This update adds a brand-new free cop class called "Swarm", who has access to seven different drones, each with different abilities and weapons, allowing him to set up complex defenses and cover multiple locations simultaneously. As a trade-off for his drones, he can't carry any ranged weapons, and instead is only equipped with a Wrench that can repair cop gadgets, and a Drone Remote, that allows him to command his drones to specific locations without having to fly them himself.

Here is an overview of his seven drones:

Doc (Green): can repair other downed drones

Grumpy (Red): has a bigger minigun turret (40 damage, 900 RPM)

Happy (Yellow): 30% faster than the other drones

Dopey (Purple): has no weapons, but can hide nearby money, making it nearly invisible and requiring robbers to first destroy Dopey before being able to steal it

Sleepy (White): has no weapons, can shut down, falling down and alerting Swarm if someone interrupts his sleep

Bashful (Pink): has no weapons, instead generates a small stun field around it after not moving for a few seconds

Sneezy (Blue): has a water hose instead of a gun, automatically sprays water that extinguishes nearby burning plants


The Gym Buddy robber class has also received a big update, with his Gym Bag being removed, he got a new Shirt Launcher weapon, that allows him to change the disguises of his robber teammates or NPCs from a distance. If he gets up to speed with the help of his treadmill, an equipped mask, or his teammates, he can run through cop gadgets and weak walls, taking 60 damage for each wall he destroys.
He also has access to two new gadgets, the Spa Steam Machine that covers an area in smoke, while healing nearby characters, and the Tennis Ball Cannon, which covers an area with suppressive tennis ball fire, that deals low amounts of damage but slows down hit players.Additionally, lots of bug fixes and improvements are included in this update, as well as a new Fire Extinguisher object that can be found in the upper levels of New York, and on custom maps, that will release smoke for ten seconds after getting shot, allowing robbers to take cover or hide their escape. Cops will now be able to run through Officer barriers, Combat Medics get an additional Heartbeat Monitor if an NPC gets killed wearing one, and Crypto had his active EMP ability range reduced from 15 to 10 meters.

Full changelog:

New:

• added new cop class "Swarm"
  
• added new player avatar icon for fired cops, instead of just showing them as dead
  
• added Fire Extinguisher object, shoots out smoke for 10 seconds after being shot at
  
• added leaderboards for Artist & Surge
  
• added new network connection quality info UI

Changes:

• removed fire door UI popup for robbers, explaination when fire doors open is now displayed only while looking at the door
  
• Officer can now longer report bodies killed by cops
  
• cops can now walk through Officer's tape barrier
  
• Combat Medic now gets an additional Hearbeat Monitor if an NPC dies with one equipped
  
• reduced Crypto EMP range from 15m to 10m

Gym Buddy Rework:

• removed Gym Bag
  
• he can now run through weak walls if he's moving fast enough (requires treadmill or other sources of bonus speed)
  
• new secondary weapon: T-Shirt Launcher (disguises and heals hit robbers)
  
• added new "Quarterback" achievement that unlocks Golden T-Shirt Launcher skin
  
• reduced money bag bounciness to make it easier for Gym Buddy to throw
  
• made it easier to hit escape vans with thrown money bags

Map Changes:
New York:

• added the new Fire Extinguisher to the upper employee area

Performance:

• optimized UI to improve FPS

Fixed:

• fixed missing collision/textures in background office building
  
• fixed Combat Medic revives sometimes not working correctly
  
• fixed "Sketchy Business" achievement progress sometimes not updating correctly
  
• fixed money bags floating on treadmills
  
• fixed money bags getting stuck between treadmills
  
• fixed treadmills sometimes not pushing money off high enough so it can land inside the van
  
• fixed crash while placing Marie Curies X-Ray scanner
  
• fixed multiple chat focus bugs
  
• fixed crash caused by invalid Steam Friends Interface
  
• fixed Officer being able to infinitely report bodies carried by Janitor
  
• fixed "Quickplay" often trying to connect players to servers that are already full
  
