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Steam News20 March 20263mo ago

Dark Hours New Major Update & Easter Eggs Returns!

Hello everyone, A brand-new major update is now live in Dark Hours, bringing back our seasonal event Easter Eggs, along with major performance optimizations, monster improvements, and a wide range of fixes based on your

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Full Dark Hours update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

Repeated intro

Hello everyone,

What changed

26 fixes2 additions31 changes6 removals
  • Performance
  • Events
  • Maps
  • Gameplay
  • Fixes
  • UI and audio
addedA brand-new major update is now live in Dark Hours, bringing back our seasonal event Easter Eggs , along with major performance optimizations, monster improvements, and a wide range of fixes based on your feedback.
changed🐇 Easter Eggs Is BackOur Easter Eggs event is back in Dark Hours! From now until April 21st, we’re bringing a festive vibe back into your heists with decorations, collectibles, and exclusive cosmetics to unlock.
changed🐇 Easter Eggs Is BackFully decorated maps & lobby inspired by Easter
changed🐇 Easter Eggs Is BackFind more details about the event in this dedicated news:
changed⚡ Performance & OptimizationThis update also includes a series of improvements to make your heist sessions smoother, more stable, and comfortable.
changed⚡ Performance & OptimizationWe’ve worked on:

A brand-new major update is now live in Dark Hours, bringing back our seasonal event Easter Eggs, along with major performance optimizations, monster improvements, and a wide range of fixes based on your feedback.

🐇 Easter Eggs Is Back

Our Easter Eggs event is back in Dark Hours! From now until April 21st, we’re bringing a festive vibe back into your heists with decorations, collectibles, and exclusive cosmetics to unlock.

  • Fully decorated maps & lobby inspired by Easter

  • Collect eggs and earn seasonal tickets

  • Exchange your tickets for exclusive themed cosmetics

Find more details about the event in this dedicated news:

view

⚡ Performance & Optimization

This update also includes a series of improvements to make your heist sessions smoother, more stable, and comfortable.

We’ve worked on:

  • Improved texture streaming, including a fix for textures not loading properly on lower-end PCs

  • Optimized visual effects to reduce their performance impact (e.g. fire extinguisher effects)

  • Reduced the memory footprint of various in-game assets

  • Improved VRAM usage, especially beneficial for lower-end graphics cards

  • Significantly improved performance for hosts during multiplayer sessions

  • Optimized RAM usage by only loading certain elements when needed

  • Improved lighting performance for less demanding real-time rendering

💀 Monster Improvements

Monsters have also received several fixes to improve their behavior and make encounters more intense and consistent:

  • Better navigation and interaction with doors and the environment

  • Improved consistency across multiple monster abilities and behaviors (Hidebehind, Banshee, Drifborn, Voltaic Wraith, Trickster)

  • Adjustments to make certain encounters more fair and less frustrating (Cursed Pharaoh, Stone Stalkers)

  • Fixes to spawning and positioning issues (Blind Ghoul)

  • Improved reliability of certain gameplay interactions (Voltaic Wraith, Trickster)

  • Reduced unnecessary controller vibrations caused by distant monster activity

🔧 Bug Fixes & General Improvements

Alongside these changes, we’ve made a number of bug fixes and general improvements to enhance your overall experience. You can find the full list of changes in the detailed patch notes just below 🔽

Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy this update!

Raven

Patch notes #76 for Dark Hours (v1.0.25650) - 21/03/2026

Monsters

  • General

    • Monster Blocking FixFixed an issue where a monster could get stuck because another monster was blocking its way.
    • Doorway Stuck FixFixed cases where monsters could get stuck or struggle to move properly around doors.
    • Monster Speed BalancingAdjusted movement speed for several monsters, especially phase 3 speed tuning.
    • Post-Teleport Door Movement FixFixed an issue where monsters could move incorrectly after teleporting while in a doorway.
    • Monster Teleport Vibration FixFixed an issue where monster teleports could repeatedly trigger short gamepad vibrations.
  • Cursed Pharaoh

    • Partial Body Appearance Fix:Fixed an issue where the Cursed Pharaoh's body could appear only partially during game startup.

