoulder Bash is a strong tool in 1v1 situations but is difficult to use in group fight situations, especially when outnumbered, because the attack followups are slower than average but do not offer protection from opponent peel attempts. We are improving these attacks to gain Uninterruptible Stance to help protect Warden in these situations, and we have also changed their animations to make them fully distinguishable from their neutral attack counterparts, with the exception of the Top Light followup, which still gains Uninterruptible Stance but keeps its old animation in order to keep the Superior Block property. *

*Note that these attacks deal the same amount of damage and chain to other attacks at the same timing as before. *

Backstepping Superior Block Lights

- The following heroes' neutral Light attacks can no longer be backstepped
- Warlord
- Valkyrie
- Kyoshin
- Afeera
- Black Prior
- Varangian
- Highlander

*Dev comment: Superior Block attacks are strong in that they let players counter attacks using Light attacks instead of attempting to Parry. On Live, they currently have an issue where players can use them to Option Select opponent attacks by backstepping - as they walk backwards, if the opponent's attack is a Light Attack, the attack will be countered by the Superior Block, but if it is a Heavy attack the hero will move backwards enough to avoid the opponent's attack. This change removes this ability to Option Select opponent attacks from neutral completely and should lower the effective power of these attacks. *

Shinobi:

Opener lights now deal 10 damage (down from 12)
Zone Attack 2nd hit now deals 4 damage (down from 6)

Dev comment: We had an issue where the previously announced damage changes to Shinobi's Opener Lights did not end up going live. We have fixed the issue, so they now deal the correct amount of damage. We're also adjusting the damage of the 2nd hit of Shinobi's Zone Attack as part of this damage curve adjustments.

Hitokiri:

Heavy Openers now have a minimum Guardbreak Vulnerability of 433ms (up from 333ms)

Dev comment: Hitokiri has had an issue where the total Guardbreak Vulnerability of their Heavy Openers could be 333ms - the charge portion has 300ms of minimum charge, and the strike portion only had 33ms of Guardbreak Vulnerability. The strike portion of the attack now has 133ms of Guardbreak Vulnerability. With this change, the minimum duration of Guardbreak Vulnerability is 433ms (300ms during the charge portion, then 133ms during the strike portion).

Orochi:

Zone Attack now deals 11 damage (down from 14)
Side Heavy Finishers now deal 28 damage (down from 30)
Storm Rush now deals 17 damage (down from 20)

Dev comment: Orochi's damage curve is above normal, especially with their Zone Attack and Side Heavy Finishers. We are lowering their damage to bring them closer in line with the rest of the cast. In addition, Storm Rush was buffed when we removed the combo lights from the attack, but this proved to be too strong for the hero, so we are lowering the damage it causes as well.
Berserker

Top Heavy Opener now deals 28 damage (down from 29)
Top Heavy Finisher now deals 30 damage (down from 31)
Side Heavy Finishers now deal 32 damage (down from 34)
Side Dodge Lights now deal 13 damage (down from 15)

Dev comment: Berserker has been overperforming at some levels of play, partially due to his damage curve, which is above normal. We are therefore slightly lowering the damage values, and will keep an eye on the hero as things progress to see where they end up.

Afeera:

Top Heavy after melee attacks now deals 16 damage (down from 18)
Right Heavy after melee attacks now deals 16 damage (down from 18)

Dev comment: Afeera's Heavy Parry punishes deal above average damage at 18. We are lowering the damage of these two moves to 16 to ensure that her damage curve is better aligned with the rest of the cast. Note that it is still slightly above average due to the extra Stamina cost that is incurred for these specific punishes that require the use of Knockout Punch.

Varangian:

- Hjaldr Oathkeeper now attack in the correct stance when Superior Blocking (was always Left stance)
- Opener and Finisher Lights can no longer have their Superior Block followup be target swapped
- Can now throw diagonally
- Adjusted wallsplat and ledge windows of opportunity to be earlier in the throw victim's reactions to allow for more consistent wallsplat and ledging

ECO MODE

- Added an ECO Mode on Current Gen Consoles.

