If you've been looking for a reason to come back to H1Z1 after migrating to games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, you'll want to check out H1Z1’s latest November's Developer Update.Earlier this month, the official H1Z1 blog announced the shooter gets an all-new game mode called Combat Zone, which is meant for players to utilize for "combat mechanic" practice.
Combat Zone will spawn players with full kits ready to get them started—there’s no parachuting and respawns after death. The game mode also plays out on a smaller map that better demonstrates "various elements" of The Arena, with a player cap of 55. Games will typically last about an hour.
Combat Zone isn't the only new addition to offer a new dimension for gameplay. H1Z1 introduces three Daily Challenges for players to complete. Easy, medium, and hard Challenges will yield Skulls as reward, the in-game currency earned in relation to how well you do in matches. Players aren’t required to complete all Daily Challenges in a single match and the challenges will vary from simplistic goals, such as placing in the top 75 of any Solos match, to killing an opponent with a specific weapon. Daily Challenges replaces the Bounty System, and as such the Skull Store has been updated with new and varied rewards.
The H1Z1 November update features a whole host of adjustments made to gameplay and weapons based on feedback from players as well. Additional bugs have been squashed. You can check out the new video summarizing everything new in the H1Z1 November Developer Update as well as the complete list of patch notes below.
The update comes at a great time as it competes with other popular titles at the moment, such as Overwatch's free play weekend and EA’s recent removal of premium currency in Star Wars Battlefront II. There's a lot going on in terms of the battle royale and multiplayer arena right now, so H1Z1 needs any advantage it can get if it wants to stay afloat.
GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS & BUG FIXES
- We’ve made improvements to our file system that reduce the download size of the game. This change will require that previous files are downloaded again to receive the new format; however future downloads will utilize the new format and will therefore require a smaller amount of space.
- The time of day has been adjusted to improve visibility and enhance gameplay.
- You can now enter vehicles that are moving slowly instead of only when they are completely stopped.
- Training & Skirmish have been removed from the UI. Future Skirmishes will be presented through the Events system.
- Added a “Scrap Duplicates” button that allows you to Scrap all but one of the selected item.
- Fixed an issue that could cause Twitch Accounts to not successfully link to Daybreak Accounts.
- Shooting from a passenger seat should no longer result in hitting a teammate in the backseat.
- You will no longer get stuck after crouching in a truck bed.
- You can now consistently see other players stand up when they are in the back of a truck.
- You can no longer throw a grenade and shoot with a single click.
- Stun Grenade effect will no longer be canceled by exposure to a second Stun Grenade.
- You will no longer incorrectly go into first person if you enter a vehicle while zooming.
- AK-47 will no longer appear further from the camera than usual when going into first person while aiming down sights.
- Camera will no longer rarely veer off target when crouching and quickly switching between first and third person.
- Reticle no longer slightly shifts when punching.
- Vehicles will no longer occasionally spawn with two sets of keys.
- Backpacks that are upright (e.g. leaning against the wall) will now properly show up in proximity.
- Players will no longer occasionally enter a handgun stance when exiting a vehicle.
- Different satchel types now give the same number of cloth scraps (2).
- Leather satchels are now visually distinguishable from plain Satchels.
- Made Survivor Backpacks a bit smaller.
- Hellfire 4-6 bullets now properly go through chain-link fences.
- Fuel (Biofuel) now detonates when hit by molotovs and flaming arrows.
- One shot from a Hellfire 4-6 now brings Makeshift Armor to 16% condition instead of 0%.
- Flaming arrows now trigger the on fire animation when they successfully damage a player.
- Balanced out the effective range of various arrow types.
- Group members will no longer get stuck in queue if the leader queues while one or more group members are in an unready state.
- Fixed an issue where a player could queue for a match then join a group, and then be unable to queue for a new match.
- Fixed an issue where the end screen would not display if your map is open during a win.
- End screens will no longer display on the main menu when dying with your map open.
- Leaderboard player list and icon no longer disappear when user clicks on a player profile then switches divisions.
- Selected skins will properly load when clicking on a locked skin then back.
- Previewing a locked skin will no longer prevent you from previewing another skin afterwards.
- Mousing over new items should no longer cause customization to re-sort.
- Changed text color for carrying capacity in Inventory to be a bit easier to read.
- Canceling on “Match Found!” will no longer cause “Back” and “Exit H1Z1” buttons to disappear.
- “Crouch Blocked” message will now always properly play in the appropriate situations.
- Various anti-cheat improvements and crash fixes.
