Update Notes Catchup Through 6/14/2025

This update catchup features the implementation of two improvements to bot AI that had to be added to a ton of maps, so expect quite a few downloads!

Map Changes

• Two new bot improvements were made via changes to the AI path network in several maps. Bots now understand most traps and bounce-pads much much better! Bots will now use logic to determine when it is appropriate to spring traps. They should also not get stuck on most bounce-pads, though some maps still need tweaking. As a side-effect, live players should also benefit from the updated bouncers. Bouncers where directional freedom was not required have been updated to the same type that bots now use in most cases, making bouncers with specific endpoint destinations much more reliable.
• Many many little bugfixes were applied to maps to fix bad playerstarts, BSP holes, bad lighting and textures, and other broken features.
• BallBlast maps received a bit of love. All vanilla BallBlast maps have improvements as well as visual changes to differentiate them from their PointBlast counterparts.
  • Added map-specific special events that reveal the ball that was scored in a way themed to each map.
  • Added improved logic to the crowd sounds when scoring that prevents repeated overlaps of sounds.
  • Added doubler signs where needed on each map.
  • New BallBlast maps were added to expand the lineup of available maps. Check out the BallBlast versions of Amateur Arena, One 2 One Industrial Avenue, Abandoned Production Plant, Chroma Cleanroom, Egyptian Temple, and Foam Busters Arena.
• Added signs in the vanilla maps warning players of reduced gravity zones.
• Added a new weather event for the Asteroid arena: meteor storms!
• Improved the skyboxes of all space maps with higher resolution planetary bodies.
• Improved flare visuals such that they no longer have tiny square holes in the middle.
• Foam Busters Arena received a new passageway from the bedrooms hall to the vents to alleviate the dead-end effect. I also placed a bouncer from the Wildfire room up to the Pulsator spawn.
• Added missing weapons to The Very End of You making it playable.

 

System Changes

• Reduced the impact of a bug that caused you to lose your score in a match when the pause menu was opened. One instance of this bug has been fixed, leaving one instance left. This bug now only occurs once, on first opening the pause menu. This bug should be fully fixed in a future update.
• Many BallBlast gamemode fixes were added including issues with scoring and picking up duplicate balls. Scoring the gold ball no longer fills the gold ball slot if you haven't scored the prerequisite six balls. Bots also now ignore duplicate balls rather than getting stuck on them.
• Added an updated OpenGL renderer with improvements to mesh lighting, corona / flare rendering and mirror / glass rendering.

As always, check out the forums for more detailed patch notes.