Dev Comment: On Current Gen consoles (PS5, Xbox Series S & X), a new Graphic Settings is added to enable an ECO Mode to save energy by reducing framerate, resolution, and graphic upgrades. Four modes are offered: Off, Minimal that activates only in the menus, Smart that activates after 2 minutes of idle time and Full that activates at all times. In the menus only, an ECO Mode icon will appear when it's activated.

BUG FIXES

GENERAL
- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Samurai and Viking minions incorrectly had Knight weapons. FH-7110 [forhonor.ubisoft.com]

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue with Eagle Companion that make the eagle appear too black on podium screen when night map weather is selected.

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where the Frozen Profundis blade for Black Prior was upside down.

FIGHTERS
Hitokiri

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Hitokiri's weapon clips with their fingers while performing the execution "Toriireru"

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Hitokiri's hand is offset with the opponent's hand while performing the execution "Toriireru"

Shaman

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where the enemy's weapon does not disappear after falling down to the ground while previewing execution "Take it on the chin"

Orochi

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where paint patterns aren't applied well on Orochi's Honnari Arm shoulders. FH-6256[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

Kyoshin

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where the enemy's hand is displaced when Kyoshin's Celestial Discipline Execution is performed from the front on certain heroes. FH-5484 [forhonor.ubisoft.com]

Medjay

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Medjay's Heavy finisher animation could change into top light finisher animation in certain circumstances. FH-4271[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

Warden

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue where Warden's Zone Attack animation skips frames from the enemy's perspective when thrown from left & top left guard stance. FH-1824 [forhonor.ubisoft.com]

MAP

Viking Village

- [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the player to pass through a wall. FH-3444[forhonor.ubisoft.com]

Welcome Warrior's to Year 8 Season 1 Tittle Update 2 of For Honor! In this article we will cover everything that was discussed throughout the previous Warrior's Den. We've got information that you won't want to miss!

For more in-depth discussions, don't forget to explore the Warrior's Den Y8S1 TU2 VOD.

For a quick recap of what was covered in TU1, check out our March 7th article here[www.ubisoft.com].

During the most recent Warrior's Den, we announced that the Assassin's Creed event "For the Creed" was coming back to For Honor. During this event you'll be able to play the game mode "Assassini E Templari." One question remains, Assassins or Templars? Battle it out to find out who will come out on top.

We also discussed the newest hero skin coming to For Honor and a multitude of new content for S29TU2, scheduled to launch on April 25th. We also talked about the upcoming converted map "Cathedral", new Armor Variations for Knights and Vikings, Hero Fests and Patch Notes.

Ezio Auditore Hero skin for Peacekeeper

For the first time in For Honor we have created a cross brand hero skin. The Peacekeeper will now be able to look, move and sound like Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed. That's not all, the hero skin will have an exclusive iconic drop attack that will be active even after the AC event. Be sure to check out the hero skin for $14.99 USD or 31,250 steel.

In addition to the TU2 release, a free Event Pass: For the Creed, will be available from April 25th to May 16th. Exclusive, limited-time rewards will be available during this time such as:

Week 1 (April 25th):

• Battle Outfit: Battle of Heroes
  
• Ornament: Hero Of Heathmoor
  
• Mood FX: Vitruvian Hero
  
• And Emblem outlines
  
• Additionally, in week 1 you will be able to get some weapons from the very first AC event for the first 22 heroes.

