Hello everyone!

We understand you have been waiting for a Sitrep, and we're excited to share some updates with you. We recently released hotfix 1.8.10.3, which addressed an issue with our custom maps. We are now back to working on some major game updates that will include both new and redesigned features, in addition to back-end work for game stability.

The devs' desks will go over some new features and fixes that are in the works. But first we want to take a moment to be more transparent with you and discuss our upcoming redesigned development processes.

Communication to you is a top priority for us and a commitment we will continue to honor. We understand that as our development projects have grown our feature details and timelines have become a bit more vague than what you have seen in the past. As the needs to best support the game and you, the players, continue to fluctuate, we want to make sure we are communicating realistic expectations that we can deliver on.

The Onward player base has grown at an exponential rate and the game now runs on multiple platforms across several different devices. As a live crossplay multiplayer title, this requires a lot of work and testing to make sure we continue to raise the quality bar we strive to clear. We are constantly working to keep up with the demands while also improving the quality of the game and creating new content. This can sometimes mean more work and time has to be spent on building out and enhancing back-end systems to prepare for new features or fixing issues on a larger scale rather than individual bugs.

To help prioritize all the ongoing necessary requirements and upcoming features, we are reviewing the design of features currently in the game as well as those we are developing for future releases. We are putting careful thought into each upcoming release as we work on balancing player needs, long term infrastructure support, and new features for Onward. This will help us build a solid foundation to provide you the best Onward experience possible.

Let's get to the exciting new features we are working on located in the Devs' Desk section of this Sitrep! In the Community Center, you can also find details regarding some upcoming community events and new custom maps.

From the Devs' Desks

We are developing three exciting new features to help strengthen gameplay, correct a current exploit, and provide new content to you! We have prioritized these, alongside some of our other current projects, in order to better balance and enhance the game.

Equipment Points Rebalance

When we started reviewing the overall game design, one system that stuck out was Equipment Points and its impact on gameplay. After several discussions and design iterations we decided to update this system. We are not just changing the values of some weapons, but the whole structure. Let's dive into the why and how:

Geometry Exploit Fix

There has been an ongoing issue with some players being able to manipulate their playspace and navigate into locations they are not supposed to be able to be in. We understand it is a very frustrating issue many of you have been experiencing and reporting to us. It is a complex issue that has taken us time to fix, but a fix has been developed and will be introduced soon.

New Map

A new map has been in the works with our level design team. We don't have any images of the new map yet, but we can provide a few details:

• Name: Intercept
• Location: Western Iraq

Stay tuned for more info on this map soon!

Community Center

The Onward Charity Community held its finals this past weekend and we want to give a big shout out to the Tournament winners and to everyone who participated and donated!

Congratulations to the members of Bossfight on the win in the Hero Bracket and to Astro for the win in the Rise Up Bracket.

The Onward Charity Community was able to collect over $6,000 in donations to help the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Thank you to everyone who continues to be a part of this organization and play Onward to help support great causes. If you would like to be a part of future tournaments please check out their Discord!

IVRL Season 1 Playoffs start April 23. To watch the intense show downs leading up to the IVRL Finals, check out their Twitch channel

New Custom Maps

New custom maps have been added. Head over to the workshop area to download and give them a try.

Omega Fun Center - (PC) & Omega Fun Center - Lights Out (PC) submitted by Sheldorino

"After a totally rad birthday, it was time for the afterparty to get started."

 

Skyfall (PC, Quest) submitted by Glitch0320

"MI6 Marsoc Agents have been sent to eliminate a group of Volk arms dealers in the heart of enemy territory."

 

The Complex (PC, Quest) submitted by Linkster

"Volk are taking over an industrial complex in search of supplies. Eliminate them!"

 

Valley (Day & Night) (PC, Quest) submitted by Gargarbot

"In an attempt to expand control of the surrounding region, MARSOC needs to capture a Volk base protecting a critical transportation route. Fog renders night vision less useful."

 

Backrooms (PC, Quest) submitted by Shelderino

"How did we end up here?"

 

Dead Forest (PC, Quest) submitted by Whitefang

"Volk have invaded a campground in middle America. MARSOC must clear them out. But be warned - local legend warns of something worse than Volk that occupies these woods."

 

Garage (PC, Quest) submitted by Gargarbot

"MARSOC must infiltrate an abandoned parking structure that is being used by the VOLK as a communication hub. Night vision is discouraged for competitive play."

 

Retro Factory (Quest) submitted by Ho11ow

"A fun reconstruction of a classic FPS multiplayer level. Great for Gun Game and One in the Chamber."

 

Desert Compound (PC, Quest) submitted by BassSlappa

"Volk has taken over this site and it's time to take it back. Fight it out within the compound for intense CQB action, or head to the mountains with your trusty 12x to get some sniper practice."

 

Hello everyone!

A fix has been released to address a security concern related to the custom maps. We have disallowed specific components on custom maps. All existing custom maps will continue to work, but any newly submitted or updated maps that do not follow the new security protocols will show up to players as corrupted.

Custom maps that go corrupt will become inaccessible to players until the custom map creator makes the required updates. In the event this happens, please remove the map from your library. You can follow the custom maps channels in our official Discord for updates of when some removed maps might return.

We will be reaching out to the Custom Map Creators directly to make sure these adjustments get made to minimize the amount of maps affected.

Happy 2022 everyone!

2021 was quite a year for us here at Downpour! From large backend updates to settling into a new home for our studio, and new guns and mechanics, the team has done a lot this year to enhance Onward. We continued to work to make sure we can build on and make improvements to the game. We love what we do, we love our community, and we want to continue to build the best game we can for you all to enjoy.

The 2021 Summary for Onward

• 4 New / redesigned maps added
• 2 New weapon interactions added
• A major code refactor
• Hundreds of bugs fixed & adjustments made
• Performance improvements throughout the game
• A new anti-cheat system
• 2 new weapons
• 14 new custom community maps added

In addition, we have been updating some of our graphic assets in different parts of the game to improve the visuals for PC and Oculus players throughout the year. These are additional graphics updates that are different from the upcoming PC graphics update being worked on by the team currently.

Example of Old vs. New graphics that has been updated in the game

Onward continues to be a labor of love for everyone here at Downpour. We ended the year releasing update 1.8.10, which received tons of positive feedback due to the additions of the two new guns and the rerelease of Turbine. This added some new ways to play and tactics to explore throughout the game. We understand there were some hiccoughs with the newly added weapons after the release and we made it our priority to get those corrected at the start of the year.

We will continue this year by working on finalizing some bigger projects that have been in the pipeline for a while now. The Devs desk will go over some of the major projects that we are currently working on.

From the Devs Desk

Gunstock Calibration

The physical gunstock is a gaming accessory that holds your VR controllers in place to simulate the pistol grip and foregrip of a weapon. These have been used to help with accuracy and immersion when playing. The Gunstock calibration feature will help calibrate physical gunstocks to the guns in Onward for a more realistic feel when aiming and firing.

New Animations

Major improvements to player character models and AI models; character models will now have more realistic walking and arm movements. Originally the plan was to have the AI animations come out first and then release the player animations shortly after. We have since decided to release the animations together. We would also like to take this moment to introduce the person who was brought on to lead this project, TomN.

Hello, I am the lead animator for Downpour Interactive. I have been a professional animator (among other titles) for 23 years. Originally, I trained to become a traditional animator. During my last year in college, I realized the media industry was evolving and changed gears. As such, I devoted myself to the exploding field of computer animation. Soon after graduating, I joined a small video game studio, Point of View, Inc

From there I started crafting game cinematics for a variety of other studios and their projects. This led to animating commercials, music videos, television series, and over 20 feature films. Recently, I worked with Disney Imagineering - where I created visual effects and character animations for upcoming attractions at Disney theme parks. I came full circle 18 months ago and returned to video games animation. Among these, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond with Respawn Entertainment and character rigging for The Odd Gentlemen, a small boutique studio in Los Angeles.

