Hey everyone,

It’s been a hot minute since we released an update, or a devblog for that matter - we apologize for that!
There’s been a lot happening around and inside XREAL Games in the past few months. (I'll probably write a blog post about everything that's going on on our website for those who are interested.) Let's see what's going on with Zero Caliber VR!

Our current goal is to provide you all with the best, coolest Zero Caliber experience ever. Analyzing all the feedback you sent us both during the closed PvP beta and in general over the years made it clear that the only way we can achieve that is if we rework the game's core mechanics.

The code currently used in the PCVR version of the game has become super intricate over the years (one might think our code looks like spaghetti), which made rolling out updates extremely complicated and risky. It’s no exaggeration to say that we spent more time hotfixing an update than developing the update itself, which is not sustainable.
Reacting to community feedback quickly has always been our thing, but in these circumstances it became cumbersome, so we decided to make substantial changes under the hood while being fully aware that this might hurt our players in the short run.
We had to rewrite so many things in the past few months in order to have a manageable source code that it feels like we’ve been working on a completely new game.
(That isn’t the case of course, we’re still talking about Zero Caliber here.)

We definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel though, great improvements are on the way!
Here’s a few examples of what’s coming:


Yes! We finally got them working!
We now have hundreds and hundreds of players using dedicated servers daily on other platforms, so when we roll out the PC update they’ll be super smooth.
Currently we have servers in three regions: NA, EU and SEA. They will provide an excellent Co-op (and PvP) experience without having to rely on peer-to-peer connections. (Yes, PvP is coming back!)


Besides dedicated servers, our voice chat implementation proved to be working flawlessly as well.
It will come in handy in both Co-op and PvP!


We know it’s not perfect in the current version, so we completely reworked it and introduced a so-called weapon priority system. This system tries to predict what you want to grab or interact with on your weapon, and it does that efficiently.
No more “clunky” controls y’all!

(Whether we’ll keep using the current body IK or turn it off and have hands only is TBD.)




Even though we are mainly focusing on backend systems and code improvements, you can expect new content as well. The story is soon coming to an end!




Smack those Tlalokii up!
Melee is making its debut - you’ll be able to punch your way through the Tlalokii hordes. Currently it's weapon (or grenade) only, we don’t have knives or bayonets (yet?).




We’re introducing a few extra accessibility features like the crouching (and jumping) button for those who don’t want to physically crouch - using covers will be much easier.
Climbing won’t be as cumbersome as it is now, and we’ll likely implement different holster placements and an option to set them manually.

And much more… but I’ll keep those for a future devblog.

-----------

This is a slow process, we still have to piece things together. Once it's done though, Zero Caliber VR will be a much better, much smoother experience!
Once again, we're sorry for the lack of updates, but this is a necessary process we have to go through.

Please keep posting feedback in our community hub here on Steam, or on our Discord server - we see EVERYTHING, even if we don't have time to get back to everyone.

Thank you all for the continuous support and for the patience! I'll be back with another devblog post soon so stay tuned!

Cheers,
Dan & the whole XREAL Games Team

Hey everyone,

It's been a while since we posted any updates about Zero Caliber... it's not because we have nothing to say, but because we're extremely busy behind the scenes.

As you might be aware, we've conducted a successful Closed PvP Beta test in December/January. We gathered tons of community feedback and suggestions, so we could start analyzing all the data - and that's when we realized that something is off.
After deepdiving into the game's code to fix a few bugs here and there we came to the realization that it became unnecessarily complicated over the years, thus making our development workflow and the user experience less than optimal. That needs to change.

We can all agree that the PvP game mode and, well, the single player/co-op campaign can not leave Early Access without being as polished as possible, even if it's packed with content.
Since we don't plan to keep the game in Early Access forever, we have to get to the bottom of it all - and it looks like now's the time to do it before things get even more complicated under the hood.