Week 2 (May 2nd):

• Battle Outfit: Valhalla Quest
  
• Battle Outfit: Animus Project
  
• Elite Outfits: Ruller of the Masses
  
• Elite Outfits: Champion of the People
  
• Ornaments: Synin'd Wings
  
• Mood FX: Welcome to Valhalla
  
• Mood FX: Assassin Synchronization
  
• Mood FX: Templar Synchronization
  
• Engravings
  
• Emblem symbols

PATCH NOTES

In this Warrior's Den, we went over some of the changes that are going live at the launch of Y8S1 TU2. Some of these changes include the implementation of "Eco Mode", Highlander reintegration, balance changes and more! We suggest you watch this segment of the show in the VOD[www.twitch.tv]. An article for the Patch Notes will be available on April 25th.

That's it for this recap! Y8S1 TU2 will be live on April 25th, and we'll see you next time for another recap. But until then, we will see you on the battlefield!

April Fools is here yet again and this time, things are a little different. Available on April 1st only, come and join the wacky body swap event "Switcheroo" where all your favorite heroes will be just as confused as you will be.

Switcheroo will be live from April 1st 9:00am ET to April 2nd 9:00am ET.

Check out our newest trailer and see you on the battlefield!

March 7, 2024
5 Min Read

Welcome Warrior's to Year 8 of For Honor! This article will highlight everything discussed throughout the previous Warrior's Den. We've got some information on Year 8 you won't want to miss!

For more details we suggest checking out the VOD for Y8 Reveal Warrior's Den Livestream.

Year 8 Forged in War

Year 8 of For Honor is called "Forged in War." Under this theme, we're going to explore the most valuable asset in the world of war, the weapons. Our weapons define how we fight and remind us of what we fight for. Throughout Year 8, we are going to explore four stories that unfold around legendary weapons. In some cases these legends are forged through the actions of our heroes and in other cases our heroes may pick up a weapon that already has a legend embedded within which will bring on an entirely new challenge, living up to the weapons name.

Year 8 New Features

During the Warrior's Den, we went over some new features coming to year 8. This includes Converted Maps, Legacy Pass, Rep 80, Arcade Mode free for everyone and some new offers for new players!

New maps is something that has been highly requested by the community so we are very pleased to announce that in Y8S1 TU2, Cathedral will be converted into a Dominion map. Another new feature coming to For Honor in Year 8 is the Legacy Pass. For Year 8, we are bringing back older battle passes and allowing new players to get the content they potentially missed out on. We've also increased the reputation level from 70 to 80. Of course, this means we are releasing a new reward, we really wanted to give our most dedicated players another opportunity to shine.

We will also be making Arcade mode available for all players starting March 14th. This means that all players will now have access to weekly Arcade Quests. All players will have the opportunity to unlock many different rewards for free.

For more a more detailed breakdown of all the new features coming to Year 8, we suggest either checking out the Vision video recap article, or checking out the Year 8 Reveal Warrior's Den.

Year 8 Season 1 Details

Season 1 is titled "Swords of Ashfield" This season revolves around the Unsung Knight, A lone Warden fighting for resources to help the survivors of the Cataclysm. Once apart of great empire of chivalrous Knights, their legacy lives on through an ancient sword passed down through generations of noble warriors. The Unsung Knight is the sword's last wielder and is now fighting to ensure the safety of the weak against the ravagers of all factions.

Here is a roadmap where you can see everything coming in Y8S1. We've got a new limited time game mode titled "Last Hero Standing", with a free event pass, a new Hero Skin called "The Unsung Knight", a new Battle Pass and for the first time ever, a Legacy Pass. We have 3 hero fests coming up, Warden on April 4th, Centurion on April 11th and Peacekeeper on April 18th. We also have a throwback event "Rite of Champions" taking place April 11 - 18th.

The Testing Grounds will be opening March 21st and will go over some new anti-gank tech. Additionally, we had a patch notes segment that went over Peacekeeper and Medjay re-integration. For a more detailed look into the Testing Grounds as well as the Patch Notes segment, we highly suggest checking out the VOD.

New Hero Skin

"The Unsung Knight" is our new Warden hero skin and will be available March 14th for 25,000 steel. This skin is something that has been requested by the community, a large inspiration derived from the Warden in the first cinematic story. We wanted to tap into the roots of the game and the nostalgia of where the knights came from. For more details on "The Unsung Knight" we suggest checking out the Year 8 Season 1 Details segment.

