The seventh Forts map-making competition is now live, calling for original 2v2 maps built exclusively with the Firebird expansion's themes. Creators have until August 22, 2026 at 7 PM UTC to submit their entries, with the top three maps earning a permanent spot in the game's built-in map list and Steam gift card prizes.

Participants must own both Forts and the Forts - Firebird DLC. Maps must be:

• Original 2v2 Firebird environment maps created from scratch
• Marked with the Symmetric tag on the Steam Workshop
• Optimised for decent performance on most computers

Custom map scripts or unconventional gimmicks are discouraged; the focus is on solid, tournament-ready map design. The winning maps may also be considered for future competitive play, including the Forts Pro League.

| Place | Prize |
|-------|-------|
| 1st | $100 Steam gift card + in-game Map Maker Champion medal + Discord role + map added to built-in list |
| 2nd | $50 Steam gift card + map added to built-in list |
| 3rd | $20 Steam gift card + map added to built-in list |

1. Upload your map to the Steam Workshop with the name format FMMC7 - yoursteamname (e.g., FMMC7 - Romerolagus). Set visibility to Public.
2. Choose a separate display name for your map.
3. On the Official Forts Discord, direct message @42 scientist with the Workshop link and your desired map name before the submission deadline.

Entries will be evaluated on appearance, gameplay potential, and adherence to Forts best practices. Detailed grading criteria will be shared on Discord. The judges and community will pick three finalists, which will be showcased during a live stream on August 29, 2026 at 7 PM UTC. Top players will compete in exhibition matches on each map.

For map-making guidance, consult the Forts Map Editor Guide and the Map Editor Style Guide.

The latest VEIN patch, version 0.024 Hotfix 5, is now live. It packs a massive list of bug fixes, a 6x increase to GPS battery life, progress on controller support, and dedicated server improvements. The full change log covers dozens of issues ranging from physics glitches to UI fixes.

• GPS battery life increased 6×
• Progress on controller support
• Dedicated server firearm attachment UI now refreshes correctly
• Rain resistance applies while in open-roof vehicles
• New convars: vein.Conditions.Hypothermia.*
• Added ResetVehicleParts cheat
• Quicksave and autosave disabled during the tutorial
• Various crash fixes and performance improvements

• Fixed containers blocking chair exits
• Fixed being able to attach two attachments to the same gun
• Fixed police car physics
• Fixed water source labels always reading "Water"
• Fixed gun store glass and school bus insignia
• Fixed weird physics on some containers
• Fixed AT4 and flag placement
• Fixed beds on RVs not spawning you at the correct location
• Fixed moving furniture resetting its scale
• Fixed schematics showing wrong notifications
• Fixed item weight UI not updating when changing settings
• Fixed infinitely looping sink sounds from full sinks
• Fixed shot arrows disappearing in UC radius
• Fixed box truck collision; added ability to enter box truck through side door
• Fixed container items and vehicle parts vanishing in older save files
• Fixed "put similar" transferring incorrect items
• Fixed settings not applying/saving correctly when not using English
• Fixed tobacco shelf being unmoveable
• Distinguished mayo jars and sour cream
• Fixed advanced antibiotics visual
• Fixed medical crate physics
• Fixed being able to stand on top of thermostats and light switches
• Better sportscar interaction
• Various typo fixes

Update 0.34 for Nuclear Option is now available, introducing a new flyable VT-7 Vagrant jet, a Surf Class Patrol Boat, artillery units, and major overhauls to ammunition management, AI, balance, and the mission editor.

The VT-7 Vagrant is a fully flyable VTOL jet, accompanied by new wheel and pilot seat models for existing aircraft. On the ground, the MSV Multiple Launch Rocket System and HLT Mobile Artillery join the fight, alongside a machine gun emplacement and Infantry Bunker. Garrisoned infantry in guard towers, vehicle depots, and bunkers can now use RPGs. New roads improve vehicle access to several Heartland areas. The Surf Class Patrol Boat is the first sea vessel in the update.

Surface-based missile launchers now require time and ammo to reload. AI-controlled munitions trucks ferry ammunition from storage facilities to units in need. Bunkers, dumps, containers, and trucks hold a limited amount of ammo. A unit's stored munitions are included in its kill reward, and munitions containers and pallets are significantly cheaper. The map screen now has an ammo management overlay to visualize unit supply levels.

Aircraft parts can be severed by glancing water collisions at high speed, and those parts now induce drag. Missile proximity fuses work independently of guidance—shots from directly behind or head-on may dodge even without lock. Proximity fuses also now track the target's actual location instead of its last observed position. Aircraft fuel fires have been reworked for more consistent behavior. The Compass got a weight and thrust bump (dry mass 6111 kg, thrust 31.6 kN) and can carry two extra Scythes on its middle wing pylons. Scythe drag increased, limiting kinematic evasion beyond ~16 km, and they fail to track if fired more than 80° off boresight. ARADs can now lead fast-moving targets, and R9 lock persistence rose from 2 to 3 seconds. A-19 Brawler wing slats deploy during turns. Slightly increased Boltstrike radar power, fire rate, and scan frequency. The Scythe short-range accuracy bug is fixed. AT-145 laser resistance increased; AGM-99 cost rises from $480k to $1.25m. SAH-46 Chicane moved to Rank 1, VL-49 Tarantula to Rank 2.

