[StarSavior] June 19 Dev Notes

Greetings, Captains. This is StarSavior Director Lee Sungwon. It has been some time since our last Dev Notes. As of today, the Half-Anniversary event has officially come to an end. More Captains than we had expected joined us for the Half-Anniversary update, and we received many positive responses from the community. Internally, we were also able to see meaningful results. Above all, it was incredibly rewarding for the entire development team to watch Captains enjoy the content we had spent so long preparing. I would like to sincerely thank every Captain who joined us for the Half-Anniversary update. Of course, there were also critical issues along the way. We are reviewing the issues that occurred during the update process and taking a close look at how they happened. We are also working to improve our processes and strengthen our checks to ensure that similar issues do not happen again. In addition, we will carefully review all of the feedback you share through the recent survey. We will continue to reflect your opinions in future updates and content development as we work to provide better content and a more stable gameplay experience for everyone. In this Dev Notes notice, I’d like to share a roadmap covering some of the content we currently have in development. Before we get into that, however, there’s something I need to apologize for first. In our previous Dev Notes, we shared our goal of releasing the Gear Preset feature by the end of June. Unfortunately, as development progressed, we had to adjust our schedule. As a result, the Gear Preset feature is now planned for an update in early July. We know this is a feature many Captains have been waiting for, and we’re sorry that we won’t be able to deliver it within the timeframe we originally announced. We should have taken a more careful look at the schedule before sharing it with you, and that responsibility falls on me. To apologize for the delay, we will be providing compensation starting in late June. While we know it may not fully make up for the extra wait, we wanted to do something to express our gratitude for your patience and our sincere apologies for the delay. Once again, I apologize for pushing back the release of the Gear Preset feature. With that said, I’d like to move on and share the roadmap we’ve prepared for today’s Dev Notes.

1. Event Roadmap

1-1. Sonatine for the Forgotten

Starting next week, we’ll be kicking off a new event centered around Carnelia: [Sonatine for the Forgotten].

The event is scheduled to run for roughly two weeks, from June 25 through July 10.

In this event, Captains will have the opportunity to learn more about Carnelia's secrets and the story she carries, following her appearances in [Discordant Duet on the Black Snowfield] and [Main Story: Episode 4]. Carnelia has drawn a great deal of interest since her earlier appearances, and we created this event to explore her story in greater detail and give players a deeper look into who she is.

Steam post imageSteam post imageCarnelia will be featured as a new Savior alongside the event. Carnelia is a Chaos Attribute Caster-class Savior.

As Captains who have played through [Main Story: Episode 4] may already know, Carnelia bears the curse of immortality.

This aspect of her story is reflected directly in her combat mechanics.

By leveraging her immortality in battle, she is able to maintain exceptional survivability while continuously dealing damage, making her a highly reliable damage dealer.

Steam post imageSteam post imageCaptains looking for a Caster that offers both powerful damage output and stability may want to keep an eye on her. We hope you’re looking forward to learning more about her story and what she’s capable of on the battlefield.

1-2. Main Story: Episode 6—Rhapsody of Unbroken Blades

Following that, we will be releasing a new Main Story chapter, [Episode 6— Rhapsody of Unbroken Blades].

Episode 6 is scheduled to run for roughly two weeks, from July 9 through July 23.

This chapter focuses on Ceres, Lydia, and Vesta of the Western Liberators, whom you might have first encountered during the Journey Competition Trial.

You’ll be able to learn more about the battles the Western Liberators have fought, as well as the convictions and struggles each member carries.

Steam post imageSteam post imageCeres will also be featured as a new Savior alongside the Main Story. Ceres is a Moon attribute Striker class Savior.

As the leader of the Western Liberators and one of the central figures of Episode 6, she excels at overwhelming multiple enemies through fast-paced combat.

Steam post image

If you’re looking for a Savior capable of quickly taking control of the battlefield and turning the tide against multiple enemies, you may want to keep an eye on her. As Episode 6 marks the beginning of a deeper exploration of the Western Liberators, we hope you’ll look forward to learning more about Ceres, Lydia, and Vesta and the stories that await them.