New Time Limited Game Mode

During the Warrior's Den, we announced our new limited time game "Last Hero Standing" mode coming at the launch of Y8S1 titled "Last Hero Standing" This is a 1v1v1 free for all where every warrior will need to fend for themselves. The first player to win 3 rounds, wins the match. This game mode is only accessible through matchmaking and is solo queue only.

The game mode will be available from March 14th to April 4th and will have a free event pass that will be available for all players. Below are some of the rewards from the Free Event Pass.

• Battle Outfit: Ancient Unity
  
• Ornament: Golden Unity
  
• Mood Effect: Knights United

This was a brief recap of what was shown on the Warrior's Den on March 7th. As a friendly reminder, we encourage you to check out the VOD on our Twitch channel as this is where you will find a more in-depth look at what is to come in Year 8 Season 1. Otherwise, see you on the battlefield warriors.

Excitement filled the latest Warrior's Den as we delved into the details of the upcoming Hero and the extensive content of Year 7, Season 4's Title Update 2. Scheduled for launch on February 1st, TU2 promises a plethora of features, including a new Hero, new Armor Variations, Hero Fests and Patch Notes. Additionally, we'll provide you with a high-level overview of what to expect in Year 8. For more in-depth discussions, don't forget to explore the [[url=https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2043247262?t=00h09m58s]Warrior's Den Y7S TU2 VOD[/url]].

Year 8 Sneak Peek

Year 8 is set to kick off on March 14th, featuring a structured format with four seasons. Excitingly, players can anticipate the introduction of two new heroes and new hero skins. Notably, heroes will be introduced in Seasons 2 and 4, body type locked.

Something new in Year 8 is the addition of converted maps. The plan is to transform non-Dominion maps into Dominion maps. Throughout the year, two maps are scheduled for conversion. The goal is to make the pool of Dominion maps bigger.

An addition to our offer in Year 8 is the Legacy Pass, which brings back previous battle passes in chronological order. For example, in Year 8, Season 1, players can purchase or continue the Year 4 Season 1 battle pass and progress through it. This pattern continues with subsequent seasons, allowing players to maintain their old progressions and progress through multiple passes simultaneously. The Legacy Pass includes a tier 101 that consolidates all retrofitted content for heroes not initially part of the Battle Pass. The Legacy Pass will be $9.99 US or included in the Battle Bundle, which retains its cost at $24.99 US. The battle bundle will now consist of the 2 passes, unlocks 25 tiers in both passes, and offers a 20% Battle Pass Boost.

For a quick recap of what was covered in TU1, check out our November 30th article here[www.ubisoft.com].

"The oath bought and sold is worth no coin at all."

The Varangian Guards' journey is encapsulated by the phrase, This mantra reflects their steadfast dedication, emphasizing that their loyalty cannot be compromised by monetary gains.

Originating from distant lands beyond Heathmoor, the Varangian Guards, a group of mercenary Vikings, have flourished. United by an unwavering commitment, these warriors are renowned for their absolute loyalty. Once they pledge an oath, there is no wavering; they remain steadfastly true to both their client and themselves.

As they ventured into uncharted territories, these formidable fighters transcended their Viking roots, embracing the role of mercenaries. Despite this transformation, their Viking essence persists, evolving into something more - elite bodyguards possessing unparalleled combat skills.

In battle, the Varangian Guards epitomize protectors with unrivaled defensive prowess, making them invaluable assets in any conflict. Armed with axes and shields, they employ their distinctive defensive stance, Oathkeeper, to disable adversaries. Their combat finesse, finely honed over time, strikes a harmonious balance between refined skill and unbridled Viking ferocity.

