First off the team wants to thank all players participating in the early access. Your dedication and willingness to give feedback have been pivotal in the development of the beta since our early access launch 1 year ago.

Today's update features a lot of improvements based on valuable feedback from the huge group of players that dove into the tactical trench warfare of Verdun this summer. (Thank you!)


Sneaking up on a German Stormtrooper with a trench club


The gameplay of Verdun is has received a massive update with no less than 3 new squads taking the field adding 2 historically important nations. Next to the existing French and German squads (2 riflemen and 2 reconnaissance) there will be a new type of squad: Assault. The Central powers will be reinforced with the German "Stosstruppen" squad, the "Entente" (allies) will get its equivalent: The Canadian Assault Squad.
As each squad type has its own unique gameplay experience, the assault squads will focus on close quarters combat and specialist weaponry, including the fearsome mp18, trench clubs, shovels and revolvers. Aside from this fearsome reputation the Stosstruppen and Canadians will be able to call in a dreadful new weapon: Gas.


Claustrophobic gas mask experience


Gas was one of the most iconic elements of the first world war. With Verdun we want to do justice to how this weapon was used in combat, and how it effected the experience of the soldiers. As the war progressed there were several different types of gas developed; from simple tear gas to the horrific mustard gas. These will be used in the game and linked to Verdun's unique squad leveling system. Gas was mainly used a harassment weapon and protection was generally very effective so in Verdun gas warfare is about protecting yourself using an immersive 3D gasmask experience. Players will find themselves having to quickly put on their "gas helmets" when a gas cloud is approaching having only seconds to put on the mask.


Putting on the mask (or gas "helmet" as they called it back then


Last but not least, with the mayor role the British "Tommies" played on the western front, players will be able to choose to fight as British Rifle squad, with a range of new weaponry available to them. This includes the famous Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle and the iconic Lewis light machine gun.

British Tommy in 1914 outfit


Verdun's gameplay is also undergoing major improvements. With the recent inclusion of the bullet physics, netcode and performance optimizations. Bullet ballistics add a new challenges to the game as players have to lead targets and adjust sighting on the longer ranges to make an accurate shot.

In the past few months we have taken an enormous amount of community ideas and feedback. We have worked actively with the community to improve the game taking full advantage of the early access beta program. We will continue to do so up until the moment we can the game 'dun.



With the addition of the new assault squads we were looking for iconic and distinguishable units that fought on the western front. As we did with the light recon units such as the French "Chasseurs" which were traditionally the light units and visually very distinct we also sought these in the Assault units. For the Germans the infamous stormtroopers instantly made the most sense. On the other side of the front we had to find an historically equivalent unit on the side of the "entente powers".

Here the choice fell on the Canadian corps. They were regarded as the shock troops of the British Empire and supposedly even nicknamed stormtroopers by the Germans themselves. They saw action in most areas, but are famous for the capture of several hard points on the western front including the Vimy Ridge in Artois sector, and Passchendaele village in Flanders. As the game covers the entire western front they will see action on these important battlefields.

They were also one of the first units to experience gas warfare during the second battle of Ypres in 1915. They are equipped similarly to the British, but have several unique elements, such as different Canadian cap badges and tunics. Like the other squads, the change of uniforms and equipment they underwent during the war is also reflected by Verdun's unique squad leveling system. For instance the early war soft caps and obsolete leather ammo pouches as used by light units which the Canadians represent were replaced by steal helmets and modern webbing pouches and backpacks.



Late war canadian infantry


Exciting news for WW1 history fans, Verdun has another new realistic WW1 map inspired by the battles of Vimy Ridge, Loos and Neuve Chapelle which took place in the Artois sector of the Western Front. The map named Artois features a massive German "redoubt", which was a mine quarry turned fortress. The grim soil landscape is reflected visually, with slag heaps towering over the battlefield and endless rows of barbed entanglements dominating the scenery. Harsh conditions for the soldiers to live and fight in. It's main inspiration was drawn from the infamous battle of Loos, which took place a few days short of 99 years ago: the 25th of september 1915. Which also saw the first time the British used gas on a massive scale.




Impression of the new Artois map


A whole range of new weaponry is available, spread out over several squads.

