changelog.frogtech.dev

Halloween 2026 + Gameplay Update

30 October 2026, posted by simonne on Steam, build 6826

Patch notes

SolomonVioletRat KingBabaMid-BossMirageNurse HarrowApolloDeadman DannyGravesNurseShivWardenYamatoShadow WeaveRadiant RegenerationGrey TalonKelvinSilverViscousHealing BoosterFury TranceInfuserVampiric BurstAbramsDrifterMo & KrillPaigeWraithSpirit SapFocus LensLightning ScrollBullet LifestealHealbaneReturn FireSpirit LifestealBullet ResilienceLeechBillyCalicoDoormanInfernusLashMcGinnisVenatorHigh-Velocity RoundsExpress ShotPoint BlankHunter's AuraToxic BulletsArmor PiercerGlass CannonSpiritual OverflowCrippling HeadshotGolden Goose EggMystic SlowDecaySilence WaveTorment PulseEcho ShardRebuttalBattle VestSpirit ShieldingHealing NovaMetal SkinJuggernautSpellbreakerDivine BarrierCelesteHazeLady GeistParadoxSevenVictor

As Halloween draws near, the residents of The Cursed Apple have put out some decorations to celebrate their favorite holiday. The Hideout gains a spooky new look, our heroes don masks, and NYC is now littered with pumpkins and curious Halloween Cauldrons that grant willing trick-or-treaters delicious candy.

New this year - Halloween Cauldrons:

As you walk down the streets of Manhattan during a match, you'll come across bubbling cauldrons boasting a tempting display of treats. With a Heavy Melee, break the cauldron to pick up a piece of Candy and stash it in your pocket for later. When you're feeling a bit snacky, you can consume the candy to grant yourself a boost of energy with the temporary Sugar Rush buff. - Who said candy is bad for you?

The Halloween festivities are available in-game now through November 2nd, 2026. Happy Haunting!

  • ------------------------------

Gameplay Update

General:

Mid-Boss

  • Adjusted the terrain layout where the midboss is, the area is a little bigger now and has more cover
  • Health increased by 20%
  • Health gained per minute increased by 20%
  • Resistance reductions are now only 50% as effective against the Mid-Boss
  • Roar now happens at 25% HP instead of 50%
  • Bounty reduced from 3000 (+50/min) to 1500 (+25/min)
  • The Rejuvenator now drops as 3 crystals placed evenly around the Mid-Boss pit (random positions), instead of 1 crystal in the center
  • Each Rejuvenator crystal breaks in 1 heavy melee and grants the team 1 Rejuvenator (total per Mid-Boss kill unchanged at 3)
  • The full heal for breaking a Rejuvenator now applies to each crystal (previously only on the first hit)
  • Rejuvenator crystals now give a bounty to the player that breaks them (500 +9/min)
  • Rejuvenator crystal drop time increased from 6s to 7.5s
  • Breakables growth values reduced by 10%
  • Fixed some boxes taking longer to respawn if another box's or powerup's pickup was left on the ground
  • Haunts base bounty and growth increased by 10%
  • Haunts HP and Damage output increased by 10%
  • Haunted Souls secure rate is now 25% slower
  • Haunted Souls secure rate is now up to 50% faster than baseline based on how far behind you are in Net Worth compared to the enemy team's average (max rate at a 20% Net Worth gap)
  • Comeback gold from non-hero sources increased from a max of 26% to 30% (when behind by ~20% Net Worth)
  • The bonus NPC souls multiplier when behind now also increases tick souls for the 2 poorest players
  • Healing Snacks heal increased from 10% Max HP to 14%
  • Steam Vents now increase stamina regeneration by 150%
  • Move slow to air drag ratio increased from 0.35 to 0.5
  • Move speed in tunnels reduced from +70% to +50%
  • Haunts - Past Dues: Now channels their special attack, creating a build-up aura on the ground that applies sleep slowly to Heroes standing within it over time. Killing the channeling creature destroys the aura.
  • Fixed some bugs with Walker stomp logic
  • Latest 6 heroes are no longer categorized as "new" anymore. This means they have normal hero unlocking requirements for ranked and can now be banned.

