December saw the successful start of a new phase in the development of Faction Play with the release of Phase 4.1, while the introduction of Escort into Quick Play brought the first new QP Game Mode since the release of Domination.

All of us here at Piranha Games would like to thank all of you for a stellar 2016, and for continuing to take to the battlefields of the Inner Sphere. We are extremely excited for the continued development of MechWarrior Online in 2017, and we hope you are as well.



Without further delay, let's take a look at what’s to come for the months of January, February, and beyond, along with a special announcement to close out this Roadmap.

















Patch Date: January 24th





Releasing in the January patch





Bushwacker (Inner Sphere Medium)





Balance Adjustments

January will see a number of balance-related adjustments, including a fix for AMS not reacting correctly to certain angles of incoming fire, quirk adjustments for 7 IS ‘Mechs and 6 Clan ‘Mechs – the details of which will be provided in full with the January patch notes – along with a reduction to Clan XL Engine Cooling Efficiency in the event of Side Torso destruction; bringing the total efficiency penalty from its current 20% up to 40%.

In regards to the Clan XL change, the balance dynamic between Inner Sphere and Clans is something that we have and will continue to evaluate heavily. This adjustment to Clan XL cooling efficiency is a step in that process, making the loss of a Side Torso more impactful on the performance of Clan ‘Mechs. Beyond this change we have identified some larger balance points that we will be pushing after the release of the Skill Tree system, which will see some critical changes to the overall Clan vs. IS dynamic. More details will be provided about these changes after the release of the new Skill Tree, within the new context of balance introduced by the release of that feature. We will continue to heavily examine the overall balance between the Inner Sphere and Clan factions through 2017, and adjust as needed.





Art Fixes

An array of art-related fixes are arriving with the January patch, including an improvement to the Marauder IIC ‘Scorch’ Hero Pattern, and an array of minor improvements and fixes for ‘Mech animations, geometry, patterns, and in a couple of cases, hitboxes.





New Cockpit Items

In addition to the items releasing as part of the Bushwacker release, January will include some additional Cockpit Items, including a long-requested, endlessly-versatile tool for patching ducts of all types. Rostered members of the three MWOWC World Championship Finalists will also be receiving their respective hanging medal Cockpit item in this patch.





New MechWarrior Online standalone client Launcher/Patcher

Participants of the MechWarrior Online World Championships are already somewhat familiar with this new launcher for the standalone MWO client, but as of the January patch we are introducing a brand new launcher/patcher for the standalone (non-Steam) MWO client.

The primary goal of this launcher is to provide a central method for accessing different builds of MechWarrior Online; specifically the standard MWO client and the MWO Public Test client.





The new launcher also brings with it greater stability and performance when installing or updating the client, and provides a more streamlined ‘launchpad’ for accessing MechWarrior Online standalone clients.





Full details regarding the launcher, such as how to get it and how it will interact with your existing installs, will be provided as we approach the January 24 th patch date.





New Music for Home and Faction Play Screens

The Home and Faction Play screens are receiving some new audio in the January patch, with the addition of new ambient music tracks for both screens.





Upcoming Announcements in January





Inner Sphere Light 'Mech Pre-Order

As promised near the end of 2016 we will be announcing a new Inner Sphere Light ‘Mech this month, set to be launched for pre-order in the third week of January. As mentioned in the introduction of this Roadmap we have been deeply evaluating the current model of ‘Mech releases, both in terms of their structure and in their content. Based on those evaluations the Light ‘Mech you’ll see announced in January will likely be the last installment of our current single ‘Mech system, originally introduced with the launch of the UrbanMech back in 2015 and continued with the majority of our ‘Mech releases since.





UPDATE: IS Light 'Mech announcement for January is the Javelin





You can look forward to the announcement of a new set of ‘Mechs in early March, ushering in much more than a simple adjustment to 'Mech Pack structure….





With January covered, let’s move on to what you can expect in the month of February.

















Patch Date: February 21st





Supernova (Clan Assault)





New Skill Tree

The new Skill Tree is currently under heavy internal review, refinement, and testing as we approach the PTS planned for early February, and the subsequent release of the feature in the February patch.

The new Skill Tree is going to be a significant improvement to the customization and specialization potential for your 'Mechs, providing you with greater control over their role and performance.

We know there are a number of questions about how the Skill Tree will operate and what its release means for the XP you've spent and the Modules you've purchased over the years. Covering the entirety of those questions and topics is a bit outside the scope of this Roadmap, but the upcoming Skill Tree PTS will include a comprehensive rundown on some of the most frequently asked questions about the Skill Tree, along with all the information you'll need to know about the new Skill Tree going into the PTS.

A post was initially planned for release prior to the PTS, but with changes and improvements to the Skill Tree build still underway, a post coinciding with the PTS will be more reflective of the build you'll see.





Faction Play Fixes and Improvements

Faction Play will be receiving another wave of fixes and UI improvements in February as we pave the way for more in-depth improvements to Faction Play systems in the coming months.





No February Pre-Order 'Mech

In anticipation for the announcement of a new 'Mech Pack in early March, we'd like to provide a heads up now that February will not feature any 'Mech or 'Mech Pack announcements.