• more Horse dismount bug fixes
  
• fixed drones pitch angle getting reset when switching to it
  
• fixed Horses spawning inside each other sometimes
  
• banned classes now get cleared when changing maps
  
• additional fix for ragdolls sometimes taking a while to appear for clients

Level Editor:

• multiple fixes for island and empty sublevel custom maps not working correctly on dedicated servers (especially after a map vote)
  
• added the new "Functional Fire Extinguisher" object to the level editor
  
• fixed "Vent Door" object sometimes flickering in-game
  
• potential fix for sometimes falling through the map when loading into a custom map
  
• potential fix for "change robber spawn to the right" button sometimes not working correctly
  
• added missing weapons to the Weapon object
  
• bots will now try to walk off roofs, if there is no other appropiate path down (ladders/stairs)
  
• added "Interrupt Channel" to the Logic Timer
  
• fixed custom maps sometimes loading twice on dedicated servers

This update aims to improve hit registration, especially on crowded servers. An collision issue with the computer model has been fixed, which resulted in bullets getting blocked by it even if shot slightly above the visible monitor model. The server-side shot verification has also been upgraded, to remove shots that were invalided by the anti-cheat protection systems, even if there was a clear line-of-sight from the shooter to his target.

Two new pick phase options have been added, "Ban Phase" will add a ban menu between the team and class selection menus, allowing players to pick up to 3 classes of the opposite team, with the three most banned classes of each team not being available in the current round. The second new setting is called "Class Wars", in which players will be able to vote for up to 3 classes of their own team, with the most voted class being locked in for all players of the team for this round.

Server owners will be able to decide which pick phase setting they would like to implement on their servers, they will also have the option to iterate through the different settings, allowing for different pick phases each round.

The Artist class has received a small buff, he will now get 1,000$ bonus value for each player on a painting, that has not been painted by him in the current round. "Custom Door" objects in the level editor will now work much more reliable, and their pivot point can now be offset to allow for more fine tuning.


New:

• added new "Pick Phase Type" server setting: "Classic" (default), "Ban Phase", and "Class Wars"
  
• "Ban Phase" will allow each player to select up to 3 enemy classes, the 3 most voted for classes from each team will be banned in the round
  
• "Class Wars" will allow each player to select up to 3 classes available to their team, the most voted for class will be played by their whole team in the round
  
• added "[Advanced] PickPhaseType = 0" dedicated server setting: 0=Classic, 1=Ban Phase, 2=Class Wars
  
• added "[Advanced] PickPhaseTypes = 0,1,1,2" dedicated server setting, the server will iterate through the different pick phase types, and then start again with the first one

Changes:

• Artist now gets a 1,000$ bonus for each player he draws, that he didn't already drew this round

Fixes:

• fixed PC Monitors having a hitbox that extends too high up, blocking bullets
  
• fixed ragdolls affecting server-side shot verification, resulting in some shots not dealing damage
  
• reduced log size for players playing on custom maps
  
• fixed rare bug resulting in other players being forced to spectate recently revived player
  
• fixed Artist not being able to paint other Artists
  
• fixed "Bank Interior" painting preview showing 3,000$ instead of 2,000$ value
  
• fixed Backup not seeing dead teammates
  
• fixed Backup being able to report fired teammates
  
• fixed Janitor having limited Stamina, if he played Janitor the round before and the round ended while he carried a dead player
  
• potential fix for players getting vote-kicked on server join even though they hadn't been vote kicked before
  
• fixed Developer's antivirus not making noise

Level Editor:

• fixed "Mesh" object property settings (e.g. "Custom Door"/"Custom Money" objects) not loading correctly when opening a map in the level editor
  
• lots of "Custom Door" bugfixes
  
• added new X,Y,Z offset settings to the "Custom Door" object

The Janitor class has received some changes in this update, he no longer can recycle dead NPC bodies
on the spot, but instead now has to pick them up and throw them into garbage containers outside the bank to receive his recycle stacks and speed boost. He now is also able to carry dead players, but he has limited stamina while doing so, and while he can't recycle them, he is able to hide them around the bank, to make it harder for the robbers to revive their teammates. The new garbage container has been added to all existing maps, including the city custom map template, and can also be hand-placed on custom maps in the level editor.