It means that we're now back at the drawing table, rethinking core game mechanics, optimizing the hell out of code, weapon handling, holsters, body IK, maps, combat design, enemy types, Co-op and so on.
Even though this may sound dramatic, the game won't change, it will stay as it is - except it will get better!
By "better" I mean much much better!

Working on these QoL improvements gave us room to experiment with:

• melee! - no knives though, but smacking Tlalokiis with your gun is equally satisfying
  
• diverse enemy types - rookie pistol users, shotgunners
  
• boss fights
  
• chest holster
  
• removing grenade pins with mouth
  
• more interactive elements...

... just to name few.
That doesn't mean any of those will 100% appear in the game, but there IS a strong possibility.
We also have 2 story maps in the works, but before we could even start thinking of finalizing them (or any other content for that matter), we have to finish all the boring QoL stuff mentioned above - which brings us to the next point:


Working on optimization isn't showy. We can't really show progress until it is done. We can't really release an update until it is done.
What we can do however is keeping y'all in the loop by posting regular devblogs - I'm currently planning to post an update here every 2-3 weeks with progress photos/videos/gifs and even more rambling.
Keep an eye on those to get a glimpse of where the game is heading!

---

I know this isn't much, but trust me - the outcome will be worth it! :)
One of the upcoming devblogs will contain a Q&A video - I'll soon let y'all know when and where you can post your questions.

Until then... have fun, and stay safe!

-Dan & the XREAL Games Team-

Edit:
THE CLOSED PVP BETA TEST IS NOW OVER.
We'll soon be back with our plans for 2021.

Hey everyone,

Soooo... We just stealthily launched the Closed PvP Beta. So far so good!
We've been playing with the community almost non-stop recording issues, asking for feedback and generally pwning everyone having a good time.

Our Discord community seems to be enjoying it a lot, so we have decided to leave the servers running throughout the entire Holiday season!
We've invited over 700 players so far but fear not, if you register through the form with your correct Discord username (AND you join our server) you are in, 100% guaranteed. :)

Here's the registration form: https://forms.gle/xK9CNU4eSrvfH3dG7
Here's the Discord: https://discord.gg/JyK2gVh


The PvP build was intended as a test build - it has occasional hiccups, a few bugs here and there, but it is stable enough to let everyone who wants in.
Once you receive the tester role (might take a few days) on Discord, you'll be able to access the Closed PvP Beta section containing guides, FAQs and access information.
There are occasional pings going on making sure no one misses the Closed Beta. :)

Dedicated servers are performing great (EU & NA regions), and so is the voice chat.
Here's a glimpse of how the latter works:



You can download the full Closed PvP guide once you get your tester role on our Discord server.


There are 4 PvP maps in the Closed Beta with 4 game modes, one for each map.




From an originally 3-day Closed PvP Beta became a 2+ week long (potentially longer) Closed PvP Beta.
We're relieved servers can keep up, and even though the team is taking a week off we're still closely monitoring them, making sure you can enjoy some fast paced PvP against friends or random people. :)

---

Thank you all for being here with us!
The whole XREAL Games team wishes y'all Happy Holidays, and a fruitful 2021.


We know PvP is not for everyone, and we hear you. :)
Even though we couldn't squeeze any single player content in this December, we're tirelessly working on story missions, hands, character body, cross-play with that other store we aren't supposed to name and other exciting things.
We expect a lot from dedicated servers as well - we strongly believe most Co-op related issues will cease to exist once we implement them in the live version.

To make things more clear for everyone, we'll put together a roadmap in January with everything we're planning for 2021.

Hey everyone!

We're slowly but surely approaching the Holiday season.
Originally we wanted to release a pretty nifty update in December (with voice chat, dedicated servers, cross-play & more), but it looks like that's not gonna happen this year.

What is going to happen though is the long-awaited Closed Beta test of the PvP game mode! That's right, it IS happening!


