A fresh update for Unknown has arrived, bringing substantial changes to faction mechanics, meta-balancing, and competitive play. Version 0.80.31 focuses heavily on easing the complexity of the Necromancy system while recalibrating hero specializations and faction-specific skills.

Necromancy Rework and Combat Balance

The most significant change in this patch is the total overhaul of the Necromancy logic. Previously, raising undead was strictly tied to your army composition. Now, you can raise enemy units into undead even if you lack creatures of that exact tier. The system will default to the base version of the unit, such as Skeletons for Tier 1 or Wights for Tier 2. If you already have upgraded units in your army, the game will raise the upgraded version, provided you have enough Necromantic Energy.

To support these changes, the developers have increased base energy capacities for heroes to 3000/4000/5000 and added a manual recycling option in the combat results window, allowing players to convert fallen foes directly into energy.

Battle Magic has also seen a reversion to its original base stats, following recent nerfs to Might heroes that left Mages in a precarious position. The divisive "Summon Avatar" skill has been weakened in its base form, but now offers more customization through situational sub-skills like "Summon Destruction," which increases damage against summoned units.

Competitive Updates and Bug Fixes

Competitive players will find new options in the random map generator, including the Jebus Tournament and Outcast Tournament templates, both of which support simultaneous turns. The faction pick-and-ban order has been adjusted, and the template rotation pool has been refreshed for both Classic and Single Hero modes.

The update also addresses several technical issues, including:

  • Resource Exploits: An infinite resource exploit for Temple players on the Global Map has been eliminated.
  • Combat Logic: Fixed a bug where dragons dealt incorrect damage with alternative attacks and ensured traps only become visible when stepped on.
  • Stability: Resolved issues with multiplayer save loading and corrected UI errors that occurred when transitioning to combat screens.

Faction Adjustments

The patch introduces a wide array of balance tweaks across all factions. Schism's "Abyssal Communion" now applies to non-Schism units, though with reduced numerical bonuses, while the Hive faction sees a shift in focus toward the explosive potential of their larvae. Additionally, several hero specializations—such as those for Nadir and Tellaris the Betrayed—have been reworked to improve viability.

Players are reminded that intentional bug exploitation in competitive play can lead to account bans. The developers emphasized that these changes are based on community feedback and gameplay statistics, encouraging players to continue utilizing the official community wiki to track further developments.