Onward News

Hello Onward Community!

February is here and so is our next briefing. We know you have been eagerly waiting for what else is coming with Update 2.0. This month we have more new features to go over along with announcing some quality of life enhancements. In the Devs’ Desk we will be giving you additional information related to the weapons update and showcasing more operators.

Keep an eye on our Twitter account in the upcoming weeks. We will be posting information for upcoming Q&As happening. This will give you an opportunity to get answers to common questions and also learn more details behind some of the upcoming features we have talked about.

[h2]Briefing 5 of 6 [/h2]
While we already announced our completely remastered Downfall map, we still have more news related to environments. We have a completely new never before seen map and a new Day mode for a current map. These are sure to offer a major change to how you play some game modes.

[h3]New Maps[/h3]
Overgrowth
A brand new map that follows a new level for graphics quality, much like Downfall Remastered. This latest addition boasts lush green foliage texturing and intricate rock formations that create a visually stunning backdrop for intense battles. A network of tunnels and narrow passages demands strategic movement and clever positioning, amplifying the pressure during combat.

This close quarters combat map will be available for Uplink, Co-Op, and Social Game modes. Get ready to experience high-stakes battles like never before on this cutting-edge map!

If you thoroughly explore the map, you may stumble upon a rare fossil that hasn’t been seen since the intense battles in the Jungle.

Tanker - Day
The Tanker map has been a staple in Onward since its early days. Its unique design, featuring multiple levels and a long viewing range, made it an ideal environment for nighttime gameplay. Night mode reduced the sight lines allowing players to move strategically across the top level, utilizing available containers for cover. After reviewing the map, we decided to release a daytime version of Tanker. This new iteration offers a fresh perspective on the classic map, providing players with a different set of challenges and opportunities.

Sneaking around on this map in broad daylight will require some serious skill.

[h3]Quality of Life Updates[/h3]
Environment Enhancements
To help players feel more immersed in the environments while playing, we are adding elements like random fly overs and lightning effects. Sporadically, If you look to the skies or out on the water you have a chance to see boats, helicopters, or fighter jets. The air vehicles can perform banking maneuvers in formation, deploy countermeasures, and even explode and crash. The boats can deploy parachute flares at night.


Safe Spawning
After the introduction of spawn protection, we continued to monitor the gameplay experience for Shooting Range and Freeroam and how it has impacted the overall gameplay. While it did help address some instances players reported, we felt we could improve on it.
In Update 2.0 players will see a checkbox in the tent to enable safespawn. This will randomly spawn you in a new location on the map instead of where you died. This gives control back to the spawning player when in public lobbies where it can get very crowded and a bit chaotic.

Subway - Assault
In response to community feedback, we're excited to announce the addition of Assault game mode to Subway. Marsoc will attack from the streets, and Volk will come up from below. To ensure a seamless experience on Subway’s different height levels, we've designed Assault boundaries that are shown in the world, rather than on your tablet.


This month we wanted to provide an update and additional details related to our progress on the weapons and characters we are working on.

[h3]New Scope Technology & New Weapon Functionality [/h3]
We have made some significant additions in the scopes category for our weapons. In addition we have also added some new functionalities to some specific weapons we think will offer some much needed improvements to how the weapons are utilized.

New Scope Technology

• 2 alternative iron sight model options
  
• Hybrid 1X/4X scopes - (2 sights in one)
  
• Tri laser (3 visible lasers)
  
• Combo (visible laser, visible flashlight, IR flashlight, & IR laser)
  
• Dual laser illuminator (visible laser, IR flashlight, & IR laser)
  
• Visible Laser & Flashlight (visible laser & visible flashlight)
  
• New 6x Scope (MARSOC)
  
• New 8x Scope (Volk)
  
• Laser & Flashlights are emissive (can see the lens glowing, not just the beam)

New Weapon Functionalities

• Shotgun shell holder for M1014 and M870
  
• Gripods (Foregrip / Bipod Hybrid)
  
• M203 can be equipped on MCX Virtus & MK18

This should bring fresh variety to the Assault map options, offering players a new unique and engaging experience.

