Patch 036

**Early Access Patch 036: The LONG WINTER Update - January 21, 2020**

We wanted to start the year off with a bang with this **Major Update**! It features a new Olympian, a new weapon variant, new activities, more story, and many other improvements. We plan to follow up with a couple of smaller patches while keeping a close eye on your feedback. Thank you very much for playing!

## Highlights

* Demeter: the Goddess of Seasons brings winter to the Underworld! Seek out her powerful Boons
* Rod of Fishing: capture *(& sell!!)* Underworld river denizens with this new House Contractor item
* Aspect of Guan Yu: earn this unique new Aspect of the Eternal Spear, and vanquish your foes!
* Underworld Decor Galore: scores of new items are available at the newly renovated House Contractor!
* New Legendary Keepsake: forge an unbreakable bond with Dusa, and summon her to petrify your foes
* Boon Info & Victory Screen Update: pin multiple Boons onscreen for easy reference and sharing
* New Daedalus Hammer Upgrades: look for multiple new upgrades for each weapon
* New Story Events: uncover new secrets in hours of added narrative *(with more than 1,000 new voice lines)*

## General Gameplay

* Increased prices of Boons sold by Charon
* Increased price of Daedalus Hammer sold by Charon
* Increased price of augmented Boons and Poms sold by Charon in the Temple of Styx
* Slightly reduced healing from tasty-looking Health Drops
* Reduced healing from Fountain Chambers; however, new House Contractor upgrades can increase it
* You may now encounter fishing points in various chambers, once you have the Rod of Fishing. Deliver your stock to the Head Chef in the House *(who will take very good care of them)*

## Infernal Arms, Aspects, & Abilities

* Stygian Blade (Zagreus): now also increases Dash distance
* Stygian Blade (Nemesis): reduced Critical chance
* Eternal Spear (Guan Yu): newly added! Seek Achilles to learn more *(once you have several Aspects)*
* Eternal Spear (Zagreus): now increases Attack damage and Dash-Strike damage
* Shield of Chaos: slightly increased Bull Rush charge up time; slightly reduced Bull Rush damage
* Shield of Chaos (Zagreus): reduced damage resistance
* Shield of Chaos (Zeus): increased damage of Throw special
* Shield of Chaos (Chaos): now throws additional Shields in a radial pattern
* Adamant Rail: no longer briefly slows foes on-hit

## Boons & Blessings

* Demeter: newly added! Seek out 11 new Boons and 4 new Duo Boons
* Billowing Strength (Zeus): reduced power level; increased effect duration
* Zeus' Aid: reduced power scaling from improved rarity
* Scintillating Feast (Zeus x Dionysus): reduced damage
* Divine Dash (Athena): slightly reduced Deflect duration
* Athena's Aid: increased God Gauge cost and effect duration *(it cannot be used quite as often)*
* Merciful End (Athena x Ares): reduced damage; reduced appearance rate
* Spent Spirit (Athena x Aphrodite): reduced slow effect on foes' projectiles
* Reduced power level of Aphrodite's Weak Status Curse
* Broken Resolve (Aphrodite): newly added! Improves potency of Weak Status Curse
* Passion Dash (Aphrodite): now affects foes near your dash destination *(rather than at the starting point)*
* Crush Shot (Aphrodite): formerly Shatter Shot; updated effect
* Curse of Pain (Ares): slightly reduced damage
* Battle Rage (Ares): adjusted scaling from rarity and Poms (overall power level should be similar)
* Ares' Aid: reduced damage; increased move speed
* Hunting Blades (Ares x Artemis): reduced speed; reduced tracking
* Deadly Strike (Artemis): reduced Critical chance; increased damage to compensate
* Support Fire (Artemis): reduced damage
* Drunken Dash (Dionysus): formerly Nasty Dash; now deals several instances of damage and Hangover *(formerly called Poison)*
* Second Wind (Hermes): increased effect duration; increased power scaling from improved rarity
* Passing Through (Hermes): cut from game *(Demeter is the new curator of slowing effects)*
* Relative Speed (Hermes): cut from game *(same reason)*
* Quick Reload (Hermes): now offered by Hermes *(donated by Artemis, who felt sorry for him)*
* Slothful (Chaos): reduced how badly this curse can impair your move speed
* Defiance (Chaos): increased appearance rate
* Reduced power level of Chaos blessing effects at higher rarity

