Greetings Mercenaries!

We’ve been thrilled by the response to last week’s announcement of MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Ashes & Ascension, and as promised, today we’re taking a closer look at the free update launching alongside DLC 9.

This is a big one! The update includes new ’Mech variants, new vehicles, new pilot traits, gameplay improvements, fixes, modding updates, and much more.

Some of this new content expands the base game, while other additions build upon content from previously released DLCs you own.

And while there’s a lot to dig into below, this is not yet a comprehensive list. The team is still hard at work on additional fixes, improvements, and polish ahead of release.

Full patch notes will be posted at launch. In the meantime, check out the highlights and update notes below, and if you haven’t already, wishlist Ashes & Ascension on Steam!

The MechWarrior 5 Team

Ashes & Ascension Webpage - WEBPAGE LINK>>>

Wishlist now on Steam -  STEAM LINK>>>

New Content

18 new ’Mech variants in the free update:

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Base Game

• Archer ARC-5S
• Crusader CRD-6T
• Enforcer ENF-5D
• Nightstar NSR-9FC
• Warhammer WHM-7S
• Zeus ZEU-9S2
• Locust LCT-3M
• Cicada CDA-3F
• Vulcan VT-5M
• Cataphract CTF-3D
• Javelin JVN-11A

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Heroes of the Inner Sphere - DLC1

• Nightstar NSR-10P
• Awesome AWS-9Q
• Vulcan VT-5S
• Cataphract CTF-3L
• Javelin JVN-11B

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Call to Arms - DLC3

• Vindicator VND-5L

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Chaos Reign - DLC8

• Dervish DVR-7P

 

New Ground Vehicles:

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Base Game

• Bulldog Medium Tank (+LRM and AC/2 variants)
• Behemoth Heavy Tank (+Armor variant)
• Ontos Heavy Tank (+LRM and 3053 variants)
• Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun (+Laser and SRM variants)
• Von Luckner Heavy Tank (+K70 variant)

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries - Chaos Reign - DLC 8

• Clan variant of the Riverjack with a heavy machine gun

 

New Hero Traits

• New Hero Trait: Oblique Artilleryman (requires Chaos Reign)
  • Increases artillery range and and velocity
  • Reduces artillery spread
• New Trait: Artillery Weapon Expert (requires Chaos Reign)
  • Increases artillery range
  • Reduces artillery cooldown
• New Hero Trait: PPC Master
  • +10% damage and range
  • +5% velocity
• New Trait: PPC Expert
  • -5% cooldown
  • -5% heat generated
• New Trait: Gunslinger Graduate
  • +5% damage (all weapons)
  • +10% damage (additional, vs Clan opponents)
  • +10% lethality & accuracy
  • -10% injury/death chance
• New Hero Trait: Sharpshooter
  • +5% accuracy
  • +15% lethality 

Improvements and Bug Fixes

Updated Career Start UI:

With nine DLCs and an ever-expanding timeline, we’ve updated the Career Start screen to make it easier to explore your options and choose where your next career begins.

Career Starts are now organized across the timeline, with additional information including starting difficulty, campaign transmission dates, available content, and more.

The update also introduces 5 new Clan-era Career Starts with Ashes & Ascension.

Check out the video preview below for a first look at the updated Career Start experience.

 

Missions:

• Fixed an issue where random loot crates weren’t spawning in Guerrilla Warfare missions
• Adjusted logic for random loot crates to allow them a chance to roll items not normally in their loot table
  • Odds of rolling items not in the normal loot table increase with mission difficulty
  • Items can be rolled from various owned DLCs and modded content
• Improved scaling of random loot crate c-bill bonuses to scale with mission difficulty
• Fixed an issue where Wolf's Dragoons could show up as rival mercs opposed to Wolf's Dragoons as an employer/opfor.
• Adjusted how Rival merc zones are removed during Clan Invasion
  • Now will only be removed if all systems in their influence are Clan-controlled
• Added new Rival Merc Influence zones representing Clan forces that have joined the Inner Sphere
  • Clan Nova Cat fighting on behalf of the Draconis Combine starting in 3060
  • Clan Wolf-in-Exile fighting on behalf of the Arc Royal Defense Cordon starting in 3059
  • Unlike other Clan interdictions, these operate like Rival Merc encounters and will choose an appropriate side to support
• Fixed a bug where Arena AI would be given an invalid move location that was causing them to stand still or run towards the corner of the map.
• Improved performance on Liao Jungle map

 

Academies:

• Added chance to gain 'Mech affinity traits to Advanced Sim Pod Training
• Reduced weighting on 'Mech affinity traits in all graduate level programs
• Adjusted graduate programs at NAIS, Nagelring, Princefield, and Sun Zhang
  • Added chance to gain corresponding faction patriot trait
  • Increased chances of weapon traits related to the graduate trait bonuses
  • Increased odds that a 'Mech affinity trait gained corresponds to a faction-related 'Mech
  • Adjusted weighting on skill increases and multipliers on XP gain to flavor them towards the faction and graduate trait theme
    • Example: NAIS graduate program is weighted more towards giving skill increases and XP for Ballistic rather than Energy
• Added Gunslinger Program to Tukayyid starting in 3062.
  • Includes a unique graduate trait
• Added descriptions to academies that were missing them.
• Fixed a bug where graduate traits could be awarded if a pilot withdrew from training before it was 100% complete.
• Fixed a bug where a pilot could be enrolled in an academy for free if the player didn’t have enough funds to enroll them.

