This small patch focuses on localization improvements and bug fixes, thus wrapping up our Welcome to Hell Update. Next up is our Major Update in January! Until then, we're looking over all your feedback, and making plans for an exciting year to come. Happy holidays, and thanks so much for all your support.

House Contractor Orpheus' release paperwork now is more likely to appear, and is required for some later upgrades

Music & SFX + Updated on-hit sounds on Wretched Pest and Bother + Other minor changes

Voice & Narrative + Added several new narrative events for Sisyphus Minor fixes and improvements to some narrative events and contextual voice lines Miscellaneous + Added first-pass Polish localization! + Added new localized text for content recently added in the Welcome to Hell Update + Added localization notice on boot-up announcement screen in non-English languages Ongoing improvements to localized content display issues in some languages + Foe indicators on Chamber Reward previews should be more consistent + Added missing subtitles for newer voice lines + Minor text and subtitle content fixes

Bug Fixes Fixed a rare crash while using the Codex Fixed Zagreus referring to Orpheus having returned to the House while Orpheus is still away Fixed instances of incorrect Fury Sister portrait appearing in some pre-boss scenes Fixed Premium Vintage (Dionysus) sometimes causing Nectar to spawn out of bounds Fixed Slothful (Chaos) sometimes causing Zagreus to fail to board the Barge of Death in Asphodel Fixed some instances of escape attempt clear times not updating correctly + Other minor fixes

This patch includes more localized content, balance changes, fixes, and improvements for last week's Long Winter Update, as we shift focus to our next Major Update. Until then, thank you for playing!!

General Gameplay + Reduced prices of Boons sold by Charon Titan Blood sold at the Wretched Broker now yields more Gemstones

Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities + Shield of Chaos: slightly reduced Bull Rush charge-up time (to how it was before the Long Winter Update) + Adamant Rail: increased autolock radius while using gamepad

Boons & Blessings + Reduced offering rate of 'Exchange' Boons + Reduced offering rate for Olympian Aid Boons (in general, they should appear less early and often) + Divine Dash (Athena): slightly increased Deflect duration (still less than before the Long Winter Update) + Proud Bearing (Athena): improved scaling from Poms + Holy Shield (Athena): increased duration of Deflect revenge effect + Curse of Pain (Ares): fixed an issue causing this not to scale correctly with improved rarity + Urge to Kill (Ares): effect now can scale with Poms Aphrodite's Call: no longer blockable by shield-bearing foes; no longer stopped by Final Boss urns Artemis' Call: no longer stopped by by Final Boss urns Crystal Beam (Demeter): increased tracking speed + Killing Freeze (Demeter): improved scaling from rarity + Rare Crop (Demeter): slightly reduced appearance rate + Demeter's Aid: increased speed at which winter vortex reaches full size Blizzard Shot (Demeter x Poseidon): increased damage + Defiance (Chaos): increased appearance rate Daedalus Hammer Upgrades + Piercing Wave (Blade): increased damage Cursed Slash (Blade): increased life-steal effect Charged Volley (Bow): slightly improved charge-up time + Charged Shot (Shield): fixed an issue causing it to stop you longer than intended + World Smasher (Shield): slightly reduced damage; no longer fully automatic + Cluster Bomb (Rail): staggered firing sequence; reduced damage penalty; increased area of effect

Foes & Encounters + Thanatos: reduced appearance rate (it is still significantly higher than before the Long Winter Update) + The Fury Sisters: adjusted some of their attack timings under Extreme Measures (Pact) + Wave-Maker: adjusted attack pattern; reduced armor; reduced appearance rate in Asphodel + Burn-Flinger: adjusted attack pattern; reduced appearance rate in Asphodel + Bone Hydra: reduced tracking of projectile attack + Gigantic Vermin: Mini-boss creates fewer Poison puddles Final Boss: improved hit box on some attacks; urns no longer deal damage while being summoned