• Machine Gun Model 1914 "Lewis"
  
• Webley Mk VI Revolver
  
• Mk I No. 5 "Mills Bomb"
  
• Lee Enfield Mark III*
  
• Maschinenpistole 18/I
  
• Gas: { Xylyl Bromide gas (White Cross), Chlorine gas (Green Cross) ,Phosgene gas ,Mustard gas (Yellow Cross) }
  
  
• Trench Club
  
• M1887 Feldspaten
  
• Boker M1915 Trench Knife
  
• Trench Knife Mle 1916 "Le Vengeur"

Attachments:

• Pattern 1907 Bayonet for the Lee Enfield Mark III*
  
• Pritchard Bayonet for the Webley Mk VI Revolver

Lee Enfield ingame


The extremely rare Maschinenpistole 18/I ingame



Should you be visiting EGX in London between 25th – 28th of September, be sure to visit us at stand 85E, where you can have a chat with the developers and play the latest version of Verdun!

First off the team wants to thank all players participating in the early access. Your dedication and willingness to give feedback have been pivotal in the development of the beta since our early access launch 1 year ago.

Today's update features a lot of improvements based on valuable feedback from the huge group of players that dove into the tactical trench warfare of Verdun this summer. (Thank you!)


Sneaking up on a German Stormtrooper with a trench club


The gameplay of Verdun is has received a massive update with no less than 3 new squads taking the field adding 2 historically important nations. Next to the existing French and German squads (2 riflemen and 2 reconnaissance) there will be a new type of squad: Assault. The Central powers will be reinforced with the German "Stosstruppen" squad, the "Entente" (allies) will get its equivalent: The Canadian Assault Squad.
As each squad type has its own unique gameplay experience, the assault squads will focus on close quarters combat and specialist weaponry, including the fearsome mp18, trench clubs, shovels and revolvers. Aside from this fearsome reputation the Stosstruppen and Canadians will be able to call in a dreadful new weapon: Gas.


Claustrophobic gas mask experience


Gas was one of the most iconic elements of the first world war. With Verdun we want to do justice to how this weapon was used in combat, and how it effected the experience of the soldiers. As the war progressed there were several different types of gas developed; from simple tear gas to the horrific mustard gas. These will be used in the game and linked to Verdun's unique squad leveling system. Gas was mainly used a harassment weapon and protection was generally very effective so in Verdun gas warfare is about protecting yourself using an immersive 3D gasmask experience. Players will find themselves having to quickly put on their "gas helmets" when a gas cloud is approaching having only seconds to put on the mask.


Putting on the mask (or gas "helmet" as they called it back then


Last but not least, with the mayor role the British "Tommies" played on the western front, players will be able to choose to fight as British Rifle squad, with a range of new weaponry available to them. This includes the famous Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle and the iconic Lewis light machine gun.

British Tommy in 1914 outfit


Verdun's gameplay is also undergoing major improvements. With the recent inclusion of the bullet physics, netcode and performance optimizations. Bullet ballistics add a new challenges to the game as players have to lead targets and adjust sighting on the longer ranges to make an accurate shot.

In the past few months we have taken an enormous amount of community ideas and feedback. We have worked actively with the community to improve the game taking full advantage of the early access beta program. We will continue to do so up until the moment we can the game 'dun.



With the addition of the new assault squads we were looking for iconic and distinguishable units that fought on the western front. As we did with the light recon units such as the French "Chasseurs" which were traditionally the light units and visually very distinct we also sought these in the Assault units. For the Germans the infamous stormtroopers instantly made the most sense. On the other side of the front we had to find an historically equivalent unit on the side of the "entente powers".

Here the choice fell on the Canadian corps. They were regarded as the shock troops of the British Empire and supposedly even nicknamed stormtroopers by the Germans themselves. They saw action in most areas, but are famous for the capture of several hard points on the western front including the Vimy Ridge in Artois sector, and Passchendaele village in Flanders. As the game covers the entire western front they will see action on these important battlefields.

They were also one of the first units to experience gas warfare during the second battle of Ypres in 1915. They are equipped similarly to the British, but have several unique elements, such as different Canadian cap badges and tunics. Like the other squads, the change of uniforms and equipment they underwent during the war is also reflected by Verdun's unique squad leveling system. For instance the early war soft caps and obsolete leather ammo pouches as used by light units which the Canadians represent were replaced by steal helmets and modern webbing pouches and backpacks.



