After much anticipation, the groundbreaking Cartel Update has officially arrived in Schedule 1's main branch. This substantial update from solo developer Tyler (TVGS) arrived later than initially expected, with the developer prioritizing quality and refinement over rushed deadlines.

The Cartel Update emerged victorious in a community vote held months ago, surpassing competing ideas for a Police Expansion and Shrooms update. While the fate of those rejected concepts remains uncertain, Tyler's complete focus has been on perfecting and deploying the Cartel experience. Players initially got a taste of the update through Schedule 1's beta branch several weeks prior, providing valuable testing before the full release.

According to the official patch notes published on Steam, the update introduces the Benzies Family, described as "a powerful cartel operating in Hyland Point." Players will encounter this formidable organization through various interactions including cartel-player negotiations, ambushes, dealer robberies, dead drop thefts, and cartel-customer dealings. The update also overhauls regional progression mechanics, requiring players to reduce "cartel influence" levels in previously unlocked areas before advancing to new territories.

Beyond the central cartel theme, the update brings numerous enhancements including the luxurious Hyland Manor property, a new 'Hotbox' vehicle, and a pump shotgun weapon. The innovative graffiti system allows players to spray tags on various surfaces to diminish cartel influence while earning XP. Quality-of-life improvements include the ability to pickpocket police and unconscious NPCs, and a new automatic save backup feature that protects player progress when loading games on updated versions.

Tyler acknowledged the delayed timeline in the patch notes, apologizing for what he called a "lack of timeliness" and noting the update arrived approximately a month behind schedule. He committed to providing more accurate deadlines moving forward, stating he would "only offer due dates when genuinely confident about meeting them." The developer also announced that the next community vote for future content will occur next week, giving fans another opportunity to shape Schedule 1's development direction.

Schedule 1 v0.4.0 Cartel Update Patch Notes

Additions

• Introduced the Benzies family - a powerful rival cartel operating in Hyland Point. Players first encounter them after establishing customer networks in Westville. Interaction types include: Cartel-player negotiations (only during truce periods) Ambush encounters Dealer robbery scenarios Dead drop theft operations Cartel-customer transaction interference
• Added Hyland Manor as new purchasable property. Note: Completion of Benzies family storyline required before purchase.
• Implemented new 'Hotbox' vehicle
• Introduced graffiti system allowing players to spray various surfaces to reduce cartel influence and gain experience
• Added spray paint items available at Gas Mart (one can per rank advancement)
• Included graffiti cleaner for removing tags from surfaces
• Added pump shotgun weapon
• Introduced shotgun shell ammunition
• Added three new hairstyles: 'close buzzcut', 'Tony', and 'long slicked back'
• Implemented new console commands: 'setgravitymultiplier', 'setregionunlocked', 'forcesleep'
• Added automatic save backup feature creating backups when loading saves on new game versions (enabled by default, customizable in Settings -> Other)
• Expanded loading screen hint system
• Added 'Urban Artist' achievement
• Added 'Finishing the Job' achievement

Tweaks/Improvements

• Revised regional unlocking system - each region now features 'cartel influence' levels that must be reduced before progression
• Converted Stan's weapon sales to shop interface instead of dialogue system
• Added multiplayer feature allowing players to view other players' NPC dialogues
• Implemented deal cancellation when assigned dealers become incapacitated or killed
• Added mechanic where unconscious NPCs falling into ocean perish
• Enabled pickpocketing of unconscious/dead NPCs
• Implemented police pickpocketing capability
• Introduced 72-hour ordering ban for customers attacked by players
• Adjusted braking mechanics across all vehicles
• Enabled non-police NPCs to use ranged weapons
• Improved combat AI where police and NPCs sometimes predict target movement instead of direct pathing
• Modified flashlight brightness settings
• Disabled JSON pretty-print for trash save files to reduce file size
• Reduced weapon resell values across all categories
• Added ability to interrupt incremental reloads (revolver/shotgun) with left mouse button
• Implemented cash carrying mechanic for customers preparing for deals

Bug fixes

• Corrected labeling errors in employee tutorial quests
• Fixed dual light beam visibility when flashlight equipped
• Resolved NPC ragdoll LOD and culling issues
• Repaired missing walls at Hyland Medical location
• Fixed third-person recoil animations for M1911 and Revolver
• Corrected net worth calculator algorithm that omitted certain item quantities
• Adjusted vehicle impact damage to NPCs
• Restored missing fonts throughout game
• Fixed texture z-fighting on northern waterfront area
• Resolved dealer/supplier recommendation dialogue triggering incorrectly when customers served by dealers
• Patched exploit allowing bypass of item stock limits using custom amount selector
• Added missing colliders at car wash location
• Corrected Tobias' name spelling error