Keepsakes & Items + Broken Spearpoint (Fallen Warrior): reduced cooldown Pact of Punishment Budget Cuts: no longer locked in as part of :shadesmile: Hell Mode + Lasting Consequences: first rank now locked in as part of :shadesmile: Hell Mode + Underworld Customs: increased Heat + Forced Overtime: increased Heat; reduced number of ranks (though each rank has a greater effect) Convenience Fee: no longer raises cost of Bounty resources sold in Charon's shop in Styx

Art & Visual FX + Added new visual presentation when vanquishing bosses with Winter Harvest (Demeter) + Improved visual presentation when slaying other foes with Winter Harvest (Demeter) + Improved visual presentation when revealing Spear (Aspect of Guan Yu)

Music & SFX + Added new sound effects for Final Boss urn destruction attack + Adjusted sound effects volume for Mistral Dash (Demeter) + Fixed sound effects on Charged Skewer (Spear) + Fixed Delta Chamber (Rail) always playing low-ammo sound + Fixed victory music stinger being inaudible if a song is being performed in the House of Hades Voice & Narrative Restored post-defeat voice lines from Final Boss Added one-time voice hint about how to get to Eurydice while outside her chamber + Added new voice lines for various Wretched Broker interactions + Fixed two Inspect Points in the House of Hades that were not playing or appearing correctly + Fixed voice lines sometimes not playing when confronting the Bone Hydra + Fixes to narrative scripting to some events + Additional fixes and tuning to various contextual voice events

Miscellaneous Added more new localized strings for content introduced in the Long Winter Update Improved text and icon distinctions between Max Life increases and Healing In ultrawide resolutions, sidebar artwork no longer occludes the edges of the display + Added controller vibration while using the Rod of Fishing + Reduced frequency of visual effects while taking damage from Lava + Fixed Cyclops Jerky Select (Fallen Warrior) text to match the effect (the text was less than the effect) + Minor fixes and improvements to Splendid Lyre interact presentation + Added subtle visual effect when collecting Bloodstone ammo + Other minor text fixes and presentation improvements Bug Fixes + Fixed an issue where too many different Olympians could appear in a single escape attempt (note: this has no effect on Boon offering rates, only on total number of different Boon-giving characters per escape attempt) Fixed an issue that could stall progress on Dusa's lounge renovation quest Fixed instances of invisible collision in the House of Hades Fixed Boon Rarity markers disappearing from Ambrosia Delight (Eurydice) or Rare Crop (Demeter) Fixed one more case of being able to use the Rod of Fishing while standing in lava + Fixed Trippy Shot (Dionysus) sometimes being destroyed unexpectedly + Fixed an interaction between Bow (Hera Aspect) and Crystal Shot (Demeter) + Fixed a graphical issue in the biome map travel sequence from Tartarus + Fixed an animation issue with the floating bobber while using the Rod of Fishing + Fixed alert icon always appearing on House Contractor even when new items were not available + Fixed conditions for certain Victory Screen Commendations + Fixed a minor graphical issue while closing the Fated List + Fixed instances where icons could remain visible in the Boon Info sidebar unexpectedly + Other minor fixes

Quote of the Patch 'On the middle 7th cast Demeter's holy grain on the well-rolled threshing-floor, keeping a sharp eye open; and have a woodcutter cut house planks, and all the ship-timbers that are appropriate for ships. But begin building narrow ships on the 4th.' ~Works and Days (Hesiod; M. L. West translation)

This Major Update opens up even more ways to battle out of hell, with a powerful new weapon, new weapon Aspects, and lots more story to sink your teeth into! As always, we will be closely monitoring feedback and are planning on at least a couple of follow-up patches. Thank you very much for playing!

