'Dishonored 2' Beta Update For Mission Select, Custom Difficulty Coming To PC January 18 (Updated)

Update, 1/23/2017, 11:09 a.m. PST: The update is now available for all platforms.

Update, 1/18/2017, 8:28 a.m. PST: If you're on PC, you can now try the beta version of the latest update, which lets you choose missions and create a custom difficulty setting. You can read the full patch notes detailing the update's many bug fixes on the game's Steam page.

Last month, Bethesda and Arkane Studios teased a future update for Dishonored 2 that would include the ability to select missions and set a custom difficulty to suit your experience. Now we know that the update is coming as early as next week for PC players and on January 23 for console gamers.

Before you select a level to play, you’ll need to unlock it through the main campaign. Even though you might want to change your approach the second time through the same level, the "selectable missions will retain the status of your playthrough at the start of that mission (character, chaos, runes, money, choices, etc)."

However, replaying a level isn’t enjoyable without increased levels of difficulty, hence the creation of the Custom Difficulty feature. According to the announcement, there are 20 sliders to manipulate in order to make the levels easier or more complex. This includes changing the distance that you lean out when peeking over barriers, the speed at which Sleep Darts take effect, and even the number of enemies that will attack when you’re spotted. For the ultimate challenge, there’s an additional toggle called "Iron Mode." With this on, you won’t be able to save or load during a level, and there's "permadeath," which means that the mission restarts from the beginning if you die.

If you’re playing the game on Steam, you’ll get an early beta version of the update next week on January 18. The finished update will be available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on January 23. There are also some “new and improved features” included in the update, but details won’t be available until a later date.