This Feb. 25 patch quietly fixes a crit math bug — and buffs a handful of Deviations

Feb. 25 combat patch: it’s a bugfix, but it comes with power shifts

The immediate impact: several Deviations that were underperforming because of a Crit Hit/Crit DMG calculation error will now behave like they were supposed to – and some of them just got bigger damage numbers on top of the fix. The developer’s Steam dev blog says these changes go live Feb. 25 (PT), and players will get three Blueprint Conversion Attempts afterward to smooth the transition.

Key takeaways

• Critical calculation bug fixed for certain weapon-damage-type Deviations; Battle Skill damage for a handful of Deviations increased.
• Pathfinder, Pyroclasm Starter and Additional Rules will use Status DMG when charged to stop partial damage loss and make keyword triggers consistent.
• Gilded Gauntlets get Burn Crit Rate and Burn Crit DMG +20%; sniper ammo production outside RaidZone Mode is increased.
• All players receive 3 Blueprint Conversion Attempts post-update – a small, immediate compensation step.

Why this matters right now

On paper this is a targeted bugfix: some Battle Skills that use weapon damage types weren’t factoring Crit Hit and Crit DMG correctly in certain cases, producing lower-than-intended damage. In practice, the fix also unlocks latent power. The devs didn’t just patch the math – they raised the Battle Skill multipliers on several Deviations and adjusted how a handful of weapons calculate damage when charged. That combination can move build power noticeably in hours, not weeks.

The uncomfortable observation the PR hoped you wouldn’t notice

Giving numeric buffs alongside a bugfix is the classic “patch and buff” move. Fix the underperformance, then claim balance improvements. The danger: players who didn’t rely on the bug now see range or DPS jumps. ZapCam and Lonewolf’s Whisper double certain damage multipliers on their Battle Skills (ZapCam from 400% to 800%, Lonewolf from 400% to 800%). Butterfly’s Emissary and Soul Summoner get substantial increases too. Those are not rounding errors — they’re meaningful power changes for any build that stacks Crit or Psi Intensity.

What the Status DMG change actually fixes

Previously, weapons that output both Weapon DMG and Status DMG could lose damage because most Deviations only buff one vulnerability type. The dev blog says Pathfinder, Pyroclasm Starter and Additional Rules will switch to dealing Status DMG when charged, preventing “partial damage loss” and making keyword triggers consistent by using “when shooting hits a target” as the trigger condition. Translation: charged shots won’t mis-pair with Deviations and drop a portion of their damage because of mismatched vulnerability types.

Small but tidy defensive tweak — and a QoL ammo change

Gilded Gauntlets get a clear buff aimed at crit-based Flame builds: Burn Crit Rate and Burn Crit DMG +20% on top of unlocking Burn crit usage. That should make Burn-focused loadouts more consistent. Separately, sniper ammo production is increased outside RaidZone Mode to offset high-fire-rate sniper costs — a quality-of-life shift likely to be felt by players running Pathfinder/Octopus-style rifles.

The question I’d ask the devs

“Why did the crit/DMG mismatch persist through prior playtesting, and will you monitor the immediate post-patch DPS telemetry for these Deviations to avoid overshooting balance?”

What to watch after Feb. 25 (specific, actionable)

• First 24 hours: watch for forum and Discord reports about ZapCam and Lonewolf DPS — doubling a Battle Skill multiplier shows up fast.
• 48-72 hours: expect hotfixes if weapon/Deviations create unexpected spikes in PvE or RaidZone encounters; the devs flagged the test values may be adjusted in-game.
• Blueprint conversions: track whether players use the 3 attempts to reshuffle loadouts; heavy usage suggests the change alters viable builds enough to force reworks.
• Sniper ammo economy: check whether increased ammo production makes high-fire-rate snipers a dominant option in non-Raid content.

The patch notes also mention fixes to Polar Jelly and Invincible Sun applying the wrong vulnerability type and confirm keyword triggers will now work for charged and uncharged states alike. The dev blog is the source for all of this, published on the game’s Steam store page; the changes land Feb. 25 (PT).

TL;DR

Feb. 25 fixes a Crit Hit/Crit DMG calculation bug and standardizes some charged weapons to Status DMG to stop partial damage loss. The update also buffs several Deviations (notably doubling some multipliers), buffs Gilded Gauntlets’ Burn crit numbers, increases sniper ammo production, and gives every player 3 Blueprint Conversion Attempts. Watch the first 72 hours for DPS spikes and a likely tweak if any buff overshoots balance.