In addition, we’re preparing something special for both Ceres and Lydia later this October. We hope you’ll look forward to what’s in store.

1-3. Lost in Summer! Fated Paradise

Next up is our summer event.

[Lost in Summer! Fated Paradise] is scheduled to run for roughly three weeks, from July 23 through August 14.

This event follows Luna and Smile of the Voyager Savior Party as they set out on a special adventure in the seaside city, Flora.

Luna and Smile in swimsuits were briefly shown in the main PV released at launch.

Through this event, you’ll get to experience the Voyager Savior Party’s fun summer atmosphere while seeing a different side of Luna and Smile than you’re used to. As this is a summer event, we’re preparing a bright, lighthearted adventure that we hope everyone can enjoy, so please look forward to it.

We’ll be sharing more details about the event through a separate channel at a later date.

At that time, we’ll also be able to show more of Luna and Smile’s summer looks and provide additional details about the event itself.

1-4. New Year Under Starlit Trails

Following that, we’ll be bringing back a previous event.

[New Year Under Starlit Trails] is scheduled to run for roughly one week, from August 13 through August 21.

This event tells the story of Asherah, who attends a grand ball as the representative of House Stranis, and the Captain.

We hope this rerun gives Captains who missed the event the first time around, as well as those who joined us after the global launch, a chance to enjoy this New Year story for themselves. Since this is a rerun event, we’re making it easy for everyone to jump in and enjoy, so we hope you’ll look forward to it.

1-5. Metabasis of Ashen Embers

The final event we’d like to introduce is [Metabasis of Ashen Embers].

The event is scheduled to run for roughly two weeks, from August 20 through September 4.

This story centers on Haydee and Cristelle of the Morrel Ocean Traders.

While Cristelle is not currently available as a Savior, you can learn about her through the Journey story of [Morrel Ocean Traders: Haydee] and the Arcana Story of [Waltz of Starlight: Asherah]. If you’re curious to learn more about Cristelle before the event begins, those stories may be worth checking out. We’ll be sharing more information about this event through a separate channel. At that time, we’ll be able to reveal more about the story of Haydee and Cristelle and what awaits them in this event. With that, we’ve reached the end of the event roadmap covering June, July, and August.

Beyond the events we’ve already discussed, we’re also working on a variety of other additions aimed at bringing Captains new experiences and more ways to enjoy the game. We’ll continue sharing updates on upcoming content as development progresses, and we hope you’ll continue to follow along. Next, I’d also like to take a moment to talk about a few other things we’re working on.

Everything we’ve covered so far has been focused on the events.

From here, I’d like to shift our discussion toward our broader content roadmap and some of the gameplay-focused content currently in development. We’ve heard the feedback from Captains regarding the lack of gameplay content in the long term, and we agree that it’s an important area for improvement. To address this, we’re actively working on several initiatives designed to expand the gameplay experience. Although we can’t share everything in detail yet, we’d like to give you a look at the direction we’re heading and some of the features we’re hoping to introduce in the near future.

2. Content Roadmap

2-1. Savior Balance Adjustments

First, we’re planning a round of Savior balance adjustments in the final week of June. This adjustment shares a similar goal to the Stellar Blooming feature introduced in a previous update. Our objective is to strengthen Saviors that are currently difficult to utilize or struggling to fulfill their intended roles, so that a wider variety of Saviors have the opportunity to shine in combat. A total of seven Saviors will be included in this round of balance adjustments. The target Saviors are as follows.

• Hell Saviors: Harley - Kyra Doesn't Have Friends: Kyra - Little Tyrant: Scarlet - House Orlan: Epindel - Voyager Savior Party: Smile - Aselus Association: Trish - Nightmare: Seira We are also continuing to review the performance of Saviors not included in this round of adjustments. These balance changes are not intended to be a one-time effort. We’ll continue monitoring overall Savior usage and gameplay data, and we’ll make further adjustments whenever we identify Saviors that need additional support. More details on the goals behind each adjustment, along with the detailed list of changes, will be shared in a future patch notes announcement.

2-2. Content Expansion

Some content expansions are also scheduled for July.