AI pilots with multiple forward-fixed guns use linked firing. Shell gliding behavior improved. Long-range SAM sites conserve missiles against low-hit-probability targets, and anti-air launchers ignore economically unfavorable interceptions. Vehicle turning, obstacle navigation, and head-on passing behavior improved. Landing AI behavior improved, and helicopters no longer prematurely eject during landings. AI systems added for munitions trucks and artillery units.

New visual graph editor for objectives and outcomes. Box selection, click-and-drag editing (Alt-drag for vertical, Shift-drag to rotate), copy/paste for units, a unit browser, position/angle snapping, and terrain following toggle for new units. Skill and bravery settings for aircraft. Missiles spawned via the editor can be assigned a faction, target, and guiding radar. New outcomes include RevealUnits and completeOnEnterRange for ReachWaypoints objectives. Added faction skill multipliers, increased height bounds, altitude lines for selected units, and "Add Selected"/"Select Assigned" buttons for objectives.

HUD now shows the closest aircraft as a chevron and displays the player name of the unit nearest the targeting cursor. UI theme system allows custom HUD and map colors. Upgraded text rendering. Input system updated to prepare for future improvements. Added "Reduce Collective" warning for low rotor RPM, camera elevation controls in cockpit view, weapon station status indicator, and inbound missile count on target selection filter. Improved votekick UI with progress bar. Settings: FPS limit, Max Pixel Lights, generic head tracker checkbox with dropdown. Improved Control Bindings Menu readability and controller glyphs. Steam Workshop search improved.

Performance optimization for particle systems and tracers. Camera-centric wind rushing sound fades with altitude. New rocket motor sounds for long-burn missiles, transition effects for Scimitar. Internal hangar lighting, refinery props lights/smoke, blinking structure/ship lights, debris shadows, elevator warning lights on carriers. Potential ammo fires for storage units, improved ammo explosion and terrain bullet hit visuals. Some visual effects optimized.

Ammo information overlay for units requesting rearm does not work for remote clients in multiplayer; a hotfix is planned.

A hotfix has been released to address critical issues following the launch of the Fangs of Asterkarn expansion. The team also outlined several upcoming quality-of-life changes.

UI and Controls

• Addressed some UI blurriness at default UI scale
• Added support for Lenovo controller glyphs (e.g., Legion Go S)
• Reduced search box string length requirement for better language support
• Improved WASD controls with hot slots on cooldown
• Adjusted name display position at top of HUD for Chinese fonts

Graphics

• Fixed an issue with terrain shaders appearing as black boxes or blown out textures on Medium or lower settings

Multiplayer

• Fixed an issue where an entire stack of items could get consumed by the Ascension Altar in Multiplayer
• Fixed an issue where Werewolf and Wereraven forms could cause crashes in Multiplayer
• Fixed an issue where + Summon Limit modifiers would sometimes not work in Multiplayer
• Fixed an issue with controller hot slot toggle to only include one wereform bar per wereform
• Fixed an issue where Winds of Asterkarn would leave visual FX behind in Multiplayer

Stability

• Fixed a crash with on-screen keyboard after UI scaling unloads font styles

Balance

• Reduced burst potential of some early game bosses at lower levels (e.g., Queen Ravna, Zarthuzellan, Bonehunter, Yurra, Blackheart)
• Reduced boss health at levels 1–35
• Slightly reduced the base chance the Dread appears in Ascendant Mode and increased the minimum kills before it can spawn again. To compensate, the effects of Celestial Essence on the Dread's spawn rate have been increased
• Necromancer's Skeletons now have an additional 10% Life Leech Resist

Fixes

• All remaining localization has now been added in all languages
• Enabled the missing Fangs of Asterkarn load screen
• Fixed an issue where players that reset their faction with Barrowholm could not interact with a certain NPC in Asterkarn to complete the associated quest
• Fixed an issue where one-handed melee Avalanche attacks would deal off-hand % Weapon damage instead of main-hand
• Fixed an issue with some inconsistent behavior in Werewolf and Wereraven animations regarding whether they hit with the main hand or both hands
• Fixed an issue where the Source of the Corruption Kurn Channelers would not all respawn if they were not all killed in one session
• Fixed various issues with Localization (e.g., missing symbols)
• Fixed an issue where the granted skill on the Awakened Black Grimoire of Og'Napesh would not summon a pet
• Fixed an issue where Occultist Hellhounds turned into Wendigos would only deal damage with Infernal Breath once per cast instead of twice

Known Issue

• Some tags were not properly translated in all languages and are displayed as "Missing Tag". These have been forwarded to localization for a future hotfix.

The team announced that the following adjustments will be made very soon:

• An optional method to disable the Dread from spawning in Ascendant mode, unless its spawn rate is specifically boosted via the altar. This would be reversible.
• An Evade Targeting toggle for WASD controls, allowing selection between mouse cursor or player-facing targeting for the Evade ability.
• A new BIG Cursor toggle for large screens.
• Ongoing monitoring of monster damage to address cases perceived as unfair or too high.

The experimental build of version 3.1.0 has been updated to b13. The following changes are included since b11.

• Discord: added button to unlink account when login fails in case user lost access to their Discord account.

• Updated trader inventories to include a chance to stock chicken feed, with a higher chance at Trader Rekt's.

