Dear CEOs,

This is Kim Hyun Soo, the Head PD of CounterSide.

Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for CounterSide Origin's 1.5th Anniversary.

Today, we'll be providing more details about the upcoming September update that was previously announced during our livestream.

[New Substream – The World Behind the Stage]

[The World Behind the Stage] is a new storyline that delves into the untold stories and events that have unfolded throughout CounterSide's Season 3.

In [The World Behind the Stage], we will experience a fresh perspective from the beloved prima donna, Swan Claire, as she reveals the secrets and struggles that lie beneath her graceful public image.

[New Awakened Employee - Six Wings Swan Claire]

Alongside the [The World Behind the Stage] update, a new Awakened Employee, Six Wings Swan Claire will be updated as well.

Swan Claire excels at debuffing opponents, reducing their survivability. As an Awakened Supporter who reacts to specific status ailments, she offers a versatile range of abilities that can be adapted to various squad formations.

[ New Counter Pass - Credere ]

A new SSR Employee, Credere, is coming to Counter Pass.

 As a member of the Sigma Pirate featured in [ Treasure Hunt of the Debtcade ], Credere is a Ranger whose attack power increases with each defeated summon. She is designed to counter opponents who rely heavily on summons.

[Employee Max Level Expansion]

As previously announced, we'll be implementing an update in September that will raise the maximum level for employees to 120 to better match the difficulty of new content.

While we have provided a brief overview of the changes, we understand that you may have more questions.

This developer's note aims to provide more detailed information about the changes.

1. Required Resources by Grade

The materials needed for the existing [Limit Fusion] up to level 110 will remain the same even after the maximum level is increased to 120.

However, [S-Fusion Cores] will be required for [Limit Fusion] from level 110 to 120, and the quantity will vary depending on the employee’s grade.

CEOs can craft 15 [S-Fusion Cores] per week, and the cost of creating 1 is as below.

2. Changes to the Ability Calculation Formula

The stat calculation formula for Limit Fusion stages will also be adjusted along with expanding the maximum employee level.

Previously, stat increased by 2% per Limit Fusion stage through additive calculation. However, after the adjustment, the increase will be calculated multiplicatively.

With the change in the Limit Fusion stat calculation formula, employees who have already undergone Limit Fusion will experience a slight increase in their stats, and CEOs can expect to feel a more significant improvement when performing Limit Fusion.

Stat Calculation Formula

Before: (Base Stat + Increase * (Employee Level - 1)) * (100% + (Limit Break Count * 10%) + (Limit Fusion Stages 1-5 * 2%)) 

After: (Base Stat + Increase * (Employee Level - 1)) * ((100% + (Limit Break Count * 10%)) * (100% + Limit Fusion Stages 1-5 * 2%)) * (100% + Limit Fusion Stages 6-10 * 2%))

※ Stat above excludes effects from Lifetime Contact and Skill. 

3. Fusion Core Resource Challenge Update

Anticipating a high demand for Fusion Cores due to the employee maximum level expansion, we will be updating the Fusion Core Resource Challenge for Fusion Core to facilitate smoother acquisition.

This challenge will be held thrice weekly: Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. CEOs can obtain 1-2 Fusion Cores each time after clearing the challenge.

4. Ship Buff

The development team has determined that the current ships, due to the high damage inflation of employees, are unable to fulfill their role as bases even at the maximum level of 130.

With the expansion of the maximum employee level to 120, we anticipate that the ships will exhibit even lower performance.

Therefore, we plan to upgrade the main stats of ships to be able to cope with the increasing stats of employees.

5. Other

Even after the employee maximum level expansion, the Rearmament and Alternium Reactor unlocking conditions will remain at level 110.

However, the materials required for Rearmament will be replaced with Fusion Cores from the existing Rearmament Data. The existing Rearmament Data can be exchanged directly for the desired materials through a limited-time event shop.

◆ Rearmament Cost Adjustments

◆ Rearmament Data Exchange Shop

• [Squad Tournament]

Squad Tournament is a content where CEOs can compete to determine the server's strongest by engaging in automatic battles with their custom-built teams.

Once the CEO has freely assembled the squad and joined the content, a bracket will be automatically generated, and wins/losses will be determined at specific times.

Please note that the order of your squad's deployment will not change. We recommend a more strategic deck composition for those who aim for a high ranking.

CEOs who participate in the Squad Tournament and advance to the Round of 32 will receive a special title and additional rewards. CEOs who do not participate in the Squad Tournament can also earn rewards based on the number of successful predictions through match predictions, as well as a special title reward for all correct predictions.

• [5th Prestige Service]

The 4th Prestige Service will end on September 25th at midnight (UTC-5), and a new Prestige Service will begin.

The 5th Prestige Service will allow players to receive tiered rewards based on the Admin Coins CEOs have spent, just like the previous services. After acquiring the final reward, the Prestige Skin, CEOs will receive extra rewards for every 2,500 Admin Coins used.

The 5th Prestige Skin is designed with an angelic theme, contrasting with the demonic concept of the 4th Prestige Skin.

Since the silhouette was revealed during the CounterSide Origin 1.5th Anniversary broadcast, many players have been wondering who the skin will be for. The appearance of the Prestige Skin will be revealed through a PV, so please wait a little longer.

[ New Skin - What If… Story]

The following skins will be updated during September. 

[ I can't believe it's the Student Guide Leader - Ciel Marronier]

[ I can't believe it's the Champion - Ozymandias]

The Appreciation Kit 

As previously announced during the 1st Anniversary broadcast, we plan to send appreciation kits to CEOs who achieved the highest level in 2023 and topped various content rankings in the first half of 2024. We apologize for the delay in providing updates regarding this matter, even though the first half of 2024 has already passed.

We will provide a separate announcement in early September regarding the specific CEOs who will be receiving the appreciation kit and the contents and details of the kit.

This will be all for the upcoming updates in September 2024.

Thank you.