[p]Greetings Commanders,[/p][p][/p][p]The Kestrel Mk II Update is now live. [/p][p][/p][p]Core Dynamics is changing the rules of engagement with their next generation combat vessel. Designed for pilots who value agility, precision, and relentless firepower this small-frame combat ship delivers performance above its weight class. Available now via ARX early access, alongside an significant number of audio changes and improvements as well as bug fixes. 

[/p][previewyoutube="6070dkRUKMg;full"][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Features of Note:[/p]

• [p]Added Core Dynamics Kestrel Mk II[/p][list]
• [p]Mk II Agile Boost Thrusters[/p][list]
• [p]Increased maneuverability while boosting including a significant increase to lateral and vertical thrust.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Mk II Plasma Shock Accelerator[/p]

• [p]Burst fire Shock Cannon with plasma damage type and built in plasma slug functionality.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]In world holo-screen adverts now present for Kestrel Mk II[/p][/*][/list][/*][*][p]Added pre-built ships:[/p]

• [p]Kestrel Mk.II Standard (16,520 Arx)[/p][list]
• [p]Standard Ship. [/p][/*]
• [p]Owners Club Decal.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Kestrel Mk.II Stellar (33,000 Arx)[/p]

• [p]High Spec Ship. [/p][/*]
• [p]Primacy White Paint Job. [/p][/*]
• [p]Aggro Ship Kit. [/p][/*]
• [p]Owners Club Decal. [/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Kestrel Mk.II Galactic (60,000 Arx)[/p]

• [p]All Stellar Content.[/p][/*]
• [p]Flare Animated Holo-Kit. [/p][/*]
• [p]Swift Ship Kit Pack. [/p][/*]
• [p]Owners Club Decal.[/p][/*]

[/*][/list][/*][*][p]On-Foot Combat Audio Rebalance:[/p]

• [p]The Combat audio has been extensively reworked to improve situation awareness during combat.[/p][list]
• [p]Gunfire carries further and gives better feedback to the player about ongoing conflicts. [/p][/*]
• [p]Enemy fire is easier to pinpoint, through clearer directionality and reduced reverb clutter.[/p][/*]
• [p]Explosions and grenades stand out more, with sharper transients and better indoor/outdoor differentiation.[/p][/*]
• [p]When you're hit or grazed, surrounding gunfire briefly adjusts to improve threat identification.[/p][/*]
• [p]Hit markers, shield breaks and kill confirmations are more legible in the mix.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Weapon Audio Refresh (Per Weapon):[/p]

• [p]Manticore Executioner:[/p][list]
• [p]More powerful, heavier sound profile.[/p][/*]
• [p]New layers improve threat, distance readability, and presence.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Manticore Intimidator:[/p]

• [p]Updated existing audio to match weapons threat profile[/p][/*]
• [p]Clearer, chunkier close‑range impact.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Karma AR-50 & Karma P-15:[/p]

• [p]Redesigned with new assets, sharper impacts and improved presence.[/p][/*]
• [p]Cleaner transient detail and consistent first‑/third‑person presentation.[/p][/*]
• [p]Better indoor audio behaviour and more convincing bullet impacts.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Grenades (Shield Disruptor & Frag):[/p]

• [p]Shield Disruptor grenades now have a distinct audio signature.[/p][/*]
• [p]Explosions feel more impactful and are more readable during combat.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Explosions (General):[/p]

• [p]More impactful, less muddy at distance, and better filtered inside buildings.[/p][/*]

[/*][/list][/*][*][p]Movement Audio Improvements:[/p]

• [p]We’ve improved clarity and positioning for a wide range of movement sounds:[/p][list]
• [p]Footsteps are clearer, better placed in 3D space, and vary more distinctly between walking, running and crouching.[/p][/*]
• [p]Surfaces (metal, concrete, sand, gravel) sound more natural and less harsh.[/p][/*]
• [p]Breathing, jumping and sliding have richer character and better mix presence.[/p][/*]
• [p]Suit voice cues are slightly softer and less resonant.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]These changes help you better locate other players and NPCs—and feel more grounded in the environment.[/p][/*][/list][/*][*][p]Environmental & Spatial Enhancement:[/p]

• [p]Settlements, buildings and outdoor areas mixing adjustments:[/p][list]
• [p]Indoor spaces now have more natural reverb and echo behaviour.[/p][/*]
• [p]Settlement ambience has been reduced to eliminate consitent metal like droning. [/p][/*]
• [p]Distant ships, dropships and engines are quieter while on foot, revealing space in the mix to hear enemy fire and footsteps. [/p][/*]
• [p]Explosions now shake rooms more believably through improved  detection.[/p][/*]

[/*][/list][/*][*][p]Mixing, Clarity & Quality Passes:[/p]

• [p]A major behind‑the‑scenes mix and routing cleanup improves overall readability and combat awareness. [/p][list]
• [p]Unified hit‑feedback EQ across weapons and impacts.[/p][/*]
• [p]More consitent filtering on occlusion between in door and outdoor areas. [/p][/*]
• [p]Improved weapon dry and tail mixing balance for situational awareness.[/p][/*]
• [p]New compression settings for hardpoints for sharper weapon detail.[/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]These upgrades strengthen performance, clarity, and consistency across all audio systems.[/p][/*][/list][/*][/list][/*][/list][p]Issue Tracker Fixes [/p]

• [p]Resolved instances of the Caspian Explorer being unable to scoop cargo. (Issue ID: 81867) [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved an issue where gaining CQC rank would re-award the starter zone permit. (Issue ID: 82528) [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved an issue with NPC Crew rank getting "stuck". (Issue ID: 51702) [/p][/*]

[p]Bug Fixes[/p]

• [p]Adjustments made to 2025 Festive Jumper textures to make them less "shiny". [/p][/*]
• [p]Adjustments made to Caspian Explorer shipkit textures when metallic paintjobs are applied. [/p][/*]
• [p]Adjustments made to improve scooping floating cargo with the Caspian Explorer. [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved an issue where Powerplay Commodities could be stored in a Squadron Bank. [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved instances of Powerplay Reinforcement score not being applied when killing criminal Commanders. [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved instances of Powerplay PvP kills not rewarding any score or merits. [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved an issue preventing side decals displaying correctly on the Zorgon Peterson Adder. [/p][/*]
• [p]Resolved a telegraphing issues with the "Autoloader" mod on weapons: [/p][list]
• [p]When ammo is fully depleted with a weapon using the "Autoloader" mod, the UI will now display "Reloading" rather than continuing to tick up without actually allowing the player to fire. [/p][/*]

[/*][*][p]Resolved long‑range explosion audibility issues. [/p][/*][*][p]Resolved a rare audio hang when exiting the ship during menu interactions. [/p][/*][/list]