These updates will be about Cube Palace, which we mentioned in the previous Dev Notes, and Flash Point, whose range of uses has expanded through Stellar Blooming.

First, Cube Palace will receive a stage expansion. We are preparing this update so that Captains who have been playing Cube Palace can challenge higher stages and earn more rewards. For Flash Point, additional Arcanas will be obtainable through the content. As the introduction of Stellar Blooming has expanded the ways Flash Point can be used, we will continue improving the content so that it can serve a more meaningful role going forward. In addition, as the number of categories within Flash Point continues to grow, we plan to introduce UI improvements in July to make it easier for Captains to check the items they’re looking for.

2-3. Content Improvements

Between July and August, we are also planning several content improvements.

As mentioned in the previous Dev Notes, these improvements will focus on the Combat Power calculation formula and Tactical Analysis.

For the Combat Power calculation formula, we are reviewing the calculation structure so that recommended stats for each Savior and their actual combat effectiveness can be reflected more reasonably. Tactical Analysis is also an important feature closely tied to character progression and overall growth. As such, we are carefully reviewing both its intended direction and numerical values as we continue development. However, because both of these improvements directly affect the gameplay experience, they require extensive review and testing. As a result, they are taking a little longer to prepare than we initially expected. We appreciate your patience as we continue working on these improvements and will do our best to deliver them as soon as possible.

2-4. Advanced Content

In August, we are also planning to introduce advanced features to existing content.

The focus will be on Cosmo Gate and Guild Defense.

Both features are scheduled to begin new seasons in August, and we are preparing updates aimed at refining certain aspects of their structures and overall gameplay experience.

Challenge of the Stars will also be updated alongside the new season and will return with some changes compared to its current format. As Cosmo Gate and Guild Defense are two of the core content modes that many Captains continue to play regularly, we’re working to ensure that the new season offers a fresh experience for both. This concludes the major content roadmap planned for June, July, and August. Beyond the content discussed above, we’re also working on a number of additional content and system updates that are still being refined and finalized. We would now like to share some of the upcoming features and improvements that we believe you might be particularly interested in.

3. New and Improved Content

3-1. Guild Defense

In the previous Dev Notes, we mentioned that changes to the skip feature for Guild Defense were being considered. However, it seems some Captains interpreted this as meaning that the skip feature would be removed entirely. We’d like to use this opportunity to clarify exactly what those changes will involve. Beginning with the July season of Guild Defense, some related changes will be introduced. The current scoring system and skip feature will remain unchanged. The overall Guild Defense experience will remain largely the same, and we intend to maintain our goal of preventing a significant increase in the daily playtime burden. Instead, a new set of higher-difficulty EX Stages will be introduced. EX Stages are challenge stages that cannot be skipped. They will only be available on designated days, and entering those stages will consume two [Savior Party Deployment Seals]. To summarize, the key changes coming to Guild Defense in July are as follows. - The current scoring system and skip policy will remain unchanged. - New higher-difficulty EX Stages will be added. - EX Stages are high-difficulty challenge stages that cannot be skipped. - EX Stages will only be available on designated days. - Entering an EX Stage will consume two [Savior Party Deployment Seals]. As Guild Defense is content that many of our players engage with on a regular basis, we will continue making adjustments so that the overall play burden remains reasonable. Even after the changes for July are implemented, we will continue monitoring player behavior and make further improvements wherever necessary.

3-2. Apocalypse Support Pass

Beginning with the next Apocalypse Support Pass, several changes will be made to the pass rewards. The Naru / Vera / Annah Arcana Selection Box currently included in the pass will be removed. Instead, Naru, Vera, and Annah's Arcana will become obtainable through Flash Point. In place of the Arcana reward, we will be adding a unique profile customization reward that can only be obtained through the pass. We considered applying this change starting with the current pass, which already includes improved rewards. However, we felt that changes to pass rewards should be communicated well in advance, so we decided to apply this update starting with the next pass instead. In addition, Naru, Vera, and Annah’s Arcana will receive minor stat improvements alongside the Savior balance adjustments.

3-3. Account Profile

Since we’ve already touched on profile customization, I would also like to share that we’re planning an expansion of the Account Profile system in early July. First, profiles will gain additional slots for sub-icons and frames.

