Q: Has the mermaid flare bug been fixed with the Season 4 update?

No, a man asked me about Jesus the other day and me and my friend saw his flare miles off.

it still exists to some extent

I did a shrine solo today and came back to some dude setting my ship on fire but with no boat (no idea where he came from). I lunged him off and carried on about my business. A couple squares away I sink a skelly ship and as I am waiting for the loot to spawn I see a puff the magic dragon mermaid slowly but surely making its way towards me and I just watched it get closer and closer one puff at a time.

The Olympic level swim and determination and survival in these dangerous waters made me respect him and not wanna kill him but had to do what I had to do when he finally reached the ladder

@wolfmanbush said in Q: Has the mermaid flare bug been fixed with the Season 4 update?:

it still exists to some extent

To some extent? It does not seem like they have done ANYTHING about it. I have seen puffs every time an enemy merm spawns.

The Olympic level swim and determination and survival in these dangerous waters made me respect him and not wanna kill him but had to do what I had to do when he finally reached the ladder

And rare punishes his determination with that puff, while he might have succeeded if rare was not lazy fixing such important bugs.

RARE FIX MERM PUFF!
RARE! FIX THAT RESPAWNING BUG THAT LETS PLAYERS KNOW WHERE YOU WILL RESPAWN!

...or are you planning to keep introducing some extra 3rd and/or 4th horrible bugs before fixing any?

Nope. It has not.