Dead Cells receives massive update on Switch

Motion Twin has announced that a new update is now available on Switch. The developer has implemented a ton of changes based on community feedback and features dozens of design, balancing and content changes. Highlights include a new mob, two new brutality mutations in the form of Adrenaline and Frenzy, the removal of Arbiter, and a whole slew of balancing tweaks.

Below are the full patch notes:

Important features

• Thunder Shield rework:
  – Parrying charges you up, dealing damages all around you.
  – Using the shield again when charged up discharge instantly, stunning ennemies.
  – Keeping the shield up still deals damages in front of you.
• Community suggestion We nerfed arbiter.
  That’s all folks!
  And locked them up in the Cavern in all difficulties, for good measure.
• New mob: the Rampager. Think Zombies, but deadlier.
  Replaces the Arbiter for difficulties BC3+ in all levels.
• Community suggestion Elite rework:
  – Removed minions
  – Removed the bump when the Elite enrages
  – Weapons and Activables dropped by Elites always have a starred affix.
  – Prevented some mob + ability combos : Shield + Shielding pylons, Failed Experiment + Rotating laser and Bomber + Rotating laser
  – Fixed elites seeing you through walls when climbing one-way platforms.
• Two new Brutality mutations:
  – Adrenalin: Dodge an ennemy attack at the last second and gain lifesteal on melee damages for a few seconds.
  – Frenzy: Gain lifesteal on melee damages while in speed boost.
• New affix on amulets: Reveal invisible ennemies.
• Community suggestion Added an option to remove screenshake.

Balancing

• Community suggestion Arbiters nerf:
  – Now only attacks horizontally.
  – Added a deadzone in close range where the hero is safe.
  – Removed them from all levels in BC3+ and put them in Cavern.
• Flawless buff: Reduced cooldown before crits from 30 seconds to 15 seconds.
• Javelin buff:
  – Cooldown before the weapon comes back automatically reduced from 15 to 10 seconds.
  – The weapon comes back immediately if it falls in spikes or lava.
• Bombers nerf:
  – Increased charging time before melee attacks.
  – Removed them entirely from Toxic Sewers.
• Demons nerf:
  – Slightly reduced density in Castle.
  – Stunned on contact with the hero when in mid-air.
  – Slightly increased stun time.
• Golems nerf/fix:
  – No longer stunlock to death.
  – Elite Golems can no longer teleport next to the hero. But they can still teleport the hero next to them.
• Knifes Throwers nerf:
  – Stunned on contact with the hero. Elite Knifes Throwers are not though, be careful!
• Added Flask recharges where the Fountain is broken in BC1.
• Community suggestion Spikes in Beholder‘s Pit are now retractable.
• Community suggestion Timed Doors now open if you reach them at the exact last second.
• Community suggestion [Custom Mode] level modifier Blood no longer resets the kill counter.
• Community suggestion Added a tiny time frame of invulnerability after opening a chest or picking up a scroll. Less unfair deaths, yay!
• Community suggestion Increased the level of Legendary items behind boss no-hit challenge doors to be on par with other challenge loot. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Rebalanced the amount of double and triple scrolls in Graveyard and Cavern:
  – Graveyard: 1 triple/3 double => 3 triple/1 double
  – Cavern: 2 triple/3 double => 3 triple/2 double Version 1.3.2
• In BC3+, Legendary items have bonus for every tier (Brutality, Tactic and Survival). Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion War Javelin now comes back immediately if no enemy were hit when throwing it. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Friendly Worms now teleport to the hero if they’re not attacking an enemy. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Swift Sword damage increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Rampart parry damage has been reduced to be on par with Cudgel. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Wave of Denial cooldown increased. :'( Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Frenzy and Adrenaline base value slightly increased.Version 1.3.4
• Bombardier‘s grenade will now only detonate after touching the ground.Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Blood Sword speed and bleed damage increased.Version 1.3.4
• Caster‘s HP have been reduced. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Caster‘s orbs now keep the same speed after being countered. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Cleaver damage and length improved. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Cursed Sword damage improved and lock after reduced. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Explosive Crossbow speed decreased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Fast Bow ammo count increased from 10 to 15. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Flamme Turret now attack ennemies within their range with no downtime. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Forge cost has been reduced. New content in which sinking cells and easier BC0 Dead Cells make us think that we should make advancing the forge level slightly faster. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Giant Killer base damage has been substantially decreased, however the weapon is as good as ever to take bosses and elites down. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Heavy Turret damage substantially reduced and cooldown slightly increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Hook lock time reduced when no enemy were hit.Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Infantry Grenade damage reduced. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Knockback Shield: enemies that hit walls take a lot more damage than before. Version 1.3.4
• Magnetic Grenades now repel enemy grenades. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Necromancy base and maximum value slightly lowered. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Nutcraker critical damage increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Oil damage multiplier on Fire increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Oil can now be spread and set ablaze on water. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Oiled Sword have seen its speed increased, its ability to breach enemies improved and now inflicts critical damages for a time after hitting a target on fire. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Open Wounds bleed duration increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Parry Shield is now a Survival/ Tactic shield, but the parry damage has been reduced. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Powerful Grenade damage and range reduced. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Pyrotechnics lock after the second hit of the combo substantially decreased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Repeater Crossbow damage increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Sadist’s Stiletto is now a Brutality/ Tactic weapon and inflict more critical damage. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Seismic Blade damage increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Speed Buff duration increased from 8 to 10 seconds.Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Shrapnel Axes damage and ability to breach improved. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Sinew Slicer health pool and bleed damage improved. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Stun Grenade damage and stun duration improved.Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Sonic Crossbow bolts now crit on targets beyond the first. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Swarm Grenade now spawn 4 worms instead of 2 before, but the cooldown has been doubled too. Version 1.3.4
• Turrets can no longer be grabbed by the homunculus. Its chiropractor told it to stop any heavy lifting… Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Twin Daggers speed increased. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Reduced The Boy’s Axe recall damages, but waiting for the end of the root effect now deals recall damages as well. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Valmont’s Whip critical hit zone improved. Version 1.3.4
• Community suggestion Quick Bow shoots faster and arrows travel quicker.Version 1.3.5
• Community suggestion Ramparts invulnerability duration slightly reduced.Version 1.3.5
• Community suggestion Spartan Sandal always deals fall damage to enemies and splash damages to enemies around them. Version 1.3.5
• Community suggestion The Cage elite skill has been reworked: it now has a 5 seconds up time, then gets down for at least 3 seconds. Version 1.3.6