Items:

High-Velocity Rounds

  • Bullet Velocity reduced from 60% to 45% (upgrades unaffected)

Express Shot

  • Secondary Fire Weapon Damage and growth reduced by 5%

Point Blank

  • Slow duration increased from 2s to 2.5s

Hunter's Aura

  • No longer affects or counts enemies outside of line of sight or through walls

Shadow Weave

  • No longer has Ambush Fire Rate or Melee Damage
  • Now has +50% Ambush Weapon Damage
  • Ambush bonuses now build up over 6s of being stealthed before reaching full power (invis progress UI pulses when it is charged up)
  • Abilities used to break stealth now benefit from the Ambush bonus on their own damage (previously the bonus was applied after the ability had already gone off)

Toxic Bullets

  • Anti Heal increased from 35% to 40%

Armor Piercer

  • Chance increased from 55% to 60%

Glass Cannon

  • Weapon Damage increased from 80% to 85%

Spiritual Overflow

  • Spirit power increased from 6 to 8 (from component changes)

Crippling Headshot

  • Anti-Heal increased from -35% to -40%

Golden Goose Egg

  • Damage Penalty reduced from -15% to -12%

Spirit Sap

  • Cooldown increased from 18s to 22s
  • Cast range reduced from 40m to 35m

Mystic Slow

  • Dash Distance slow increased from -10% to -12%

Decay

  • Incoming Heal reduction increased from -50% to -55%

Radiant Regeneration

  • Regen on Spirit Damage scaling reduced from 0.35 to 0.25
  • Heal on Ability Cast now only triggers when you are in combat (like Spellslinger)
  • Heal on Ability Cast reduced from 65 to 40
  • Heal on Ability Cast boon scaling reduced from 1.7 to 1.4

Silence Wave

  • Bonus Health increased from +50 to +90

Torment Pulse

  • Melee Resistance increased from 18% to 22%

Echo Shard

  • Post cast time reduced from 0.5s to 0.2s

Focus Lens

  • Cooldown reduced from 45s to 40s
  • Fixed damage dealt to a barrier not counting toward the repeated damage

Lightning Scroll

  • Damage now scales with Spirit Power (0.35)
  • Dash Distance slow increased from -10% to -12%

Rebuttal

  • Parry Cooldown reduction reduced from -1.75s to -1.25s

Battle Vest

  • Weapon Damage increased from 18% to 22%

Bullet Lifesteal

  • Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 10%
  • Bullet Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%

Healbane

  • Multiple sources now stack on the enemy with diminishing returns (previously didn't stack)
  • Heal on Hero Kill reduced from 275 to 170 + 3/Boon

Healing Booster

  • No longer builds from Extra Regen
  • No longer grants +3 Health Regen
  • Out of Combat Regen increased from +1 to +2

Return Fire

  • Now returns the damage you take from Haze's Fixation
  • Fixed the shop tooltip not listing the 10% Bullet Resistance

Spirit Lifesteal

  • Spirit Power increased from 6 to 8
  • Spirit Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%

Spirit Shielding

  • Spirit Resist reduced from 18% to 15%

Bullet Resilience

  • Bullet Resistance increased from 30% to 35%
  • Out of Combat Regen increased from 3 to 5

Fury Trance

  • Active Move Speed increased from +1m to +1.5m
  • Bullet Lifesteal increased from 14% to 15%
  • Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 10%

Healing Nova

  • Now scales with Spirit Power (1.1) instead of Boons (6)

Metal Skin

  • Now increases your gravity by 20% while active

Infuser

  • Active Lifesteal increased from 70% to 75%
  • Spirit Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%
  • Spirit power increased from 6 to 8

Juggernaut

  • Health Regen increased from +8 to +15

Leech

  • Bullet Lifesteal increased from 28% to 30%
  • Spirit Lifesteal increased from 28% to 30%

Vampiric Burst

  • Active Lifesteal increased from 70% to 75%
  • Bullet Lifesteal increased from 13% to 15%
  • Weapon Damage increased from 6% to 10%

Spellbreaker

  • When the item procs, it continues to reduce any other spirit damage that happens as a result in that damage stack (for example, getting hit by charged shot that procs tankbuster now both get reduced)

