Today’s patch is less meaty but equally as noteworthy. It streamlines the loot, with each dungeon now offering two types alongside loot from the boss. Any loot players have already earned will be auto-converted to accommodate the new system. If you found no use for armor sets like Gnarlic, Mothball and Gloop, they now have increased base quality and stats.

Rotwood plans to remain in early access for PC for as long as Klei deems necessary (usually one or two years based on their previous projects). Stay tuned for further details in the meantime.

Rotwood Patch Notes [605200]

Changes

Loot System

• Streamlined the loot system so that you are more likely to get the loot that you are looking for.
  – Each dungeon now has two loot types plus a boss loot.
  – The loot players have earned are auto-converted to the new system.

Armor

• Increased the baseline quality and stats of the Gnarlic, Mothball and Gloop armour sets to make them more viable for players

It allows for matching with players in the same region and a similar progression level, making it easier to find teammates. As for the Frenzy changes, Frenzy 1/2/3 adds increased cooldowns so enemies can’t attack so soon after spawning. The Rot and Imbued Rot aggression in Frenzy 2/3, and the amount of potential Imbued Rots in each encounter, has also reduced.

Imbued Rots also no longer have hitstun resistance, while the Imbued Mossquito and regular Mossquito move slower. Check out the full patch notes below. If you’re seeking more challenges, don’t worry, as the Frenzy mechanic will be expanded upon in future updates.

Rotwood is currently available for PC via Steam Early Access. Though its early access duration is unknown, it could remain for a year or two, depending on Klei.

Rotwood Patch Notes [605165]

Additions

• Added default public group matchmaking
  – Selecting the Rotwood Public group will match you with our best match that we can find, first by region and then with a game that is of a similar progression level as you.

Changes

Frenzy Tuning

• Frenzy 1/2/3: Increase initial cooldown, so enemies don’t attack as quickly after spawning
• Frenzy 2/3: Reduce additional Rot and Imbued Rot aggression
• Frenzy 2/3: Reduce amount of possible Imbued Rots per encounter
  – The challenge in higher Frenzies often boiled down to just managing being constantly overwhelmed, which isn’t the feeling we want for combat. For many players, this resulted in kiting mobs around the room, getting off single attacks here and there. We’ve reduced the amount of aggression to allow for more interesting “give-and-take” interactions with mobs.
  – In future updates, we will be expanding on the Frenzy mechanic for players that are hungry for more challenge.

Imbued Rots

• Removed hitstun resistance
• Player skills that knockback or knockdown can now effect Imbued Rots
• We have found Imbued Rots to be more challenging for players than we intended. These changes make them significantly more manageable.

Imbued Mossquito

• Increase cooldown of the Sting attack
• Reduced movement speed

Mossquito

• Reduced movement speed

The scenario is familiar, with the world under attack from corrupted beasts. Players must venture through the titular Rotwood to stop them, but that’s only the beginning. One must also rely on various skills and leverage different builds to survive encounters and take down bosses. Of course, you can also team with up to

The early access version of Rotwood currently features four biomes (with four difficulty levels) and weapon classes. Progressing through the location unlocks new options to upgrade your town base, unlock new powers and more. Additional bosses, biomes, and items will go live throughout early access.

Though it hasn’t earmarked a date for the full launch, Klei notes that its projects usually take “one to two years.” The price will also increase “in steps” through early access and before the game exits.

Along with choosing from a variety of anthropomorphic animals, players can also forge equipment from their fallen enemies. Scavenge the battlefield and use whatever you can to succeed. Though no gameplay is shown, Rotwood does have a nice vibe to it. Considering Klei’s expertise with titles like Don’t Starve, Griftlands, and much more, it should be interesting to see what direction this goes in.

Rotwood’s early access launch is listed as “202?” so at the very least, we know it’s coming before 2030. Stay tuned for more details and hopefully some gameplay in the coming months, maybe years. Also, keep an eye on more announcements and reveals from the PC Gaming Show.