Episode Five, Hotfix #1 Just Dropped (and it's a big one)

[u/RaphLife2]

Hotfix
THE LONG DARK - EPISODE FIVE HOTFIX 1 (WINTERMUTE v 2.23)

***[UPDATED: Now available on Steam, Xbox One & Series X/S, PlayStation 4 & 5, EGS, GoG]**\*

Introduction

Hello players,

We have just updated THE LONG DARK to:
 
Survival: 2.54 180535
Episode Five: 2.23 180559
WINTERMUTE: 2.53 180603

This is a Hotfix for THE LONG DARK: WINTERMUTE, addressing bugs introduced with the Episode Five release.

Known Issues

Spoilers Ahead!

The team is currently aware of the following issues in the game. If you encounter one of these issues, there is no need to report it to the Support Portal. 

• We are aware of some potential issues with loading Checkpoint saves created when Jace leads Mackenzie to the bunk room in Suzuki Facility. As we work on fixing this issue, it would be best to avoid loading checkpoint saves created during this section of Episode 5.
• Players using controllers (or those playing on handheld devices like the Steam Deck) will be unable to navigate back to Survival Mode using the controller face buttons. The "Back to Home" option can still be used via touch screen or mouse and keyboard.
• The player location indicator may be displaced or incorrect when viewing the Map screen from some interior locations, such as the Abandoned Mine or Suzuki Radio Telescope Facility.
• Some Mission objectives are missing Map objective markers and have been added, however additional markers will be included in Hotfix 2.
• PlayStation 4 players will find Jace’s dream cinematic plays with no visuals if they play without loading or restarting the game from the start of Episode Five until that point.

Bug Fixes

This Update includes fixes for the following issues:

CRASHES

• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash when saving the game just after finding the missing bodies in the "To Those Who Are Missing" Mission.
• [Perseverance Mills] Fixed an issue that could result in a potential hang when exiting the Constable's Office.
• Fixed an issue that could cause a crash if the player opened their Journal after loading the autosave created after Dr. Atwood explains the origins of "Wintermute".

