Later today, Defiance will be updated with the Dark Metamorphosis update, a free content expansion for all players and one that will see a new zone, a great story-based quest line, new missions, new enemies and more. We had the chance to chat a bit with Trion's Carble Cheung and John Hegner about Dark Metamorphosis and the future of Defiance.
As most know, Syfy announced last fall that its production of the television series would end after Season 3. So after a few brief introductions prior to the live stream of Dark Metamorphosis, the burning question needed to be asked, "How does the show's cancellation affect the game?"
"We will continue the game going forward and update the story." Carble Cheung explained. "The game and show were running in the same universe, though we are self-contained in San Francisco while the show is in St. Louis. We are standing on the lore that we share in the event that Syfy changes its mind and brings the show back."
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Dark Metamorphosis does, in fact, build on existing lore. The Shrill will take front and center in the update that begins Season 4 when their evolution and growth is taken to its logical conclusion. Players will soon discover that the NBF, a radical sub-group filled with xenophobes left over after the defeat of the Dark Matter, have been conducting horrific experiments on Shrill, even creating gene-spliced hybrids, some of which are so volatile as to be nearing the point they will go out of control.
Proving that the "enemy of my enemy is my friend", players will take part in a long quest line fighting alongside the presumed leader of the remnants of Dark Matter. Along the way, it will be revealed that the NBF has been doing much worse than first presumed: Shrill and Humans have been created and named "Harbingers".
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"Because of the union of genes, these Shrill Harbingers now have a voice and a consciousness that belies their monstrous nature." Carble said.
Players will take the action to the Monterrey Peninsula, the heart of the NBF. Players will be able to experience the epic story mission and conclusion to Dark Metamorphosis in a single-player instance as well as in a PvP map based on the location that will be added at a later time.
"We're focused on story content in a way we haven't done in awhile. We are reaching our third anniversary in about a month and we'll be releasing some ways to transfer and trade and other story things and we'll be making some quality of life improvements too. This is just the tip of the iceberg." John revealed.
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The update sounds and looks amazing. Dark Metamorphosis will be available later today.
