Shrouded Sky - Patch Notes 1.17.0: The Hurricane and the New Meta

Are you ready to get absolutely tossed around by a hurricane while trying to loot some scrap in the Rust Belt?

Because let me tell you, the Shrouded Sky update 1.17.0 is finally here and it is a total "explosion" of content that is gonna change how you play the game forever. We are talking about massive winds, new enemies that will probably wreck your day, and some weapon balances that are surely gonna cause a bit of a "confusion" in the community. It is a wild time to be a Raider, especially with the way the economics of the game are shifting right under our feet. Honestly, it feels like the whole game world is reacting to some weird geopolitical tensions from the topside, and we are just here trying to survive the economic repercussions of it all.

The Hurricane Strikes: A New Map Condition

Attention Raiders! Violent hurricanes are sweeping topside, forcing new strategies for low-visibility combat, powerful gales, and hurtling debris. This is not just a visual change. This is a full-blown shift in the microeconomics of how you handle an extraction. When the wind picks up, your supply chains for info are basically cut off because you can't see more than ten feet in front of you.

Scouts have spotted two new ARC types in the Rust Belt. We advise caution while the storm runs its course, but those who know how to read the weather will find opportunity in the chaos. If you can track the storm, you can find high-tier loot that others are too scared to go for. It is like a high-stakes version of international trade but with more bullets and fewer suits.

What is New in the Storm?

Hurricane Map Condition: High winds that affect your movement and projectile physics.
Two New ARC Enemies: Stealthy and aggressive types that thrive in the low visibility.
Weather Monitoring System: A new seasonal project where you lot can work together to predict the next big blow.
Free Raider Deck: A little gift from the devs to help you get started with the new meta.
Dam Battlegrounds Map Update: More verticality and new places to hide from the wind.
Expedition Window: Better UI to see when the next run is available.
Facial Hair Customization: Finally, you can look like the grizzled survivor you actually are.

Weapon Balancing: The "Shadow Buff" Mystery

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. In 1.13 we shipped an update that included an optimization fix for our weapons, but as many of you noticed this had the unforeseen consequence of lowering the total fire-rate of semi-automatic weapons. In 1.13.1 we reverted that fix, but something else made it into the update that shouldn't have.

Many of you have reported a "shadow buff" to the weapons, and after investigating it we found that 1.13.1 had inadvertently impacted our weapon input buffers. This is where the international politics of game dev gets messy. Where you previously would have to time your inputs to the intended cadence of a weapon to reach its full potential, you could now instead spam-click the button, effectively bypassing any skill requirement. We want to keep some of that skill expression, but we also recognize that what we had previously didn't feel very responsive.

To address that and land in some sort of middle ground, we have since added more levers for us to control the weapon input buffering window on a gun-to-gun basis. The weapons should now still be more responsive to fire when spam-clicking, but the players who choose to pace their shots will see better results. It is all about that economic growth of your skill ceiling, right?

Detailed Weapon Changes

We are looking into the balance between our low tier and high tier weapons. A lot of you have expressed concerns that some low tier weapons outperform our higher tier weapons at significantly reduced cost. This is a huge problem for the in-game economics. We want to shift that balance a bit while still keeping some of that flexibility to punch above your weight if you are skilled enough. It is like trying to manage macroeconomics for a bunch of people with guns.

Stitcher

The Stitcher has played its role well as a close quarter weapon that rewards thoughtful positioning, but we've found that its fast TTK can sometimes lead to situations where you're ambushed and killed before you have much time to react. The high headshot damage is a large contributor to this problem. These changes aim to bring that headshot TTK a bit closer to the body shot TTK.

Reduced Headshot Multiplier from 2.5 to 1.75.
Reduced Base Damage from 7 to 6.5.
Increased Per Shot Dispersion by around 50%. This makes it bloom much faster, so stop spraying like a madman.