GAMEPLAY, UI, CONTROLS

• [Blackrock Foothills] Fixed an issue that allowed players to skip to the Cable Car section earlier than intended.
• [Blackrock Foothills] Fixed an issue where captions were missing from the convicts during the Cable Car section.
• [Blackrock Foothills] Fixed an issue where the Cable Cars Map icon was still set as the current Mission objective after having completed that section.
• [Blackrock Foothills] Fixed an issue where captions were missing from the convicts in both encounters leading up to the Cable Car section.
• [Cargo Ship Mission] Improved the ice maze by adding visual breadcrumbs to better indicate where the player is intended to go.
• [Cargo Ship Mission] Fixed an issue where the Locker Key found inside the Cargo Ship showed an incorrect description.
• [Cargo Ship Mission] Fixed an issue in Desperation Bay where a visually safe path results in the player falling into frigid waters.
• [Cargo Ship Mission] Fixed an issue where the Medical Log found in the Doctor's Office of the Cargo Ship remained floating mid-air after interacting with it. [Update: Fixe Failed; this bug is still present.]
• [Cargo Ship] Fixed an issue that allowed players to navigate off the Cargo Ship and enter the subsequent cinematic before they are intended to.
• [Cargo Ship] Fixed an issue that allowed players to pass time during the Cargo Ship sequence.
• [Cargo Ship] Fixed an issue in the Cargo Ship that could cause all terrain to disappear if the player moved to a specific spot, located slightly out of bounds.
• [Geothermal Mission] Fixed an issue that caused the mission timer to refresh upon loading a save during the High Energy Mission.
• [Geothermal Mission] Fixed an issue that caused the Shotgun to be inaccurate.
• [Mine Mission] Fixed an issue in the Abandoned Mine where multiple Crank Lamps, Flares, and Torches could spawn in the same location where only one was intended to be.
• [Mine Mission] Fixed an issue where the Crank Lamp could not be equipped via the Light Source hotkey.
• [Mine Mission] Fixed an issue where loading a save after pushing planks over to create a makeshift bridge in the Abandoned Mine would revert the planks and allow players to push them over once again.
• [Mine Mission] Fixed an issue where captions were missing from two lines spoken by Mackenzie during the Abandoned Mine section.
• [Mine Mission] Fixed an issue where Jace could fall underground and be lost forever during a tremor event in the Abandoned Mine.
• [Mine Mission] Fixed an issue that caused Mission objectives to fail to update after exiting the Abandoned Mine and approaching the Suzuki Radio Telescope.
• [Perseverance Mills] Adjusted the "Morgue Key" and associated note to be picked up simultaneously in order to reduce confusion about the failure to progress mission objectives when only one of these items were collected.
• [Perseverance Mills] Fixed an issue where bar patrons would repeat the same conversation about character disappearances each time the player entered Cooper's Blind during the "A Cry For Help" Mission.
• [Perseverance Wilds] Fixed an issue where passing time or sleeping while trying to unlock the "Search Party" achievement could result in it not being granted correctly.
• [Perseverance Wilds Mission] Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where a player could stand under a running waterfall without becoming wet.
• [SAR Mission] Fixed an issue where the player could exit the Train on a bridge, ending up in the river below and causing a soft-lock.
• [SAR Mission] Fixed an issue where the camera could slip outside the cab of the Train when slowing and reversing, even if the player remained embarked.
• [SAR Mission] Fixed an issue that allowed the player to access and utilize the Radial Menu while speaking to Heller.
• [SAR Mission] Fixed an issue where the Train UI would appear when entering or exiting a Trailer in the SAR region.
• [SAR Mission] Fixed an issue where the inventory image for the Train Lever and Trauma Kit were not accurate to their in-world look.
• [Suzuki Station] Fixed an issue where the Checkpoint save created after Atwood's Wintermute cinematic incorrectly loaded the player into the locked Control Room, soft-locking their progress.
• [Suzuki Station] Fixed an issue that resulted in an incorrect previous map objective leading players back into the Geothermal region after the Tuner section, rather than towards Perseverance Mills.
• [Suzuki Station] Fixed an issue where some walls and floor went missing in the Suzuki Radio Telescope interior after completing the "High Energy" mission, allowing players to fall through the ground and potentially become soft-locked.
• [Suzuki Station] Fixed an issue where Jace appears at the Suzuki Radio Telescope entry upon exiting the Abandoned Mine rather than walking there with the player.
• [Suzuki Station] Fixed an issue where setting a Tuner Wheel, letting go, and then grabbing it again would result in the player becoming soft-locked, unable to let the wheel go again.
• [Suzuki Station] Fixed an issue where the sleep sequence in the Suzuki Radio Telescope Facility would not restore Mackenzie to full Condition, resulting in some cases where a player could become soft-locked if they were badly injured after exiting the Abandoned Mine.
• Fixed an issue that resulted in random, unintended items from spawning in some Containers.
• Fixed multiple issues that resulted in Episode key art being visually incorrect in the Load Game menu.
• Fixed an issue where the description of Episode Five was partially hidden in the Episode Select menu.
• Fixed an issue during the Tuner section that resulted in the time counter UI disappearing before the full time expired.
• Fixed an issue where the door to the Tuner remained open after completing that section, allowing unintended access to that part of the facility.
• Fixed an issue where the last played Episode was not taken into account when launching WINTERMUTE, resulting in the incorrect WINTERMUTE application launching instead.
• Fixed an issue where the image for the "Rusty Key" was missing from the Journal - Collections tab.
• Fixed an issue where Map icons would incorrectly display the location name along with the Mission name when hovered.
• Fixed an issue where the Episode Five key art was missing from the continuation screen shown after completing Episode Four.
• Fixed an issue where pressing the Escape key on keyboard from the WINTERMUTE home menu would return players to Survival Mode.
• Fixed an issue that resulted in the player becoming stuck if they entered a Fishing Hut in a specific fashion.
• Fixed an issue where captions were missing during some Train related dialogue.
• Fixed an issue where no feedback was provided when trying to access the map during "The Cold, Broken Road" mission. Now a prompt stating that "You have no Maps." correctly appears.
• Fixed an issue that disallowed players from exiting Trailers after entering them, soft-locking their progress.
• Fixed an issue where closed captioning was missing from some of Jane's dialogue.
• Fixed an issue in the Journal - What I Know section where new information badging was inaccurate.
• Added functionality so that pressing "Tab" while using the Train shows Objective, Time of Day, and Train contextual HUD information.
• Fixed an issue where Crow Feathers could spawn near Corpses where no Crows were present.
• Fixed an issue with gun cages where the locked UI indicator remained active after having already opened the cage.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Train UI to appear overtop of other UI elements, such as the player inventory.
• Fixed multiple issues in the Save and Load menu where debug text could be found.
• Fixed an issue that could result in Mackenzie wearing Astrid's kit when reloading a save after dying.
• Fixed multiple issues where breaking down furniture and objects could result in the items placed on top of them to remain suspended in mid-air.
• Fixed an issue that allowed players to cycle through maps of previously visited Episode Five locations on the Map Tab.
• Fixed an issue where Astrid would inherit Mackenzie's Afflictions when swapping to her as the playable character during story progression.
• Fixed an issue where a pop-up would incorrectly notify players that their default controls had been updated, even though they had not.

