[Test Server] Update 2.0 — Mechabellum News

[p align="start"]Greetings, Commanders!

[p align="start"]Mechabellum is about to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of its official release! We are thrilled to present the biggest update in the game’s history: Mechabellum 2.0.

[p align="start"]This massive update brings a wealth of fresh content, including the new Star Expedition mode, the "Centurion", our latest addition to our unit roster, cosmetics and events for the 2nd Anniversary Celebration, and more. To ensure the quality and stability of the 2.0 release, we will launch a public playtest on the Public Test Server starting August 28th at 14:00 UTC (10:00 Eastern Daylight Time, 16:00 Central European Summer Time) for several weeks.

[p align="start"]Test Server Notice: This version of the game is still in active development and may contain bugs, balance issues, or unfinished content, and a great many names and descriptions are provisional. Over the coming weeks, we will continuously fix issues, add missing assets, adjust design aspects, and polish the overall experience. If you plan to share gameplay or stream from the test server, please include a notice stating: \[WORK IN PROGRESS - NOT FINAL QUALITY]. Thank you for your understanding and support!

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[p align="start"]Here are the key highlights of this test server update:

New Mode: Star Expedition

[p align="start"]In Star Expedition, you will face dynamic strategic elements and ever-shifting boards of real players of a similar Star Expedition rating. Conquer 9 challenging planets to complete an expedition run and unlock powerful loot that alters your future runs.

Ever-Shifting Adventures: Dynamic units, technologies, and reinforcements, alongside a wide array of real player mirror boards, will thoroughly test your adaptability in the face of unpredictable battles.
Untimed Asynchronous Battles: The asynchronous battle mechanic provides limitless planning time. Take all the time you need to strategize without the pressure of a countdown timer!
Rich Expedition Rewards: Each run yields unique loot that can be utilized to gain an advantage in your next run.
Multi-Tiered Leaderboards: Compete on your preferred stage with World, Regional, and the newly added Friends leaderboards.
Co-op Mode: A 2-player cooperative Star Expedition mode is actively in development and will arrive later.

Developer's Note: For a long time, many players have requested a more relaxing mode with endless replayability. Star Expedition is our answer to that feedback, and we also hope it serves as a welcoming gateway for new commanders:

1.If you want a change of pace from standard PvP, this is the perfect place to unwind.
2.If you are returning after a break, this offers a zero-pressure environment to reacquaint yourself with the game.
3.If you want to introduce friends to the game, this is the ideal starting point to learn basic mechanics and unit interactions.

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New Unit: Centurion

[p align="start"]Equipped with a high-precision rifle, the Centurion can destroy targets from long range, switch to dual-wielding for mid-range suppression, or transform into a melee form to charge enemy lines. With a diverse suite of unique technologies, the Centurion will play a distinctive tactical role on the battlefield.

Developer's Note: With the addition of the Centurion, unit variety in the Standard PvP mode has reached a state we are very satisfied with. Moving forward, our development focus for Standard PvP will primarily center on balance tuning and quality-of-life improvements.

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Seasons & Rank Rework

[p align="start"]Starting in Season 9, seasonal rewards will be completely decoupled from Combat Power:

Purer Ladder Experience: Combat Power will strictly reflect your rank progress, no longer gating Seasonal Rewards.
Reward Distribution: Seasonal and Cosmetic Rewards will now be distributed through the brand-new "Battle Contract" system.

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New System: Battle Contracts

[p align="start"]Battle Contracts are a new system introduced in 2.0. Contracts come in two tiers: free Standard Battle Contracts and purchasable Elite Battle Contracts. Commanders simply need to play games in any mode to unlock rewards.

[p align="start"]Standard Battle Contracts

[p align="start"]Standard Battle Contracts are distributed to all players for free on a regular schedule. The first contract is the \[2nd Anniversary Celebration Contract], packed with exclusive anniversary cosmetics. New Standard Battle Contracts will rotate in every few weeks to replace older ones.

[p align="start"]Elite Battle Contracts Elite Battle Contracts are premium items (free to experience for all players during this public test). Once activated, players can unlock all premium content by completing matches. Once purchased, Elite Battle Contracts DO NOT EXPIRE. Upcoming Elite Contracts include:

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[p align="start"]Royal - Sabretooth

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[p align="start"]Royal - Phoenix

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[p align="start"]Dieselpunk - Overlord

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[p align="start"]Dieselpunk - Steel Ball

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Hangar Visual & Interaction Revamp

[p align="start"]The Hangar (Unit Modification) has received a full visual and control upgrade:

Hold Left Mouse Button: Freely rotate the unit 360 degrees.
Hold Right Mouse Button: Orbit the camera to inspect unit details from any angle.

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Performance Optimization

[p align="start"]Optimized the in-game text rendering performance, which will improve framerates during intense matches.

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Other Adjustments

[p align="start"]We plan to introduce further adjustments to Battlefield Powers, Unit Variants, default camera angles, game balance, and other systems. These changes are not yet included in the initial test build and will be rolled out to the test server in subsequent updates over the coming weeks.

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How to access the Public Test Server

1. Locate Mechabellum in your Steam library, right-click on it, and select Properties...

2. In the pop-up Properties window, select the Betas tab, and then choose public_test from the drop-down menu of Beta Participation.

3. Wait for the update to complete. Please note that the version should display as public_test. Now click Play, and you can get access to the Public Test Server.

4. In order to switch back to the live server, please repeat these steps and select "none" from the drop-down menu.

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Feedback & Bug Reports

[p align="start"]Feel free to submit feedback, suggestions, or report bugs for this update via the following channels.

Mechabellum Discord: https://discord.gg/mechabellum
Mechabellum Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Mechabellum/
Mechabellum Steam Discussions: https://steamcommunity.com/app/669330/discussions/

This announcement was written and published by the developers/publisher of Mechabellum on Steam; it is mirrored here unedited for readability, with full credit and a link to the original above. © the respective rights holders. Rights holder and want it removed? Email us — we take it down promptly.