DCS Core

This update brings some valuable quality-of-life improvements to the multiplayer features and mission editor which mission designers and server admins should enjoy. Also, there are more AI behavior fixes for specific cases, weapons improvements and new assets.

Core & AI

• Improved AI aircraft taxiing, refueling, and attack logic.

• AI AV-8B landing behavior tuned.

• Added new helicopter AI tasks for external cargo load/unload with improved sling-load flight control.

• Dedicated server crash and WebGUI restart issues fixed.

Weapons & Effects

• R-27 received a new semiactive seeker and improved network sync.

• Adjusted GBU-31 penetration checks and BetAB bomb surface effects.

• Fixed explosion and smoke rendering artifacts on cockpit MFDs.

Mission Editor & UI

• Expanded warehouse “Copy To” options.

• Added subtitle support to radio triggers.

• Added new coalition join block feature for multiplayer.

• Fixes for dynamic aircraft slots system.

3D models & Features

• Added USSR/RF civilian truck models with multiple variants and liveries.

• Fixed Currenthill asset pack liveries and payload lists for the Mi-28N and Tu-95MS

DCS: MiG-29A Fulcrum by Eagle Dynamics

Significant improvements and fixes have been made with this update, including, but not limited to, the Automatic Flight Control System, FCR, IRST, Weapon Systems and the SPO-15. Work continues on Autopilot-induced oscillations. Training modes for all weapons which can be chosen with the DTC. Many fixes for avionics issues, including: HUD/HDD startup, proper functionality for damaged INS, addition of a missing maximum G-load on the AOA-G meter, as well as other sound, lighting, display, and control issues. 

DCS: F-16C Viper by Eagle Dynamics

The long-requested sun visor effect has been added. The NCTR database received additional aircraft types. MIDS name table was updated. A fix for the significant lag and stutter when ATP XR was entered or exited. Also, several other smaller fixes reported by our dedicated customers were included. 

DCS: F/A-18C by Eagle Dynamics

The F/A-18C also receives the new sun visor effect, along with fixes to JDAM/JSOW QTY reset selection issue, VR helmet rendering, and the RWR “NO ID” option on the SA page.

DCS: AH-64D by Eagle Dynamics

For those wanting to control the action from the CPG seat, we have made major improvements to the George Pilot AI controls and functionality, including smarter flight logic, better power management, new interface modes, and more verbal feedback. You now gain greater control over AI altitude, airspeed, and exterior lighting, plus new Multifunctional Input options and interface enhancements. Check out a detailed explanation of some of these new features in the AH-64D Mini Updates post.

DCS: Data Transfer Cartridge (DTC)

Added reprogramming RWR threat tables for the F-16C and F/A-18C, allowing pilots to customize radar threat tables and countermeasure settings. You can read more about the DTC changes in the F-16C Mini Updates post and the F/A-18C Mini Updates post.  Several GUI and data-handling bugs have been addressed, and additions and fixes for the MiG-29A Fulcrum DTC.

DCS: CH-47F by Eagle Dynamics

Cockpit interaction and display bugs have been fixed, and improvements to the control indicator now display trim and throttle positions. Ambient cockpit audio for VOIP has also been added for enhanced immersion.

DCS: NS430 by Eagle Dynamics

Fixed an issue preventing the 3D model from being disabled in the MiG-29 cockpit and corrected a display persistence bug after power-off.

DCS: OH-58D Kiowa Warrior by Polychop Simulations

Several system corrections have been made, including proper Hellfire missile code display, radio frequency handling, and stability fixes addressing CTDs and MMS behavior.

DCS: SA-342 Gazelle by Polychop Simulations

A CTD issue when leaving the cockpit has been resolved.

DCS: F-4E Phantom II by Heatblur Simulations

This update adds an impressive list of innovations, starting with the inclusion of Chuck Owl’s comprehensive DCS F-4E Phantom II Guide, now conveniently accessible both in-game and in the documentation folder. Thanks to Chuck for providing great community resources and allowing the inclusion directly in the Phantom! A brand-new Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) has been introduced, providing pilots with digital access to critical system pages such as the Fuel, Electric, and Engine systems. Accessible via RCTRL+I or the in-cockpit document holder, the EFB represents the first step in a living cockpit reference tool that will evolve over time, giving you deeper insight into the simulation behind the curtain.

Another major innovation is the Persistent Aircraft system, allowing you to save and load the same airframe across missions. Aircraft persistence can be enabled in both the Mission Editor and Special Options. Aircraft states are automatically saved upon successful landing. This feature is perfect for campaign designers and squadrons who want to simulate realistic fleet management and long-term aircraft degradation. Instruments now behave less predictably when worn; needles stick, friction increases, and performance gradually declines, all influenced by realistic MTBF values. System refinements include corrections to cockpit lighting logic, power distribution, and cabin pressure regulation, alongside the addition of the AN/APX-80A “Combat Tree” IFF system, complete with new mission editor options for spoofable behavior.