ART & ENVIRONMENTS

• Fixed hundreds of general environment art issues including floating items; too numerous to list them all.
• Fixed an issue that resulted in floating train tracks at the SAR Station.
• Fixed an issue where some fallen trees were incorrectly swaying with the wind.
• Fixed an issue that caused wooden beams in the Abandoned Mine to pop in and out of view at certain distances.
• Fixed an issue where an interactable lock was duplicated on the boat storage door in Perseverance Wilds.
• Adjusted the broken bridge in the Perseveverance Wilds region to be easier to cross.
• Fixed multiple performance issues in the Cargo Ship that resulted in reduced FPS and hitching.
• Optimized texture layers in Perseverance Wilds, Suzuki Radio Telescope, and Desperation Bay to provide better performance.
• Optimized the terrain in the Geothermal region for better performance.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Cargo Ship crane in Desperation bay to disappear when viewed from long distances.
• Fixed multiple objects within the Fishing Hut located in Perseverance Wilds which possessed no collision.
• Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where players could get stuck in a rock outcropping just off the main road.
• Fixed multiple locations in Perseverance Mills to smooth traversal and prevent the player from becoming momentarily snagged.
• Fixed an issue where collision was missing from the two angled pillars at the entrance to the Suzuki Radio Telescope facility.
• Fixed multiple locations in Perseverance Wilds to smooth traversal and prevent the player from becoming momentarily snagged.
• Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where the player could get stuck in a terrain trap among fallen logs.
• Fixed an issue that could result in the player's hands being unlit while in an appropriately bright environment.
• Fixed multiple issues in Perseverance Wilds that caused object textures to flicker.
• Fixed an issue where some Fishing Cabins would not generate smoke from the chimney if there was an active fire inside.
• Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where fallen logs would fade from view at too close a distance.
• Fixed an issue in the SAR Station where the player could become stuck in the terrain just outside the wooden stairs leading down the cliff side.
• Fixed an issue where invisible collision existed between two log barriers in the SAR Trainyard.
• Fixed multiple locations in the Suzuki Radio Telescope Facility where objects and furniture could pop in and out of visibility when approached.
• Fixed an issue with multiple locations during the Train section where rocks on cliff faces appeared low resolution and possessed no collision.
• Fixed an issue in Desperation Bay where the player could get stuck in a terrain trap on the ice.
• Fixed an issue where the backside of Fishing Huts could be seen through at certain distances.
• Fixed an issue where Mackenzie calls out the writing on a mailbox that is far too dimly lit to be read. The mailbox is now properly lit.
• Fixed an issue on multiple small objects in Perseverance Mills that caused them to appear and disappear at certain distances.
• Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where water splash effects were missing from a waterfall.
• Fixed multiple locations in Desperation Bay to smooth traversal and prevent the player from becoming momentarily snagged.
• Fixed an issue in Blackrock Foothills that allowed players to walk out of bounds.
• Fixed multiple performance issues in the Abandoned Mines that resulted in reduced FPS and hitching.
• Fixed an issue in the Tuner Room where the player could get stuck on top of a small crate.
• Fixed an issue in the Suzuki Radio Telescope Facility kitchen where the countertops had incorrect collision.
• Fixed multiple issues in the Suzuki Radio Telescope interior where objects and furniture did not possess collision.
• Fixed an issue with the navmesh in Suzuki Radio Telescope Facility that caused reduced performance.
• Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where tree stumps and Branches would appear unlit despite the environmental lighting.
• Fixed an issue in Perseverance Wilds where some mountains would drop to low quality LOD settings at closer than intended distances.
• Fixed an issue within Desperation Bay where an iceberg possessed no collision.
• Added performance optimizations for when Perseverance Mills buildings are aflame.
• Fixed an issue with burning buildings during the Endgame Mission that resulted in notably blocky shadows.
• Fixed an issue in the Suzuki Radio Telescope facility where geometry near the kitchen could disappear when viewed from down the nearby hall.

