Now that week 1 of the Halcyon Days has passed, the Spring Update (1.16) has been released. In the new update, a new hero by the name of Alpha has been introduced, a new game mode has been incorporated, a new Spring map has been added, new skins introduced, and balance changes were made. Starting with the hero Alpha; according to lore, this cyber-hero was created by the Queen’s order for the sole reason of destroying the Stormguard such as Catherine and Kestrel, whom the Queen deemed to be betrayers. Alpha can be unlocked with ICE in the first 7 days and then can be unlocked with ICE or Glory.

New Hero Alpha Artwork – Image Source: Vainglorygame.com

Lacking mortal weakness or fear, Alpha specializes in hunting enemies in the Jungle. Alpha is a very powerful character and here are the destructive abilities that Alpha possesses:

• Infinite Reboot – Rather than dying, Alpha reboots herself and gains 200 – 1750 reserve health (depending on her level). Alpha can be attacked for the next seconds  and if her reserve health is not destroyed, she will reboot to sufficient health in the same location. This ability’s cooldown can be displayed in place of Alpha’s energy bar. Once the bar is full, Infinite Reboot is available. During the reboot process, the bar will go back to zero, an indication of the remaining time left before she full recovers.
• Prime Directive – This ability allows Alpha to scan for enemies within the target path. If an enemy is detected, then the target will be slowed and Alpha immediately dashes behind the enemy to deal damage to all enemies within 4.5 meters.
• Core Charge – Alpha dashes forward to land a basic attack on an enemy target while fracturing the ground for additional crystal damage. With every time this ability is used, Alpha loses 10% of her current health but gains Core Overload for 5.5 seconds, stacking to 3 times. In addition, basic attacks reduce the cooldown of Core Charge by 1 second. As for Core Overload, Alpha loses 1% of her current health every second while increasing the damage of her following Core Charges & allows her basic attacks to heal her.
• Termination Protocol – When activated, Alpha begins a self-destruct countdown. First, she gains a burst of move speed along with 400 – 1000 barrier (depending her level). Then, she quickly loses move speed as her Halcyon core reaches critical mass. Following 3 seconds or after her barrier is breached, Alpha self-detonates. The explosion deals heavy crystal damage to all enemies within the range of 4.5 meters but also eliminates Alpha. This ability can only be activated while Infinite Reboot ability is available.

According to these abilities, Alpha is definitely a lethal hero and going against her can be quite troubling. Furthermore, a new game mode called Battle Royale has been incorporated. This mode is all about having the fun of Vainglory in a shorter time than the usual gameplay time. All players are assigned a random hero, even if it’s locked for them, and are limited to the lane. Recalling your hero is not allowed and you cannot revisit the spawn base. This leaves you with one option if you wish to buy an item, and that’s by dying. This mode was designed to increase action and a much more fast-paced experience.

All three tiers of Fortress skins – Image Source: Vainglorygame.com

Additionally, a new spring map has been added and now things look much brighter than before. There are a lot of Spring surprises awaiting you on the new map skin! In regards to skins, Fortress has received the Netherworld Fortress Skin for Tier I, II, & III. The Netherworld Fortress is a guardian of the Nether Gate, the barrier between life and death. Furthermore, Draft Mode in Ranked Play has been allowed for all players regardless of their skill tiers.

Finally, there have been new Glory & XP boosts added to the Market and the Tutorial has been revamped. Of course, there have been balance changes implemented for heroes, items, and gameplay. To read the full list of changes, click here. If you are interested in seeing Alpha in action, then watch the Alpha Spotlight video below.