IN DEPTH: Farlight 84’s jetpack – its popular (and polarizing) legacy

In early January, fans of Farlight 84 – a fast-paced action hero battle royale game with a budding esports and content creation scene – were shocked to hear a decision from the developers.

The jetpack – the one thing that made the game unique among contemporaries like PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, Apex Legends, and the upcoming Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile – is being removed from Farlight 84.

The ensuing news drew lots of negative reactions from fans, with some in community groups even threatening to leave the game altogether or go back to other titles they played before.

In this article, Fragster looks back at the events that unfolded and get analysis on what the legacy of the jetpack in Farlight 84 can mean for gaming as a whole.

(Image Courtesy: Facebook/Farlight84)

WHEN AND WHY WAS THE JETPACK REMOVED?

The jetpack was universally available to all characters in Farlight 84 in its inception. This allowed the genre to give its own flavor: a fast-paced Battle Royale title with heroes having their own abilities – think of PUBG Mobile meets Valorant meets Apex Legends – with best elements of the three: battle royale action, awesome vehicles, unique hero abilities set into main classes (attack, scout, defense, and support), and lightning-fast mechanics – in one game.

Come January 20, 2024 – an update video was released confirming what was leaked across the internet for days and weeks before. New movement mechanics were introduced in the game, and the much-beloved jetpack was officially losing its universal movement feature.

Fans took to social media to express their disappointment, with the threats of quitting the game and/or returning to other titles becoming apparent among the sentiments.

The day after, January 21, Farlight Games and the development team released a statement on all their social media platforms, apologizing for the “inconvenience” it did to players.

“Following the announcement of the upcoming changes in Patch 2.0, there has been a lot of discussions and pushback from the community regarding the removal of the jetpack. While our intention has always been to make the game more balanced and enjoyable, reading through the comments have made us realize this change has been too drastic for long-time players and supporters. It is unfair to those who have spent considerable time practicing and mastering the jetpack,” they said.

They also presented some form of insight as to how to mitigate this problem, saying they will provide high-mobility-centric heroes to allow people to have a wider selection than crowd favorite attack capsuler, Maggie.
They added, “we will introduce more mobility compensation mechanisms in the game. For example, designing heroes with unique sliding capabilities to give players more room for maneuver.” The devs also announced they will work harder on a new schedule and made all available heroes free of charge in a bid to try and mitigate negative fan reaction.

However, days later, a new video was released, detailing what they believed were six key problems (and potential solutions) that were present in the game.

• SLOWER MOVEMENT – With jetpacks gone from the game, the game now feels like standard battle royale titles with the conventional move-shoot-reset dynamic. Gone are the days when the only thing that separated life and death was mastery of the jetpack. In response, the devs announced the development of JetSlide – a universal movement mechanic – which they claim can achieve “significantly faster movements while running.” Also, the developers have promised to include new movement abilities specific to all heroes.
• LIMITATIONS ON DEFENSIVE MANUEVERS – Aside from spam jumping, Patch 2.0 limited what players can do to defend themselves in case of attack, which is related to the loss of the jetpack. Terrain adjustments to add more cover are now being added to the game.
• TRAIL VISIBILITY – The jetpack also added customizable color schemes on the trails that were bought or purchased in game. Devs are aiming to fix that by including the trails in the new JetSlide mechanic, as well as in the unique hero movement abilities for new and current Capsulers.
• MATCHMAKING QUALITY IMPACT – The devs at Farlight Games acknowledged that lower quality and longer matchmaking times have been observed following the update, and worked on disabling maps and modes with lower matchmaking numbers with a plan to reintroduce them in the future.
• SKILL ADJUSTMENTS – Some skills such as Vision Erosion, EMP Shock, and Absolute Gravity used to be easily counterable with the jetpack, and devs are working to find solutions to make them less overpowering, as well as how to integrate them with the new JetSlide mechanics.
• PASSIVE ABILITY CHANGES – All role passive abilities have been removed, and all heroes now have 1 Ultimate and 2 Tactical Skills. Most heroes ability to soar have been removed, and some heroes maintain lateral flying – but as a Tactical Skill. The Role Passive Abilities have been converted into a universal skill for all heroes.

 

(L-R): Carlo “Cali” Salcedo, Kimberly “BurgerKim” Mas, and Rogyn “Osiris” Manansala.

ANALYSTS WEIGH IN:

Reports from AFKGaming and other websites pertain to a number of factors as to why the jetpack was removed: among them is long-term development to diversify playstyles, and the jetpack becoming an “end-all-be-all” solution. AFKGaming reported, “the high mobility and intense combat facilitated by the jetpack created a steep learning curve, making it difficult for newcomers to find their footing and enjoy a balanced experience.”

Fragster talked to three key Farlight 84 esports analysts who have conducted competitive professional league broadcasts: Rogyn “Osiris” Manansala, Kimberly “BurgerKim” Mas, and Carlo “Cali” Salcedo. All three have been part of one of the most competitive regions in Farlight84: the Philippines.

For Osiris, he believes the jetpack made the game faster than most competitive titles in the series.

“The jetpack makes the game 2x faster than the usual BRs such as Apex Legends. Mobile games has been designed to be played everywhere and meant to be a quick break on a daily life. It makes the game faster as you have the confidence on dictating the outcome via movement and aim.”

However, he also says this took the core identity of the game that made it stand out from its competitors.

