Titanfall 2 multiplayer picks up speed in tech test's second week

Ahead of Titanfall 2’s second weekend tech test, developer Respawn Entertainment is addressing players’ complaints with the multiplayer mode. The studio announced on the series' website that it’s made changes to both the pre-alpha build that’s playable right now as well as the final version of the game, out in late October, based on feedback it’s received during the current test.

The biggest of these concerns Titanfall 2’s speed, which players of the first game have found to be far slower than they’re used to. The change in pilot mobility is chalked up to cutting down on random player deaths and making close range firefights less chaotic, multiplayer game designer Steven DeRose wrote in the talkback post.

"Changes to pilot mobility stemmed from a desire to improve our gunplay, and not a desire to slow down movement," he wrote. Still, air speed and wall-running will become faster in the game’s next version. Players will also be able to maintain their speed better during successive wallruns.

The titans themselves will also dash more quickly and be able to recharge faster in the game’s next build. Acquiring the robots will get a speed boost, as pilots will again be able to charge up their meter every few seconds, just as they could in the previous game. That’s unlike how it works in Titanfall 2 currently, where players must complete objectives in order to get one of those robots.

"Despite our confidence in our top-end speed, we have heard your feedback"

Other changes are coming to the HUD design and titan survival rates, but speed has been the biggest issue cited by longtime players. A recent interview on ShackNews with designer Steve Fukuda led many to criticize major changes to the fast-paced multiplayer shooter's sequel, citing the decision to slow down the experience as getting away from what they felt was the point of the game: quick-moving, parkour-style action with giant fighting robots. The mostly flat maps used in the tech test didn't inspire confidence in the most dedicated Titanfall players either, which DeRose acknowledged in his post.

The tech test runs this weekend, Aug. 26-28, for a second time on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — but not on Windows PC, although Titanfall 2 will hit that platform on Oct. 28 as well. Even in its test build, there are secrets to be uncovered by intrepid PC data miners, and Respawn said that it’s limiting the scope of the multiplayer beta in the hope of keeping Titanfall 2’s reveals from getting out there before the game does.