It’s 2026, and somehow, the adrenaline-fueled salt mine of For Honor is still kicking. If you're playing on a PS4, you’ve probably noticed the console screaming a bit louder lately. That’s because the Year 9 Season 4 (Y9S4) update, titled Conquest, just dropped a massive pile of changes onto your hard drive.
Honestly, if you haven’t checked the For Honor PS4 patch notes in a few weeks, you’re basically walking into a blender. The "revenge shield bug" is finally dead, the Wu Lin are actually getting some love, and the way hitstun works has been fundamentally rebuilt. It’s a lot to take in while someone is swinging a heavy at your head.
The Death of the "Revenge Shield Bug"
For years, heavy mains and Jormungandr players have been surviving situations they had no business winning. You know the drill: you pop revenge, get a massive shield, and then through a weird stacking quirk with perks like Vengeful Barrier, that shield would just... stay. It felt like you were immortal.
🔗 Read more: Steam on Linux and macOS: Operating Systems Besides Windows to Run Steam On
Well, Ubisoft finally killed it.
The patch notes confirm that temporary damage shields are now unique. They no longer combine into a singular "super shield" with the best values. If you have a shield from a perk and then get one from revenge, they exist separately. When the shortest one expires, it’s gone. You can't carry over that massive revenge health pool into the neutral game anymore. Jorm mains are currently in shambles, but for everyone else? It means people actually die when they're supposed to.
Why Ganking Just Got Way Harder
If you’ve ever been "100-to-0’d" by a coordinated team where you couldn't even move your guard, this part of the For Honor PS4 patch notes is for you. The devs went ham on the hitstun rules.
Basically, they’ve added a "1st hitstun" state to almost every defensive action. If you block, parry, or deflect, you now gain a 25% damage reduction from other sources immediately. It’s meant to stop those niche "confirm ganks" where someone blocks a light and then eats 40 damage from a heavy they couldn't possibly dodge.
The biggest change, though, is the Counter Guardbreak (CGB).
- You now get a massive 75% damage reduction when you counter a GB.
- The person who tried to GB you? They get zero damage reduction.
- This means if you're being ganked and someone tries to GB you to "confirm" their teammate's heavy, their teammate might actually accidentally hit them for full damage instead of you.
It’s a huge shift. In high-level play, "peeling" for your teammate is now riskier than ever. If you're just mashing buttons in a 2v1, you're probably going to end up feeding revenge or killing your own partner.
Qiang Pass and the Wu Lin Conquest
We finally got a Wu Lin Dominion map. It’s called Qiang Pass, and it’s actually pretty great for the aging PS4 hardware. It doesn't seem to have the frame-drop issues that some of the more cluttered maps like Belvedere had at launch.
Along with the map, we got the Prince Yi hero skin for Tiandi. It looks clean, but let's be real—most of us are more interested in the fact that the Wu Lin are finally the center of the lore again. General Zhi is making moves, and the map reflects that "conquered" aesthetic.
PS4 Performance in 2026: The Hard Truth
Look, we have to talk about it. Playing For Honor on a base PS4 in 2026 is like trying to race a go-kart against F1 cars. With the PS5 and Series X running at a buttery 60 FPS (or more), the 30 FPS cap on the older consoles is a massive handicap.
The recent patches have tried to optimize menu loading times—which were getting ridiculous—but the input delay is still there. If you’re wondering why you can’t react to those 500ms lights as well as the guys on YouTube, it’s not just your "boomer" reflexes. It’s the hardware.
That said, the "Starter Dominion" mode that launched with this season is a godsend for older console players. It strips out Feats, Stamina, and Revenge for a limited time. It’s basically "For Honor Lite," and it runs surprisingly well on the PS4 because the engine doesn't have to track forty different buffs and explosion effects at once.
💡 You might also like: gta 5 for download android: The Reality Behind the Most Searched Game You Can’t Actually Play
Hero Fests and Roadmap Stuff
The January roadmap is looking pretty packed. If you missed the Lawbringer Hero Fest on the 8th, don't sweat it. Kensei is up on the 15th, and Shinobi follows on the 22nd. These are the best times to grind because of the XP boost and the unique executions they usually drop.
Speaking of executions, the new "Number One Neckbreaker" from the Battle Pass is... aggressive. It’s one of those that makes you feel a little bad for the guy on the receiving end.
What You Should Do Now
If you’re jumping back into Heathmoor after a break, don't play like it’s 2024. Here is how to survive the current meta:
- Stop Guardbreaking in teamfights. Unless it’s a guaranteed kill, the risk of your teammate hitting you for full damage is too high now.
- Abuse the new hitstun reduction. If you parry an attack in a gank, use that 25% damage reduction window to reposition. You’re tankier than you think during those frames.
- Check your perks. If you were relying on the revenge shield bug, your build is now sub-optimal. You might want to look into more "active" perks like Galestorm or Head Hunter.
- Play the "Zhanhu’s Gambit" event. It’s a PvE mode that’s actually fun for once. You protect the Emperor through six zones, and it’s a great way to farm the new event weapons without getting styled on by a Rep 700 Orochi.
The game has changed. It's less about "who can exploit the most bugs" and more about "who actually understands the timing of the new hitstun rules." It’s frustrating, sure, but it’s also the most balanced the anti-gank game has felt in years. Just watch your back at Qiang Pass—those ledges are unforgiving.
For anyone still rocking the PS4, keep those fans clean. You're going to need every bit of cooling you can get for the Y9S4 Title Update 2 coming next month, which is rumored to bring even more hero reworks.
Stay honorsble (or don't, I'm not your boss).