On the weapons front, Heatblur has improved TV-guided weapon behavior, introducing gyro spin-up/spin-down logic and damage risks for premature activation. Zuni rockets make their debut, and several missile logic and seeker issues have been resolved. The Jester AI sees meaningful upgrades as well: improved countermeasure handling, IFF integration with the new Combat Tree system, new menu options, and smoother user interface responsiveness. Sound fixes, kneeboard enhancements, and numerous quality-of-life input corrections round out a highly polished update.

DCS: F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur Simulations - Introducing the Early A!

The lineup grows with the introduction of the Early F-14A-135-GR! A historically significant addition, equipped with the AN/ALR-45/50 RWR system.

This earlier variant of the F-14A captures the raw, temperamental performance of the original Tomcat, and pairs it with a state-of-the-art simulation of the more analogue ALR-45 RWR system. Tomcat Pilots will have to learn the intricacies of tones, sounds and indications provided by the older, more user-unfriendly ALR-45, when flying against their adversaries in the contested skies. The RWR simulation is based on detailed, physics based models, propagating from the various sensors placed on the aircraft and through the onboard processing computers, ultimately producing sound and visuals to help the crew execute their mission. 

Overall, this update focuses on polish and stability across aircraft systems, AI logic, and avionics fidelity. Please make sure to update your DCS to the latest version. 

The latest update delivers a broad set of improvements for DCS’s most beloved narrative experiences, refining mission scripting, AI behavior, and map compatibility across multiple titles. Please read the important changes that are now live:

A major update affects Reflected Simulations’ WWII campaign library, which now integrates Normandy 2.0 map improvements. Campaigns such as Blue Nose Bastards of Bodney, The Big Show, Debden Eagles, Jagdflieger, and Wolfpack II Overlord all receive compatibility and visual updates, ensuring smoother mission progression and historical accuracy on the newly expanded terrain. Additional fixes include AI pathfinding corrections and scripting adjustments to address mission errors. The Mosquito FB.VI V for Victory campaign also receives a pathfinding fix in its introductory mission.

Stone Sky’s Outpost series sees stability and immersion improvements. In the DCS: A-10C II Outpost Campaign, excessive radio chatter from AI aircraft has been eliminated, and outdated promotional elements were removed for a cleaner in-mission experience. The DCS: AH-64D Outpost Campaign also receives a correction to player starting positions in Mission 1, ensuring accurate parking spot assignments and smoother mission starts.

For Badger633’s DCS: F/A-18C Operation Green Line Campaign, a key issue causing AI wingmen to crash during Mission 4 has been resolved, improving reliability during formation flight and strike execution.

Baltic Dragon’s DCS: F/A-18C The Rampagers Campaign continues to evolve with refinements to briefings, kneeboards, and voice dialogue for better mission clarity. Mission 15 has been updated to reduce the risk of fratricide during close air support engagements, while Mission 16 now features improved scoring logic. Multiple earlier missions (1, 3, 11, 12, and 14) have had GBU fuse settings updated for both the player and AI wingmen to enhance weapon consistency and realism.

Sandman Simulations has refined DCS: F/A-18C Operation Mountain Breeze across the board. All missions now feature smoother AI flight lead behavior by limiting afterburner usage and automatically recognizing tuned radio frequencies. Mission 12 benefits from improved situational awareness through enhanced AWACS coverage.

Ground Pounder Sims’ DCS: F/A-18C Operation Cerberus North has been tuned for improved mission logic, including weight adjustments for Tornado aircraft in Mission 9 and refined triggers in Mission 16 to account for updated splash damage mechanics introduced in recent patches.

For SorelRo’s campaigns, DCS: F-16C Dragon’s Fury removes an internal SnapViews.lua file that previously interfered with users’ custom cockpit views in Missions 13–15. 

DCS: UH-1H The Huey Last Show Mission 11 has undergone a full trigger and AI logic overhaul to improve flow and reliability during key combat events.

The 51st MDT, pioneers of competitive DCS multiplayer and creators of SATAC and the iconic Georgian Incident, are back with a bold new challenge: Syrian Incident. This is a squad-versus-squad campaign that redefines the scope of organized air combat in DCS.

Set over the complex and ever-changing Syrian theater, Syrian Incident is built around realism, coordination, and tactical execution. Every move counts: squadrons must plan flight paths, coordinate operations, and execute missions designed by their faction’s generals and commanders. Each engagement directly influences the outcome of the war, creating a living, evolving battlefield that responds to player actions.

Unlike traditional PvP events, this campaign introduces persistent strategic layers; logistics, planning, and communication are just as crucial as dogfighting skills. Whether you’re a seasoned squadron, a GCI operator, or a mission commander, Syrian Incident offers an immersive, competitive experience that demands teamwork and precision at every level.

The event has already attracted 24 registered squadrons, and sign-ups remain open for those looking to take part in one of the most ambitious multiplayer DCS projects to date. This is your opportunity to shape the next chapter of DCS warfare and test your squad’s mettle against some of the best in the community.

Learn more and enlist your squad via the official ED Forums post, join the discussion on the 51st PVO Regiment Discord, or visit the 51st PVO/MDT website.

