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An update released today for MechWarrior Online brings the game's first Champion mech and aims to make battlefield coordination easier in Piranha Games' first-person mech shooter, according to patch notes from producer Matt Newman on the game's official website.
Patch 1.2.214 introduces the Dragon 5N, the player-designed Champion mech that sports a 10 percent XP boost. Players eager to get their hands around its controls can hop into a trial version of the 5N before purchasing.
The update also adds new Lances and Lance Commanders who can issue orders within larger groups of mechs. Each Team Commander issues commands to both Lances with the press of a button. Newman writes that players can use these features to "coordinate your team and dominate the battlefield."
Polygon spoke with Piranha Games' president and co-founder Russ Bullock recently about the game and what's left to do before MechWarrior Online leaves its open beta late this summer, so be sure to check out our interview. You can check out the patch notes for a detailed list of the tweaks to mechs and the bugs squashed.