    • Teleport Height FixFixed an issue where the Cursed Pharaoh could teleport onto the player but appear too low.
  • Trickster

    • Trickster Card Hint Update: The Trickster card now gives a hint about where it was picked up.

    • Trickster Dance Minigame:

      • Dance Result UI FixFixed an issue where the Trickster Dance result could display the wrong outcome when the sequence was interrupted or ended early.
      • Last Round Arrow FixFixed the last round arrow not working
      • feedback FixImproved feedback in the Trickster Dance minigame.
    • Chase After Catch FixFixed an issue where the Trickster could keep chasing other players in phase 2 and 3 after catching someone.
    • Targeting Consistency FixFixed several cases where the Trickster could target the wrong player.
    • Polaroid Reaction FixFixed an issue where the Trickster would not correctly look at a player using a Polaroid on him.
    • Solo Inventory Key FixFixed the failed Trickster minigame in Solo mode when pressing the inventory key on keyboard.
  • Voltaïc Wraith

    • Mirror Counter Timing FixFixed an issue where using a mirror at the last moment against a Voltaïc Wraith Dash could still result in the player getting hit.
    • Chase After Catch FixFixed an issue where Voltaïc Wraith could keep chasing other players in phase 3 after catching someone.
  • Blind Ghoul

    • Chase Speed TweakAdjusted Blind Ghoul chase speed in phase 3, Hard and Nightmare difficulties.
    • Staircase Navigation FixFixed an issue where the Blind Ghoul could get stuck and stop moving on staircases.
    • Taser Stuck FixFixed an issue where the Blind Ghoul could get stuck after being hit by the taser gun.
    • Ragdoll FixFixed an issue affecting the Blind Ghoul’s ragdoll behaviour.
  • Banshee

    • Mirror Break FixFixed an issue where mirror could fail to break properly when the Banshee screamed.
    • Polaroid Counter FixFixed the Polaroid counter interaction with the Banshee.
    • Chase/Search Audio FixFixed an issue where players could hear Banshee chase/search sounds without seeing her.
    • Song Duplication Fix: Prevented multiple Banshee songs from playing at once.

    • Song Sync FixFixed Banshee song synchronization between players.
  • Stone Stalkers

    • Chase Speed TweakAdjusted Stone Stalkers chase speed in phase 3.

Gameplay

  • Heist Items

    • Thrown Truncheon Physics FixFixed truncheon physics when thrown.
    • Water Gun Reload Persistence FixFixed an issue where the water gun could fail to refill if it was empty when changing level.
    • Plunger Attachment FixFixed an issue where the plunger could remain stuck in mid-air after being thrown at certain monsters.
    • Mirror Catch Animation FixFixed an incorrect animation when using the mirror while caught.
    • Flare Projectile Glass Break Update: Flare projectiles now break glass.

    • Defibrillator Charger Prompt FixFixed an issue where the defibrillator charger could display the wrong interaction prompt, reusing the prompt from the previously interacted object.
  • Player Ragdoll Wall Fix: Player ragdolls can no longer pass through walls.

  • Objective Items Spawn Failsafe: Objective items are now forced to spawn even if no room is left.

  • Level Transition Input Lock Fix: Inputs are now blocked during the transition screen between the van and the exit to prevent items from being dropped in unreachable areas.

  • Safe Prompt Refresh FixFixed an issue where safes could display the wrong interaction prompt, reusing the prompt from the previously interacted object.
  • Padlock Safe Reopen Hit Fix: Hitting an already opened padlock safe no longer reopens it.

  • Paper Code Text Persistence FixFixed an issue where the paper code number could remain on furnitures when picking it up while already holding another item.