Thank you again for your passion and support, 

Yours sincerely, 

Eagle Dynamics

🍂 Autumn has already arrived, and along with the cool breeze and golden leaves, we have prepared special rates for you to add warmth and excitement to your adventures!

🔥 25.10 – Experience x3, Carats x3
🔥 26.10 – Fletta x3, Pet Experience x3

❗❗❗Please note: all rates start at 14:00 (UTC+3).

May these autumn weekends bring you coziness, inspiration, and unforgettable victories in the game. Enjoy the beauty of the season and exciting adventures! 🍁✨

Important Announcement – Center Station Simulator

Hello Center Station Simulator community,

• I have some unfortunate news to share… Four days ago, a power surge affected my home, causing several devices to malfunction — including my computer and, more specifically, the SSDs.

• Some essential files could not be recovered and are currently being recoded. Others have been restored from an older cloud backup.

• Unfortunately, the file containing the unlock progress for items and upgrades was corrupted. As a result, the speed upgrades from update 0.4.1, as well as the Level 2 Refinery and the Car Wash Station, have been reset.

• A small Halloween update will be released soon (with a slight delay ).

• To thank you for your patience and make up for the losses, a 5x money bonus will be available during the entire Halloween event.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support

— Addis, Developer of Center Station Simulator

We are deploying Update 1.1.1.0 on Tuesday, October 28, followed by the Season 1 launch later that day at the following times:

• 09:00 UTC: Update 1.1.1.0 goes live on all platforms. Players will be prompted to download and install the update, which includes all technical and gameplay changes.

• 15:00 UTC: Season 1 content, including the Battle Pass and new seasonal features, becomes available for all players.

Between these times, players can continue to play Battlefield 6 as normal after updating, but Season 1 content and progression will unlock at 15:00 UTC.

The Season 1 Update marks the next step in our ongoing journey to evolve and expand the Battlefield 6 experience. This includes fixes, balance changes, and quality-of-life improvements focused on polish, performance, and player feedback to deliver an even smoother experience moving forward.

Major Updates for 1.1.1.0:

• Improved core movement and animations, including smoother landings, faster stance transitions, better vaulting behavior, and reduced “bouncing” issues on landing or spawning.

• Reworked weapon dispersion to better align accuracy and handling with each weapon’s intended design and performance over range. These changes address cases where accuracy behaved inconsistently, such as dispersion not properly settling after sprinting, and bring overall firing behavior closer to the intended balance between precision, control, and weapon power.

• Significant visibility and lighting improvements, with better exposure transitions, interior lighting, and reduced fog and smoke persistence.

• Audio overhaul, adding new projectile flybys, destruction and explosion sounds, refined vehicle and weapon mixes, and improved haptic feedback across multiple interactions.

• UI and HUD updates for clarity and consistency, including overtime indicators, end-of-round fixes, and new unlock markers for weapons and gadgets.

• Map fixes across multiple locations, resolving spawn animations, out-of-bounds issues, misaligned assets, and general stability across Conquest, Breakthrough, and Rush modes.

CHANGELOG

PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue where combat dive could break when diving uphill.

• Fixed an issue where players would detach from ziplines when entering at high speed.

• Improved steady aim and sight centering for more consistent precision.

• Fixed an issue where movement could interrupt steady aim.

• Adjusted misaligned character hitboxes for upper body and head to better match the visual models.

• Fixed an issue where the jump animation could play twice when aiming down sights.

• Landing animations now have their animation path properly centered, instead of shifting to the side when landing.

• Fixed an issue where jump inaccuracy could linger too long after landing.

• Fixed a visual issue causing weapons to appear rotated incorrectly after spawning.

• Fixed an issue where throwing grenades from prone could make players appear standing in third-person view.

• Fixed an animation delay when opening doors while sliding.

• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck while vaulting over certain objects.

• Fixed a visual issue where dead players appeared alive while swimming.

• Fixed an issue where quick meleeing with a gadget would swap back to the primary weapon instead of the gadget.

• Fixed an issue where getting killed by a mine would highlight it in the killcam.

• Fixed a camera jitter that could occur when entering ladders and looking down.

• Fixed an issue where camera and weapon sway behaved incorrectly after entering or exiting vehicles.

• Fixed an issue where weapons of other soldiers could clip through walls when they entered your view.

• Fixed an issue where pistols disappeared while swimming.

• Improved lighting precision for visibility while hip-firing and aiming down sights.

• Reduced occurrences of bouncing or landing issues when dropping onto certain objects.

• Fixed an issue where the killer snapshot sometimes did not display in the killcam.

• Small improvements to weapon and camera sway for smoother movement.

• Fixed an issue where enemies could take melee damage in protected vehicle seats.

• Fixed an issue where vaulting could fail if triggered right as the player hit an obstacle.

• Fixed an animation issue where repeated vaulting could cause incorrect hand placement.

• Fixed an issue where simultaneous melee hits could make an enemy briefly invisible

• Fixed an issue where soldier heads briefly disappeared during redeploy transitions.

• Improved training path progression display to better match actual unlocks.

• Fixed an issue where friendly players could clip into each other when climbing ladders.