Dante reached out in 2020 and asked me to lead the animation team. This team of talented professionals Dante assembled is a daily pleasure to work with. We've been hard at work revamping and developing new animations for Onward. Expect remarkable creations from Downpour!

Improvements to IK System

The IK system is the system that renders your hands holding the controllers and how and where those hands are in the game. We are working on making improvements to this system to be more accurate with where someone is located.

Connecting to your friends

Getting together and jumping into Onward with your friends is a popular method of playing the game. The game is offered across three different platforms and with a large player base, we understand that it makes it a bit difficult at times to easily find your friends' lobby to jump into. We are looking into developing some new methods to help make connecting with your friends easier.

New Tent

While most of the intensity experienced is on the battlefield, the tent is the main hub where the majority of setup and communication happens. It is important that when you first join a lobby you feel that immersion when in the area where you begin your setup and communications for the objectives to come. We want to improve the experience you have when you are in the tent. Below are first ever looks at some concepts of design work for an improved tent environment

Community Center

Did you notice after the holidays the increase in lobby pages? There are more lobbies and games being played than ever before! We want to take this time to welcome all the new members to the Onward community. We hope you are enjoying the different game modes and the new teammates you have met. Please make sure to review our community guidelines and have a great time playing out on the battlefield.

New Community Custom Maps

Cap Practice submitted by FLapinski

Create a private competitive lobby and join volk. Once you load into the round you will be able to disable the code even before the timer is over. This is one of the best ways to increase your capping speed.

Homestead submitted by Glitch0320

Intel suggests that Volk forces are setting up operations on a small farm in the Midwest. A Marsoc unit is sent to investigate and eliminate the threat.

Refuel submitted by Koiz

A beautiful Caribbean island once home to a South American cartel is now under Volk control. The island has become a major contributor to the Volk war effort, and you and your squad have orders to dismantle the smuggling operation and eliminate any hostiles found.

Lookout submitted by Gridder

MARSOC deploy around the mountain region in northern Europe for suspected VOLK activity. Recon has found a small forward operating base that VOLK are using to operate around the area and MARSOC begin the assault on it.

There is a lot in store for 2022 and we have only just started! Stay updated here and on our social media pages.

Stay frosty!

Hello everyone!

We have just released a hotfix to address an issue where an incorrect pivot point caused an issue where the AK104 wasn't handling as expected.

The patch is available now, and will download to your device automatically.

Stay frosty!

Hello everyone!

After our release of update 1.8.10 we saw a lot of community excitement and positive responses to the new map, Turbine, and new weapons that were introduced. However, one thing that unexpectedly happened was an unintended change in how Virtual Gunstock operates. This became our top priority and we immediately went to work on getting this fixed for you.

While we were working on this fix, we were able to review additional community feedback, and we were able to include some other bug fixes, as well. Please see the list below for detailed information on the adjustments included in this patch.

Changelog

System

• Virtual Gunstock functionally has been reverted back to expected speed and usability

Gameplay

• Fixed a bug where if players disconnected during spawn jail time when they rejoined, they were unable to damage other players

Maps

• Fixed an issue on Cargo on containers that was allowing some bullets to pass through parts of the container
• Audio adjustments have been made on Downfall to lower the volume of the wind when in the tent
• Fixed a bug on Bazaar Night that would cause performance to drop for some players after selecting their loadout
• Fixed a bug where elevators on Community Made Custom Maps would not function on custom maps

Weapons and Utilities

• Fixed body armor to correctly absorb damage on the chest
• Virtual Gunstock placement for the AK-104 has been adjusted to be more accurate
• Speed reload function will now work more consistently on the AK-104

Known Issues

• Some Oculus Home users have a issue where the game does not launch; for steps on how to fix this, please check our FAQ in the Oculus Home section on Support page
• There is a chance that when using an Oculus headset on SteamVR with bHaptics it may not connect. If you restart bHaptics and relaunch Onward, this should fix the issue.
• Quest players can hear MARSOC team chat upon joining the lobby
• There is an significant performance drop when playing the game for long periods and then loading into a custom map
• Some PC players may experience performance problems causing framerate drops around the park area and near the burning building on Suburbia Night
• Some objects may not render correctly on tablet when using the air drone
• Players can hear audio from different elevations if another player is around the same vicinity but on a different floor

Hello everyone!

Update 1.8.10 is here! This patch is coming in hot with high anticipation from the community's desire to get their hands on the new weapons and feel performance enhancements. We wanted to make sure to take some quality time to address the issues with the rising performance reports we were receiving. We felt it was important to get the game back to a better feeling state during gameplay. You will feel the improvements when loading into the game and while playing.

New features for Onward introduced in this patch include two new weapons, the MCX Virtus and AK104, and the return of the map Turbine. The addition of new weapons and environment should give you an enhanced way to experience the game throughout different game modes and other maps. Developing fresh tactics and enhancing ways to play, whether it be against AI or others on the battlefield. There are so many unique things to discover with these additions. Check out the New Features section for details on the new items coming.

In addition to performance improvements, we took some much needed time to review the environments you play in. We analyzed many locations throughout all our maps, including ones reported by the community, and made adjustments to them to improve the experience of the firefights that happen in these environments. Other changes to improve your gameplay experiences have also been included. For the full list of changes in this update please see the changelog below.

New Features

Weapons

MCX Virtus

• Class: Specialist (Marsoc)
• Caliber: .300 Blackout
• Type of ammo: Subsonic
• Rate of fire: 800 RPM
• Barrel length: 6.75 inches, with built-in suppressor

Created for the needs of special forces operators for operations behind enemy lines where, thanks to subsonic ammunition and an integrated suppressor, they guarantee the maximum flexibility in any condition. This weapon is chambered with .300 BLK rounds, which even in their subsonic configuration guarantee excellent stopping power in short to medium range engagements. The .300 BLK is a new ammunition type being added to Onward. Its subsonic nature will allow you to engage more covertly.

 

AK-104

• Class: Specialist (Volk)
• Caliber: 7.62x39 mm
• Type of ammo: Supersonic
• Rate of fire: 600 RPM
• Barrel length: 12.4 inches

Created to be the first 7.62x39mm weapon in this class. What makes this weapon "unique" is the proper rail system on top and on the front side. Modern looking magazine and stock. The compensator attachment makes the weapon more stable while shooting.

The AK-104, the short-barreled version of the AK-103, is the weapon of choice for the Russian special forces and Russian Federal Security Service. The AK-104 provides a perfectly customizable platform for any type of mission. A compact weapon, it is capable of firing over 700 consecutive shots without suffering structural damage. On top of all that, it is extremely light compared to other rifles in the same category. The AK-104 shares the same magazine as the AKM, so if you find yourself in need of more ammo, you can ask a teammate for theirs and have that option as a tactical plan.

 

 

New map: Turbine

This hydroelectric dam near Kazakhstan provides power for the region and serves as a strategic chokepoint that each faction strives to control. MARSOC and Volk forces control opposite ends of the dam. It's time to break the stalemate.

Some of you may remember Turbine from the 1.7 PC version of the game. The map has been redesigned and optimized for crossplatform gameplay. This map features 4 levels and multiple rooms throughout. There are working elevators to get to other levels on the map, but make sure you are prepared if the enemy team is waiting for you on the other side of those doors. Communication will be key when playing on this map.

 

 

Changelog

System

Gameplay

Maps

Weapons and Utilities

Caster Mode

Known Issues

Hello everyone!

