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Dev Diary - BLEED & The Boltons

“A naked man has few secrets, but a flayed man has none” - Roose Bolton

The Boltons have always played by their own rules, and with this update, we’re refining their signature playstyle to make BLEED more tactical, more rewarding, and more deliberate.

Currently, BLEED hits hard, but it often forces an uncomfortable choice; should you hold back abilities to maximize BLEED damage, or play normally and let potential damage go to waste? This decision can feel bad, rather than meaningful, so we’re making adjustments to improve the flow of combat and ensure our “reactive damage” playstyle rewards smart play rather than punishing consistent ability use.

BLEED Rework - More Power, More Strategy

  • Increased BLEED Damage - BLEED damage will be significantly increased, making it a true threat when timed well.

  • Now Affected By DEF - Tanks will naturally mitigate BLEED, requiring Bolton teams to carefully choose their targets rather than spraying and praying with BLEED.

  • Duration Reset on Reapplication - Applying BLEED to an enemy now resets all existing BLEED durations, allowing players to keep pressure on without holding back abilities.

  • More Focused Application - BLEED will become more single-target focused, encouraging players to manage and maintain it on key foes.

Faction Bonus Adjustment

The Boltons thrive on bloodshed, but their BLEED faction bonus is overwhelming when stacked across a full team. We’re rebalancing their faction bonus to reinforce their tactical nature rather than letting them snowball uncontrollably. Expect an overall lowering of BLEED bonus damage for 3, 4, and 5 Boltons.

Bolton Champions - A Cut Above

Ramsay Bolton

Ramsay will benefit massively from the overall changes to BLEED, with it hitting harder and lasting longer, his AoE application makes him more dangerous than ever. We’re just tapping down his base damage a bit to keep him in check.

Roose Bolton

Roose has long been a difficult Champion to use, as much of his power relies on striking the enemy leader. This update removes that restriction, making his buff removal and bonus damage more reliable, while giving him new strategic utility.

  • Skill Adjustments - From Fast to Normal, with damage reduced, to account for the restriction removal. Striking the leader will now recover Stamina, which will make him slightly faster when focusing on key targets.

  • Passive Buff Removal Rework - Will now always remove 1 buff from his main target, even if they aren’t BLEEDING, while giving him a chance to remove an additional buff to BLEEDING enemies - keeping his AoE buff removal intact but more tactical.

  • (New) Leader Ability - Roose will be immune to DECEIVE, and at the start of battle, grants TAUNT to his strongest ally, immediately creating a frontline distraction for his team.

These changes should make Roose a more consistent and disruptive Champion, giving him new ways to manipulate the battlefield. Whether he’s stripping away enemy buffs, creating a defensive frontline, or regaining Stamina to strike again, Roose always has a plan.

Walder Frey

He’s not your typical Mender. His role isn’t to heal and protect, but to make enemies suffer for every move they make. These changes lean into his grudge-bearing nature, so that when his allies fall, Walder makes sure their killers pay the price.

  • Skill Adjustments - From Normal to Slow, but with higher damage. His Skill description will accurately reflect that his healing is sourced from Max HP, not ATK. A new effect deals ATK Physical damage to all enemies when used, to match his attack animation.

  • (New) Passive - For the first 10 turns of combat, when an enemy uses their Skill, they’ll take damage from Walder. If they’re BLEEDING, Walder gains Stamina and applies BLEED to them.

  • (New) Leader Ability - The first time an ally is defeated, Walder applies BLEED to all enemies and gains full Stamina, ensuring a swift retaliation.

These updates will make Walder a good alternative to Ramsay as a Bolton leader, where Ramsay punishes early aggression, while Walder punishes enemies who take their time.

Walder Rivers

Black Walder has been lagging behind where we want him, so we’re shifting his abilities to scale with DEF instead of ATK - better fitting his role as the Bolton tank. We’re also adjusting his color affinity from violet to gold to better round out the colors of a full Bolton team.

  • Skill Scaling Adjusted - Will now deal damage and grant shields based on DEF.

  • Slightly Stronger DEF Buff - This will reinforce his general tankiness.

  • More Reliable BLEED - Passive BLEED chance increased to ensure he better contributes to the Bolton playstyle.

Bolton Banner Man

Will no longer apply BLEED instantly, but instead extend it on already afflicted foes, while granting DEF buffs to his allies, making him a strong pick when the Boltons need extra resilience. Kicks off the battle providing long-lasting Physical and Fire Resistances to his team. Not an every-battle choice, but a considerably good one when going up against fast teams like the Greens.

Bolton Field General

He’ll play a more strategic role, trading instant AoE BLEED for slower, more precise strikes. His new Skill will reinforce early-game sustain by granting DEF to allies and Stamina to allies and himself. His new Passive retains his gem destruction utility in a refined form, reacting to enemy Skill use, and applying BLEED to maintain the pressure.

