Hello Onward Community,

Please forgive us for the radio silence lately. After we released Patch 1.14.3 we jumped right back into the trenches to work on the next update. We were happy to hear that the patch was able to resolve several issues you were experiencing. After the release of 1.14.2 the team devoted a huge effort into starting work on various areas of the game. This made it difficult to update areas of the game while that work was unfinished. We were thrilled that we were able to work around some of those things and get that patch out to you. Especially with all the work we have currently, which we will go over next in the Devs Desk.

Simply put, we have A LOT to do. We are touching a lot of different areas of the game. Front-end, back-end, assets, mechanics, & more. With the size of our team people are wearing multiple hats, and it’s going to take quite a bit of time to get these items ready. All of these systems are connected to each other and sometimes working on them doesn’t provide us a lot to show off in the earlier stages.

We know it’s not the exact news you wanted to hear, but we wanted to provide you with a reason for why things have been so quiet. We will likely remain quiet for the next few months with our heads down trying to get as much done as possible.

We are excited to show you what’s next! As the features develop into more shareable states, we will be happy to show them off to you.




Stationed in the Mess Hall

Hello everyone!

We’ve just released a minor patch, version 1.14.3, for Onward, that brings compatibility with a small but important upcoming change to the backend systems.

While you may not notice any changes in-game, this patch will ensure a smooth experience as we continue to develop the game.

Stay sharp!

Hello Onward Community,

We have just released patch 1.14.2 to address a number of issues that have been affecting gameplay for many of you. This includes fixes for various exploits, gameplay states, and maps. Details can be found in the change log.

The hotfix is available for download now on all platforms.

Change Log

• Fixed an issue that allowed two players to assume the Corpsman role in the same fireteam, leaving another fireteam without Corpsmen.
  
• Fixed an exploit that allowed players to become effectively invisible after using the syringe.
  
• Fixed two exploits that allowed players to clip through assets and reach out-of-bounds areas.
  
• Fixed an issue on Cargo that would prevent players from extracting with the helicopter in Mercenary Mode
  
• Fixed an issue in Gun Game where a random player would progress in the game when another player uses the “give up” button
  
• Fixed an issue on Quarantine where players would suddenly die as they hit a kill box when extracting with the helicopter
  
• Fixed an issue in Assault where the “Return to Battle” message would remain visible after a player was killed due to being out of bounds, and then respawned
  
• Fixed colliders and LOD issues on Bazaar
  
• Fixed several instances where a player could get themselves stuck on various maps

Hello Onward Community,

We hope everyone is continuing to enjoy Mercenary Mode. We were very excited for everyone to try it out and see the reactions to the new style of gameplay. However excited we were, our original intention was not to have the game mode fill every filter on the server browser. Thank you for reaching out to us quickly to let us know this was happening. We worked hard to address it quickly and released Hotfix 1.14.1 to resolve this.

Shortly after the release of 1.14 we were informed of some major bugs, such as a new invisibility glitch, that were being used by players to exploit and disrupt games. We tried very hard to get a hotfix out to address this, however, when looking more into it we decided that we wanted to fix some additional bugs and issues that the community has been encountering. In the meantime, you are encouraged to use the in-game functionalities to report players if they are using exploits like these and we also encourage you to use the vote kick player system so they don’t continue to disrupt your games. In the Community Center we go over best practices for reporting players and steps for how to deal with unwanted players.

This month in the Dev’s Desk we’ll be revealing the information about what will be included for the next patch.

After the launch of Update 1.14 we were made aware of some critical issues that we wanted to address quickly. As we started to look into the exploits, we decided that there were a few more things we wanted to make improvements on and additional fixes for as well. Based on the amount of things to include and the time it would take to complete some of the items, this will not be considered a hotfix and will be released as Patch 1.14.2.

Typically before an update launches a portion of the team is already working on the next things for Onward. Due to how much work is needed for the next update, it took a bit more time for some team members to shift tasks and start to work on some of the fixes that we wanted to include in this patch. We understand that the community has been asking frequently for some of these fixes and we are happy to be getting this out to them.

Patch 1.14.2 will include these featured fixes:

• Fix for “Invisibility” exploit
  
• Fixed various locations throughout maps where players were exploiting to get into unintended areas
  
• Fix for issues players are experiencing when reaching out of bounds areas
  
• Fix on Cargo in Mercenary Mode where players were unable to extract
  
• Added some Server Filter improvements
  
• Fix for issue in Firefight where two players were assigned as the Medic
  
• Various Collision & LOD fixes on maps

We are working on wrapping up the final parts of the patch and hope to have it out to you soon.

Onward can be played in a variety of different ways. Players range from hard core PVP players, jumping in with a buddy for some rounds of Co-Op, to spending time practicing skills on the shooting range. Players have also developed other ways to enjoy the mechanics that Onward has developed in areas like Free Roam. We want to ensure that people are able to play in these modes and enjoy their time in the game.

