WipEout HD patch at 5pm today
Multiplayer upgrades including ranks.
Sony has announced that it will patch WipEout HD to version 1.30 at 5pm GMT today, 8th April, introducing a raft of multiplayer upgrades.
The most significant of these is the new ranking system, which gives you 50 ranks to progress through, with experience accrued from finishing positions, speed class and the rank of your opposition. There will also be a new podium screen.
However, just because you didn't finish in the top three doesn't mean you didn't race well, so there are also a total of 33 badges to earn in recognition of race performances, regardless of finishing position.
There are more options when you fire things up, too. You can watch races in progress in a new spectator mode, featuring four camera angles and a choice of ships to watch, and the game makes more effort to bring you together with friends.
For instance, there's an invite system for getting your friends involved, or vice versa, and you're also informed about ongoing races involving your friends.
When setting up a game, you can also specify whether it is to be public, friends-only or invite-only, and there are new setup options: toggles for HUD weapon hints, barrel rolls and pilot assist, and a new maximum laps limit of 20.
Look out for all that to go live at 5pm GMT according to Sony UK.
UPDATE: See it for yourself in our WipEout HD 1.30 patch screenshot gallery.