It's that time again: November is half way over and like most of you, we are looking forward to the upcoming holiday season. But we are not just talking about vacations, we are also looking forward to having Update 1.8.10 out in early December. That means you can spend some time during your holiday breaks exploring Turbine, the new map, and testing out the new weapons.

That's right! The two new weapons that we announced previously will be coming in Update 1.8.10! They were originally planned to be included with Update 1.8.11, but we've been able to get them included earlier. More details on the guns and other details about the upcoming update can be found below in the Devs' Desk.

Be sure to also check out the Community Center to see the winners for our Onward Community Clips Contest as well as this month's new custom maps. There are some great ones we think a lot of the community can relate to.

From The Devs' Desk

Last week we reached what we call 'feature lock': our internal deadline for submitting new features and content for an update, and have given the Update to our QA teams for testing. It is currently going through our internal QA team and will be set up for our Unit 51 Beta testers to perform a closed beta test very soon.

As you may know, the first major addition to 1.8.10 will be the new map, Turbine. In our previous Sitreps we mentioned Turbine, the story behind it, and how it will differ from the Turbine some of you may recall from the 1.7 days. Today we want to show you never before seen images of what the map will look like so you can start developing strategies.

Frame-rate and performance are a major focus as we want to ensure a smooth experience when playing Onward; we shared details on some of our performance improvements in last month's Sitrep. In addition to performance work you can look forward to the return of bHaptics support for the Quest and Quest 2. We have also made adjustments and improvements across all maps already included in the game.

Back to the new guns: for now we are continuing to keep the second gun under wraps. We do however want to give you more details on the MCX that was announced previously.

MCX VIRTUS

• Class: Specialist
• Caliber: .300 Blackout
• Type of ammo: Subsonic
• Rate of fire: 800 RPM
• Barrel length: 6.75 Inches, with built-in suppressor

Created for the needs of special forces operators for operations behind enemy lines where, thanks to subsonic ammunition and an integrated suppressor, they guarantee the maximum flexibility in any condition. This weapon is chambered with .300 BLK rounds, which even if in subsonic configuration, guarantee excellent stopping power in the short to medium range, and is frequently used by Special Forces around the world for this reason.

The MCX Virtus is a unique weapon in Marsoc's arsenal, with an integrated suppressor and a caliber new to Onward. This gives the Marsoc specialists a powerful additional weapon for close-range firefights and new tactical capabilities.

Community Center

Our Clips contest has ended and we had some great videos sent in! A big thanks to everyone who sent submissions. Check out the winners and honorable mentions.

New Custom Maps Released

Community member Mantis has some great videos displaying our custom maps and highlighting some great gameplay on them. Make sure to take some time and take a look at all the different types of environments you can play in, in addition to the core game mode maps.

If you are interested in getting into mapmaking join our Discord and head to the Custom Maps channels. There are lots of helpful members and documents to start you in the right direction toward building environments in Onward. You can join our Discord here!

Now, onto the newly released custom maps!

• Warzone 2047 (PC) By Siubakyeung
  
  The Volk army seizes the secret base in the snow mountain in an attempt to destroy the world. The MARSOC was ordered to stop.
   
• Shelter: (Quest/PC) by Gridder
  
  During an international exercise MARSOC have been in exercises with local Finnish forces around urban ops. During one of these VOLK are uncovered as this causes MARSOC with other exercising SF forces to take back control of the bunker system.
   
• Runway - Night: (PC/Quest) by Tatoskok
  
  Volk has intercepted plans of a VIP visit to a remote MARSOC airfield and has launched their attack! Secure the warheads, protect the classified intelligence, and rescue the VIP!
   
• Arctic - Night: (PC/Quest) by Heclak
  
  The Arctic Research Labs have created an outpost in an undisclosed location in the Arctic region.
   
• Sand - Night: (PC/Quest) by Koiz
  
  MARSOC has been deployed to this small village to restore freedom and root out the Volk cell rumored to be hiding there.
   

Stay Frosty!

Happy Hauntings Everyone!

We are releasing our October Sitrep a bit early so we can get you an update on everything we have been working on. We didn't release a September Sitrep because our focus was on getting the patch 1.8.10 launched. However, after evaluation of the feedback we received from players and our own QA testers, we decided to give Update 1.8.10 a bit more time in the oven to tackle some community needs including a big focus on the overall performance of the game. Taking on this work has shifted priorities across multiple departments and changed estimated release times on some of the features we previously stated. For more details on the current feature schedule please keep reading.

From the Dev's Desk

With the concerns surrounding the frame rate and performance that were brought up when reviewing Update 1.8.10, we wanted to make sure we took the time to listen and investigate the concerns the community had. The team has taken the time and is working hard on improving these issues. Here is a deep dive from our lead programmer:

In addition to the performance improvements, the extra dev time gave us the ability to include the return of bHaptics to Quest users in 1.8.10. This feature is currently in testing and is looking good to return sooner than we previously stated. Also expect major bug fixes such as Abandoned spawn locations, AI walking through walls on several maps, and updates to spectator mode.

Turbine Day and Night will release with 1.8.10. Some changes including spawn points and environment adjustments have been made to the map based on feedback from our Unit51 playtests. Previous images may not reflect some of these changes, but we will be showing off Turbine on our social media soon.

We continue to work on the two new weapons and the gun stock calibration we mentioned in our August sitrep. If everything lines up, we are trying to have them included into the 1.8.11 Update. Update 1.8.11 was originally slated to include AI animation improvements, but we're working hard to get more animations included. We'll keep you updated as we continue to work toward this future patch release.

Our long-term development goals remain unchanged. These projects include the Party system, Friends system, and AI gameplay improvements.

Community Center

Last Thursday we launched our Onward Community Clips contest. We're excited to see your creativity and the different ways you enjoy the game. There are prizes for multiple categories and themes in the contest. For all the details on categories, prizes, and official rules for entry, check out the details here.

Custom maps are back and new ones are now available, which leads us to this month's community member spotlight. Tatoskok has submitted two new amazing maps for the month of October, one of which is perfect for the October spooky season.

• Graveyard, by community member Tatoskok
  MARSOC SIGINT intercepted Volk communications coming from a remote region of Transylvania. A permanent layer of dense fog obscures satellite imagery requiring aerial drones to provide coverage. Prepare your fireteam for impaired visibility and perform a reconnaissance to discover what the Volk cell is hiding. The region is well known for roaming packs of feral wolves.
  
  

  

  

  

  

  

• The Streets, by community member Gridder
  A recent attack in NYC by Volk has caused major chaos all around but the city has been put in lockdown. Due to the area the only way to counter this is to send a MARSOC to deal with Volk in pretence of being national guard.
  
  
  

  

  

  
  

That's the Spookiness for this month, Stay Frosty!

Hello everyone!

August flew by, and it's a big milestone for Onward: earlier in the week we celebrated our 5th anniversary since our first release on Steam! Now, let's jump right into things! Last week we released Patch 1.8.9.1 to address an issue with the Workshop. Custom maps are a big feature in Onward and we corrected the issue as fast as we could with a hotfix. If you are still experiencing issues with the Workshop, please make sure you update to 1.8.9.1.

It's been a little over a month since the release of Update 1.8.9. We continue to receive positive feedback about the new weapons interactions, Abandoned Map, and we've even seen mini games being made using the Dolphin in Abandoned free roam.

With 1.8.9 in the rear-view mirror, the path in front of us includes the return of another map and new features the community has been asking for. Read on for more details on what's coming.