• Fixed an issue preventing vaulting directly from a slide.

• Fixed an issue causing the camera to rotate abruptly after a takedown.

• Fixed an issue where hands briefly disappeared after using the AJ-03 COAG Med Pen.

• Improved stab animations when reviving with drag and revive.

• Fixed issues affecting peeking and prone transitions, ensuring both actions function correctly.

• Fixed a camera clipping issue when going prone while strafing.

• Fixed a missing third-person animation when transitioning from prone to sprint.

• Fixed an issue where falling while sprinting caused incorrect hand movement.

• Fixed visual clipping when soldiers stood too close to glass doors.

• Fixed jittery aim animations in third-person when mounted.

• Fixed a bug where mounting near walls prevented aiming left or right.

• Fixed an issue where leaning, peeking, or mounting could cancel unexpectedly.

• Fixed an issue where third-person hit reactions were missing when hit while mounted.

• Fixed an animation issue where the character’s knee clipped with the camera when falling while crouched.

• Fixed takedown inconsistencies, allowing players to properly perform melee takedowns even near walls.

• Fixed an issue where taking melee damage interrupted weapon fire.

• Fixed multiple visibility improvements including lighting, exposure, and fog behavior for better contrast and clarity across all maps.

• Improved vaulting, parachute, and door-opening animations for smoother transitions.

• Fixed rare animation freezes for friendly soldiers reloading off-screen.

• Fixed minor inconsistencies in mounting, peeking, and prone transitions for more reliable gameplay.

• Added parachute customization for soldiers.

• Prevented unintended shoulder bump animation when equipping a weapon while sprinting.

• Improved ragdoll impacts for more consistent and reliable reactions.

• Improved stance transition and landing animations to settle faster and feel smoother.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed missing haptic feedback when switching between tank weapons.

• Fixed a visual issue where the player’s hand clipped with the M1A2 SEPv3 handle when sitting in external seats.

GADGETS:

• Fixed a rare issue where the MAS 148 Glaive could block the first-person view during a combat dive.

• Fixed a MAS 148 Glaive visual issue during combat dives in first-person.

• Fixed an issue where Defibrillators appeared floating during vaulting animations.

• Fixed an issue where the Supply Pouch would sometimes not resupply correctly.

• Deployable gadgets are not destroyed/removed from debris piles

• AT grenades now create a small sized crater instead of a medium one.

• Buildings now take more hits to be destroyed by a Sledgehammer.

WEAPONS:

• Weapon dispersion has been rebalanced to better match each weapon’s damage profile across all ranges. Lower-damage weapons will now see a slightly higher increase in dispersion when firing, while higher-damage weapons will experience slightly less.

• Using Sniper Rifles with any class other than Recon will no longer increase weapon spread. Instead, weapon sway will now begin during the zoom transition, maintaining balance and distinguishing Recon’s precision advantage.

• Fixed a misalignment issue with top-mounted red dot sights.

• Fixed an issue where mounting a bipod while zoomed only changed the FOV instead of using the correct optic.

• Fixed an issue where the Long Suppressor used the wrong attachment point cost for some weapons.

• Improved reticle settling for automatic weapons to make burst firing more efficient.

• Fixed an issue where using a bipod too close to complex geometry could throw the player off position while prone.

• Balanced sledgehammer damage against world objects for better consistency.

• Fixed an issue preventing players from leaving the Firing Range.

MAPS & MODES:

• Improved fog and smoke effects after destruction to prevent them from lingering too long and impacting visibility.

• Improved exposure transitions between indoor and outdoor areas for better visibility.

• Fixed an issue where the zipline carabiner could appear offset and fly next to the wire instead of along it.

• Squad names are now randomized at the start of Squad Deathmatch matches.

• Added visible bomb meshes to armed M-COMs in Rush.

• Updated overtime UI visualization across all modes.

• Fixed animation and positioning issues during insertion sequences on all maps.

• Fixed an issue where the game mode UI could display incorrect scores or fail to update during a round.

• Fixed an End of Round progression issue in King of the Hill mode.

• Fixed an issue where players could encounter a bouncing animation when spawning at HQs after capturing new territories in Escalation across multiple maps.

Mirak Valley

• Fixed a misaligned zipline mesh in Conquest.

• Fixed an issue where the deploy camera in Rush displayed attackers on the wrong side of the map.

• Fixed an issue that prevented players from arming M-COM A in Rush due to a misplaced asset.

Siege of Cairo

• Fixed overlapping territory lines and boundaries during the briefing screen in Escalation.

Liberation Peak

• Fixed an issue in Escalation where a portion of the map on the NATO side was disconnected during the first period of the match.

• Fixed an issue in Rush where part of the Attacker’s HQ area was incorrectly marked as out of bounds.

New Sobek City

• Fixed an issue preventing players from capturing part of Flag C in Escalation.

• Fixed an issue where players could ignite when spawning near a burning lorry in Team Deathmatch.

• Adjusted an infantry vehicle spawn that was placed too close to a building in the PAX Armata HQ area.

