It has been a very big couple of months since launch!

We’re very excited to bring you our first update to Puzzle Quest 3 introducing some huge new features, new content and of course, quality of life changes.

The Mercenary class will become available upon daily reset on 3rd of May 2022

The Mercenary is a warrior-for-hire, an opportunist, and a treasure hunter.

Their spells reflect both their greedy nature and their ruthless style of combat, focusing on Gold Find, board control, physical damage, gem destruction, and the use of underhanded tactics such as poison

• • Ultimate Spell: Blade for Hire
    • Create 2,4 or 6 Treasure Gems based on the charge of this spell
  • Treasure Gems:
    • They do not match with other colors – they must be activated like the Necromancer’s Death Gems.
    • When activated, they give one stack of GREED, and destroy a row and column of gems. There is also a 25% chance to create another Treasure Gem!
  • Blade for Hire Status Effect: Greed
    • Gain 5% Gold Find and 10% Critical Hit Damage per stack, and empower other Mercenary Spells

• • • SEARING STRIKE (110 Red Mana)
      • Deal 0.75x damage as fire, plus 2-7% per red or green gem on the board.
    • POISON EDGE  (125 Green Mana)
      • Create 3-8 red gems or 3-8 green gems, with a 40-90% chance to poison the enemy for 4 turns.
    • PAY IN ADVANCE  (120 Yellow Mana)
      • Gain 0.6x Power and 5% Gold Bonus. If I have a stack of Greed, deal 1x melee damage.
    • SHAKEDOWN  (130 Red Mana)
      • Deal 1x damage as fire, destroy 2-7 skull gems, +1 more for each stack of Greed. New Enemies – Dark Dwarves

• • • CONFIDENT SLICE (115 Red Mana)
      • Destroy a row of gems. Deal 0.5x melee damage, with a 25-75% chance to create 2 skull gems for each skull gem destroyed
    • BOUNTY HUNT (150 Red Mana)
      • Deal 1.5x missile damage. If you have a stack of Greed, there is a 30-80% chance to add 2 more stacks
    • GREEDY RAGE (125 Red Mana)
      • Deal 1x melee damage, adding 10-20% for each stack of greed you have.
    • FIND WEAKNESS (80 Green Mana)
      • Gain 5-10% Critical Hit Chance, and 25-75% Critical Hit Damage Bonus. Drain enemy mana.
    • DIRTY BLADE (125 Green Mana)
      • Deal 1x damage as poison. If you have a stack of Greed active, create 2-7 skull gems.
    • PRECAUTION (150 Blue Mana)
      • Heal 0.7x Life. If you have a stack of Greed also gain 10-30% of your maximum Resistance.
    • AMBUSCADE (120 Purple Mana)
      • Deal 1x damage as dark. If you have a stack of Greed, there is a 25-50% chance to stun the enemy.

Mercenary Spells will be added to the various Chapter I – XV Dungeon chests with the release of the class.

We are so excited to bring you Seasons from daily reset on May 3rd!
Seasons will be our primary vehicle for bringing you brand new story content, weapons, gear, enemies and much more!

• • • Seasons are unlocked at Level 20
    • You can access Seasons via the World Menu
    • While a Season is running you will also find a badge on the Hero menu that will take you straight to it
    • New Seasons will launch approximately one week after the launch of their

• • • Your first stop in Seasons will be the Story tab
    • Each Season there will be 3 brand new chapters added to the main story
      • You’ll get a brand new chapter on weeks 1, 3 & 5 of the Season
      • You’ll be able to play the story on Hard and Elite mode for additional rewards
        • Hard Mode from week 6
        • Elite Mode from week 7

• • • In the Battles Tab you can replay Season battles just like Skirmishes and Dungeons to earn additional Seasonal rewards

• • • Each Season has a set of Seasonal Goals to be completed to earn additional rewards
      