## Daedalus Hammer Upgrades

* Cursed Slash (Blade): newly added! Restores health on-hit, but your life total is heavily reduced
* Shadow Slash (Blade): newly added! Deals bonus damage when striking foes in the back
* Serrated Edge (Spear): newly added! Your Dash-Strike hits multiple times but your Dash is shorter
* Charged Skewer (Spear): newly added! Press and hold to power up your Skewer special
* Quick Spin (Spear): no longer quite as quick
* Charged Throw (Shield): newly added! Press and hold to power up your Throw special
* World Smasher (Shield): newly added! Your Bull Rush is replaced with a powerful up-close strike
* Chain Shot (Bow): newly added! Your attack bounces between targets, dealing bonus damage
* Charged Volley (Bow): newly added! Press and hold to power up your Volley special
* Cluster Bomb (Rail): newly added! Your Bombard special fires a spread of 5 smaller bombs
* Hazard Bomb (Rail): newly added! Your Bombard special fires a big bomb that blasts the area around you, but can damage you *("Have you tried not standing there when it blows up?" --Hypnos)*
* Delta Chamber (Rail): formerly Infinity Chamber ; now also fires in a 3-round burst
* Explosive Fire (Rail): cut from game

## Foes & Encounters

* Introduction to Olympian Aid now gives you some God Gauge to use Poseidon's Call
* Thanatos: should show up more frequently *(once you encounter him for the first time in Elysium)*
* After the other Fury Sisters show up, it is no longer possible to randomly avoid one indefinitely
* Alecto: reworked her Rage Gauge *(you can knock her out of her rage-building move, but watch out)*
* Skullomat: Elite is more powerful; reduced appearance rate in Asphodel
* Burn-Flinger: Elite attack pattern adjusted
* Wave-Maker: non-Elite throws one wave at a time *(rather than two)*; adjusted Elite attack
* Reduced number of foes on the Asphodel Barge of Death under Middle Management (Pact)
* Bone Hydra: reworked aspects of this encounter to be faster though deadlier to compensate; one fewer phase; removed urns containing health *(the Hydra finally realized they were there and ate them)*
* Elysian Arrow Trap: attack now dissipates as soon as combat is over
* Flame Wheels: reduced health and Elite armor
* Nemean Chariot: no longer can hit multiple times in one charge
* Exalted Greatshield: appearance rate reduced; non-Elite no longer has a spin attack; reduced rotation and increased vulnerability times
* Soul Catcher (Elite): now more aggressive under the effects of Middle Management (Pact)
* The Minotaur: no longer gains brief invulnerability when low on health in the battle with Theseus
* Increased damage rate of Poison effects in the Temple of Styx
* Final Boss: various changes to attack patterns; resolved issues where cover sometimes did not work reliably against ranged attacks

## Keepsakes & Items

* Companion Fidi (Dusa): newly added Legendary Keepsake! Summons Dusa to petrify your foes
* Companion Mort (Thanatos): increased effect radius; increased damage; reduced pre-attack time
* Companion Shady (Sisyphus): dropped goodies no longer block foes' movement
* Companion Battie (Megaera): increased damage
* Frostbitten Horn (Demeter): newly added! Raises chance to find Demeter Boons with improved rarity
* Broken Spearpoint (Patroclus): now has a cooldown between uses; slightly increased effect duration
* Evergreen Acorn (Eurydice): reduced instances of damage absorption
* Myrmidon Bracer (Achilles): reduced damage reduction at higher ranks
* Chthonic Coin Purse (Hypnos): reduced bonus money at higher ranks
* HydraLite (Well): reduced healing

## House Contractor

* Screen now shows all available options by category *(instead of a random set of just three)*
* Screen now shows which items you have purchased, and lets you toggle some decorative items
* Added many new decorative items to the House Contractor inventory *(some with light interactions)*
* Added renovations that improve health recovery from Fountain Chambers
* Reduced costs for many items for this grand reopening

## Fated List of Minor Prophecies

* Goddess of Seasons: newly added!
* A Place of Revelry: newly added!
* The Fated Saint of War: newly added!
* The Gift of Song: newly added!
* Updated requirements to fulfill several Prophecies *(this won't affect you if you've already fulfilled them)*
* Increased rewards for Daedalus Hammer and Olympian Prophecies

## Pact of Punishment

* Heightened Security: reduced to a single rank
* No Choice: increased Heat
* Hard Labor: re-scaled to 5 ranks
* Tight Deadline: timer pauses in non-combat chambers with characters such as Sisyphus

## Level Design & Environments

* Added one new chamber to Tartarus
* Added two new chambers to Elysium
* The first chamber in Asphodel now offers more picturesque views...
* Updated layout of Megaera's chamber to have fewer places to hide
* Updated look of Bone Hydra's chamber
* Updated layout of Final Boss's chamber
* Minor changes to layouts of some chambers to helpfully accommodate the Rod of Fishing
* Minor changes to layout in the House of Hades
* Other minor fixes and improvements to various chambers

