Happy 250th Independence Day, Workforce.
This update includes a number of quality-of-life improvements suggested by the community through our Discord server.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to contribute. If you have feedback, suggestions, or bug reports, you're always welcome to join the discussion.
FOLLOW THE COLORS
General Changes
Added a new "???" destination that sends players to a random location
Reduced volume of Forsaken bite sounds
Minor adjustments and fixes to shop item descriptions
CorpDeck skin is now guaranteed to spawn
Players now drop the Vault Keycard on death, allowing teammates to recover it
Disconnecting while carrying the Vault Keycard will also cause it to be dropped. If left on the train, the Vault Keycard will now persist across save/load
General Fixes
Fixed enemies sometimes spotting and attacking players who were already hidden under desks
Fixed a bug where entities could enter an endless staring contest with hiding players
Fixed a rare AI wandering issue that could cause navigation errors
Fixed a rare error involving the lantern light component
Fixed a rare edge case that could cause a crash while being attacked
Fixed male V bite sounds traveling farther than female V bite sounds
Fixed Spider attack instantly killing players who had both Quick Cola and an Adrenaline Shot
Fixed inconsistent and odd interactions between Quick Cola and fall damage
Quick Cola now properly protects against the Ventress, Forsaken, and Spider, interrupting their attacks, briefly stunning them, and consuming the buff
Fixed a bug where escaping the Shepherd's Fold or using the CEO Office elevator in Highrise could incorrectly stop the Escape Mode speedrun timer
Fixed an issue where loot value bonuses from location modifiers could reset after loading a save
The Shepherd
Players escaping The Shepherd's Fold are now returned to the train station instead of being placed at a random location
Players abducted by The Shepherd now display as "???" on the train status monitor
Equipment is now lost when abducted by The Shepherd (excluding gas masks and rebreathers)
The Shepherd now claims half of a player's collected Scrap upon abduction
The Shepherd's Fold
The path out of The Shepherd's Fold is no longer immediately available. Locate the elevator breaker and restore its power to escape
The Shepherd's Fold has become more expansive
Improved performance by unloading The Shepherd's Fold when leaving a location
Data Decks are no longer capable of tracking time within The Shepherd's Fold
Fragments of cut content from The Examiner have been hidden somewhere in The Shepherd's Fold
ENTITY CONTAINMENT DIVISION
DIMENSIONAL ANOMALY DOSSIER
Designation: THE SHEPHERD'S FOLD
Classification: DIMENSIONAL ANOMALY
Clearance Level: RESTRICTED
OVERVIEW
The Shepherd's Fold is a hostile extradimensional space associated with the NIGHTMARE-class entity designated THE SHEPHERD.
Personnel displaced by THE SHEPHERD consistently report arrival within an expansive maze-like environment composed of repetitive corridors, intersecting passageways, and vacant interior spaces.
Despite superficial similarities to human architecture, investigators have been unable to identify any discernible purpose behind the anomaly's construction.
No records exist identifying the structure's origin, purpose, or creator.
The ECD has been unable to determine the full extent of the anomaly. All documented exploration attempts have failed to establish a complete structural survey.
OBSERVED CHARACTERISTICS
The Fold is composed almost entirely of repetitive hallways, intersections, and vacant spaces arranged without apparent logic.
The Fold contains virtually nothing beyond its own architecture.
No furnishings, equipment, decorations, personal belongings, or signs of occupancy have ever been documented within the anomaly.
Despite its uniform appearance, the environment consistently evokes a sense of familiarity among recovered personnel. Its architecture resembles ordinary human interiors while resisting classification as any identifiable structure or architectural style.
Passageways branch and reconnect without obvious purpose, forming an expansive labyrinth almost entirely devoid of distinguishing features.
Several researchers have described the Fold as an imitation of human architecture rather than an example of it.
MEMORY DEGRADATION
Attempts to map the Fold have been unsuccessful.
Recovered personnel consistently report difficulty recalling specific details regarding the anomaly following extraction. While most survivors retain a general recollection of their displacement, detailed memories of routes, landmarks, and spatial relationships rapidly degrade after returning to baseline reality.
No recovered subject has successfully produced a complete or reliable map of the Fold.
This memory degradation appears to extend beyond the environment itself. Multiple survivors report an inability to accurately recall the appearance of THE SHEPHERD following direct encounters.
The cause of these effects remains unknown.
The ECD remains unable to determine whether the observed memory loss originates from THE SHEPHERD, the Fold itself, or prolonged exposure to the anomaly.
RECOVERY STATISTICS
Confirmed Personnel Displaced: 417
Confirmed Recoveries: 29
Recovery Rate: 6.95%
Personnel Remaining Missing: 388
Status: PRESUMED LOST
EGRESS
Every confirmed recovery from the Fold involved the activation of an operational elevator system located somewhere within the anomaly.
No alternative method of escape has ever been documented.
The origin and purpose of these elevators remain unknown.
RESEARCH NOTE
The anomaly exhibits several characteristics previously associated exclusively with the FALSE WORLD ENTITY.
Current evidence suggests the anomaly exists as a stable dimensional space under the control of THE SHEPHERD. Combined with the documented memory degradation experienced by recovered personnel, several researchers have noted similarities between the Fold and phenomena historically associated with the FALSE WORLD ENTITY.
While significantly smaller in scale, both anomalies demonstrate the ability to maintain extradimensional environments, disrupt memory retention following exposure, and utilize elevator systems as a primary means of traversal or egress.
Particular concern has been raised regarding reports of progressive identity degradation among recovered subjects. In addition to difficulties recalling routes and environmental details, survivors frequently demonstrate an inability to accurately remember the appearance of THE SHEPHERD or individuals encountered within the Fold.
Several interview subjects reported extended interaction with other displaced personnel while inside the anomaly, yet remained unable to recall names, faces, voices, or other identifying characteristics following extraction.
Researchers have noted that these effects bear concerning similarities to documented identity erosion associated with FALSE BLOOD exposure.
No causal relationship has been established.
The ECD is unaware of any other documented NIGHTMARE-class entity possessing comparable capabilities.
Researchers have been unable to determine whether these similarities indicate a shared origin, a convergent manifestation of anomalous behavior, or an unknown relationship between THE SHEPHERD and the FALSE WORLD ENTITY.
Internal correspondence obtained during review of this dossier indicates multiple researchers formally objected to continued classification of these similarities as coincidental.
Further investigation has been restricted by COMMAND directive.
END REPORT.
One final destination waits beneath false stars.
The Entity is waiting...
See you on October 21st.