Squad 44 will be on sale during Steam Summer Sale for 50% OFF! This offer lasts June 27th until the Summer Sale ends on July 11th, so grab a discounted copy for you or your friends during this limited time!

We recently announced our roadmap for the rest of the year, so now is a great time to pick up the game at a discounted price!

Offworld out.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/736220/Squad_44/

Hello Soldiers,

More top-secret documents have found their way onto my desk, so let’s dig in.




As a reminder, here’s the meaning behind each of the sections:

Current Operations:

• These changes are coming soon in the next updates

In concept:

• These are currently being developed for future updates

Future Operations:

• Plans for far into the future, highly subject to change

And, as usual, all information provided is subject to change, and if anything changes, we will let you know!

• Armoured Update
  
• New Gamemode - Frontline
  
• New Environmental meshes

We have spent the first 6 months of development largely focused on cleaning up code while improving the graphics and performance of Chapter 1 maps. With this update, a lot of work in this area has continued, with the team also starting to work on improving Chapter 3 maps. Further to that, we have started to add new content and game mechanics to put our own stamp on the game!



For the next update of Squad 44, we have collaborated with community member and modder Internoto (Project Variety) to incorporate almost 40 new vehicles, with tank riding and mounted MG mechanics to incentivise infantry to operate more closely with tanks and push the game towards a more combined arms style of gameplay.



In addition to this new content, the team has also been working on a new gamemode, Frontline, which was revealed in this sneak peek. The aim of this new gamemode is to focus gameplay around specific tasks and objectives, rather than across the map, to ensure combat is centralised and more intense, with each squad having a distinct objective to achieve or task to accomplish.

• Chapter 3 overhaul
  
• Improved admin features and commands
  
• Extra layers for maps
  
• Optimization and polishing
  
• Re-worked Training Map

Work on improving the graphics and performance of Chapter 3 maps remain ongoing, with reworked/new building models, textures, lighting, furnished interiors, and general improvements to graphics and optimization taking place at pace. Historic imagery continues to be used by the level design team to realign maps to be more fitting of reality, with Carentan and St Mere Eglise both being reworked to reflect this.



Admin tools are still in concept and we’ve received great input from server hosters and event organisers to help guide this process. We will be approaching these hosts and organisers again soon to draw up a wish-list of admin tools for development in future.

For new and old players alike, work continues to go into Arnhem Range. So far a new shooting range with pop up targets has been added, a logistics training area, tank driving area and shooting range has been added, along with a kill house for players to compete as most deadly! Work is planned to continue on Arnhem Range as we seek to make it more new player friendly, with the inclusion of player guides and greater direction in future.

• The Pacific

The rumours are true! Squad 44 is going to the Pacific!



Because the Pacific is in the “Future Operations” category, it will be some time before you storm those beaches; but be under no illusion, work is already ongoing, with multiple weapon models already created, characters being worked on, and map outlines starting to be put together. We are however determined to respect this theatre and make sure we take the time to ensure we develop and flesh out this new theatre properly. The Pacific update will therefore be implemented in multiple patches to allow time for feedback and further development. We’ll keep you informed of our Pacific development throughout the rest of the year with dev diaries and behind-the-scenes content as we seek to be open and transparent with the community on the game's development and its next big step forward.

As many may have guessed from a teaser we recently posted on our socials, we can confirm that our first map will be Iwo Jima, with two additional maps planned. The USMC and the Japanese will be battling it out in the Pacific initially, which will bring multiple new unique kits and weapons to the game.

We are really grateful for the community's support and feedback as we continue to develop the game into the future! A huge thank you to our playtesters and server hosters as well as the community at large. We hope you share our excitement for what the future will bring!

Over and out, soldiers.

When we first released our 6-month roadmap, we teased that a new game mode was in the works. Now that we’re further into the year, we can share this new mode with you.


Frontline combines the best gameplay attributes of invasion, offensive and even RAAS game modes, offering players a more dynamic and immersive experience.

As the attacker, you will be required to undertake various missions to progress the frontline across the map and win the game. The defenders must stop you!

The attackers' missions range from destroying an objective (e.g., an AT gun or bunker) to building up an objective (e.g., pontoons) or capturing a specific enemy point. Indeed, a single mission may also not be limited to just one of these functions but could include a combination of these tasks.



With the exception of the first mission, the remaining missions are randomised in location and type and are hidden from the attacking team, with only the defenders able to see them from the game start. This gives the defenders an advantage and allows their logistics teams time to prepare each objective with defences as required. As the attacker completes their active mission, their visibility will increase to show the next mission, and the frontline will move to offer them the ability to penetrate further and improve their supporting logistics systems.