Highlights + Malphon, the Twin Fists: pummel your foes into the ground with this furious close-quarters weapon + Mirror of Night Rework: now with twice the Talents, inviting more choices to fit your playstyle + Aspect of Arthur: wield the might of Holy Excalibur with this legendary Aspect of the Stygian Blade + Improved Visual Effects: we've made frenetic combat easier to parse without compromising the oomph + New Pact of Punishment Conditions: see if you can survive Benefits Package and Routine Inspection + Administrative Chamber: access your Permanent Record beyond a mysterious locked door in the House + New House of Hades Events: the god of the dead's residence is livelier than ever + Expanded Story: hours of added narrative featuring Nyx, Chaos, Artemis, Zeus, and more Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities + Twin Fists: new! Unlock earlier weapons to reveal this (once you return from an escape attempt) + Twin Fists (Zagreus Aspect): new! Gain attack speed and dodge chance + Twin Fists (Talos Aspect): new! Drag foes to you with the power of the Magnetic Cutter + Twin Fists (Demeter Aspect): new! Obliterate foes with the power of the Giga Cutter + Stygian Blade (Arthur Aspect): new! Seek Nyx to learn more (unlock Guan Yu and Blade aspects first) + Eternal Spear (Guan Yu Aspect): Spin attack now bounces off obstacles rather than passing through + Adamant Rail: increased accuracy; now the sixth weapon to be unlocked, after the Twin Fists + Added one more frame of invulnerability to the Dash (you now are fully invulnerable until you can move) Boons & Blessings + Reduced base offering rate of Legendary and Duo Boons; a new Mirror Talent lets you boost this + Huge Catch (Poseidon): new! Increases chance of finding fishing points + Holy Shield (Athena): fixed Evergreen Acorn (Eurydice) activating at the same time when you are hit + True Shot (Artemis): reduced damage scaling from improved rarity Unhealthy Fixation (Aphrodite): can now be offered if you have Broken Resolve; fixed issues where Charmed damage bonus did not expire + Battle Rage (Ares): expires after first hit from Aspect of Zeus Throw special; no longer expires when recalling the Spear's Throw special Urge to Kill (Ares): improved scaling from Poms + Snow Burst (Demeter): now correctly fires at your position while loading ammo using Aspect of Hera; no longer hits through obstacles Mistral Dash (Demeter): increased damage Atrophic (Chaos): fixed issues causing incorrect adjustments to Life Total + Roiling (Chaos): duration no longer reduced by Boss encounters (since it does not affect those encounters) + Auto Reload (Hermes): new! Regenerate Bloodstones faster (if you have a certain Mirror talent) + Bad News (Hermes): new! Deal bonus Cast damage to foes without Cast ammo in them (if you have a certain Mirror talent) + Greater Recall (Hermes): now requires first having one of Hermes' Cast-affecting Boons + Flurry Shot (Hermes): reduced power scaling from improved rarity + Quick Reload (Hermes): increased power scaling at Heroic rarity Daedalus Hammer Upgrades Double Nova (Blade): reduced penalty to damage radius Cursed Slash (Blade): reduced penalty to Life Total Charged Volley (Bow): increased minimum range; no longer offered while using Aspect of Chiron + Relentless Barrage (Bow): fixed an issue where it sometimes stopped working with Aspect of Chiron + Chain Shot (Bow): shots no longer bounce off of invisible Chamber boundaries + Minotaur Rush (Shield): increased Bull Rush Power Shot damage Charged Shot (Shield): increased minimum range + Explosive Return (Shield): slightly reduced damage + Exploding Launcher (Rail): slightly reduced damage + Cluster Bomb (Rail): adjusted firing pattern + Hazard Bomb (Rail): now fires on press (rather than on release); fixed interaction with Inescapable Blast + Spread Fire (Rail): reworked; now fires as a single, powerful blast + Long Knuckle (Fist): new! Attacks have improved