[h2]Character Models[/h2]
Introducing 3 more MARSOC and Volk Operators. Their full bios will be available on our Instagram page soon.


In addition to switching between operators, you'll also have the ability to personalize their armbands and eyewear with different color patterns. This feature can be used to identify groups of players for tactical positioning or reflect other unique playstyle and preferences.

Use this customization option to add an extra layer of uniqueness and make your gameplay experience even more tailored to your preferences.



[h3]MilSim Units[/h3]
Onward provides a multitude of ways to play, resulting in a diverse array of player types. One player type that has gained popularity in recent years is the Military Simulation (MilSim) community. These groups often incorporate roleplaying and ranking systems into their gameplay.

Some of these groups offer in-game weapon training sessions and tactical walkthroughs for various environments. Since group expectations can differ, the team at MilSim Units has created a website to help connect individuals that have similar playstyles. For more information about how to find or host a MilSim unit, visit their website.

[h3]Custom Map Winner[/h3]
The Onward Custom Map League (OCML) has successfully concluded its January Brawl contest. This exciting tournament featured 8 teams competing over a period of 5 weeks, with matches played on 6 new custom map submissions.

Congratulations to Team Animal House, who emerged victorious in the tournament!
An additional congratulations goes to Swamp Boogie, whose map submission “East Village” was chosen as the best new map played during the tournament. Well done everyone!

You can watch all the rounds of the tournament on the Brutal Cast YouTube channel.

[h3]Brutal Podcast[/h3]
In addition to their recent map tournament, the Brutal cast has a bi-weekly podcast that delves into various Onward topics. These engaging episodes often feature special guests who are well-known within the community, providing valuable insights and in-depth information about the game. They also cover various league matches and tournaments. The channel offers a great variety of Onward content to check out.


Keep your head on a swivel

Happy 2025 Community!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season. We have another month of new information and exciting updates for you. Briefing #4 will answer a question people have been asking ever since the release of Update 1.14 and the Devs’ Desk will be releasing some information about updates that will be coming to our Co-Op modes.

Since our last Sitrep, the main question we got was why we’re removing the G3A3 and M1911. So we wanted to take a moment and provide you more details on why that decision was made. When we were first contemplating updating all weapons in the game we took a look at the current roster, and noticed that these two weapons in particular are both quite dated weapons. More importantly, they are no longer in active use by modern militaries, let alone special forces operators such as MARSOC and Volk.

When looking at potential replacements, the RPK-74 is a widely used and more modern light support weapon, and fits the role the G3 currently fills. Additionally, it has some added benefits like allowing for mag swaps between weapons chambered in 5.45x39mm. Similar to the G3 the M1911, legendary as it is, has been retired from nearly all military service within NATO countries. The M45A1 is a modernized version of the same weapon, which will provide modern features such as support for a picatinny rail, and is a more realistic option that better reflects the modern battlefield. We’re really looking forward to seeing these new weapons in your virtual hands soon™.

[h2]Briefing 4 of 6[/h2]

Most players noticed with Update 1.14 that our loading screen artwork was updated. Not just to showcase new environment art, but to also include more unique looking soldiers. Over the next couple months we will be introducing these Operators and providing you with their backgrounds.

[h3]Operator Selection[/h3]
We’re excited to announce a huge feature that has been in the works for a very long time: the ability to choose your character in-game! Soon you will now be able to select from a roster of 10 unique operators per faction, each with their own distinct look and backstory. A new operator menu will allow you to set your VOLK and MARSOC characters, letting you express yourself with a unique appearance while enhancing teamwork by helping teammates identify each other more easily on the battlefield. This improvement doesn’t just look good - it improves communications, callouts, and overall gameplay. All operators will be available to all players at launch, there are no additional operators available through purchase.