• • • You can use Seasonal currency earned through Goals, Battles and the Story to purchase Spells and Minions unique to the Season as well as the Season’s Caches containing Seasonal Currency, shards, Relics, Gear and the Legendary Anthrite Shield in the Tier 2 and 3 Caches.
    • Any Seasonal currency left at the end of the Season will be converted to Ancient Coin which can be used in the Season Archive

• • • As you play battles, resource rewards you earn will be stored in the Season Bank

• • • All resources stored in the Season Bank will be distributed to you at the end of the Season
    • The Season Bank can be emptied and filled multiple times throughout the Season using Bank Tokens available in both the Gold and Platinum Season Pass
    • Resources collected from the Bank go beyond any relevant caps you may have.
    • BANK CAPS
      • Store up to 10,000 Gold
      • Store up to 1,500 Food
      • Store up to 1,500 Ore
      • Store up to 500 Gems

• • • Each Season Pass will give you additional rewards for the Season & give you permanent access to the Season in the Archive

• • • • Gold Pass
        • Additional Season Battles per day
        • Season Bank tokens
        • Additional rewards for completing Season Goals

• • • • Platinum Pass
        • All rewards from the Gold Pass are doubled
        • Platinum-Only Shop Bundles
        • Premium Seasonal Skins

• • • With update 1.1 we are introducing new Skins for your heroes!
      • These will be available in the Season Rewards tab
        

• • • Skins can be previewed in the Season Rewards tab

• • • A Premium Skin unique to the Season can be found in the Platinum Pass

• • • You can preview and swap your Seasonal Skin in the Select Hero Menu

• • • At the end of a Season
      • Any Seasonal Goals that have been completed but the reward has not been collected will be collected automatically
      • Any remaining Seasonal Currency will be converted to Ancient Coins
      • Any remaining Bank Tokens will be converted to Ancient Coins at a 1:10 ratio
      • Any resources accumulated in your Season Bank will be delivered to your inbox for collection

• • • The Season Archive will be a place to play past Seasons and earn rewards you may have missed during the active Season
    • Ancient Coins will be used in the Archive when it becomes available.

Season Archive is a feature that will be coming in a future update

The Season begins at daily reset (00:00 GMT) on the 3rd of May.

A disgrace to the dwarves of Etheria, the Dark Dwarves in the deep mines of Khazdhul have mastered the extraction and use of the maligned substance Anthrite… But at what cost and to what purpose?

Start – 3rd May (Release of Seasons, new gear, spells, minions, weapon and hero)

Chapter II unlocks – 17th May

Chapter III unlocks – 31st May

Hard Mode – 7th June

Elite Mode – 14th June

End date – 1st July 

Available from daily reset (00:00 GMT) on the 3rd of May.

Values in bold are affected by the rarity or element of the item.

• • Khazdhuli Crossbrow (Weapon)
    • The Dark Dwarves of Khazdhul favor these hard-hitting, but slow, weapons.

• • • Gain 5-20 Ultimate Spell Power when matching a Big V (Blue/Green/Red/Yellow/Purple) Gem

• • Khazdhuli Helm (Helmet)

• • • Visors built into these Dark Dwarven helms both protect the eyes of the wearer from rock shards, and enhance their vision in dark places.

• • • Gain 10-25% bonus Gold from battles, and start the battle with a Barrier.
  • Khazdhuli Carriers (Shoulders)

• • • Dark Dwarven shoulderguards are typically crafted to allow heavy loads to be attached.

• • • When matching any Big V gem (or higher), there is a 10-25% chance to create an identical one.
  • Khazdhuli Waistguard (Pants)

• • • Eminently practical, as always, these Dark Dwarven waistguards provide unparalleled protection for the freedom of movement they provide.

• • • There is a 8-20% chance to gain Reflect for 3 turns when matching purple gems.
      Reflect: Deal the next received damage back at the attacker, but still receive the damage.

• • Khazdhuli Gages (Gloves)

• • • Khazdhuli Gages are often fitted with small devices to increase the strength of the wearer.