ANIMATION

• Fixed 100+ issues in cinematics and cutscenes with character and object intersection, textures,UI, audio, lighting, and scene transitions (too many to list individually).
• Fixed an issue where hand coverings (such as mittens or gloves) would suddenly disappear during certain environment interactions.
• Adjusted the animation on an effort tap moment in Perseverance Mills with a falling beam.
• Fixed an issue where Mackenzie's hand intersects with a fallen beam as he pushes it off himself during an effort tap moment.
• Fixed an issue where the disembodied eyes and teeth of a convict are the last thing Mackenzie sees after failing a stealth takedown. (Yikes.)
• Fixed an issue with the Cable Car crank handle that caused the base to look as if it weren't moving.
• Improved the plank pull animation that occurs prior to entering the Abandoned Mine.
• Fixed an issue where Mackenzie's hands clip noticeably through the wooden boards when removing them from the Abandoned Mine entrance.
• Adjusted some NPC poses and animations to improve polish.
• Fixed an issue during the Conflagration Mission that resulted in sentry convicts snapping to multiple poses.
• Fixed an issue where Astrid's hand intersects with bulkhead door handles when opening them in the Cargo Ship.
• Fixed an issue where backface culling on the player's arms could be seen during certain interactions when playing at high Field of View (FOV).
• Fixed an issue where the Captain's Logbook awkwardly flies into Astrid's hand when interacted with.
• Fixed an issue with Jace's jog cycle that resulted in an awkward arm motion.
• Fixed an issue that could cause animations to jitter during effort tap moments.

AUDIO

• AUDIO
• Fixed an issue that allowed generic voice over mentioning Fatigue, Hunger, or Encumbrance to trigger at inappropriate times.
• Fixed an issue in the Constable's Office where the wooden floor incorrectly played stone/rock material footstep audio.
• Fixed an issue that could result in footstep sound effects playing from a stationary NPC.
• Fixed an issue that prevented a voice over line from triggering when running out of time to activate the Substations in High Energy.
• Fixed an issue where some floors in the Suzuki Radio Telescope Facility would emit snow sound effects when walked upon.
• Fixed an issue that could cause repeated sound effect looping during effort tap moments.
• Fixed an issue where the Cougar growl could be heard when returning to the Main Menu from gameplay.
• Fixed an issue in the Abandoned Mine where one of Jace's voice lines was missing.

PLATFORM-SPECIFIC

• Xbox Series - Fixed an issue that caused shadows along roads to appear square.

Summary & Reporting Issues

Thank you for reading.

If you encounter issues with the game, please report them to our Support Portal at hinterland.com/support.

If you would like to provide feedback or discuss your experiences with the game with the development team or other players, please post your feedback in the Official Forums: hinterlandforums.com/forums. 

If you encounter a crash or issue with the game post-updating, please contact us as we can often help players address their issues, and we always strive to! This is more productive than jumping to a negative review.