From The Devs' Desk

Our next update will be 1.8.10. The focus will be on the re-release of the map Turbine. PC players will remember this large map with its long-range firefights on top of the hydroelectric dam, and the close quarters combat in its many below ground-level floors. This map will also bring back some unique elements, such as elevators. Buildings have been added to the surface of the dam, which has also been redesigned to feature a curved road, allowing for new, semi-covered approaches. Also included in 1.8.10 are continued adjustments for the Quest 2 audio.

 

 

1.8.11 will follow the 1.8.10 update and is shaping up to include improved animations and performance. The first animation improvements that will roll out is to the AI in Co-op mode. The major joints for bots have been tackled and updated, including better wrists and knees. They will bend better making their overall movement look more realistic. We are also working on adding the ability to vote kick players during matches using the tablet. Finally, we are hoping to reimplement bHaptics support for Quest users in this update as well.

If you have been reading the previous sitreps, you know that we are working on big features for the future such as a friends and party system and AI gameplay improvements. This month we have some new features to talk about! We will be starting development on a completely new map, gunstock calibration, and two new weapons. We can reveal one of the new weapons will be the SIG MCX and we will reveal the second new weapon at a later time.

Photo by Mike Searson. License: CC-BY-SA 4.0

Community Center

Last weekend VRML wrapped up Season 11 for Onward. Congratulations to Raptors for placing 1st! Beginners came in 2nd, Vikings in 3rd, and Peacekeepers in 4th. There were some great matches with some great plays throughout the games. We are looking forward to seeing the start of season 12. Head over to YouTube to watch the Semi Finals and the Finals.

Custom Maps

Currently, there is a known issue with being able to upload and update custom maps. We are working on this and hope to have a fix soon. This adjustment shouldn't require an update to the game, so keep an eye out on our social media and Discord for this fix to be announced.

We have the pedal to the metal moving into September and have a lot of things we are working on. Keep an eye out for the 1.8.10 release and as always, Stay Frosty.

Hi everyone!

Today we have released a hotfix to address an issue that caused the Workshop area of the game to no longer function properly. A fix for the related issue where custom map makers are no longer able to upload new maps or update existing maps is coming soon, but will not require a patch for the game.

We are still looking into an issue that causes a small number of Oculus Home users to not be able to launch the game. Please contact our support team if you are facing issues launching the game through Oculus Home (PC).

The patch to address the Workshop issue is available now, and will download automatically to your device.

Stay frosty!

Hello again, everyone!

Today features the release of Onward version 1.8.9! We've already seen a lot of community excitement around this patch since we released the trailer on Monday. The headlines for this update include new gun interactions in the form of speed reloads, HK slaps, and slide locks, and the redesigned Abandoned, with day and night versions available. We also included some bug fixes and game adjustments. For a detailed list of changes, be sure to review the changelog below.

New Maps: Abandoned (Day) & Abandoned (Night)

Gear up, team.

A Marine recon mission was cut short when a Chinook transporting MARSOC Raiders was shot down over an unmapped area. Survivors are believed to be held up near an abandoned industrial complex, and intelligence has confirmed a strong Volk presence moving into the area following the crash.

This is gonna be a large area of operation surrounded by lots of trees, rocks, and hills which we can use as cover for our approach. Once we reach the compound, expect to engage the enemy in close quarters. Command has also given us the option of using flanking routes on the outskirts of the AO. We'll also be up against snipers hiding in tall buildings -- some repurposed, abandoned apartments -- so be careful. We should consider having a designated Marksman to counter them.

Move out!

An ode to OceanDolf

We've added a toy dolphin to the map for you to find. The dolphin is the favorite animal of a very beloved community member, OceanDolf, who passed away in 2021. Not only was she a member of the player community and a part of the VRML, but also she was a valued member of the QA team here at Downpour.

Her joy and laugh was infectious and she was an absolute delight to work and play with. If you had the pleasure of being on her team you were a cub to her "Mama bear" personality. She swore by the MK18 and was one of the people most passionate about Onward. She will be missed dearly. The dolphin toy is a way for her memory to live on and continue to be a part of the community she devoted so much time and love to.

New Gun Interactions

Changelog

System

• Slightly reduced the weapon's quietest volume setting to help with people's feedback about volume being too loud for Quest
• Fixed an issue that was causing the game to not to launch from SteamVR for some players

Gameplay

• Increased the limit of players on a single team to 10 in Free Roam and Shooting Range
• Fixed an issue with broken lobbies going into "Waiting for player" mode
• Fixed dead players having downed player symbol next to their name in tent if they leave mid-round and rejoin
• Sidearm accessories beyond the first (i.e., silencer, laser sight) will display in the correct location in the equipment section of the loadout
• Downed MARSOC player can no longer type code into their tablet
• Downed players will now count as kills at the end of the round
• Fixed issue where if a player leaves a lobby they were in as a caster, they will cause the first round of any lobby they subsequently host to be un-endable
• Fixed bug where if you put your gun inside an object or a wall and release the trigger hand your left hand gets teleported away from your body
• Fixed an issue with the kill house on Shooting Range killing the player in certain areas
• While wearing spectator goggles, you can now see players on minimap
• After loading into another map the Caster is now able to change scores properly
• Fixed the +/- controls not cycling through players in caster mode
• Fixed player usernames not appearing in First Person Perspective while casting

Maps

• Shooting Range (Day & Night) spawning in the table has been fixed
• Some areas in shooting rage have been adjusted to not allow players to clip through unintended areas
• Graphic adjustments throughout several maps have been made to fix fighting/collision issues, player/item pass through, cross-platform inaccuracies
• One in the Chamber player spawn points have been adjusted so players are a lot less likely to spawn on top of each other during the match
• Fixed Helicopter landing error in Subway that was causing round to not end
• Fixed soft lock issue in Basic Training by expending all bullets and magazines in the M16 before the step to hold the front grip
• Fixed ramp in Bazaar being walkable by building corner on the side of the scaffolding
• Fixed players being able to climb on top of the tank inside the Northeast garage allowing the player to clip their head into the roof on Snowpeak
• Several wall and surface bugs fixed on Subway
• Changed the end of Subway tunnels to now have fallen metal walls to give you a better idea of how far you are able to walk into the tunnels as well as giving the background a brighter color to prevent hiding in the dark tunnels
• Uplink spawns are adjusted on Subway
• Adjusted a MARSOC spawn on Downfall
• Moved a blue cargo container on Cargo to increase visual occlusion from both sides
• Fixed Custom Content ammo boxes not spawning

Weapons and Utilities

• Addition of HK Slap for G3, G3 auto, MP5
• Addition of Paddle Release style Speed Reload for 552, AK12, AKM, AKS74U, VAL, G36C, G3, SVD, M39
• Addition of slide locks to weapons: Beretta, Glock, M1911, Makarov, TT-33, Five-SeveN, M16A4, MK16, MK17, AK5C, MK18, AUG, L86, Benelli M4, G3A3, G3 Auto, TAR-21, G36C, SKS, SPAS-12
• Improved the scope lenses for PC by showing a slight reflection on the lens
• Fixed guns floating when joining in progress games

Known Issues

• The red-dot sight on the MP5 is slightly mis-aligned, and the bullet will hit slightly below the centre pip
• In Co-Op on Abandoned, host can sometimes spawn on top of the helicopter
• Issue with items floating on Downfall
• In Operations, when host changes, game mode cannot be changed until new host enters loadout screen
• On Bazaar (Day and Night) the AI sometimes spawn out of bounds
• Downed players will not count towards deaths at end of the round

Happy July, Everyone!

Let's start this month's sitrep with the good stuff: update 1.8.9 is currently being reviewed in Unit 51, and will soon land on your devices! We are working hard to make sure all the new features are polished and in the best condition for release.

We don't want to dive into the details before giving you a peek at what you're looking forward to, so here's a couple of Abandoned teaser shots!