• • • Gain 4-10% Critical Hit Chance for each Big V gem (or higher) on the board.
  • Khazdhuli Cleats (Boots)

• • • Though they may not look practical, these cleats are cunningly crafted to help traverse rough cavern floors.

• • • Add 2-8 red and purple mana when matching 5 or more gems.
      

• • Khazdhuli I (2 piece set bonus)

• • • 25-75% chance to create a Big V gem at the start of battle.
    • Gain 5-30% to all Elemental Damage Reduction vs. Khazdhuli enemies.

• • Khazdhuli II (4 piece set bonus)

• • • 25-75% chance to inflict Wither for 2 turns when you match skull gems.
      • Wither: Double effect from all negative Status Effects.
    • Gain 5-30% Physical Damage reduction vs. Khazdhuli enemies.

• • Khazdhuli III (6 piece set bonus)
    
    
    • At the start of your turn, if there are 3 or more Big V gems, create 1-6 skull gems.
    • Gain 5-30% Power vs. Khazdhuli enemies.

Available only in the Cache items in the Season shop, this item will drop at Legendary rarity.

• • Gain +5-20% Block Chance. There is a 5-50% chance to inflict an enemy with a random negative status effect for 3 turns, when taking damage.

Values in bold are affected by the level or rarity of the spell.

• • GOLD SENSE (90 Yellow mana)
    • Increase Power by 0.5x Spell Power for each Big V or higher gem on the board. There is then a 25-75% chance to explode those gems.
  • MINERAL STRIKE (145 Red mana)
    • Deal 1x damage as fire and destroy a column of gems. For each red gem in the column, add 5-30% damage.
  • DARK MACHINATION (110 Purple Mana)
    • Convert 3-8 yellow gems to purple, with a 25-75% chance to also create 3 skull gems.
  • TANGLED SKULLS (120 Green Mana)
    • Deal 1x melee damage and inflict Wither, lasting 1 turn for each skull gem on the board. There is a 30-80% chance to decrease enemy Power by 10%.
      • Wither: Double effect from all negative Status Effects.

• • Dark Hound
    • Balanced 
    • PvP Spell: Dire Gore (60 Mana)
      • Remove a random row of gems and deal 1x damage as dark, adding 10% for each skull removed.
  • Gravel Worm
    • Mighty
    • PvP Spell: Stone Bite (55 Mana)
      • Deal 1x melee damage and Confuse the enemy for 4 turns.
        • Confuse: Confused characters have both their Critical Hit Chance and Critical Hit Damage halved.

• • Mech Spider
    • Speedy
    • PvP Spell: Self-Repair (50 Mana)
      • Gain 0.5x life, armor, and resistance.
  • Steam Bomb
    • Cunning
    • PvP Spell: Steam Blast (60 Mana)
      • Deal 1x damage as fire, and remove 3 red gems and 3 skull gems.

The Items, Spells, and Minions use new Relics obtainable through the Season Dungeons to evolve.

• Fire Mastery Paladin
  • Walk in light, cleanse with fire…
    

• Poison Mastery Assassin
  • What a dark heart can’t solve, poison and a quick hand will.

• Ice Mastery Berserker
  • Flames may burn, but nothing blisters like ice.

• Dark Mastery Necromancer
  • Those who hold the cold hands of death must also join them in darkness.
    

• Light Mastery Shaman
  • A great many poisons are also cures but it takes an expert to know the difference.

• Khazdhuli Paladin (Included with Season 1.1 Platinum Pass)
  • While the Khazdhuli have long since fallen from grace, this armor stands testament to their worthiness amongst the ranks of dwarven artisans.