Divine Barrier

  • Cooldown increased from 45s to 55s

Heroes:

Abrams

Its file changes
  • Base gun damage increased by 5%

Siphon Life

  • T3 increased from +18 DPS to +22

Shoulder Charge

  • Fixed enemies being held in place longer if you don't hit a wall

Apollo

Its file changes

Riposte

  • Pommel Hit changed from a stun to an immobilize and parry disable
  • Pommel Hit disable duration increased from 0.8s to 1.5s
  • T2 disable duration increased from +0.4s to +0.6s
  • Fixed the counterattack dash sometimes missing its target or launching Apollo away when the target moves, rounds a corner, or is displaced
  • Fixed the counterattack dash missing when Apollo is right on top of the target

Flawless Advance

  • Being stunned or put to sleep during the ability now refunds that stab and keeps your remaining recasts instead of putting it on cooldown

Itani Lo Sahn

  • No longer interrupted by Sleep

Baba

Its file changes
  • Spirit Resist scaling reduced from 0.1 to 0.07

Threadsap

  • Spirit Steal duration reduced from 22s to 16s
  • When a victim cleanses the Threadsap debuff, the matching spirit Baba gained is also removed

Granny Long Legs

  • Light Melee knockback distance reduced from 10m to 8m
  • Heavy Melee cooldown reduced from 1.4s to 1.2s (default is 1.0s)
  • Heavy Melee slow duration reduced from 4s to 2s
  • Heavy melee stomp now only hits the closest Rejuvenator in range

Baba's Brew

  • No longer has an initial brew time
  • Brew order is now random each time she casts it
  • Cycle time between each type of brew increased from 1s to 1.5s
  • UI indicator color now matches the current brew
  • Silence duration reduced from 3s to 2.75s

Billy

Its file changes

Rising Ram

  • T3 increased from +10% Max Health for 16s to +15% for 20s

Blasted

  • Cooldown reduced from 27s to 25s

Calico

Its file changes

Leaping Slash

  • T3 increased from +60 Damage to +90

Ava

  • T3 increased from 6s duration to 8s

Celeste

Its file changes

Shining Wonder

  • Damage reduced from 140 to 125

Deadman Danny

Its file changes

Chimera Mk1

  • Jetpack can no longer be used while cursed
  • Fixed bug causing it to not deal damage when held through a Close The Deal
  • Items and abilities that pull to the ground now work more reliably against Danny
  • Slows now reduce the jetpack's in-air impulse more effectively, and even more if movement abilities are silenced

Close the Deal

  • Fixed some incorrect behavior when used at the top of the belltower

Doorman

Luggage Cart

  • T2 increased from +75 Damage on Wall Impact to +90
  • T3 increased from -15s Cooldown to -18s

Drifter

Its file changes
  • Base gun damage increased by 3%

Bloodscent

  • T3 increased from +11% Amplified Damage to +12%

Eternal Night

  • T3 increased from +2.5s Duration to +2.75s

Graves

Its file changes
  • Move speed reduced from 7 to 6.7
  • Bullet damage per boon reduced by 4%

Grasping Hands

  • Can now be more easily double jumped over
  • Deploy time increased from 0.6s to 0.8s

Borrowed Decree

  • T2 no longer has -0.3s Time To Spawn
  • T3 now also provides -0.3s Time To Spawn

Grey Talon

Its file changes

Charged Shot

  • T2 now also has -2s Charge Delay
  • T3 no longer has -3s Charge Delay
  • T3 now also lets the shot bounce once off a wall (can't hit a target more than once)

Guided Owl

  • Now launches in the exact direction you're aiming, including steep downward angles (previously always launched at least 45° upward)

Infernus

Its file changes

Napalm

  • T2 lifesteal increased from 15% to 20%

Concussive Combustion

  • T3 now increases spirit scaling by 0.4

Haze

Smoke Bomb

  • Fixed T3 dispelling debuffs that can't be dispelled (like the Specter Crash from Nurse's Wretched Vapors)