From The Devs' Desk

Update 1.8.8 introduced some much needed backend stability to the game, room for growth, and helped set us up for future projects. Some game adjustments that were made in 1.8.8 received some passionate community feedback and we wanted to address two major concerns players have. Number 1, we have reviewed the audio and made adjustments to the Quest audio so it is closer to the sound profiles and settings for PCVR. Some of these changes will be coming in Update 1.8.9, and some will follow after. Number 2, Freeroam and Shooting Range maps will no longer have a 5-person limit on teams, meaning that you will be able to have up to 10 players on one team in these game modes. We also learned that a small number of SteamVR players weren't able to launch the game successfully, and we managed to fix this issue in Update 1.8.9.

In our last Sitrep we introduced two new weapons interactions that will be coming to 1.8.9. The HK Slap and Speed Reload, and the community had an overwhelmingly positive response. We are happy to share that we have added a third new interaction: the ability to manually lock back the slide/bolt for firearms that support this function.

If you have been keeping up with our dev blogs and social media, you have seen the story and images behind Abandoned. One new item that will also be coming to Abandoned is an Easter egg in memory of a beloved Onward community member and QA team member. For the details behind the addition of this item, check the patch notes that will be coming upon the release of the 1.8.9 update.

After the release of Update 1.8.9, we will be quickly jumping to the development of Patch 1.8.10. The update will feature the release of the Turbine day and night maps. Additional features that we are looking forward to releasing with it are new animations and a tent upgrade.

We continue to work on our next major game features such as Shadowmask Lighting to improve graphics on PC, a party system, and a ranking system. One bit of detail we can start to share is that the first iteration of the ranking system is looking to comprise of 20 ranks and 10 prestiges based on things such as kills, death, heals, objectives, matches played, and other game stats. Be ready to start moving up the ranks and look out for more details in future Sitreps.

Community Center

Hot off the LED screen we have new artwork for you! We had some beautiful new wallpapers for you to show off your passion for Onward. The Fan Supply Drop provides HD wallpaper art for your PC and mobile screens. To get these wallpapers download the Fan Supply Drop.

July's Community Spotlight is F.lapinski. You may have seen him wrecking people in VRML matches, or maybe you have played on some of his custom maps. Now he has an even bigger project he's working on. F.lapinski has created a charity group where he is going to be running tournaments to help Veterans. He is partnering up with Veteran charity Stack Up* who help eliminate extreme symptoms of trauma, stress, and isolation of military service members past and present. Stack Up is bringing vets together through the "shared language" of gaming. For more information on this tournament group please check out our Discord.

New community-made custom maps added:

• OIL DEPOT DAY/NIGHT by F.Lapinski
  Conflict arises across the globe. Espionage indicates that there is Volk activity near Chudtsy, Russia conducting possible illegal oil depot operations. At this time marsoc are deployed to take down this operation.
• DRY RUN by Beikenost
  An asset flip map set in the Middle East.
• THE HOOK 2.0 by Evolution
  A collection of nostalgic pirates who can't let go of the past have managed to plunder a modern-day weapons payload. Your team needs to get in there and shut them down. This is no longer bringing guns to a sword fight.

Make sure to go to the Workshop in game to check out and play on these new additions.

Introductions

Downpour has some new additions to our team! You may know these two from the community or played with them on the battlefield. Novius (Brian) has joined the programming side of Onward and Monorchid (Joel) has joined level design.

Things are starting to heat up, make sure you Stay Frosty!

*Facebook has partnered with Stack Up in the past

Hello everyone!

The long awaited update 1.8.8 is here! This update features a rewrite of key game systems to make the game more stable and future-proof, so that we can build on a better foundation going forward. The rewrite includes areas of the code that control player lobbies, game modes, and many other aspects of the game. We have included only a selection of bugs and changes in the changelog: over a hundred bugs have been fixed in this update and some new content has made it in as well.

Night Time Shooting Range

Are you ready to prepare for night time operations with your fire team? The new night version of the Shooting Range will allow you to train your skills in the dark. When setting up for Shooting Range in single player or multiplayer, you will now be able to choose a day or night setting.

Audio Systems

The second major change to feature in this update is further improvements to the audio systems. We have rebalanced our audio volumes, we have improved the way volume decreases over distance and we have added new sounds for footsteps and a selection of weapons, with more to come in the future.

We've included a more detailed changelog below. Stay on the lookout for 1.8.9 in the coming weeks!

Changelog highlights

Audio

• Added verification steps to check for correct settings
• Audio volumes have been rebalanced
• Audio attenuation distances were tweaked
• Custom global audio can now use the indoor/outdoor ducking system
• Added new Custom Content audio events

Gameplay

• Fixed a bug where if players drew a lot on the whiteboard the game could crash on Oculus Quest
• Fixed several instances of lobbies crashing and kicking players back to the main menu
• Fixed an issue in Uplink where the round would sometimes not end after the Uplink was sent successfully
• Forgive or Punish buttons for team killing have been moved to the tent, allowing players more time to punish team killers
• Removed a small rogue collider around players' necks that could unintentionally block bullets
• Evac choppers' landing locations have been adjusted slightly so they are more easily accessible
• Bushes in Suburbia Day have been adjusted so that visibility is more consistent between the PC and Quest versions of Onward
• Quest players can no longer spawn on dead fire team leaders after pausing the game through the Oculus menu
• Collision boxes for the trucks on Shooting Range have been adjusted so players can no longer get stuck
• Fixed an issue where some players were returned to the menu after completing Basic Training, instead of moving them on to Intermediate Training
• Fixed several collision issues leading to inconsistent or incorrect results

Weapons and Utilities

• Fixed a number of issues where objects would be incorrectly blocked or visible in front of or behind smoke grenades
• When ejecting magazine from gun, velocity of gun is now taken into account
• C4 can now be deactivated by fire from a Molotov cocktail
• Fixed an issue where if the player had C4 and a Molotov cocktail on their vest and the Molotov was shot the C4 would float mid-air
• Fixed an issue with the MP5 where the bolt could not be closed after emptying a magazine
• Fixed an issue where grenades could do damage through solid floors
• Fixed an issue where the gun sight would float above the MK18 in the tent if the M203 grenade launcher was equipped to the gun
• Fixed RPG rocket fins sticking out on Quest
• Fixed an issue where players could shoot through the Riot Shield if it was in a lowered position

Custom Content

• Released a new custom content sdk: v2.0.9 link
• Updated the Custom Content Guide link
• Updated the Custom Content Lightmapping Guide link

Known Issues

• Players will sometimes spawn inside the table in the Shooting Range day and night maps
• We have temporarily removed support for bHaptics vests for Oculus Quest and Quest 2 users
• Oculus players may encounter a black screen (audio can still be heard) when loading in or out of the tent. Restarting your game will fix this issue
• One evac zone in Subway still needs to be adjusted to be able to complete the round
• When playing One in the Chamber, multiple players can spawn on top of each other

Hello everyone!

As you may have guessed when we announced that we were joining Oculus Studios back in late April it's been a crazy month of May for us. It was heartwarming to see the largely positive response to the news! We, like you, are excited for what this means and the future opportunities we will have. That's for the future, back to current events: we've been working on 1.8.8 for a long time, and we're excited to get it into your hands very soon. The release of 1.8.8 also clears the path for more frequent updates with more content and new features for you to enjoy.

From The Devs' Desk

To give a quick recap and update of the roadmap we set out in the previous sitrep: Update 1.8.8 is coming out soon, and we're currently tackling the final list of issues before we send a build over to Unit 51 for testing and ultimately release it to you. Update 1.8.8 will focus on a rewrite of key game systems to make them future-proof and increase their stability so that we can build on them going forward. On top of that, Update 1.8.8 includes a night version of the shooting range map and a lot of bug fixes, including a fix for the crash on Quest that happens when there is too much writing on the white board.