• Set the economic value on chicken feed.

• Zombies can now target and chase rabbits and chickens.

• Implemented V3.1.0 localization support.

• Added a rare chance to find Solar Cells in loot to allow players a way to find them when Trader options are turned off.

• Chicken Coop sounds.

• Jumping while holding a chicken doesn't stress it out.

• Chicken stress doesn't transfer from player to player.

• Discord: cannot link to account on second system if already linked on another.

• Celebration sandbox setting no longer blocks shared xp.

• Dragging a chicken into the coop would not clear stress buff.

A flash sale is live on Steam, dropping prices on DayZ and its bundles by up to 50% for two days. The sale includes the base game, the Frostline DLC, the Deluxe Edition, and the Cool Edition. DayZ Frostline is 50% off, matching its all-time lowest price.

The sale arrives alongside Update 1.29: Road to Badlands, which launched last week. The update introduces select assets from the upcoming DayZ Badlands expansion, including Nasdara convoys, the SCR-17 rifle, and new character cosmetics. For owners of DayZ Frostline, Update 1.29 also adds a black variant of the SCR-17, which can be found in locked containers on the Sakhal map.

DayZ Badlands is scheduled for release in October. You can wishlist it on Steam. A recent dev blog details the new Rebuilding system coming with the expansion – read it here.

A Steam flash sale is now live for Bohemia Interactive’s military sims, running from July 25 through 27. Arma 3 Gold Edition and Platinum Edition are each 70% off, while most official DLC and expansion packs are discounted up to 67%. Creator DLC packs from third-party developers are also reduced up to 60%. Over on the Cold War front, Arma Reforger sees a 30% discount.

The sale includes the entire Arma 3 library: terrains, factions, vehicles, weapons, campaigns, and scenarios from expansions such as Apex, Contact, Laws of War, and the TacOps Mission Pack, plus all Creator DLCs like S.O.G. Prairie Fire, Western Sahara, and Spearhead 1944. Bundles, including the Arma 3 Ultimate Pack, are also affected.

Grab the deals directly from the Steam Flash Sale page or the individual Arma 3 store page. The sale ends July 27.

Bohemia Interactive’s Steam Flash Sale is live through July 27, slashing prices on the Arma series. Arma Reforger is 30% off, while Arma 3 Gold Edition and Arma 3 Platinum Edition are 70% off. Arma 3 DLCs are discounted up to 67% off, and the Arma 3 Ultimate Pack bundles everything.

For free community content, visit the Arma Reforger Workshop in-game or via browser.

The latest Elysian Report for Echoes of Elysium breaks down the UI changes coming with the v0.20.0 Rain and Weather Systems update. The new interface makes weight, fuel, and wetness easier to read at a glance.

The Vehicle HUD’s Weight Bar now shows exactly where your ship’s burden comes from. Three new segments break down the total:

• Stored weight (orange) – logs, ore, and other large objects stored in pallets.
• Construction preview (flashing) – weight that will be added or removed before you commit to building or destroying a part.
• Wetness weight (blue) – added by rain soaking ship components.

A dedicated weight icon for airship pieces matches the HUD indicator in the lower right. The icons shown are temporary placeholders.

Stations like the Galley and Smelter now display different icons per fuel: wood and other combustibles use one symbol, while Liftum fuel shows a battery/lightning bolt. This removes prior confusion over what each station accepts.

Components gradually get wet if left uncovered. Each cover material offers a different balance of weight and rain resistance:

• Makeshift Wooden Cover – blocks about 50% of rain.
• Cloth Hull – blocks about 80% of rain (lighter than makeshift or wood).
• Wood Hull – 100% protection.

Stations now show status icons ranging from damp to soaked. Damp stations have partial cover but reduced performance; soaked stations are fully exposed. Wetness adds weight and slows crafting and production speeds. Multiple effects can stack – for example, a Galley with a -33% dampness debuff and a +100% charcoal fuel buff nets a final +67% production speed.

Thrusters and other airship parts now display thrust speed, acceleration, weight limits, and an upcoming “Added Maximum Encumbrance” stat. Hover tooltips will explain each stat value. Thrusters previously had no assigned weight, but the rain system makes their individual weight matter as they can get wet and heavier.

These UI changes also lay the groundwork for future quality-of-life updates, controller support, and other planned systems, with further refinements based on player feedback.

Soulmask is offering its deepest discount in recent memory starting today, July 25, and running through August 1. The base game is 20% off, while the Shifting Sands DLC drops by 10%. If you’ve been waiting to drag a friend into building a camp from scratch, this four-day window is the cheapest entry point in a while.

But the real news isn't the sale—it's what the developers have cooking for the game’s next major update. Here’s everything they just revealed.

The Public Test Branch (PTB) has quietly added a brand-new system: Primordial Red Crystals. These are a new tier of enhancement for Mask abilities, granting exceptionally powerful unique effects. Combining multiple Red Crystals can fundamentally alter how you approach combat and survival.

• They currently drop from Mechanical constructs in Dungeons and Sacred Ruins.
• A dedicated traveling merchant has also been added to the PTB, selling Primordial Red Crystals directly so you can test builds without heavy farming.

The developers are actively soliciting feedback on builds and combinations.

