While specific patch notes vary by modder release, V1.17 generally includes the following updates over previous versions (like V1.16 or V3.0):

Not all shinobi are equal in this mod. Based on community tournaments (yes, there are Discord tourneys for this mod), here is the current meta:

All character skills are available from the start.

: War of Ninja Zone, Konoha Village (Remastered), and Inside Volcano. Game Overview