Development Update: Anniversary Event!

Hello DCUO! Please take a moment to catch up on the latest news and announcements in this development update. Today, we'll update you on the status of our current plans, share a few new initiatives, and then look ahead to our focus next year, including:

• Episode 27
• Open Episodes
• What’s Next: 2017
• New Anniversary Event: The Anti-Monitor

Episode 27: Amazon Fury Part III

Amazon Fury Part III has launched, bringing us back to large content releases. We are so encouraged by the early response, and we are so excited to be back making this kind of content. If you’re not already playing this Episode, get on it. This is not one to miss.

Learn more about Episode 27 here.

Open Episodes Return

This summer was such a hit, we just had to do it again. Open Episodes are back for the rest of 2016! That means anyone can play (almost) any of the game’s content, regardless of whether or not they own it or have membership. Those who do not will have extended loot lockout times. (Note, Episode 27 is NOT included in Open Episodes.)

"I love open episodes because it allows everyone to experience the great content we have at upper levels. And friends can invite their friends into the game without any fear of barriers."
Jack "Jackster" Emmert
Studio CEO

For more information, see the Open Episodes announcement post here.

What's Next: 2017

Looking ahead, our previously announced plans remain unchanged from the last development update, but we would like to give you more insight into what we’re focusing on as we approach 2017.

Focus: Launch Large Content Releases

First, just to doubly reiterate, we are continuing development on large content releases (Episodes), similar to what you are experiencing with Amazon Fury Part III. We know how important new story, new characters, and new primary progression is to everyone’s fun in the game.

We are very pleased so far with the new gear system implemented in Episode 27. While we are looking at feedback for minor improvements, the core concepts of the best gear being on the vendor, auto-leveling dropped gear, and so on, remains the plan going forward.

Focus: The Stats Revamp

As you know, the stats revamp work is ongoing. We had originally hoped there might be some chance for the revamp to occur before Episode 27, but discovered additional work in several areas, including some in addressing your early feedback.

Here’s what we have accomplished so far:

• Revamp all player stats. READY
• Revamp all item and gear stats. READY
• Revamp all NPC stats. READY
• Remove Advanced Mechanics and Weapon Mastery bonus damage. READY
• Remove Power Points. READY

Here’s what still needs development time:

• Enhance Supercharges
• Modify Power and Power Regeneration
• Adjust powers based on the removal of Advanced Mechanics bonus damage

The plan right now is to complete work on three powers - Mental, Ice, and Electricity (one of each role) - and then move that build to the test server to begin testing the revamp overall. At that point, players will be able to form complete and balanced groups with these three powers and play through the game’s content on test.

This will primarily help us start to identify problem areas in the content itself. Also, it will allow us to get early feedback on the power adjustments, so that we can address and incorporate that feedback as we complete the rest of the powers. From there, we expect to wrap up the rest of the stats revamp and continue to deepen the overall progression system.

"Next year, one of our major goals is to create horizontal progression. We want to create more choices and more avenues of success. We want you to increase the breadth of your character, not just your Combat Rating."
Michael "Avair" Mann
Lead Systems Designer

We are incredibly excited about this, but we are not far enough in development yet to share more in the way of specific details. We eagerly look forward to being able to do so next year.

Focus: Create New Limited-Time Events

We do have a confession to make. We have been working on a little surprise for everyone. In addition to large content releases, we are also working on new limited-time events. These events will launch, be playable for a period of time, retire for a period of time, and then return later – perhaps yearly, perhaps more often. With this, we will continue our mantra of trying new things.

"Events make logging in every day that much more special; I know that I've got to complete that event before it ends!"
Jack "Jackster" Emmert
Studio CEO

Now, you might be thinking that sounds a lot like our seasonal events. In some ways, yes, but in other ways, not at all. These events will be more substantive – as in real, engaging content to play – accessible to virtually the entire player population, dripping with cool new rewards, and provide even more to do between each large content release.

For example:

New Anniversary Event: The Anti-Monitor

Surprise! We always like to give a little gift to our players at the anniversary, but this year we really wanted to step it up. An item? No. A style? Not good enough. Content? Yes. Let's do that.

This January will see the launch of the first of these new limited-time events in celebration of DC Universe Online’s 6th anniversary, and we’re here to spoil virtually everything about it right now. If spoilers aren’t your thing, turn back now!

"The Anti-Monitor is one of the most dangerous entities in the Multiverse. When something major happens in DC, it often involves this guy. He is literally capable of destroying entire Universes by breaking it apart into anti-matter, brick by brick, and now he has his sights set on ours! The endless instability of our timeline, thanks to Future Batman, Future Lex Luthor, and crisis after crisis, has drawn his deadly stare."
SJ "NerdOfPrey" Mueller
Creative Director

"When we first were designing the new anniversary event, I asked myself – what is the one villain that EVERYONE in the DC Universe, good and evil, united to battle? Who threatened the very existence of the DC world? The answer was obvious: the Anti-Monitor!"
Jack "Jackster" Emmert
Studio CEO

New Open World Missions: Metropolis Antimatter Invasion Zone
Travel forward in time to an unimaginable future – our future – and to a new version of Metropolis where a Qwardian invasion from the antimatter universe is weakening the last of Earth’s defenses.

• Open your Mission Journal and look for “Monitoring the Situation” to begin the event missions.
• Level Required: 5. All players will be increased to their future Combat Rating of 230 as they travel through time to Qwardian Metropolis.
• One weekly and three daily missions.

New 8-Player Raid: Centennial Collapse
With our Earth on the brink of destruction, it will be up to you to face the Anti-Monitor in this dark, possible future, and to do whatever is necessary before we and it are destroyed.

• Open your On Duty menu and look for “Centennial Collapse” under the Events tab.
• Level Required: 5. All players will be increased to their future Combat Rating of 230 as they travel through time to Qwardian Metropolis.
• Daily lockout.

New Gear, Collections, Feats, and More

• Earn a new event currency: Qwardian Crowns!
• Unlock a new gear and style set inspired by the Anti-Monitor! (Vendor)
  • Available on a vendor for Qwardian Crowns.
  • Auto-levels to your current item level/combat rating.
  • Maxes out equal to epic (purple) dropped gear in Amazon Fury Part III.
  • Set bonus feat that provides bonus Qwardian Crowns from completing the raid.
• Find a new auto-leveling gear set! (Dropped)
  • Auto-levels to your current average item level/combat rating.
  • Utilizes an existing style.
  • Maxes out equal to epic (purple) dropped gear in Amazon Fury Part III.
• Discover collections for a title and new Azure Misted Aura.
• Plus base items, consumables, and more!

We hope you are as excited about stopping the Earth’s near-certain future destruction as we are. And we hope you will tune in to our livestream later today to see the event in action and learn more. This anniversary may just be the best one yet. The show starts at 11AM PT on Twitch!

See you there!

Questions? Comments? Join the work-in-progress thread in the official Developer Discussion forums.