For Honor's Season Five launches next month, introduces long-awaited dedicated servers
UPDATE: Dedicated servers get a launch date.
UPDATE 8/2/2018: Ubisoft has announced that For Honor's long-awaited dedicated servers will be introduced to PC on February 19th. Dedicated servers will come to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 “soon after”, with exact release dates to be revealed later.
The publisher hopes the new dedicated servers will result in better matchmaking, and smoother, more stable matches. ”This implementation will remove the resyncing, session migrations, and NAT requirements that players currently have and deliver stable connectivity on all platforms", Ubisoft stated previously.
ORIGINAL STORY 25/1/2018: Ubisoft has announced that For Honor's fifth season, known as Age of Wolves, will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15th.
Season Five will arrive in the form of a free update, and is largely focussed on quality of life improvements. It aims, says Ubisoft, to "enhance the core player experience" with changes to hero balancing, matchmaking, and connectivity. Major hero updates, fight system improvements, and new customisation options are also touted.
Season Five's initial update will see five of For Honor's heroes - that is, the Kensei, Conqueror, Highlander, Berserker, and Nobushi - receive changes designed to improve and better balance the existing roster. The Kensei and Conqueror will acquire new move sets and animations, while the Highlander, Berserker, and Nobushi will receive "meaningful" balancing adjustments. Other heroes will be updated as the season continues.
The later part of the season will also introduce three new training modes. Apprentice Trials and Warriors Trials should help newcomers learn the ropes and explore more advanced techniques. The Arena mode, meanwhile, will offer those looking to further develop their strategies a way to practice against specific heroes and moves.
Season Five will also finally see the release of For Honor's long-promised dedicated servers, hopefully resulting in smoother, more stable matches, and better matchmaking. "This implementation will remove the resyncing, session migrations and NAT requirements that players currently have and deliver stable connectivity on all platforms", says Ubisoft. The publisher will offer exact timings for dedicated server launch at a later date.
Rounding off Season Five's notable additions are "a new item that will boost XP in exchange for salvage, the shift of 4v4 Ranked Mode from Dominion to Tribute, a new reputation level cap, new gear progression, and more". However, it doesn't sound like these will arrive with the season's first wave of updates on February 15th.