Patch 1.4.33 Update Notes
Tales & Tactics News — February 27, 2026
Aggregated from Steam, cross-tracked with Battle.net coverage on GamePatchNote.
Added a material function to all units to add visual contrast. This is subtle, but makes shadows darker and highlights brighter for most character models.
Added a black outline function to all units to help with combat readability, particularly for cases where a unit shares a color with the current act's ground tiles (such as grey against grey). This can be adjusted in the gameplay options menu, including being disabled entirely.
Rebuilt and switched the Custom Lobby PVP system to a new backend cloud server rather than relying on Steam's backend connection system. This has many advantages, including letting us have access to lobby data to observe issues and see what state the lobby was in if it breaks, and opens up potential future features like automatic host migration in the event of a disconnect, or reconnecting to an existing game. This uses a lobby code system rather than the Steam Friends list, and as such, the ability to make a private unlisted game is currently disabled. It can be restored later if there is demand for it. The new system uses your manually typed in name (the one used for standard PVP), which can now be entered directly from the lobby list.
Changed the "DEBUG - Can't fight without an enemy" text in Sandbox mode to something more useful, explaining you have to drag enemies to the field.
Dueling Sai's CC immunity now lasts only for the first 15 seconds of combat.
Scrapper mechanics adjusted:
-Now triggers the combo attack "on hit", the same trigger point of gaining a combo stack, fixing issues related to wasting excess gained combo stacks, or triggering the combo attack on the 4th attack rather than the 5th, or other related Scrapper inconsistencies.
-Combo attack now combined into a single damage packet instead of one for the AD% hit, one for the Max HP% hit.
-Scrapper 1 combo attack HP shred reduced to 3%.
-Scrapper 2 combo attack lifesteal reduced to 25%.
Devil's Dagger reduced to 8 Attack Damage/Speed, capping at 120.
Fixed Wanderbot being invisible.
Fixed Spiked Gauntlets not applying Shred.
Fixed spacebar inputs causing Travel panel choice to be re-clicked, resulting in spawning extra opponent armies.
Fixed Escape inputs performing extra in-game actions. This was never intended and was a result of an engine plugin changing some defaults, and had some catastrophic bug potential such as hiding the entire main menu UI.
Fixed hex modifier effects not resetting after combat properly, specifically in PVP Mode when playing with Ultrafast on.
Fixed a rare issue regarding loading a semi-corrupted save, where units forgot their positioning. It was possible for Units to load, but not be placed on the board, causing odd behavior.
Fixed Experiment B's Skill not dealing damage.
Added additional logging to help determine a cause of unit confusion, usually related to teleporting.
Changed the rules for hex modifier spawning, particularly for PVE to make hex mod perks have less potential whiff cases in certain combats:
1) Try to spawn at your preferred original hex.
2) Failing that, spawn at any valid hex as the perk describes where it can spawn.
3) Failing that, if an edge space ban is in place (like most frontline hex mods), remove that ban and try again.
4) Failing that, spawn on a pit.
5) Failing that, no hexes are valid, don't spawn.
Fixed Star Crown upgrade vault causing a duplicate Star Crown to be created in very specific niche circumstances.
Standardized all "Overtime starts faster" effects, rather than PVP, PVE, and the Chronometrics perk all behaving slightly differently. This also prevents stacking issues if fighting the Impatient Monk while having Chronometrics, and cleanup issues regarding the overtime modifier sometimes not being reset after fighting an Impatient Monk.
Fixed being able to use hotkeys during PVP bundle selection.
Added a safeguard to prevent multiple rerolls during PVP bundle selection. Only had a few reports of this, but it would only break the choice and have it no longer grant items or units.
Fixed a couple of issues related to Kio and Claws of Haste.
Fixed Hydra using the wrong idle stance.
Fixed Wandering Wizard PVP stating the wrong Spell Power value (stated 20, gave 30)
Fixed an exploit related to merging units and simultaneously quickly selling using the sell hotkey.
Fixed an issue related to Elder Reto not registered as the Mana reptile.
Fixed Beast's start of combat Frenzy granting more Attack Speed than the base Frenzy.
Fixed an old name appearing for Cleaver's stat modifier buff name.
Fixed Temporary Tier up effects, when applied to Tanks, not removing the health bonus when lost.
Fixed Spiked Gauntlets triggering on Attack Damage-based skills, such as Malady and Xaphan.
Fixed an issue with Brim not triggering post-skill use effects, such as granting Turret ammo.
Fixed an issue with Desert Merchant's event showing a question mark in the item reward previews (an old relic that has been swapped for Ponderer's Stone some time ago)
Fixed a couple of Units (such as Ian) using the wrong Runes/Leader items.
Fixed an issue where Sargon's skill could hit one unit twice per cast.
Fixed some incorrect placement and size on Ellos's skill VFX.
Fixed a case where Freeze effects could cause a unit to permanently no longer animate until a return to main menu. This specifically required a unit with a Freeze skill to deliver a killing blow, while having a secondary damage payload attached to that Skill. This was very rare in PVE, but could be seen infrequently when facing an opponent Gemclops with a Rime in the army.
Fixed Crafting 101: Scythe being named Crafting 101: Ring.
Fixed Quill nerf in previous hotfix not being applied properly, still was granting 100 Mana.
Fixed several act modifiers (table effects) not functioning properly.
Fixed Golden Desert's act modifier damage source being a random unit, proc'ing item effects and attributing combat recap damage to them.