First Demo Update is here!

Ave, Patronus!

The sands of the arena run red once again, and with your valuable feedback, we've tinkered with our demo quite a bit. Today’s update brings a plethora of new features, balance changes, UX improvements, and crucial bug fixes to help you experience full on gladiator mayhem…

…Let’s dive into the full update:

Balancing Updates

Audience Quests

• Balanced 14 Audience Quests by reducing complexity and simplifying objectives to make them more achievable.
  
• Improved quest design based on player feedback to ensure smoother progression.
  

Status Effects

• Burn and Frost statuses no longer persist between battles, reducing long-term punishment and improving flow.
  

New Features & Additions

City Management

• Level-Up Stat Rerolling: You can now reroll stat choices during level-ups using gold. Manage your training more strategically!
  

Battle Pickups

• Favor of Cleansing: New pickup item that removes all stacks of a random negative status on pickup.
  
  
• Favor of Protection: New pickup item that grants 1 Invincibility status on pickup.
  

Tactical Visibility Tools

• Movement Range Preview: Hold F to view hovered unit's movement range. This can be toggled to always-on in gameplay settings.
  
• Path Danger Indicators: Paths now display hazard indicators (e.g., traps, status zones). Enabled by default and toggleable.
  
  

UX & UI Improvements

Battle UX

• Added new notifications for key events: Evade, Luck – Death, Luck – Status, and Critical Hits.
  
• Evade Luck now displays when hovering over units.
  
• Default pathing uses safe paths, with a toggle to revert to "fastest path."
  
• Unit tooltips show clearer level, tier, and class icon tooltips.
  
• Improved readability for stack counts and ability damage numbers.
  
• Enhanced unit rotation targeting, especially for directional abilities like Vindicta.
  
  

City UX

• Auto-close delay added to stat level-up screens for smoother progression.
  
• Added Graveyard “(!)” Indicator for unseen fallen Gladiators (reminder: equipment is preserved until graves are dug up in the full release).
  
  
• Improved tutorial flow during first academy ability unlock.
  
• Added consistent “(!)” indicators across Quarters, Map, and Academy.
  
• New tooltip explaining grave-digging mechanics.
  
• Better sorting and highlighting for gladiator selection and challenge assignment. For Example, a new sort option, differentiating between “in team” and “not in team” Gladiators.
  
• Added Inn “(!)” notification when free Gladiators are available to recruit.
  
• Fixed New Gladiator “(!)” indicator when gaining units via mercy.
  
  

Dialog & Cinematics

• Skip button repositioned to bottom right for better visibility.
  
• Clicking during dialog now skips speaker fade-ins for faster progression.
  

Other UX Tweaks

• Sliders, for example in Gladiator previews, vertical lists or pre/post battle panels, now display exact values (except XP).
  
• Improved item tooltip positioning (no more tooltips off-screen).
  
• Added simple font option for accessibility (Bree-aligned duplicate of Liberation).
  
• Added a location in each arena to show your chosen banner for improved visual flair.
  
  

Fixes & Stability

General Fixes

• Journal now returns to the previously selected option after dialog or custscene replays.
  
• Fixed issue with dialog recap after saving post-first battle.
  
• Dismiss Gladiator feature now available from game start. You still won’t be able to dismiss your last Gladiator.
  
  

Combat Fixes

• Arena Modifier Fixes:
  [list]
• “Spiked Arena” Modifier’s spikes no longer spawn on spaces occupied by a unit.
  
• “Opportunism” Modifier now correctly counts filled consumable slots, not unique items.
  

Prevented attacks through indestructible objects with melee spear/hammer abilities.

Updated Taunt to only expire on turn start (not on damage).

Fixed missing attack of opportunity animation for enemy Invicta.

Vindicta and other directional abilities now correctly rotate based on target alignment.

Fixed tooltips displaying out of screen bounds during battle and pickups.

City Fixes

• Fixed outermost gladiator class icon clipping in full party layouts.
  
• Updated Novice Challenge behavior to prevent quest exploit.
  
• Fixed map node visibility after resetting challenges.
  
  

Ability Fixes

• Clarified Headbutt tooltip: Stun applies only on collision.
  
• Disabled initiative tooltip preview in invalid states.
  
  

AI Fixes

• Enemies now consider attack of opportunity risks and their own HP when moving or attacking.
  
• Age 1 Boss AI updated to use a more diverse set of abilities instead of repeating the most efficient one.
  
  

This update is just the beginning of refining the demo and the development of Bloodgrounds in general. Your feedback is a vital part of its' evolution, and we’re honored to fight beside such an already passionate community. Keep the reports, ideas, and feedback coming - we’re listening.

Now go... train your champions and claim your glory!

Vale Patronus!
Exordium Games & Daedalic Entertainment