The next major update is aiming for more than just a new area and boss. Here’s what’s coming:

• Three new Masks tied to the buried power of Egyptian deities. Specific abilities will be detailed soon.
• Burning Highlands – the homeland of the "heretic" Sand Bandits. Expect battles unlike anything before in this scorching region.
• A new Ancient Guardian in the Sacred Ruins, described as more fluid and unpredictable than previous heavy, imposing constructs. The devs call it a "bold experiment" in Mechanical design.
• The truth about the "Sun God" – the entity floating above the world, worshipped as a Creator. The upcoming update will finally reveal what it really is.

Anyone who owns the Shifting Sands DLC will get early access to all the above content on the PTB. The team will announce testing windows ahead of time via community posts.

Throughout August, more details will drop: new Mask abilities, the design philosophy behind encounters, and the true face of that mysterious Guardian.

For now, the sale is live until August 1, and the PTB is open for Red Crystal experimentation.

Strange Loop Games has shared a preview of the upcoming Update 14 for Eco, officially named the Garbage and Recycling Update. The update introduces crafting byproducts that create new pollution types while still containing valuable resources, plus a new Recycling profession, reworked modular vehicles, improved piping with in-block placement and an x-ray overlay, desalination for machinery, and dozens of quality-of-life changes based on community feedback. A playtest build is available right now on the playtest branch of the game.

The core of Update 14 is a system of crafting byproducts that come in new block forms. These byproducts have differentiated and significant environmental impact, but also hold resources that players can extract using the new Recycling profession. New storage and transport options are accompanied by reworked modular vehicles.

Pollution also affects liquids. Players must filter input fluids for their operations and treat outputs to keep surroundings clean. A desalinator is now essential for machines that draw water from oceans. The piping system has been overhauled: pipes can be placed directly into constructed blocks, and an x-ray overlay reveals their location when holding a pipe.

Update 14 brings multiple dozen QoL changes directly based on community feedback. Notable additions include:

• Selecting which items within a tag to use for a crafting recipe
• Sorting storages by name
• Hiding fuel storages from view
• Adding only items already in storage from your inventory with a single keypress
• Purchasing the maximum number of items in a store based on available currency and storage

Further suggestions can be submitted on the feedback tracker.

You can try an in-development version of Update 14 immediately by switching to the "playtest" branch: right-click Eco in your Steam library → Properties → Betas → select "playtest". Strange Loop Games recommends joining the official playtest server and reporting feedback and issues in the #playtest channel of the Eco Discord.

Disclaimer: Playtest builds are unstable and may contain bugs, placeholders, and technical issues. Loading older worlds in Update 14 is not supported; the developers recommend creating a new world. If you do load an existing save, back up your savegame (located in Steam/steamapps/common/Eco/Server/Storage). Known issues when loading old worlds:

• Pipes no longer count as building material, so rooms relying on pipes in walls will need replacement.
• Machines require fresh water; any machine taking ocean water must have that water desalinated.
• Modules will be removed from tables, converted into new equivalents, and placed in void storage.

A release date for Update 14 will be announced based on playtest results.

The 1.60 update for Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator introduces an improved material system that adds realistic reflections and indirect lighting to vehicle interiors without a major performance hit. The system is currently live on four trucks across both games, with more to come in future updates.

The update uses clever mipmap manipulation on reflection cube maps to simulate different surface roughness levels—from glossy chrome to matte fabric—at virtually no extra performance cost. Every interior material now carries a reflective component, meaning players will see subtle color casts from the environment, like a green tint when driving past trees.

“We have created several different levels of reflection smoothness, ranging from perfectly glossy surfaces like chrome, through smoother reflections such as those found on leather seat materials, to rough, nearly non-reflective materials like fabrics,” said Daniel, Vehicle Technical Leader at SCS Software.

Rather than using compute-intensive ray tracing or global illumination, the system extends the existing rendering pipeline. By accessing individual mipmap levels of reflection textures, lower-resolution copies automatically produce softer reflections for rough materials. The game already calculates mipmaps, making this change effectively free in terms of performance.

SCS selected a small initial group of vehicles because each truck’s interior uses different source data and requires individual testing in daylight, night, rain, and cloudy conditions. “It was not possible to update the entire fleet at once,” Daniel noted. The team will continue converting remaining vehicles using a new material library that standardizes settings.

The system was originally developed for the upcoming Road Trip project for American Truck Simulator, where smaller, darker car interiors exposed the old system’s limitations more clearly. The Ford Mustang served as a testbed for fine-tuning values. Players can wishlist the Ford Car Pack and RAM & Dodge Car Pack on Steam to see the system on cars when they release.

The 1.60 update for American Truck Simulator introduces an improved material system for selected trucks, enhancing interior surfaces with more realistic reflections and lighting. SCS Software’s Daniel and Martin explained how the system works and what it means for performance—and for the upcoming Road Trip project.

Instead of expensive ray tracing or global illumination, the system reuses existing mipmaps from reflective cube textures. Each mipmap level corresponds to a different reflection sharpness—from perfectly glossy chrome to rough, diffuse fabrics (where the cube face is just 2×2 pixels, acting as a color cast). This lets every interior material react to the truck’s surroundings, such as picking up a green tint when driving past trees. The update also rebalances contrast and lighting throughout the game to eliminate extremely dark areas.