This update also brings some balance changes to the FED Chairman class, with his printers now getting pinged if he revives teammates, and his revive progress being lost on death, which should limit his strength in larger lobbies with multiple FED Chairmen and very frequent revives.

Surge's strength has also been reduced, with his bullet reflection now only dealing 50% of the incoming damage, instead of reflecting the whole amount of incoming damage. Micro, on the other hand, has received a slight buff, with him now being able to carry up to 5,000$, allowing him to sneak money stacks out of vaults or hacked ATMs.

Multiple other improvements and bug fixes are also included in this update, with robbers now being shown dead teammates while wearing the "Fox Mask", Heavy's helicopter behavior fixes, and an improved Buffered Input system.



New:

• Class Info widget (default: "Y") now also shows mask information if applicable
  
• added additonal Artist painting type
  
• added new "Buffered Input Frames" setting, that limits how long the game retries to use a Buffered Shooting Input, after the player tried to fire a weapon that wasn't ready to fire again

Changes:

• Janitor can now recylce Trampolines, Treadmills, Agent Screens, and Time Machines
  
• Janitor can no longer recycle dead bodies
  
• Janitor can now carry dead bodies
  
• Janitor now has limited stamina while carrying dead players
  
• Janitor now gets shown nearby garbage containers while carrying a dead body that isn't a player
  
• Janitor can now recycle non-player bodies at garbage containers

• FED Chairman now loses current "Required Money for Revive" progress when dying
  
• FED Chairman no longer gains "Required Money for Revive" progress while dead
  
• FED Chairman printers now get pinged 3 seconds after he uses his revive ability

• dead bodies that were previously carried by the opposite team no longer have UI hints (Doctor, FED Chairman, Combat Medic, ..)
  
• reduced Surge's bullet reflection damage from 100% to 50% of the original bullet damage
  
• dead teammates will now be highlighted while having the Unicorn mask equipped, regardless of selected class
  
• fired cops will no longer be highlighted for Combat Medic, since he can't revive them
  
• changed teargas particle color to be more yellow, to make it easier to differentiate between teargas and poison smoke
  
• Actor can no longer leap with the Tiger Mask while playing dead
  
• Micro can now carry up to 5,000$ while tiny

Map Changes:

• added garbage containers to all maps

Classic Heist:

• fixed missing AI Blocker

Fixed:

• fixed reflected Surge bullets still dealing 100% damage instead of only 50%
  
• fixed Backup sometimes being able to report fired cops
  
• fixed Backup getting UI hints for dead cops even if he can't report them
  
• reduced heli debug log spam
  
• reworked poison smoke system so the damage hitbox is more closely alligned with the visual smoke
  
• fixed "Shooting Buffer" setting not saving correctly
  
• fixed chat UI overlapping ingame menu
  
• fixed "Round Ended" UI overlapping ingame menu
  
• fixed unused chat input (Left Ctrl for example) being rerouted to player movement (so player crouched while hitting Left Ctrl while typing in chat)
  
• fixed heli blades sometimes not spinning while the heli is mid-air
  
• fixed Surge's bullet reflection inaccuracy only being visual, with the server-side damage calculation having no inaccuracy applied
  
• fixed heli sometimes hovering over the ground instead of landing correctly
  
• fixed heli sometimes not dealing damage when landing on characters
  
• fixed "Press any key to respawn" screen sometimes getting stuck for cops getting revived by Combat Medics/FED Chairmen
  
• fixed Artist sometimes being able to paint himself
  
• fixed sometimes being able to interact with an object faster than intended, if that object changed it's interaction speed (for example Capone Tunnel: Stopping Drill - Fast Interaction and Using Tunnel - Slow Interaction)

