News Blog
Catch all of Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch's announcements and highlights here!
Freems • May. 12, 2025, 12:34 PM
Hey all you Mega Fans! It's that time again for another V6C Newsletter!
I don't have much of a preamble for you all this time, so let's dive right into looking at some more of our map updates! Firstly, here's one that is less of a full rework, and more so just reworking very specific parts of the map.
That's right, we have some changes coming to Knight Man's stage! A majority of it will be the same that you already know, but the infamous tower has been in a... questionable state for some time. So the goal here was to expand the tower into an actual playable setpiece rather than a tall room with a lot of ladders and a dead end. This came with a slight expansion into the courtyard and the castle itself as you can see in the screenshots.
There are other smaller flow changes to the map to both help its flow in general and compliment this change (as you can kind of see in the last screenshot) but a majority of the map remains as it always has, just with some quality of life.
Now, let's take a look at another map that, while keeping its base layout, received a lot more radical changes all around the board.
Air Man's stage has received quite the makeover! Air Man's tileset has always been... iconic to put it lightly, and there's only so much we can do about that. But like some other of the early NES titles, we added some extra on theme tiles to help add some more variety to a map that really needed it.
But outside of that, while the very basic blueprint still exists, there have been a lot more changes in this latest iteration of the map. Mostly in the form of more forms of cover (and the platforms and architecture such cover creates) and a lower section to the map which also helps break up the near endless sightlines that come with being a very open stage in the clouds. Everything still looks very busy on paper because it's still... well, it's still Air Man, but in practice the map flows miles better than it did before.
That's all for today's newsletter! We'll see you next time!
I don't have much of a preamble for you all this time, so let's dive right into looking at some more of our map updates! Firstly, here's one that is less of a full rework, and more so just reworking very specific parts of the map.
That's right, we have some changes coming to Knight Man's stage! A majority of it will be the same that you already know, but the infamous tower has been in a... questionable state for some time. So the goal here was to expand the tower into an actual playable setpiece rather than a tall room with a lot of ladders and a dead end. This came with a slight expansion into the courtyard and the castle itself as you can see in the screenshots.
There are other smaller flow changes to the map to both help its flow in general and compliment this change (as you can kind of see in the last screenshot) but a majority of the map remains as it always has, just with some quality of life.
Now, let's take a look at another map that, while keeping its base layout, received a lot more radical changes all around the board.
Air Man's stage has received quite the makeover! Air Man's tileset has always been... iconic to put it lightly, and there's only so much we can do about that. But like some other of the early NES titles, we added some extra on theme tiles to help add some more variety to a map that really needed it.
But outside of that, while the very basic blueprint still exists, there have been a lot more changes in this latest iteration of the map. Mostly in the form of more forms of cover (and the platforms and architecture such cover creates) and a lower section to the map which also helps break up the near endless sightlines that come with being a very open stage in the clouds. Everything still looks very busy on paper because it's still... well, it's still Air Man, but in practice the map flows miles better than it did before.
That's all for today's newsletter! We'll see you next time!
Freems • April. 28, 2025, 12:31 PM
Hey all you Mega Fans! We're back at it again with another V6C newsletter!
This is honestly a little awkward timing with the release of Zandronum 3.2 last night because my newsletter is not nearly as exciting given Zandro has released. But please check out Trillster's post about 3.2's release because you will need to make sure you install it to even properly play online on the current version, never mind V6C. So check it out here if you haven't already!
https://mm8bdm.net/forum/thread/zandronum-3-2-has-released-213
Anyhow, today's newsletter isn't nearly as big and exciting as Zandronum 3.2 (not that we don't have big and exciting things to show off, but it's all about pacing!). Instead, I'm here to talk about something a good chunk of you probably already know about; The Bounty Maps.
For those who are unaware, a little while ago we held a Bounty Contest for the community to make maps to replace four troublesome maps in the game; Flash Man, Crash Man, Wind Man, and Mega Water S. The results came in a while ago but those four winning maps are in the game now and ready to go.
It's not really possible to go over everything, but a good number of changes have taken place between the Bounty competition and the final maps that are in V6C, ranging from texture changes, weapon layout changes, and adding some more props where there were none. But the base layouts remain just about the same as the winning entries.
