MATCHO Demo Patch #2

To everyone who played, clipped through the map, reported issues, and stress-tested the demo: thank you. In this update, we focused on making MATCHO feel smoother, clearer, and faster - without changing what it's all about: Tag → Chain → Match.

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS (the good stuff)

FPS stability & Stuttering

A big part of Patch #2 is stability. We shipped a major Virtual Shadow Maps optimization and improved several heavy code paths, which should reduce hitching and improve frame-time consistency across all settings. In stutter-heavy scenes, some players may see up to ~3× smoother behavior. That doesn't guarantee you'll get higher FPS, but it's about a consistent, stable FPS experience.

We also wanted the demo to look better on Medium and Low without leaning on Lumen. The new PostFX Light Scenarios improve overall readability, and Medium now includes AO shadowing - so the game keeps its mood while staying clearer in motion. We will still be working on this.

Combat

Combat clarity got a direct upgrade too: the new Enemy Damage Indicator shows the direction of incoming hits around the crosshair. Less guessing, more reacting. We also improved the health indicator to make it clearer when you are low on health.

And because a lot of you play ultrawide, on 32:9 displays, the UI is now centered within a max 21:9 safe region, so critical HUD elements stay where they belong.

Option to turn off Character Additional Commentary

Some players love the extra flavor, navigation tips, and banter between characters; others prefer a cleaner, more focused run - especially when replaying or trying to concentrate during tougher fights and platforming.

That's why we heard your feedback, and you can now turn off the extra chatter in settings and keep the experience quieter when you want. This also works if you are more interested in gameplay than story (no hard feelings; the demo has everything out of context, so we understand).

Faster & "Punchy" Movement

On the feel side, we added an optional dynamic movement FOV to make running and traversal feel faster and more aggressive (and yes, you can turn it off if it's not your thing). We also tuned running, wallrun, slide, and jump behavior to keep movement punchy without becoming unpredictable.

Finally, we did a small level design pass based directly on feedback - plus a long list of fixes: better keyboard navigation in dialogue, fewer out-of-bounds "how did I even get here?" spots, VFX/particles optimizations, improved reflections on Low/Medium, and some character polish (Jetsen should look less like he's permanently shrugging).

There are too many fixes to list, so please jump into the updated demo and tell us what feels better (and what still needs work). We're actively shipping improvements, and your feedback guides the next patches.

Complete Patch Notes (Demo Patch #2)

[NEW FEATURES]

• Added PostFX Light Scenarios for Medium and Low settings: Lighting without Lumen now looks significantly better, and Medium now includes AO shadowing.

• Added Enemy Damage Indicator around the crosshair, so incoming pain now comes with direction.

• Added option to turn off extra character chatter during gameplay.

• Added indicator cables in the First Tower puzzle, so it's easier to see which tag-plate affects what.

• Big Virtual Shadow Maps optimization - bringing a more stable FPS experience to every setting.

• The new dynamic FOV for movement creates a faster-running feel; you can turn it off in settings.

• Some platforming challenges are now significantly easier thanks to edited terrain.

• Specific platforming challenges that have been unfair & frustrating have been nerfed to better serve their purpose.

[FIXES]

• The dialogue selector now supports W/S for up/down and E/Spacebar for confirm.

• On Low/Medium details, the Puzzle Pillar help screen is no longer washed out.

• The game now starts correctly with Windows High DPI scaling.

• Performance improvements across multiple scripts/code paths. In stutter-heavy scenes, some players may see up to 3× smoother behavior.

• Fixed a crash when restarting the game during the tutorial.

• Fixed many out-of-bounds spots (behind scenery / under map / "how did I even get here?" zones).

• Added updated reflection probes for better reflections on Low/Medium settings.

• Optimized a large number of particle systems.

• Fixed one special wall where players can get stuck when trying to jump over it.

• Fixed the normal map, which was almost missing on some specific ancient walls.

• Fixed borders on some VFXs to make them look better around tight areas.

• Fixed some jarring on Wallrun places.

• Pillar Puzzle now always has 3 different round solutions.

[TWEAKS]

• Adjusted Jetsen's rig posture to reduce the constant shrug look.

• For 32:9 displays, UI is now centered within a max 21:9 safe region.

• Slightly tuned running and wallrun speeds to feel more punchy.

• The slide has been rebalanced to the original target behavior: more aggressive in both combat and outside combat. Slide speed now matches running speed.

• Slightly adjusted jump arc to improve consistency in harder platforming sections.

• Glyphs collectibles now have a smaller collision range.

• Camera shake by Excavators has been smoothed out.

• Less waiting (and fewer loading black screens) throughout the demo.

[KNOWN ISSUES]

• Ray Reconstruction remains unstable; please keep it off for now.

• Rare crash may occur during combat. Investigation is ongoing.

• In some cases, a few remaining enemies fail to spawn correctly, forcing checkpoint reload.

• Sometimes, tower doors may not open after the first tower fight. A checkpoint reload can resolve that.

• Missing subtitle settings preview widget (so you can preview subtitle style directly in settings).

• Reworking selected UI icons based on player feedback is needed.

• We are investigating why Dual Sense doesn't work for DEMO.

• Max's power sometimes gets stuck in a special frame in a cutscene. We will fix it in patch 3.

• There are a few mistakes in cutscenes visible at Low/Medium details; we are fixing them for patch 3.

• We are experimenting with unlocked FPS in cutscenes. Yes, we hear you. There is a reason why we locked them in 30 FPS. But there could actually be a way to have them unlocked.

[POSSIBLY RESOLVED]

• On a clean first launch, video settings could default to 0% resolution with Epic scalability enabled. We need more testing to confirm this.

• We preheated the final jump sequence to ensure there is no stutter when Max jumps on the plane. This is still experimental and could still cause stutter, but it should be smaller now!

Keep sending feedback:

• Discord: https://discord.gg/mZaejnW

• Feedback form: https://forms.gle/vFg6icLSAmiTLKR66

Thanks again for helping us make MATCHO better.

On behalf of the whole FiolaSoft Studio team, — Filip Kraucher, Producer