Kettle

The Kettle has been in a bit of a weird place. Its high damage output was intended to be used in a more medium range setting, but we see many of you bringing it up in close quarters and effectively turning into an SMG. We want to distinguish it more from the Stitcher.

Reduced Base Damage from 10 to 8.5.
Keeping the high headshot multiplier to reward actual aim.

Venator

Since the last nerfs to the Venator, it is still dominating in PVP. Our data has shown that it is one of the highest performing weapons in the game right now. For a weapon of this tier we want it to perform well, but maybe not this well. This is like an international conflict where one side has a nuke and everyone else has a stick.

Reduced Headshot Multiplier from 2.5 to 2.
Reduced Base Damage from 9 to 8.
We might look into its ammo consumption next if this doesn't fix the economic impact it has on the meta.

Jupiter

In PVP, the Jupiter does the most headshot damage in the game, but it's quite difficult to hit headshots with it at longer ranges. You're also quite vulnerable when you use it. It is a high-risk foreign investment in your loadout.

Improved ADS Magnification from 1.9x to 2.2x.
Improved Equip Time from 1.2s to 1.05s.
Improved Unequip Time from 0.9s to 0.75s.

Aphelion

We weren't quite happy with the previous balancing of the Aphelion. It was intended to be a more PVP focused legendary weapon, but it couldn't quite keep up with the pacing. We've made some changes to make it feel less bulky.

Reduced Base Reload Time from 4.5s to 3.5s.
Reduced Time Between Shots from 0.9s to 0.7s.
Reduced Vertical Recoil by about 50%.
Improved ADS Settle Speed by about 35%.

The Economy of the Rust Belt: Items and Crafting

The economics of survival are getting tougher. We have adjusted several item values to better reflect the current labor market of scrap gathering. If you want the good stuff, you are gonna have to work for it. Some of these changes are a direct response to the economic sanctions placed on certain high-tech parts by the internal factions.

Item Value and Cost Changes

Item Name	Old Value	New Value	Trader Price	New Crafting Cost
Deadline	5,000	6,000	18,000	Added a new ARC part.
Trailblazer	1,600	2,200	6,600	Added a new ARC part.
Wolfpack	5,000	6,000	N/A	Added Rocketeer Driver.
Vita Spray	3,000	3,400	N/A	Added Tick Pod.
Showstopper	2,200	2,100	N/A	Added Hornet Driver.

ARC Parts sell value has been reduced to better reflect their crafting and progression uses. This is to discourage people from just flipping parts for quick cash and instead encourage them to actually build stuff. It is all about that long-term growth, people!

Content and Bug Fixes: Polishing the Chaos

We have been working tirelessly to fix the little things that break your immersion. It is like trying to maintain international trade routes during a global war; something is always breaking.

Animation and Audio

Fixed various animation issues while vaulting. No more looking like a wet noodle when you jump a fence.
Fixed an issue where some weapons didn't drop magazines during reloads.
Fixed an issue where reattaching to a ladder after jumping could distort the climbing animation.
Scrappy has received your feedback about being too noisy, he will now try to cluck less frequently. Honestly, thank god for that.
Fixed weapon-shake animation incorrectly triggering indoors during freezing weather. Now it only happens outside where it actually makes sense.

ARC and Gameplay

Fixed an issue where Surveyors and Fireballs could open prematurely before stabilizing.
Reduced erratic movement of ARC parts when they are stuck to a looted item.
Fixed an issue where interactions could be triggered from too far away. No more opening doors through walls like a ghost.
Prevented players from standing on or being carried by thrown grenades. This was funny, but it had to go.
Prevented enabling all NVIDIA Freestyle filters simultaneously to remove an unfair visual advantage. No more seeing through the dark like you're a cyborg.

Maps: Where the Winds Blow

The geopolitical tensions between the different zones have led to some structural changes. The Rust Belt is evolving.