This update marks a massive leap forward in immersing players into the high-stakes MARSOC vs. VOLK conflict. For the first time ever, every operator on the battlefield is more than just a combatant—they are a fully realized persona that embodies the global stakes of modern warfare.

We’re doing this to build upon Onward’s long-standing legacy and add depth to its mysterious lore. After years of intense battles between MARSOC and VOLK, the community will finally gain more insight into the factions and the soldiers who fight for them. This update gives players a deeper connection to the conflict, making every match feel more personal and engaging than ever before.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the operators that will be available.



More details about these Operators will be released soon on our Instagram account.

[h2]Milestone Update [/h2]
We're excited that this next update will be the biggest and most significant one yet, marking a major milestone in the game's development. With all the new features and upgrades coming your way, we've decided to call this update "Update 2.0" - a name that reflects the scale of the changes.

Update 2.0 will not only bring exciting new gameplay mechanics but also mark the end of Onward's Early Access phase. Since its release on Steam in 2016 and Oculus PCVR in 2017, we've been working tirelessly to create the ultimate immersive tactical VR shooter. We're thrilled with the progress we've made over these 9 years.


We have an important update regarding changes that will be happening to Co-Op when Update 2.0 releases. When we reformatted the AI and how Co-Op worked, we were happy to see the positive response it received and the amount of people that jumped in to play that mode.

We understand that not everyone was pleased with the changes made to Hunt Mode. Some of you felt that the update reduced the challenge and excitement of the game. We heard your feedback and have been working hard to address it.

After refactoring the AI behavior in Update 1.13, we faced a challenge in bringing back higher enemy counts without affecting the game's overall performance. However, we didn't forget about your concerns. With the significant work and adjustments made in Update 2.0, we were able to revisit the issue and not only bring back the previous bot count options but also expand on them.

[h3]Hunt Reinforments[/h3]
Hunt will be bringing back higher enemy count options. Once Update 2.0 is released, you will have additional options for 48, 64, 96, 128, 256, 512 enemies. That’s a lot of AI! How will we fit them all on one map you ask?

Settings for enemies under 32 will continue to work as they do now, all spawned in at the start of the round. Any settings higher than those will spawn reinforcements once an enemy dies. For example, if you choose 96, you will start with 32 on the map, as each AI is killed a reinforcement is sent. This will continue until your team clears the set number of AI or your team is eliminated. We will be using an AI spawning method and have the AI spawn in locations that work more like a method of Volk having called in reinforcements. So previously cleared areas may have enemies again.

Given the high amount of enemies that will be coming in, we understand resources will be limited, even with the weapons and extras dropped by AI. Hunt settings with higher than 32 bots will have ammo crates appear throughout the map. After all, if Volk gets reinforcements, so should you.

[h3]New Co-Op Mode - Retrieval[/h3]
Coming off the success of the newest Co-Op addition, Mercenary Mode, we developed a way for the players to experience a fan favorite mission, Extract, as its own game mode. The new mode “Retrieval” will operate very similarly. Get In, Secure the Hard Drive, Get Out. Taking down AI is optional. You can choose stealth or sweep tactics, whatever you need to do to get the data and escape with it. Additionally Retrieval has “Blackout Mode”, an option to play without the hard drive appearing on the map, forcing players to locate the hard drive manually while under fire.


We're thrilled to be sharing all these exciting features and updates that Update 2.0 has in store for you. Join us on our Discord channel and be a part of the conversation! Share your reactions, feedback, and thoughts on this month's Sitrep - we want to hear from you!


Our Custom Map Makers are adding great new environments to our game weekly. There is a community of custom map enthusiasts who host contests, tournaments, and playtests for a variety of new maps coming in. If you would like to join them and provide feedback on the maps and vote in the contests, please join them in their Discord server.



There’s still more coming.

Happy December Onward Community,

We're thrilled to see the excitement building around the new Downfall Remastered map. This month in The Dev's Desk, we'll be addressing some of your questions about it.

