Today, many exciting changes have arrived to Spiral Knights! Many of these changes were previously explained in detail here. Please read the following patch notes carefully as they outline some significant changes and important, new features to the world of Spiral Knights.

Battle Sprites
Battle Sprites are new combat companions that all players can acquire by completing a new series of Rank 2 missions upon reaching Haven. These missions teach players about Battle Sprites and allow them to try out each of the three starter sprites before ultimately choosing one to keep.

The three starter Battle Sprites are the fiery Drakon, the divine Seraphinx, and the shadowy Maskeraith; each with their own unique powers that will become more powerful as the sprite levels up and evolves! Just remember to feed them materials or food crafted from the Lab so your sprite can level up faster, evolve and gain new skills.

You can read the original Battle Sprite announcement here.
More information on Battle Sprite Skills can be found here and here.

Additional Battle Sprite Info:
- Battle sprites acquire perks at most levels. Perks are selected randomly.
- Battle sprites can continue to acquire perks after reaching level 100.
- Battle sprite skill points and ultimate skill choice can be reset with an item called a ‘Reset Star.’ Reset Stars are sold in the Supply Depot. When using a Reset Star, a sprite’s level is retained.

The Lab
The Biotechs of the Spiral Knights have finally got the Lab up and running! Head on over to the Haven Garrison and learn more about Battle Sprites and what the Spiral Knights have discovered about the world of Cradle.

The Lab also includes an ensemble of NPCs related to Battle Sprites:
- Biotech Morlin teaches you about sprite skills, perks, harnesses, and leveling
- Biscotti explains how to feed and care for Battle Sprites
- A special alchemy machine next to Biscotti allows you to craft favored sprite food from materials and minerals
- Riley sells harnesses for Battle Sprites that change their damage types

Energy Changes
- Elevators no longer require any energy to operate. Explore the Clockworks as much and as often as you wish!
- Elevator passes are no longer for sale
- Player-owned Elevator Passes have been replaced with 10 Radiant Fire Crystals and energy deposited into the player's account at a conversion rate of 2625 energy for each month of time left on your energy pass, rounded up.
- Mist energy and mist tank items have been removed
- Player-owned mist tanks have been replaced with 10 Sparks of Life (bound)
- Player-owned mini mist tanks have been replaced with 1 Spark of Life (bound)
- ‘Crystal Energy’ is now simply called ‘Energy’
- Mist Wells have been renamed 'Energy Wells' and no longer provide a 25% bonus on deposit.
- Mist within Mist Wells has been converted to energy and may be withdrawn at 100 energy per day

New Revive System
- All knights now have an Emergency Revive mechanism built into their armor that will revive them shortly after falling in combat once per floor. An ER only restores all the red health pips you have, but no more.
- If a knight is brought to an elevator dead, their ER will be instantly used at the start of the next floor.
- After falling in combat without an ER, the primary means of reviving is no longer energy. Players must use a ‘Spark of Life’ in order to revive in the Clockworks.
- Sparks of Life can be earned via missions, found in treasure blocks or purchased in bulk at a discount price in the Supply Depot. Sparks of Life cannot be purchased from the Supply Depot while in the Clockworks.
- If dead without a ER or Spark of Life, a Spark of Life can be activated for 50 energy. This price never escalates.
- Removed the ability to revive by sharing health as well as any heat sharing from reviving. Players may still revive each other using Sparks of Life.
- The old ‘Spark of Life’ crafting material has been renamed to ‘Storm Chaser’

General Changes
- Rescue Camp missions have reworked narrative hooks that will allow for exciting new missions in the future
- Removed "Securing the Camp" mission
- A knight explaining the Forge has been added to the Haven Town Square
- A new class of items have been added, known as ‘Rarities.’ Rarities include sparks of life, fire crystals, orbs of alchemy and evo catalysts.
- There is no longer a crown fee for joining Arcade Gates.
- New scenario rooms have been added.

Difficulty Modes
Players may now choose one of three difficulty levels when taking on missions or expeditions:
- Normal mode is intended for new players and is easier than what existing players may be used to. It features lower payouts for crowns and heat as well as lower drop rates for materials and rarities.
- Advanced mode is intended for existing players and is roughly equivalent to what they may be used to. It features current payouts for crowns and heat as well as average drop rates for materials and rarities.
- Elite mode is intended for players seeking a high level of challenge. It features the highest payouts for crowns and heat as well as the highest drop rates for materials and rarities.