range and damage + Rolling Knuckle (Fist): new! Attack combo ends in a powerful hook punch + Concentrated Knuckle (Fist): new! Successive attacks against the same foe deal more damage + Breaching Cross (Fist): new! Your Dash-Strike pierces foes and deals bonus damage to Armor + Explosive Upper (Fist): new! Your Dash-Special (unique to Twin Fists) deals bonus area damage + Rush Kick (Fist): new! Dash toward foes with a powerful kick + Flying Cutter (Fist): new! Hold Special for a stronger, longer range strike + Draining Cutter (Fist): new! Slay foes with your Cutter special to restore some Life + Quake Cutter (Fist): new! Deal area damage while landing from your Cutter special Foes & Encounters + 'Trial of the Gods': updated many effects from spurned gods; no longer occur in smaller chambers + Thanatos: reduced appearance rate in Tartarus; removed Flame Wheels from appearing in these fights Larger chambers in Asphodel now only appear later in the region + Bone Hydra: a wider variety of heads can appear (note that no new types have been added) Exalted Longspear: attack visual more closely matches its hit box Splitter: updated pattern of split-firing projectiles (it should look better) + The Minotaur: updated spin attack, specific to the effect of Extreme Measures (Pact) Theseus: can no longer invoke Demeter's aid before you have met her Crawler: Elite variant no longer appears, although... + ...added a terrifying new mini-boss encounter to the Temple of Styx... Mirror of Night + Reworked! More choices, improved usability, reduced total Darkness cost; in more detail: + Added a new flip-side Talent for each Talent! Only one Talent per pair can be active at a time + Removed ability to subtract ranks in a given talent; added a full Darkness refund option + Talents are no longer all visible at the start of the game; they are now unlocked two rows at a time + Later Talents cost less Darkness; if you had more invested than is now required, it has been refunded. Total Darkness required to max all Talents is less than before (when there were half as many Talents) + Fiery Presence: new! Deal more damage vs. undamaged foes + Dark Regeneration: new! Recover health when you collect Darkness + Stubborn Defiance: new! A single Death Defiance effect that replenishes in each Chamber + Ruthless Reflex: new! Dash just before taking damage for bonus damage and dodge chance + Stygian Soul: new! Your Cast ammo regenerates automatically (instead of dropping from foes) + Golden Touch: new! Earn money between Underworld regions based on how much you have + High Confidence: new! Deal bonus damage while your Life Total is high + Abyssal Blood: new! Foes with Cast ammo in them move slower and deal less damage + Family Favorite: new! Deal bonus damage for each different Olympian whose Boons you have + Olympian Legacy: new! Improves chance of finding Duo or Legendary Boons + Gods' Chosen: new! Improves chance of finding chambers with Boons, Hammers, or Poms + Fated Persuasion: new! You can randomly alter Boon and Well of Charon choices offered + Note: We have plans to do even more with the Darkness resource in future updates Keepsakes & Items + Lucky Tooth (Skelly): reduced healing at higher ranks (bringing it in line with other defensive Keepsakes) + Broken Spearpoint (Fallen Warrior): fixed issues with it not working against some Final Boss attacks + Black Shawl (Nyx): reworked; now gives bonus damage vs. undamaged foes and while backstabbing Companion Mort (Thanatos): no longer blockable by shield-bearing foes + Companion Rib (Skelly): increased resistance to wall-slam damage + Companion Shady (Sisyphus): resource drops now affected by certain Boons; reduced money drops + Touch of Styx (Well): new! Improves healing from Stubborn Defiance + Touch of Styx Dark (Fallen Warrior): new! A superior version of the above + Trove Tracker (Well): no longer offered in the Temple of Styx (Lord Hades wouldn't put troves there)