Level design

• Community suggestion Fixed some lore rooms never appearing in Astrolab.
• Community suggestion Fixed a challenge room being impossible to finish.
• Community suggestion Fixed Cavern sometimes generating an unescapable corridor under entrance bridge.
• Community suggestion Added Lanterns in boss arena when the Darkness modifier is active (from [Twitch] or [Custom mode]).
• Lantern are now spawned in multi-treasure rooms when the Darkness modifier is active.
• Community suggestion Improved light generation in Forgotten Sepulcher.Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion
  Inquisitors are making their comeback into higher difficulties (3BC +) to fill the lack of long-distance shooters let by the Arbiter’s retreat into their original lair. A few more change in the bestiary of some biomes have been done to make it more consistent. Details below.

  Prisoners’ Quarters: Inquisitors added to BC3+, Rampager added in BC4 and BC5.

  Toxic Sewers: Scorpions added to BC3+, Grenadiers added in BC2 and BC3, Zombies replaced by Rampager from BC3 to BC5.

  Ramparts: Inquisitors added to BC3+.

  Stilt Village: Maskers replaced by Knife Throwers from BC1 to BC5. Rampager added on BC3+.

  Slumbering Sanctuary: Inquisitors are back in BC3 (but not in BC4 or BC5). Zombies removed from BC3. Knife Throwers removed. Grenadiers added to BC1.

  Clock Tower: Inquisitors are back in BC4+, Bombardiers added in BC3+.

  Castle: Inquisitors added in BC3+. Version 1.3.4

• Community suggestion Inquisitors return and Rampager arrival to Prison Quarters made the first level of Dead Cells one of the hardest of the whole game, so we tweaked the density and variety (added base zombie until BC 5) to made it easier. Version 1.3.6

Graphics & UI

• The Broadsword now glows yellow on the second and third strike.
• Community suggestion Fixed a gap sometimes appearing in Astrolab between the shops roof and its decoration.
• Community suggestion Fixed Arbiter being stuck in an animation and sliding on the ground.
• Community suggestion Fixed color of Treasure rooms spilling out a little in outside levels on the minimap.

Music & Sfx

• Changed SFX for the Forgotten Map.
• Added a SFX on Failed Experiment dodge.
• Community suggestion Reduced Friendly Worms attack volume. Quiet, you worms! Version 1.3.5

Bug fixes

• Community suggestion Legendary altar can no longer spawn in front of doors.
• Community suggestion Fixed an elevator not going high enough in Astrolab.
• Community suggestion Fixed a small gap sometimes appearing in Cavernentrance.
• Community suggestion Fixed meta settings being ignored in [Custom mode]. Speciality shop, random equipment at the start, etc.
• Community suggestion Fixed attack indicator on slowed ennemies.
• Community suggestion Fixed Hayabusa boots range on the last hit. Did you know that it used to push everyone in the level? Yeah, we didn’t either.
• Community suggestion Fixed the cooldown for the Owl being inconsistent.
• Community suggestion Fixed turrets shooting at Giant‘s hands after its death. My immersion!
• Community suggestion Fixed Failed Experiment hitbox and hurtbox.
• Community suggestion Fixed some walls with auto-rectractable spikes being climbable.
• Community suggestion Fixed Cells and Golds pickup dropping on ground when performing some actions. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Fix Legendary Altar dropping into spikes when spawned on collapsable ground. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Fixed Bomber hitting you through walls. This fix only concerns the melee sword strike, the flight patterns and dive attack are meant to go through walls. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Fixed a [Custom Mode] bug on the item quality setting. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Malaise damages no longer kills cursed hero. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Fixed reforging an activated legendary Great Owl of War losing the legendary quality. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Fixed Flawless icon staying indefinitely if you drop the weapon. Version 1.3.2
• Fixed Stomper, Bomber and Rampager following you around even when you are invisible. Version 1.3.2
• Community suggestion Fixed a hole in a platform creating wall runes in the ground. Version 1.3.5
• Community suggestion Fixed some archs not displaying correctly on prison roof. Version 1.3.5
• Community suggestion Cleaver no longer applies bleed effect on bubble-shielded enemies. Version 1.3.5
• Legendary Cursed Sword can now have a Survival scroll. Version 1.3.6
• Magister of Death no longer has a seizure when you teleport near it. Version 1.3.6
• Bats (Kamikaze and other flying critters) no longer aggro through walls.Version 1.3.6
• Beating the Giant now grants you 30 cells. Version 1.3.6
• Fixed Shield Bearer dealing damages when stunned. Version 1.3.6

Source: Motion Twin PR