Sometimes people don’t play the same way or may join and not understand the rules of the mode. We want to encourage players to resort to communication first rather than retaliation. If efforts are made to communicate to a player about their behavior and they go unchanged, please report the player using the in-game reporting tool and then start the vote kick process to have them removed from the lobby.

For major offenses that do not follow our community guidelines or break the terms of services (such as racist/hateful language, hacking/exploiting, pattern of harassment) submit a report to our support team.

• Capture a video or image of the violation that includes the player name
  
• Email the video to customer support - dpisupport@meta.com

If video files are too large you can send a link to a google drive location or upload it to YouTube as “unlisted” and send the video link in your email.

For a player to be removed from the lobby someone needs to start the vote kick process and at least half the lobby needs to agree to have them removed by also clicking on the “Kick” button. To start the process, click on the player's name on the scoreboard and choose “Kick” from the options. This will bring up a kick button that is visible to other players in the lobby. Communicate to the other players in the lobby that you have started a vote kick and why you want the player removed to encourage a quicker response from other players in the lobby.

We want to ensure everyone is able to enjoy their time in Onward and get the most out of their play sessions.


Locked and Loaded

Hello Onward Community,

We have just released hotfix 1.14.1 to address an issue where Mercenary Mode servers weren't being filtered properly in the server browser. The hotfix is available for download now on all platforms.

• Fixed Mercenary Mode servers populating the server browser even when co-op modes were not selected in the filters
  
• Updated the description of the co-op filter in the server browser to clarify co-op includes Mercenary Mode

Future Mercenaries,

Are you ready to pick up your contract? Before you head out, check out all the features and fixes that have been included in this update.

In the previous Sitreps we focused a lot on providing details about Mercenary Mode. We also showed you new images of the updated bazaar on our social channels. There are more features and updates that we haven’t mentioned yet. We will be highlighting some of the major ones below. For the detailed list of changes and fixes check the Change Log.

We continued our efforts to enhance our existing maps. Bazaar is a fan favorite for a lot of reasons. We wanted to take the things that people love about Bazaar and enhance them. Not only did the graphics get improved throughout, we also made improvements to layouts for cover and how you approach objectives. Additionally, the overall ambience has been improved. The addition of props & signage, lighting updates, and enhanced environmental audio help you feel more immersed in the environment.

Comparison Shots of Bazaar from v.1.13.1 and now in v.1.14*
*Images taken on Quest 3, can be found on our website (https://onwardthegame.com/devblog.html).


Mercenary Mode is now available. You can access this mode in the Multiplayer or Single player section of the main menu. This mode is a completely new way to play PVE in Onward. You start in the new Hideout location, you choose the mission you will go on, you pick your rewards, then you move on to the next mission. The choices you make throughout the contract are extremely important. They will end up affecting how well you score and ultimately, if you win or fail. There are two different types of contracts, Standard or Endless.
Standard = 5 Missions + Final (6 Missions Total)
Endless = 5 Missions + Final + More (keep getting new missions until you fail)

This new game mode also offers some new unique interactions when fulfilling objectives. For instance, if you are on a sabotage mission and you get too close to the signal jammer it will lock up your tablets and cut off radio communications.

The bots also have been improved and are not to be taken lightly. You will need to have a plan, tactical approach, and consistent communication throughout the missions in order to be successful.

There are two global scoreboards (one for Standard and one for Endless) that can be viewed when in The Hideout. At the end of each mission you will be given a ranking and score. Scores are based on your and your team's performance during each mission. They are determined by a combination of Survival Rating, Time, Objective completion, and Enemy Kills. Like our other global scoreboards, these will reset on Midnight (PT) Wednesday Mornings. More detailed information about Mercenary Mode can be found in our February Sitrep.

Do you have what it takes to complete the contract?
Are you skilled enough to make it on the scoreboard?

After the improvements that the AI went through in update 1.13, we wanted to continue to make

• improvements to them. These updates should help them become more challenging and also bring new dynamics when fighting against them.
  
• Added an automatic rifleman class for bots
  
• Bots may now flashbang before moving through doorways
  
• Improved the bots' ability to go around corners
  
• Improved bot defensive behaviors

The new bot class and behaviors have been added to all Co-Op modes (Hunt, Evac, & Mercenary)

Mercenary mode added new objectives into the game, 5 to be exact. This gave us an opportunity to design an enhanced way for players to understand what intel was available to them during their missions. During development it was decided that we would create updated tablet icons so the players could easily see which objective they were trying to complete for the mission and how to locate it.

The icons are larger and more distinguishable to the objective type. Another one of the big improvements is they now also indicate elevation. This means the icons will be able to indicate if the objective is above, below, or on the same level of your current location.

When testing the new icons and functionality, it quickly became apparent how beneficial these new icons were to gameplay. For that reason, we have updated the objective icons throughout the game. The updated tablet icons have been applied to the following modes:

• Co-Op Hunt
  
• Co-Op Evac
  
• Uplink
  
• Assault
  
• Fire Fight

There is a lot to discover with the new game mode. In addition to all the work that was put into Mercenary Mode and the features that it uses (such as AI and Icons) the team worked on loads of bug fixes and other improvements throughout the game. Details can be read below for all the changes that went into Update 1.14.