Now I don't have a big surprise for you all today (as I said above, pacing is key!) but I'd feel a little bad leaving you all with exclusively the four maps that people already knew were being changed, so I'll show off one more map. The map itself is actually remaining the same as it always has, but it has received something of a visual makeover while keeping the original layout intact.
Dark Man is one of the most popular maps in the game, and for good reason. But from a visual standpoint it's been nearly the same since the start of the game, and unlike certain other maps, there were a lot more to pull from when it comes to the source material, so the map has received a fresh coat of paint! But don't worry, it's still the same Dark Man we know and love. Though there might be at least one more surprise here that will have to wait until V6C releases...
That's all for today's newsletter! We still have a lot of work to get done before V6C's release, even with Zandronum 3.2's release, but the dev team is working hard to get it all done to a high quality! We'll see you next time!
This is honestly a little awkward timing with the release of Zandronum 3.2 last night because my newsletter is not nearly as exciting given Zandro has released. But please check out Trillster's post about 3.2's release because you will need to make sure you install it to even properly play online on the current version, never mind V6C. So check it out here if you haven't already!
https://mm8bdm.net/forum/thread/zandronum-3-2-has-released-213
Anyhow, today's newsletter isn't nearly as big and exciting as Zandronum 3.2 (not that we don't have big and exciting things to show off, but it's all about pacing!). Instead, I'm here to talk about something a good chunk of you probably already know about; The Bounty Maps.
For those who are unaware, a little while ago we held a Bounty Contest for the community to make maps to replace four troublesome maps in the game; Flash Man, Crash Man, Wind Man, and Mega Water S. The results came in a while ago but those four winning maps are in the game now and ready to go.
It's not really possible to go over everything, but a good number of changes have taken place between the Bounty competition and the final maps that are in V6C, ranging from texture changes, weapon layout changes, and adding some more props where there were none. But the base layouts remain just about the same as the winning entries.
Now I don't have a big surprise for you all today (as I said above, pacing is key!) but I'd feel a little bad leaving you all with exclusively the four maps that people already knew were being changed, so I'll show off one more map. The map itself is actually remaining the same as it always has, but it has received something of a visual makeover while keeping the original layout intact.
Dark Man is one of the most popular maps in the game, and for good reason. But from a visual standpoint it's been nearly the same since the start of the game, and unlike certain other maps, there were a lot more to pull from when it comes to the source material, so the map has received a fresh coat of paint! But don't worry, it's still the same Dark Man we know and love. Though there might be at least one more surprise here that will have to wait until V6C releases...
That's all for today's newsletter! We still have a lot of work to get done before V6C's release, even with Zandronum 3.2's release, but the dev team is working hard to get it all done to a high quality! We'll see you next time!
Trillster • April. 27, 2025, 9:06 PM
Zandronum 3.2 has released!
Zandronum, the game engine that powers Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch, has just released its newest 3.2 version! This version comes with the following enhancements:
What this means for you
As servers begin hosting 3.2 and mods begin being built with it, you may find yourself unable to join those servers or play with those mods. To fix this, you'll have to update your game to use Zandronum 3.2 instead.
All of MM8BDM's download links have been updated to include Zandronum 3.2, so you can simply reinstall the game to do this upgrade. Those updated downloads are linked below for convenience. If you need additional guidance, please refer to the game's installation guide here.
Some features of Zandronum 3.2 are not fully supported in the currently released versions of Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch. Most notably, the menus for voice chat and scoreboard options are missing. In the meantime before V6C is released, we recommend using Russel's miscellaneous fixes mod to correct these issues, which can be read about and downloaded here: https://mm8bdm.net/forum/post/346
What this means for MM8BDM V6C
We're still hard at work finishing out the next version, but rest assured, once released, it'll be fully compatible with Zandronum 3.2. As far as when it'll release, as Freems has alluded to in their newsletter posts, there's still some secret features that we're incredibly excited about that we expect to take a fair bit before we can call them completed. In the meantime, we're still posting updates every two weeks in our newsletter thread, so stay tuned for more info!
Zandronum, the game engine that powers Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch, has just released its newest 3.2 version! This version comes with the following enhancements:
- You can now chat with friends in-game using the engine's built in voice chat!
- The scoreboard has a brand new, overhauled, but fully moddable look.
