The latest The Cycle: Frontier update is slated for April 6. Among other things, it will address one of the biggest issues players have voiced since the game was first unveiled: solos and squads being matchmade into the same lobbies. As The Cycle: Frontier is more punishing than the average multiplayer shooter, and demands a bigger time investment from players, having a good competitive framework is essential to ensure players have a valid reason to stick around.
Currently, solos and squads of two or three players find themselves on the same maps, resulting in a consistently frustrating experience for solos and a somewhat boring one for groups. The April 6 The Cycle: Frontier patch will address the issue by slightly adjusting the MMR system to make up for solo players’ innate disadvantages. To put it simply, if you play solo you will still encounter squads in your matches, but they will often carry weaker equipment, in theory giving you a fighting chance.
To further level the playing field, the ping system has been redesigned. When pinging objects in the environment, the player character will point at them and audibly say “Over there!” Their teammates will no longer get visible cues. The April 6 The Cycle: Frontier update brings along a number of other changes, outlined below.
Weapon and equipment changes
Starting with non-lethal equipment, most craftable armor recipes have been adjusted to make them slightly more difficult to acquire. The Epic Shield costs 1 less Titan Ore, but 1 more Hardened Bone Plate. The Exotic Shield costs 1 Pure Focus Crystal instead of 2 basic Focus Crystals. The Epic Helmet costs 5 Radio Equipment, up from 2. The Exotic Helmet costs an extra Interactive Screen to craft.
Moving onto weapon changes, all craftable weapon scopes now cost 2 less Optic Glass to make. The only weapon to get balance changes in the April 6 The Cycle: Frontier update is the Gorgon. It is heavily nerfed, with its headshot multiplier reduced from 1.7 to 1.3, and its damage falloff range shortened. At 50 meters and beyond, the Gorgon only deals 70% of its base damage.
Equipment weight has been rebalanced again, with almost all non-material items getting lighter. This is something practically all The Cycle: Frontier players have been requesting. Utilities and consumables are much lighter now, with all Stims weighing 3 units, Weak Medkits weighing 20, Strong Medkits 15, and Combat Medkits 10. Shields weigh 40 units each, and Helmets weigh 20. Backpacks are also lighter to carry, with Common Backpacks weighing 20, Uncommon 30, and Rare and Epic Backpacks weighing 40 and 50 units respectively. Most weapons also weigh less. Shotguns are now 25 units, SMGs 30, assault rifles 35, snipers and DMRs 50. Special ammo weighs 0.3 units per round, down from 1 unit per round.
Gameplay changes
When emoting, The Cycle: Frontier players can longer see other players if they are not visible in their normal first-person view. This change is made to prevent players from exploiting emotes to peek around corners. Another very welcome change is that AI creatures have had their vision and chase ranges reduced. Marauders, Rattlers, and Striders are less likely to spot a nearby player now, and enraged Rattlers and Striders will give up the chase sooner. Finally, flashlight brightness is increased and adjusted so it doesn’t obscure objects nearby.
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