Besides testing the new game modes, the test will serve as a pre-stress test for the dedicated servers and for the brand new voice chat feature.
We're limiting the number of participants for now, so that we can keep all the new stuff under control.

Servers will be based in the NA and EU regions for the Closed Beta period.


The whole thing will be managed through our Discord server, so if you'd like to participate, please join us there. :) https://discord.gg/JyK2gVh
Testers will be picked randomly from those who fill this form (and are on our Discord): https://forms.gle/xK9CNU4eSrvfH3dG7


The tests will start THIS WEEK. More details will be announced on Discord.
We know it's a sudden announcement, but we wanted to make sure we have a test-ready build first.

We'd like to keep the servers up for at least 3 days, but if they're stable enough and we don't see any game breaking bugs then we'll leave them running until January.


We have 4 maps ready for the test with a unique game mode for each:

• Death Match: up to 10 players
  
• Team Death Match: 5v5
  
• Duel: 1v1 or 2v2
  
• Siege: 5v5 (PvPvE)

+ The new voice chat is debuting with radio and proximity features.
+ This will be the first time we're firing up the dedicated servers for a broader audience. Fingers crossed server hamsters won't poop themselves.


We know PvP is not for everyone, and we hear you. :)
Even though we couldn't squeeze any single player content in this December, we're tirelessly working on story missions, hands, character body, cross-play with that other store we aren't supposed to name and other exciting things.
We expect a lot from dedicated servers as well - we strongly believe most Co-op related bugs will cease to exist once we implement them in the live version.

To make things more clear for everyone, we'll put together a roadmap in January with everything we're planning for 2021.

---

Alright, that's all for now.
We hope everyone is staying safe and doing well with everything going on. 2020 is almost over, 2021 will surely be better, right? Right?

Anyway, thank you all for your continuous support and as always, have fun!
-Dan and the whole XREAL Games Team-

Update 04/11:

• Fixed a control issue related to WMR controllers (snap/smooth turning)
  
• Fixed an issue where people couldn't see/join each other's Co-op servers

Hey everyone,

This is it! This is the update before the update that everyone is expecting!
While we do everything we can to keep delaying the PvP, we thought it’d be cool to bring the Jack-o'-lanterns back just in time for spooktober.
We carved a huge amount of pumpkins and placed them all over the night mission 'Retaliation' (you can find a few of them in the Lobby as well). Shoot ‘em!



For real though, we're really hard at work to bring you new and exciting features.
Besides some light-hearted fun, this update contains significant fixes and improvements as well.
We discovered an error in the Co-op server creation process that made the created server invisible for others. This is now fixed, and so is the error in the initial setup that would cause an infinite loop during the benchmark.
If you still experience benchmark issues (getting stuck), please refer to this topic.

We also implemented basic bHaptics support. https://www.bhaptics.com/



Check the full patch notes below!
Eagle-eyed players might notice that some of these fixes are related to the upcoming PvP game mode. More on that at the end of this post!

• Initial setup loop fixed
  
• Increased shotgun damage
  
• Fixed visual displays for Touch controllers on the Tutorial
  
• Basic bHaptics support (Tactot, Tactal and Tactosy for Arm)

• Netcode optimization
  
• The scoreboard stays visible after opening it - previously you had to hold down the scoreboard button
  
• The scoreboard always pops up on the right hand - just like the menu
  
• Fixed an error that would let players create more than one Co-op session at the same time resulting in connection issues
  
• Fixed an issue where the server did not kick offline players

• Fixed visual trigger bugs on BAR, AWP, Colt 1911
  
• Fixed missing basic AR4 and Python magazines from the rack
  
• Fixed an attachment scaling issue in the armory

Have you tried this awesome spooky skin yet?

• Lockup - lot of environment fixes to prevent the possibility of getting stuck
  
• Retaliation - minor visual fixes

• Even though the voice chat isn’t enabled just yet, you can spot a few signs foreshadowing its arrival (like an option to turn it on in the settings - it's currently greyed out for this reason).