For the attacker, both time and tickets will not be on your side. The attacking team will always start with fewer tickets than the defender and will need to achieve missions to gain tickets and time to press on to the next.

If the attacker achieves a mission, the defender must retreat and take a new position to defend for the next mission. They will be given preparation time before the next mission goes live. After this preparation time ends, every FOB of the defender inside the new attacker’s frontline is destroyed.



The frontline is simulated by the red zones for both factions, with a neutral area overlapping the two. Each team can only place fortifications or radios behind their red zone frontline or in the neutral area.

Soon...very, very soon! Our next update is planned to be released before the end of this month, so get ready to try a brand-new game mode!

As always, we’d love to hear your feedback on this new mode in the comments below!

Welcome to the Squad 44 Modding Spotlight, where we showcase some amazing mods made by the community.

We’ll also be doing a livestream with the Post Scriptum Realism Mod (PSRM) development team June 1st, 2024, at 12 PM EST (4 PM GMT) on Twitch. Come join and get more info about this great mod!

What follows are updates sent to us by the people behind the mods themselves: their words, images, and amazing work!




“First of all, I want to introduce myself. I am Tom (known as "Internoto" in the community), a modder and game artist student from Germany and the creator of the "Project Variety" mod for Squad44. Project Variety is a modding project that I started in 2022, with a first release in late January of the same year. Since then, the project has grown into something way bigger than what I expected it to be when I started working on it.

The project´s main target is to bring as many new vehicles into the game as possible, to give the players a big variety of tanks and other vehicles to play with. Especially in World War 2, there was such a big variety of vehicles, so I thought to myself it would be a shame if players couldn´t experience all these vehicles. The mod contains more than 50 new tanks, halftracks and other vehicles, with more to come in the future. Some of these vehicles are completely new models, some are altered models that existed already in the game.”





Links:
Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2724056597
Follow Internoto: artstation.com/internoto
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgPTZCUTUgiKAJs_ZtknGoQ




The mod portrays the Italian front, where the Brazilian expeditionary force took part in important battles: Monte Castello, Montese, and Fornovo. The first map to be developed was Monte Castello, which is still being developed and improved.





Links:
Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2927826325



The Post-Scriptum Realism Mod aims to deliver the most historically accurate and realistic game-play experience possible. Our mod appeals to a more discriminating mature gaming audience and those who expect an uncompromising standard of true-to-life combat, historical accuracy, and WWII simulation. Some of the community's premier realism units have joined forces to unlock the potential that the base game already has and redirect it towards the creation of the ultimate hardcore-for-the-sake-of-fun Mod for Unit Events and beyond.

Join community manager Luna as she interviews the team behind PSRM, the Post Scriptum Realism Mod this Saturday!

Live June 1st, 2024, at 12 PM EST (4 PM GMT) on https://www.twitch.tv/squad44official

Workshop:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2682656457




Normandy Expanded is a mod for Squad '44 that aims to deliver the highest quality content with exciting improvements to core gameplay mechanics.

Containing a 1:1 recreation of the beautiful and iconic town of Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont, Normandy Expanded offers more realistic overhauls to player and vehicle models, with the further addition of improved weapon handling and stunning visuals.

This is our first full map release with many more to come. Stay tuned!





Links:
Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2953872280




I present my fourth map: Saint-Lo

A huge city surrounded by bocage, farms and woods.






Links:
Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2845368691




The Training Mod is for beginners as well as advanced players. The mod offers an infantry shooting range where all current infantry weapons can be tested. Right next to the infantry shooting range, there are three tank shooting ranges where all vanilla, Project Variety and Project Steel tanks can be spawned at different distances (0m - 500m) and rotations (0 degrees - 360 degrees). It is also possible to change the weather, so you have the opportunity to train in the sun, at night or even in the rain. Another advantage is that the mod works locally as well as on a server, so you can train alone or with friends.



The Armored Mod is a non-historical armored-based mod. The mod offers a custom armoured game mode, camouflage changing system for tanks, tank smoke launcher, custom faction ("14th Armored Division" vs. "9. SS Panzer"), custom landing boats, mobile repair trucks, custom logistic buildables, destructible lights, custom air support and many more features.
The mod also has its own map that is designed for perfect tank combat.



Links:
Training Mod - Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2829998941
Armoured Mod - Steam Workshop: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3145274619
Project Steel Discord: https://discord.gg/twncASasu3




4 maps created by a small team of passionate PS/Squad 44 players.