Pilot Traits:

• Added button in the barracks screen to show expanded descriptions for pilot traits
  • Updated pilot trait descriptions to add detailed information about bonuses applied by the trait when details are shown
• Updated 'Mech affinity traits
  • Affinity traits that support multiple chassis (IIC, II, -B versions of the base mech) now have an additional note to show they support multiple chassis
  • New OmniMech variants (Perseus, Black Hawk-Ku, Blackjack Omni) added to base chassis affinity trait.
  • Added support for Atlas II and Marauder II to their base chassis affinity traits
  • Added affinity traits for Nightstar (available as of 3057) and new chassis added in Ashes & Ascension.
  • Diversified bonuses given by chassis affinity traits to make them feel more distinct, especially for chassis with in-universe design quirks or unique features
• Fixed an issue where some ‘Mech affinity traits were showing up when players didn’t have access to the mech chassis
• Increased bonus structure percentage provided by Bitter End (from 15% to 50%)
  • Design Note: this is to make the actual value in structure points be more meaningful, since it only applies to CT and Head
• Increased bonus non-line-of-sight range of Eagle Eyes (from 100m to 150m)
• Renamed Freeman’s unique Jenner Affinity trait to Jenner Mastery and flagged it as a hero trait.
• Added accuracy bonus to Hates {Faction} traits
• Fixed a typo in Nagelring graduate trait and text

 

'Mechs:

• Updated salvage share cost of mechs to scale better with weight class and within a chassis
• Fixed Duncan Fisher’s Warhammer not showing up in the mech database
  • Added hero mech description for WHM-DNC
• Adjusted logic for how Clan mech designations appear to be scrambled
  • Before 3054 Clan mech's will gradually lose the scramble as you encounter each variant.
  • After 3054 all Clan mechs will be unscrambled.
• Smoothed the Center Torso to Legs command, especially for lower frame rates.

 

Weapons:

• Adjusted Gauss Rifle VFX to detach projectile launch effects/sparks from the weapon

 

Vehicles:

• Adjusted settings for vehicle navigation and hovercraft mobility to reduce cases where some vehicles would drive in circles
• Added weapon tier scaling for enemy vehicles
• Vehicles and turrets equipped with custom weapons now can drop the normal 'Mech version for salvage purposes
  • Example: MRM carrier uses a custom version with different spread, it can drop a normal MRM30 for player use in salvage
  • Previously, these items would be ineligible for salvage

 

Misc:

• Added Aim Stabilization to Gameplay Settings
  • Adjusts the amount of reticle bobbing in first person view mode.
  • A value of 1.0 disables all reticle bobbing.
• Improved how aim assist area scales when zooming in
• Fixed a memory leak that would occur in the mechlab or market when mousing over weapons/equipment.
• New career starts that begin after the events of Solaris Showdown now unlock Solaris Arenas and Duncan Fisher as an announcer on Solaris VII
• The transmissions screen is now sorted by transmission date, with newest items on top
• Updated the Cantina system to sometimes pull targets and rewards from other owned DLCs and modded content
  • Odds of rolling targets/rewards outside of the normal Cantina tables increases with progress in the career path.
• Added a small Lethality and Accuracy bonus to Targeting Computers (scales by size)
• Fixed an issue where Clans weren’t able to be selected as Team Combat teams in Instant Action.
• Fixed an issue where Clan factions would show up as operating markets
  • Markets on Clan-owned systems are operated by Independents

 

Modding:

• Adjusted the timing of when mod pak files are loaded to be earlier in the game launch
  • This allows for additional assets to be overridden correctly
• Fixed bug where pilot training was always using the default trait reward curve instead of using the one provided by the training asset
  • This only impacted modded content that was trying to use a custom curve
• Fixed an issue where custom mod mechs have their own, duplicate entry in the Instant Action 'Mech Select list
  • This now groups 'Mechs by ChassisName in the MechDataAsset.
• Updated the underlying system for C-Bills to use MWBigInt instead of mixed uses of Int and Float
  • Mobile HPG can now exist at full price
  • Note: this means a number of assets now have an updated field for the new data type.
    • The old c-bill cost was left as deprecated in these cases so modders can migrate their data to the new field/format
    • Scripted actions for various assets are in the editor for batch migration
      • Select assets->Right-click->Scripted Actions->Migrate Cbill Value
• Fixed all Mechs to include Lower Arm & Hand actuators for all mechs that require them
• Added an accessor to trace emitter to set a different ray class.
  • Also added an optimization, MWRays are only spawned initially or if the RayClass ever differs from the Spawn MWRay. Otherwise, they are reused.
• Added support to mech affinity traits to better handle multiple 'Mech type tags
  • Deprecated the MechType tag field and migrated this data to MechTypes tag container field
  • Underlying logic continues to support the deprecated field
• Added new ApplyUnitCardTraits function for pilot traits to implement to allow access to various settings on the unit card.
• Fixed an issue where primary asset IDs would be missing while cooking a mod with custom hardpoint assets or other assets that interact with the Asset Manager on pre-save.
• Added new function library to store logic for getting a timeline start date and updated a variety of hard-coded 3015 dates to use this function instead.