Dead Cells Update 23 Now In Alpha, Brings New Weapons And More

Ever wanted to kill your enemies with a tombstone? Well, now you can in the new Dead Cells update


Published: March 5, 2021 10:10 AM /

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The player framed by a giant's corpse in Dead Cells

A new Dead Cells update has entered its alpha testing phase. Update 23 - affectionately termed the "Whack-a-mole Update" by the devs - brings with it new weapons, new mutations, and some quality-of-life improvements. You can check it out right now if you own the game.

What's in the new Dead Cells update?

First up, you're getting what developer Motion Twin is calling "3 big, heavy, f-off weapons". The Big Axe is, as you might expect, a huge axe with a massive sweep. You can chain its final hit for serious carnage. The Big Club is, well, a huge club with a charged downward attack. Finally, the Tombstone adds a touch of irony to your murder sprees and leaves a tombstone behind to mark where you've killed your enemy. These weapons aren't for you if you're trying out a sprightly, speedy build.

A boss in Dead Cells
New weapons and mutations in the new Dead Cells update should make it easier to take down the tricky bosses.

There are also three new mutations coming in the new Dead Cells update. Execution instantly destroys enemies below 5% health, with that amount scaling to 15% as you upgrade. This also applies to bosses, which should be helpful if you're struggling. Barbed Tips is a Tactics mutation that inflicts damage over time to enemies dependent on the number of arrows they've got stuck in them. Finally, Point Blank is another Tactics mutation that ups your close-range damage.

Are there any balance changes in this Dead Cells update?

As well as the weapons and mutations, there are some new balance changes and quality-of-life improvements in Dead Cells Update 23. The team is experimenting with new ways to increase difficulty between stages, with changes to health fountains and flasks. You can now spend cells on blueprints in 5BC rather than needing to return to 4BC to spend them. There are also a number of other, smaller QOL improvements that will make a difference in moment-to-moment gameplay. You can check out the full patch notes for Dead Cells Update 23 right here.

If you want to access the new Dead Cells update via alpha testing, here's what you need to do. Navigate to Dead Cells in your Steam library, then right-click the game and select "Properties". From there, select the "Betas" tab, then from the dropdown menu, pick "Alpha - Not for the faint hearted". Wait for the download to complete, then fire up the game, and voila - you're in the alpha test for the new update! Easy, right? Much easier than the game itself, at any rate.

Are you looking forward to the new Dead Cells weapons and mutations? Let us know in the comments below!

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More Info About This Game
Learn more about Dead Cells
Game Page Dead Cells
Developer
Motion Twin
Publisher
Motion Twin
Release Date
August 7, 2018 (Calendar)
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