Buried City: The chance of finding rare loot in chimneys has been lowered slightly during Bird City map condition.
Stella Montis: Fixed multiple collision issues to prevent players from reaching out-of-bounds areas using the Unstuck function. We see you trying to escape the map!
Blue Gate: Improved thunderstorm lighting for better visual clarity. It is still dark, but now it is "cinematically" dark.

Progression and Social

We want to make sure you feel like you are actually getting somewhere in this dying world. The labor market for Raiders is tough, so we are giving you some more options.

You can now reroll Feats three times per day for free.
Removed PvP Feats, updated a few existing Feats and added a few new ones.
Added an Expedition catch-up system to earn missed Skill Points from previous runs. This is great for those of you who have lives outside of the game.
When playing in a party, map selection now shows all locations unlocked by the member with the most rounds played.

Anti-Cheat: The Ongoing Fight for Fairness

When we shared our last update about tackling unfair play, we didn't fully convey the complexity and scale of what goes into cheat detection. Our defenses operate on multiple levels. It is basically the international politics of the gaming world. We have people trying to break the rules, and we have to step up our enforcement.

Recent updates to Family Sharing have strengthened our ability to curb misconduct. Serious infractions now carry stricter consequences. Strong detections will receive permanent bans right off the bat. We are preparing to launch a systematic manual review of ban appeals to ensure every case is handled with care. We are investing heavily in the precision of our enforcement tools because a fair game is the only way to ensure economic growth for the community.

Main Points of Update 1.17.0

Hurricane Condition: A massive shift in how you navigate and fight. Visibility is low, danger is high.
ARC Threats: New enemies to keep you on your toes.
Weapon Meta: Big nerfs to the Stitcher and Venator, buffs to the Jupiter and Aphelion.
Economic Shift: Items cost more to craft and sell for different values.
Anti-Cheat: Stricter rules and faster bans for bad actors.
Quality of Life: Pianos, facial hair, and a quieter Scrappy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you nerf the Stitcher so hard?

Because you lot were using it like a sniper rifle in close range. It was killing people before they could even blink. The economic impact of such a cheap weapon being that powerful was ruining the high-tier weapon market.

When is the Android version coming?

We are focused on the current platforms right now, but we hear you. The international trade of porting games is a slow process, but we are looking into it.

Is the hurricane permanent?

It is a map condition, so it will rotate in and out. It adds a bit of "predictability" to the "explosion" of weather events.

How do I get the new facial hair?

Check your customization menu in Speranza! It should be there waiting for you to make yourself look fabulous.

What is the new ARC part for?

It is used in crafting the higher-tier items like the Deadline and Trailblazer. You can find it on the new ARC enemies in the Rust Belt.

The Macroeconomics of Shrouded Sky

If you look at the big picture, Shrouded Sky is a microcosm of our world. The international conflicts between raiders and the environment mirror real-world geopolitical tensions. Every time we change a crafting cost, we are tweaking the microeconomics of your survival. The economic growth of your stash depends on your ability to adapt to these changes.

The supply chains for high-tier loot are constantly being disrupted by these hurricanes, much like how international trade is affected by real-world storms or conflicts. We want to provide an experience that feels real, even if it is a bit confusing and explosive at times.

Conclusion: Adapt or Die

Patch 1.17.0 is a lot to take in. Between the hurricanes, the weapon changes, and the new economics of crafting, you are gonna have your work cut out for you. But that is what being a Raider is all about, right? Facing the chaos, reading the weather, and coming out on top with a bag full of scrap.

The devs are clearly putting in the work to keep the game fair and exciting. The anti-cheat updates and the constant polishing show that they care about the long-term growth of the game. So, grab your Stitcher (even if it is weaker now), watch the wind, and get back out there.

Contact us via the web if you find any more bugs or just want to tell us how much you hate the new Stitcher recoil. We are always listening to your feedback, even the spicy stuff.

Sources:

https://shroudedsky.com/news/patch-1-17-0 - Official Patch Notes