They're coming, we promise!
We're going to dedicate a whole devblog to the PvP and dedicated servers next week, so stay tuned!
Our current plan is to include an easily accessible beta in December's update. (There will indeed be a December update!)
Don't get us wrong, the PvP is far from being done (and from being 100% polished), but we don't want you to wait any longer.

I'm gonna just leave this here:



---

Alright everyone, that's all for this update. It's not much, but it's an important step towards the December update.
Have fun, and keep the feedback coming, I'll try to get back to everyone. :)

-Dan & the XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone!

We kind of forgot to properly number our past updates, so let’s call this one v0.12.0.
After our previous update, we were going to release a hotfix to fix a few fixes we fixed earlier.
Then we went full XREAL Games and added a bunch of stuff up until the point we couldn’t call it a ‘hotfix’ anymore - so it became a content update instead.

Besides the new map, we added the option to turn friendly AI off - this has probably been the most requested feature by the community.



Set the difficulty to hard, and friendly AI off - challenge guaranteed on all maps!

We fixed the sound output- and item unlock issues, and overhauled the game’s haptic feedback system. Controllers go brrrr!
We also improved the so-called 'weapon smoothing' to add a bit more weight to the weapons. They behave more realistically this way, and the smoothing helps with aiming as well.

Another important improvement is the new batch of graphics optimizations, which will maybe hopefully finally stabilize the game’s performance for everyone.
If you are still experiencing abysmally low fps after the update, please reach out to us at support@xrealgames.com.

We could go on and on about all the little fixes and tweaks forever, but ain't nobody got time for that.
Full patch notes:

• A brand new mission: 'Night Shift' Part 1 - Prepare for a rocky ride, and remember: red things go BOOM! Night Shift is located at the top left of the world map.
  Also, there might be a new weapon skin hidden somewhere.
  
  
  
  
• Minor gameplay fixes across all maps
  
• Improved attachment removal to prevent accidentally ripping off attachments in the heat of the battle
  
• Almost all weapons got downscaled to better match their real life size.

• Option to disable friendly AI on all maps - This makes the game way more spicier!
  
• Destroyable covers - they're debuting on the new map. Let us know if you'd like to see them used more!
  
  
  
  
• Better weapon smoothing - weapon handling is a bit more realistic now with better weight simulation. It makes aiming easier.
  
• New enemy type: Auto-turret, also debuting on the new map.
  
• Bought weapons and attachments will no longer disappear. You might have more bought weapons than before as a side effect.
  
• Rewards for reaching Rank 100 will now properly unlock.
  
• Fixed XP calculations - harder difficulties yield more XP again.

• Improved and more sophisticated haptic feedback with different rumbling patterns for different actions.
  
• There is now an option to turn haptic feedback (vibration) off completely.
  
• Fixed controller mappings in the tutorial - there is no outdated information displayed anymore.

• Reworked shadows
  
• Tons of graphical optimizations. Please let us know if you notice any positive or negative change in performance!

• New in-game option to select your preferred audio output device. The game sounds are no longer forced to the headset for Oculus users. Look for it in the audio settings!
  
• New pistol sounds and reworked silencer sounds, especially for the weapons with built-in silencers.
  
• Louder sounds for almost every player interaction for a more immersive experience.

---

I probably missed a few things from the list, but that's most of it for this update.
"But where are all the other things you've mentioned in the recent devblog?" you might ask.
We're still working on all of those things, they are just not ripe yet.

Except... PvP! We have a beta version ready to be tested. Well, more like an alpha really. We're still figuring out how it's all gonna be done, but the most likely scenario is an invitation based test run through our Discord in September.
I'm not saying you should join us there but... you totally should. (:

---

For those who own the game on THAT other store we aren't supposed to name: please come-by our Discord (linked above) and look for an announcement about the matter.
That, or follow us on Twitter for more frequent updates.

---

That's all for now. Thank you for your attention, and thank you for supporting us!
Have fun!
-XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone!

