Hey everyone!! It's been a while since DB has had a new update, but we've been working hard lately, and we're happy to announce that the latest update has finally arrived - It's a big one! And jam-packed with cool features, so strap in ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ


Let's see some of the major strokes:

The first thing you'll probably notice is that the game got a huge makeover - We've repainted all the courses, as well as reworked the game's lighting models to bring you something that looks like this: 

Not too bad, huh? Not only is every bend properly lit, but additional boosts in contrast and extended texture sight lines makes it much easier to see depth and distance on the course, as well as what kind of ground physics your disc might be interacting with during it's landing.

This is the old version (no joke):

This should help keep that realism and presence in DB that we value very highly, as well as make the experience of grabbing a new disc all the more pleasing.

They're not just for looking! All these discs in the bag have now been balanced to a state of 'neutral stability', which means they should all fade towards their natural arc when thrown near-flat. This gives us a great base for the game's prototypical disc flights, as well as allows us to expand towards more over-stable or under-stable versions of these discs. Please look forward to this expansion in the future :)

And what good is throwing great looking discs if they don't have an elegant trail to follow them?
Well, not only did disc trails receive an upgrade in visuals, but they are now also smart enough to track the Turn and Fade values of your disc's flight. Which means, you can see whether your disc is going to turn over and crash, or come back and fade to it's natural landing angle.

You can see this in action here - The dark blue is the Turn and the bright green is the Fade on the disc:

So whether you're trying to hit that hard spike shot, or flexing your disc through some tight woods, you'll be able to see how your line is turning out by watching it's trail as it flies.

Note: These trails will still be customized in multiplayer modes. The color you choose for your avatar will override the dark blue Turn color of the trail, which makes for really beautiful flight patterns for each and every bender :)

Another really cool feature we're proud to show is the Hole Highlighter. Instead of highlighting just the basket for the current hole, this function now highlights the out-of-bounds, and brings up a guide that weaves through the hole towards the basket. This is useful for getting a sense of the curvature of the fairway in front of you, as well as being able to see around bends that are coming ahead. Use this wisely to estimate the distance and angle your disc will need to make it around a corner!

Ground physics have always been a big part of DB, with each and every ground texture having different frictions and softness to them, and now we've gone even further with this idea. While discs could always slide on their landing (and often too far), they now have the ability to spike and skip on the ground.

If you have a shot bombing in from on high, and it has a sharp downward angle, then your disc will spike and dig into the ground, immediately stopping it's movement. This is really great if you want to get onto a tight green or near an OB area, without having much ground play to put your disc into danger.

Another option is to put your disc on a slight angle, parallel to the ground, and with quick speed, to give it a chance to skip. This will give your disc an extra boost of vertical and horizontal distance, while also hopping over any surface texture under it's span. You can also use this when you need to get around a tight corner, or need an option close to the ground.

Last, but certainly not least, is the brand new course. That's right! A new 9-hole course that will test your abilities to throw the big airy shots, as well as challenge you with small, technical woods play. Please meet Dream Drop Bends

This course was a major piece to this new update, and we really wanted to bring something that would allow benders to push the limits of their big throws, and practice their flex shots for maximum distance, from grand altitudes, as well as from equal elevations. There's a lot to look forward to, and some sweet, surprising lines you will have to hit, so please do have fun with it

(~˘▾˘)~

Wow! This update packs a punch, but there's even more, so let's rifle through some of the smaller changes we'll see:

• Both grabbing the disc, and calling back the disc, have been collapsed to the same button. This makes for much smoother gameplay, while also freeing up a button for the future. We've added an option that can switch this to the other face button, which you can find in your settings menu
• Who ever heard of a dropzone? We have! And so we implemented these, as a way to put you in a specific spot if you go out-of-bounds with your first shot off the tee. You'll find these on 9 & 17 on the Main Course, as well as other locations.
• If you're the type of person that enjoys noticing the angle of trees, then you'll love the fact that we've randomized the amount trees lean between every game. That means each time you play, you'll have a slightly different landscape in the branch department, giving you even more replayability. But that's not all! If you ever hit a tree, (and I know you won't), your disc will be 'kicked' with some randomization as well. So not every hit will be the same in this case - Expect nothing!
• Have you ever actually looked inside a bush? Well, once your disc lands inside a bender bush, you won't have to wonder anymore. We've added our own take on what trying to throw from inside some shrubbery must be like. But be careful, not only will your vision be hindered, but your throw will also take some thwacking and your disc will be slowed. Use power wisely here.
• Not only have we refreshed the Main Course to add a more polished and open feel, we've also extended the life of this course by adding longer tees! If you're looking for more challenge, or just want to see it from a new perspective, select this option in the 'Course Play' menu before you head out.
• I can tell from the look in your eye that you really wish we would extend the ability to be on your floating cloud. Don't look at us! We did this! While you can still go into cloud mode by clicking your movement stick and following your disc mid-flight, we've also allowed this to be activated voluntarily. If you click and hold down your movement stick, at any time, you'll actually hop onto your cloud! Keep holding, and you'll keep going higher and higher, for really amazing vistas, or just the best angle to see the current play. 
• Lastly, one thing you really might value is being able to play with others in the same space without interruption. Great news! In this update, we've made it very simple and added native voice chat, so that you can speak and hear each other as soon as you hop into a game. Unfortunately, the one tradeoff with this is that you won't be able to use the volume controls on the physical headset itself. If you want to adjust your volume, you'll need to use your Oculus menu. We are looking into this for potential improvements.

(Here's the trailer we just released as well)

We are super pleased to put this update out into the world of benders, and to see your reactions and experiences with all the new features and content we've presented. We really hope you enjoy, and look forward to hearing your feedback as we continue to grow and evolve ourselves and what it means to make a great DG VR experience. Please do stay tuned, as we look to get onto different platforms very soon, including the new App Lab from Oculus. Thank you, and good luck out on the course :)