We're on-track to release our first new "sprint" of content this Monday, March 5th. Here's a quick preview of what's coming your way, along with a little extra surprise!

Special Surprise: Gear Dyes!

We wanted to include something a little special with this update as well, and one of the most common requests we've heard from folks is that they'd like the ability to further customize their gear. We're pleased to announce that we've added a gear dye system to the game which you can use to change the primary and accent colors of your gear.

At launch there will be more than 16 "Major Dyes", which allow you to change the primary color of your gear, as well as 8 "Accent Dyes" which allow you to modify the accents. Mix and match and style them just how you like!

Each piece of armor (chest, shoulder, helm, and gloves) is dyed separately, so you can really customize things or go for a more uniform look -- it's up to you! All levels of gear, from the most basic to our end-game gear, can be dyed, so you can keep yourself looking amazing the whole time you're playing.

Dyes will be acquired through a variety of in-game activities. Some basic ones are just sold by NPC vendors, some are craftable, and others can only be acquired as rare drops from bosses or in the Wilds. Dyes are tradable to other players so we fully expect a market to spring up around buying and selling them.

New Beta Build

We've got a new Beta Build that's already available for you to start testing. It features some massive performance improvements for loading in the open world of Orbus, so especially if you have a lower-end computer you'll be happy to see those new changes coming soon. We anticipate rolling all those changes into the main build of the game within just a couple of weeks. For more info on the Beta, see the forum post.

Part of that Beta build will include a new system for Warrior hit detection as well, more details on that to come Monday.

Streamlined Tutorial

With the new content will come a new, more streamlined tutorial. We've listened to feedback from thousands of players and we've gone back to make the tutorial less wordy and more fun. We've also endeavored to get you out into the game world as quickly as possible, so you can start doing the best thing in Orbus -- interacting with other players!

New Quests for the 16-20 Crowd

If you've gotten to Level 16, you've probably noticed that there's a bit of a gap right now between that and max level. That's because our story isn't totally finished yet -- the rest of it is coming in Act 3, which will release in a couple of months. In the mean time, though, we've added some basic quests that you can do to earn XP so that you aren't totally stuck in the mud. You can now speak with the Brotherhood in the Rainforest to inquire about membership, speak with Lady Hulthine in the Lucian Plateau, and try your hand at hunting by speaking with Ludwig Sarrow in the Frosted Spit. And of course there's always help needed clearing the Tradu Mines...

Even if you're already Level 20, be sure to check out these quests (or do them while leveling up an alternate class!) since some of them have special rewards you won't want to miss out on!

Bonus XP Weekend: Friday March 9th through Sunday March 11th

To celebrate the release of all this great new content, we're holding our first Bonus XP Weekend!

If you've got an alt class you've been meaning to level up, or just haven't had a chance to get all the way to Level 20 yet, join us beginning Friday, March 9th at 12 PM CST through Sunday, March 11th at 10 PM CST for a Bonus XP Weekend! We'll be giving out a 50% bonus to all XP gained from monsters which should give you a nice boost on your way.

See you in-game!