Level Editor:

• added default garbage container to the cop spawn
  
• potential fix for island maps not working correctly since last beta update
  
• added new "Garbage Bin" object
  
• fixed stairway collision not scaling correctly
  
• added money preview mesh to all ATM objects
  
• added folder button that opens the current maps folder in the windows file explorer
  
• Logic Timers now correctly reset after a round ended
  
• potential fix for custom maps with emptyMap=true sometimes not working correctly on dedicated servers
  
• fixed bot robbers sometimes trying to deposit money at the default van, even if it's deleted on the current custom map

This update aims to improve the behavior of NPC customers and employees, ensuring robbers can hide among them without being noticed by the cop team. NPCs will now have more complex reactions to players bumping into them, ranging from continuing on their path or taking avoiding action to stopping their movement or picking a new target location. Their interactions with gadgets that block their movement, for example, Traffic Cop's barbed wire, have also been updated to reduce NPCs clumping near them.

Password-secured servers are now even more secure, with a new password encryption system and a new server setting that blocks players from circumventing the password checks by joining through the Steam friends list. The game's anti-cheat also received some upgrades, with interactions and abilities now having more rigorous server-side checks to prevent abuse through cheats or lag switches.

Micro is now able to pick up smaller loot (=< 3,000$) while tiny, Surge can now only use his active ability if his battery is fully charged. Karl Marx's UI has been upgraded to make it clearer at which commune sizes new ability upgrades are unlocked, and Al Capone can now place his tunnels at any store, instead of being limited to the ground and basement floors. Gym Buddies will have an easier time aiming the money and bomb bag throws, with the help of a new picture-in-picture camera that shows the predicted target location of the current throw.


Full changelog:

New:

• added new Artist achievement (unlocks new Golden Bottle skin)
  
• first person arms no longer feature gloves, and their clothing color is determined by current outfit
  
• added new ability progress UI for Karl Marx
  
• added new NPC responses to players bumping into them (continue pathing, try to avoid, stand still, look around, path to new target location)
  
• added "Prevent Steam Friends from joining without password" setting
  
• server passwords are now encrypted
  
• added picture-in-picture preview for Gym Buddys throws, showing the predicted landing location (doesn't show characters)

Changes:

• recently (re-)connected players can no longer participate in votes in the first 30 seconds after joining
  
• added additional server-side anti-cheat checks for disguise abilties to prevent cheaters from freely choosing disguises with any class
  
• added additional server-side checks for all interactions to prevent unintended behaviors from lagging/cheating players
  
• old "Classic Heist 1.0" is now selectable again for server hosts
  
• removed Artist's easel placement sound
  
• bots can now correctly interact with Artist's paintings
  
• Karl Marx's heal is now global
  
• Albert Einstein's chrono launcher now speeds up robbers instead of slowing them down
  
• increased Pot mask taser protection from 60% to 90%
  
• Surge can now only use his electric field ability while his battery is fully charged
  
• NPCs now sometimes turn around instantly, or after waiting/looking around a bit, after encountering a gadget that blocks their movement (e.g. Barbed Wire)
  
• "Guarding Angel" achievement now counts FED Chairman and Combat Medic revives, as well as reviving bots
  
• "Good Boy" achievement now also counts robber bot kills
  
• Combat Medic now can see UI icons for dead teammates
  
• bot robbers are now sped up by Einstein's chrono grenades
  
• Artist achievement now shows the player the current progress (X out of 20)
  
• Micro can now pick up up to 3,000$ while tiny (could already carry that amount before, but not pick it up while tiny)
  
• Al Capone tunnels can now be placed on any story, not just on the ground and basement floors
  
• improved Sword shader

Map Changes:
Classic Heist:

• reflection and lighting fixes

New York:

• added two additional micro vents
  
• replaced red getaway van with new getaway pickup truck
  
• added new bus next to the red getaway truck to provide robbers with a bit more cover