Manhattan Bridge

• Fixed an issue in Breakthrough where players could become stuck on the End of Round screen if the party leader left during the EOR sequence.

UI & HUD:

• Added new markers for newly unlocked weapons, weapon packages, attachments, gadgets, and throwables.

• Updated 3D previews for certain gadgets to show their deployed state.

• Added preview videos demonstrating how gadgets work.

• Added new cosmetic options for selected gadgets.

• Changed “Save & Close” to “Close” in the Deploy menu for clarity.

• Fixed various UI issues in Loadouts.

• Fixed an issue where Battlefield 6 Ownership XP Boost did not display properly at End of Round.

• Fixed multiple text inconsistencies in Dog Tags and Challenges.

• Fixed an issue where the HUD would not appear when using a 16:10 aspect ratio with certain resolutions.

SETTINGS:

• Added Flick Look bindings to Helicopter, Jet, and Transport control schemes.

• Fixed visual issues where some aspect ratio settings caused transparent borders or inconsistent display behavior.

SINGLE PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue in Mission 01 where players were unable to lean out during the Last Stand sequence if the cinematic began while the knife was equipped.

• Fixed a black screen issue in the Night Raid mission.

PORTAL:

• Fixed an issue where the Host Experience screen did not display the Portal experience image.

• Fixed a crash that could occur if a party leader started a Portal server while Content Packs 01 and 04 were disabled.

• Improved loading times for the Server Browser experience info tab to ensure joining functions properly.

• Corrected a spelling error in the message shown when attempting to join an unavailable server.

AUDIO:

• Fixed an issue where footstep sounds were missing when moving with the knife equipped.

• Fixed a voiceline issue where directional callouts (e.g., “enemy north”) played the wrong direction.

• Tuned haptic feedback across multiple actions, including window barging, defibrillator use, swimming, rocket pods, mounted MGs, and sea vehicle collisions.

• Polished large projectile audio with new missile, rocket pod, and cannon shell flyby effects; improved distance handling and overall mix for more realistic impact sounds.

• Updated audio configs for light rockets and LMGs; refined explosion sound crossfades and adjusted distant sound behavior.

• Improved vehicle and weapon firing audio balance, reducing noise artifacts, unwanted phasing, and over-saturation.

• Added radio chatter through controller speakers.

• Fixed an issue where firing range dummies and vehicle-hit reactions sometimes played incorrect or processed hurt sounds.

• Disabled radio processing for stationary vehicle pings and fixed compass orientation for ping indicators.

• Fixed missing or incorrect ambient and destruction sounds across several maps, including Siege of Cairo, as well as missing explosion sounds for silos and tanker trailers.

• Added missing ambient audio setups for environmental props like construction barriers and buses.

• Added new sound effects for the bulletin and takeover sections of the main menu, including improved reveal animations.

• Fixed an issue where delayed challenge tab displays triggered early audio playback.

• Fixed an issue where defibrillator loop sounds could get stuck when vaulting.

• Fixed missing or out-of-sync reload sounds.

• Corrected the M39 EMR using suppressed audio when unsuppressed.

• Restored missing external sound effects for RWS Gunner countermeasure mines.

• Fixed issues where soundtrack tracks cut off abruptly or skipped mid-song.

• Reload audio polish for several weapons.

This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible.

As pledged in this year’s Community Direct, as part of our ongoing commitment to better dialogue and transparency, we conducted one of our largest ever player surveys with Season 16’s Big Listen. In the spirit of this concerted effort towards improving transparency, we wanted to share with you how the results of this survey shook out and how we’re thinking about some of the signals we received.

Before we get into the nitty gritty, we want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to give us their feedback. We’ve found the results genuinely illuminating (as well as confirming a few assumptions and hunches), and it’s given us a clear set of priorities to think about. Of course, game development is hard and change doesn’t happen overnight – but we are listening and focusing our efforts on the things that matter most to you, our players.

We discussed these results at length on the latest episode of the Sea of Thieves podcast, so for those of you with 45 minutes to spare, tune in below to hear Creative Director Mike Chapman and Production Director Drew Stevens talking about what this means for Sea of Thieves’ future. However, if you’re after the key headlines, please read on – we have them all right here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqrGKEbGsZcSeason 16 Headline Learnings

First up: one of the big learnings from this survey was that among the thousands of folks we asked, we saw a significantly stronger affinity with Athena’s Fortune than The Reaper’s Bones – 64% to 36%, which was a surprisingly large margin to us given the closely fought battles of Adventures gone by.

So, going into a Reaper-themed Season with Season 16, we’ve been able to recognise retrospectively that the majority of players might not have vibed with the overall theming. While this will perhaps have coloured some of the survey perspectives, there are still all kinds of great insights we want to share with you all.

The overall player rating for Season 16 was 6.1 from our active players which, while not phenomenal, was a good result. Over a quarter of active players rated the Season as an 8/10 or higher, and less than 6% rated the Season as 1/10 or 2/10 – so there’s some recognition that, broadly, it was a solid experience. We’re always going to want to see that score go much higher, but given the transitionary nature of Season 16, it’s been heartening to see that players reliably took some enjoyment from its offering.