Item Changes
- Loot now drops for each member of a party and each party member must pick up their own loot. You now will earn the exact same amount of loot in a party as you do solo, so party up!
- 2 star materials and higher now only drop from a specific monster family.
- Removed decay timer for crowns and heat
- Extended decay timer for hearts
- Players can no longer drop vials and capsules they acquire in the Clockworks
- Some rare monsters now have a chance to drop new items.
- All missions have been updated with new mission rewards.

New materials have been added. These include:
- Spark Plug
- Vile Seal
- Sinful Brew
- Dead Gold
- Wicked Idol
- Crest of Ur
- Royal Skewer

Equip Limits
Equipping items is now limited by your Mission Rank:
- Mission Rank of 3 is required to equip 2-star gear
- Mission Rank of 5 is required to equip 3-star gear
- Mission Rank of 6 is required to equip 4-star gear
- Mission Rank of 8 is required to equip 5-star gear

Any equipment bound before this patch will become your new current equip limit. For example. A knight who had only completed missions through Rank 3 but had 4 star gear equipped will be able to equip gear 4 star and below until achieving Rank 8.

UI Changes
- Added three new quickslots to the HUD for Battle Sprite skills
- Added a HUD icon for your Emergency Revive
- Added a Get Energy button to the Supply Depot
- Added a slider to the party configuration screen for adjusting difficulty
- The star level indicator on an item pill will now turn red if an item exceeds your equip limit
- Added a blue gem graphic to item pills that displays their bound status
- Added The Forge, a new interface for leveling and enhancing items
- Added new screen effect when damage is taken
- Added a Battle Sprite tab to the character panel that includes skill details, perks, harnesses and the feeding tray
- Achievements and Progress have been moved to a new Character Progress window available from the main menu

Alchemy Changes
Energy is no longer required to use alchemy. A new type of item, ‘Orbs of Alchemy,’ have replaced energy associated with alchemy. There are five orbs of alchemy in all:
- Flawed Orb of Alchemy
- Simple Orb of Alchemy
- Advanced Orb of Alchemy
- Elite Orb of Alchemy
- Eternal Orb of Alchemy

Orbs of alchemy may be purchased in unbound stacks from the Supply Depot, acquired via missions or as rare loot in treasure blocks.

The Forge
Items that acquire heat will no longer automatically level up when enough heat is required at the end of a level. Instead, a new type of item called ‘Fire Crystals’ must be used within a new interface called ‘The Forge’ in order to level up your items. Fire crystals include:
- Cracked Fire Crystal
- Dim Fire Crystal
- Warm Fire Crystal
- Glowing Fire Crystal
- Shining Fire Crystal
- Radiant Fire Crystal

The Forge can be accessed in town or at any arsenal station. When an item is ready to level up, open the Forge and select the item. The item will require a certain number of a specific fire crystal to level up. However, in some cases there is a chance the forge will not succeed and the fire crystals will be lost. No heat is ever lost due a failed forging.

Additionally, players have the option to add more than the requisite fire crystals in order to improve the odds of a successful forge as well as the chance to gain a special bonus. These bonuses include:
- Heat Bonus: +25% (one level)
- Double Level Up!
- Forge Prize Box containing a random assortment of various rarities and other items (prize box and contents are bound)

Fire crystals may be purchased in stacks in the Supply Depot, acquired via missions or found as loot in treasure blocks.