After 1.8.8 is released, we intend to release two more updates in quick succession: update 1.8.9 will feature the Abandoned map in both day and night variants, and Update 1.8.10 will see the release of the Turbine map, also in day and night variants.

As Abandoned is coming together we want to share a few teaser images with you.

Abandoned is situated in a Siberian forest close to a lake. With several Soviet-era buildings and factories, VOLK has repurposed these facilities in order to assemble weapons and vehicles. A MARSOC Chinook has been shot down and looted by VOLK militia. With months' worth of gathered intelligence, MARSOC is well prepared for an offense to take out this facility. A recon mission was cut short when a Chinook transporting MARSOC troops was shot down over an unmapped forest. The remaining Marines have gathered near an abandoned industrial complex. Intelligence has confirmed VOLK forces in the area.

But that's not all to look forward to: although we're not sure yet if it'll be ready in time for 1.8.9 or if it will be released with 1.8.10, we are working on improving our weapon systems, adding the ability to perform an HK slap and speed reloads for weapons that realistically support such specific interactions. At the same time, we will also remove bolt release buttons from weapons such as the MP5 which do not have these features in real life. A full list of what guns will be getting these features will be made in the patch notes when the feature is released.

Our plans for the longer term also remain unchanged: we'll be working on Shadowmask Lighting to improve graphics on PC, all new and improved animations for characters, a friends and party system to quickly join up in a game with the people you want to play with, and a progression system to keep an eye on your battlefield performances! It's a bit early to talk about any of these in detail, but definitely keep an eye on future Sitreps for the juicy details.

Community Center

Summer Fun is coming! We are gearing up for a Summer Community Contest so be on the lookout for more details soon.

This month we want to highlight a member of our community, Sgt Scruff, who has been providing some fun Onward videos on his YouTube channel. Not only does he highlight some great sniper shots and gameplay, but some great moments within their community of players. This video in particular gave us a few laughs.

We have a couple new custom maps that have been added to the workshop area as well:

• Offshore Platform by Tatoskok
  Volk has seized a deepwater offshore drilling rig! MARSOC must take back control of the facility. Failure will result in the long term disruption to the world's energy supply.
• Paradise by Koiz
  MARSOC has been deployed to this South American town to remove a Volk cell and restore freedom.

That's it for May's Sitrep, and as always: stay frosty!

Hello everyone!

We hope you're all continuing to brush up on those tactics and improve your skills in Onward while we have been working on updates and patches alike. A new patch will release next week featuring anti-cheat measures, and we have started testing the long-in-the-making Update 1.8.8 earlier in the week. In this edition of the Devs' Desk we will also outline our roadmap for the next couple of months.

The competitive scene is gearing up as season 11 of the VRML Onward league officially started this week! In addition, more maps have been added to the Custom Maps area of Onward. Check out the community center for the information related to this news.

From The Devs' Desk

First things first: recent events forced us to focus our efforts on an anti-cheat system we have been working on over the past couple of months, and we are planning to release patch 1.8.7.3 for Onward that will bring this brand-new system next week.

With one task completed we are looking to get back to the development of update 1.8.8 which remains largely unchanged from our previous Sitrep: it is centered around a large update of the game logic that controls player lobbies, game modes, and many other aspects of the game. This update has been very long overdue, and as those of you who regularly follow these Sitreps can attest to, very long in the making. Aside from these changes we are also including audio improvements and a night version of the Shooting range in this update.

Content is going to be our focus for the updates that follow 1.8.8, with Abandoned Day and Abandoned Night taking center stage for update 1.8.9 and Turbine planned to do the same for update 1.8.10. If you paid attention to the Seals in our April Fools 'Seals' gag you may have noticed our buddy Andre who premiered the first glimpse of Abandoned.

While these maps are being released all signals are go for the programmers to work on some of the features we've mentioned in previous Sitreps: a party system that will allow you to quickly join up to lobbies with your friends, a ranking and progression system to keep track of your performances, and the lighting update in the form of Shadowmask. Last time around we were still waiting for a Unity update to be able to bring back Shadowmask lighting and other lighting improvements to PCVR, and we are very happy to say that this update recently released, and work on our end can begin once Update 1.8.8 is out the door.

Although this is far from all that we're working on, it should give you a clearer picture of what to expect from our updates in the next couple of months.

Community Center

Season 11 for the VRML Onward league officially kicked off earlier this week! We are looking forward to watching the matches and seeing all the displays of teamwork and tactics that are sure to keep us on the edge of our seats. To watch the matches throughout the season check out the Onward section on the VRML website.

The library of custom maps in Onward keeps expanding. We've highlighted four new releases for April:

Speedball by F.Lapinski

Speedball is a map with 4 unique fields scaled and copied from an official NXL World Series layout. Each field has its own boarders and each field can only be played depending on the Objective location. This map is best played with the preferred loadout of a Specialist Shotgun using only slug rounds and smoke grenades. This gives it a balanced chaotic feel to the game with such a small paintball field being used.

Preston Yard by KIRI

Preston Yard is an ever changing, competitive focused map, that receives frequent quality of life changes based on player feedback. It's a map built for competitive play, by a competitive player. The map follows the traditional 3 lane system, and has a variety of interesting angles, points of interest and realistic world detail. Preston Yard has the potential to be a fan favorite map, and has received nothing but outstanding praise by everyone who has played it. I would LOVE to get this map in the VRML map pool, and work with the community to create one of the best maps Onward has ever seen!

Apocalyptic by Nolomite

The fallout from the pandemic has led to World War III, and civil wars due to pandemic related deaths and political polarization. Two factions emerge to either cease or defend the most powerful weapon, the uplink.

Villapuma by Rubio

Marsoc is locked in Puma Village and must deactivate the uplink. The streets are patrolled by VOLK soldiers

That's it for this month, stay Frosty!

Hello everyone!

Update 1.8.7.3 for Onward has just been released: this patch adds an anti-cheat system back into Onward. Although we usually like to talk about details, the nature of the patch makes that a bit harder this time around.

This patch affects the way Onward launches on Steam: by default it will now use OnwardLauncher.exe instead of Onward.exe. To prevent the Steam client from creating an error you will have the option to launch the game in a 'standard' and a 'legacy' mode, where legacy is meant for people who cannot immediately update the game. Launching the game in legacy mode is meant to be used only if you're on version 1.8.7.2. After you've updated to 1.8.7.3 launching in legacy mode will mean you won't be able to access multiplayer games. If you use a shortcut to launch the game, you should update it accordingly after applying this patch.

For Steam users who are running version 1.7, the legacy mode will be available to you as well.

Hello everyone!

We hope you're all continuing to brush up on those tactics and improve your skills in Onward while we have been working on updates and patches alike. A new patch will release next week featuring anti-cheat measures, and we have started testing the long-in-the-making Update 1.8.8 earlier in the week. In this edition of the Devs' Desk we will also outline our roadmap for the next couple of months.

The competitive scene is gearing up as season 11 of the VRML Onward league officially started this week! In addition, more maps have been added to the Custom Maps area of Onward. Check out the community center for the information related to this news.

From The Devs' Desk

First things first: recent events forced us to focus our efforts on an anti-cheat system we have been working on over the past couple of months, and we are planning to release patch 1.8.7.3 for Onward that will bring this brand-new system next week.

