Respawn Entertainment, the developer of Titanfall 2, has been steadily updating its highly regarded shooter since release and it's making sure that fans know what's coming.
Only weeks after revealing that the next update would add a new pilot-versus-pilot multiplayer mode called Live Fire, the 'Frontier News Network' has added more information on the plans for the future of Titanfall 2.
In addition to the roadmap you can see below, which details the planned February and March updates, the official blog post from Respawn includes some interesting comments from the designer behind the Live Fire mode, Griffin Dean.
The newly announced update for March will bring back the classic map Colony from the original Titanfall with a new coat of paint, similar to what we saw last year when the fan-favorite location Angel City was recreated for the sequel.
More details on March's update will be added in a couple of weeks, but for now we know that, along with the map, it will include new Prime Titans, a new weapon, a new pilot execution, and new cosmetic items as well as the normal balance tweaks and bug fixes.
Dean's comments on the upcoming multiplayer mode Live Fire, in which two teams of six pilots face off in one minute rounds, help shed some light on the inspirations for the new game mode. The designer cites the real-world paintball game Speedball as the main influence, saying:
We wanted to capture the spirit of these lightning-fast competitive matches and give it a Titanfall twist. Live Fire, like speedball, is fundamentally about forward momentum. You have to advance against the enemy, attack aggressively without hesitation, and make split second decisions that can make or break your team's victory.
Dean also talks about how Respawn tackles the prototyping and development of new concepts like Live Fire. In a process he terms 'rapid prototyping', the designer explains that the team starts with a number of concepts, selects the strongest, and refines it through daily feedback and playtesting.
We try out a few different concepts then select the strongest one and start to refine it. We playtest daily and use the feedback and data from our tests to inform our design decisions moving forward. The testing keeps us honest and ensures we stay on the right track.
Finally, for those looking for some pro tips or just wondering how the developers of Titanfall 2 like to play their game, Dean reveals his favorite pilot loadout for running the new game mode:
I'm a flanker at heart. I usually use a Cold War or EPG paired with a Mozambique. I use these weapons and pilot mobility to punch through a flank and get behind the enemy. The key is to break open a flank in the opening seconds of the round. No one expects an aggressive flanker that early.
The Live Fire update is scheduled for a February release, with the Colony map and content to appear sometime in March. We'll be here to bring you more information on this and all subsequent updates as it becomes available.