The current system only allows you to set one icon and one frame on your profile. After the update, you’ll be able to equip up to three sub-icons and frames in addition to your profile. Titles will also be added as a new profile customization option. We’re preparing this feature to give Captains more ways to express their playstyle and preferences. In addition, we’ll be adding a simple way to show appreciation when another Captain helps you, such as through Arcana Lending.

With these updates, we hope Captains will have more freedom to personalize their profiles and more opportunities to connect with one another.

3-4. SSR Arcana

We plan to add one SSR Arcana for each SSR Savior that does not yet have one. Through the Journey event associated with each SSR Arcana, Captains will be able to obtain that Savior’s Unique Potential. Each newly added SSR Arcana will be released alongside a Featured Observation for its corresponding Savior. At the same time, because these are entirely new Arcanas being added to the game, we want to ensure that they do not feel overly limited in terms of availability. To that end, newly added SSR Arcanas will be added to the pool for both Standard Observation and Featured Observation as soon as their Featured Observation begins. They will also be obtainable through Flash Point as one of its main rewards. With this addition, we hope to expand the range of viable builds available to each Savior while also introducing new possibilities for Arcana formations. The first Savior to receive an SSR Arcana will be Luna. In mid-July, a new Featured Observation for Luna’s SSR Arcana will be held alongside the Featured Observation for SSR Savior Luna. We hope you’ll look forward to the Saviors receiving new SSR Arcanas and the new possibilities these additions will bring to Arcana formations.

3-5. Localization Improvements

We’re also continuously reviewing and working on improvements related to the game’s localization. One area we're currently focusing on is consistency across in-game text. We've identified cases where certain terminology and phrasing are not applied consistently throughout the game. For example, some English skill descriptions currently explain identical effects and mechanics using different wording, which can make the information less clear and more difficult to understand. To address this, we're reviewing and standardizing these descriptions so that the same effects and mechanics are communicated in a consistent way throughout the game. As StarSavior is a global title, we'll continue working to ensure that players can clearly understand skills, mechanics, and content regardless of the language they choose to play in.

3-6. Popularity Vote: The Brightest Star

Finally, I’d like to address the popularity vote. We’ve received a great deal of feedback regarding the popularity vote. Among the concerns raised by Captains, the most common was the inclusion of characters who joined through Vestige of Corruption in the voting roster. Our original policy was to include those characters because they had joined the Standard Observation pool as playable Saviors. However, this was a mistake on my part. I should have given more consideration not only to the eligibility criteria itself, but also to the spirit of the popularity vote and how Captains would feel about those characters being included. I failed to do that, and the responsibility for that decision rests entirely with me. Beginning with the next popularity vote, characters introduced through Vestige of Corruption or collaboration events will no longer be included in the voting roster. I sincerely apologize for the confusion and frustration this decision may have caused. In addition, we recognize that vote-support systems such as the Underdog Savior Boost did not have as much impact as intended and ultimately did not make the event as enjoyable as it could have been. If we hold another popularity vote in the future, we plan to revisit these systems as well and make improvements so that the event feels both more engaging and easier for Captains to get behind. As mentioned during our previous broadcast, the final results of this popularity vote will be announced after votes from all servers have been combined and tallied. We'll complete the tallying process as quickly as possible and share the final results through a separate announcement. Finally, I'd like to thank all Captains who participated in this popularity vote. That concludes everything I wanted to share in this edition of Dev Notes.

We'll be back with another broadcast ahead of the summer event.

In addition to everything covered today, we're currently working on a variety of other updates and features, so we hope you'll look forward to the upcoming broadcast as well. I expect we'll also be able to share more details about the Overload Cube during that broadcast.

Then, in the Dev Notes that follow, I'd like to provide an update on the progress of Deep Mining Operation and how development is coming along. Until then, we'll see you again in the next broadcast. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We'll keep working hard to make StarSavior a game that continues to meet, and hopefully exceed, your expectations. Thank you, as always. StarSavior Director Lee Sungwon ※ System/content names and details are subject to change during the development process.