One year after V Rising‘s first major content expansion, Secrets of Gloomrot, the game is scheduled for its full release on Wednesday, May 8. V Rising‘s 1.0 update features the true final test for ambitious vampires seeking to conquer the realm of Vardoran, including a new area, a new faction, and new events. The update also features several major overhauls, including to armor and spells, enhancing player choice and customization.
Overhauling Spellcraft
Stunlock Studio’s latest Dev Update deals foremost with a major overhaul to the spellcasting system. Currently, spells are directly linked to the various V-Blood bosses in the game. To gain a specific spell, it was necessary to defeat a specific boss. That will no longer be the case. Instead, V Rising 1.0 introduces Spell Points. Vampires can obtain these as rewards for defeating particular bosses but can redeem them for spells based on their own preferences. This new system adds additional versatility to spellcasting throughout the game. According to the dev diary, whereas players used to have access to a single ultimate attack by the time they reach the Dunley Farmlands portion of the game, they will have 2 to 4 attacks under the new system.
The new system adds a lot of versatility to the spellcasting.
Additionally, the new patch will add a tier system, that slowly introduces more complex spells as players progress. In the latest sections of the game, vampires will gain access to a new station, the Altar of Strygian Awakening. This altar lets vampires unlock hidden passive effects of various spell schools, like spawning Blood Orbs.
It looks pretty cool, too.
Slaying in Style
While the game has traditionally been fairly restrictive around Vampiric customization, especially when it came to armor and clothing. Right now, there is only a single kind of armor per defense level. That will change when V Rising‘s 1.0 update releases. According to Dev Update 24, aptly named “Slaying in Style,” players can look forward to a lot more customization in terms of both gameplay and appearance.
The full release adds four armor sets with unique stats and appearance for every second armor tier after the starting bone armor. The armor is divided into four types that roughly align with key ways of playing: Brute, Warrior, Rogue, and Scholar. These archetypes will likely reflect the blood types of the same name.
- Brute: Increases overall healing and attack speed
- Warrior: Improves physical power and increases damage reduction
- Rogue: Increases crit rate and movement speed
- Scholar: Improves spell power
No more boring uniformity.
The update also caters to those who are more aesthetically minded. It adds a series of slots that visually override the armor you are wearing, separating combat effect from visual appeal. The new slots also come with a variety of color palettes, allowing players to dye their outfits to their desires. Currently, there are 31 palettes scheduled to become available.
Dominating Vardoran
Upon full release, the game’s story mode comes full circle. The area beyond the Hallowed Mountains has long been shut off to players, made inaccessible by a broken bridge. However, that bridge will soon be repaired, allowing players to venture beyond. Here, they will well and truly be in the endgame zone. They will face the ultimate challenge, but the area is more than a just single final boss.
That looks particularly menacing.
Instead, the new area will also feature endgame events. These are regular rolling events that attract the fiercest monsters the game can throw at a player. They are meant to incentivize players to come out of their castle and take on a new challenge,
Smaller Tweaks
Naturally, the update also comes with some smaller tweaks and quality-of-life updates to V Rising. It will be considerably easier to move your castle, no longer forcing vampires to tediously travel across Vardoran, desperately avoiding annoying encounters. Shards, late-game structures that provide power buffs, are reworked to become necklaces, which provide a unique ultimate ability. And lastly, Dev Update 21 strongly suggests vampires will finally be able to sit on chairs.
Moving can be something to look forward to now.
V Rising‘s 1.0 update will release on May 8th, 2024 on PC, and later that year on PS5 as well.
