Hawken devs are looking to roll out official leaderboards for the free-to-play game in November, according to Adhesive Games' latest community updates. The move is part of a plan by developers to make the mech shooter a home for competitive as well as casual pilots, says game designer Chris Vance.
"Up until now, our priorities have been focused on creating an experience that enables gamers of any skill level to start up Hawken and be having fun in the first five minutes," Vance says in a recent update about possible new features in the game. "However, we are also committed to providing our competitive players with the experiences they desire as well. Plans are under-way to create an environment where our competitive players can experience Hawken in the ways they enjoy most."
One part of this plan is the addition of leaderboards, which could be up and running as early as next month, according to a statement by game producer Jason Hughes released Friday: "We are actively working on leaderboards and are targeting to have them launch on the website in November alongside some other related social features," he said. "There is always a possibility this date could slip slightly but we wanted you to know that it's important to us as a team and nearing the end of implementation. We will have details to share in the coming weeks as the rough edges are worked out."
Other possible changes recently announced by the devs that could impact competitive play include a clan system with clan-specific leaderboards, and a "Room System." This is an interface that would bring greater access and flexibility to setting up games on Hawken's dedicated servers, according to the developers. "With our Room System, players will be able to quickly create a new room (or join open ones), configure some options and invite people in it," writes lead programmer Benjamin Goyette. "Then, when ready to deploy, a new dedicated server will be assigned to that room."
Both recent community updates linked above cover questions that active Hawken players—as well as interested parties still parked on the sidelines—might be curious about. With the release of the game's massive Ascension patch last month , it's clear that Hawken doesn't have a problem putting better, more polished systems in place, even if the old ways are the more familiar ones.
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