Status report 2026-09-09: the bench, the range and the record

A note on the interface: A full UI overhaul is on its way. We know the current release still has some interface bugs and has added more menu sprawl than it should. Sorry about the clutter in the meantime; the new interface is being rebuilt page by page to make all of this clearer, faster and more cohesive.

The machine kept working while the registry tried to count it. Filed as follows.

Headline

Crafting has arrived. Battles, Expeditions and scrapping now feed a new economy of Material, Components and Fuel. Pick a finished item at the new Workbench and it plans every missing component, then builds the dependency chain left to right through a real timed queue that keeps working while you are away.

Expeditions are open. Send a three-mech squad beyond the arena on routes that trade time, supplies and risk for Material and Fuel. The dangerous work can bring better spoils or permanent loss, and every return is filed as a report.

Duelling is open. The DUEL CABINET seats two players for one mech against one mech, with NXR stakes committed before the countdown. Spectators can back either seat during staging and follow the fight once the cabinet launches.

Ability counters are on the field. Craft DOME and EMP at the Workbench, select one and place it directly with no faction slot or per-battle usage cap. DOME shields every mech in range; EMP empties nearby energy buffers in a burst of blue-white lightning.

3D battle replays are online. Open WATCH from a permanent battle report to play the recorded fight with seek, speed and camera controls above the arena. Replays restore each mech’s real chassis and skin, and battle reports now open their wide combat curves by default.

Fleet P&L is reporting. BANK now shows which mechs earn their keep across 7-day, 30-day and all-time windows. Each frame lists its earnings, deploy and repair costs, net result and run record, while money that cannot honestly be assigned to one mech stays clearly unattributed.

New

• Added standing three-mech Hangar squads for repeat deployments.
• Added scrapping at the Workbench, turning unwanted gear back into Material at a loss.
• Plus 14 smaller additions across the hangar, arena and desks.

Changes

• Rebalanced shoulder weapons to hit three times harder while making the shoulder mount optional.
• Changed OVERCLOCK and AFTERBURN to run until their mech’s energy buffer is empty, with ENERGY crates able to refill it.
• Changed Spoils so spend-scaled stake shares pay winning-side contributors only. Losing spend carries consolation weight into your next battle.
• Changed War Effort levels into real battle buffs instead of a display-only ladder.
• Changed high-value ability taps above 1,000 NXR to require a second confirming tap once per battle.
• Changed the Crafting Bench catalogue to support search, recipe categories and 12-item pages with larger recipe names.
• Moved active Expeditions above route planning and widened the main Menu V1 work panels.
• Plus 28 smaller changes across the arena, hangar and wallet.

Fixes

• Fixed a battle disappearing mid-fight when the previous battle finished slowly.
• Fixed Duel seat races, expired seats, ambiguous withdrawals, missing stake displays and disarmed cabinets accepting paid seats before cancelling.
• Fixed battle-report and replay links doing nothing in Menu V1, replay mechs appearing as rectangles and playback controls hiding below the arena.
• Fixed Expedition settlement so Fuel, rewards, reports and permanent losses resolve together.
• Fixed the Workbench hiding newly introduced Material and stranding components cancelled through the wrong market action.
• Fixed repair quotes and earnings showing gross, zero or minute-based values instead of the real net rate.
• Fixed resource panels hammering failed reads while preserving the last good Expedition, Tour and Rotation data.
• Fixed held DOME and EMP items reading as badges instead of usable ability docks.
• Plus 54 smaller fixes across the arena, market and hangar.

Spotted something off? Drop it in Discord, playtest feedback is shaping every one of these.