Welcome back to The High Life!

This time around, we have an update about the avatars you'll control in Highstreet: Calamity. We're exerting even more control over that development, so that your next prized game will give you the best experience possible.

Then, meet Gizmo, one of the proprietors within The Gardens who's known to every fighter who lands in this part of Highstreet City. Find out about his origins and why he still shows up every day to keep your S.I.M.U.s running.

Let's dive in! ⬇️

Remember Davey, The Gardens' slickest Duck and favorite merchant (or so he'd like you to believe)? Shopping with Davey is an experience that is core to Highstreet: Calamity—after all, who wouldn't want to treat themselves after making it out of a tough bout in the Robotannical Battledome?

Davey's store is where you can pick up a range of swag, from t-shirts that let you rep Highstreet City's biggest bands, to new armor that will make you look unique within the arena.

Part of this experience was powered by ReadyPlayerMe, a partner that supported our avatar integration in Highstreet World. But ReadyPlayerMe was acquired by Netflix and discontinued its services in January. We congratulate the team over at ReadyPlayerMe on their new chapter, but that also means we've had to rework the way your avatar will behave in Highstreet: Calamity.

Fortunately, our team has been on top of it. All avatar bodies, outfits, and assets are original designs and creations of Highstreet. All we've had to change is the heads of avatars—parts that are above the neck.

Our team views this as a great opportunity. Bringing this in-house means that every facet, every element of your avatar will be crafted by our own artists. We'll have full control over the quality for our players.

This takes us one step closer to giving you a fantastic game with Highstreet: Calamity. Stay tuned for our next development updates!

You'd think a guy who quit his cushy HS Alliance tech gig to chase his own dream would be walking on air. For a while, Gizmo was. Back when Simulacrums first started falling apart left and right, he saw what nobody else did: opportunity buried in the wreckage. While everyone else groaned about busted units, Gizmo was already elbows-deep in scrap metal, sorting salvageable parts from junk, running numbers in his head.

Bit Bye Bit was born out of a garage full of broken limbs and a stubborn belief that one duck's trash is another human's fighting machine.

These days, though? The spark's fading. The Gardens have been flooded with new arrivals lately, and the endless stream of wide-eyed fighters all wanting the same thing—cheap parts, quick fixes, “can you make it hit harder?”—has ground him down. He still shows up. Still squints through those oversized black-framed glasses at whatever mangled heap someone drags through his door. Still ties back that sad little ponytail, throws on whatever faded sci-fi tee he grabbed off the floor, and gets to work. But the joy he used to get from cracking open a busted Simulacrum and seeing what makes it tick? That's harder to find.

Not that Bit Bye Bit is hurting for business. Gizmo's prices undercut just about everyone, which keeps the shop busy despite its scrappy reputation. The place operates without HS Alliance and L.D.S.N. backing. No official support, no fancy storefront. Just a pop-up crammed with salvaged parts from a single mystery supplier who doesn't seem to exist on any registry. Nobody's asking too many questions, though. Not when the parts work and the cost is right.

His one bright spot? Scrapper, his first and only employee, and basically his polar opposite. Where Gizmo's quiet, she's all energy. She genuinely loves this work, bouncing between customers, geeking out over custom Simulacrum builds, dreaming out loud about being the first FOMO Duck to actually pilot one and maybe even set foot on Earth. Gizmo hasn't told her that's impossible… maybe because he's not sure it is. Maybe because watching someone care that much reminds him why he started all of this in the first place.

If you need parts, Gizmo's your guy. Just don't expect a smile with your purchase.

That's all for this issue of The High Life.

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