Last year's TI7 Arcana vote winner, the long-awaited Pudge Arcana, arrives in The Feast of Abscession Update.
Last night, Valve released the highly anticipated Arcana item set for Pudge after TI7's Arcana vote turned out in his favor (50.008% to 49.992%) - with merely 8,711 more community votes than Rubick. The new set comes to us in "The Feast of Abscession" update, which includes a host of custom effects, new animations, and new responses for the Butcher. With so much meat to this update and so little time, "let's get intimate."
The focal point of the entire set is distinctly the Chains of Abscession, which radiate a spectral glow and hover above the Butcher with a chilling sentence. Each grisly tendril is adorned with razor-sharp scythes - perfect for stealing unsuspecting victims. Pudge also receives a face-lift, as half of his face now bares a molten facade - layered atop the smoldering embers of damnation. The heroes' right eye now burns with the fervor of corruption and his flesh contorts to keep his symbiotic darkness bound by a thread. To add insult to injury, an alternate unlockable "Grand Abscession" style can be unlocked by defeating an enemy Rubick's team in 12 games. This alternate style replaces the demonic red glow of the original skin with a neon green one.
Just like other previously released Arcana items, The Feast of Abscession includes special effects for each of Pudge's abilities. A "hook streak counter" is now built into Meat Hook which measures the amount consecutive hooks without a miss. New celebratory voice-over lines respond in accordance with Hook Streak Counter accumulations, as the Butcher achieves growing levels of Massacre.
The most notable effect treatment comes in the form of custom Dismember effects. According to Wykrhm Reddy, Pudge will exhibit a variety of Dismember effects depending on the hero type: meat, ethereal, ice, electric, stone, fire, metal, goo and wood.
Image courtesy of Wykrhm Reddy via Twitter
The full list of custom upgrades featured in the Pudge Arcana bundle include:
- New base model, texture, and custom pedestal
- All-new animations on: Loadout, Alternate Run, Rare Idles, Long- & Short-range Dismember, Hook Streaks and more
- Custom milestone counter effects for Hook Streaks
- Custom Dismember flesh effects for different heroes
- Altered Voice with hundreds of new responses
- Custom Hero Portrait, Ability Icons, and Minimap Icon
- All-new 'Skip to the Good Stuff!' Taunt animation
- Alternate Unlockable 'Grand Abscession' Style
- Custom Emoticon
- 'EXALTED' item Quality on all purchases made before May 4, 2018
Perhaps Valve will surprise disgruntled Rubick Arcana voters with an eventual Rubick Arcana later on. This would not be the first time Valve satiated both the winning and losing side of the vote; i.e. the Juggernaut/Io Arcana vote from TI6, where Juggernaut won by 4% but both heroes eventually received Arcana sets. Valve continues to outdo themselves with each subsequent Arcana and The Feast of Abscession is no exception. For bitter Rubick fans still reeling from the loss, I leave you with these words of wisdom from Kevin "Purge" Godec:
You can purchase The Feast of Abscession Arcana here for $34.99.