The Hero will come with two sets and will be exclusively available for purchase starting February 1st for 7.99$ as a bundle that includes the Hero, one Ornament, one Elite Outfit, seven days of Champion Status and three scavenger crates. Players will also be able to unlock the hero starting February 14th for 15 000 Steel in-game.

In addition to the Varangian Guard and TU2 release, a free Event Pass: Varangian Guard's Pledge, will be available from February 1st to February 22nd. Exclusive, limited-time rewards will be available during this time such as an ornament, effect, and more.

PATCH NOTES

In this Warrior's Den, we presented to you some of the changes that are going live at the launch of Y7S4 TU2. We suggest you watch this segment of the show in the VOD[www.twitch.tv]. Come back to read the full Patch Notes when released on February 1st.

That's it for this recap! Have fun with the release of the Varangian Guard and Y7S4 TU2 on February 1st and we'll see you next time for another recap!

IMPROVEMENT

FIGHTERS

Front Dodge Bash changes

In the previous patch, we've sped up our 500ms front dodge bashes to be 433ms. This introduced an unfortunate interaction where these attacks could reliably be dodged on a single timing. We've made the following changes to ensure there is no singular dodge timing to beat these attacks:

1. All 433ms Front Dodge Bashes now lose tracking 100ms later during the attack against dodging opponents
   
2. The following heroes have their Front Dodge recovery lowered by 100ms:

• Conqueror
  
• Jormungandr
  
• Zhanhu

Additional changes

• Medjay's Throne Room Tackle can now be performed starting at 300ms during their Front Dodge, up from 100ms
  
• Tiandi's Palm Strike can now be performed starting at 366ms during their Front Dodge, up from 300ms

Dev comments: The changes to the way Front Dodge Bashes track opponents makes it to that delayed Front Dodge Bashes will now properly connect against early dodges. This should return to the type of play we had before the changes, where the intent was that opponents had to read between dodging early or late; due to how the changes were implemented, there was an issue where a single dodge timing could beat buffered bashes, delayed bashes and dodge to guardbreak; with these new timings, this type of situation should no longer happen.

To ensure this is also fixed on Conqueror, Jormungandr and Zhanhu, we've also lowered their recovery from Front Dodge so they can Guardbreak earlier and catch the outlier dodges that can effectively dodge both the buffered and delayed bashes.

Finally, we've also applied a change to Medjay and Tiandi; Medjay's Throne Room Tackle was too oppressive at their new timings, while Tiandi's new timings meant that players had one less option to beat Tiandi when the hero performed a dodge cancel from Light attacks into Palm Strike. With this new change, players should be able to trade with Palm Strike by using a Light Attack.

Hitokiri

• Meikai Rift (Light Finishers) no longer have Uninterruptible Stance.
  
• Hitokiri now gains Uninterruptible Stance at 100ms when performing Endless Myriad, down from starting at 300ms

*Dev comment: Hitokiri used to have Uninterruptible Stance on Meikai Rift to be used as an early trading tool, but this proved to be awkward as the hero needed to end their chain and pressure to trade with opponents. As the hero's identity is to be a relentless attacker and have strong mixups, we've adjusted the position of the Uninterruptible Stance so Hitokiri is able to use their chained Heavies more effectively in outnumbered situations and be more difficult to peel.*

• Chain Link Timing changes from Opener Light attack to Rei Kick / Rei Sweep
  
• On Hit and On Block, chain link timing now starts at 333ms, up from 200ms
  
• On Miss, chain link timing now starts at 233ms, up from 100ms

*Dev comment: With Hitokiri's chained Heavy attacks getting better Uninterruptible Stance timings, we changed this chain link timing to give opponents more options after the hero's Light Openers; they can now interrupt Rei Kick with a Light attack on a successful read.*

• Adjusted the Weapon Trajectories for all Heavy Attacks to have better range

*Dev comment: One of our goals for Hitokiri is to ensure players can effectively use the hero's Side Heavy attacks in outnumbered situations, in combination with Uninterruptible Stance. Their current values were underwhelming and made it too difficult to hit external opponents; with these adjustments, they should hit more reliably and give Hitokiri more offense-based defense in group fights.*