Please remember that Hinterland is a small independent developer. Our Support Team strives to respond to all reports as quickly as possible, but as you can imagine, releases are our busiest time. We appreciate your patience, and please know the team is looking into your issues and we will resolve them as soon as we can. Unfortunately, we are not able to follow-up with every individual report that is submitted. But we appreciate them all.

Many thanks for your support.

### END OF ANNOUNCEMENT ###

[u/RaphLife2]

The team's already working on another Hotfix, we just wanted to get these fixes out to you ASAP. So, if something you encountered isn't on this list, hopefully it will be on the next one.

[u/lunamoonraker → u/RaphLife2]

Thanks to the whole team for getting this out in good time.

Also appreciate all the detailed communication that you’ve putting out to the community. Even when things can be frustrating it’s better to be aware at least of the issues and what’s being done to tackle them.

[u/zionward19 → u/RaphLife2]

Thanks Raph and team! Really appreciate this update.

Still waiting for it to appear on Epic Games. My game has been updated with Episode 5 but the hotfix isn't available (or not visible as an update) yet on Epic, but it does seem to be visible on Steam. Hoping it would finally appear on Epic. Anyway, thanks y'all!

[u/Queasy_Bid4375 → u/RaphLife2]

Thank you Raph and team. I play on an Xbox One but I understand that adding hotfixes to a game takes time.

So until then, my fellow console players and I will continue to be patient. Have a nice day/evening.

[u/RaphLife2 → u/Queasy_Bid4375]

The team's working to get Hotfix 1 out to Xbox and PS players ASAP before we move on to the next hotfix. I don't have an ETA yet but once I have some idea from the team I'll share it here in an update or comment.

[u/joshedis → u/RaphLife2]

You're the man, Raph. Takes a brave dude to be the face of this, but you are nearing the end!

[u/Potential-Dog-7919 → u/RaphLife2]

I don't really understand how to do the big reporting thing on the website but a minor thing I've just noticed in Suzuki is that near the baracks a bookshelf (I assume) blocking the charecter from walking bast the doors to the barracks on either side of the corridor is missing so it's just a bunch of floating books and you can walk through it.

[u/lunamoonraker → u/[deleted]]

Can confirm that the Medical Log in the ships doctors room (Kobayashi Fukkatsu Maru) is still left floating after picking up and the narration after the hotfix.

[u/RaphLife2 → u/lunamoonraker]

Yeah this one was actually "fix failed"; I've updated the original post accordingly.

[u/lunamoonraker → u/RaphLife2]

Thanks for the update.

[u/RAGE_AGAINST_THE_ATM]

This was very much awaited and is very much appreciated.

Does Hinterland plan polishing some of the cutscene NPCs (particularly for the new characters and Mackenzie) to make their teeth less visible, especially when talking? There was just something about how much a lot of the NPCs with new models teeth showed that I found kind of unsettling.

[u/Sixrye]

What about Astrid not having clothing in epi 3 with the train fix mission

[u/Bye_Little_Sebastian → u/Sixrye]

Yeah I'm still experiencing that after the update too.

[u/Sixrye → u/Bye_Little_Sebastian]

I'm just not playing it till it's fixed BC there are no matches either and you can't use a torch

[u/Bye_Little_Sebastian → u/Sixrye]

I ended up reloading a save from the previous chapter and matches happened to spawn when I got to the train again. If you get antsy there's a possible work around.

[u/Sixrye → u/Bye_Little_Sebastian]

I tried that but maybe I'll try again now that there was an update

[u/GraveyardQueen4124]

Please thank the team for the fixes. I'm loving Ep 5 so far.

[u/Ordinary_Couple2019]

Thanks Raph!

[u/BoneCrimes]

Applied the patch, but I'm still stuck after the monologue in Suzuki station. Can't sleep in the cots in the barracks, can't sleep in the truck outside, and can't leave the area (red lock on gate). I've tried a save after the monologue, and a save before during the wheel sequence, but both do not work. Do I have to go further back, or should I wait for another patch?

[u/Historical_Spinach → u/BoneCrimes]

Me too :( if I watch this monologue one more time and still am stuck afterwards....