Late war canadian infantry


Exciting news for WW1 history fans, Verdun has another new realistic WW1 map inspired by the battles of Vimy Ridge, Loos and Neuve Chapelle which took place in the Artois sector of the Western Front. The map named Artois features a massive German "redoubt", which was a mine quarry turned fortress. The grim soil landscape is reflected visually, with slag heaps towering over the battlefield and endless rows of barbed entanglements dominating the scenery. Harsh conditions for the soldiers to live and fight in. It's main inspiration was drawn from the infamous battle of Loos, which took place a few days short of 99 years ago: the 25th of september 1915. Which also saw the first time the British used gas on a massive scale.




Impression of the new Artois map


A whole range of new weaponry is available, spread out over several squads.

• Machine Gun Model 1914 "Lewis"
  
• Webley Mk VI Revolver
  
• Mk I No. 5 "Mills Bomb"
  
• Lee Enfield Mark III*
  
• Maschinenpistole 18/I
  
• Gas: { Xylyl Bromide gas (White Cross), Chlorine gas (Green Cross) ,Phosgene gas ,Mustard gas (Yellow Cross) }
  
  
• Trench Club
  
• M1887 Feldspaten
  
• Boker M1915 Trench Knife
  
• Trench Knife Mle 1916 "Le Vengeur"

Attachments:

• Pattern 1907 Bayonet for the Lee Enfield Mark III*
  
• Pritchard Bayonet for the Webley Mk VI Revolver

Lee Enfield ingame


The extremely rare Maschinenpistole 18/I ingame



Should you be visiting EGX in London between 25th – 28th of September, be sure to visit us at stand 85E, where you can have a chat with the developers and play the latest version of Verdun!

September 16th 2014

• Fixed Linux resolution with 2 screens
  
• Network lag greatly reduced in distance(Picadie, Flanders)
  
• Flanders perfomance improvement
  
• Removed fade out effect
  
• Fixed sniper scope
  
• Removed white blocks in Argonne
  
• Possible micro stutter fix
  
• Update localizations FR and RU
  
• Fixed white LOD objects popping up
  
• Fixed Pistol going through ammo box in main menu
  
• Fixed a leaderboard error
  
• Reduced character collider height a bit for less bumps

A big content update is coming up really soon, stay tuned!

September 16th 2014

• Fixed Linux resolution with 2 screens
  
• Network lag greatly reduced in distance(Picadie, Flanders)
  
• Flanders perfomance improvement
  
• Removed fade out effect
  
• Fixed sniper scope
  
• Removed white blocks in Argonne
  
• Possible micro stutter fix
  
• Update localizations FR and RU
  
• Fixed white LOD objects popping up
  
• Fixed Pistol going through ammo box in main menu
  
• Fixed a leaderboard error
  
• Reduced character collider height a bit for less bumps

A big content update is coming up really soon, stay tuned!

September 11th 2014

• Improved Performance(15% increase)
  
• Improved memory usage, reducing crashes
  
• New Scoreboard
  
• Added Aiming sensivity slider
  
• Fixed the 'Sorry' Voice
  
• New Voice command hud screen
  
• Changed France vs Germany to Entente Powers vs Central powers
  
• Fixed bullet rechambermessage
  
• Default first time startup graphics on High instead of medium
  
• New Steam API intergration
  
• Users played with in-game will now be visible on 'Recently played with'
  
• Other crash fixes and improvements

September 11th 2014

• Improved Performance(15% increase)
  
• Improved memory usage, reducing crashes
  
• New Scoreboard
  
• Added Aiming sensivity slider
  
• Fixed the 'Sorry' Voice
  
• New Voice command hud screen
  
• Changed France vs Germany to Entente Powers vs Central powers
  
• Fixed bullet rechambermessage
  
• Default first time startup graphics on High instead of medium
  
• New Steam API intergration
  
• Users played with in-game will now be visible on 'Recently played with'
  
• Other crash fixes and improvements

We need your feedback about reforming the levelling systems in the game, see: http://steamcommunity.com/app/242860/discussions/0/613935404212891493/

September 8th 2014

• Removed Forward rendering mode, Deferred per default
  
• Better default graphics (Medium instead of Low)
  
