Wasteland 3 gets a respec feature, permadeath, and more with its next update

By Heidi Nicholas,

Patch 1.3.3 is on the way for Wasteland 3, bringing with it tougher options like modes for permadeath and Difficult Skill Checks, as well as a respec feature, character customisation additions, and more improvements and fixes.

Patch 1.3.3 is titled "Death & Taxes," and developer inXile Entertainment says it "is exactly the sort of update that those among you who chided the idea of a story mode are going to love." One of Patch 1.3.3's biggest additions is definitely that permadeath mode, which will "turn your nearly immortal-ish digital characters into something more or less mortal (for a video game), and means they’ll croak when their health reaches zero." The permadeath mode will only be available as a single-player feature, and you won't be able to change your mind once you've selected it. With permadeath mode enabled, any time a Ranger runs out of life, they will enter a "Downed state," giving you a little time to try and bring them back. You can't use Nitro Spikes or anything else to revive them, and if they die, they'll be gone for good. You won't lose their equipment — it will all go into the shared inventory — but you will see their Party Portrait vanish from the HUD. If you run into some real bad luck and all members of your party die, it's game over.

Alongside the permadeath mode, you'll also have the option to turn on the Difficult Skill Checks Mode when starting a new game, which "will increase all skill checks in the game by +2, up to a maximum of 10." Patch 1.3.3 also adds the respec feature, letting you "re-specialize" your characters at the Ranger HQ. This will be free for the first two Rangers, but after that, you'll need to pay for any respeccing or recruiting. Lastly, Patch 1.3.3 will give you 23 new character customisation options to choose from, including tattoos, scars, and helmets.

inXile hasn't specified yet when Patch 1.3.3 will arrive for various platforms, although the team did say it should be some time in the next few weeks. We'll keep you updated.

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Written by Heidi Nicholas

Hey, I'm Heidi! I've just finished studying a Masters in English Literature, but I've been obsessed with gaming since long before then. I began on the PS2 with Spyro, before graduating to the Xbox 360 and disappearing into Skyrim. I'm now a loyal RPG fan, but I still like to explore other genres — when I'm not playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey, or being lured back into Red Dead Redemption 2 or The Witcher 3!