The system extends the current rendering pipeline, so performance impact is minimal. It was profiled continuously during development and adapts to medium or low settings by disabling real-time reflections while keeping materials realistic. However, each truck requires individual adjustments and testing across all weather and lighting conditions. As a result, only four trucks across ETS2 and ATS have the new system so far; the rest will be updated gradually.

The improved material system was developed for the upcoming Road Trip project, which adds passenger cars to American Truck Simulator. The system is designed from the start to work for both trucks and cars. Players can wishlist the Ford Car Pack and the RAM & Dodge Car Pack on Steam.

Colony Survival developers have announced that splitscreen multiplayer is in active development for the next major update, Update 0.19. An internal dev build with basic splitscreen already works, and the team is now refining every part of the game to be fully functional in splitscreen. The feature is made possible by the game's fully fleshed-out controller support, which was completed earlier.

Separately, the Blueprint Builders' Contest is wrapping up. Players have until Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 23:59 Amsterdam time to submit entries in the #blueprint-contest-entries channel on the official Colony Survival Discord. Each participant can share up to seven blueprints in a single post, ideally a set of related buildings (e.g., castle walls, gates, and towers). All blueprints must be buildable in vanilla, unmodded Colony Survival.

The top five entries win Steam keys to give to friends. The top three winners will also have a new decorative item of their choosing added permanently to the game, provided it fits the existing art style and they collaborate with the developers to realize the idea. Prizes: first place receives five keys plus their item idea; second place four keys plus item; third place three keys plus item; fourth place two keys; fifth place one key.

Entries must include the blueprint names, a short text description, at least one screenshot per blueprint, the blueprint codes, and the item the player would like to add to the Oddity Press. Judging prioritizes reusability and how well the blueprints fit into another player's world over sheer impressiveness.

The 441.2 MB Season 10: Uplink update for Half-Life: Cross Product Multiplayer is available now, adding new maps, gamemodes, weapons, achievements, and a range of under-the-hood changes. A release party game night is happening tonight. Check it out here.

New maps include Ambush (Firefight), Cloaca (Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Domination), Openfire (from the 2000 TFC Contest Winners), Mall (Firefight), Nivalis, and returning maps Crossfire and Walk from Season 9. Existing maps such as 2Fort, Blimpboom, Bounce, City, Compound, Datacore, Doublefort, and others have been overhauled, relit, or received weapon additions. Maps Ascension, Dustbowl, Rapidcore, Duff, Omen, and Forsaken have been removed.

New gamemodes include King of the Hill (team-based zone control), Firefight and Firefight Zombies (co-op against military/Xenians or zombies), Fiesta (random weapons with 2× damage, plus team variant), Arena (1v1 with Melee Arena option), Last Man Standing (solo, team, and GOAT variants), Tau Guys, Busters, Opposing Force Deathmatch, Raven SWAT, Team Half-Life Deathmatch, Noobtubes (Thumper only), Team Rocket Product, and four-team support. The Barnacles mode has been replaced by Tea Time, and Rockets is now Rocket Product.

New weapons are the Operator Light Rifle (OLR) – a 36-round burst-fire precision rifle with zoom, the Healer (Carry-on Medkit) for healing teammates, and the HX-40 Thumper grenade launcher. The OLR becomes the default in SWAT (where Shotgun, MP5, Crossbow, and Sniper Rifle are banned) and replaces the MP5 in GOAT.

Gameplay changes include a restored Half-Life Deathmatch gametype with classic view bobbing, Tau Cannon fire-rate, MP5 fire-rate, 80% armour absorption, and no speedcap. The Infinite Ammo command now has two modes: Bottomless Clip (1) and Infinite Reserve Ammo (2). In Arcade and Instagib, the Crowbar and .357 Magnum are replaced by the Knife and Desert Eagle. Season 5 versions of Arcade, Free-for-All, and Team Deathmatch remain unchanged. Free-for-All and Team Deathmatch now start players with the MP5. Players start with 10 M203 grenades in Arcade instead of 20. Domination control points grant points every 6 seconds and reset after 16. Chill mode allows weapon pickup but no damage. Other improvements include smoother crosshairs, new Desert Eagle animations, a Sniper mapcycle, spectator overviews for all maps, auto-balancing, and fixed voice chat.

Steam integration and UI add new achievements and statistics, an in-game Achievement Viewer and Service Record, a redesigned Custom Game Composer and main menu, a new VGUI2 scoreboard and chat, match start/end music, and updated hitsounds. Screenshots at match end are now Steam Screenshots.

Important notes: Linux client support is dropped as of Season 10, and software renderer mode is no longer supported. Details on the Linux change.

FOUNDRY developer mrmcd announced today that the team is actively prototyping small 1×1 conveyor lifts—a long-standing community request—and has begun working on a blueprints system. The details were shared in DevBlog #108, part of the Foundry Friday series.

The planned small lifts would allow belts to go up or down in a single tile, with connections possible on all four sides of the top and bottom pieces. A single belt works as expected; multiple belts would behave like a splitter/merger. The developers are still in the design phase and welcome feedback on whether this multi-directional approach is preferred over a classic single-input/output design.

Freight elevators will remain unchanged—they offer higher throughput, bi-directional movement, and automatic terrain excavation.

