The Epic-Games-published free-to-play action RPG Dauntless is adding a much-requested feature in its latest update, namely, the ability to tackle the Hunting Grounds solo or with a private party. For those unfamiliar with Dauntless, the Hunting Grounds are a more open-ended area of the game where you can kill enemies and mine for resources without having to worry about mission objectives. While the rest of Dauntless allows for solo play or private parties, the Hunting Grounds have not…until now.
Here’s a rundown of the major features and changes included in Dauntless update 1.5.5:
- Private Hunting Grounds – Thanks to player feedback, you can now choose to start a private hunt on any Hunting Grounds island. A private hunt will allow only the Slayers in your current party onto the island, even if that’s just you. Get out there and face the Shattered Isles alone or with your closest friends!
- Player Disconnect Fixes – We’ve implemented the second round of fixes to reduce player disconnects. Last patch we reduced disconnect rates by 75%, and this patch should improve this number even further. We will continue to improve performance across all platforms.
Quality of Life
Gameplay
- Player projectiles now pass through the ice wall from Urska weapons’ legendary ability.
Audio
- Added another variation of the frost biome music. Entering a frost biome will randomly select one of the two variations.
- Torgadoro, Agarus, Shrowd, and Urska’s mastery cards now play their Behemoth roar SFX when selected.
UI
- Added new quick chat options that let you call out your Frost Escalation avatar. Remember to call dibs!
Trials
- Behemoth starting positions are now always fixed on the Island of Trials until players enter the arena.
Balance
War Pike
- Reduced warm-up time on the war pike’s Concussive Payload animation.
Gameplay
- Decreased Gruk-gruk damage by 50%.
If you need to know about every minor bug fix included in update 1.5.5, you can check out the full, unabridged patch notes, right here. The last major Dauntless update, entitled “Realm of Ice,” launched in February and added a new frosty Escalation, Keystone Behemoth, and more. Get the details here.
Dauntless is available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Update 1.5.5 can be downloaded now.