WHITE BONUS SPIRIT ARMOR

• Improved the White Bonus Spirit Armor, adapted the model to better fit Body Type 1 and fixed a few clipping issues

LOCAL TONE MAPPING

• Added new Local Tone Mapping Display Option

*Dev comments: Instead of using one average exposure value for the frame, we adjust it independently for different parts of the image. It means that we can get back details in very bright or very dark areas, without losing the overall quality.*

It's an option you can enable on other platforms in Quality Mode, and on PC. It's off by default, so you can choose to try it or not.

BUG FIXES

FIGHTERS

Shugoki

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Shugoki to have backward dodge animation on right stance and side dodges (FH-6073[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

Nuxia

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Nuxia left dodge animation to trigger when on the left guard and performing a back dodge (FH-6160[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

Ocelotl

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Ocelotl to instant kill an opponent using the ballista with Hunter's Snare (FH-5926[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

Orochi

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Orochi's side heavy finisher animations to not be in sync with his sword (FH-3118[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

UI

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Event and Hidden Gears to appear as not obtained and locked when equipped (FH-5759[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

SOUND

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Jiang Jun to play Sifu's Swirl voice line on Sifu's Poise stance (FH-5921[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

CUSTOMIZATION

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Zhanhu "Songshen" Arms to have "Wei Ling" visual on right arm on Alternate Body Type (FH-6104[forhonor.ubisoft.com])
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Medjay's ornaments are misplaced on left arm (FH-6072[forhonor.ubisoft.com]/FH-6118[forhonor.ubisoft.com])
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Conqueror "Dark Pellinor" shield to not apply Paint Patterns properly (FH-6027[forhonor.ubisoft.com])
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the "Zealous Zhu Que" effect to be delayed on idle emote (FH-5900[forhonor.ubisoft.com])
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Peacekeeper shoulder pauldrons to be missing from Arms sets" Sapiencia" and "Horkos" during preview
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Kyoshin scabbard to be offset during neutral dodges (FH-4709[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

Welcome back to the holiday season of For Honor! This article will highlight all the good content coming your way in Year 7 Season 4 and recap everything that took place in the Warrior's Den.

--

For more details we suggest checking out the VOD for Y7S4 TU1 Warrior's Den Livestream.

Y7S4 Roadmap

Here is everything you can expect this upcoming season. We've got a new Battle Pass and Battle Bundle landing on December 7th, which is the start of our new season: Treason. We also have an event going on titled Frost Wind Betrayal, which will run from December 7th - December 28th, featuring the return of the Limited-Time Event Gamemode, Ice Brawlers! A free event pass will also be included where you will be able to earn the following items:

• Battle Outfit: Snowy Betrayal
  
• Ornament: Tusks of Betrayal
  
• Mood Effect: Betrayal Aftermath

Of course, we have our new, incredible Highlander Hero Skin, Oathbreaker Maddox, available starting on December 7th for 25,000 Steel. Testing Grounds will re-open on December 14th, focusing on three hero changes, and will run until December 24th.

The Hero Fests for Y7S4 TU1 will be as follows:

• Highlander (Jan 4th - 11th)
  
• Warlord (Jan 11th-18th)
  
• Warmonger (Jan 25th - Feb 1st)

To wrap things up, we've got some Throwback Events coming up as well:

• Realistic Elimination (Dec 28th - Jan 4th)
  
• Justice of Pharaohs (Jan 18th - 25th)
  
• Oathbreaker Maddox Highlander Hero Skin

The Highlander, Maddox, wears the skin of a sabertoothed tiger to identify himself as what he is: a survivor. Once a warrior without a home, he was welcomed into the village of Moldar by the people as one of their own. There, he found a new family and a place to belong. But when the Order of Horkos attacked, Maddox found himself torn. To prevent the slaughter of his people, he had to do the unthinkable. To survive, he had to break his oath to the Chimera Alliance - and to his family.

