Fire Emblem Heroes released its changelog for their version 1.5 update, which will include quite a few quality of life updates (Double SP Weekends, among other benefits), as well as some new play modes. Summoners can look forward to an improved Tempest Trials experience, and take part in the new Chain Challenge and Squad Assault story maps, each with their own neat twists.

Additionally, just hours before the official release of the much anticipated summer-themed banner, Nintendo released the video debuting the Ylissean Summer event, bringing in a new banner as well as a new paralogue series. Click here for the Japanese video.

Don’t pay too much heed to the incredible Frederick impersonation performed by Gaius during his debut

With the Ylissean Summer banner lasting throughout the entirety of July (June 30 until August 1), you have plenty of time to either save up some orbs, or spend them in hopes of recruiting the axe-swinging Tiki, the dagger-flinging Frederick, the harpooness Robin (F) and the bow-wielding Gaius, along with their unique weapons and slew of special skills not yet made available.

The new units will come featuring some new skills, all outlined in aforementioned video.

• Tiki [Summering Scion]
  • [Axe] Melon Crusher+ | 14 Mt, Rng 1, If unit has 100% HP at start of combat, unit gets Atk/Spd/Def/Res +2. If attacking, unit will take 2 damage after combat.
  • Close Def 3 | If unit is attacked by foe using sword, axe, lance or dragonstone, unit receives Def/Res +6 during combat.
  • Axe Valor 3 | If unit survives, all axe users on team get 2x SP. (If similar skill effects also used, only highest multiplier applied.)
• Frederick [Horizon Watcher]
  • [Dagger] Seashell+ | 10 Mt, Rng 2, For takes Def/Res -7 until end of foe’s next action. If unit has 100% HP at start of combat, unit gets Atk/Spd/Def/Res +2. If attacking, unit will take 2 damage after combat.
  • Seal Atk/Spd 2 | (After combat, inflicts Atk/Spd -5 on foe through its next action)
• Gaius [Thief Exposed]
  • [Bow] Refreshing Bolt+ | 12 Mt, 2 Rng, Eff. v Fliers, If unit has 100% HP at start of combat, unit gets Atk/Spd/Def/Res +2. If attacking, unit will take 2 damage after combat.
  • Def Ploy 3 | At start of turn, all foes in cardinal directions with Res 1 or more lower than unit suffer Def -5 until the end of foe’s next action.
• Robin (F) [Seaside Tactician]
  • [Lance] Deft Harpoon+, 14 Mt, Rng 1, If unit has 100% HP at start of combat, unit gets Atk/Spd/Def/Res +2. If attacking, unit will take 2 damage after combat.
  • HP/Def 2 | Grants HP +4, Def +2
  • Lance Valor 3 | If unit survives, all lance users on team get 2x SP. (If similar skill effects also used, only highest multiplier applied.)

With the Version 1.5 update, we’re receiving the Chain Challenge and Squad Assault challenges, as well as an updated Tempest Trials.

• Clear Chain Challenge on Normal and Hard to earn Hero Feathers, and clear on Lunatic to earn Orbs. 
  • Additional details, announced in a Famitsu post, this will feature elements similar to the Tempest Trials, in which a sequence of repeated battles test your skills for consecutive wins, and reward accordingly. There will be up to 80 stages.
• Squad Assault is a very difficult mode where Heroes will be captured by the enemy after completing a map. Once captured, they cannot be deployed again until the challenge ends. Clear this mode to earn Sacred Seals and Orbs.
  • As mentioned in the above Famitsu posting, there will be a mandatory victory condition of all four members surviving, and that each map will remove one character and swap them with another.
  • Summoners must have a minimum of 20 units, or they will not be able to even attempt this challenge.
  • With a maximum of five battles, Summoners will have to use five teams of four, with no units repeating battles
  • There will be an exclusive Holy Seal as a prize “Champion of the First Labyrinth 1” (no details on functionality yet).
  • 
• Tempest Trials Updates:
  • When retrying a stage, injured enemies’ HP will not regenerate while defeated enemies will stay defeated.
  • If an enemy’s HP is high, just as in ver. 1.4.0, their HP will decrease for the next challenge. (When determining whether to retain a wounded enemy’s HP value or decrease their HP, the game will use whichever value is lower.)
  • Scores for Normal and Hard have been adjusted.
    

    Lunatic	40 points (no change)
    Hard	35 points (boosted from 20)
    Normal	30 points (boosted from 10)

The Version 1.5 update will also bring us the following quality of life changes:

• EXP Adjustments
  • EXP earned from defeating enemies with a gap in level compared to your Heroes will be increased. 
    The EXP limit for defeating weaker enemies is less severe, while the EXP bonus for defeating stronger enemies has increased.
  • EXP for healing with a staff will increase.
  • For 5★ Heroes, expect more EXP for defeating higher-level enemies than before.
• Double SP Weekends
  • Starting June 30, the SP acquired during the battle will double during every Friday from 4:00pm to Sunday 3:59pm GMT-0.
• Info Added to Summoning Screen
  • The time remaining for a summoning event will now be displayed on the summoning screen. Also, a link to More Info has been added, so you have quick access to the details of each Summoning Focus.
• New Hero Sorting Options
  • More functionality to sort your allies has been added. Now, up to three sort conditions can be used simultaneously to sort your Heroes.
• Purchases Made Easier
  • A Complete Purchase button has been added to the Purchase Orbs screen to complete purchases that are interrupted by connection errors.
    Also, if a purchase fails during a summon, you can use Complete Purchase and will no longer need to relaunch the app.
• Barracks Get Bigger
  • The upper limit for the barracks has increased from 500 to 1,000 allies. (Orbs are required to expand the barracks.)
• More Improvements
  • In Settings, you can now set Show Danger Area to On if you would like it automatically activated at the beginning of a map.
  • When there are special conditions for a battle, the winning conditions will now be displayed in the battle’s system menu.
  • In the Arena when checking rewards, Tier rewards will display first.
  • On the friend-deletion screen, the time of your friend’s last log-in will now be displayed.
  • On the rewards screen, information about Sacred Seals will display when tapped.
  • On Android devices, the app will use less battery in sleep mode.
  • On iOS devices, issues with sound have been fixed.