Multiplayer Coop takes a major leap forward in Hawken Reborn Update 0.5 as we turn up the heat with a new Player Vs Player Vs Environment (PVPVE) game mode! Along with this exciting new mode, you can expect to see some new mechs and fight your way through our updated Enforcer mini boss system for exclusive rewards only available to skilled pilots brave enough to challenge their presence.

With the current set of multiplayer co-op improvements from our last update, another layer of combat has been implemented to give players another way to explore Illal, only this time, you’ll risk destruction in the hands of other pilots with PVPVE.

This new mode will allow for two sets of 3-pilot-teams to dog fight their way across Illal as each team vies for valuable resources. Along with farming resources from enemy mechs, fallen PVP foes will also drop loot so be sure to stand your ground if you ever find yourself getting shot at by another pilot. Weapons in PVPVE also hit a little differently too due to balancing requirements so be sure to let us know how the game feels in this first iteration of this new mode.

The gates have been breached from the Refuge and players can now take the fight over to the all new Fracture Zone which features the fiery wreckage of a crashed ship. Across these lands you’ll also come across 30+ new enemy encounters to test your mech loadouts in this hostile zone.
Like most of the mechs currently available in Hawken Reborn, players of the original Hawken may recognize our Ferrox mech as a Technician Light mech. As with its predecessor, the new Ferrox jumps into battle as a tough adversary to dispatch with its higher hull health and nimble maneuvering skills.

With its unknown origins and equally mysterious appearance of tubes and heavy armor plating, the latest heavy hitter to enter Hawken Reborn is an original mech, the Centurion. This Heavy Bulkwalk mech not only boasts increased survivability with higher shields and mobility, but is also a prized item that can only be crafted by skilled pilots willing to take down our Enforcers for loot specific to this mech.

A new Centurion Enforcer has been added during the Patrol sessions so be sure to set your sights on this mini boss if they come knocking at your door.

Speaking of increased mobility with the Centurion, Bulwark Type mechs are getting a few pieces of kit that will give their pilots a little more versatility in battle instead of slowly lumbering around the map.

Take Bulwark mechs to the skies with the brand new Cliffhanger thruster and turn your bulletsponge mech into a much more maneuverable floating fortress.
Bulwarks are known for being able to handle the heat in the midst of battle with their strong shields, but now they’ll be able to dish out some extra heat against opponents with sustained fire from the high capacity Garwood minigun.

Those are the main features that you can expect to see with this release! With combat evolving into a new PVPVE mode and an increased arsenal at your disposal, Update 0.5 is an exciting step forward for Hawken Reborn. We’ve seen what players can do against our enemy AI and now that enemy combatants include other players, we’re excited to see how much piloting skills players are able to flex against each other. This update is also one that will require a lot of rebalancing since it represents an all new playing field for our development efforts so please be sure to join our Discord Server and share your feedback!

• Player nameplates have been improved, including improving the clarity of text on the nameplates.
  If a component is equipped in another mech bay then it will no longer be present in other bays to be equipped/unequipped.
  
• A Notification system has been implemented to draw attention and guide to newly crafted/unlocked components and if components are eligible for upgrading.
  
• New tooltips have been added for new player mech and weapon progression requirements.
  
• The player will now become invulnerable when they are connected to an MTP and have selected 'Return to Hangar'.

• PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Enemy) game mode has been added to Hawken:Reborn.
  
• 2 teams of 3 players are now able to join a session if PvPvE is enabled when creating lobbies.
  
• New radar icons have been added to distinguish between the 2 PvPvE teams.
  
• New radar functionality has been added to PvPvE allowing players of the opposing team to be pinged on the radar whilst they’re firing, whilst not firing they’ll be hidden from the opposing team’s radar.
  
• Weapons have been rebalanced exclusively to a PvPvE session; normal values are retained for use in PvE.
  
• Players on the opposing team will now drop loot when they’re destroyed.
  
• Radio Missions will now alternate between both teams in PvPvE.
  
• Team B will now start at either Wyndham Moores or The Fracture MTP when playing PvPvE.
  
• Loot caches in PvPvE mode now only give the loot to the team members of the player that opened or destroyed the loot cache.
  