We have released Zero Caliber’s latest update recently - its reception was incredible!
We received so many compliments and positive feedback, it’s unreal. Thank you!

As you might be aware, the whole team has been working remotely for the past few months due to the COVID-19 situation - unfortunately this made developing and testing a bit more complicated than expected.
This doesn’t mean we’re slowing down though, quite the contrary! We’re working harder than ever to bring you the next update as soon as possible.

Since we’re really good at meeting our deadlines (said no one ever), we’d rather not promise any exact dates just yet. One thing is for sure: you don’t have to wait another 4 months for the next update. :)

Now let’s see what we have up our sleeves!


We know you’re eagerly waiting for new content. Now that we’re a bit more comfortable with the game’s performance and graphics, we can focus on new missions.

In the next one, the Tlalokii are back at it once again - they’re going to get you into a rocky situation!
The bad guys are hiding somewhere in the Rocky Mountains - you’ll be tasked to infiltrate their camp and teach them some good manners.



Destroyable covers are making a debut as well!


Balloon hands. There, we said it.



The current hand model is a bit larger than optimal, so we are going to swap it to a better-looking, smaller one. Actually we’ve been wanting to change it for a long time now, hopefully we can get it done in time for the next update.
We’re going to show the new model in the next devblog, so stay tuned!


With smaller hands come smaller weapons.
As you may have noticed, our weapon models are upscaled compared to their real life counterparts - a lot of you wanted us to downscale them. It is now happening!
Back when we released Zero Caliber, the two most dominant VR headsets were the HTC VIVE and the Oculus Rift CV1. Their resolution was great at the time but still, without upscaling, all the little details on the weapons and attachments would’ve been lost.

Now that screen resolutions are getting better and better, there is no need for this (VIVE and Rift CV1 owners don’t have to worry, all the little details will remain the same!).

Not to mention that the new hand model would be too tiny to hold the big boys.


Even though we’re more comfortable with the game’s performance now, we’ll keep optimizing it more and more.
Shadows are next on our list, currently having the biggest impact on performance.


We’ll improve the flanking maneuvers used by the enemy AI.
They can, and do flank right now as well, but their movement can be choppy at times - in the next update they’ll be able to flank and use covers much more effectively… in theory.
We have to manually implement this improvement to each combat situation, which takes a lot of time. We’ll see how this goes.


YES!
Just to reassure you that PvP does exist, here are a few clips stitched together from our latest test session:



Testing the PvP game mode before it’s widely available for everyone will be crucial - this is why we’re going to have a Private Beta first.
We’re still actively discussing the ‘when’s and ‘how’s internally, but one thing is for sure: participants will be selected via our Discord server, so if you don’t want to miss it come join us there! ;)
Dedicated servers are a must for a smooth PvP experience - we’re working on them as well. Hopefully Murphy will be on our side this time and everything will go smooth as butter.

We plan to have 3 maps ready for the Private Beta: 2 PvP, and 1 PvPvE map.

---

This isn't everything we're working on, but a sizable chunk of it. Fixes and improvements all-around are always part of every update.
We’re going to keep you in the loop, so keep an eye out for our future Steam devblogs!

---

As always, thank you for your continuous support and feedback!
-XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone!


It’s been a couple of months since our last update.
During these months 2020 went bonkers, which understandably affected our development speed as well.
Despite all the circumstances though, we have been extremely busy behind the scenes!

Where to begin…

The two major changes happened under the hood: game engine update to a newer version, and ditching deferred rendering in favor of forward rendering.
Both of these changes were necessary to make the game more stable, more optimized. The first thing you will notice is the much sharper imagery (perks of forward rendering).




We had to convert all the environments and light settings to fit in the forward rendering pipeline - and while we were at it, we spiced up the atmosphere across all maps.
The results are… stunning! Better frames, better, sharper visuals, smoother gameplay. What’s not to like? :)




These changes took a lot of time to make and test (especially in a remote working environment) and didn’t leave room for new content. Except for… the promised player customization!
You can now customize your character with a wide selection of armors, helmets and other accessories - look for the dressing room in the lobby!