Season 16 Content Highlights

Those helpful Mercenary Skeletons of the Order of Bone and Blade were the highest-rated feature by far in Season 16 – their user rating came out on top, followed by the unsealable Reaper’s Chests and new cosmetics. The new Voyages introduced during Season 16 were broadly rated as fine, but players did not express a particularly keen desire to play them again – so we can recognise that there perhaps wasn’t the intended replayability appeal there.

We’ve heard this feedback, and for those who are interested, Creative Director Mike Chapman provided some good context behind the decision to introduce these Voyages on our latest podcast. In the same way that we fleshed out The Hunter’s Call at the beginning of the year, we wanted to expand the offering for The Reaper’s Bones – and these Season 16 Voyages are a solid entry-level introduction to Reaper play, as PvE experiences that bring a little more PvP threat.

We were more surprised by how little awareness and understanding players felt in general around the new Season 16 content. The Voyages ranked more highly for comprehension, which makes sense given they’re very much aligned with the Voyage structure our pirates are used to. However, around the new tools like the Cannon of Rage and Mercenary Skeletons, there was a sense that many players weren’t fully aware of them or didn’t feel well-informed about how they worked.

This is a sign we’ve already begun taking cues from, levelling up the UI Seasonal Tabs and Deeds to promote better discoverability of the content we’ve been introducing in every Act. A version of this went live with Season 17, and Season 18 will bring further refinements – so we hope to see these data points change more positively over time.

Game Health

Overall game health was rated 3/5 by our active users, with quality and stability being the key areas of technical performance we struggled with most. However, one of the biggest signals we got from this survey was that it’s the player-driven health metrics impacting the experience most of all.

Cheating and toxic behaviour from other players were rated 2.6/5 by all respondents. From our community sentiment, customer support contacts and game telemetry, we’ve always had an awareness of this problem – but to see it so concisely summarised in a low score was a stark reminder that we still have much to do in this area.

We do have some key improvements coming to Hourglass Battles to address some of the encounter-based toxicity, which Production Director Drew Stevens talks about in the latest Developer Update. But, more critically, we need to take a step back and look at how we influence players and gameplay at a fundamental level, to make encounters with other crews feel fairer and more fun.

Toxic behaviour is a huge topic to tackle and it encompasses so many parts of the experience, but we’re committed to finding a path through to change those numbers. More on this as it comes, but we’re teeing up a second, more in-depth survey to dig into the heart of this issue so that we can prioritise related areas for work moving forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjPFeayVfSo

Community Relations

As part of this survey, we also wanted to know what you thought of how we were communicating, and if you felt we were listening to your feedback. These are perhaps some bold questions to ask, but again, as we said in the Community Direct, we’re serious about improving community relations and bringing players’ perspectives to the forefront of our decision-making.

So: first, we asked if you thought we were listening to the community. You scored us 3/5 on this, with 43% of all active users rating us a 4 or 5. However, nearly one in five players (19%) scored us a 1/5, believing that we do not listen to our players at all – so it’s clear that while some feel there’s a foundation to build on, we need to do some work here to win back your trust and prove we’re listening.

Since the Season 16 Big Listen survey went out, we’ve made some advancements here based on your feedback: we’ve introduced 110 FOV, made the incoming spatial audio experience more player-friendly, worked on weapon switching, adjusted Season 17’s Reaper Fortress loot pools, and we have plenty of other feedback-inspired irons in the fire. We’re hoping to see this effort reflected in Season 17’s scores too, and we’ll keep putting the work in to ensure we’re addressing your key pain points.

Just on this: it would be remiss of us not to address the sentiment that some of these updates have skewed towards a certain player type, rather than all players. However, we want to assure players that there are ton of discussions ongoing where we’re looking at what would be impactful quality-of-life changes for everyone. We hope to have more to share here in the coming months, so please stay tuned for fresh information (and register as an Insider to test these upcoming changes, if you’re not already one of the crew)!

Also on the topic of communication, we asked if you thought our communication was regular and transparent enough, and you scored us 3.5/5 on this – with almost 60% of all active users rating us at a 4 or 5. We’ve been working on this lately, and we’re pleased to see it reflected in the scores. Again, we could still be better here and intend to drag that average up. However, it’s another solid foundation to build upon, so thank you for recognising our efforts with the return of the Dev Updates, the Community Direct commitments and everything else we’re doing – like the survey itself – to ensure a better dialogue with you all.

The Future

While we’re still working out what this really means for our development roadmap, as these results are still contextually very fresh, we have some clear signals about what players want to see the most. We can’t yet comment with any specificity on what we’re doing in these particular areas, but we wanted to be honest about what our players have asked from us – so, the top five most popular areas for future content updates amongst our active users include:

(1) New world regions and locations
(2) More narrative content
(3) New ship types
(4) New World Events
(5) New sandbox tools and mechanics

The Community Direct in early 2026 will be the next opportunity for us to unveil some of our content plans for the year ahead, so look forward to that!