The team has also started active development on a blueprints feature, though it remains a large task with a longer timeline. A work-in-progress screenshot was shared in the blog post, with more details to come as summer vacation schedules allow.

The crossplay playtest for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is now live across PC, Xbox, and PS5, and runs until Monday, July 27 at 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST / 11pm AEST. The test includes the new Đắk Tô Airfield map, updated tunnel and helicopter gameplay, and full crossplay, but comes with several known issues the team is working on before the August 13 launch.

The switch from VIVOX to Epic Online Services (EOS) for voice chat has introduced distortion when players open and close radio channels. To reduce the problem, the default toggle setting has been changed to "On" so channels can stay open. Party voice chat is not available in this build.

• VOIP distortion: highest priority; the team is working directly with FMOD and Epic to resolve it.
• Performance: occasional FPS drops under intense combat; optimisation continues.
• Stability: crashes on certain AMD GPUs due to a known AMD driver issue. FSR support for AMD users is targeting launch in August.
• Graphical polish: lighting inconsistencies on U.S. character models, console-specific shadow popping.
• Tactical Map: brief performance drops on open; teammate icons may not appear on first spawn.
• Tutorials and UI: placeholder text, incorrect prompts, HUD elements that don’t update correctly. The NVA Offensive progress indicator displays incorrectly during the warm-up phase.
• Minimum specs: available via the game’s store page.

On Steam, visit the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam store page and click “request access” to download the separate playtest app. PS5 and Xbox players can find the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Playtest app in their respective stores (an active PS+ or Xbox Game Pass Essential subscription is required). Xbox users should also check under My Games & Apps → Full Library → Free with Xbox → Demos.

Server names indicate platform restrictions:

• X = Xbox only
• P = PS5 only
• C = Console crossplay (Xbox & PS5)
• All other servers support full crossplay between PC, Xbox, and PS5.

Any XP, unlocks, or progression earned during the playtest will not transfer to the full game when it launches on August 13. The team encourages players to fill out the feedback survey to help shape the final release.

Project Zomboid's Build 42.20 will go direct to the stable branch on Wednesday, July 29. The update arrives with a new Steam Store trailer and a list of confirmed fixes, but existing saves from Build 41 or Unstable 42.19 will not carry over—players will need to switch beta branches to stay on their current version.

Beta branch instructions:

• To remain on Build 41: right-click PZ in Steam Library > Properties > Game Versions & Betas > select "legacy41".

• To finish an Unstable 42.19 game: select the "42.19" beta branch instead.

A blog early next week will detail the new content added in 42.20, accompanied by an interview with Art Director Ayrton recorded by MrAtomicDuck, similar to the recent Design Director interview. Watch the new Build 42 trailer here.

Confirmed fixes in 42.20 include:

• Character spawns

• Controller support

• Meat yield from butcher hooks

• Vehicle towing

• Zombie culling in multiplayer

After launch, the team will release necessary hotfixes, then a patch focused on late-game adjustments based on player feedback. Following that, The Indie Stone will release mapping tools (WorldZed, TileZed) and the animation editor AnimZed, plus an extensive modding guide. Community localization work continues via the #localisation_feedback channel on the official Project Zomboid Discord server.

Through the rest of 2026, a Build 42 Support Update will target optimization, additional modding support, and player-requested polish that missed the stable cutoff. Multiplayer and controller improvements will also continue throughout the B42 patching cycle.

Design Director Christian Allen recently sat down with BigBadBeaver for a survival session and interview about Build 42 and future plans—check it out here.

Patch 3.3.5 is live on Steam, adding DinoCon 2026 collaboration skins and a 66%-off game sale. Free code DINOCON-2026 unlocks the skins on PC (patch 3.3.5) and PlayStation (version 1.57) – no expiry, one per account. The sale discounts the game 66%, all DLCs 50%, and VR title Primal Carnage: Onslaught 90% until noon UK time July 27. Separately, the patch adds a Railyard map stamp to support the community creator, granting the Conductor's Cap reward.

Players owning Extinction can access the PCE Open Testing Beta app. Over the next weeks, major features will deploy: five new playables for Sandbox mode (formerly Freeroam) – Iguanodon, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Compsognathus, Brachiosaurus – arriving within days. Also in OT: dino drinking for stamina, Announcer system, Skillshot bonuses, HUD/menu updates.

• DinoCon 2026 skins
• Railyard map stamp + Conductor's Cap
• Randomize key rebound R→M
• Fixed Pale Faced Carno material references, dual pistol reload sounds, flamesaw firing loop
• Removed Valley lakebed class blocker
• Code cleanup

Meltdown Part 2 (end of July) – hot skin collection. Meltdown Part 3 (mid–late August) – Dual Repeaters weapon for Trapper, all OT features packaged as free Evolved Edition overhaul. Public SDK (Extinction Editor) in closed testing; release soon for modders.

The latest update for Mesorift Survival is now live. Patch 0.4.2 introduces a new mission system, a fresh map visual rework, a new building element, and a host of fixes. No server wipe is required.

• Random AI missions can now appear across the map, marked and offering valuable loot.
• The in-game map has received another visual overhaul.
• A new building element, the Metal Grid Wall, can be crafted at the CNC Table.
• A new achievement, Airplane Wreck, has been added.
• Vegetation adjustments across the map create more opportunities to land airplanes outside designated airfields. Garage doors in the city have also been reworked, and another vehicle spawn has been added.