We could go on and on rambling about the overhauled ‘Timber pt.1’ mission, the Index Controller finger tracking support, the UI improvements or the gazillion of new graphics settings but… let’s just see the detailed patch notes!

[[b]Quick edit:[/b] some players are experiencing issues with already purchased weapons/items (they have to be purchased again after the update). This is not intentional, please read this topic for a solution/workaround: https://steamcommunity.com/app/877200/discussions/0/2522527267211108580/.]

• Player Customization - Find your style by customizing your character’s outfit in the new dressing room!
  It works just like the weapon skin system: you can unlock new items by progressing through the ranks. Look for special helmets hidden on several maps!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Implemented several UI improvements
  
• Forced full screen - The game now starts (and remains) in full screen mode instead of windowed mode.
  
• Optimized game performance - We changed and improved a looot of under the hood components and optimized almost every part of the game to achieve better frames all-around.
  
• Huge AI- and AI weapon optimization
  
• Charging enemies no longer run into the player
  
• AI and their weapons no longer collide with the player’s weapon

• Overhauled ‘Timber pt. 1’: new objectives, new enemies, new covers, better overall combat feeling. Replaying it is recommended even for seasoned Zero Caliber veterans!
  
• Fixed bullet count for the USP extended mag
  
• Fixed L85 ironsight flip
  
• Fixed weapon rails
  
• Kriss Vector detach fix
  
• Balance changes for M4A1, AK47, P90, Colt 1911, Colt Python, AWP and Remington 870
  
• Fixed an issue with grenade pins
  
• Fixed overpowered enemies on ‘Lockup’
  
• Fixed a pickup POI on ‘Canyon’
  
• Explosive tank collision fixed
  
• Several playzone fixes
  
• Fixed rare issues of AI spawning in unreachable locations

• Implemented finger tracking for Valve Index controllers. Need we say more?
  Pre-defined hand gestures still work.
  
  
  
  
  
• Improved default Index controller bindings - ejecting mags is now the 'A' button
  
• Reduced player speed for gameplay balance- and motion sickness reasons
  
• Player height is now adjustable between 150-210 cm

• Improved sync between the host and clients to reduce lag, thus resulting in a smoother and more stable Co-op gameplay
  
• Fixed the sync of crouching and prone stances
  
• Fixed an issue that caused extended magazines to be replaced with default magazines in Co-op sessions
  
• Being able to pull off other players’ attachments is disabled (except for magazines)
  
• Fixed various issues preventing the player from using force pull or grabbing weapons
  
• Fixed multiple issues caused by respawning and reviving other players
  
• Various fixes for client side issues and performance
  
• Fixed intro subtitles being displayed multiple times in Co-op
  
• Fixed scaling enemy numbers for different player counts
  
• After a mission’s end screen, the game doesn’t throw players to another map automatically after 5 minutes
  
• The server list and the number of players on the multiplayer screen now refreshes every time upon joining, not only after checkpoints as before

• Sound is now forced on Oculus headsets
  
• More immersive bullet impact sounds
  
• Altered soundscape when low on HP

• Customizable quality settings for better scalability - We reworked the graphics settings menu. There are now a ton of options to fine tune graphics settings. Choose the combination best suited for your system’s capabilities!
  The game still performs a benchmark test upon launching for the first time after the update, and sets the graphics accordingly. This is on point most of the time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Switched to forward rendering from the previously used deferred rendering. This results in a sharper imagery and better performance all-around
  
• Improved lighting and reworked atmosphere on all maps
  
• Improved GPU performance thanks to forward rendering
  
• Tweaked temporal anti-aliasing for sharper rendering
  
• Introduced five new graphic quality presets to easily set up the game’s performance
  
• New highlight system for interactable items/objects
  
  
  
  
  
• Materials and lights are converted to forward rendering on all maps
  
• More accurate light maps
  
• Optimized textures
  
• Several minor asset fixes

…and hundreds of other minor fixes.