As part of our Holiday Sitrep tradition, we have a special gift for you. Unfortunately, it won't be ready in time for Winter break, but it's something many of you have been asking for, and we're excited to share more details with you. We also have additional announcements in the Community Center, which we'll get to later.

For now, let's talk about that gift of information most of you have been asking for!

[h2]Briefing 3 of 6[/h2]

[h3]New Weapons[/h3]
Completely NEW weapons are being added in addition to the graphically updated ones. The next update will include the largest amount of new weapons for the largest variety of classes in both factions. These will include some firsts for Onward, like the first ever Pump Action Shotgun and first ever …. Oh wait, we don’t have clearance to talk about that yet.


The list of new weapons being added are:
MARSOC

• M870 (Specialist)
  
• Kriss Vector (Specialist)
  
• HK416 (Rifleman)
  
• HK45T (All Classes)
  
• M45A1 (All Classes)
  
• M27 (Marksman, Support)

Volk

• AK103 (Rifleman)
  
• Saiga 12 (Specialist)
  
• APC9 (Specialist)
  
• MP443 Grach (All Classes)
  
• Stechkin APS (Specialist, Support)
  
• RPK-74 (Support with drum magazine, Rifleman with molot magazine )

That’s the biggest drop of new weapons Onward has ever seen! This is sure to shake up your standard loadouts and give you a lot of exciting new experiences when out on the battlefield. For the weapon enthusiasts, we wanted you to know that the Stechkin APS & Saiga 12 will have automatic modes.


We wanted to provide some extra details about the upcoming changes to our arsenal. We've also been listening to your questions and concerns about Downfall Remastered, and we're happy to address the most commonly asked questions we have received.

Our hope is that this information will help answer your questions, alleviate concerns, and get you even more pumped up for what's to come!

[h2]Weapon & Loadout Updates[/h2]

[h3]Bullet Drop - Scope Zeroing [/h3]
The updates to the weapons extended to more than the graphics and interactions. We have also taken the time to address how bullet drop works. Including updates that make weapons more consistently and reliably zeroed to their effective range.

Bullets will follow a more realistic trajectory meaning, bullet speed and thus bullet travel time is more realistic. This means you will be able to see a tracer shoot right beside you. This should make it easier to identify the direction shots are coming from.


We understand this may take a bit of getting used to and change how you currently aim and account for accuracy. We believe this is the better, more realistic approach. We recommend taking some time on the shooting range with your new favorite weapon(s) to get you used to this new system.

[h3]Loadout Changes[/h3]
In order to provide so many new weapons, we had to make some balancing adjustments to the loadouts that are being offered. Some of the new weapons will be replacing previous weapons in the game.

MARSOC

• M16 being replaced with M27 on Support & Marksman Class
  
• 1911 being replaced with M45A1

Volk

• G3A3 being replaced with RPK-74

The next update will bid farewell to two iconic firearms that have been a part of our Onward loadouts. These trusty guns have served us all well, providing countless hours of intense action and epic firefights. A salute to the 1911 and G3A3 for their service and acknowledge the significant contributions they've made to our gaming experience.

[h2]Downfall Remastered Follow-Up[/h2]
There were a lot of the same questions being asked after the announcement of Downfall Remastered. We wanted to answer them quickly so you're not left wondering.

Have spawnpoints and objective locations been changed?
Yes. When redesigning the map,we reviewed spawnpoints and objectives and also looked into the community feedback. Additionally, because of some of the updates to the terrain types, some changes were required. New tactics and plans will be required for this map.

What exactly did you mean by “interactable objects throughout the map”?
Ladders. There will be climbable ladders that will allow you to get to new locations and use new vantage points when looking to take down your enemies.

Is there a Downfall Remastered - Night?
Yes. Please see provided images of what to expect when it becomes nighttime in this new environment.


