Huge Rock Band 4 Update Adds New Taunt Feature, Fixes Bugs, and More

Rock Band 4's first major update is coming soon and now developer Harmonix has provided an overview for what fans can expect from it. A post on the company's website reveals that the update, which launches December 8, will add new features, fix bugs, and more.

One of the more notable new features coming in the update is a new taunt system, which lets players jab at their friends with a "selectable randomized" taunt message when they beat a high score. Unfortunately, no examples of taunts were provided; you'll have to use your imagination for now.

These taunt messages will show up in Rock Band 4's new activity feed, another new feature that will be added on December 8. The update also delivers improved calibration for instruments and introduces the hardcore-focused variable breakneck speed option. Struggling drummers may also be happy to learn the update adds an "auto-kick" mode, a much-requested feature where the computer plays all kick drum notes for you, meaning you only have to play the drum pad parts.

In terms of bug fixes, the December 8 Rock Band update clears out "hitches" that could occur for PS4 players with 2,000 friends and introduces a fix for a problem where the game would crash when a vocalist joins a song that doesn't have a vocal part.

Harmonix also teases that is has a "few surprises," including a new gameplay mode, that it will announce before the update arrives. The company also reiterated that it plans to release future updates on a regular basis that add new features and fix bugs, much like December's.

Check out this blog post to see a full rundown of the patch.

As stated previously, Rock Band 4 is the only Rock Band game that Harmonix plans to deliver for current-generation consoles. Instead of releasing Rock Band 5 or 6 in the coming years, the developer plans to add new features to Rock Band 4 over time through updates.

Finally, Harmonix stressed that Rock Band 4's development process "isn't entirely smooth," and cautioned that features may be delayed or cut entirely in the wake of testing or other factors.

For more on Rock Band 4, check out GameSpot's review and what other critics are saying.