Links:
Steam Workshop:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2886181766
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2827466692
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2766698808
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2529532049

3rd party review of Siegfried Line: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlwkuiwzZCs

Hey folks! We have a quick fix for the tank engine bug as well as a fix for the Armour School blackboard! Cheers.

• Fixed tank engine bug
  
• Fixed armour school blackboard

Hey folks! The team has been doing some spring cleaning and have a brand new update for you!

Here are some highlights, and don’t forget to check the Changelog for a complete list of changes (there are a lot)!



A lot of work has been done cleaning up the Chapter 1 maps: updating textures, fixing lighting, and adding furniture to buildings to give a more “lived-in” feel. All of this has been done with optimization in mind.







We’ve made significant changes to the visual effects in-game, specifically to plane bomb explosions, HE shell explosions against wood, concrete and metal, artillery explosions and muzzle flashes. Just check out these before and afters to see the difference!










Logi squads have brand new buildables, including a M2HB 50 cal bunker.



Level Design

• Multiple level design amends on Chapter 1 maps
  
• Lighting amends all maps
  
• Maginot tunnels added
  
• Def spawns moved on some small maps
  
• New loading screens for maps
  
• Interior furnishing on Chapter 1 maps
  
• HLOD test Carentan

Art Amends

• Multiple new logistics buildables (faction specific)
  
• Multiple environment art & building models improved graphically

Gameplay

• Allowed MGs & mortars to be useable by both teams
  
• Stopped fixed AT guns being used by both factions

New Weapons

• Berthier 1907 (FR)
  
• Colt 1917 Revolver (US)
  
• Webley Mk6 Revolver (GB)
  
• P14 Sniper (ANZAC)
  
• RSC 1917 (FR)
  
• Mle. 1892 Revolver (FR)
  
• Ruby Pistol (FR)
  
• MG08/15 (GER)
  
• Browning HP (GB)
  
• Browning Pistole 640b (GER)
  
• Anti Tank K98 Grenade Launcher (GER)
  
• SMLE No.1 MK3 Cup Discharger (ANZAC)
  
• Emplaced M2HB .50cal (US)
  
• Emplaced St Etienne (Greek)
  
• Emplaced MG08/15 (GER)
  
• M3 37mm AT Gun (US)

Animations

• Amended Lee Enfield animation to be more realistic

Infantry Faction Amends
France 1940

• Mortier Leger (changed primary rifle to the RSC 1917)
  
• Commandant all variants (changed side arm to the Mle. 1892 Revolver)
  
• Medecin de combat (changed side arm to the Ruby Pistol)

Wehrmacht 1940

• Created new MG role (MG08/15)

Waffen SS

• Sanitäter (changed side arm to Browning Pistole 640b)
  
• Funker (changed side arm to Browning Pistole 640b)

Wehrmacht 1944

• Schießbecher (added Anti Tank K98 Grenade Launcher )

Anzac

• Marksman (changed primary rifle to the P14 sniper)
  
• Created Grenadier role (added SMLE No.1 MK3 Cup Discharger)

Greeks

• Light mortar (changed primary rifle to Berthier 1907)
  
• Ensured NCO lee Enfield role has a lee Enfield mk3 (bug fix)

All US factions

• All tank crew (inc the SL) (change sidearm to the Colt 1917 Revolver)

UK factions

• Officer all variants (changed side arm to Webley Mk6 Revolver)
  
• Radioman (changed sidearm to Browning HP)

Logistics Buildable amends
Crete Factions

• Removed the Pak38 from the 1941 Falschirmjager & gebirgsjager (crete maps)
  
• Added LG40 to the Falschirmjager & gebirgsjager (crete maps)
  
• Removed QF gun from ANZACs & Greeks (crete maps)
  
• Changed the greek emplacement mg from the vickers to the emplaced st etienne

1940 Wehrmacht

• Added emplaced MG08/15
  
• Added Pak36

French 1940

• Added APX
  
• Added Hotchkiss MG

All US Factions

• Added M2HB 50cal (classed as an infantry support weapon so logistics buildable only, should have the same restrictions as the German 20mm & cost the same to build & reload)
  
• Added M3 37mm AT gun

Armour changes

• Re-zeroed all tank & AT gun sights
  
• Assigned historically accurate magnification to sights

VFX/SFX Upgrade & Optimisation

• New plane bomb blasts
  
• New HE shell explosions (metal/armour/wood)
  
• New artillery explosions (gravel/sand etc)
  
• Added Muzzle Flash FX
  
• Added faction-specific historically accurate tracer colours

User Interface

• Moving mouse over a radio on mini map shows build range and radio exclusion range
  