- You can now put files into a "postload" folder for them to be automatically added after any other loaded files each time you load the game. Great for cosmetic addons!
- Many other new modding features have been added!
What this means for you
As servers begin hosting 3.2 and mods begin being built with it, you may find yourself unable to join those servers or play with those mods. To fix this, you'll have to update your game to use Zandronum 3.2 instead.
All of MM8BDM's download links have been updated to include Zandronum 3.2, so you can simply reinstall the game to do this upgrade. Those updated downloads are linked below for convenience. If you need additional guidance, please refer to the game's installation guide here.
Some features of Zandronum 3.2 are not fully supported in the currently released versions of Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch. Most notably, the menus for voice chat and scoreboard options are missing. In the meantime before V6C is released, we recommend using Russel's miscellaneous fixes mod to correct these issues, which can be read about and downloaded here: https://mm8bdm.net/forum/post/346
What this means for MM8BDM V6C
We're still hard at work finishing out the next version, but rest assured, once released, it'll be fully compatible with Zandronum 3.2. As far as when it'll release, as Freems has alluded to in their newsletter posts, there's still some secret features that we're incredibly excited about that we expect to take a fair bit before we can call them completed. In the meantime, we're still posting updates every two weeks in our newsletter thread, so stay tuned for more info!
Freems • April. 14, 2025, 1:39 PM
Hey all you Mega Fans! We're back again with another V6C newsletter! We have two more maps receiving changes to show off today, so strap on in! Let's begin with another map that spouts more minor, yet very important changes.
Toad Man's stage has always been very thematically fitting for what his stage in Mega Man 4 is, a sewer system. With that in mind, it's quite unlike any other map in the game I would say. While there were improvements to be made, we definitely didn't want to change the identity of the stage at all, so the changes made are simple on paper but very impactful in gameplay: You can now jump out of the currents at almost any point in the map rather than having to be stuck down there until you make it to a ledge. This not only gives you more options when it comes to, you know, getting out of the lowest parts of the map, but not having to commit to being down in the water allows you to make better use of the movement the current provides.
The sewers have also been more populated with some more enemies from Toad Man's stage. There's more than just what's in this picture, so keep an eye out when V6C releases.
Anyway, let's take a look at another map where the blueprints are still there, but the changes are a lot more major.
Blizzard Man's stage is receiving a rather sizable revamp in V6C! There is certainly something very iconic about the stage, or rather, the middle section with the boat. The sides have always been rather unremarkable and the map's openness hasn't always been the most popular despite the boat. So our goal was simple, keep the middle section somewhat similar, albeit throw in some cover and better ways to traverse between the two sides, and completely expand upon the side paths so they're not relegated to buildings that teleport between each other. What we end up with is a map that is a lot more fun to play with, but doesn't lose the most memorable parts of the original map, and you know that boat is staying intact. Albeit it's a lot easier to get on and off it now without plummeting into the icy water below.
As an aside, if you're paying attention to these screenshots, you might have noticed that the assist items now have a blue border around them rather than the standard one that you've seen up until now. This was a decision we've made to help easily allow players to know what's a weapon pickup and what's an item that's going into your inventory. Sure for someone familiar with the franchise, it should be a no brainer that Beat Support is an item and Tornado Hold is a weapon, but for someone less familiar with the Mega Man series, that wouldn't be so easy to tell apart. It's just a small quality of life for the players, but one if I didn't address would probably leave everyone stumped to why Item-1 and Eddie are suddenly surrounded in blue.
Anyway, that's all I have for this newsletter! We'll see you next time!
Toad Man's stage has always been very thematically fitting for what his stage in Mega Man 4 is, a sewer system. With that in mind, it's quite unlike any other map in the game I would say. While there were improvements to be made, we definitely didn't want to change the identity of the stage at all, so the changes made are simple on paper but very impactful in gameplay: You can now jump out of the currents at almost any point in the map rather than having to be stuck down there until you make it to a ledge. This not only gives you more options when it comes to, you know, getting out of the lowest parts of the map, but not having to commit to being down in the water allows you to make better use of the movement the current provides.
The sewers have also been more populated with some more enemies from Toad Man's stage. There's more than just what's in this picture, so keep an eye out when V6C releases.
