Ready or Not launched on Steam's Early Access last month, and there's already a lot of promising content within. Not to skip a beat, developer VOID Interactive announced the latest Ready or Not update, which, alongside adding new weapons and maps, deletes some of Ready or Not's controversial content such as "offensive assets."
There are quite a few significant changes in this update, which was announced today. There are now two new maps for players to try out in Ready or Not; one is called Valley, while the other is Fast Food. Changes to existing maps were also implemented, fixing certain bugs within them but also adding in new modes. As an example, Hotel now has an Active Shooter and Hostage Rescue mode, which will require players to fulfill different objectives than the map's previous modes such as Bomb Threat and Barricaded Suspects.
There are also quite a few new weapons, each one with different attachments and styles of play. These weapons are the VKS, G19G5, SCAR L, BCM MK1, and SLR 47. These are named after their real-life counterparts, along with other guns in Ready or Not. And while players are armed with new weaponry, the AI gets a few nerfs with how their shooting behaves. Previously, there were issues of shockingly accurate enemies. Now, the first three shots fired from an enemy are less accurate, which should alleviate some problems resulting in a quick death for players.
It's worth noting a few other major inclusions. Vivox is now integrated with this Ready or Not update, which is online voice communications for those who want to play in co-op. Players are also able to see themselves in mirrors now, which is a nice little attention to detail.
January's Ready Or Not Update Removes Controversial Content
In response to a Kotaku article criticizing content portrayed in Ready or Not, the developers pledged to adjust and remove several pieces of content that were designated as placeholder assets and more. In the patch notes, "deleted offensive assets" is one of the new changes. These should include items such as a reference to "red pills" and the mention of "noggin joggers," but there is no confirmation if these were specifically removed or not.
One other removal raises some eyebrows. This is due to the contents found within the ActivityFail folder of Ready or Not, which has since been removed as of this update. Following E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Ready Or Not\ReadyOrNot\Content\VO\ActivityFail leads to two voice lines by artist "John Xina," which is an internet meme referencing actor John Cena. Previously, he promoted an ice cream brand called Bing Chilling. A number of Chinese players are upset by this and find it offensive as can be seen in some Steam reviews, but we haven't seen any large-scale review bombings take place. Presently, these files are still in the base game's files, which I can confirm as an owner of Ready or Not. It may be that this removal is just due to it being copyrighted audio. Regardless, players can expect to see its removal soon for all editions.
Another note is the removal of that of "cringe VO." There are instances of an AI saying "My Mom has a Mexican maid," which some may deem as racist. This is probably part of the removed dialogue, but others were definitely of questionable quality -- not so much content -- as well.
Beyond removing questionable content, VOID Interactive has also taken steps to cover their legal bases, as there were copyrighted assets in the game. This includes copyrighted art and music, both of which have been removed according to this Ready or Not Update.
How Can You Play Ready or Not's Update?
January's Ready or Not update is available to download and play now, but only for those who pay for the Supporter Edition in addition to the base game. While the base game is $40, an additional $80 is required for the Supporter Edition. This edition is available for everyone on Steam. If you want to play this update early, you'll have to purchase the Supporter Edition. Otherwise, it should arrive at a later date this month for regular players. If you need a bit more of an incentive, Ready or Not: Supporter Edition also comes with cosmetics, the soundtrack, and the first expansion (which is unreleased).
If you're interested in checking out our thoughts on Ready or Not, check out our preview.