And the Survey Said…

This was an incredibly useful first set of results for us. We’ve surveyed our players before, but not on this scale – so the sheer volume and breadth of the feedback has been invaluable. We’ll continue with our Seasonal surveys and track some of those key health metrics from Season to Season, with the hope of seeing the needles move in the right ways. And we’ll continue to share those results too, as part of our ongoing commitment to sharing in what we’re up to and why we’re making some of the decisions we do.

The survey for Season 17 will be arriving soon, so if you’d like to participate and have your say, sign up to the Insider Programme and ensure your email preferences are on to receive the invite – you can do this by logging in to the Sea of Thieves website and checking your Account page. Thanks to all of you for taking part!

Hi everybody, great news today! We just released the next major content update for Heroes of Science and Fiction with both a new factions and a new campaign!
We hope you'll enjoy the new content and all the included improvements!

Trailer:

Play as an ancient race of intelligent parasitic aliens that posess different hosts!

• 7 units, each with its upgraded version
  
• Warmachine: the Goo Spitter
  
• 13 Commanders
  
• Unique base buildings (including item storage!), siege battle map and base music theme
  
• Biomacer faction skill

Follow Annika Finch, a famous young Sovereign captain on her journey and see some of the dark secrets of the Siren System finally uncovered!

• 4 levels, 8 intro and outro screens
  
• 2 new music themes
  
• (Hopefully not a spoiler) Encounter both your old enemies and the Tumori Tribes!

• New skirmish maps - Lost Connection and One Way Out
  
• Spawner buildings on the exploration map for each faction
  
• Scrapyard workshop sells different warmachines
  
• One-way teleports
  
• Encyclopedia with all commanders and units organized by faction
  
• Improved calendar panel layout with colored phase text and custom icons for different cycle events
  
• Icons of different layouts in map generator
  
• Added commander bio to commander tooltips in scenario configuration and encyclopedia
  
• Academy upgrade that allows to research abilities can now be used repeatedly but with increasing cost
  
• New music jingles for map win/loss screen ♫
  
• New music theme for Orbit, improved music crossfades, fixed a couple of cases of volume jumps, for example after battle ♫
  
• Improvements in various sound effects: item pickups, Cannon explosion, Sawty jump, crystal biome ambience, Worm underground movement, a few healing effects, Show Resources and Treasures
  
• Editor: New event action for controlling commander orientation
  
• Editor: New event action, configurable delay/wait
  
• Editor: Implemented a manipulate-commanders command to disable tracking of a commander as must-stay-alive in victory conditions
  
• Editor: New reward for defeating selected neutral army: a fusion core
  
• Editor: Automatic synchronization of colors of connected teleports
  
• Editor: Spawners can be configured to match the faction of a base (as the player can select the faction when starting the map)

- Updated Unity to 2020.3.49f1 with a fix of the recently discovered security vulnerability, fixed what got broken by this upgrade
- Hotfixed any human in hotseat mode getting defeated caused the dialog to force return to main menu
- Fixed unit models with multiple materials not correctly flashing white when hit
- Fixed 6-unit armies sometimes spawning in different order than the order of units in the army
- Fixed a few issues with difficulty settings not correctly carried over between campaign maps
- Fixed bases remembered in fog of war had different name than the actual base at their position
- Fixed missing unit icon on discovered neutral armies, fixed inconsistency in tooltips of discovered neutral armies
- Fixed AI sometimes attacking dead units
- Fixed Mysterious Wanderers/Traveling Merchants could decide to block a bridge
- Fixed tooltips on consumables in hero action selector weren't taking in account reordering of these items by availability and sometimes showing tooltip for the wrong item
- Fixed resource collectors could spawn over pickable resources during cycle event
- Fixed skills forgotten at an altar of clean slate not available to be learned again
- Fixed hacked and hypnotized status effects
- Fixed some typos and minor issues in texts


Here's an updated roadmap for the rest of Early Access - we're getting there! :)

As always, thanks to everybody who helped us test the build before release and special thanks to the community translators! If you'd like to join the community, we'll be happy to have you on our Discord server:

Greetings everyone! We are getting close to the point where we will be rolling out to the main branch on Steam. So we have some great news to all of you that purchased the game when it was known as "Sanguivore". Not everyone that purchased the game is a member of our Discord, so we will be letting all Steam users know about this.

Currently the game is NOT playable on the main branch, it is still the old game and the account API is no longer available for the old game. So, The current build of NightSpawn ([c]0.31.254[/c] / [c]0.31.256[/c] ) will be available for all. As the game will be a FREE 2 PLAY title when we fully release on Steam & Epic Games. We are giving all current premium owners of the game (meaning you spent money accessing the game beforehand, when it was Sanguivore) access to the premium features in NightSpawn, this includes:

• Chapter 1 - 4 Season Premium Passes (first 4 season passes),

• Exclusive playable character (just for Sanguivore purchases),

Everyone that previously logged on to the game when it was Sanguivore has been marked in our system has a [c]OG[/c] player, if you purchased the game and have not been able to log on / create an account, please submit a ⁠support-tickets with proof of purchase and we will get you setup. When the game goes live fully, you will automatically receive your gifts when logging into the game.

