PvE Mode - Sneak and slay your way to victory in State Heists

Hello Outlaws,

On July 28, we will release our first new game mode: State Heist, a PvE-only mode for up to four players with a focus on methodical cooperation and stealth. In this article, we’ll dive into this new game mode and give you all the details about what to expect.

As in the PvP Outlaw Heist mode, the goal in the new State Heist mode is to execute the perfect (or oops-we-just alerted-all-guards-on-Earth) heist. Steal the key from the Sheriff, unlock the vault, and extract the chest. You are still performing a heist, but the rules have changed. This time, you’re not competing against another team of Outlaws. To face the State, there’s just you, your band of thieves, and the element of surprise.

Sometimes, thieves do be thick.

The long, strong arm of the State

In State Heist, you face the full might of the State. With far more guards patrolling the ramparts, grounds, and keep halls, you won’t get away easily if spotted, so think twice before loosing that arrow or bolt. Restraint, patience, and stealth are key to getting in and out alive.

The forces of the State are deadlier than ever. A single blow from a knight is fatal to Marianne and Robin, and most characters can’t take two or more hits from any guard and remain standing.

Wise Outlaws will time takedowns with their allies, and keep someone hidden to intervene with a timely assassination if the others get spotted and before things spiral out of control. Gear is worth its weight in gold. Smoke bombs, gas grenades and flashbangs are essential to get you out of a pinch.

Talismans of death

Death in State Heist is more punishing than in PvP, further emphasizing the need for stealth and the increased danger of engaging guards. Upon death, Outlaws will drop a Talisman which is visible on the map to allies. To be brought back to life, another Outlaw must pick up the Talisman and bring it to one of their captured spawn points. If all Outlaws die, the State wins and the game ends.

While dead, Outlaws become ghosts, able to still roam the map and even tag guards. Once their talisman is brought to a spawn point, they are automatically resurrected.

Winching for victory

Once you have the chest, an extraction zone will be picked for you at random, resulting in a different route being taken every match. Carry the chest there, the final phase will begin. Rather than require players to winch, progress towards extraction is automatic, allowing players to deal with incoming guards. With the chest gone and the winch working, the State is alerted and will converge on that location. Once the chest is placed, the area around it will turn into a spawn zone where Talismans can be activated to spawn allies. Any guards standing within it will cause the winch to fail and return to the previous notch.

Starting extraction will even get the Sheriff’s attention, and once he reaches the winch mechanism, he will smash it, along with your hopes of a payday. Position yourselves for an ambush and try to stop the advance of the State until the treasure is fully extracted and victory ensured.

When creating this mode, we thought it was important for each character’s original skill set to remain balanced rather than tweak them to fit the new mode. For instance, Marianne’s quick and versatile takedowns are extremely valuable here, but she has no way to take down the Sheriff, who will pose a huge threat in the final phase. With death being far more punishing, Tooke’s ability to heal will really shine. A shifted focus and approach to reach victory means each character’s strengths can be reexamined.

We believe you’ll find that these changes have a dramatic impact on the general flow of a heist. With deadlier guards and more punishing death, the importance of stealth is magnified, resulting in more methodical and deliberate gameplay. Since there’s no race to the treasure and an extended timer, Outlaws can take their time to reach it.

State Heist will be available on Outpost, Graveyard, and Citadel at launch, with more maps being added after.

Earn the Shadow Lords skins in a new event

With the launch of the new mode, we’re issuing a time-limited challenge! Any Outlaws that achieve victory in a State Heist without dying once will earn a brand new Shadow Lords skin for the character they played. Try to win with all characters to collect all four skins!

We look forward to sharing more details about this challenge when the update arrives.

Stay Legendary, Outlaws

To end this article, we’d like to thank you all for your feedback and reactions so far. It’s helped guide and prioritize our choices for future content, including for the upcoming State Heist mode. We can’t wait to release it and to share even more exciting stuff we’re working on.

See you in the shadows,
The Sumo and Focus Home Teams