Secret Ponchos getting new characters, free maps this month

Secret Ponchos is getting its first major content drop this month. The Hunting Ground, as the update's titled, will arrive for PS4 on February 17, bringing with it new characters and free maps.

"With The Hunting Ground update we aimed to make sure we provide content for everyone: those who want to support us in expanding the game by purchasing some DLC, and our players who just love Secret Ponchos and want free new content," explained Switchblade Monkeys CEO Yousuf Mapara.

In an effort to introduce new content without fragmenting the player base, the update will introduce two new maps — Plaza and The Mines. With their arrival, Secret Ponchos will now have a total of six maps.

Plaza is described as 'a classic, battle-torn Spaghetti Western Mexican-style plaza." It's a smaller map, resulting in "high-tension combat." The Mines is a much different experience, combining confined narrow tunnels with an open area which helps create a "multitude of player opportunities for tactical battles."

In addition to the free content, the update will also include two new playable Outlaws for purchase: Gordo and The Wolf.

Gordo is a "vile and vicious bandit," armed with a high-powered Gatling. He also has a Molotov, and can block off parts of the map by leaving huge splashes of persistent flames. He can also pour a trail of fire behind him to further control the environment. The Wolf is a deadly predator that deals "devastating" critical hits with her bow and arrow. She can switch to "Wolf Stance" moving which offers great agility to pounce and tackle enemies before killing them with a bone knife. "The wolf is awesome for a technical player, whoc an take advantage of skill shots with her bow and land critical hits," Mapara suggests.

Aside from new content, the update also implements a number of tuning and balance improvements. Mapara didn't go into specifics but did say the developer has started to implement improvements for new players, including a basic in-game tutorial and a Practice mode.

The Hunting Ground update for Secret Ponchos is set to release for PS4 on February 17.

[PS Blog]