“I find it odd that the core identity of the game has been removed. Jetpacks has been known to be one key factors to take control in your game. Zone and drops are decided rendomly and it is one of your weapon to change the tides of the game even when youre under-equipped or behind. Still good having the respawner around to be aggressive but losing a portion of your mobility will make you think twice on gambling in gunfights,” he said.

As for BurgerKim, she notes, “The jetpacks were a signature feature of the game, and is a favorite for many especially those who are new to shooters in general get a leverage in the field. Even if you hear just the jetpack SFX, you already know it’s Farlight84.” She also notes that she heard the news through KOLs and fellow broadcast talents.

Cali, meanwhile, says, he was “devastated” when the jetpack was removed. “I clocked hours trying to master it and when I finally got a hang of the movement mechanic it was removed just like that. The transition was super difficult, suddenly flanking enemies felt impossible and I kept forgetting that I couldn’t dash to evade gunshots like I used to.”

However, they did notice that the removal of the jetpack open up for some interesting takes which transcend both the competitive and the casual.

Cali says it took him four game hours to adjust – and he found the new movement more addicting as the play drags along. “The gameplay is different; it birthed a new set of techniques to topple over everyone. Winning gunfights is more on aim and accuracy with a little bit of strafing, bunny hopping and spam crouching – which didn’t take a while to get used to.”

He adds, the new movement mechanics and the loss of the jetpack opened up new possibilities in the game’s meta.

“The guns have more variety, there are fewer AK-77s, M4s, and Defenders which are the best weapons in the game spawning around – leaving guns like the Porcupine, VSS, and the Mad Rabbit to shine as primary and secondary.”

Osiris, meanwhile, commented a major change in the playstyle which is reflective of what classic BR games are like.

“Players will also start to respect the zone as less mobility means less possibilities to go outside the circle to loot and get more kills while returning safely,” Osiris said.

As for BurgerKim, “[I] lloved the jetpacks, but I have also adjusted well to the new patch. There are so many possibilities and strategies that you can do,” she notes.

(Image Courtesy: Facebook/Farlight84)

THE FUTURE: WILL JETSLIDE REDEFINE THE COMPETITIVE SCENE OF FARLIGHT 84?

All three analysts predict that the new JetSlide maneuever will make waves in the upcoming competitive calendar for Farlight 84.

BurgerKim claims that the new mechanics will be something to look forward to.

She says, “[The new JetSlide feature is] very exciting. Especially the new map and gun mechanics! JetSlide combines different aspects of FL84 that we love. I’m looking forward to how the players will adapt to the new patch. It’s great to see how the different teams form new strategies and plays surrounding the new features which for sure will shake things up for the future tournaments.”

 

She adds, the new move will revolutionize different types of plays and create new strategies – among the, capsuler composition for competitive teams, meta guns, playstyles, and team strategies.

“Because matches will now move at a certain pace, it allows teams to strategize more mid-game following for a more tactical approach leading up to very exciting final showdowns,” BurgerKim noted.

As for Cali, he believes the developers have answered the concerns of the community regarding the overall game quality – going so far as naming it “the best substitute for the jetpack.”

“All the concerns the community had with Farlight 84 V2.0 were adjusted to improve the quality of the game. The players worried they are too divided at the three maps present in-game so they implemented having Map Rotations to bring faster queueing times. The JetSlide mechanic adds a thrilling layer of mobility enhancing the movement options beyond simply walking, running or crouching.”

Osiris, meanwhile, commended that the entire move showed how Farlight84 developers bring something new to the table that people can look forward to and can also shape the meta, removing predictability in the overall gameplay.

“What’s good about Farlight84 is they bring something different to the table, always something to look forward or shape the meta. The thing is, the game hasn’t stabilized yet and doesnt feel stagnant to implement major changes. It’s a new game that caters to new people who also explores the BR genre. Having all changes at once from heroes, jetpack and new maps are overwhelming for the community. JetSlide will be another factor to look out on how it fits the game with multiple skills to dodge but not surprising as we already saw how slides works from a different game,” he says.

Osiris also notes, “the mobility reduction of removing the jetpack makes it more strategic as you will be less risking the fights since you dont have a bailout mechanism. I believe they should focus more on shifting the meta with diverse team compositions and restructuring POIs because adding all of the new features gives less time to new players and pros to settle down in the game.”

(Image Courtesy: YouTube/Farlight84)

THE FINAL WORD: IS THE JETPACK REMOVAL REALLY WORTH IT?

Hearing from Osiris, BurgerKim and Cali, the new but drastic movement change in Farlight84 might be pointing to a more competitive direction and to protect the longer-term health of the game that the devs might be planning to push.

At its heyday, the jetpack – and the overall premise of “fast-paced” BR – made the game so much of a standout that many professional and community teams from other titles like Call of Duty: Mobile (BR), PUBG Mobile, and others have started forming Farlight84 squads.

So far, Farlight84’s development team has been quick to respond to community backlash – but the real problems that need to be highlighted on is how to effectively deal with the aftermath of the launch of the new feature.

Disruptive changes – whether in-game and in real life – can take some getting used to – but just like the pandemic, the jetpack removal proved a point to the entire gaming world that everyone in the gaming cycle can improvise, adapt, and overcome towards a potential new normal.

It is now up to Farlight Games and the Farlight84 team to make sure that any potential move should balance both its audience interest with the overall needs of the game – a complex balancing act that can either be best for business but worst for engagement, or vice versa.

Up and until the new JetSlide feature is launched, the legacy of Farlight84’s jetpack will forever live on as proof that innovation can thrive even in a highly competitive gaming environment.