Kelvin

Its file changes

Frozen Shelter

  • Cooldown increased from 185s to 190s
  • T1 increased from -20s Cooldown to -30s
  • T2 now also reduces enemy fire rate by -20%
  • T3 regen increased from +65 to +75

Lady Geist

Its file changes
  • Essence Bomb spirit scaling increased from 1.22 to 1.35

Lash

Its file changes

Grapple

  • T3 now also increases Jump Velocity by +4m

Death Slam

  • Targeting indicator changed from a cone to a cylinder to more accurately match the ability's range (visual change only)

McGinnis

Its file changes

Mini Turret

  • Damage vs troopers increased from 50% to 65%
  • Health per boon increased from 9 to 10

Mirage

Its file changes

Traveler

  • Channel time increased from 2s to 3s
  • Onterrupt/cancel cooldown increased from 4s to 5s
  • Now gets interrupted if you are Stunned/Immobilized/Slept or have slowing hex on you
  • Now grants the old T2 barrier in the base ability (with no scaling)
  • The minimap now moves to the center of the screen and is enlarged while targeting
  • Added a targeting reticle under your cursor on the minimap that your allies can see, so they can tell where you're thinking of going before you click
  • Your destination is now marked on your and your allies' minimaps until you arrive, and stays there briefly after landing
  • T2 changed from "400 Barrier that scales with spirit" to "-65s Cooldown"
  • T3 changed from "-90s Cooldown" to "Cannot be interrupted by damage"
  • T3 now also adds barrier spirit scaling (0.8)

Mo & Krill

Its file changes
  • Spirit per boon reduced from 1.1 to 0.6
  • Spirit damage on all abilities reduced by 10% (base values and growth/upgrades)
  • Bullet damage per boon increased by 4%

Nurse Harrow

Its file changes
  • Base gun damage reduced by 10%

Leech Therapy

  • Fixed enemies being unable to see the glow on the hunting leeches
  • Fixed leeches attaching to targets while the game is paused
  • Fed leeches duration on the ground changed from a fixed 180s to 120s + 3s/min

Nurse

Wretched Vapors

  • T3 increased from +15% Rush Speed to +20%

Healing Needles

  • Heal Per Shot reduced from 25 to 22
  • T2 Heal Per Shot reduced from +20 to +16
  • Spirit scaling increased from 0.2 to 0.24

Nurse Harrow

Its file changes

Lurking Terrors

  • Fear buildup time increased from 1.3s to 2s
  • Enemies no longer build fear when Nurse is more than 50 degrees above or below their view
  • T3 changed from "Immune to damage while channeling" to "Takes 50% Reduced Damage while channeling"

Paige

Its file changes
  • Base bullet damage reduced from 35 to 32
  • Bullet damage growth per boon increased from 0.52 to 0.61

Paradox

Its file changes

Paradoxical Swap

  • Cooldown reduced from 110s to 95s

Rat King

Its file changes
  • Base bullet damage reduced by 5%
  • Bullet damage growth reduced by 20%

Scrap Grenade

  • Damage reduced from 70 to 60
  • T2 damage reduced from +70 to +60
  • T3 damage reduced from 300 to 275
  • Fuse timers increased by 0.1s (first bounce from 0.8s to 0.9s, later bounces from 0.7s to 0.8s, T3 final explosion from 1.5s to 1.6s)
  • Meleeing the grenade now gives it at least 0.4s before it explodes (if less than 0.4s was left on its fuse, the fuse is extended to 0.4s)

Rule, Ratannia!

  • Knockup duration reduced by 50%
  • Cooldown increased from 160s to 180s
  • Now goes on cooldown when stunned/slept before placing it. In that case, the flag is placed in that position but without any of the initial impact effects (damage/knockup)

Seven

Its file changes

Static Charge

  • T3 stun duration increased from 0.9s to 1.1s

Shiv

Its file changes
  • Alt Fire damage per boon reduced by 5%
  • Fixed the Alt Fire last-shot sound only playing when you had 1 bullet left

Serrated Knives

  • Rage damage increased from 3.5% Current Health to 4%
  • T3 now also increases rage damage spirit scaling by +0.01