• Slight CPU performance improvement
  
• Dry MG sounds
  
• Small muzzlefash nerf

September 4th 2014

• Improved gun flares
  
• Removed player name coloring
  
• Reduced shadow flickering in Picardie
  
• Fixed disappearing MG
  
• Fixed strange hand animation while spectating

August 29th 2014

• 64bit Windows player (more memory available, possible performance improvement)
  
• Rifle weapon fixes: when interrupting the reload by sprinting it will not continue after sprinting
  
• Rifle weapon fixes: pressing the reload button during a reload will no longer restart the reload action
  
• Rifle weapon fixes: It is now possible to interrupt a single button reload by pressing fire once. Pressing the reload button twice will no longer interrupt the reload.
  
• New first person hands and uniforms

We need your feedback about reforming the levelling systems in the game, see: http://steamcommunity.com/app/242860/discussions/0/613935404212891493/

September 8th 2014

• Removed Forward rendering mode, Deferred per default
  
• Better default graphics (Medium instead of Low)
  
• Slight CPU performance improvement
  
• Dry MG sounds
  
• Small muzzlefash nerf

September 4th 2014

• Improved gun flares
  
• Removed player name coloring
  
• Reduced shadow flickering in Picardie
  
• Fixed disappearing MG
  
• Fixed strange hand animation while spectating

August 29th 2014

• 64bit Windows player (more memory available, possible performance improvement)
  
• Rifle weapon fixes: when interrupting the reload by sprinting it will not continue after sprinting
  
• Rifle weapon fixes: pressing the reload button during a reload will no longer restart the reload action
  
• Rifle weapon fixes: It is now possible to interrupt a single button reload by pressing fire once. Pressing the reload button twice will no longer interrupt the reload.
  
• New first person hands and uniforms

Update V159 improved a lot of existing features but we also added new features: An advanced ballistics system. This systems removes the old gun lasers and bullets now act like real life bullets. This means the bullet will drop based on distance and that it takes the bullet time to travel to it's destination. Also bullets will now penetrate the body; arms in front of a head will no longer block a bullet but will kill as intended. We also improved some of the networking issues and reduced memory to prevent crashes. For more details please see the changelog below. Now get to the frontline soldier!

August 26th 2014

• Bullet Drop
  
• Bullet Body Penetration
  
• Bullet Leading
  
• Improved Scope sighting, better recticle and
  
• Upgraded networking system
  
• Lowered character height when sighting to prevent getting killed in coover
  
• Slightly improved 3P animations
  
• Fixed a lot of culling issues(Seeing through level)
  
• Fixed a bullet accuracy bug
  
• Smooth Crouch/Prone switching
  
• Fixed trees colliders
  
• Fixed a lot of bumps in the maps where players can get stuck, please report if you see one.
  
• Removed line artifacts in grass objects
  
• Reduced pixelated skyboxes
  
• Updated localization
  
• Overall memory usage reducal
  
• Engine Update: Unity 4.5.3 + 4.5.3p2 fixes
  
• Minor bugfixes

Update V159 improved a lot of existing features but we also added new features: An advanced ballistics system. This systems removes the old gun lasers and bullets now act like real life bullets. This means the bullet will drop based on distance and that it takes the bullet time to travel to it's destination. Also bullets will now penetrate the body; arms in front of a head will no longer block a bullet but will kill as intended. We also improved some of the networking issues and reduced memory to prevent crashes. For more details please see the changelog below. Now get to the frontline soldier!

August 26th 2014

• Bullet Drop
  
• Bullet Body Penetration
  
• Bullet Leading
  
• Improved Scope sighting, better recticle and
  
• Upgraded networking system
  
• Lowered character height when sighting to prevent getting killed in coover
  
• Slightly improved 3P animations
  
• Fixed a lot of culling issues(Seeing through level)
  
• Fixed a bullet accuracy bug
  
• Smooth Crouch/Prone switching
  
• Fixed trees colliders
  
• Fixed a lot of bumps in the maps where players can get stuck, please report if you see one.
  
• Removed line artifacts in grass objects
  
• Reduced pixelated skyboxes
  
• Updated localization
  
• Overall memory usage reducal
  
• Engine Update: Unity 4.5.3 + 4.5.3p2 fixes
  
• Minor bugfixes