• A few players might run into these issues - they are known and will be fixed in a later update. Sorry for any inconvenience they might cause!
  
• Weapon lighting inconsistencies in the armory
  
• In the 'Tutorial' the game might display buttons necessary to perform certain actions on the opposite controller
  
• The initial benchmark might not recognize hardware correctly, thus setting graphics quality below the PC's capability
  
• Noisy cricket effect: the Kriss Vector and/or its attachments might become tiny when attaching-removing them rapidly.
  
• Blurry environment textures
  
• Loss of force pull/interaction ability when removing and reinserting other players' magazines

---


Good question, glad you asked!
We don’t feel comfortable enough to release it yet. All the major changes introduced in this update are a necessary step towards it, but PvP itself isn’t 100% ready.
It is coming very soon though! We’re planning some sort of beta testing in the coming weeks.
Joining our Discord server is the best way to get notified about it. ;)
-> https://discord.gg/JyK2gVh

After making sure this update doesn’t break the game, we’re going to keep tinkering with dedicated servers to prevent major issues when PvP finally drops.


YES! We've been wanting to introduce modding and workshop support for ages, and now it looks like it is happening!
No ETA yet, as we're still in the midst of finding the best way to implement it, but it IS coming.

---

Thank you for sticking with us until the end, and thank you for your patience! We are really sorry for the delay and hope that the update can compensate for it.

As it is with every major change, things might not be perfect 100% of the time - if you encounter anything strange (and it's not listed under the 'KNOWN ISSUES' section), please report them in our Bug reports section.
We see every topic even if we don't respond immediately.


We'll soon be back with our plans for the next major update - until then, make sure to follow us on Social Media to catch all the latest news!

Youtube
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

As always, thank you everyone for your continuous support! Stay safe and have fun!
-XREAL Games Team-


P.S: Come hang out on our Discord, would love to hear how VR affected your life during this social distancing period. :)

Hey everyone,

UPDATE 14/04/2020 (Original devblog below)
We are glad you are just as excited as we are for one of, if not the biggest update of Zero Caliber ever :)
We have been pushed back a bit by the virus (we are constantly improving our pipelines in order to be able to progress as efficiently as possible from home office).
We have also made the jump to the latest version of Unreal Engine, which is giving us a hard time as lots of unexpected bugs need to be ironed out - but it is still a necessary change that will make the development process of Zero Caliber more streamlined for us and the whole gameplay experience smoother for you.

We are doing our very best to push this out as soon as possible, hopefully still in April, but we are not able to say any exact date yet.
We are going to release the new build as soon as we are ready (albeit without the new PvP mode).
Don't worry, we will release the PvP mode on our private beta banch some time after the update to test with the community first, before pushing it to the live branch.

We are very sorry that you still have to wait some more, but the new build is going to be the most enjoyable and most stable one ever.
Please bear with us in the meantime, and stay safe out there! (Or more preferably IN there :) )

ORIGINAL: In our latest devlog we gave a little glimpse of what we are up to.
Now let's see what we have in store for Zero Caliber!

Disclaimer: these are the major things we are currently working on. That doesn't mean all of them will be in the next update - some of them will make it, some of them won't, depending on test results.



You might remember this feature from one of our earlier blog posts.
We have been planning to add player customization to the game for a long time, and it looks like it will make it into the next update!



It works similarly to the weapon skin system - there will be special items hidden throughout all maps!



This feature is quite self-explanatory - it simulates the weight of an object, giving it a more realistic feel. This, combined with recoil makes using weapons butter smooth!



We still have to polish it a bit more - we'll see if it can be done in time.