Amidst all the exciting news, we do have a special holiday treat available for you now. The Holiday Pen is live in-game! Take this opportunity to unleash your creativity and spread some festive cheer in your lobbies.

Grab your Holiday Pen and get creative - draw something merry, brighten up the atmosphere, or simply add a personal touch to your gaming experience (without getting reported for inappropriate drawings).

As the holiday season approaches, our Support Center will be taking a temporary break to allow our team members to spend time with their loved ones. From December 16th, 2024, - January 5th, our Support Center will be closed, including:

• Email Support Team
  
• Community Custom Map Reviews

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this time. Our team will work diligently to respond to inquiries and requests upon our return to the office.

We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to reconnecting with you in the new year!



Stay Frosty

Hello Onward Community!

We were thrilled to see the enthusiasm sparked by our last Sitrep, and we're excited to announce that we'll be resuming our monthly Sitrep schedule as we count down to the release of our next update. With plenty of exciting developments on the horizon, we can't wait to share more with you.

This month we’ll be releasing more details about what will be included in the visual overhaul and the Devs’ Desk will be releasing information on a new type of addition to the game.

[h2]Briefing 2 of 6[/h2]
Visual Overhaul on all Weapons, Accessories, & Utilities Cont.
Over the past several days we have been showcasing the visual upgrades to a variety of weapons over on our Instagram page. If you haven’t seen them yet, we suggest taking some time to check them out. We will be continuing to post additional images there between Sitreps.

During the design process for the visual overhaul our team decided they wanted to take this opportunity to upgrade some of the equipment even further. The result is something we think you will really benefit from and enhance the experience when building your loadouts.

[h3]Faction Specific Utility Designs[/h3]
This means that now your utility items like grenades, knives, tablets, and drones will have unique looks based on what faction you are playing as. Some examples of what the updated/new items are currently set to look like.



One of the things that really affects gameplay and enhances the overall experience of the game modes is the environment in which you play them. In previous updates you have seen us release enhancements to our existing maps. This time around we are doing an upgrade on a completely different caliber. So much so we are not calling it an upgrade, but a Remaster.

If you were asked which map you thought was the most popular, which do you think it would be? Turbine? Snowpeak?
It’s actually Downfall!

To some this is no surprise, Downfall requires advanced tactics to navigate across the open land while using its unique structures and landscape to take cover during battles. For these reasons and many more, we have chosen this fan favorite map to be completely remade from the ground up.

[h2]Downfall Remastered[/h2]
Originally, we didn’t know if we were going to be able to include this feature due to this new map being one of the most graphically advanced maps we have made to date. The team worked hard on optimizing its performance to make sure we could include it in the upcoming update.

[h3]Updated vs Remastered[/h3]
To understand what makes this different then what we have done in the past we wanted to call out some of the specific things we did in this process that makes this new map more advanced.

Revamped Buildings - Every building has been redesigned. Every building has been modeled and detailed to a higher standard creating a more believable and realistic environment.
Each building now uses several tiling textures that are all blended using a new masking workflow. This new workflow allows for unique texture details per building for a more realistic look.

Enhanced Textures and terrain - The entire scene now features brand-new high-quality terrain textures with multiple blended materials and additional geometric detail.
New cliff and rock assets create more natural and varied ground surfaces.
Large objects now utilize detail maps for up close detail enhancing the look of buildings, rocks and fabrics.

New and wider variety of props - Including visuals for decals and set dressing to make the environment feel more realistic and immersive.
Included interactable objects throughout the map

Improved lighting - Lighting across the map has been completely reworked delivering a more realistic and balanced ambiance to the scene with more accurate bounce lighting and interior lighting.

Example of the difference between the two maps:



Join our community discussions and let us know your thoughts on these new designs in the official Onward Discord.


Keep your Head on a Swivel

Hello everyone!

We have just released patch 1.14.5 to address an issue where some users were seeing a gray box that would block the main menu. The patch is available now, and should download to your devices automatically.