• The Game Settings menu has been reworked. Players can now individually enable or disable the circular food, hydration, stamina, and health indicators.
• Vehicle key bindings can now be changed in the settings menu.
• Ammunition is now found inside packages instead of appearing as individual cartridges.
• Fixed the Civil Truck engine start sound not being connected to the Vehicle Sound setting, missing airplane damage model, vehicles disappearing after connection problems, wrong SMG magazine icon, and several map issues (missing footstep sounds, incorrectly placed objects and spawners at the central oil field and large airfield).
• Suppressor sound volume has been slightly reduced.
• Server administrators see reduced Server Actor Last, removal of the "Vehicle Tick On" console message, and additional server system improvements. Update both servers and clients to 0.4.2.

Feedback is welcome on the official Discord: https://discord.com/invite/6UgzrEkpP7

Icarus is free to play this weekend with double experience enabled. All DLC is on sale, and a "Free Weekend Bundle" containing the base game and major expansions is available at an additional discount.

Over the past year, 52 free weekly updates were released. Major updates include:

• Mendel Update: Overhaul of creature husbandry with genetics, bloodlines, phenotypes, inheritable traits, new farm animals, expanded talent trees, and improved tame commands.
• Kepler Update: Tier 5 technology, new weapons, tools, building pieces, and quality-of-life improvements for all players (released alongside Dangerous Horizons).
• Copernicus Update: Introduced Legendary Weapons with unique abilities.
• Mounts and Tames Updates: New tameable creatures (Forest Wolves, Ubis, Boars, Gribblers), carts, saddles, and rideable Mammoths.
• Timber Extraction Unit: Legendary harvesting tool that gathers wood and doubles as a ranged weapon.
• Single Barrel Grenade Launcher: First weapon of the Launcher archetype.

The Inaris Flashlight is the first Workshop-purchasable light source, found in the Gadgets category. Compared to the planetary-crafted T4 Flashlight, it has a maximum range shorter by about 15 meters but a 15% larger battery lasting through the first two nights on Icarus.

Content in development for the Elysium map includes:

• A new branching narrative mission chain.
• A new world boss called "The Malformation."
• A new two-person hoverframe.
• New creatures, items, and more.

The Olympus Operations update continues with a revamp to the Livewire Operation. The mission will be adjusted to improve the experience, similar to other early Olympus Operations being updated.

• Double Experience Event Banner and XP enabled.

• Workshop Flashlight renamed to Inaris Flashlight.

• Increased health and damage of Irradiated Mutation (Wraith).

• Fixed Sandworm Lifecycle Poster display (was showing corkboard).

• Added giant roach zapper audio event.

• Item Popup Widget weight number now includes items within its own inventory.

• Fixed shadow artifacts from DF meshes on Simple Building Shadow settings.

• Beachhead improvements: Easy XP penalty reduced from 25% to 0%; new quest tip for crouch stealth/damage bonus; creature movement speed baseline reduced from -10% to -15%.

• Mission RAD_E second half of quest steps now playable.

• Radboss mission: boss no longer sits still after 3 attacks; added roar break at 10% health; fixed melee attack double damage.

• Livewire updates: fixed quest flow; reduced Terrenus spawns in final stage; added prepare weapon and optional armor subquest.

• Correctly tagged aluminium building pieces (were tagged as iron).

Update v0.8.0 for Zombie Survival Game Online (ZSGO) is live now, introducing Mutant Bosses, significant combat changes for Mutants and Brutes, and a crucial fix for enemy hearing and player footsteps. The update also prepares the ground for the planned End Game Cave Update, which will be the next major content drop.

Mutant Bosses now spawn at Mutant Meat Piles, making those locations far more dangerous. Their loot table has also been updated. The announcement warns players to be ready before approaching a Meat Pile – or run if low on supplies.

A bug that prevented standard Mutants from reacting to players has been corrected. Mutants are blind and rely on sound to detect you; they will now respond to footsteps and attacks. Sneaking reduces footstep noise, giving a stealth option to slip past them.

• Increased attack animation speed.
• Widened attack hit range.
• Improved attack consistency.

The goal is faster, clearer Mutant attacks that are easier to read in combat.

• Adjusted attack range to better match the large body and wide swing animations.
• Added separate attack trace points for Mutants and Brutes.
• Fixed the Brute animation blueprint so the correct animations play.
• Fixed a movement blend issue that made the Brute’s feet slide across the ground.

This update also includes item optimizations, minor bug fixes, and cleanup of unused project files. The developers are now focused on the End Game Cave Update, which will be the next major update. More details will follow as development continues.

A free weekend is now live for ICARUS, accompanied by a Double XP event that lasts for the duration. The game and all DLC are on sale, with a special limited-time 'Free Weekend Bundle' containing major expansions.

• Free Weekend Bundle: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/81998/Icarus_Free_Weekend_Bundle/

The bundle includes:

• Icarus (80% off) – Base game with Olympus map, 69 missions, unique creatures, 5 Tech Levels, Oil, Exotics, and 241 free weekly content updates.
• Dangerous Horizons (25% off) – Second major expansion adding Elysium map, 17 missions, drivable vehicle, new mounts, 35+ creatures, Tundra and Geothermal Biomes, radiation gameplay, and more.
• New Frontiers (33% off) – First major expansion adding Prometheus map, 27 missions, new mounts, Swamp, Volcanic and Grassland Biomes, new creatures and resources.
• Styx (33% off) – Expansion with Styx map and 33 missions, more challenging survival experience with unique biomes and creatures.
• Great Hunt Campaigns (33% off) – Experimental expansion with three branching mission campaigns across Olympus, Styx, and Prometheus, multi-stage boss encounters, and legendary weapons.