With one task completed we are looking to get back to the development of update 1.8.8 which remains largely unchanged from our previous Sitrep: it is centered around a large update of the game logic that controls player lobbies, game modes, and many other aspects of the game. This update has been very long overdue, and as those of you who regularly follow these Sitreps can attest to, very long in the making. Aside from these changes we are also including audio improvements and a night version of the Shooting range in this update.

Content is going to be our focus for the updates that follow 1.8.8, with Abandoned Day and Abandoned Night taking center stage for update 1.8.9 and Turbine planned to do the same for update 1.8.10. If you paid attention to the Seals in our April Fools 'Seals' gag you may have noticed our buddy Andre who premiered the first glimpse of Abandoned.

While these maps are being released all signals are go for the programmers to work on some of the features we've mentioned in previous Sitreps: a party system that will allow you to quickly join up to lobbies with your friends, a ranking and progression system to keep track of your performances, and the lighting update in the form of Shadowmask. Last time around we were still waiting for a Unity update to be able to bring back Shadowmask lighting and other lighting improvements to PCVR, and we are very happy to say that this update recently released, and work on our end can begin once Update 1.8.8 is out the door.

Although this is far from all that we're working on, it should give you a clearer picture of what to expect from our updates in the next couple of months.

Community Center

Season 11 for the VRML Onward league officially kicked off earlier this week! We are looking forward to watching the matches and seeing all the displays of teamwork and tactics that are sure to keep us on the edge of our seats. To watch the matches throughout the season check out the Onward section on the VRML website.

The library of custom maps in Onward keeps expanding. We've highlighted four new releases for April:

Speedball by F.Lapinski

Speedball is a map with 4 unique fields scaled and copied from an official NXL World Series layout. Each field has its own boarders and each field can only be played depending on the Objective location. This map is best played with the preferred loadout of a Specialist Shotgun using only slug rounds and smoke grenades. This gives it a balanced chaotic feel to the game with such a small paintball field being used.

Preston Yard by KIRI

Preston Yard is an ever changing, competitive focused map, that receives frequent quality of life changes based on player feedback. It's a map built for competitive play, by a competitive player. The map follows the traditional 3 lane system, and has a variety of interesting angles, points of interest and realistic world detail. Preston Yard has the potential to be a fan favorite map, and has received nothing but outstanding praise by everyone who has played it. I would LOVE to get this map in the VRML map pool, and work with the community to create one of the best maps Onward has ever seen!

Apocalyptic by Nolomite

The fallout from the pandemic has led to World War III, and civil wars due to pandemic related deaths and political polarization. Two factions emerge to either cease or defend the most powerful weapon, the uplink.

Villapuma by Rubio

Marsoc is locked in Puma Village and must deactivate the uplink. The streets are patrolled by VOLK soldiers

That's it for this month, stay Frosty!

Hello everyone!

We're very proud to announce that the Seals will make their first appearance in Onward, and are available in the game as of this announcement.

Onward has always focused on the battle between the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) and the fictional VOLK militia. Although MARSOC will continue to play a central role in Onward's universe going forward the addition of SEALs will accomodate upcoming changes in the game where Marines will take up a special operations role deep inside VOLK controlled territory. We are looking forward to sharing more details about these changes soon.

It has been a long road to get this new class of warriors in the game, and we would like to thank the Seals and the Naval Special Warfare Command for working with us to clear the way during this long and complicated process. In particular we'd like to send our thanks to Andre, Gaston, Hoover, Midge and 'Popeye'.

Semper fidelis!

Hello everyone!

We hope everyone is enjoying the 1.8.7.2 patch! 1.8.7.2 was a community driven patch and we wanted to really take time to focus on areas where we could improve your gameplay the most. The feedback you have given us has been overwhelmingly positive and a lot of you have reported issues have been fixed. If you still encounter any major issues then please use the official Onward Discord or website support form to reach out.

We know hopping in and playing with other like minded players is what a lot of you are looking for. While you are waiting for the Friends and Party system we discussed in earlier Sitreps, we are providing some tools/guides to help better connect and play with people. Please check out the Community Center below for more info.

From The Devs' Desk:

Now that 1.8.7.2 has been released we will be moving our focus to update 1.8.8 and security improvements. Those of you who have been keeping up with our Sitreps may recall 1.8.8's main feature is a coding refactor, so while it will not contain a lot of new content the update will fix a lot of outstanding issues with the game, especially when it comes to lobbies and game mode specific problems.

We will have new content for you as well. Included in 1.8.8 will be a nighttime version of the Shooting Range. In addition, testing will soon be underway for another map: the redesigned version of Abandoned which will be released in both a day and a night setting. After Abandoned we will be releasing more maps to keep the content coming. You might even see some teasers of the maps coming soon: be on the lookout!

The ranking and friends/party systems are also in the works. These are much bigger projects that will be worked on over a longer period of time. We are setting a higher standard for new features we develop to make sure they meet your expectations while making sure that the increased amount of features in Onward will not impact the game's future development where possible.

Community Center:

We often get asked how the Friends Filter works in multiplayer and how to best find your friends and their lobbies. Below we have laid out instructions for how/when to use the filter and how to more easily find your friends' lobby.

If you and your friends are on the same platform

SteamVR

• Make sure both you and your friend are friends on Steam
• One person will need to start a Multiplayer Game
• Choose "Show Friends Only" from the filter options in Onward Multiplayer Lobby listings, press apply
• You should now see just your friends game in the lobby list

Oculus Home

• Make sure you and your friend are both friends/on friends list in Oculus Home
• One person will need to start a game and put a helmet on in the tent
• Choose "Show Friends Only" from the filter options in Onward Multiplayer Lobby listings, press apply
• You should now see just your friends game in the lobby list

Oculus Quest

• Make sure you are both friends/on friends list through the Oculus app
• One person will need to start a game and put a helmet on in the tent
• Choose "Show Friends Only" from the filter options in Onward Multiplayer Lobby listings, press apply
• You should now see just your friends game in the lobby list

If you and your friends are NOT on the same platform

• Make sure you do not have "Show Friends Only" selected in the filters
• One person will need to start a match and put a helmet on in the tent
• Ask your friends what game mode they are going to be playing
• Filter by that game mode and search through remaining lobbies for your friends' game

Now that you can more easily find your friends, you can now jump in together and really start building those skills together and develop some team tactics. To assist you with this we will soon be providing you with aerial/top-down maps in the Media area on our website. Use these to formulate your best plan of attack, and use them wisely!

Custom Maps Highlight

The map makers in the community have been working hard and have developed some new maps for you to play on. Show them some love and give them a test run. For more information about joining the custom maps community, join our Discord server.

From KIRI: Weapons Factory is my first successful attempt at making a map. It has a nice mixture of close quarters and long range engagements, and is tailored to competitive play, receiving frequent map updates based on player feedback. I hope to see this map become popular with the league community, as I feel it has potential to be an extremely fun and balanced map.

From MOTYSHIZ: A procedurally-generated map? In Onward? sb_procedural tries to offer a unique CQB experience that trains players' moment to moment adaptability. This map will have its layout re-shuffled on a semi-weekly basis. Even without the weekly re-shuffle, the spawns rotate between rounds to keep the layout feeling fairly random. New pieces will be added from time to time, and some weeks may feature some very experimental modifications.

Motyshiz (sb_procedural creator) would like to credit LeonMail for the initial idea.

From Doomblade187: Backstreets is an urban map with three long, interconnected lanes and plenty of places to hide. Evade your enemies in the hotel, or watch the streets from your rooftop perch. Just keep an eye out for the VIP. This map is inspired by the America's Army 3 map, Alley.

That wraps it up March here at DPI. Make sure to keep an eye out on social media for some Onward Easter eggs beginning in April.

Spring has sprung, but Stay Frosty!

Hello again everyone!

