1/22/24 8:00 AM
Add first task was to get PS5 launched. Now live.
Hello DC Universe Online! My name is Kenn "DEV NAME HERE" White, and I am the new Lead Producer for DCUO. You often hear in interviews that you are going to "hit the ground running" when you come onboard, and oh boy did Dimensional Ink deliver on that promise! There's nothing like the rhythm of a game team and we have a LOT going on right now.
<kenn image>
On a personal note, I have returned to gaming after a few years away in tech. I spent some of my time in the first weeks here racing my 8-year-old son to level 30. (Okay, he won, but he doesn't have quite the same number of responsibilities.) You know, I actually "grew up" in gaming, as they say, on a player council over on one of Daybreak's other games, let's not count how many years ago. It feels great to be back.
Excited to engage with players, please be kind.
But enough about me. Please read on for your January 2024 Development Update to learn more about what the team has been up to and what's next for DC Universe Online.
What follows are our plans laid out as transparently as possible based what we know or expect to be true - as of right now.
Plans can always change.
If you do not read this whole update, here's what you need to know:
We head into the new year with the return of the Anniversary event, Attack of the Anti-Monitor, with new rewards, free gifts, and even a sweepstakes you can enter to win a 13th Anniversary t-shirt. The Valentine's Day event, Love Conquers All, and the St. Patrick's Day event, Mister Mxyzptlk's Mischief, will also return in February and March.
As expected, we will also see a new Time Capsule, a new Booster Bundle, new post-launch styles for Episode 46: Justice League Dark Cursed, and new styles in celebration of Black History Month.
Finally, let it be known that DC Universe Online will launch natively on the PlayStation 5 this January 31, 2024! Xbox Series X/S will follow later this quarter.
Moving into the second quarter of the year, our full attention will be on Episode 47. We are not quite ready to tease the episode, but check back soon for a full announcement. <something about back to dcuo storyline>
We will also spend time revisiting the collection of systems and content that make up the Omnibus - the scaled content that makes up the bulk of the game excluding our most recent episodes. We want to improve how it is discovered, how it is played, and how it rewards players of all types. While the details here are still being explored, I can share two often asked-for pieces: we expect to provide ways for groups to opt out of content scaling and we expect to provide ways for groups to enter content without a full group.
I am especially pleased to share that the team will wrap up work on our next base, the Sunstone Fortress. This new base (and new base layout) is inspired by Superman's own Fortress of Solitude and includes our first, much-requested outdoor area with a one of a kind view. The base is expected to launch this April in celebration of Superman's anniversary.
We are also working on a new Pride seasonal event, and the return of the Spring seasonal event, Springtime, the Summer seasonal event, Tides of War, and a fresh round of Save the Universe.
The later two quarters of the year will be no less eventful. We'll see the return of Survival Mode, Homecoming, Extra Life, the Fall seasonal event, The Witching Hour, and the Winter seasonal event, Seasons Greedings.
We also expect to work on a revamp for the Marketplace, a Collections Manager to help you keep track of every kind of achievement in the game, and what we're calling a Social Update - better ways for you to manage and interact with your friends, groups, and leagues (or not interact, if that's your choice).
Last, and certainly not least, we will move in new directions with Episode 48. It is *way* too soon to talk about what this episode will look like, but our goal is to make it as great as and different from any episode that has come before.
If paragraphs are not your thing, maybe calendars are!
Thank you for reading! Please join the discussion on the official forums with any questions.
Kenn "DEV NAME HERE" White
Lead Producer
DC Universe Online