Hey everyone!
Summer season may be in full swing (well, it’s been getting both scorchy and stormy here in Europe recently), but the mists over Avalon never rest, and neither do we. Today's update is a big one: a brand-new free DLC with new items and playstyles for archers and sorcerers, a new Ultra+ graphics preset for those of you with monster PCs, our biggest discount to date as a part of the Steam Midweek Deal, and, as per usual, a fresh patch - this time, version 1.25.
Additionally, we're also continuously working on optimization across all platforms, so you can expect a few more improvements before the year is out.
Now, if you want us to bring you up to speed in no time, just watch this trailer with a brief overview of the new stuff!
1. Free DLC: Bonus Content #4
Another free DLC comes to the mist-shrouded lands of Avalon, bringing deadly new tools for those who favor bows and sorcery. Expect brand-new playstyles and unique items to choose from!
The Scalesong Set is forged for heavily armored archers who fear no enemy and want to hold their ground, while the Dolorous Pilgrim Set is made for mages who draw power from bloodletting, pain, and self-sacrifice.
The DLC also includes new bows and wands, giving players more ways to approach ranged combat, spellcasting, and the dangers waiting in the Wyrdness. Step back into the fog and test your mettle once more.
All new weapons can be purchased from blacksmiths and can be found during Wyrdnight, as unidentified loot, waiting to be discovered and revealed by those brave enough to face the darkness.
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/4831420/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon__Bonus_Content_4/"]Want more details? Let’s start with Archers:
The Scalesong Set
Scalesong Helm - Increases Ranged Damage by 50% of Armor value.
Scalesong Cuirass - Decreases Incoming Damage by 40% while aiming with a bow. Increases Max Stamina by 5.
Scalesong Bracers - Each enemy within a radius of 6m increases your Ranged Damage by 30%. Increases Max Stamina by 10.
Scalesong Legguards - Increases Bow Draw Speed by 40% while at Heavy Equipment Load. Increases Ranged Critical Damage by 10%.
Scalesong Boots - Increases Ranged Damage by 25% for 5s after taking Damage.
Bows:
The Green Chapel - Hitting an enemy has a 5% chance to apply Petrify. Increases Ranged Damage by 10%.
Morrigan's Wings - Weakspot hits restore 20% of your Max Mana. Increases Weakspot Damage by 10%.
Orchard Warden - Increases Damage by 50% if the enemy is less than 3m from you.
The Dolorous Shot - Wooden arrows deal 10 more Damage.
Whiteout - Increases Damage dealt by arrows that apply Chill by 25%.
Perilous Dawn - Shooting burning enemies causes a small explosion, dealing 10% of this weapon's Damage.
Gilded Adder - Restores Optimal Dashes for 5s after applying Poison to an enemy. Increases Ranged Damage by 5%.
Now, all the good stuff for Sorcerers:
Dolorous Pilgrim Set
Dolorous Pilgrim Hood - After Health is restored to full, increases Spell Power by 25% for 3s. Increases Max Health by 5.
Dolorous Pilgrim Vestments - While bleeding, all attacks apply Bleed and Spell Power is increased by 15%. Increases Max Mana by 5.
Dolorous Pilgrim Gloves - Every 100 Mana spent in combat applies Bleed to the caster and nearby enemies. Increases Spell Power by 10%.
Pilgrim's Yoke - Applying Bleed has a 50% chance to apply an additional stack. Increases Magic Critical Damage by 5%.
Dolorous Pilgrim Trousers - Increases Spell Power by 10%. Increases Bleed Damage by 25%.
Dolorous Pilgrim Boots - Increases Bleeding Damage by 100%. Increases Max Mana by 10.
Wands:
Applewood Wand - Increases Spell Power by 2% for each Bleed stack on nearby enemies. Attacks apply Bleed.
The Kindling Palm - Critical Hits with Spells increase your next Melee Damage by 50%. Increases Spell Critical Damage by 5%.
The Wicker Bride - Spending Mana heals you for 2% of the spent value. Increases Spell Power by 15%.
The Pale Reflection - When your Mana is below 5%, become invisible. This effect can occur only once every 60s. Increases Magical Critical Damage by 5%.
The Light of Corbenic - Every 6s while in combat, 6 magic projectiles are released at nearby enemies. Each projectile deals 100% of this weapon's Damage.
2. A new romance (?) option
Starting from today, if you bought the house in Cuanacht, you can now meet your new neighbor, who has taken... a particular interest in the town's newest resident. Talk to her at your own risk.
3. Ultra+ graphics preset
For those of you rocking high-end rigs: patch 1.25 introduces the new Ultra+ graphics preset, a special visual mode that will push your PC's specs to the limit in exchange for extra fidelity. It includes:
Better shadow quality
Better lighting
Better post-processing effects
Better fog quality
Better night lighting for several key locations (Cuanacht, villages in the Forlorns)
Make sure to check out the trailer above for more examples of a before/after comparison!
