Tower of Fantasy global launch patch notes warn "we are well aware of many shortcomings"

Tower of Fantasy developer Hotta Studio has released some strikingly transparent patch notes ahead of the game's August 10 global release date, acknowledging that the game "still has many shortcomings" and may see some "unavoidable" bugs and issues. 

"We are well aware that Tower of Fantasy still has many shortcomings," a new post on the game's site reads. "We will work hard to improve them, but some bugs and issues may be unavoidable after the official launch. We have anticipated the possibility of certain problems arising, formulated the according debugging time limits and specifications, and urged our staff in the corresponding departments to implement them." 

The studio says any updates will be announced "publicly and transparently," and that preventing "any losses to your accounts and assets" will take priority when addressing bugs. Any resolutions to bugs and other issues will also come with "the corresponding compensation, so as to ensure that your experience and interests are not affected." 

"We are telling you all of this in the hope that you will give us your trust," the studio adds. 

I can't help but be reminded of Bethesda warning early Fallout 76 players to expect "spectacular" bugs from that game's launch, though I don't get quite the same sense of foreboding here. I didn't run into any issues in my Tower of Fantasy hands-on preview, though I was only able to sample a limited slice of the game. 

Alongside this precaution of sorts, Hotta outlined some of the changes that have been made to the global version of the game since its latest closed beta test. The first item on the docket? "The option to customize your character's chest." Well, I'm glad we got that pressing matter sorted out. 

The launch patch notes also mention fixes for various bugs, switching audio languages, and localization issues (including six added languages). The requirements for some missions have also been lowered, and the difficulty of a few activities has been reduced as well based on feedback from the CBT. The CBT was so fruitful, apparently, that Tower of Fantasy's giving out a free SSR-grade weapon "that you can claim after completing certain game missions." 

We're going to ring this bell preemptively: here's why big online games always seem to break at launch.