Bloodletting

  • Fixed damage ticks playing audio

Killing Blow

  • Recast duration reduced from 16s to 12s

Silver

Its file changes
  • Base health regen increased from 2.5 to 3

Entangling Bola

  • Fixed Unstoppable flying targets being made to fall
  • Fixed not grounding Grey Talon during his Rain of Arrows

Go For The Throat

  • Now counts weapon damage from Point Blank and Opening Rounds

Solomon

Its file changes
  • Gun now deals -20% headshot damage
  • Base bullet damage reduced from 30 to 25
  • Polished slide animations, added new ability and item aim poses, and adjusted run-to-stop timing

Setup Bishop

  • Square height reduced from 4m to 1m
  • On Square spirit scaling increased from 0.64 to 0.85
  • T1 increased from +15% slow to +25%
  • T3 Spirit Resist reduction is now applied on impact instead of by squares
  • T3 increased from -2.5% to -5% Spirit Resist per stack (max reduction unchanged)

Rook Battery

  • Damage scaling reduced from 1.3 to 0.9
  • T3 reduced from -12s cooldown to -10s

Develop Queen

  • Cooldown increased from 210s to 240s
  • Damage scaling increased from 1.4 to 1.6
  • Delay for stun tiles increased from 1s to 1.2s
  • Improved warning effects on the stun tiles to make it clear its just those tiles rather than the full area
  • Fixed hitting things outside of the intended square volumes
  • Base ability now has the checkmate behavior for heroes under 100 Health (scales +5/boon)
  • T2 now increases checkmate threshold by 150

Move Piece

  • Range to grab pieces increased from 50m to 65m
  • Improved placement: pieces no longer fall through geometry or end up under the map, land closer to where you aim, and can now be placed closer to walls and in hallways

Venator

Its file changes

Ira Domini

  • Blessed stake damage reduced from 115 to 95
  • Blessed stake damage boon scaling increased from 3 to 3.6

Victor

Its file changes

Aura of Suffering

  • T3 increased from +15% Damage to +16%

Violet

Its file changes
  • Some moderate performance improvements (still more to do here)

Still Life

  • Stun duration reduced from 1.0s to 0.9s
  • Line of sight is now required when the channel ends, even during the grace period
  • Now shows a text bar to the victim
  • Sketches now grant +2% healing amp from Nurse Harrow, Kelvin, Ivy, Dynamo, Paige, and Rem instead
  • Sketches changed to give Spirit Power instead of Weapon Damage for Grey Talon, Infernus and Mina
  • T1 health regen is now only granted while drawing (still refreshes for 4s on pickup)
  • T1 health regen scaling reduced from 0.25 to 0.15
  • T3 stun duration increased from +0.35s to +0.45s

Abstract Landscape

  • Cooldown increased from 165s to 180s
  • Duration spirit scaling reduced from 0.04 to 0.01
  • Now ends early if Violet dies
  • Cooldown between times you can be affected by it increased from 0.5s to 0.75s
  • T3 no longer has "Ink is no longer destroyed"

Viscous

Its file changes
  • Alt fire damage growth per boon increased by 5%

Splatter

  • T1 increased from +36 Damage to +45 Damage

Goo Ball

  • Fixed being able to heavy melee or activate Ethereal Shift during the cast delay
  • Fixed the direction indicator not appearing

Warden

Its file changes

Alchemical Flask

  • Now travels 40% faster (overall cast range unchanged)
  • Weapon Damage reduction increased from -25% to -30%

Willpower

  • Speed bonus increased from +15% to +20%

Last Stand

  • T2 increased from +40.5 DPS to +50
  • T2 cooldown reduction increased from -30s to -40s

Wraith

Its file changes

Card Trick

  • Heal reduced from 60 to 45

Project Mind

  • Cooldown increased from 46s to 50s
  • Initial cast time for projectile increased from 0.75s to 1s

Yamato

Its file changes

Power Slash

  • Spirit scaling increased by 6% (base and T3)

Flying Slash

  • Cast Range reduced from 26m to 23m
  • Enemy targets are now marked with an overhead symbol as soon as the grapple is cast, instead of only when the hook lands
  • T3 Cast Range reduced from +15m to +8m