Recipe Changes
A number of recipes have had their crafting requirements changed in order to better balance out the usage of both new and old materials:

Handguns
- Shadowtech Alchemer
- Shadowtech Alchemer Mk 2
- Shadow Driver
- Umbra Driver
- Nova Driver
- Storm Driver
- Blackhawk
- Sentenza
- Polaris

Swords
- Cold Iron Carver
- Cold Iron Vanquisher
- Spur
- Arc Razor
- Winmillion
- Troika
- Kamarin
- Khorovod
- Sudaruska
- Vile Striker
- Dread Venom Striker
- Gran Faust
- Fearless Rigadoon
- Twisted Snarble Barb
- Dark Thorn Blade
- Barbarous Thorn Blade
- Volt Edge
- Grintovec
- Jalovec
- Triglav

Bombs
- Graviton Charge
- Graviton Bomb
- Graviton Vortex
- Electron Charge
- Electron Bomb
- Electron Vortex
- Toxic Vaporizer
- Toxic Vaporizer Mk II
- Toxic Atomizer
- Venom Veiler
- Freezing Vaporizer
- Freezing Vaporizer Mk II
- Freezing Atomizer
- Shivermist Buster
- Fiery Vaporizer
- Fiery Vaporizer Mk II
- Fiery Atomizer
- Ash of Agni
- Dark Briar Barrage
- Lightning Capacitor
- Plasma Capacitor
- Voltaic Tempest
- Haze Bomb
- Haze Bomb Mk II
- Haze Burst
- Stagger Storm
- Crystal Bomb
- Super Crystal Bomb
- Heavy Crystal Bomb
- Deadly Crystal Bomb
- Dark Matter Bomb
- Super Dark Matter Bomb
- Heavy Dark Matter Bomb
- Deadly Dark Matter Bomb
- Rock Salt Bomb
- Ionized Salt Bomb
- Shocking Salt Bomb
- Splinter Bomb
- Super Splinter Bomb
- Heavy Splinter Bomb
- Deadly Splinter Bomb
- Sun Shards
- Radiant Sun Shards
- Scintillating Sun Shards

Armor
- Ironmight Plate Mail
- Chaos Cloak
- Demo Suit
- Fused Demo Suit
- Heavy Demo Suit
- Volcanic Demo Suit
- Mad Bomber
- Bombastic Demo Suit
- Mercurial Demo Suit
- Sunset Duster
- Justifier Jacket
- Shadowsun Slicker
- Deadshot Mantle
- Angelic Raiment
- Seraphic Mail
- Heavenly Iron Armor
- Valkyrie Mail
- Armor of the Fallen
- Silvermail
- Radiant Silvermail
- Vitasuit Deluxe
- Mercurial Mail

Helms
- Surge Breaker Helm
- Ironmight Plate Helm
- Chaos Cowl
- Demo Helm
- Fused Demo Helm
- Heavy Demo Helm
- Volcanic Demo Helm
- Mad Bomber Helm
- Bombastic Demo Helm
- Mercurial Demo Helm
- Sunset Stetson
- Justifier Hat
- Shadowsun Stetson
- Deadshot Chapeau
- Angelic Helm
- Seraphic Helm
- Heavenly Iron Helm
- Valkyrie Helm
- Crown of the Fallen
- Mercurial Helm

Shields
- Ironmight Plate Shield
- Stone Tortoise
- Omega Shell

Supply Depot
New items have been added to the Supply Depot:
- Spark of Life
- Flawed Orb of Alchemy
- Simple Orb of Alchemy
- Advanced Orb of Alchemy
- Elite Orb of Alchemy
- Eternal Orb of Alchemy
- Warm Fire Crystal
- Glowing Fire Crystal
- Shining Fire Crystal
- Radiant Fire Crystal
- Evo Catalyst
- Advanced Evo Catalyst
- Ultimate Evo Catalyst
- Reset Star

Rarity Distribution to Existing Players
All existing players have been sent rarities based on their current Mission Rank. Each player will receive exactly the total number of rarities they would have otherwise received from missions as of this update. All items are bound.

Energy Pack Changes
- The Explorer's Pack is no longer available.
- Any energy packs containing Mist Tanks have been replaced with 5 Sparks of Life per Mist Tank.
- The Guardian's Armor Pack has had its Elevator Pass removed and replaced with energy.

More Surprises Ahead
We believe that these new changes represent a significant improvement to the world of Spiral Knights. We look forward to seeing you raise your new battle sprites into powerful combat allies, forge powerful items and explore the Clockworks to your heart’s content.

But that’s not all! We’ve got plenty more surprises in store for the future. So gear up and prepare for more of what you love from Spiral Knights: cooperative, action-packed adventures with your friends in a world unlike any other! (Just be sure to feed your sprite before you leave.)

Please discuss this update in our discussion thread here!