DokiDoki Hanetsuki VR: Paddle & Ink news & patch notes

Hi everyone! Momodu here, the developer of DokiDoki Hanetsuki VR. Thank you so much for your continued support and for playing the game!

To celebrate our participation in the indie game event "Tokyo Game Dungeon 12," we are excited to announce that we've been featured on the Steam special event page! 👏 To mark the occasion, a limited-time 15% OFF sale is happening now!

🗓️ Sale Period

• Starts: April 25 (Sat) 0:00 JST

• Ends: May 9 (Sat) 0:00 JST

🔗 Check out the Special Event Page:

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TokyoGameDungeon12?facets8=3%3A24

🗼 See you at the Venue on May 3rd!

On Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, we will be at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-kan for Tokyo Game Dungeon 12! We’ll be showcasing a playable demo of the latest version of the game.

"I don't own a VR headset..." – No problem! Everyone is welcome! At our booth, you can experience a Hanetsuki match and try out the "doodling" mechanic on the girls firsthand. Please come and experience the unique immersion that only VR can provide!

Exhibition Details:

https://gamedungeon.jp/events/tokyo12/exhibit_informations?day=1&floor=%EF%BC%94%E9%9A%8E

We will continue to release updates to bring even more content to the game. Stay tuned for the evolution of DokiDoki Hanetsuki VR!

Thank you very much for playing DokiDoki Hanetsuki VR: Paddle & Ink! Based on the invaluable feedback we’ve received from you all, we have implemented a major update marking the one-month milestone since our Early Access launch.

■ New Features

Draw on Hair!

In addition to the face and body, you can now draw graffiti on the girls' hair!

• This feature can be toggled ON/OFF in the settings when taking out the graffiti items.

• We hope you enjoy this new level of creative freedom after your victory!

Full Subtitles Support

Since the start of Early Access, approximately 33.4% of our players have been from outside of Japan. We realized that many of you couldn't fully enjoy the game because subtitles were previously only available during the Story parts. To ensure everyone can enjoy the game to the fullest, we have added subtitles to every scene that features character voices!

• Subtitles are now displayed across all parts: Story, Hanetsuki, and Graffiti.

• We hope "Hanetsuki fans" around the world will enjoy interacting with the girls even more!

■ Adjustments & Balancing

Minor Specification Changes

• EULA Update: The End User License Agreement (EULA) has been moved outside the game and will now appear before installation. (For those who have already installed the game, it will appear upon the next launch.)

• Auto Language Detection: The game will now automatically select Japanese or English based on the player's OS language settings at the first launch.

• Retry Improvement: When selecting "Retry" after a defeat, you can now jump directly back into the "Hanetsuki Part."

Difficulty Adjustments

• Stage 1-2 (Ayane): Reduced the curve width of her normal shots to make them easier to return.

• Stage 1-3 (Hina): Reduced the curve width of her normal shots and slightly decreased the parry area for her Special Shot.

■ Bug Fixes

We have fixed the following issues:

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• Fixed an issue in Stage 1-1 where the camera and photos appeared with a dark tint during photography.

• Adjusted the overall color grading of Stage 1-1.

• Other minor layout adjustments and stability improvements.

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• Fixed a bug where the final line's character motion wouldn't play when skipping dialogue.

• Fixed an issue where the "Grip Guide" for the Hanetsuki phase was displayed incorrectly.

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• Fixed a bug where character motions would loop when damage was dealt to the opponent's paddle.

• Fixed an issue where the opponent would move to the center of the court even if the player hit a shot they couldn't return.

• Optimized the spawn process for SP items for better stability.

• Fixed an issue in Stage 1-2 (Ayane) and Stage 1-3 (Hina) where their gaze was directed in an unintended direction.

• Fixed a bug in Stage 1-3 (Hina) where not returning the Special Shot "Splash" resulted in an "OUT."

• Fixed a game-breaking bug where re-gripping the paddle after a point would cause the game to freeze.

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• Fixed a bug where items that were automatically stowed after being scolded (for over-drawing before 3 points) could be taken out again.

• Fixed an issue where the girl’s pose would rapidly flicker between "eyes closed" and "eyes open" when bringing a brush near her face.

• Fixed an issue in Stage 1-2 and 1-3 where the girls' gaze was directed in an unintended direction.

• Fixed a bug where graffiti items would remain in the air if the player returned to the Home menu while they were placed.

■ From the Developer

As this game is still in Early Access, we are aware that there are still many areas for improvement. Despite this, we are beyond grateful to everyone who plays daily and to those who take the time to send us bug reports. Your support means more than words can express.

With this update—especially the full subtitle support—we hope to provide a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for players all over the world.

We will continue to take your feedback to heart as we strive to create the best possible "traditional game" experience. If you have any further thoughts or requests, please feel free to share them on the Steam Community or via social media.

Thank you for your continued support of DokiDoki Hanetsuki VR.

Thank you so much for playing our game since its release on February 14th!

We have been carefully reading every review and piece of feedback you've shared.

We'd like to update you on our current top-priority bug fixes and planned improvements to enhance your gameplay experience.

■ Known Issues (Bugs)

• Application Crashes in Specific Scenarios

  • Issue: The game may occasionally crash and lose progress when returning to the Home screen after a victory.

  • Status: We are currently investigating the cause and developing a stability patch as our #1 priority.

• Doodle Items Remaining in Mid-air when Returning Home

  • Issue: Items placed in the world may not disappear correctly during stage transitions.

  • Fix: We are implementing a process to auto-clear items during transitions.

  • Workaround: Until the patch is live, please store items in the ring or delete them before returning home.

• Motion Inconsistency During Story Skips

  • Issue: Skipping the story part can cause character animations to desync.

  • Fix: We are adjusting the system so that the correct motion corresponding to the final dialogue line plays after skipping.

• Player Position Offset During Phase Transitions

  • Issue: Players may be moved to an unintended location when switching between phases.

  • Status: We are investigating the internal logic to ensure the player's position remains locked correctly.

• Unintended "Grip Guide" Displayed During Story Parts

  • Issue: The Grip guide for the Hanetsuki phase appears during the story.

  • Fix: We are refining the display conditions to ensure the guide only appears when necessary.

■ Improvements

• Stabilizing POV at Close Range (Anti-Motion Sickness)

  • Details: We are addressing the issue where physics collisions "push" the player and cause camera shaking when close to characters. We will adjust motions and player positioning to ensure a comfortable experience even at close range.

• Performance Optimization during the Hanetsuki Phase

  • Details: To address temporary stutters in specific environments, we are optimizing asset loading and memory management.

• Streamlined Retry Flow

  • Details: Currently, selecting "Retry" after a loss takes you back to the Story phase. We are changing this so you can jump directly back into the Hanetsuki (match) phase.

Through Early Access, we want to build the best possible experience together with you.

If you notice anything else, please share it with us on the Steam Discussions board.

We are committed to delivering steady updates one by one.

Thank you for your continued support!