• Improved the performance of the licenses screen
  
• Fixed an issue where a player couldn't start a server after having previously lost connection to the internet during a previous attempt to start a server
  
• Fixed an issue where a host was unable to select a map after being made host during a map transition
  
• Fixed an error message popping up when attempting to start a server with a custom map that requires an update
  
• Fixed an issue where the Center Marker setting fails to take effect when players modify the setting from within the tent
  
• Fixed all servers briefly showing as 'closed' in the server browser when a player is joining a server
  
• Fixed map vote options being restricted to custom maps only after changing a lobby from Private to Public
  
• Fixed an issue that would prevent players from joining a public server if that server had previously been private
  
• Fixed a permanent hang that would occur if players first tried to join a full lobby, and then entered the tutorial
  
• Fixed an issue where a lobby host could not reselect custom maps in certain cases
  
• Fixed several issues that caused weapons to jitter when players use the Virtual Gun Stock setting
  
• Fixed players experiencing an input offset in the main menu and tent after changing the desktop mirror screen size on PC
  
• Removed the option to invite PC players to private lobbies as this functionality was causing unintended behaviors. It has been updated to be consistent across all platforms
  
• Fixed the caster instructions disappearing after loading in as an observer on PC
  
• Fixed caster mode lacking character model highlights, bullet impact events and first person smoke visuals on PC

• Updated objective icons for the tablet and added elevation indicators
  
• Fixed the Volk scoreboard being visible in Coop matches
  
• Updated several descriptions in various menus and the tutorial that showed outdated or incorrect information
  
• Fixed the timeout button being visible in the tent between rounds in competitive lobbies
  
• Fixed the grenades selection being retained on the UI when setting progression to 'Fixed Decreasing' throughout Gun Game
  
• Fixed an issue where the FOB didn't have the correct art displayed during a map vote
  
• Fixed the incorrect Uplink icon being used in the tutorial
  
• Fixed turning instructions not appearing in the tutorial if a player has smooth turning enabled
  
• Fixed the 'Gunstock Calibration Settings' button being overlapped by the loadout list in certain circumstances
  
• Fixed the 'Calibrate Gunstock' button does not shifting to the other side of the screen when gripping the tablet with the right hand
  
• Gameplay
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the reason for failing an evac mission was not being displayed
  
• Fixed players being able to exceed team capacity by grabbing helmets at the same time
  
• Fixed an issue where a player would become unable to interact with objects after detonating a C4 explosive during spawn-in
  
• Fixed an issue where a fallen teammate would not show up on the tablet
  
• Fixed users being able to move at a time where they shouldn't be able to in the tutorial, after they injected themself with the syringe

Co-Op

• Bots can now flashbang doorways
  
• Improved the bots' ability to go around corners
  
• Improved bot defensive behaviors
  
• Added an automatic rifleman class for bots
  
• Fixed bots not reacting consistently to players who repeatedly grabbed and let go of the ballistic shield
  
• Fixed bot movement animations being odd in different ways if bots were traveling short distances
  
• Fixed players clipping through the exfil helicopter as it flies away
  
• Fixed bots not animating for non-host players when throwing a grenade
  
• Fixed bots dropping pistols with invisible magazines
  
• Fixed a crash on Egress related to picking up a weapon that had been dropped by a bot
  
• Fixed the TT-30 and Five-Seven not being used for AI side arms
  
• Fixed bot footstep sounds being absent if a player wasn't looking at them

Core Modes

• Fixed an issue where a player could successfully complete a Fire Fight mission even if they had dropped the hard drive prior to boarding the helicopter
  
• Fixed an issue where players would get stuck in the Tent after being defibrillated by one user and then killed by another during Fire Fight matches
  
• Fixed the hard drive being able to fall through the helicopter ramp in Fire Fight
  
• Fixed issues that occur when placing a hard drive in an elevator in Fire Fight
  
• Fixed the hard drive lacking sound effects when being dropped
  
• Fixed an issue where a player would get stuck on a black screen if they spawned in as the uplink was being sent in Assault
  
• Fixed an issue that caused the tablet code to not change after a round of Uplink was reset

• Fixed the skybox remaining visible when players are blinded by flashlights during ongoing Spec Ops matches on Night maps
  
• Fixed performance issues in various maps and in the tutorial
  
• Fixed several instances where players would get killed by an over enthusiastic anti-exploit measure on Turbine, Bazaar, FOB Bassett and Downfall maps
  
• Fixed several instances where a player could get stuck on FOB Basset or during the tutorial
  
• Fixed several buildings appearing too bright on Quarantine Day
  
• Fixed multiple instances of LOD-popping on Cargo
  
• Fixed two instances of air drones being able to fly into unintended areas on Bazaar
  
• Fixed several collider issues in Bazaar
  
• Fixed a culling issue in Bazaar
  
• Fixed the Standing Dual Floodlight bulbs at the basketball courtyard appearing to be turned off, even though the light was on
  
