The gift before Christmas gifts…
The update will be available on all platforms tomorrow, December 19. The Armored Core 6 update will include new leaderboards for the ranked mode, as well as ranked online matches with all the matchmaking tools you’d expect.
You may be wondering how these leaderboards will shake out. I have no idea, is the answer. It could be similar to a boxing record, with users’ victories and defeats tallied for the best overall result. Alternatively, leagues could be created, as in Overwatch 2’s competitive online mode.
According to the new trailer, online battles will not be limited to one-on-one encounters. We can see three Armored Cores fighting in one segment, which suggests that the 3v3 battles of the more casual PvP mode may carry over to the ranked mode.
The update will also include brand-new AC components. We don’t yet know what these parts will be, but they’re very likely to be more parts for the big mechs themselves, rather than actual weapons – FromSoftware has been rebalancing weapons on a near-constant basis since Armored Core 6, so more weapons would only add to the developers’ headaches.
For example, in October, a large balance patch nerfed the infamous Zimmerman shotguns while buffing the terrible handguns. That’s just one example of how, since the game’s release, FromSoftware has been listening to and reacting to Armored Core 6 player feedback, changing the game’s entire online dynamic as it goes.
Whatever it adds or does not add, it is certain to add a whole new layer of cheese to Armored Core 6’s online battles. Early on, before people were fighting tooth and nail for rankings, the aforementioned Zimmerman shotguns dominated the meta. This could quickly become very interesting.