Oathbreaker Maddox Hero Skin will cost 25,000 Steel and will be available starting December 7th, along with his short stories that will be available on our website starting December 8th.

Patch Notes & Quality of Life Changes

Along with a few changes to some heroes, we've implemented something known as local tone mapping. The main goal of this is to enhance visibility and provide a better experience overall. During the Warrior's Den, we showcased some before and after footage and the results look great. The tone mapping option is available to pc and next gen consoles.

As far as hero improvements, there's been some changes to dodge bashes and Hitokiri received some changes as well. To hear the Dev Team comments on all the changes coming, we recommend you check out the VOD of the Y7S4 TU1 Warrior's Den.

Testing Grounds

During the Warrior's Den, we had a Testing Grounds segment where we showcased some theoretical changes to Medjay, Peacekeeper and Highlander.

We implemented new moves for Medjay and Peacekeeper:

For the Medjay, we implemented a new move called, "Mid Chain Zone Attack"

For Peacekeeper we implemented a new move called, "Iron Mountain"

For Highlander, our goal was to increase his Offensive Form Side Dodge attacks, as well as adding extra safety to entering Offensive Form.

Testing Grounds will be open from December 14th to the 21st , so please be sure to participate and let us know your thoughts.

If you would like a more detailed breakdown of the Testing Grounds, you can watch a VOD of the segment at Twitch.tv/ForHonorGame or read the Testing Grounds article here.

Tournament Recap

During this segment, we went over the winners of the finals of Into The Fray[www.ubisoft.com] which took place back in October! Nemesis went undefeated, never dropping a game, and claimed first place. We had well over 300 participating teams and the games were casted by none other than Verbalosity and Norgoz. For full bracket results, visit our Battlefy page[battlefy.com]. The VOD of the Invitational Finals is also available on our twitch page, here[www.twitch.tv].

We also had Pro-Ams wrap up recently on Nov 19th, which had over 200 individuals participating. Each member of the winning teams were given a Kensei statue while second and third place were given steel codes.

The winning teams for Pro-Ams were:

EU:

1st - RED MOON
2nd - Pasta Vodka
3rd - GibtKeinNamE

NA:

1st - Pro am team :)
2nd - TEAM SHAFT
3rd - i_have_memes is bad

A bragging rights match also took place between "RED MOON" and "Pro am team :)", which was also streamed on our Twitch Page here[www.twitch.tv].

Although the first-place team in NA, "Pro am team :)", was captained by Blitss who won the previous NA Pro-Am Tournament, RED MOON ended up walking away with the victory! Interesting to see some familiar faces winning these tournaments as they continue to solidify themselves as competitive For Honor Legends.

This was a brief recap of what was presented on the Warrior's Den Livestream on Nov 30th! As a reminder, we invite you to check out the more in-depth VOD on our Twitch Page of all content mentioned above. Otherwise, see you on the battlefield on December 7th for our Y7S4: Treason TU1 Launch!

IMPROVEMENT

FIGHTERS

Front Dodge Melee Attacks

We are now integrating the results from a previous Testing Grounds, in which we tested slightly faster speeds on Front Dodge Melee Attack, into the Live game.

The intention of this change is to improve the viability of Front Dodge Melee Attack as an Opener, for all players. Certain Front Dodge Melee Attacks were significantly more reactable for certain parts of the population, so with this change we believe these moves should function successfully as Openers for all heroes who have them.

After analysis of the data received from the Testing Grounds, we have determined that 433ms is the most appropriate speed for Front Dodge Melee Attacks. There was a significant reduction in reaction times from 500ms to 466ms, and another significant reduction from 466ms to 433ms, but 433ms to 400ms saw no change in reaction times. We have therefore adjusted these attacks to all be 433ms.