• Fixed an issue in Abandoned that would cause players to always spawn in the same location
  
• Fixed several missing colliders on FOB Bassett
  
• Fixed inconsistent lighting in certain places on Cargo and FOB Bassett
  
• Fixed gunshot sound effects not being differentiated between indoor and outdoor areas in Bazaar
  
• Fixed a set of power panels lacking collision in Bazaar
  
• Fixed inconsistent bullet decals on Bazaar
  
• Improved shading and lighting in Bazaar
  
• Fixes z-fighting on the awnings in Bazaar
  
• Fixed brick wall textures changing as the player moves around them in Bazaar
  
• Fixed floating power lines in Bazaar
  
• Fixed the skybox being overly bright on Shooting Range night on Quest
  
• Fixed the flashlight not illuminating when pointed at the ground in Downfall
  
• Fixed culling issues in Abandoned
  
• Fixed an inconsistency in lighting for the weapons cases on Bazaar
  
• Fixed the loading screen for Cargo Night using assets for Cargo Day
  
• Fixed culling issues on Abandoned
  
• Fixed the ammo box spawning outside of a player's reach in FOB Bassett

• Changed the flashbang effect so that it produces a dark red visual effect instead of a white one
  
• Fixed a performance issue that caused a momentary frame drop when NVG was enabled for the first time
  
• Fixed a performance issue that caused a momentary frame drop when picking up a weapon with an active flashlight, or when activating a flashlight for the first time
  
• Fixed smoke plumes not appearing to a player who is observing another player in the tent
  
• Fixed intense reflections being visible when looking at chem lights or scopes
  
• Fixed the Night vision goggles appearing black in loadout and gameplay
  
• Fixed players being unable to lock the bolt on the G3A3 and MP5 if that weapon had previously been dropped by another player
  
• Fixed several instances of Night Vision Goggles not properly illuminating dark areas in various maps
  
• Fixed shields being pre-gripped in the non-dominant hand when users choose to spawn with the 'Hold To Grip' setting disabled
  
• Fixed flashlights appearing to be turned off if a player joined mid-way through a match

• Rarely, Mercenary sub-modes can become desynced across users when a user joins an active session. Once you start a new lobby this should be resolved.
  
• Players can sometimes experience inconsistent drops in performance in very populated servers on Bazaar
  
• Some players can become stuck in a black screen when the host is transferred to a player who quit the app when in hideout. Starting a new lobby should resolve this.
  
• Some Oculus PC players can experience black screen flickering with NVG on during gameplay.

February is the month of love and we are feeling it. The excitement and positive feedback we have received for the new game mode has been overwhelming. This month the Devs’ Desk will be focusing on explaining the details of how Mercenary Mode works and also include some before and after images of Bazaar. Our Community Center will showcase some of the great responses that we received from the community challenge we posted on our social channels and how it ties into a new detail for the game.

While the main focus for this update is the new PVE mode, we have also made sure to include other features and bug fixes as well. The full details of everything that’s included with the update will be in our Patch Notes and Change Log when the update releases.

Your next question is, when will that be?
The wait for the update will be less than a week. Yes, you read that correctly.
Update 1.14 - Mercenary Mode will go live on February 20th (PT). The exact time will be announced on our socials.

Let’s start going over everything you will have to look forward to.


If you have been viewing our social posts, you have seen several sneak peeks and teases for the upcoming update. Now you will get to see what those posts were referencing and how it all works together.

First, let’s go over the details of what has been updated in Bazaar. One reason this map was next on the list for updates was it is a fan favorite map. This map got the most amount of graphical updates we have done to a map to date. Let’s list out of some of the major things that have been done:

• Updated textures throughout (including ground, walls, & assets)
  
• New Palm Trees with leaves that sway in the wind
  
• Several assets for vehicles have been replaced with higher quality ones
  
• Updated assets have been added to added throughout the map to fill the environment
  
• New skybox for Night map
  
• New signage with lighting on Night map (moths included for free)
  
• Improved lighting throughout
  
• New updated assets added throughout to provide more cover to improve gameplay tactics
  
• Updated environmental audio

It’s going to be a big improvement to how immersed people will feel while in the environment. You can see in the before and afters the improvements in how the scenes look. However, these don’t do it justice for how it looks when you are there.

Images can be found on our website.

There is going to be a lot to go over for this, so let’s get right into it.

Gamemode Summary
This roguelike mode is a PVE (players versus environment) mode for either Single Player or for up to 4 players Co-Op. You have signed up as a mercenary and will go on increasingly challenging missions to fulfill your contract. You choose the mission you will go on, you pick your rewards, then you move on to the next mission. Each mission you will be given a score (we will breakdown scoring in a bit). The choices you make throughout the contract are extremely important. They will end up affecting how well you score and ultimately, if you win or fail. Failing causes the contract to end and you start back at the beginning.

There are two different modes to pick from at the start.