Bolton Man-at-Arms

A steady presence on any Bolton team, built for consistency over raw power. His damage is increased but modest, he always applies BLEED, and keeps himself alive through constant passive healing on BLEED teams. He won’t be a major threat in Raids, but his reliable sustain and ability to keep BLEED rolling makes him a strong choice in longer battles with weaker enemies, like the Campaign.

Bolton Pack Hound

She’s been performing well ever since the bug fix properly enabled SCOUTED, and we’re happy with her impact in battle. This update won’t change her core strength; just refine her numbers.

Bolton Pikeman

We’ll be shifting the Pikeman into a more high-risk, high-reward Champion who retains his explosiveness and BLEED stacking capabilities… if the dice roll in his favor. We’ll be increasing damage and moving his BLEED application from Skill use to critical strikes.

Bolton Shieldman

We want to ensure the Shieldman remains a true frontline defender, soaking up damage and forcing enemies to waste their opening volleys, while keeping BLEED flowing. His Skill will be slower but stronger with TAUNT and significant DEF damage, and consistent BLEED application. Starts combat with full Stamina and Physical and Fire resistances to counter early-game damage dealers.

Dreadfort Flayer

We hope to cement the Flayer as the Bolton’s tank buster, to ensure even the most durable enemies can’t hide behind their defenses. His Skill will slow and no longer spread BLEED indiscriminately - his goal is to target the toughest enemies and break down their defenses with Physical Resistance debuffs and heavy damage. While his Bolton allies clean up, he’ll be applying more BLEED to ensure the suffering never ends.

Non-Bolton Champions

Ygritte

Though not a Bolton, Ygritte’s ability to apply BLEED consistently makes her a key disruptor in their playstyle. This update refines her speed and self-sufficiency, ensuring she can keep enemies bleeding without relying on allies.

  • Skill Adjustments - From Fast to Very Fast. Since she’ll strike more frequently, we’re slightly reducing her damage and amount of BLEED, but the chance for BLEED will be 100%.

  • More Elusive - Instead of gaining Stamina on takedowns, she’ll gain Dodge, making her harder to hit after securing a kill.

  • More Consistent STEALTH - Her Passive STEALTH chance buffed to 100%.

  • Balanced ATK Buff - We’ll be reducing the top end of her ATK buff scaling to keep her damage in check.

  • Stronger Leader Accuracy Buff - She’ll grant more Accuracy to help her team land their crucial hits.

These changes will make Ygritte thrive as a fast-moving BLEED enabler, always one step ahead of her enemies.

Shagga

Shagga’s kit is deeply tied to BLEED, making him a key part of this update. With BLEED dealing far more damage, we’ll be shifting him away from AoE application and into a more tactical, high-impact role, and reinforcing his identity as a high-risk, high-reward bruiser.

  • Skill Reworked - Now single target (was AoE) to focus BLEED on priority targets.

  • One Big Hit - Instead of striking twice, he’ll strike once, but with massively increased damage.

  • Consistent BLEED - Chance to apply BLEED increased significantly, making his BLEED always land at max rank.

  • More Risk, More Reward - Passive ATK buff will trigger at lower HP (25%), meaning players must be careful with healing, so as not to remove the buff.

Godswood Defender

He’s built to counter BLEED, making him a natural fit for this update. We’ve cleaned up his numbers and expanded his Passive, allowing him to synergize better with other STUN-focused Champions.

  • Will be immune to BLEED

  • Skill Adjustments - From Very Fast to Fast, but increased damage output and a more consistent power curve.

  • More STUN - Chance to STUN increased, with great reliability at max rank.

  • (New) Passive - Triggers anytime an enemy is STUNNED, heals the weakest ally, removes BLEED from them, and grants them BLEED immunity as well. His BLEED removal is capped at 2 stacks to counter Boltons, but not negate them completely.

The Art of Suffering - BLEED Refined, Boltons Sharpened

With these changes, BLEED becomes more than just a reactive damage effect, but a weapon to be wielded with precision. The Boltons and other BLEED Champions will now demand sharper strategy, rewarding those who can control the battlefield and punish their foes at the right moments.

This is just the next step in refining the mechanics that define our Champions and factions. As always, we’ll be watching how these changes unfold, listening to your feedback, and continuing to shape the game into the best version of itself.

Our goal is not to favor one faction over another, but to ensure that every house, every Champion, and every strategy has a place in the ever-shifting battle for power. Game of Thrones: Legends is a game of characters, factions, and the struggle for dominance, where alliances shift and no one remains on top forever. Just as in Westeros, some banners will rise while others fall, but the tides of war are never still. A cunning leader who adapts, strategizes, and embraces change will always find new paths to victory, no matter where the balance stands today.

Until then, choose your targets wisely, time your strikes well, and remember - if your opponent thinks the match will have a happy ending, they haven’t been paying attention.

– BattleKitty, The Game of Thrones: Legends Design Director