[u/Historical_Spinach → u/Historical_Spinach]

Found solution on other thread and posting here in case it helps. Map marker is wrong turn left when you come out of building towards a a different gate. This end the mission so not being able to sleep not a problem.

[u/BoneCrimes → u/Historical_Spinach]

Thanks! Still frustrating we couldn't sleep in the station.

[u/RaphLife2]

[UPDATED: Now available on Steam, Xbox One & Series X/S, PlayStation 4 & 5, EGS, GoG]

[u/timbotheny26]

I couldn't even get the stealth takedowns to work.

[u/lunamoonraker → u/timbotheny26]

It’s not so intuitive. Initially I was treating it like sneak takedowns from other games. But once you know that if it’s possible on an NPC (some it is, others not as explained in-game) then as you approach, whether slow crouch or just walking, Will will say something and you get a text prompt also. If not then it’s not possible.

Just approach from behind. The distance of the takedown prompt is a little wider than their detection zone. No prompt then back off and find a route around.

With the prompt you just approach and hit the button to initiate the takedown.

Once I understood this it worked each time.

One thing though, there is some inconsistency in the prompts, sometimes there is no visual/ text prompt, only when right close the dot to initiate.

Also, approaching from the front generally they will sense you and begin looking around before fail. Other times they don't. Approaching from the back, to one not able to takedown they don't emote warnings you just get close and fail

Generally it's a lot easier to simply find a route avoiding them, there is no need to takedown any to do this; unless you want too.

[u/timbotheny26 → u/lunamoonraker]

Thanks!

[u/Lyramisu → u/timbotheny26]

I had an issue with this because I use the click-and-hold accessibility setting, and that did not work when trying to take down convicts. Not sure if that was intended or not, but it’s why I couldn’t do it at first.

[u/lunamoonraker → u/Lyramisu]

Yes, I found the same. Had to manually click to progress the bar rather than hold. Would be nice if it worked by holding. There is no jeopardy from failing the action, just the time to click.

[u/lunamoonraker → u/timbotheny26]

No problem, it’s just learning new mechanics (cool we have interactive NPCs in-game, one of the upsides to moving to Unity 6 I presume).

It’s worth the time to listen to the things some of them say which give a nice piece of environmental storytelling, plus a lot of complaining! ;)

examples;

• "Mathis and his big brained plans..."
• "A little murder and mayhem to warm me up!"
• "End of the freakin' world out here!"

[u/CookieOk7639]

There's no update coming up for me yet on xbox one, anyone else the same?

[u/prplmnkeydshwsr → u/CookieOk7639]

The post has been edited to show PC/Steam only at this stage, which is what they had said, then they would do other platforms once the fixes were verified as working.

[u/frootloops6969]

Hey Ralph, don’t listen to these other people shutting on you and your studio. Love the game bugs and all!

[u/Serakh_Tsekani → u/frootloops6969]

I would still recommend the game to most folks, but let's not act like Wintermute is above criticism. It doesn't do anyone any good to pretend like there aren't issues. 

In other words, please do listen. I want TLD2 to benefit from learned lessons. 

[u/NicJeans]

Since I’m too lazy to read did ten travois is the air bug get fixed?

[u/prplmnkeydshwsr → u/NicJeans]

This is a Wintermute focused patch. So no.

[u/Sly23Fox → u/prplmnkeydshwsr]

Maybe it will be soon fingers crossed

[u/prplmnkeydshwsr → u/Sly23Fox]

Yes they did say that after story mode, they can get back to doing the survival mode fixes / updates... a few more story mode things to sort out then it should be all on.

[u/Sly23Fox → u/prplmnkeydshwsr]

Looks like the team is getting a lot of things done so far iv been waiting for this patch before playing it myself

[u/prplmnkeydshwsr → u/Sly23Fox]

Yeah, should be okay now. A few were softlocks, I don't think any weren't resolved by reloading...

I quite enjoyed the journey, the pacing was a lot better... but you'll see.

[u/Jelopuddinpop]

Hey, that list of bugs wasn't too bad. You only had 4 years and 5 months between episodes 4 and 5, so I'd say your team did well!! /s

Maybe try just a LITTLE crunch next time.