• Standard = 5 Missions + Final (6 Missions Total)
  
• Endless = 5 Missions + Final + More (keep getting new missions until you fail)

The Hideout
A completely new environment where you will start your contract(s) and choose your first mission. The Hideout was designed as an off the grid facility where you would go to get the information on your contracts, strategize with your squad, & view the competition.

This is where you will be able to view the leaderboards for both modes. If a high score on the leaderboard is what you are trying to achieve, take note of the scores you are trying to beat. Once you deploy on your contract, you will not be able to compare scores until you return to The Hideout.

An additional announcement about the Hideout will be included in the Community Center.

Missions
Contracts are a collection of 6 missions (Endless Mode will continue after 6). Your goal is to get through all the missions and get the highest score possible. Or for a lot of players, just be able to get through all 6 missions. After your first mission choice you will be deployed to set your loadout in the tent. The remainder of the contract will be done from the tent until you have successfully completed the contract or you failed a mission.

Missions choices will have different Objective, Map, Difficulty, and Reward options. Players can vote for which Mission they think would be best. The mission with the highest votes is where you will deploy. Communication will be critical at each step throughout the missions to discuss with the squad to see what would give you the best chance at success. Mission difficulties are based on the contract scale and amount of players. The difficulty will increase after each mission.

Mission Objectives are as follows:

• Eliminate - Kill all the enemies
  
• Escape - Escape when support arrives before the enemy gets you
  
• Extract - Find the Hard Drive, escape before the enemy gets you
  
• Sabotage - Find and disable the device jamming your radios, tablets, and other devices
  
• Transmit - Find the Uplink and send the code. Hold location until upload is complete

Upon completion of the mission you will receive your score for that run, then pick your reward item. You will then be presented with your next 3 mission choices. The Mission progress can be tracked in the mission progress bar found above the squad list.

Scoring
Scores are based on your and your team’s performance during each mission. They are determined by a combination of Survival Rating, Time, Objective completion, and Enemy Kills.

Survival rating will be higher if your team was not injured, downed, or killed, and at its lowest if any team members are MIA at the end of the round. Time rating takes into account things like how long it takes to get across the level, how many enemies there are, and so on.

You may need to evaluate whether finishing a mission quickly or killing more enemies will net you a higher score. Getting your downed teammate up and to the evacuation point may end up costing you the whole mission, or improve your team’s score.

Equipment & Rewards
Since these contracts are off the books, supplies will be limited to start. You will have to start with a choice of pistol with some other starting utilities. After each mission you will choose a reward from three different options. Two that were in the reward pool for the mission and one from surplus, which is a different randomized item for each person. The value of your rewards will grow in power with each completed mission.

Depending on the choices you have made, after a couple successful missions you should have started to build a decent loadout for the missions as they become more difficult. Planning for the more difficult missions later in the contract is highly encouraged.

This mode is a completely new way to experience Onward. It offers a high skill ceiling with flexibility and control over how you play. You will want to make sure you have a full charge on your headset before you start. During developer playtesting the phrase “one more round” could often be heard and it often led to playing until headsets died.

Everything about Mercenary Mode sounds like it’s going to be a challenging and exciting adventure. Even if you’re not usually the PVE type, we hope you give it a try.

Usually, we don’t talk about new features in the Community Center, however this month we have two fun announcements related to Mercenary Mode for you!

To start us off, on our social channels we challenged people to “Caption This” for the following post:

What some people may not have noticed was that the image was actually a sneak peek of a big upgrade to a piece of equipment (exclusively in Mercenary Mode). This leads to the first announcement.

#1 - RELOADABLE RPGs
That’s Right! In Mercenary if you choose the RPG as a reward item, it comes with 3 additional rockets you can use to reload. Additionally, the 3 rockets will refresh at the beginning of each mission (you will always start with a loaded RPG and 3 reloads if you choose the RPG as your primary before you start a mission).

#2 - Experience The Hideout now!
You can see what it’s like to be in The Hideout by going to the Onward app in the Quest store (in headset). You can look around and see what the full environment looks like.

I bet that’s not something you expected. We are looking forward to hearing everyone’s responses to this Sitrep. Join us on our Discord and chat with us about it! Our Community Manager will host a brief Q&A tomorrow (2/16) @ 3-4pm PT. We will try our best to answer your questions about Update 1.14 - Mercenary Mode.



Just Five Days and a wake-up

Happy 2024 Everyone!

We are back from our holiday break and hit the ground not just running, but sprinting. We saw a big rise in players during the month of December and we want to officially welcome all the new soldiers onto the battlefields.

In our December sitrep our canary let some info slip about some things we are working on and, as promised, we will be going into more details about what’s coming. The Devs’ Desk will be going over the latest features being worked on by the development team in addition to what you can expect in the next updates. In the Community Center we will go over some updates about custom maps and the VRML season.

You already waited through December, so let’s not wait any longer.

Before we jump into what's going to be coming out next, we wanted to give you an update about our voice chat system. Many have inquired and made reports about the voice chat system not working, voice being unable to connect, or being unable to hear teammates. Onward was designed so that communication was an important part of the gameplay experience and this is a big priority for us. We are working with our service providers and will be making improvements so the amount of disruptions are addressed.