Fixed:

• fixed Queen's crown sometimes floating next to her head when server host plays her on player-hosted
  
• fixed Royal Crown event description typo
  
• fixed NPC ragdolls taking too long to spawn for clients with high network saturation
  
• fixed swapping clothes with ragdolls taking too long for clients with high network saturation
  
• fixed dead robber wearing "Party Hat" mask still attracting nearby NPCs
  
• fixed being able to select classes that were not allowed on the server for a short period after joining
  
• potential fix for Heavy's helicopter sometimes flying to the wrong location
  
• multiple potential bugfixes related to dismounting Sheriff's horse
  
• fixed being able to select skins for melee weapons
  
• fixed Surge's battery and taser heat UI overlapping
  
• fixed Surge's battery overlapping with his face in the main menu showcase
  
• fixed Traffic Cop's Barbed Wire having collision/navmesh issues with NPCs
  
• fixed ambulances not showing their revive UI while carrying dead robber bots as Doctor
  
• fixed Gym Buddy throw preview target getting blocked by destroyed windows

Level Editor:

• "Light Config" now allows map creators to set X, Y, and Z angles of the sun
  
• multiple "Light Config" bugfixes
  
• fixed deleted objects sometimes re-appearing

This update includes numerous changes to the oldest map in the game - "Classic Heist", the layout changes aim to limit sightlines, provide more cover for robbers to enter employee-only areas, and to give the robber team more entry and exit opportunities. The lighting has also been revamped, to increase visibility in darker areas, and provide a warmer sunset setting.

A new "Buffer Shooting Input" setting has also been added, this will buffer the mouse input of players in case they try to shoot a semi-automatic weapon that isn't ready to fire again, in this case the game will automatically retry firing in the following frame. This should improve the feel of semi-automatic weapons, especially at lower frame rates.

The level editor also received multiple updates, with the "Light Config" object now working correctly, allowing map creators to change the time of day and fog levels on their map in any way they'd like to create more atmospheric and unique maps! A new "World Space / Local Space" gizmo toggle has also been implemented, allowing users to move and rotate objects along their own axis, instead of only in world space:
Full Changelog:

New:

• added "Buffer Shooting Input" setting, buffers shooting input for the next frame if semi-automatic weapon isn't ready to fire this frame

Changes:

• dedicated server owners can now change maps without a vote

Map Changes:
Classic Heist:

• reworked most areas to the standards of other official maps:
  
• wider entrances and pathways
  
• more protected customer->employee transition zones for the robbers
  
• added customer stairs to the second floor
  
• added new gameplay objects (lockers, employee clothing baskets, donuts, ..)
  
• added kitchen area
  
• reworked jewelry store area, added toilets to give robbers more places to hide
  
• updated lighting
  
• added more NPCs
  
• added a way for cop/robber bots to get off the roof
  
• added fire ladder to the roof from the first story employee drill room
  
• added some loot to employee drill room
  
• added door from customer area to toilets (customer NPCs are allowed to walk through it as long as it is open)
  
• fixed multiple collision and missing windows issues
  
• added NPC interest points in the customer->employee transition zones so robbers have a bit more customer NPCs for cover there
  
• added wall infront of the big fire vault door, to block line of sight from the lobby to the vault
  
• removed destructible wall leading into the big vault

Fixed:

• fixed multiple crash issues
  
• fixed being able to votekick the owner of a dedicated server
  
• fixed kick vote switching to change money vote if the player that is being voted on disconnects
  
• fixed disconnected players not getting temporarily banned from servers after being votekicked
  
• fixed reconnected players not getting kicked after being votekicked
  
• fixed language setting overlap issue
  
• fixed money pickup showing the wrong error message when already carrying a bag
  
• dead players no longer affect paintings
  
• fixed bomb buggy exploding after getting recycled by Janitor
  
• fixed more horse-related bugs

Level Editor:

