Check out the patch notes for SWTOR 5.8, Izax has come!

Game Update 5.8 is on the way for Star Wars The Old Republic. The newest patch brings a lot of new and returning features to the popular Free-to-play MMO.

One of the biggest highlights is the introduction of the new raid or Operation boss Izax. This new boss is an integral part of the ongoing Iokath storyline. Izax is the 5th and final boss of the Gods From The Machine storyline.

Izax will have Story and Veteran Mode difficulties, but the challenge in VM will be significantly higher, explained game producer Keith Kanneg. There will also be a special event for Izax between updates 5.8 and 5.9 with unique achievements and rewards.

The Zakuulian God has returned to reek havoc on the galaxy. Can you stop it?

Other interesting additions include new and returning companions, as well as some new romance paths for some of those companions.

There’s also some incoming balance changes with 5.8’s patch. Most of these changes center on randomization of Conquest objectives, as well as a new reward system for these endeavors. Another interesting change is that the GTN has had the base tax rate on transactions raised to 8%. Bioware are clearly aware of the sinking value of Credits and are attempting to sink more currency from the economy. Could more adjustments lie in the future? Mission reward adjustments perhaps?

Whatever the future holds for SWTOR, I for one hope that Bioware can continue to deliver on the fun and engaging story-driven experience that has defined the game up to this point.

Check out the full patch notes for SWTOR Game Update 5.8 below:

Highlights

• New Operation Boss, Izax – The final boss of Gods From the Machine is here! The mightiest of the Iokath droid superweapons, Izax is capable of destroying entire fleets of warships – defeating him will require tremendous power and skill.
• Conquest Revamp – From a new interface to changes for Guilds of every size. Our improved Conquest system now provides challenge, opportunity, and rewards for all Guilds!
• Companion Return: Ashara Zavros – She will return to the Sith Inquisitor’s side, how will things go with her former master?
• Companion Return: Vector Hyllus – Imperial Agents will see the return of their crewmate and member of the Killik Hivemind, Vector!
• Companion Romance: Arcann – A redeemed Arcann makes his feelings known to those who’ve given him a chance to atone for the evil deeds of his past.
• Limited Time Izax Event – Players who defeat Izax on Veteran difficulty before launch of Game Update 5.9: The Nathema Conspiracy will receive a special legacy-based reward and an exclusive title with the launch of 5.9.

General

• The Mirialan ability “Focusing Ritual” now restores all Class resources when used.
• Corrected an issue where the “Open Cartel Market” button in Collections would not appear for items currently available for sale in the Cartel Market.
• The Conquest interface has been reworked:
  • The top of the interface is now separated into Conquest and Guild Invasion tabs:
    • Conquest tab now lists all Objectives along with the players personal progress.
    • Guild tab has been renamed to Guild Invasions.
    • Guild Invasion will display planetary leaderboards, Guilds rewards, and a contribution leaderboard for your Guild.
  • A new button has been added called “Current Conquerors” which is a list of what Guild has most recently conquered each planet.
• Conquest Objectives have been reworked:
  • Completing objectives will now award credits, experience points, and Command Experience in addition to their Conquest points.
  • Conquest point values have been rebalanced for all Objectives.
  • In addition to one-time and repeatable, there are now also daily objectives. Some objectives have changed type.
  • The Invasion bonus for Conquest objectives has been removed.
• Weekly Conquests are no longer on a set schedule and will be randomly selected each week. The exception to this rule is that Conquests that coincide with recurring events will still be on a set schedule (such as the Gree event).
• All planets now fall into one of three Invasion Targets for Strongholds. Planets with lower Invasion Targets require a smaller amount of Conquest points to complete and give smaller rewards. High Invasion Target planets require a large amount of Conquest points and give the largest reward.
• The Stronghold bonus for Conquests has been changed. Each owned Stronghold now counts for up to a 25% bonus, based on the percentage of unlocked rooms. This bonus stacks per Stronghold up to a maximum of 150%
• Conquest objective point values in the Conquest interface will now also reflect a player’s Stronghold bonus.

Classes +Combat

General

• The visuals for various Classes “flurry” attacks have been updated to be more accurate with their scrolling combat text, hits, and misses.

Flashpoints + Operations + Uprisings

Operations

• Trophy Stronghold Decorations have been added to the Achievements for all Gods From the Machine bosses.
  • Players who previously completed these Achievements will have in-game mail with their Decorations.
• A vendor selling a special Izax Decoration has been added to the game. The vendor will only appear for players who have earned an Achievement for defeating Izax on any difficulty.

Items + Economy

• To assist in combating credit inflation, the Galactic Trade Network’s tax rate has been increased to 8% (up from 6%)
• Corrected an issue which was causing some Relics to provide higher Bolstered stats than intended.
• The Longspur Blaze is now available for sale on each Fleets’ Vehicle Vendor.