Our next update will be Update 1.14. This update will have a much tighter focus for what is included because of the amount of work it takes to get these types of features included and running in the game.

In 1.13 you saw some of our maps get a big visual upgrade, not just in resolution, but in the overall feel of the environments. The next map to be upgraded is..… Bazaar!

The markets and hotels appear to be back in business. Make sure to check out the birds in the sky if you visit during the day or the exotic moths that will come out at night. The textures have been improved throughout the whole map. Additionally, the lighting has been improved for Day, Night, and in buildings.

Another one?! You bet!
This time it’s for PVE. Co-Op and Single Player will now have a completely new style of game mode to play that will include scoring and a global leaderboard. Get ready to see how far you can make it.

You wake up and you know today is going to be different. You're not going to start your day going to the base like you normally do. No, today you got called in for a special operation, a contract. After you psych yourself up and get ready, you make your way over to “The Hideout”.

Once you're there you meet up with your squad that will be joining you on this set of missions. You like these folks, for the most part. You just hope VolkH8ter16 isn’t going to try and push everyone to get RPGs like the last mission. I mean, we were able to reload but once our stash was out, PizzaGrunt ended up having to use their knife to get us access to our radios again. What a disaster that was.

Everyone takes a look at the board for the available missions. You discuss all the details with them. You mark which of the missions you think your squad will be able to show off your highest performance, while also being able to get your gear to ensure you are prepared for the next missions. Because you know they will be more difficult.

Once the mission has been decided, you all head to the outpost to talk strategy for how you want to handle this mission and gear up accordingly.

Before you know it, the first mission has started.
After this, 6 more to go.
Mercenary mode is a multi-mission operation where you (solo or with friends) are trying to complete the contract & get the highest score. Choose from a variety of missions with different types of objectives, some of which are totally new to Onward. One of the bigger hurdles will be how you handle your rewards and craft a loadout to be able to scale with the missions as they increase in difficulty.

The majority of our focus for Update 1.14 went into this new game mode. A few features for this mode have been in the works for quite awhile. Some of the elements in this new mode will be familiar to you, yet it will be a completely new way to experience them. It takes everything you know, or don’t, about running ops and challenges you to be able to complete missions and get through the whole contract.

This mode required a lot of design and play testing to make sure elements of the mode were balanced and provided a challenge. Communication will be critical. There are lots of decisions to make throughout the game and sometimes one choice your team makes can cause you to have some major setbacks.

We are thrilled to be bringing something so new and unique to PVE in Onward. Even if you are not a routine PVE player, we think you will want to invest some time being a Mercenary. We will release more details about the mode on our social media channels and in next month's Sitrep.

The VRML just wrapped up a very successful season 15. This season had 73 teams competing. After several months of practice, scrims, and intense battles the finals were down to two incredibly talented teams, The Raptors (Season 11 champions) and Imperial. After 4 Maps, The Raptors had to hand over their title to Imperial. You can check out all the highlights and matches from Season 15 on their YouTube.

Congratulations Imperial!

We wanted to also follow-up on several inquiries we have been getting regarding the removal of custom maps from the Co-Op game mode. When we updated the behavior for the bots in Update 1.13 this caused any custom maps that supported Co-Op to not function properly. To ensure the quality of the maps, we temporarily took these maps down.

The custom map makers are working hard on updating their maps to have the new bots. In fact, some maps have already been updated and are available again. Custom map makers continue to update various maps to be available for Co-Op. Before creating a new lobby, check the workshop to see if the custom map you are looking for has been updated.


As we continue to work on Update 1.14, keep up to date with information that will get shared on our socials and join the official discord to chat with other players.
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Stay Frosty!

Happy December Community,

As 2023 is wrapping up, we are going to be doing this month’s Sitrep a little differently. We want to take time to reflect on everything that has happened this year, showing a summarized view of all the major updates we have made to the game. In the Community Center we will look at some of the improvements to player interactions we have made and different community events people have participated in. Additionally, we will be showcasing some of our devs’ highlights from the year in the Devs’ Desk section.

The Downpour Interactive Team will be taking time off for the holidays to spend time with family and friends. The office will be closed from 12/20 through 01/02. This includes community & support. If you are looking for support during this time, please check our FAQ or our official Discord.

2023 - Code Name: W.O.L.F

W. hat will have the most impact

• What parts of the game can we work on for a large number of our players?

O. ffer assistance

• How can we develop features to solve the problem(s) the players are having?

L. ook for opportunities to expand

• Can the feature be expanded to give more to the players?

F. ortify with testing

• Does this feel like a good solution?

