Back in February, I previewed Hi-Rez Studios' Tribes: Ascend beta, and while I found the game to be a lot of fun (if at a breakneck pace), my biggest complaint was the lack of character depth and class customization.

Well, it seems like Hi-Rez is listening, because they're next update to the Tribes: Ascend beta is going to be the biggest one yet. Coming with this update are three significant feature changes:

• Players can now customize their weapon loadouts. By unlocking weapons and weapon specializations, players can now fully customize their weapons loadout to add a more personal touch to their Tribes: Ascend experience. Screenshot preview.

• Classes have been reduced from 12 to 9, players now get three classes from the start. The Pathfinder, the Soldier, and the Juggernaut will now be available to all players from the beginning, meaning new players will now have a wider range of roles to offer their team. Screenshot preview.

• The in-game UI has been significantly improved. The new UI improvements are looking miles better than Tribes: Ascend's old UI. Let's hope it's an improvement in responsiveness as well. Screenshot preview.

All in all, a very significant upgrade for Tribes: Ascend, even if it's still in closed beta testing. This is also a great sign that Hi-Rez is listening to its community. Here's to hoping that we'll see more of this in the future!