Anyway, let's take a look at another map where the blueprints are still there, but the changes are a lot more major.
Blizzard Man's stage is receiving a rather sizable revamp in V6C! There is certainly something very iconic about the stage, or rather, the middle section with the boat. The sides have always been rather unremarkable and the map's openness hasn't always been the most popular despite the boat. So our goal was simple, keep the middle section somewhat similar, albeit throw in some cover and better ways to traverse between the two sides, and completely expand upon the side paths so they're not relegated to buildings that teleport between each other. What we end up with is a map that is a lot more fun to play with, but doesn't lose the most memorable parts of the original map, and you know that boat is staying intact. Albeit it's a lot easier to get on and off it now without plummeting into the icy water below.
As an aside, if you're paying attention to these screenshots, you might have noticed that the assist items now have a blue border around them rather than the standard one that you've seen up until now. This was a decision we've made to help easily allow players to know what's a weapon pickup and what's an item that's going into your inventory. Sure for someone familiar with the franchise, it should be a no brainer that Beat Support is an item and Tornado Hold is a weapon, but for someone less familiar with the Mega Man series, that wouldn't be so easy to tell apart. It's just a small quality of life for the players, but one if I didn't address would probably leave everyone stumped to why Item-1 and Eddie are suddenly surrounded in blue.
Anyway, that's all I have for this newsletter! We'll see you next time!
Freems • March. 31, 2025, 1:57 PM
Hey all you Mega Fans! We're back again with another V6C newsletter! Let's get right to it and show off the big map change first this go around! Here's another completely remade map from the ground up!
After many, many moons, Elec Man's stage has been completely remade! The old map was certainly iconic for fitting the vertical nature that Elec Man's level in Megaman 1 is, but it was never very popular in terms of actual playability. This new Elec Man takes some cues from the old one (those fan platforms certainly look familiar) but breaks the level out of just being one very tall box, while still keeping the elements of verticality that makes Elec Man... well, Elec Man.
But that's not the only new addition waiting for us on Elec Man's stage. For if we look a little closer...
Oh, hello there.
Magnet Beam is being added as a new mobility item in V6C! It works pretty simply, though it's a little hard to get across in screenshots alone, so bear with me. Just use your item when you have Magnet Beam selected, and...
You'll form a bridge!
The beam will stay for a few seconds too, so you have plenty of time to traverse what you've created. Of course, opponents are able to follow as well.
But it's not just straight bridges! The Magnet Beam will fire in whatever direction you fire it in, and will shoot at that angle!
It can even act as a place down ladder if you shoot it vertically! Completely climbable and everything! But as I said before, just because you can create temporary platforms doesn't mean that other players can't make use of them as well... So it's best to keep that in mind, especially if you're trying to use it as a disengage tool. From experience though, it's a very fun item to use, so I hope you all enjoy!
That's all for today's newsletter! See you next time!
You can now imagine me using Magnet Beam to leave this post.
After many, many moons, Elec Man's stage has been completely remade! The old map was certainly iconic for fitting the vertical nature that Elec Man's level in Megaman 1 is, but it was never very popular in terms of actual playability. This new Elec Man takes some cues from the old one (those fan platforms certainly look familiar) but breaks the level out of just being one very tall box, while still keeping the elements of verticality that makes Elec Man... well, Elec Man.
But that's not the only new addition waiting for us on Elec Man's stage. For if we look a little closer...
Oh, hello there.
Magnet Beam is being added as a new mobility item in V6C! It works pretty simply, though it's a little hard to get across in screenshots alone, so bear with me. Just use your item when you have Magnet Beam selected, and...
You'll form a bridge!
The beam will stay for a few seconds too, so you have plenty of time to traverse what you've created. Of course, opponents are able to follow as well.
But it's not just straight bridges! The Magnet Beam will fire in whatever direction you fire it in, and will shoot at that angle!
It can even act as a place down ladder if you shoot it vertically! Completely climbable and everything! But as I said before, just because you can create temporary platforms doesn't mean that other players can't make use of them as well... So it's best to keep that in mind, especially if you're trying to use it as a disengage tool. From experience though, it's a very fun item to use, so I hope you all enjoy!
That's all for today's newsletter! See you next time!
You can now imagine me using Magnet Beam to leave this post.