Some of the major features that you saw come into the game in 2023 were the result of us taking the opportunity to be a bit more flexible and stretch our creativity. We wanted to develop new things while also taking on difficult challenges. The team started to look closer at major requests the community was asking us to address. Working closely together to review these topics, having amazing discussions, and forming solid plans for how to move forward; This was the year’s result:

• FOUR New Weapons (MP7A2, SR-2MP Veresk, M240L, & Ultimax 100 Mk3)
  
• THREE New Maps (Egress, FOB Bassett, Cargo: Night)
  
• Regional Servers Implementation
  
• New Animations & Movement system (for Player & Bot Models)
  
• New Tent Hub and Tent Interactions
  
• New Watch Design and Watch Functions
  
• Scores & Global Leaderboards (Shooting Range & FOB Bassett)
  
• New Glove Models
  
• New Game Mode (Fire Fight)
  
• New Main Menu Environment
  
• Loadout Expansions & Cloud Saving (Quest & SteamVR)
  
• NEW NVG Goggles & Filter Colors (Amber Phosphor, White Phosphor, Green Phosphor, and Digital)
  
• New Night Mode Equipment (IR Strobes, IR Lasers, Chem Lights)
  
• Added Basketball - Freeroam Mini Game
  
• Added Quest 3 Graphics & Performance Support
  
• Weekly quick play rotations for PvP and PvE modes

• Added Ability to Simultaneously Hold Weapons in Both Hands
  
• Improvements and Re-design to Social Game Modes (Gun Game, One in the Chamber)
  
• Update to Game Engine
  
• Redesigned Gunstock Calibration
  
• Updated Tutorial & Training
  
• AI Refactor & Co-Op Adjustments
  
• Improvements to Night Mode Equipment (Flare Gun, Laser Sights)
  
• Updates to Environment Graphics & Parity

That’s a lot of big features that got added! Not to mention there was a ton for quality of life improvements and bug fixes not included in this list.

Our developers are the unseen and unspoken heroes behind all the features, updates, and fixes you experience in the game. A passionate team filled with people who have been at DPI and working on this project for several years. We all have different playstyles and skill levels in Onward. This gives us a unique opportunity when we design, develop, and test features. It allows us to look at the wider player base and not focus on any one style or skill set. We also take time to play with the community to make sure we are in touch with what players are looking for.

With the studio now being a smaller team, we have looked critically at our development process and doubled down on prioritizing things that we believe will be the most impactful to the players and continue to push the game forward. This has truly shown how talented and dedicated this team is to making Onward one of the greatest VR tactical shooters.

“The AI refactor has been on my to-do list since the Quest port. Co-op is a large player group, but most of our past updates focused on PvP so it’s nice to do something for them. New navigation and waypoint systems, new cover systems, and moving to a simpler and easier to expand behavior system allowed us to get more bots on Quest than we used to on PC, bring back weapon dropping, and create a better balance to difficulty. We now have a solid foundation to improve future PvE content.”
Dan - Engineering & Environments

“My favorite feature I worked on this year was probably Procedural Gun Game, but that's because I'm a sucker for procedurally generated content. But I think overall, the IR Strobes in night mode are more impactful. They aren't as large as, for example, the leaderboards, but they stand out to me because of how relatively quick they were to implement versus how big of a difference they make in how night maps are played.”
Brian - Engineering

“I have two favorite features that I worked on this year; one was the scanline effect for night vision. Adding them felt like I completed the night vision effect after all this time. My other favorite feature was updating the player gloves. Replacing the old gloves while not affecting any of our animations was a challenge, but the impact of having distinct faction specific gloves in the game was well worth it!”
Guzzy - Art

“A lot stands out to me this year, and going through the list has made me take a step back to see the bigger picture. Despite the challenges that 2023 served up, we’ve managed to hit every single internal release deadline for Onward. Some times more comfortably than others, but we did hit them. And we delivered a lot of fresh content and gameplay while doing so.”
Kasper - Production

“One of the things that I really enjoyed was designing and planning all the unique UI elements for the new …. Oh, we can’t mention that yet? Sorry.”
Whoops - Canary

We are looking forward to sharing more about what is being developed in the January Sitrep.



Hey Everyone! SyrinS0ng here, your friendly fire Community Manager.

“My favorite thing in 2023 was seeing the team work hard on features that would really benefit the whole community. Things like Server IDs and the FOB Basset map, gave players easier ways to connect and meet others. I strongly believe that forming bonds and friendships is always an important part of gaming.”
SyrinS0ng - Community

Seeing players connect while in and out of the game always brings me immense joy. 2023 was a great year in the community. Not only did the team include some very important in-game community driven features, there were also lots of events and custom maps for players as well. I wanted to highlight some of these major events and features.

• Developers making improvements to reporting tool to cut down on toxicity
  
• Developers adding Server IDs so players could quickly find and connect to friends, regardless of platform
  
• Custom Map Makers added 82 New Custom Maps to the game, providing fun new environments to play on, or hang out and practice with your squad
  
• The VRML competitive league had a successful Season 15 with 1227 players in 70 teams, which amounted to 561 matches to compete for the winning title and prizes
  
• VR Charity ran 2 amazing charity events raising just shy of $10,000 to help charity programs for causes like Make a Wish & Suicide Prevention, with hopes to do even more next year

There are lots of ways to connect with other players for a variety of different playstyles. Whether it’s for high scores, creating content, or a good cause; having those moments where you play some amazing matches and you want to keep going until your headset dies is a rush we hope everyone gets to experience while playing. It’s what we will continue to strive for.