## Art & Visual FX

* Updated main menu based on new Major Update
* Lord Hades can now be seen toiling away in the House
* House Contractor has a new look in the House
* Added many new optional decorative items to the House of Hades
* Added many new visual effects for Demeter Boons
* Added new art, visual effects, and animations for the Eternal Spear's Aspect of Guan Yu
* Updated various animations for Exalted Shades in Elysium
* Added a couple of portrait variants for Dusa
* Updated visual effect for Crush Shot (Aphrodite)
* Reduced visual effects of poison in the Temple of Styx *(making it easier to find curing pools)*
* Reduced visual effects of Zeus' Aid *(making it easier to see what's going on)*
* Updated texture and Codex portrait for Wretched Thug
* Other minor visual changes, fixes, and improvements

## Menus & UI

* Boon Info Screen: updated layout shows Mirror and Pact setup; you now can 'pin' Boons for comparison
* Victory Screen: as above; also added various text Commendations based on your performance
* Added graphical icons for each Mirror of Night Upgrade
* Added graphical icons for each Pact of Punishment Condition
* Version number watermark and current Heat switched screen positions as part of these changes
* Songs are now subtitled
* Slightly reduced size of critical damage numbers
* Gamepad shoulder buttons now page through the House Contractor and Fated List
* Improved look of choice selection in narrative events
* Other minor fixes, changes, and improvements

## Music & SFX

* Added new sound effects for Demeter and her Boons
* Added new sound effects and emotes for Eternal Spear's Aspect of Guan Yu
* Added new sound effect when Zagreus is stunned
* Added new sounds for other miscellaneous contexts
* Added equip sounds for the two new Keepsakes
* Other minor changes, fixes, and mix improvements

## Voice & Narrative

* Added many narrative events *(with Demeter, Dusa, Achilles, Hades, Aphrodite, the Storyteller, and more)*
* Added narrative events around the Eternal Spear's Aspect of Guan Yu
* Added many new Zagreus voice events for contexts such as House Contractor and the Rod of Fishing
* Zagreus has more to say to the Bone Hydra and certain other monsters and shades
* Extended Affinity Gauge for Dusa *(you can give her more gifts)*
* Updated Codex entry for Dusa
* Added Codex entry for Demeter
* Primordial Chaos now responds to certain interactions in their realm
* In the 'Trial of the Gods', you now hear from the god you choose
* Updated requirements and other minor changes to various narrative events
* Fixes and tuning to various contextual voice events

## Miscellaneous

* Added new localized text for some content *(note: translation still pending for much of the newer content)*
* Updated Development Roadmap to reflect our plans for our next Major Update in March, and beyond
* Orpheus: due to the House Contractor redesign, the item to release him can be found more reliably
* Most characters impervious to your attacks no longer knock you back when struck
* You need a bit more Darkness now before Nyx upgrades the Mirror with the ability to refund it
* Gameplay Timer pauses in non-combat chambers with characters such as Sisyphus
* 'New!' tags on Prophecies in the Fated List clear on selection *(rather than after closing the List)*
* Credits: Demeter *(Laila Berzins)* added to voice cast; added new Community Beta Testers *(Thank you!!)*
* Text: Renamed various Dionysus Boons and effects to be more in-theme with his lifestyle choices
* Minor changes to presentation when the Minotaur leaves his chamber
* Adjusted behavior of mouse-and-keyboard controls while the default 'Attack at Cursor' is disabled
* Zagreus now will always enter chambers at a standard speed *(such as when his speed is reduced by Chaos)*
* Various text fixes, updates, and clarifications

## Bug Fixes

* Fixed various text overflow issues in non-English languages
* Fixed Achilles not telling you about Titan Blood and Ambrosia soon after you first find them
* Fixed a rare issue where Death Defiance could cause a permanent slowdown
* Fixed Numbing Sensation (Dionysus) having a reduced power level at Heroic rarity
* Fixed Black Out (Dionysus) unintentionally being upgradeable by Eurydice
* Fixed Companion Rib (Skelly) causing 'Trial of the Gods' effects to occur unexpectedly
* Fixed Infernal Gates blocking the aim preview for the Shield's Bull Rush
* Fixed a key narrative event with Megaera sometimes playing twice unexpectedly
* Fixed narrative scripting around events involving Orpheus and Dionysus, which could become unavailable in some cases
* Fixed Bother foe having incorrect material sounds
* Many other minor fixes

## Quote of the Patch

> The Earth did not send up any seed. Demeter, she with the beautiful garlands in her hair, kept them covered underground. Many a curved plough was dragged along the fields by many an ox—all in vain.
>
> Homeric Hymn to Demeter (Anonymous; G. Nagy translation)

**Note: You should see v0.24897 in-game once you have the update.**