• Hunts are a new battle mode that enhances play for new Hero Classes, and allows valuable chests to be targeted.
  • You’ll find the Hunts side-tab inside the World tab
• Hunts unlock when your first hero reaches Level 7; they unlock more variety & features as the hero most advanced in the story completes more chapters
• Hunts are a series of battles that give XP on par with the main quest line. This gives players the opportunity to level a second hero without having to replay the main story over again.
  • At least one Hero will have had to progress through the main story in sequence to unlock more Hunts

Hunts may be also played by your highest level hero, but they will receive similar XP to normal Skirmish and Dungeon battles

• • Here, you will be presented with 2 Hunts from the unlocked chapters. They will be of different difficulty:
    • 3 Battles = Gold Chest
    • 4 Battles = Ruby chest
    • 5 Battles = Diamond Chest
      • Battles also give standard (quest) chests & gold
  • All battles will give 25% of XP like a Skirmish or Dungeon UNLESS the Hero is a lower level than your highest level hero.

• • Once you have STARTED a Hunt, you must play through 3-5 battles to collect your bonus chest.
  • The battles have 3 states:
    • Done
    • Current
    • Locked
  • They must be played in order – the last is always a dungeon

• • If you tap the Help button and a How-to-Play for the feature exists
    • You will be presented with a new How-to-Play
  • The More Details button will only be shown if you
    • Are playing in English
    • If there is a contextual help article available

• • The End Turn option can now be enabled in the Settings menu
    

• • An End Turn Button will appear…
    • If there are no valid matches on the board
    • By tapping/clicking the battle move timer at the top of the board

• • Co-op parties can be marked as public or private when creating them. 
  • Private parties can be set to only allow Friends or Kingdom members to join.
  • A private party that doesn’t allow Friends or Kingdom Members to join freely can only be joined through an invite.

• Gem matching is now more responsive when playing at 30fps
• Added a Variable Frame Rate setting that extends battery life. When enabled, the game runs at a reduced frame rate except when swiping gems and casting spells during battle.

• Added Difficulty Level to UI in the Party Lobby
  • Added gear score to party search and lobby menu
  • Added battle type icon to party search
• Added icons to differentiate types of chat messages
• Heroes can now be renamed in the Select Hero menu
• A number of improvements have been made to UI in PVP

• There is now a complete account deletion option in the Settings menu
• You can now click on your name code in the Settings menu to copy it
• Added a button with a direct link to Gear, Spells and Minions on the error messages informing you that you’re out of storage

• St Patrick’s Day Ring Big Gem bonus not stacking
• On Spell Cast effects triggering before the effects of the spell do
• Stun resistance can be dispelled
  • The tooltip has also been updated to reflect this change.
• Spell Board Scaling Damage not counting locked Gems  
• Elite Damage Bonus not applying to Mini Bosses
• Spell Damage getting boosted by the incorrect Elemental Damage Bonus 
  • For example, the Berserker’s Cleave spell, despite doing Physical damage, would get boosted by the character’s Fire Damage Bonus.
• Spell Effects based on Level & Minion Stats less than what they should be
  • Scaling of Spell effects based on level and Minion stats were less than what was intended. This is more prominent the higher the level of the Spell or Minion. 
• Defeating Imp Freezes Game
• Night Gear set bonus 3 triggering regardless of gem colour
• Battles stuck in an infinite loading screen during battle
  • This fix should also make co-op more stable.

• Fixed equipped items in the gear &spell vaults always showing the selected check mark
• Fixed Kingdom title bonuses not displaying correctly, or at all.

• The player character overlaps with NPC during 1st chapter part 4 conversation
• Duplicate hero model is displayed behind the gem board during all the follower’s second battles

• Weekly Kingdom Crests Inaccurate
• Controller Support Improvements – Improved virtual cursor functionality across different resolutions
• Weekly Craft Follower Quest Not Progressing
• Follower Crystal Offer Gives Crystal For Locked Follower
• Duplicate Spells Equipping
• Error When Changing Name
• Daily Rewards Push Notification Received Before Shop Unlocked
•  

• Gold Dragonette from launch mail can’t be used to open chests
• Some text descriptions difficult to read against background
• Incorrect Account Level on Roster
• Global Mail with No Rewards still shows Rewards to Collect