We will be running BETA weekends where, content will automatically unlock in all builds of the game for that specific weekend. This content will include features that are mentioned in the Available at FULL launch list below. First one planned: 14-17th November 2025*

Subject to change*

The current build of the game is a feature locked version, meaning not all features will be available. Here is a list of what will be available and what will be available at full launch:

• x1 Playable map - Into The Mist,

• x1 AI controlled monster - The Lycan (Werewolf),

• Non-Premium currency - Blood Shards,

• Non-Premium cosmetics,

• Escape Mode - Single player,

• Escape Mode - Peer-2-Peer (Coop),

• Character progression cap - Level 3 / 19 character perk unlocks,

• Escape scenarios - Limited to 4,

• Languages - English only,

• Playable characters - Limited to 4 of 22,

• x4 Playable map - Into The Mist, Twenty Below (Reworked), Web of Fears, Carnival of Carnage,

• Escape Mode - Single player,

• Escape Mode - Peer-2-Peer (Coop),

• Character progression cap - TBA,

• Escape scenarios - Multiple,

• Languages - English, German, French, Spanish, Etc.,

• Playable characters - x22 (Plus any additional added, inc. exclusive unlock),

• Play Tarot cards (game modifier/challenges),

• Non-Premium cosmetics,

• Premium character cosmetics,

• Non-Premium currency - Blood Shards,

• Premium currency - Fear Fragments,

• Updated The Lycan monster (Werewolf),

• Updated The Noble monster (Vampire),

• NEW The Arachnid monster (Spider),

• Updated The Arachnid monster (Spider) - Mesh update,

• NEW The Grand Puppeteer monster (Demon),

• NEW Investigators (x4) Vs. The Monster (x1) Mode,

• NEW Play as The Lycan (4v1 mode),

• NEW Play as The Noble (4v1 mode),

• NEW Play as The Arachnid (4v1 mode),

• NEW Play as The Grand Puppeteer (4v1 mode),

• NEW Monster Evolutions - monster changes form up to 3x from feeding and gathering blood.,

More information about all features that will be included will be posted closer to the time of NightSpawn going live on the MainBranch, including dates and so on.

It has been five years since an update came to life in the pre-Final Edition era. This major update brings lots of new features, optimizations, and fixes:

Vertical moving platforms: By popular request from GGHallGamer, platforms can now move vertically as well as horizontally. Place several moving platforms next to each other to create a larger platform and open up new paths in your levels. But beware — heroes and enemies can be crushed if the platform reaches the ceiling!

Moving spikes: Also requested by GGHallGamer, spike boxes can now move up, down, left, or right. This adds a whole new layer of challenge and excitement for both creating and running levels.

New achievements: Hard mode, Expert mode, and EXTREME MODE! Complete levels with very low clear rates to unlock these elite achievements.

Optimized Main Menu: The Main Menu has been slightly redesigned to make stats and options easier for newcomers to understand.

New tutorial mode: Based on feedback from several players, newcomers can now access the Tutorial list, where each level teaches a specific mechanic. Don’t worry — you can still complete these levels and earn world records.

Optimized camera: The camera now moves less, providing a calmer and smoother gameplay experience.

100 levels listed per filter category: Browse a larger catalogue of levels — 100 levels per category for now. The plan is to implement pagination so you can access all levels, not just a limited selection. Remember, you can create your own playlists at dashworld.online via the game's "Playlists" menu if you want specific levels listed.

Toggle screen shake on/off: Also requested by Devonrv, this option can be found in the Settings menu of the Main Menu.

---

• Fixed collision issues where bullets would sometimes miss metal crates.

• Prevented shooting through platforms from underneath.

• Fixed collision errors when possessing a power-up and touching a sploder.

• Corrected slopes being drawn incorrectly when spikes were nearby.

• Adjusted achievements: Previously, some achievements required 50K plays. They now cap at 10K plays.

• Added difficulty display in Run Mode.

• Updated default featured playlists: Tutorials, Arcade Mode, Runner Levels, and Hardcore Concerned are now featured.

• Fixed crashes when the camera follows the world record ghost while the player dies.

• Fixed broken Discord invite in the Main Menu.

• Made Underground theme slightly less dark — it is no longer pitch black.

• Optimized enemy movement on slopes.

---

Unfortunately it was not possible to package the game for Linux at the moment. The goal is to create a Linux build asap. Sorry for the inconvenience it might cause Linux users for now.

• Minor jitter when moving enemies collide with moving spikes.

• Occasional unfair deaths caused by vertical platforms crushing the player.

All of these are being addressed for Build 3000 Patch 1.

Please leave any feedback you think could help, and report bugs on our Discord server:

https://discord.gg/N8x6AhUg

---

A huge thanks to GGHallGamer, Devonrv, and everyone who provided great input, feedback, and critique. This is what makes a community-driven game come to life!

DASH ON! — BD

---

Here is a new demo hotfix for you!

• A minor hotfix focused on improving performance.

Further updates will follow shortly.

We are looking forward to your bug reports.