Happy Holidays!
~ Downpour Interactive Team

Hello Onward Community,

Overall update 1.13 has received great reactions and feedback. From how good the updated PVE feels to fun rounds of Basketball played on FOB Bassett. However, shortly after update 1.13 was launched we started to get a small number of reports related to performance, map bugs, and PCVR load times. We quickly jumped on reviewing the information coming in and resolving these issues.

This hotfix addresses a variety of things that were ultimately adding up thus resulting in performance drops and FPS stuttering. It also fixes a range of bugs for maps, including aggressive kill spots, culling/popping, and lighting issues. Additionally, while we were packaging this hotfix we opted to include some fixes that were ready to release such as some additional adjustments to Co-Op, A Caster Mode fix, and others. The details of adjustments in this hotfix are listed in the change log below.

Under the Hood
During our QA testing cycles version 1.13 was operating and testing normally and went through the typical process of testing, bug reports, and bug fixes. Testers did not run into any major moments of performance drops or moments that felt like it affected the intended gameplay. Our QA team can’t cover the plethora of devices, connections, and setups that the playerbase could have, so making sure we listen and follow-up with our community is a top priority. When we started to get reports from the community about performance and map bugs, we wanted to address it right away, however, it was difficult to narrow down what the cause might be, so we worked directly with community members affected and also started going through the code to try and identify possible causes.

Maps
We were able to find some map issues like skyboxes for all maps being loaded, instead of just the ones that were needed. That has been fixed. We also went through and reviewed maps to find locations that needed improvements to the occlusion culling (“popping”) and lighting. Those adjustments have all been made in addition to some other fixes.

Performance
We also identified that memory usage in 1.13 had become significantly higher than it had been previously, we found and addressed several causes for that. An example of this is making optimizations to the code that handles the weapons that bots use, addressing performance dips some players might have been feeling in Co-Op.

PCVR has much higher resolution and graphics quality throughout the game. Things such as multiple skyboxes being referenced, amount of shaders loading, and bot weapon handling will have a higher impact on the performance and memory usage for PCVR vs Quest. This caused some PCVR players' load times to increase or be unable to launch the game. As a result, we have made some improvements to launching parameters and cut down on some of the memory being used throughout the game. These adjustments should also additionally help Quest users who might be experiencing some performance issues or longer launching times. We will be continuing to look into this and improve this further in future updates.

For Meta Quest players
Meta Quest recently had an update to the Quest OS that was changing some players' default settings to run applications at 120hz. Onward is designed to run at 90hz. If you disable this setting in your OS, this should get you some additional improved performance while playing.

For PCVR Players
Some PCVR assets may still be using more memory than intended. We are going to continue to look into further reducing the memory used. If you continue to experience issues launching the game, please contact our support team.


Quest - Throwing Utilities
We originally made some adjustments to the Quest throwing dynamics based on information we had received about hardware updates for Quest devices. When testing the adjustments in dev sessions and in our QA process, there didn’t feel to be a difference from the intended functionality. After the update, we again listened to the community and based on the feedback we received, made sure to go back and evaluate if it was the intended experience we wanted the players to have. After review it was determined that it was not the way we wanted the feature to work and we reverted the change. Throwing will now work the same way it did in 1.12.2.

• Enabled dynamic shader memory management for PC to resolve extremely long load times or crashes some players were experiencing
  
• Removed some code that was slowing down update logic for most objects in the game
  
• Optimized logic for pickups run to help with performance
  
• Removed many shaders from our pre-warmed collections that are no longer in the game and may have been slowing down loading for PC users
  
• Lowered overall memory usage

• Fixed player outlines not appearing when in caster / desktop launch mode

• Improved performance of cover and pathing behaviors of bots to resolve stuttering and lagging on the host player
  
• AI now turn flashlights and lasers off on weapons when they drop the weapon
  
• In Hunt, the tablet will now only beep once when the initial scan begins, not repeatedly
  
• Fixed high difficulty bots not being affected by flashbangs as much as they should have been

• Fixed bugs and memory issues related to skyboxes on all maps
  
• Improved occlusion on Downfall (D/N), Snowpeak (D/N), Subway, and the Main Menu improve performance and reduce "popping"
  
• Improved the quality of lightmaps on FOB (D/N) Subway, Cargo (D/N) Downfall (D/N) Bazaar (D/N) Quarantine (D/N) Snowpeak (D/N) Shooting Range (D/N)
  
• Fixed many locations that were spontaneously killing players that walked into them on Suburbia (D/N), Bazaar (D/N), and Downfall (D/N)
  
• Improved terrain quality on Downfall (D/N)

• Fixed several issues reported by custom content creators with the custom content SDK

• Reverted a change that was reducing throwing distance for Quest users by approximately 25%

• A small number of buildings on Quarantine Day appear overly bright when the player is at a particular distance from them
  
• On PCVR, Lighting inside the tent may appear brighter than intended