Splitgate Update Makes Vaulting Easier Than In Halo, Tweaks Contamination Mode

A new update for portal-based first-person shooter Splitgate includes multiple quality-of-life changes, adding ledge mantling and adjusting the Contamination game mode. The free-to-play arena shooter combines the unique traversal mechanics of Portal with the sci-fi shooter aesthetic of Halo. The launch of Splitgate‘s first season last month brought a ton of adjustments and improvements, and developer 1047 Games appears to have even more to come.

Season 0 of Splitgate kicked-off on August 26, fleshing out the game’s free-to-play open beta with new content. While 1047 Games’ unique arena experience suffered from lackluster reception when it launched on PC in 2019, the game’s console beta has seen more immediate success. Season 0 added Karman Station, a complete rework of an older map called Outpost, to the title’s rotation of arenas. A new Battle Pass system was also included, letting players level-up to unlock cosmetics and seasonal challenges. Finally, the game mode Contamination was added to Splitgate with Season 0, which pits a team of players against an ever-expanding legion of Contaminated players who join the horde upon death.

A brand-new Splitgate update has added a number of highly-requested quality-of-life features to the hectic portal shooter. Perhaps the most notable gameplay addition is mantling, which will allow players to boost themselves onto a ledge if they jump close to one. Several adjustments have also been made to the Contamination game mode, such as new announcer lines and a notification when players are the last human left in the game.

Splitgate Season 0 September Update

Maps

• Karman Station Optimizations – Performance Improvements + Crash Fixes
• Karman Station returns to normal map rotation

Online

• Added ability to queue multiple ranked playlists
• Combining rumble modes and casual modes into a “Quick Play” playlist
• Adding limited time featured playlists that are available on the weekends (includes rumble modes + new mode variants)
• Lower chance of running into bots queuing Quick Play

Game Modes

• Contamination Improvements
• Scoring Tweaks – Zombies get 2 points per kill
• Last Man Standing Indicator
• Players can no longer start as zombies in consecutive rounds
• Zombie Indicator Improvements
• New Zombie Notification
• Adding New Announcement Voice Lines

Gameplay

• Mantling – Adding support for mantling (ledge grabbing). Designed as jetpack boost so that there is not first person animation that interferes with aim/gunplay. Option to turn off in Settings > Gameplay

UI/Quality of Life

• Voice Chat Stability Improvements
• Console users can now redeem DLC codes
• KOTH/DOM Hill Visibility improvements
• Adding ability to customize enemy armor color, enemy outline color, friendly outline color and friendly color through walls
• Projectile hit detection improvements through portals

Miscellaneous

• NVIDIA Reflex Support
• Various Crash Fixes
• Other minor bug fixes and improvements

1047 Games has been committed to supporting Splitgate through additional content and ongoing support. Splitgate’s valuation recently scaled up dramatically, with an additional $100 million in funding bringing the game’s value to around $1.5 billion. A third round of fundraising resulted in a number of new investors, and active recruitment will reportedly be used to bring in talented new developers. After a troubled launch in 2019, Splitgate appears to have risen from its ashes.

The newest update for Splitgate may not add any exciting new maps or game modes, but the adjustments made will surely have a big impact on player experience. Mantling is a staple of the first-person shooter genre, and Splitgate‘s emphasis on speed and mobility means that the new feature will likely have a huge impact on gameplay. Meanwhile, changes to the Contamination mode’s notification system will ensure that players are more aware of what is happening within a round. By continuing to adjust the game, 1047 Games can ensure that Splitgate continues its rise.

Splitgate is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Source: Splitgate

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