• Provided toggleable option to always show the above ranges or not
  
• Introduced hover widget over deployables to show cost & how many built
  
• Updated buildables UI
  
• Updated legend for spawn screen
  
• Updated UIs showing radio/spawn tent/supplies status in vicinity of radios
  
• Improved equipment icons

Performance

• Draw calls reduced on a significant number of environment art assets
  
• Added LODs to Wheel Controllers
  
• Set server queue limits to 15 (reduces server load)

Bug Fixes

• Fixed shadow pooling on Chapter 2 maps
  
• Texture fixes on Dinnant
  
• Fixed player head variation not working
  
• Fixed AT emplacements being visible to the other team
  
• Fixed water kill volumes not killing certain vehicles
  
• Fixed Radio dig down/Spawn tent exploit
  
• Cleaned up camera system on emplaced guns
  
• French Cdr car now visible on minimap
  
• Added Polish flag to Polish layers

Squad 44 will be on sale during Steam's FPS Fest for 50% OFF! This offer lasts April 15th until FPS Fest ends on April 22nd, so grab a discounted copy for you or your friends during this limited time!

Offworld out.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/736220/Squad_44/

Hi folks,

We will be hosting a public playtest Apr 12, 2024 at 18:30 UTC on the Squad 44 - Public Testing app and will last around 3 to 4 hours. Space will be limited as only 2 servers will be up during the testing period, so it will be on a first-come-first-serve basis!

You can join the playtest by downloading the Squad 44 - Public Testing app.

PLEASE NOTE! This is different from the main game! If you cannot see it, go to the top of Steam, click on “View”, and then “Hidden Games”





If you already have it installed, an update will be made available a few hours ahead of the test for you to download.

This playtest we’ll be testing:

• New VFX - new explosions, muzzle flashes, plane bomb blasts, etc
  
• Updated graphics - new textures, furniture in buildings, etc
  
• New logi buildables - M2HB 50cal + more
  
• The Maginot Tunnels - they are now open! (still under construction, so you may come across issues in the tunnels)
  
• And much more!

Full update notes coming soon! We hope you’ll be able to join us!

We’re excited to announce the final step in our re-brand: introducing Squad 44mm!

Become immersed in World War II warfare from the ground up, literally! Even the smallest of soldiers can turn the tides of war, especially infantry. Take on WWII from an entirely new perspective!



Storm the shores and take over the backyard! Make sure to watch out for environmental hazards like frogs, newts, and pesky dragonflies!


War is no picnic, folks. Hit the garden with your tot-sized tanks and dig up that soil! Leave no blade of grass unclipped!


Sneak into the lieutenant colonel's office and sabotage his tea with too much sugar! Watch out: he may spit out hot tea with disgust!

Hey folks! Luna from Offworld here.

There happen to be a lot of Easter eggs in Squad 44. They can be easy to miss, especially when you’re focused on the objective.

I asked the Mercury Arts team to share with me all the Squad 44 Easter eggs they know and have compiled a bit of a hunt for you all. This list doesn’t cover all the Easter eggs you could find, so let me know if you have others that aren’t on this list!

There was also one that I couldn’t find but have been told exists, so if you find it, please share it with me!

With this list, I’m only sharing the maps of the Easter eggs, so have fun this holiday weekend and go hunt!


We’re starting off with an easy one!

This lovely feat of engineering is on Maleme and is a little obvious. Watch out for those dangerous curves!



Now, you won’t be able to find this one on foot. Seeing this lovely homage to the snazziest duckling takes a bit of cheating (using the admin cam).




This shrine is dedicated to developer Gunschlinger’s sweet dog. This one can be tricky to find since this map has a lot of places to search, but I bet you all are up for the challenge!


A few planes on Rethymno have this cute decal on the side.


Katz’s sweet pups have been immortalised as lovely oil paintings on Rethymno. See if you can find them!


It’s a classic! This secluded spot is perfect for secret meetings, alone time, or reading a timeless fantasy novel.


This one is also easy to find. Did you know you can play it by pressing F? Try it out the next time you see it!



Thanks to Lelun on Discord for showing me this beauty. This tractor spawns in different locations on Veghel, Carentan, and Maginot (possibly other maps too, but we weren’t certain). If you see it, definitely take it out for a test drive!



This easter egg was the one some helpful playtesters and I could not find. I was told that McDuckSauce had hidden a bunch of rubber ducks all over Doorwerth, but we could not find a single one! If anyone finds a rubber duck on Doorwerth, please let me know! Maybe I was lied to…

Big shoutouts to the playtesters who helped me look for these!

Are there any Easter eggs that I missed? Let me know in the comments! Good luck, and happy hunting!