The first major update for DC Universe Online is scheduled to launch this month. Game Director Chris Cao talks with us about the new Catwoman content, the Valentine's Day event, the auction house and more!

Leading up the the launch of DC Universe Online, Sony Online Entertainment promised that they would regularly add new content to the game in the form of monthly updates. They weren't kidding. We had the opportunity talk about the comic MMO's first major update with Game Director Chris Cao, and it's safe to say that players have a lot to look forward to this month when it goes live in mid-February.

The update will include a new Catwoman episode, a Valentine's Day event, the launch of the auction house, the second part of the end-game Batcave raid, some chat system fixes, and much more. “There is literally something for everybody in all of this,” Cao said. Keep reading after the jump for more details!

Focus Character: Catwoman

Every monthly DCUO update will focus on a specific character. To kick things off, the February patch features all sorts of permanent new content centered around Catwoman.

Characters at the level 30 cap will gain access to a new Catwoman episode that is comprised mainly of indoor instances. It's designed to be a challenging soloable episode, but it will probably be released as a duo mode instance in a future update.

“You're going to have a Catwoman adventure where you get into the burglary side of her. It starts in Gotham and you chase her across the rooftops. She'll be trying to rob from various places around the city and it's up to you to catch her in the act as you try to track her down,” Cao said.

You'll eventually follow Catwoman to the Gotham Museum storage facility, which is where all of the artifacts not on display are stored. “It looks as if a tornado has hit and you can see trapped security guards and other civilians. It looks like Catwoman's thievery went wrong,” Cao said. “You find out she has unleashed the power of four ancient Egyptian idols and they've cursed all of the different people who would normally be in this warehouse, making them take on aspects of different feline gods.”

Players will face five bosses in this instance, culminating in a fight with Catwoman herself. “Of course she has nine lives, so you need to beat nine phases of her to win,” Cao said. Players can earn a unique set of Ancient Mayan Armor in this battle. Also, let's just say the cutscene ties in nicely with the Valentine's Day theme.

In addition to the new episode, you can earn Catwoman as a playable character in the Legends PvP battle system. “She has all new special whip attacks and leap attacks that are unique to her,” Cao said.

Valentine's Day Event

While the Catwoman episode is made for players at the level cap, everyone can participate in the temporary Valentine's Day event. Here is Cao's description of DCUO's first in-game holiday celebration:

“Let's say you're just off the Brainiac ship and just joined the game. Right away you're going to be able to participate in some of the February content. Basically what's happened is there's some kind of disturbance in the whole magical realm that surrounds the universe. The battle between Wonder Woman and Circe is causing its own effects. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, is of two minds about the definition of love. Is it about selfishness or selflessness? Devotion or scorn? The very fate of Valentine's Day is in the player's hands and done in the lighthearted celebratory way that you get with lots of MMOs and seasonal events.”

Players will be able to enter magical fountains that have sprung up across Metropolis to travel to an instanced mirror realm where they'll transform into a cherub. “It's like a phase of Metropolis itself. It's a huge shared instance that can hold hundreds of people. It's based on your mentor,” Cao said.

Once you're in the instance, you'll be able to participate in a number of daily events to earn hearts. This currency can be used to purchase items like candy, rings and a new holiday-themed suit. You can also buy Be Mine cards that you can try to use on bosses in the game. “Expect to get pounded a bit when you do,” Cao said.

The daily holiday events include multiplayer races, a PvP match, shooting love arrows at citizens, and using a platform bounce area to grab hearts out of the sky. Speaking of PvP, heroes and villains will be able to fight each other in the instance as cherubs, so don't be surprised if the holiday of love turns into a free-for-all battle on PvP servers.

Level 30 players will be able to participate in a one-room boss fight against the aspects of the Goddess of Love. “One of the only ways to get the cool disguise which will always turn you into a Cherub is to defeat Aphrodite,” Cao said.

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