Pact of Punishment Budget Cuts: cut from game; replaced with... Routine Inspection: new! Disables Mirror of Night talents, three at a time from the bottom Benefits Package: new! Gives Dire (a.k.a Armored) foes an assortment of nasty Perks: + Shifter: teleports around from time to time + Bruiser: extra armor + Puller: surrounded by a field that pulls you in + Savior: intermittently makes nearby foes briefly invulnerable + Slugger: hits harder + Speeder: moves and attacks faster + Linker: links to other foes via a continuous beam that damages you + Cloner: summons 1-Life copies of itself + Burner: spews molten puddles + Seeker: ranged attacks track you + Popper: bursts into Exalted Shades that self-destruct + The Condition previously called No Choice now is called Approval Process Permanent Record + new! Added a screen summarizing each of your escape attempts; find it in the House's locked chamber + Note: This is a first-pass version of this screen, which we expect to continue improving in subsequent Major Updates

House Contractor + Added items specific to certain subplots...

Fated List of Minor Prophecies + Whence Night and Darkness Came: new! Nyx and Chaos shall be reunited + Musician and Muse: new! Orpheus and Eurydice shall be reunited + The Holy King: new! The Aspect of Arthur shall reach the surface + Slashed Benefits: new! Foes with all Benefits Package Perks shall be slain + Denizens of the Deep: new! A variety of fish shall be caught + Dark Reflections: new! Successful escapes shall be completed using all Mirror Talents + End to Torment: aiding Sisyphus is more involved than before (if you haven't done this yet) + Updated requirements to fulfill several other Prophecies (won't affect you if you've already fulfilled them)

Level Design & Environments + Added two new chambers to Asphodel It is easier to reliably dash across gaps in several Temple of Styx chambers Updated, clearer cover layout in the Final Boss chamber + The lounge's kitchen area in the House of Hades is easier to get to + You can now get into one of the locked chambers in the House of Hades... + Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers Art & Visual FX + Updated main menu based on new Major Update + Added new portraits and character model for Nyx + Added new character model and animations for Hypnos + Added new animations for Dusa + Added some new animations for Lord Hades + Added unique art, animation, and VFX for the Twin Fists and its Aspects + Added unique art, animation, and VFX for the Aspect of Arthur (Blade) + Updated the look of Olympian Boon pick-ups + Updated the look of the House Contractor screen + Updated the look of the Well of Charon screen + Updated the look of the Pool of Purging screen + Updated the look of the Fated List screen + Updated the look of information panels (e.g. the one that says THERE IS NO ESCAPE) + Added presentation while resetting offered choices using Fated Persuasion (Mirror) + Added and updated some icons in the Mirror of Night and Pact of Punishment + Added graphical icons for various new Boons, Aspects, and Upgrades + Updated the look of one of the locked doors in the House of Hades + Made various improvements, detailed below, that in aggregate should improve clarity during combat + Updated on-hit visual effects (they are cleaner and now have directionality) + Updated on-hit visual effects for rapid-fire attacks + Updated on-hit visual effects for foes with Armor + Updated visual effects when foes are slain + Updated the look of damage shroud (i.e., when you get hit; this no longer reduces visibility as much) + Updated the look of the Power Shot full-screen effect (not as jarring as before) + Updated the look of Trap floor panels (they should be easier to spot) + Foes' Summoning Circles now are sized relative to the foe; they have varying sound effects as well + Minor improvements to the look of the Underworld Map between regions + Minor improvements to Weapon Unlock presentation + Other minor visual changes, fixes, and improvements

Menus & UI + Updated Mirror of Night screen and presentation based on new functionality Added category-specific indicators when House Contractor has new items or is sold out Added reminder to activate Legendary Keepsakes in certain contexts + Added feedback when failing to power up Pierced Butterfly (Thanatos) or Lambent Plume (Hermes) + Added ammo-regeneration indicator while using Stygian Soul (Mirror) + Improved sorting of resources along right screen edge Improved feedback using Charged Throw (Spear) + Made various improvements, detailed below, that in aggregate should improve clarity during combat + Updated Damage Numbers presentation to reduce clutter (successive damage now ticks up a single number) + Updated Boon Sidebar to show only relevant Boons (everything is still in the Boon Info screen) + Updated Status Curse stack feedback on foes + Other minor fixes, changes, and improvements