Level Design

  • Cruise Ship Door Pickup FixFixed an issue on the Cruise Ship map where items placed on the floor near certain doors could no longer be picked up.
  • Bathroom Interaction FixFixed interaction issues with certain furnitures in bathrooms that were difficult to interact with.
  • Washing Machine Outline FixFixed selection outline on the washing machine door.
  • Cardlock Spawn FixFixed cardlocks spawning inside safes.
  • Vending Machine Item Collision FixFixed an issue where items could be thrown into the vending coffee machine and hidden inside it.
  • Vent Exit Opening Fix: It is no longer possible to open a vent from its exit side. Players must now enter from the correct entrance and open the exit from inside.

  • Tile Weight Activation FixFixed an issue in the Casino vault tile puzzle where the combined weight of multiple objects was not always counted correctly to activate a tile.
  • Breakable Glass Panel UpdateAdded breakable glass panels and fixed materials that were only visible from one side.

Performance & Optimisation

  • Lighting Optimisation: Cleaned and optimised lighting in lobby and environments.

  • Golden Tag Level Lighting Optimisation: Cleaned and optimised lighting in Golden Tag map.

  • Museum Light Synchronisation FixFixed cases where museum lights could become desynchronised.
  • Interaction Camera OptimisationReduced unnecessary camera-related processing during interactions to improve performance.
  • Ragdoll Optimisation: Applied several optimisations around ragdolls.

  • Extinguisher VFX Optimisation: Optimised extinguisher visual effects.

  • Item Light Shadow OptimisationDisabled cast shadows on item lights, flare gun, flare, and glowsticks.
  • Unused Reference Cleanup: Cleaned several references so it is no longer unnecessarily loaded in memory.

  • Monster Loading Optimisation: Monsters such as the Driftborn and the Hidebehind are no longer loaded by default when not in use.

  • Overall Assets Optimisation: Several environment assets have been optimised.

Game Modes

  • Golden Tag

    • Item Locker Fix: Golden Tag items can no longer be put into the locker.

    • Item Save FixFixed Golden Tag items being savable.

Network

  • Relay Connection Fallback: The game now automatically tries different relay configurations on connection failure to improve join reliability.

  • Duplicate Session Handling FixFixed incorrect handling of duplicate find-session results.
  • Save Backup Recovery Fix: If no main save is found but a backup exists, the backup is now loaded correctly.

  • Platform Login Feedback UpdateImproved feedback shown on platform login errors.
  • Kick Message Localisation FixFixed an issue where the kick message could appear in the host’s language instead of the player’s own language.

Audio

  • Voice Occlusion ImprovementImproved voice occlusion so voices are now better blocked by walls and ceilings.
  • Urinal Flush Sound FixFixed an issue where urinals did not play a sound when flushed.
  • Gramophone Attenuation UpdateUpdated gramophone attenuation sound.
  • Crowbar Hit Sound Volume FixFixed an issue where the sound of being hit by a crowbar could still be heard even when the Sound Effects volume was set to 0.

UI

  • Gamepad Navigation

    • Improved gamepad navigation in different menus: Customisation, Score Screen, Locker.

    • Missing Focus FixFixed several missing focus issues after closing windows.
    • Color Wheel Gamepad Support: It is now possible to use color wheels with a gamepad.

  • Color Wheel Input UpdateUpdated color wheel UI input behaviour.
  • Player Volume Gamepad FixFixed player volume changes being affected incorrectly by gamepad inputs.
  • Mafia Items Locked Icon UpdateAdded a lock icon for Mafia-locked item in the shop.
  • Mafia Reputation Layout UpdateUpdated the Mafia reputation layout scaling for better readability.
  • Contract Selection Settings Menu FixFixed an issue where opening the settings menu during contract selection could break the interface display.
  • Press to Skip Widget Alignment FixFixed an alignment issue affecting the “Press to Skip” widget.

Source

Steam News / 20 March 2026

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