Upcoming Tribes: Ascend Patch Redefines Classes

It seems that Tribes: Ascend isn't just getting more support from Hi-Rez Studios. Rather, it's getting a complete overhaul of the class system. Patch notes for the latest update were posted to Reddit the other day and they are quite surprising.

With this new patch, titled "Out of the Blue," the team at Hi-Rez are attempting to bring "full build customization to Tribes: Ascend." There are now only three classes: Light, Medium, and Heavy. These classes can hold two, three, and four weapons, respectively. All perk upgrades have been included in the base stats. Each class now has nine loadouts, all of which are free.

Primary and secondary weapon restrictions are now gone. In their place is a weapon class system made to keep players from equipping more than one of the same weapon. Additionally, "default items" from the previous system are now free, as are all roles.

Hi-Rez are aware of the balance implications behind these changes and will work to address them as testing occurs. The patch is scheduled to hit the Public Test Server on the 14th, or possibly sooner, with a full release unannounced as of yet. In addition to the changes listed above, there will be a new capture the flag map, Terminus, and a number of minor changes.