[The contents in the Developer Notes are based on Korea Service Schedule, Overseas Updates will follow regional timelines]      Dear Mercenaries, This is DEV Allanon, director of Vindictus.     Today, I’d like to share some exciting updates for the winter season that you might be curious about.   During the upcoming winter season, we are aiming to update the below sequentially. And will elaborate the current development status one by one.    

• Character Growth Section Renewal  
• The 3rd Space Time Distortion: The Watcher’s Temple  
• 26th New Hero Update  

   [Character Growth Section Renewal]    The Character Growth Section Renewal is scheduled for November.     Since there will be some significant changes to familiar gameplay patterns, I’d like to highlight the key aspects that will change, as outlined in this October DEV Note:  1. Story Progression Process:   Stories that can be considered as tutorial will be excluded from the main story line, allowing players to focus solely on the main story of Vindictus.   Players can choose to skip story dialogues; those who opt to skip will no longer need to click through each dialogue to proceed. However, some dialogues may not offer the skip option. Even so, we’re working to minimize the time required for story progression.  2. Shortened Battle Progress:   After skipping the story, players can jump directly to boss battles, bypassing regular monster battles, which will streamline progression and reduce combat time. I hope this renewal will create a smoother playing experience with more efficient paths and shorter battles. To avoid making boss battles too quick or mechanical, I also plan to adjust the balance of boss monsters to enhance the leveling experience and deliver enjoyable action gameplay.     3. Revised Rewards in Growth Phase:   We plan to reduce the amount of gold earned from battles and story completions, replacing lower-value items with items essential for growth. Equipment, AP, fatigue potions, and other necessities will be provided abundantly in the growth section, supporting players in preparing for raid battles through the main storyline. To offset the reduced gold, various missions and an adjustment in the cost of level 110 enhancements will help maintain smooth progression.     4. Renewed Guide System:   As character growth paths change, the guide system will be updated accordingly. Play guide missions can now be completed regardless of stage, and missions such as redeemer clearance requirements will be adjusted to match the faster growth pace.      Additionally, minor updates will be made, such as advancing key skills acquisition times for certain characters, increasing Red Moon’s Energy Battle EXP, and so on. We will continue to monitor feedback from players on these changes.     [Space Time Distortion: The Watcher’s Temple]   The 3rd Space-Time Distortion, The Watcher’s Temple, is scheduled for November. The test server will open on November 6th, with the Character Growth Section going live on November 14th and the full Space-Time Distortion update on November 21st. This schedule allows players to experience the Character Growth Section for one week and the Space-Time Distortion for two weeks on the test server.   In the first test week, only the initial phases of Space-Time Distortion will be available, with the full battle opening the following week.  We will gather feedback and fix bugs as needed, addressing critical issues promptly regardless of the update schedule. Stat requirements for the new Space-Time Distortion will be announced when the test server opens. To ensure smooth testing, my team and I will patch unintended errors and provide stat-boosting items as needed.   The diverse attack patterns from Jordra and Jörmungandr will challenge our testers, but I believe our players’ skill will conquer this battle even before the official release.  The top-tier battle rewards for the 3rd Space-Time Distortion will include new artifacts and exclusive enchantments, granting additional effects based on artifact-enchantment combinations for optimized usage.   Magic extraction will also become available for the Fallen One’s Rhod Compass, which will remain the highest-tier item without new Rhod Compass additions.   This new Space-Time Distortion features a more captivating design, and I hope you look forward to its release.     [26th Hero]  The 26th Heroine is scheduled for release this winter; however, I must announce that the planned December release will be postponed to January 2025.   After careful consideration, I concluded that a January 2025 release would align better with the 15th Anniversary and Lunar New Year.   Alongside the new hero release, a Golden Time Event will also occur in January. Although the release has been delayed, we are preparing a special end-of-year event to celebrate with you. Thank you for understanding this schedule change.  The 26th Hero marks a fresh attempt by our development team, and while details will be shared at a later time, I appreciate your patience as we finalize this exciting addition.  Note: For regions outside Korea, the delayed schedule does not apply, and development is proceeding as initially planned.     In early November, we’ll introduce the Recollection Crystal and a 2024 Cashback event, followed by a year-end event in December. January 2025 updates will be further discussed in our December DEV Talk clip.  As it’s getting colder, I hope everyone stays healthy and keeps the flu at bay.  Thank you.