Introduction

• Welcome to Cobalt Protocol, the fast-paced battle-oriented 4v4 game mode.

Main Gameplay Changes

• The Route/Catalog UI is not available.

• All test subjects start the game at level 9, with all masteries starting at level 6.

• Players earn XP over time.

• Despite being a team mode, there is no “downed” state.

• For balance, cooldowns of ultimate(R) skills have been scaled per character/weapon.

• Heal Packs fully recharge throw and shuriken weapons, on top of granting HP and SP recovery.

• Equipment cannot be dropped onto the ground.

Game Preparation: Test Subject Draft

• For each player, the game randomly selects one test subject they own (or on the free rotation) and another test subject from the full roster. Those two test subjects are added to their team’s draft pool for a total of 8 different test subjects per pool, per team.

• The draft pool is shared within each team. Select your desired test subject by clicking on their portrait. To prevent players from “spamming” character selects, there’s a 2s cooldown after you select a test subject before you can select another.

• After n seconds, teams will swap draft pools, meaning that the 4 unselected test subjects from your team’s pool will now be available to the enemy team (and vice versa). If you pass over a character, the enemy team will get a chance to pick that character instead!

Equipment Draft

1: Main Tag (Item's key attribute)

2: Sub-Tag (Item's main characteristics)

3: Random Item (Earn bonus credits)

Phase System

Cobalt Wild Animal Data

Kill animals to earn Credits, which can be used to purchase up to three buffs and to reroll equipment pieces at the Shop (B) while respawning or at the teleport room.

Life Points

• Each team starts with 40 Life Points.

• To deduct the enemy team’s Life Points, take the actions described in the table below.

• The game ends when a team’s Life Point total is depleted to 0. The team whose Life Points get depleted first is defeated.

Earning Credits

• Credits are earned through the following:

  • Time-based Income

  • Test Subject Kill

  • Test Subject Kill Assist

  • Killing Spree

  • Killing Spree Shutdowns

  • Hunting Wild Animals

Infusions 

• Infusions can be purchased at the Synthesizer, and can be thought of as Cobalt Protocol-exclusive Augments.

• Each player can purchase and equip up to 3 Infusions. Most Infusions can be upgraded, but some provide unique passive abilities that cannot be upgraded.

Power Beacons

• Power Beacons are mysterious devices found in the map of Cobalt Protocol. When captured, your allies are granted a buff that differs between each Beacon.

• Retaining control over a Power Beacon for a period of time deducts the other team’s Life Points.

Shredder System

Drag and drop the item into the Shredder in the Control Room. The item will be instantly destroyed.

You’ll get Credits back based on the rarity of the shredded item.

Uncommon: 5 Credits

Rare: 8 Credits

Epic: 8 Credits

Legendary: 15 Credits

Mythic: 0 Credits

Mode-Specific Balancing

• Cobalt Protocol-specific scaling for each character-weapon combination. damage dealt, damage received, and other stats.

• Scaling applied to damage dealt, damage received, shield effectiveness, recovery effectiveness, and ultimate (R) skill cooldown.

• *Subject to change with future patches

Character-Specific Changes for Cobalt Protocol

• Some test subjects' skills, passives, or other quirks can’t function properly in Cobalt Protocol, so they’ll be changed as described in the table below:

• The following issues are stuff that we're aware of and will be improved or fixed in the future.

• Examples:

  • Some characters (e.g. Daniel) have Passives that don’t make sense in the context of Cobalt Protocol.

  • Silvia cannot gain fuel.

  • Mai cannot acquire her exclusive equipment.

  • Echion cannot acquire his legendary weapon. Etc