• A new Codex screen has been added for PvPvE mode.
  
• New tool tips have been added for PvPvE mode.
  
• A new screen following the Patrol end screen has been added for PvPvE showing a summary of player highlights of the session.

Centurion

• The Centurion platform has been added to the game.

The Centurion is a new platform with unknown origins, boasting high shields and increased mobility in the line up of our Bulwark Platforms.

• The Centurion is a new Bulwark-type mech.
  
• Has its own new modification tree.

Ferrox

• The Ferrox platform has been added to the game.

The Ferrox is a returning platform as part of the Prosk family. Where its shield lacks it makes up with higher hull values compared to its Vex counterparts.

• The Ferrox is a new Vex-type mech
  
• Has its own new modification tree.

Garwood

• The Garwood Minigun has been added to the game.

The Garwood is a new weapon designed for Bulwark platforms, with the highest magazine size currently in Hawken:Reborn it’s made to fire for extended periods of time.

• The Garwood is a Bulwark-type mech weapon.
  
• Has its own new modification tree.

Enforcers

• A new Enforcer has been added for the higher difficulty levels – using the new Centurion loadout.
  
• Enforcer loot pools have been updated for the Knee-breaker, Centurion and The Guerrilla.

The Fracture
The Fracture is the aftermath of a downed ship which decimated the area that controls the water flow of Valkyrie Landing upon its crash landing. In the wake of the destruction, The Fracture became a warzone for the factions trying to stake claim over the cargo onboard.

• The Fracture has been unlocked as a new zone for both PvE and PvPvE game modes.
  
• 30+ encounters are present within The Fracture for fighting and looting.

• New Codex screens have been added to explain progression requirements for the new mech platforms and new weapon.
  
• Added the 3 new components to the store rotation.

• Unit banter has been fixed to play during specific AI events.
  
• Locked lobbies no longer show up in lobby lists when searching for parties.
  
• Fixed an issue where the ‘Transfer Loot’ button at an MTP would sometimes disable itself under certain circumstances.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Player mech would float in the air if they were killed whilst flying.
  
• Game Mode selection will no longer reset when creating a party.
  
• Fixed an issue with UI Widgets that prevented them from storing the current state because they thought they were read only.
  
• The Component XP Button will now refresh after you upgrade the component.
  
• Fixed an issue where if you fail to locate a lobby to join you didn’t automatically create your own lobby.

Six long months have passed since we last talked about coop coming to Hawken Reborn in Update 0.3 and the major changes that we’ve incorporated to hone in on features that worked while scrapping those that didn't. Gone are the handheld linear tutorial and story mode that didn’t quite stick where it needed and instead was a much more truncated experience that literally threw you into the fires of Illal’s dystopian battlefield without any training wheels.

Update 0.3 represents our commitment to keep chipping away at the game to gradually improve it, but also our limitations as a very small dev team that can’t move much faster than an Atlas’ walking speed. In the time since our last build, we’ve been continuing to define areas of improvement that can contribute to a stronger foundation for the game. Last week we released our full Update 0.4 Patch Notes[hwkn.link] that listed out all major areas of improvement we’ve been focusing on such as improving coop matchmaking and a bunch of subtle, but hopefully welcomed quality of life improvements.

Today, we’re proud to finally release Update 0.4 and let players get back into the pilot seat to see what we’ve been cooking all this time. Here’s a list of a few notable features that have been added to this latest build.

In the absence of a full tutorial that caused a lot of player frustration when first playing the game, we’ve added a new CODEX system that defines several important game mechanics and features that will make onboarding into the Hawken Reborn experience a little clearer. Some of the explanations are a bit long due to the nature of their fundamentals, but we’re hopeful this can be a good touch point that players can rely on when running into questions they might come across during their sessions.

The game is meant to be played with other pilots and our previous implementation made it extremely clunky to find others so we’ve implemented an array of changes that make getting into the action with other mech pilots significantly easier.

For starters, you will no longer need to find a 32 character Lobby ID, DM it to a friend or Discord Server member, and then join a group lobby before finally getting into the combat. Instead you’ll be sent straight into a coop session if one already exists by default since every player session is technically a multiplayer game session.