4. Steam Midweek Deal: 50% off!
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is now featured as a Steam Midweek Deal. That said, it’s on its biggest sale ever! You can grab both the base game and the Sanctuary of Sarras expansion with a 50% discount. If you've been waiting for the right moment to enter Avalon (or drag a friend in with you), this is it.
5. Demo update
Alongside this patch, we're also updating the demo version of the game here on Steam, so it better represents the quality of the full experience. If you want to check the waters before diving into the full game, this might be your best bet!
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2346630/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon_Demo/"]
6. Collector’s & Deluxe Editions
For those of you who love putting cool-looking stuff on your shelves, there are still some Collector's and Deluxe Editions of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon available! We’re shipping to select countries only; check out the links below for details.
Store links for people from the UK and the US:
Collector's Edition: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/awaken-realms/awaken-realms-store#/product/108527
Store links for people from the European Union, the Åland Islands, Cyprus, Malta, Monaco, Portugal (Azores), Portugal (Madeira), Spain (Canary Islands), and Spain (Melilla):
Collector's Edition: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/awaken-realms/awaken-realms-store#/product/104186
7. Artovision collaboration
We've recently teamed up with Artovision to bring you 3 beautiful Tainted Grail-themed layered shadowboxes. A perfect companion piece for that shelf we just mentioned. Take a look:
King Arthur shadowbox: https://tinyurl.com/artovision1
Josephus shadowbox: https://tinyurl.com/artovision2
Mistbearer shadowbox: https://tinyurl.com/artovision3
8. Shards of Order launches July 28
In just over a week, on July 28, Shards of Order launches on Steam. It's developed by Fardust, an internal indie team at Awaken Realms made up of around 7 people.
Expect a truly dark fantasy RPG with card-based combat, but without your regular turns or mana. Instead, there's a unique time mechanic and a single deck shared between your 3 characters. It comes from people who grew up playing RPGs and wanted to create one of their own. We guarantee the game is full of passion and well worth a look!
Check it out here:
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/3432480/Shards_of_Order/"]
9. Patch notes: v1.25
As with every major update, we're also releasing a new patch. On top of the Ultra+ preset, version 1.25 brings the following changes:
Features & Improvements
It is now possible to rebind quick save and quick load on PC
Added more information about rebinding conflicts
Dal Riata bandits in the Forlorn Region now have additional tattoo variants
Talent tree tooltips are now clearer
Added new accessibility settings: low health vignette, crosshair style
Some recipes and quest items can now be sold again, they cannot be dropped to prevent unintentional losses
Gameplay & Balance
\[Challenge Mode] Fractured Guard debuff is now discarded after any attack, not only after a successful attack
\[Challenge Mode] Added a new Debuff available in NG+ (Goblin Queen Special)
Increased intensity of DualSense vibrations on PC
Decreased intensity of DualSense vibrations on PS5
Toxic Dart now correctly applies Poison on hit.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an error when changing skin after returning from the game to the main menu
Fixed an issue with Hollow Sun items counting one fewer Bleed stack than actually present on a character
Fixed a large optimization issue with Josephus cutscene under certain configurations
Optimized Qrko Mount
Fixed an issue where "Restore Defaults" in Settings would reset Challenge Mode
Fixed discovery markers not working correctly on the Forlorn Swords
Fixed shops breaking when referencing item templates that no longer exist
Fixed long tab labels overflowing in menu
\[Challenge Mode] Fixed an issue with the Faltering Strikes debuff having an unpredictable interaction with the Best Offense talent, resulting in the player dealing infinite damage
\[Challenge Mode] Fixed (again) the returning of Trial of Weakness on every save load
\[Challenge Mode] Fixed Hardened Flesh incorrectly interfering with Lumbering and Mining actions.
System
\[Consoles] the world should no longer slowly load in after a fast travel
Fixed an issue with one of the Lod systems incorrectly keeping track of state
Misc
Removed incorrect Challenge Mode difficulty tooltip
Added missing sound effects for the Mistbearer's lantern and smoke abilities.
Various localization fixes
Improved depth-of-field visual quality in the Sarras (Josephus) cutscene.
Cleaned up outdated leftover Bestiary entries in the hero's journal.
Optimized visual effects performance for the Merlin’s Thorn spell.
Two dungeons (Smuggler's Hideout and Barrow of the Horned Shadow) now have discovery markers
That's a wrap for today!
As always, thank you so much for still playing Tainted Grail and enjoying your time in Avalon! We hope this batch of new content and improvements brings even more fun to your playthroughs! :D
Stay safe!
Awaken Realms / Questline
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466060/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon/"][dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/4132150/Tainted_Grail_The_Fall_of_Avalon__Sanctuary_of_Sarras_DLC/"]
