Shadow's Advance

For other uses, see Shadow.

Shadow's Advance was the 25th "season" update to STO video game: Star Trek Online, released for PC on 25 January 2022. Shadow's Advance follows a previous season update, Reflections from 14 September 2021 and continues the storyline based around the machinations of the mysterious Emperor of the Terran Empire.

Kate Mulgrew reprises her role as Kathryn Janeway, and Vice Admiral Janeway is retroactively added to some of the Delta Rising missions.

This season was followed by the 26th season, Stormfall, on 10 May 2022.

Missions

• "Terran Gambit" story arc
  • "Red Shift"
• Task Force Operations:
  • "Iuppiter Iratus"

New playable ships

• Khitomer Alliance anniversary starship:
  • Jarok-class Alliance carrier
• Lock Box:
  • Emerald Chain intel juggernaut
• 12th anniversary Terran bundle:
  • mirror strike wing escort: Engle-class, Earhart-class
  • Terran dreadnought cruiser: Lexington-class (prime/mirror), Yorktown-class (mirror livery)
  • Terran battlecruiser: Cygnus-class (prime/mirror), Andromeda-class, Galaxy-class
  • Terran heavy raider: Adamant-class (prime/mirror), Defiant-class
  • Terran science warship: Trailblazer-class, Pathfinder-class, Warship Intrepid, Intrepid-class
• Section 31 intel dreadnought cruiser (Shiva-class)
• Infinity Lockbox:
  • 32nd century Merian-class command science dreadnought
• R&D Promo Box:
  • Vulcan Sh'vhal-class temporal science spearhead

Season 25 dev blogs

• Shadow's Advance is Live! dev blog at the ARC website.
• "The 12th Anniversary Terran Bundle!", published on 13 February 2022 by Mike "AmbassadorKael" Fatum, and written by Senior Systems Designer Jeremy "BorticusCryptic" Randall and Lead Ship & UI Artist Thomas "the Cat" Marrone. This dev blog lays out the Terran-inspired refits of Starfleet ship classes.
• "Command a Section 31 Dreadnought!", written and published 10 March 2022 by Mike Fatum. This dev blog updates the list of potential ship rewards in the R&D Promo Box and introduces the Section 31 intel dreadnought cruiser, an intel starship version of the dreadnought cruiser type, based on the 2250s-era Shiva-class starship.
• "The Merian Class Joins the Infinity Lock Box!", written by Senior Systems Designer Jeremy “BorticusCryptic” Randall and published by Mike Fatum on 31 March 2022, this dev blog summarizes the features of the 32nd century Merian-class command science dreadnought announced in the Ten Forward Weekly on 29 March. The class is represented by the USS Merian (NCC-81904-E). As a dreadnought, it includes a hangar bay, fitted with 32c. Federation shuttles.
• "Command the Pathyeager!", written and published by Mike Fatum on 1 April 2022, includes an image of the Cetacean Probe rendered in-game, and the Yeager-style Ju'day-/Pathfinder-class kitbash USS Pathyeager, developed by a Pakled engineer at the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards.
• "The California and More From Lower Decks!", written by Systems Designer Jeremy "BorticusCryptic" Randall and published by Fatum on 5 May 2022. This dev blog shares the stats of the previously announced tier 6 California-class miracle worker utility cruiser and introduces additional items from Star Trek: Lower Decks.
• "The Sh'vhal Temporal Science Spearhead", written by Senior Systems Designer Randall and published on 2 June, introduces the Vulcan Sh'vhal-class temporal science spearhead. This class is based on the Sh'vhal from the Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2 episode "wej Duj".

Other releases

• "Ten Forward Weekly" livestream on Twitch.tv

USS Ross episode model preview.

• On the Ten Forward Weekly: We're Canon, Baby! livestream on 3 March, community rep Mike Fatum and lead artist Thomas Marrone discussed the inclusion of Star Trek Online ship models into the Star Trek: Picard season 2 premiere "The Star Gazer". Four STO ship types, the Gagarin-class, Reliant-class, Ross-class and Sutherland-class became part of the franchise's canon when appearing in the episode. The USS Ross was originally designed by Marrone for the fan-led RPG campaign "Clear Skies". Some of the ship models in the episode were provided by Cryptic Studios, others by Eaglemoss Collections, with the Akira- and Sovereign-class CG art originating in Star Trek Online.
• On 28 March, announcement of the Merian-class science dreadnought.

Appendices

Season 25 images

USS Adamant in 2410.

ISS Adamant (NCC-94300).

USS Ross in 2401.

Section 31 intel dreadnought cruiser.

Shiva-class intel dreadnought cruiser.

USS Merian (NCC-81904-E).

Merian-class command science dreadnought.

Cetacean Probe.

California-class miracle worker utility cruiser.

VSS Sh'vhal.

Sh'vhal-class temporal science spearhead.

Regenerative shield amplifier.

External links

• Season 25: Shadow's Advance article at The Star Trek Online Wiki.

• "Shadow's Advance is Live!" dev blog at the ARC website.
• "The 12th Anniversary Terran Bundle!" dev blog at the ARC website.
• "Command a Section 31 Dreadnought!" dev blog at the ARC website.
• "Command the Pathyeager!" dev blog at the ARC website.