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Skydance’s Behemoth (2024) just got a major patch which looks to address what developer Skydance Games calls an admittedly “controversial” response to the game’s combat.

It looks like we were among those who didn’t mind the game’s combat at launch, although the same can’t be said for a good number of players following its December 5th release across Quest 2/3/Pro, PSVR 2, and PC VR headsets via the Horizon Store (Meta only) and Steam.

Just the same, Skydance Games has released a patch across all supported platforms which addresses the game’s physics-based game, which heavily features melee combat against human enemies.

“So let’s cut straight to it: Combat has been controversial. Plenty of people love it as designed, so we’re not going to radically change it,” the studio says. “But we also heard reports from players who were frustrated by things like stamina drain, parrying challenges, and narrow windows for dodging attacks.”

Skydance says the patch has “fine-tuned our systems to make stamina, parrying, and dodging more forgiving,” noting that the new combat tuning will “enhance the experience for all players.”

Additionally, Skydance’s Behemoth now includes a ‘Freestyle Mode’ in beta, which reduces the Combat Stamina drain to minimized levels, effective in all cases outside of climbing challenges. The patch also includes previously mentioned issues with boss fights, enemy AI gameplay and pathing, and overall stability performance across all platforms.

You can check out the unabridged patch notes here, which notably include some minor spoilers. Below, you’ll find an abridged version, which notably omits spoilers.

QUEST SPECIFIC

Player Experience

• Added “Shader compiling” loading screen at game boot (reduces confusion during shader re-creation).
• Haptics added to the Main Menu.
• Fixed crash in Arena Mode [BETA] when gong was struck under certain conditions.
• Improved climbing interaction and collision handling in key areas.
• Fixed progression blockers, including Nightscraper fight and Ragnar disappearing during the tutorial.

Gameplay

• Improved collision to prevent players from phasing into geometry.
• Fixed rare clipping issues with Dreddstag and Shacklehide’s leg climbing interaction.
• Keys now respawn correctly in ghost form after saving and reloading.
• Enhanced hit reactions and state transitions for enemies in combat.
• Refined hand grips and IK for ropes.

Art & Audio

• Improved environment textures and lighting (especially on Quest 3).
• Reduced visual popping issues.
• Fixed floating assets like arrows and rubble.
• Music now persists during Shacklehide battle.

ALL PLATFORMS

Progression Blockers

• Fixed issues with enemies like Kragjaeger and Shacklehide not appearing correctly or causing soft locks.
• Fast Travel enabled post-campaign for continued exploration.

Combat Updates

• Tuning Adjustments:
  • Dodge now has 0.5 seconds of invulnerability.
  • Exposed headshots on standard enemies are one-hit kills.
  • Improved parry/block forgiveness angle for easier execution.
• Combat Stamina Drain Adjustments:
  • Tuned for balance across all difficulties.
  • “Freestyle Mode (BETA)” allows for minimal stamina drain (achievements/trophies disabled in this mode).
• Tenderfoot difficulty further adjusted for reduced enemy damage.

Miniboss and Boss Tuning

• Adjusted difficulty and fixed glitches for minibosses.
• Ragnar’s health and attack rate increased.

Level Updates

• Fixed interactions in critical areas like Shacklehide’s arena, Zephyr’s Pass, and Throne Room.
• Improved puzzle mechanics and chest accessibility in Duskhold and other locations.

Miscellaneous Fixes

• Stability improved with significant crash fixes.
• Lighting, visual popping, and VO timing issues resolved.
• Trophy Room collectibles rearranged to prevent glitches.