Expedition Hard mode
- Krao Cave and Draupnir get a Hard mode. Entry needs item level 2600.
- In Hard mode the boss Frenzy timer is 4 minutes and each player has 3 revives.
- New rewards: a chance at Philosopher's Stone: Revelation (Bound), which you can also pick as a guaranteed reward, plus Ariel Fragments (Bound), a chance at an Expedition Hero Artwork, and more Kina than Normal difficulty.
- The Ariel Fragment you earn differs by dungeon.
- Substance Morph: 100 Ariel Fragments become 1 Daevanion Crystal: Ariel (Bound), up to 30 times per character. 1 Ariel Fragment becomes 5 Enhance Stones, with no limit.
- Hard mode is the source for all Unique crafting materials from these two dungeons, including Wrathful Mind, Wrathful Will and Wrathful Ego.
- New achievements, including Expedition Hero Artwork Collector and Expedition (Hard) goals that reward Unique Skins.
Ariel Daevanion Board
- A new Ariel Daevanion Board is added. You earn Ariel Daevanion Points by collecting Ariel Fragments in Expedition (Hard) and morphing them through Substance Morph.
- The amount you can get through Substance Morph is limited for each dungeon.
Classes
- Chanter, Spinning Strike: skill effects now display correctly.
- Sorcerer, Cold Storm: attacking a target with stacked Frostbite now deals the extra damage, the Frostbite effect now matches the skill level, and with Specialty 1 Frostbite is no longer applied a second time to targets in the area after the effect ends.
- Sorcerer, Fire Wall: extra damage is no longer dealt to targets that are not affected by Embers.
Abyss and Market
- The player cap for entering the Abyss is raised to fit more players.
- The Dimensional Core in the Lower Abyss and all Abyss bosses get more HP. The hitboxes of the Abyss bosses Kaira and Argo grow slightly.
- The Market limit on listing gathered materials, which depends on play history, is adjusted. Some players who were restricted can trade normally again, while others stay restricted.
Event: Rise to the Challenge
- From Oct 21 (PDT/PST and CEST/CET) until the start of maintenance on Dec 15 (PST) / Dec 16 (CET), Resurrection Spiritstone (Season 1) is sold for Kina at Shop > Wind Breeze Merchants.
- Step 1: 30 for 25,000 Kina. Step 2: 30 for 50,000 Kina. Each step is limited per server per week.
Fixes
- Empyrean Traces blocked by Halloween decorations at the Dawn Legion Base and Zumion Village in Verteron are moved to reachable spots.
- The Movement Controls option no longer shows several times under Settings > Key Settings.
- Title effects now match their item tooltips.
What this changes for your build
Pick your class on the builds page or browse all 8 classes. The reset timer shows when weekly limits refill.
Official article
This page is our summary, written in our own words. The full list, with every number and the item tables, is in NC's article: Patch Notes | Oct. 20 (PDT) / Oct. 21 (CEST).
Back to all updates and maintenance.
FAQ
Did any class get nerfed or buffed in the Oct 21 patch?
No. The official notes list only bug fixes for Sorcerer (Cold Storm, Fire Wall) and Chanter (Spinning Strike). No damage or cooldown numbers changed.
What do I need to enter Expedition Hard mode?
Item level 2600 for Krao Cave and Draupnir. Hard mode has a 4 minute boss Frenzy timer and 3 revives per player.
How do I get Ariel Daevanion Points?
Collect Ariel Fragments in Expedition (Hard) and morph them through Substance Morph. 100 fragments make 1 Daevanion Crystal: Ariel (Bound), up to 30 times per character. NC limits what you can get per dungeon.