If you prefer to play solo, you can choose to restrict the type of party to Open or Invite Only as well as the Threat Level of players that join your sessions.

Previously we had a crit spot system that had no visuals to show players where to hit and instead relied on the color patterns that appeared as damage numbers sprayed out of enemy mechs. It was a very basic system with lots of room for improvement so one of the things we have focussed heavily on is trying to add layers of depth to the moment to moment combat with this system as a key ingredient.

As its next evolution, our new crit spots have manifested into a more visually representative system that will see enemies wearing plates of armor that will increase in quantity as Threat Levels increase. In addition, you’ll find some other visual accessories attached to the chassis that you’ll want to target in combat.

ARMOR PLATING fortifies certain spots on a mech and reduces the damage received by enemy mechs by 90%.

SHIELD AMPLIFIERS will increase the amount of additional damage a shield can absorb based on a mech’s Max HP. Be sure to knock these out ASAP to greatly diminish an enemy’s lifespan on the battlefield!

SHIELD BATTERIES and FUEL RESERVES are soft spots that when destroyed deal extra damage based on a mech’s Max HP. Fuel Reserves can’t be damaged while shields are up so be sure to target the batteries first!

Similar to our mention about confusion from new players and a need for implementing a CODEX guide book, we saw a lot of feedback in the Workshop where players were accidently crafting multiple items during the upgrade process. With the implementation of the new Component XP system, we hope to better decouple these two essential areas of our gameplay loop by changing how the upgrade process works.

Once a component (Mech Platforms, Weapons, and Thrusters) is in your inventory, the upgrading process is now as follows using a Mark I to Mark II crafting example:

1. Unlock the next Mark II level of your component by filling up the CXP BAR.
   
2. Required Schematics for the next Mark II component will now be collectible through combat and farming.
   
3. Once all Schematics and materials are acquired, build each completed item.
   
4. Assemble your Mark II component

Keep an eye on the left side of your HUD to see CXP earned when you deal a killing blow to an enemy as well as the end of the session screen that shows you how close you are to being able to upgrade each component.

With the change in how we approached combat in Patrol Mode, our Radio Missions were largely removed from the game and we’re excited to see their return in Update 0.4 with a total of 12 brand new Radio Missions. Six in each zone with some having objectives that span into other zones so be careful.

Also notable is that Radio Missions are now the only way of earning our soft currency Credits in the game and also have a chance of giving our hard currency, Scrip, as a completion reward.

As this is a completely new mission system that had to be changed due to the new core game changes, there are still a few kinks to iron out so let us know in our Discord channel of any issues you find.

There’s a lot more under the hood of Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 that new players may not notice, but for those of you who have been around since we ventured into Early Access, there have been quite a bit of changes that you’ve undoubtedly experienced and hope to keep rolling out through these updates. Though a slow development process, we hope these changes continue to help redefine the Hawken Reborn experience and would love to continue to hear from players both directly in our Discord Server[hwkn.link] and Reviews! See you on Illal!

Discord: https://HWKN.link/Discord

Reddit: https://Reddit.com/r/HawkenReborn

Twitter: https://Twitter.com/HawkenReborn

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/HawkenReborn

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/HawkenReborn

YouTube: https://YouTube.com/@HawkenReborn

Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 is currently getting its final adjustments before going live at the end of the month and introduces new ways to enjoy PVE co-op with improved matchmaking tools, adds new layers of combat complexity against enemy mechs, and a range of quality of life enhancements to make your time on Illal more enjoyable. Here's what else we've been cooking over these last few months!

- 12 brand new radio missions have been added giving pilots a more guided experience through Patrol Mode and the ability to earn in-game currencies as their rewards.
- New players will be added to an active Patrol session making experiencing multiplayer coop easier for all players. This feature can also be disabled by the host in case they want to play solo sessions.
- Additional Critical Points system now incorporates a visible armor system on enemy mechs to increase degree of strategy in combat.
- New Component XP system allows items to be leveled up from Mark I to V by destroying enemies in battle.
- Enemy AI has been improved in combat to make their combat engagement against players more challenging.
- New Codex has been added to the Mercnet in the hangar with tutorials for several important features of Hawken Reborn.
- A new tutorial tooltip (circle with ? icon) have been added across the hangar to give a brief overview of various elements and mechanics.