Music & SFX + Added new sound effects for the Twin Fists + Added new sound effects for the Aspect of Arthur (Blade) + Updated sound effects for the Well of Charon and Purging Pool + Updated sound effects for the House Contractor + Updated sound effects for some attacks from spurned Olympians + Added and updated ambient sounds in some chambers + Other minor changes, fixes, and mix improvements Voice & Narrative + Extended Affinity Gauges for Nyx, Chaos, Artemis, and Zeus (you can give them more gifts) + Added many narrative events (with Nyx, Chaos, Orpheus, Eurydice, Artemis, Zeus, Hades, and more) + Added new Remembrance sequences (when Lord Hades appears at the start of some escape attempts) + Added several new Duo Boon interactions for some pairings + Added many new Zagreus voice lines to various contexts for additional variety Added more voiceover variety in the Final Boss encounter + Added Codex entry for Malphon, the Twin Fists Added Codex entries for Underworld Regions (i.e., various locations) Added Codex entries for River Denizens (i.e., fish) + Added Codex entries for Fables (use Legendary Keepsakes to unlock these) + Updated Codex entry for Nyx Added utterly nightmarish new Flashback Sequence... + Added yet another new Early Access Ending variant + Minor changes to effects on Nyx voiceover + Updated requirements and other minor changes to various narrative events + Fixes and tuning to various contextual voice events + Added several missing subtitles

New Settings Added Master Volume setting to Settings Added Screen Shake toggle to Settings Miscellaneous + Updated Development Roadmap to reflect our plans for our next Major Update, slated for June + Added community-translated content in some languages (translations are ongoing for newer content) + Added a number of new Victory Screen Commendations + Lord Hades will sometimes judge the shades gathered in his Great Hall + Dusa and Megaera will sometimes be gossiping in the lounge + Hypnos will sometimes fall back asleep Wretched Broker now has a Limited Time Offer letting you exchange Darkness for Gemstones While switching auto-aim targets with the Bow and Rail, Zagreus quickly rotates instead of snapping (this is a cosmetic change with no effect on aim speed) + Urns can now be broken as a result of some knock-away effects (not just direct attack) + Added a visual hint when trying to exit chambers before collecting the reward + Keepsake Screen no longer shows available Ambrosia before it can be used there + Minor improvements to door interact presentation in the Temple of Styx + Minor improvements to Rod of Fishing presentation + Sisyphus now tosses items in your general direction + Updated Credits with additional Community Contributors (Thank you for all your help!!) References to lava changed to magma (as is well known, magma is beneath the earth, lava is above it) Various text fixes, updates, and clarifications Bug Fixes + Fixed lag issues using Switch Pro controllers (if you run into input issues, please report them by pressing F10) + Fixed rare instances of foes taking wall-slam damage multiple times from a single knock-away effect Fixed damage effects playing after Death Defiance activation, rather than before Fixed Splendid Lyre sometimes not making a sound when used Fixed God of War (Fated List) coming from Artemis rather than Ares + Fixed an issue where gifting Thanatos during an escape attempt made him noninteractive in the House + Fixed being able to use exits in some Chambers while using the Rod of Fishing + Fixed certain story events in the Prince's Bedchambers not queuing properly + Fixed issues toggling some House Decor items from the House Contractor + Fixed a graphical issue exiting the Temple of Styx + Fixed a visual issue where Chill effects would tint a character's speech bubble + Fixed a visual issue when Wave-Makers are affected by Chill effects Fixed weapon charge-up sounds sometimes persisting between chambers Many other minor fixes

Quote of the Patch 'Nyx, whom the Romans called Nox, is a scarcely personified abstraction... Alone she spawned a large and generally unpleasant brood that included Moros (Doom), Thanatos (Death), Hypnos (Sleep), the Fates, and Nemesis.' ~Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology (E. Tripp)