We have been successfully testing the PvP gamemode - on dedicated servers!
There are still a lot of work ahead, but it is shaping up nicely.
Currently we're planning to add four gamemodes. Here's a quick breakdown of each mode. More information coming soon!

This is the classic game mode we all love. 4v4, 5v5, 5-10 minute battles.
The team with the most points wins.

Another classic, but with a little twist thanks to the possibilities of VR.

Two teams fight to take control of an area. Yet another classic.

This is a unique game mode, mixing classic MOBA and FPS elements.
There will be an ongoing combat between NPCs on two lanes - additionally each team will have turrets on their respective lanes.
The goal is to destroy the enemy team's generator, after eliminating their turrets.
Battles will last 8 minutes. If neither generator is destroyed, the team with the turret advantage (most turrets eliminated) wins.



The mission called 'Timber' is the oldest one in the game. We felt like it deserved an overhaul.
Every combat has been redesigned, the pace and environment will be far better than it currently is.



This is something we're constantly working on. The next step is to pre-spawn AIs at the beginning of each map, thus reducing the CPU load during populated combat situations.



We're changing the way the game renders the environment. As a result, everything will look much sharper, the gameplay will feel much smoother.
There are downsides to this method (mainly on the lighting side), but we believe the pros will outweigh the cons - if nothing else, the game will be more optimized without losing graphic quality.
This is difficult to demonstrate on 2D screenshots, so you have to take our word for it. :)


We're changing the hand models - the fingers will be thinner, and will look completely different from the current gloves.
In addition, we're improving the whole body model.

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Thank you for reading through the list!
We're not sure when the update will go live - we'd like to release it in March, but as we're working on these features and additions simultaneously, it's possible that we'll have to go with an early April date.

Bonus information: we have also updated our engine version - this makes our life easier. :)

Thank you guys for your continuous support!
-XREAL Games Team-

Hey everyone!

This update is the continuation of the code optimization we've started in the previous content update.
This time we've been focusing on the performance in Co-op as well as in single player - hopefully it is now significantly better across all game modes.
If you notice any fps drops, please let us know in the Bugreports section!
An important thing to note: we had to temporarily disable the game's voice chat feature. We're going to enable it after we overhaul it both functionality- and performance wise.

Besides optimization, we've also improved the Index controls: the ingame player hand is now correctly aligned to match the controllers' actual position and orientation - plus we've fine-tuned the grip's sensitivity based on community feedback.

You can read the full patch notes below:

• Index controller aligned to match real life hand position (send us feedback!)
  
• Improved controls, especially with the Index controller - better grip and ungrip sensitivity

• Optimized AI animations for better performance
  
• Enemy spawn fixes to reduce fps stuttering
  
• Various small friendly AI spawn fixes

• Improved pump action reload for shotguns
  
• Fixed misaligned USP grip
  
• Added missing skins for the Kriss Vector light stocks
  
• AK-47 sound fixed
  
• Several unlock icons fixed
  
• Removed the wobbly foregrip from the Uzi
  
• Fixed a client side shotgun clip bug (previously it could move randomly around the player's hand)

• Removed the 'Tutorial' map as a 'Quick co-op match' option
  
• Fixed an issue where pressing the button inside the helicopter at the end of 'Lockup' before the narration could result in the player's death
  
• Fixed various minor multiplayer map selection issues

• Fixed a rare issue where death sound could be heard constantly on the whole map
  
• Fixed a client side sound glitch - sometimes enemy gun sound got stuck in a loop

• We've encountered a sound issue in the last minute: sometimes the slider's sound effect gets stuck in a loop on 'Retaliation' while playing in Co-op. Will be fixed in the next update!

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That's all for now. This update is another important step in the optimization process we've started.
Small issues can still occur - if you encounter anything unusual, please let us know somehow. Your feedback is extremely valuable!

We'll soon be back with news about the next update. Follow us on social media if you don't want to miss them!
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As always, thank you everyone for your continuous support!
-XREAL Games Team-