We are keeping the timing at which you can perform them at 300ms into the Dodge. This should not have any impact on frame advantage and offers a significant input comfort over being able to perform the attacks later in the Dodge.

One exception to the rule is Medjay's Throne Room Tackle, which takes the 433ms attack speed buff, but also keeps its ability to be performed at 100ms after a Front Dodge, as the hero is currently underperforming while in Axe Mode. This buff should give the hero a better chance to open up opponents.

Finally, after investigating further, we have to slow down the Dodge Recovery Cancel timing on hit from Front Dodge Melee Attacks for Orochi and Tiandi so that they can be dodged by the opponent if repeatedly used. This only applies to the attacks on Hit, and has no impact on timings on Miss.

List of changes:

We have normalized the speed and the chain link timings for all non-charged Melee Attacks initiated from a Front Dodge. The following changes were made:

• All non-charged Front Dodge Melee Attacks are now 433ms
  
• Most non-charged Front Dodge Attacks are now performed from 300ms to 500ms

This applies to the following attacks:

• Ocelotl's Jaguar's Grudge
  
• Shaolin's Flying Monkey Variant
  
• Jiang Jun's Mighty Kick
  
• Tiandi's Palm Strike
  
• Shugoki's Headbutt
  
• Zhanhu's Subduing Blow
  
• Shinobi's Reaper's Dance
  
• Kyoshin's Sajin-Arashi
  
• Orochi's Dust Devil
  
• Warlord's Headbutt
  
• Jormungandr's Jotunn Surge
  
• Gryphon's Shove
  
• Black Prior's Jawbreaker (from Front Dodge only)
  
• Gladiator's Sucker Punch
  
• Centurion's Legion Kick
  
• Lawbringer's Shove
  
• Conqueror's Shield Bash

Medjay's Throne Room Tackle received the following changes:

• Is now 433ms (down from 500ms)
  
• Can be performed at 100ms during Front Dodge

Additional changes:
Tiandi

• Palm Strike Dodge Recovery on Hit: Can now recovery cancel from 333ms (up from 300ms)

Orochi

• Dust Devil Dodge Recovery on Hit: Can now recovery cancel from 233ms (up from 200ms)

UI

Sorting & Filtering

• Added Sorting and Filtering options in the Barracks that allows players to filter the customization

Inventory can be generally sorted by Alphabetical order or Release Date. Some content such as Gear can be sorted by Recently Looted, and Executions by Durations.

For Filtering, we allow players to select more one than option, and the items will show as long as they are part of one of the filters. Players will be able to filter Battle Pass or Event Pass content, Event Loot, Cross Brand, Sales, etc. Some specific content has their own filters, for example Emotes can be filtered by Paired, Unique or Shared.

Ocelotl

• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Ocelotl to start a forward walking animation when exiting lock (FH-5899[forhonor.ubisoft.com])
  
• [Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Ocelotl Huntsman's Spirit to sometimes not work properly when entering Breaking (FH-5978[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

Kyoshin
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Kyoshin scabbard to be offset during neutral dodges (FH-4709[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

MAP
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the players to fall through the map when respawning in the Forest Map in Skirmish (FH-5440[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

SOUND
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Afeera and Ocelotl sound effect to randomly mute during 4v4 matches (FH-5906[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

CUSTOMIZATION
[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Kyoshin "Stellar Blaze" outfit to be locked even if the players bought it in the past (FH-6075[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Shinobi "Sagasu Helm" to have paint patterns, symbols and embossings misaligned (FH-5951[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Domain of the Wyvern effect (unlocked with Shield of Wyverndale illustrious outfit) to have lower bright eyes (FH-5908[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Gladiator "Floriferum Chest" to have stretched textures on left legging for Body Type 2 (FH-5845[forhonor.ubisoft.com])

[Bug Fix] Fixed an issue that caused the Warden and Warmonger sheathing animations to be glitching with any shared execution (FH-5188[forhonor.ubisoft.com])