- Enforcers (mini boss towards end of Patrol session) now start spawning at TL 25. If defeated, a new enforcer will spawn at additional TL thresholds with increasing difficulty at later and higher TL thresholds.
- New enemy type added: Sniper Turret
- Coop Threat Level scaling improved in areas of difficulty and quantity depending on the number of players presently in a session.

- The Nanite swarm at the end of a Patrol session has been visually improved to better convey the urgency of heading back to the hangar before your imminent destruction.
- Various locations have had their visuals and geometry polished for improved gameplay.

- Repairs in the hangar no longer cost any currency.
- Rewards improved across various areas such as enemy encounters, resource nodes, loot crates, and mission completion currencies.
- Reloading weapons now have an Advanced Reload option allowing players to hold R and then pulling the trigger on the weapon they'd like to reload vs pressing R to reload both weapons at the same time.
- New Thruster Activation Mode gives pilots the option to keep thrusters engaged or toggled when jumping.
- New damage number indicators pop up in a dedicated location near the crosshair with damage numbers + color coding to indicate various types of damage.
- Additional gamepad settings added to improve Look Controls.
- Additional camera viewing options lets players choose between in-cockpit 1st person view and left/middle/right 3rd person view.
- Pilots can now control who enters their play session by creating a lobby with 4 new party type options: Open, Friends Only, Invite Only, & Single Player.
- Current and selected component stats can be directly compared before equipping them.

REBALANCES
- All player bullet-based weapons have had their project speeds increased by approximately 100 m/sec excluding the Rasiseri shotgun.
- All Area of Effect weapons have had their base projectile speeds increased by approximately 50 m/sec.
- The Rasiseri's "Firing Spread Decrement" mod has been changed to "Vertical Recoil Reduction" and existing point assignments have been upheld.
- Following a damage falloff bug fix, weapon stats have been rebalanced for the Deadeye, Goddard, Kettie, Micro-Missile Auto Launcher, and Volta.
- Volta rebalanced following beam weapon collision and performance fixes.

GRAPHICS
- New Schematic icons have been added in various areas for better visual clarity.

PATROL MODE
- The caves in the Refuge have been split into two locations to allow for simultaneous events to trigger in the general area.

GAMEPLAY
- Drones will now activate their abilities at a lower health threshold. 40% for the Meteor and 50% for the Asteroid.
- Machine Gun Turret damage has been reduced by 25%.

QUALITY OF LIFE
- Within the Steam client, player status has been updated to identify where a player is current playing the game such as in the Hangar, Coop Lobby, or in a Patrol Mode session.

UI / TEXT
- Various adjustments to nameplates have been made to increase legibility including font changes and font size increases.
- Neutral units now have a yellow name plate indicator instead of orange for better clarity against red aggro units.
- Various item descriptions have had their naming and stats corrected.
- Removed missing "TEXT BLOCK" error and graphic from the warning pop up.

BUGS
- Volta bug preventing full damage when fired has been fixed.
- Load times optimized in instances where players with large inventories potentially had longer than expected load times in the game.
- Missions involving a payload have been added back after fixing a bug that caused a server crash upon their destruction.
- Fixed the collision detection of a few props in the game causing players to get stuck or clip through when interacting with them.
- Some Area of Effect and Beam weapons have had their damage falloff range adjusted due to an earlier bug applying them when they shouldn't have.
- Adjusted applicable maximum Weapon Recoil ranges to originally intended recoil range of 30º vertical and 5º horizontal. Previously bugged at 2.5º and 0.75º respectively.

MISCELLANEOUS
- Poet Neil’s supply crate has been returned, but sadly, he’s still missing.

We've issued Hot Fix ver 0.3.0.1 to address some very important bugs that caused players to lose out on progression and experience broken mechs upon entering a session.

- Fixed a bug that caused mechs to be severely damaged upon entering a multiplayer coop session due to TL scaling.

- Loot should now sync with a player's inventory due to a bug that caused a desync between Game (Hangar) and Patrol Mode sessions.

- Fixed a few bugs that caused crashes to periodically occur.