Additional bundle: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/35727/Icarus_Complete_the_Set/

ICARUS store page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1149460/ICARUS/

The wasteland just got a fresh patch. Update v0.8.13 for Plains of Pain is live now, focusing on quality-of-life improvements, new difficulty levers, and long-requested features like a color picker. The update also bumps truck speeds and includes performance work.

The community has been asking for a color picker, and v0.8.13 finally delivers. Instead of manually typing hex codes, you can now choose from a basic color palette when customizing map icons. Small change, big impact.

Map readability also gets a boost: newly revealed locations now appear with a gray icon, turning white only after you visit them. No more squinting to figure out which discovered traders you’ve actually explored.

The patch lays groundwork for a true Hardcore mode by adding two new experimental options:

• Production Buildings Speed – adjust how fast production buildings generate resources in settlements and player bases.
• Lower Loot Chance and Loot Amount – values can now be set as low as 0.01 for extremely harsh survival worlds.

These are experimental; feedback will shape future tuning.

Both the Bandit Truck and Dustborns Truck get a speed increase from 30 mph to 45 mph. The Bandit Truck also has improved landing and stopping behavior to reduce self-damage.

CPU and RAM performance tied to NPC AI has been optimized, leading to smoother FPS in busy areas. Other fixes include:

• Improved loot chance algorithm
• NPCs now escape correctly from unknown attackers
• Fixed world objects not aligning with terrain normal
• Gaps in buildable concrete walls closed
• Players can no longer escape the taken down screen via ESC
• Fixed missing second texture on OGD Distance Eater AI driver
• TOS Combatant Breacher no longer shoots too fast

The dev team says this update is part of an ongoing content wave, with more features, balancing, and polishing to come based on community feedback.

With the launch of Season 10: Uplink on July 24, native Linux client support for Half-Life: Cross Product Multiplayer is being discontinued. Moving forward, the Windows version running through Proton 10 is the supported method for playing on Linux-based systems.

The change does not affect dedicated servers—Linux-based server binaries remain natively supported, so existing operators can update and continue hosting without disruption. Players using SteamOS, Steam Deck, or standard Linux distributions can still play; Season 10 has been tested with Proton 10 and Steam will automatically select the correct configuration. Minor viewmodel texture glitches may occur on rare occasions.

The Open Beta has also been deactivated. Aura Tech states that while native Linux support is ending for the time being, they are open to bringing it back if future circumstances allow. For now, focusing on a single client is the most practical approach, with Proton ensuring continued playability across Linux devices.

Expression Games has released the first part of a developer Q&A for Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, covering performance improvements, gameplay balancing, and map design. The post addresses feedback from the Open Beta and outlines changes ahead of launch, focusing heavily on the asymmetrical balance between the NVA and US Forces.

The team has made targeted adjustments to NVA tunnels to reduce their strategic dominance without removing them. Tunnels are now automatically destroyed when the enemy captures friendly territory. Cooldowns increased from 2 to 5 minutes, travel and entry times are longer, the maximum distance between two tunnels is reduced from 800m to 400m, and the distance check before a new tunnel can be placed has doubled to 100m.

At the same time, US helicopters received improvements: refined flight handling, greater resilience to small arms fire, and the ability for Officers to deploy spawn points via their Field Pad upon exiting. These changes aim to keep both factions viable while preserving their unique playstyles.

Since the Open Beta, the team has continued optimising rendering, animation, and graphics settings across PC and console. Enemy movement at distance—a common complaint—has been smoothed out after an initial optimisation pass that caused stuttering. Audio has been rebalanced for better directional awareness, and weapon VFX (muzzle flashes, depth of field through optics) have been polished.

Console optimisation is ongoing alongside PC. The upcoming cross-platform playtest will be a key milestone. Post-launch, Unreal Engine upgrades and support for the PlayStation 5 Pro are confirmed as part of the live service roadmap.

Resource nodes see a significant change: pre-placed supplies at each Headquarters allow Engineers to build nodes immediately at match start, reducing early-game friction. Teams can still build elsewhere for security. The Time to Kill remains similar to Hell Let Loose, but dense jungle and reduced sightlines shift emphasis to positioning and movement over pure accuracy.

Napalm has been overhauled into an area-denial tool, leaving thick smoke that blocks visibility and disrupts enemy movement. The 3D tactical map has been optimised for faster access and better readability, with roads, rivers, and elevation clearer. Since it’s generated from the game world, it updates automatically with map changes.

On maps, the team confirmed that urban combat is part of the long-term vision, with the Battle of Huế a location they’d like to explore. Night maps are being actively experimented with but won’t be in at launch—any implementation would have dedicated gameplay systems like flares and floodlights. Future maps under investigation include Huế and Hạ Long Bay, though nothing is confirmed.

Part 2 of the Q&A, covering development process and the future of Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, is coming soon.