Testing: We’ve always utilized player feedback and testing on top of our internal testing groups, but as the game gets older and exceedingly more complicated, the methods that worked before don’t seem to be holding up. To that end, with Padmé, we did a slightly larger character playtest, consisting of a group of about 35 members of the community to hammer on different permutations of the character and squads and where she sits. This group provided a lot of helpful bugs and feedback, and we intend to use testing groups like this in the future, with an end goal of a public test server. Notice: While we don’t intend to pre-release info about all characters far in advance, we’d like to dial back on the feeling that you have no idea what’s coming. To that end, we wanted to let you know that later in May, we are going to be releasing reworks of Count Dooku and Nute Gunray as a part of the lead up to the Dark Side Geonosian Territory Battle. These characters are meant to fit into the Territory Battle, specifically, and Nute Gunray is getting a significant rework that we will share closer to his rework and may result in some manner of refund for current investments.

While we won’t be able to reveal every character well in advance, we’ll endeavor to do it when we can, which will hopefully give you all some understanding of expectations. I’ll note that there was a new marquee/galactic chase character planned for May, which will likely get moved out, so at the moment absent of that single marquee/chase, there are no other characters planned in May, so you can use that time to focus on gearing up the characters that you have acquired recently and planning your next in-game moves. Response: As may be apparent with Jedi Knight Anakin (and many other releases), there can often be strong and extreme responses both at the time of the kit reveal and the launch of the character. With JKA, we wanted to let you know that we are actively investigating a character’s power, and while that is always the case, we will try to do a better job of communicating when it’s happening with hot topics, so that you know. Often as the dust settles (as has with JKA), we find that the character is performing near where expected, and changes if needed, are minor. What we ask of you is some consideration of that when evaluating new characters, and when in doubt, don’t get them until you’re confident and sure you want them.

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