Shadow Transformation

  • Cooldown increased from 150s to 160s (moved to T2)

Street Brawl:

Deadman Danny

Its file changes

Chimera Mk1

  • Cooldown reduction per boon reduced from -0.4s to -0.25s
  • Cooldown refund on hit from T3 reduced from 50% to 30%

Nurse Harrow

Its file changes

Leech Therapy

  • Leeches on the ground are now removed on round reset

Nurse

Lurking Terrors

  • Duration reduced from 7s to 5s
  • T3 reduced from +3s Duration to +2s

Paige

Its file changes

Bookwyrm

  • T2 Trail Duration reduced from +2s to +1s

Rat King

Its file changes

Scrap Grenade

  • Radius reduced from 8m to 6m
  • Large explosion radius reduced from 14m to 10m

Rule, Ratannia!

  • Radius reduced from 20m to 16m
  • T2 Radius reduced from +8m to +6m
  • Duration reduced from 12s to 9s

Violet

Its file changes

Abstract Landscape

  • Duration reduced from 6s to 5s
  • T3 reduced from +4s to +3s

The map changed in this update, but update 6827 came out before its changes were worked out on their own. They are shown with update 6827, which compares the map with the one from before this update.

Under the hoodgame files, everything else in the build, build details

Game files

755 entries in 14 files, not counting 162 routine ones, compared with build 6821 Open the game files

The biggest changes

By file

abilities.vdata
112 entries
generic_data.vdata
1 entry
heroes.vdata
17 entries
misc.vdata
12 entries
modifiers.vdata
26 entries
npc_units.vdata
6 entries
ranked_seasons.vdata
1 entry
replay_compatability_settings.txt
1 entry
localization/
579 entries in 6 files, 1 new

Also in this build

Code
client, deadlock, host, server
Classes
24 new, 51 changed, 7 removedshow all 24
  • CCitadelEventState
  • CCitadel_BreakableProp_PunchableTroll
  • CCitadel_BreakableProp_PunchableTrollVData
  • CCitadel_Modifier_EatHalloweenCandy_Intrinsic
  • CCitadel_Modifier_HalloweenCandyBuff
  • CCitadel_Modifier_HealbaneProc
  • CCitadel_Modifier_HealbaneProcVData
  • CCitadel_Pickup_AssignedCurrencies
  • CCitadel_Pickup_HalloweenCandy
  • CCitadel_SeasonalAbility_EatHalloweenCandy
  • CCitadel_SeasonalAbility_EatHalloweenCandy_VData
  • CRankInformation
  • C_Citadel_BreakableProp_PunchableTroll
  • C_Citadel_Pickup_AssignedCurrencies
  • CitadelEventEntityOverride_t
  • CitadelEventMapOverrides_t
  • CitadelEventPawnModifier_t
  • ENeutralNPCAction
  • EventEndTimestamp_t
  • EventGrantDefinition_MaxPeriodicPoints_t
  • EventGrantDefinition_PeriodicAction_t
  • EventGrantDefinition_PeriodicPoints_t
  • EventStartTimestamp_t
  • EventTimestamp_t
Console settings
changed
Program
citadel.signatures, deadlock.exe, client.dll, host.dll and 1 moreshow all 5
  • citadel.signatures
  • deadlock.exe
  • client.dll
  • host.dll
  • server.dll
Map files
3 files: dl_hideout.vpk, dl_midtown.vpk, new_player_basics.vpk
Translations
28 languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Czech and 25 moreshow all 28
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Bulgarian
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • Finnish
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hungarian
  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Latin American Spanish
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Spanish
  • Swedish
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Thai
  • Turkish
  • Ukrainian
  • Vietnamese

Art, sound and interface files

KindChangedNewRemoved
Models1278582
Sounds2594
Textures21026
Particle effects2763
Materials719
Interface20
Other123

Build details

Build
6826
On Steam
30 October 2026 at 20:45 UTC
Compiled
Oct 30 2026 13:42:11
Source revision
11191652
Steam manifest
3447976424094034279
Compared with
build 6821
Every file
SteamDB game tracker