Flyway Games has rolled out the first major content update for Ascend to ZERO, the time-bending action roguelike that launched earlier this year under the KRAFTON umbrella. Version 1.1.0.0, now live on Steam and Xbox, injects more than 100 new Tech Chips into the run-building loop and reworks how each of the game’s five starting Avatars plays from the opening seconds of a run.
The headline addition is the Avatar-exclusive chip system. At the start of every attempt, players pick from three character-specific chips that lock in a directional build path. Those choices ripple outward, shaping the pool of regular Tech Chips, Slot Modules, and Weapon Tech upgrades that appear throughout the run. The Golden Gunslinger, for instance, can now lay down an Electromagnetic Rail after Time-Stop that amplifies projectiles passing through it, while the Windborne Spearmaster spends Stamina to power up aimed spear strikes. The Scarlet Pirate’s new Privateer chip converts defeated enemies into a barrage of projectiles the moment Time-Stop ends, rewarding aggressive play in a way the original kit did not support.
The “Time to Choose” selection system, previously available only at Stage 1, has also been expanded. Players who unlock the Fate Editor can now trigger additional choice moments at the start of later stages. New options include Me of Another World, which grafts a Tech Chip from a different Avatar onto the current build, and Future Manipulation, which guarantees the next reward drop will be Legendary grade. Storm of Possibility adds extra branching paths to Challenge Events, giving risk-averse and risk-hungry runners alike more reasons to engage with the system.
Beyond the headline features, v1.1.0.0 brings broad balance passes across enemy health, attack power, EXP distribution, and Multidimensional Mode difficulty. Dash-based attacks and existing Tech Chips have been rebalanced to open up build combinations that previously felt nonviable, and a round of bug fixes and performance improvements rounds out the patch.
Ascend to ZERO earned strong review scores at launch, with outlets praising its ability to turn a countdown timer into one of the genre’s most compelling mechanics. This update deepens that core idea by giving each Avatar a more distinct identity and giving players more control over how runs unfold past the opening stage. For anyone who bounced off the game’s initial build variety, the expanded chip pool and reworked choice system may be reason enough to drop back in.
The update is live now on Steam and Xbox. Full patch notes are available on the game’s Steam community hub.
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