• fixed multiple bugs related to vertical elevators
  
• vertical elevators now take their target coordinates in local space instead of world space
  
• fixed Employee Clothes Basket description
  
• added "Switch Gizmo Space" button to object transform menu at the top of the screen, allows users to switch between world space (default) and local space (new) when moving objects
  
• added "Switch Gizmo Space" level editor keybind (default: "P")
  
• fixed level editor crane object not being climbable all the way to the top
  
• fixed multiple bugs related to "Light Config" not applying sun and fog settings correctly, especially when playtesting

I am happy to announce that additionally to the ongoing Free Weekend, Perfect Heist 2 is now available at a 50% discount since it has been picked as today's Steam Daily Deal! Addtionally, the "Historic Characters" DLC is off 30% off as well!

If you have any questions or feedback regarding the game, please let me know here or join the game's discord channel to find others to play with, stay up to date with the latest news, engage discussions about the game and its level editor and much more: https://discord.gg/perfect-heist-2-866119900234121236

Perfect Heist 2 will be free-to-play for all users from May 23rd to May 27th. New players can access all 54 base game characters, host their own servers, or join other players on dedicated servers and fully explore the game's expansive level editor!

If you have any questions or feedback regarding the Free Weekend, or the game in general, feel free to ask them below, or join the games discord to chat with other players: https://discord.gg/perfect-heist-2-866119900234121236

This update adds a brand-new, free robber class: The Artist will try to sneak around the bank and capture exciting moments in his paintings.
Depending on what scene he has in front of him when painting, the painting's title and monetary value changes, a painting of a burning plant won't be worth as much as one of a tasered player, for example. But be careful not to get caught by the cops while finishing your perfect painting!
This update also features multiple smaller balance changes, as well as performance optimizations and crash fixes. A fix for a very rare crash when starting the game has also been implemented, affected players should now be able to enjoy the game without any issues after adding the "-NoAnalytics" launch option on Steam.
The level editor also received some updates, with numerous bug fixes accompanied by UI improvements and a new "Interaction Time" setting for custom stealable objects.

New:

• added new robber class "Artist" (Modern Art: can paint 22 different scenes depending on what's in front of him, each giving different amounts of money; Lasting Legacy: his paintings increase in value after he dies; Auto Pistol + Bottle)
  
• Changes:
  
• Marie Curies X-Ray scanner can now be placed on ceilings and on the floor
  
• Marie Curie now starts with 2 placeable X-Ray scanners
  
• Marie Curies X-Ray first scanner now replenishes even if the second one hasn't been placed yet
  
• reduced Heli sound distance slightly
  
• BOT cops now only ping bomb bags that have been moved by a player
  
• carried money amount UI text now changes to a golden color if robber currently carries enough to win the round

Performance:

• reduced VRAM usage
  
• multiple CPU optimizations (worth around 0.5ms frame time)
  
• improved ESC menu opening performance (especially when user is subscribed to lots of workshop maps)

Map Changes:
Arcade:

• fixed hole in the floor in the employee basement

Skull Island:

• fixed hole in waterfall rock formation

Fixes:

• added "-NoAnalytics" launch option that resolves startup crashes for some users
  
• fixed typo in "Required Money" vote
  
• improved Vigil's camera placement
  
• fixed weapons not resetting for clients when a player died and respawned with the default weapons of his class
  
• fixed Fed Chairman getting revives more often than intended

Level Editor:

• fixed "Anti Grappling Hook Surface" not spawning for clients
  
• multiple "Custom Stealable Object" bugfixes
  
• fixed not being able to select certain lines in the level editor
  
• added "InteractTime" setting to custom stealable objects
  
• fixed custom stealable objects giving 80% extra money to Joker, instead of 60%
  
• fixed custom stealable objects not spawning a Joker card after being stolen by him
  
• fixed zones still having a collision after pressing "Hide Zones"
  
• fixed "Police Helicopter" object looking like a police car
  
• minor UI improvements