Today we launch a patch for Onward: version 1.8.7.2. This patch is a bit more beefy than the last one and it includes a long list of fixes for issues that affect all of you: from audio and AI graphic issues, to walls that you could walk through on maps. Overall, the patch addresses some of the bigger issues affecting the gameplay and overall experience in Onward. Your experience is important to us and we value the feedback you the players provide us.

Among the key fixes included in this patch are bot visibility at long range, and smoke grenades correctly blocking visibility of objects behind them. Fixes for most lingering audio issues are also included. In addition, we have added changes/updates to some maps. See the list below for an overview of the fixes that are included in this patch.

1.8.7.2 is now live and should automatically prompt you for an update the next time you go to jump on the battlefield.

Changelog

Gameplay

• Fixed an issue where players PCVR would sometimes not be able to connect to multiplayer or workshop servers
• Onward will no longer request external storage access permission on Quest
• Smooth rotation no longer rotates the player when they are using a drone
• Hand locomotion movement has been adjusted to prevent side strafing too fast
• Smoke now correctly blocks objects so you can't see things through it
• Night vision no longer incorrectly uses depth of field
• Friends Lobby will now show up using the Friends only filter without the person needing to pick a team, if they are the host. (Friends Filter is based on being on the same platform)
• Fixed AI not being visible at long range for Quest users
• Fixed AI footsteps occurring too frequently and not being loud enough
• Fixed an out of place hit box that could cause you to accidentally shoot yourself when walking up an incline or stairs

Audio

• Selecting team chat in the tent now completely mutes the other team instead of making them quieter
• Fixed most situations for mic icons not appearing for players talking in the tent
• Fixed an issue with players not hearing other players
• The radio in the tent on Assault now functions correctly
• Voice chat attempts to recover automatically if it is not working, fixing most instances of audio not working (mainly in the tent)
• The Quest Audio Mixer Preset is now usable on PC

Spectating and casting

• Desktop Spectating now uses a brightness boost instead of a real time light on night and custom maps. It can be toggled on/off with "N" and the brightness amount can be adjusted in the bottom right of the "Spacebar" menu options
• Fixed casters hearing audio from both teams in the tent
• Fixed hotkeys activating for casters when typing in a team name

Level Design

• Updated objectives and spawns on Suburbia
• Updated objectives and spawns on Downfall
• Updated objectives and spawns on Quarantine
• Removed an objective from Subway based on community feedback
• Fixed players being able to walk on an invisible barrier on Quarantine
• Fixed players being able to crawl through building windows on Quarantine
• Fixed players being able to walk on a building ledge on Quarantine
• Fixed a missing collider on Suburbia allowing players to walk through a wall

Known Issues

• Flair and Flashlight (when on) can be seen through smokes

Hello everyone!

February came, and now that February is pretty much gone it's time for our monthly sitrep. The Developers continue to work hard on some much needed improvements, redesigned features and bug fixes.

Stay Frosty! _Kidding...

From The Dev Desk

In our last sitrep we mentioned that 1.8.8 would come out quicker than our usual patches, but unfortunately that turned out to not be the case. We hit some speed bumps and are making sure it's in the best condition for you. 1.8.8 will significantly reduce the occurrence of broken lobbies, which often cause problems such as voice chat issues, lobby lockups, and rounds not assigning points correctly. The update rewrites the code that is the foundation of Onward's game modes. This part of the code interacts with a lot of areas in the game, and we've run into a lot of specific and unforeseen issues as a result. We appreciate the patience you've all shown over the past month, and we are working to get the update out as soon as possible.

Because of the delay with 1.8.8 we're working to release a couple of patches to address the most urgent issues with 1.8.7, the first of which (1.8.7.1) has already been released. Next up will be patch 1.8.7.2. The 1.8.7.2 patch will focus on fixing issues that affect a lot of you, and issues affecting competitive play.

• Connection issues for PCVR players, where a registry reset was needed.
• A number of Voice/Audio fixes and adjustments while inside the tent, along with a design change to the team chat function.
• AI adjustments such as footsteps and visibility from a distance.
• Some Map adjustments, such as broken walls and railings are likely to be included.
• We are pushing to try and get improvements to tablets and smokes in as well.

In addition to the focus we're putting on the 1.8.7.2 patch and the 1.8.8 update we are making strides with future features: as Onward continues to grow the player base has increased exponentially. Having this many players (and lobbies) in the game means we have to rethink some of Onward's features. For example we need to make it easier to find and play with your friends, and we want to make sure you have as much fun playing the game as possible. To get to that point we are working on implementing a party system to find and more easily group up with your Onward crew to get games going. With any multiplayer game, there are different play styles and different mindsets. We are also working on the features to help with toxic players, for example allowing you to mute them, and adding measures to prevent sustained team killing.

Also being looked into is an implementation of a ranking system. A place where you can get statistics on kills, deaths, revives, and more. Once we get closer to the final design we'll share more details with you! Another addition will be a revamped version of Abandoned. The map is set in an old abandoned soviet factory located next to a lake in the harsh Siberian landscape. Also high on our list is improving graphics for PCVR users with the use of Shadowmask lighting. We don't have an estimate on the Shadowmask update quite yet however, as we are waiting for a Unity update to start this implementation.

Community Center

This month we have made a major update to our official Onward Discord channel. We have always shared a home with the VR Master league, whose roots lie in the Onward Discord. However, with the growth of both Onward and the Master League, the VRML has spread their wings and opened up their own server to give the Onward Discord community a chance to make some adjustments. Explore new channels and new ways to interact with fellow Onward players. If you're not in the Discord, what are you waiting for? Don't delay, join today!

Our Twitter campaign for finding out the fan favorite map is coming to a close! We are in the Semifinals and the Finals will wrap up at the end of the month. Make sure you check out our Twitter account (@OnwardTheGame) to see the progress and get your final votes in!

Starting in March we want to Highlight you, yes you, our community! We want to showcase our players and show off your Onward fandom. Send us your photos in a DM of you being an Onward fan for a chance to be featured on our social media Community Spotlight.

If you'd like to get to know a little more about the people who work at Downpour you can also follow our company accounts on Twitter (@DownpourInt) and Facebook, this month we are featuring our QA Lead, Kaysaun.

Stay Frosty!_{(for real this time)}

Hello everyone!

We have just released a hotfix for Onward 1.8.7. The hotfix fixes a problem where if you're playing on custom maps the game could become unresponsive.

We intend to release another patch in the next couple of weeks to address more issues, ahead of the 1.8.8 update release. We'll post a sitrep with the details later this week.

The fix is available now, and will download automatically to your device. Stay frosty!

Hello everyone!

We are wrapping up our A Winter Onwardland contest by announcing the winners for the map creation portion. The community submitted some really fun maps. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries. Lots of creative style throughout them all.

As a refresher: we are announcing winners in three categories today: cross-platform, PC and Quest! The overall winner will receive their choice of an RTX 3090 or an AMD 5950X processor with a high-end motherboard, whereas the best PC and Quest maps will be rewarded with the author's choice of an RTX 3080 or an AMD 5900X with a high-end motherboard.

Without further ado, the winners are...

Cross Platform
Sommet - Submitted by Weidz

What some of the judges had to say:

• Tribly:
  Sommet is impressive from when you first spawn in the cable car looking out over the mountains, to sneaking around in the caves and back rooms. Everything felt hand crafted from the observatory at the top of the mountain, all the way down to the map on the tablet. From the museum, to the kitchen, the wine/cheese cellar, every area felt unique which makes learning the map and orienting yourself much easier.
• Eritheis: I liked that the map had different distinct areas. All of them were interesting and made me want to explore to see what else could be found. Having the different areas being so different from each other made it easier to figure out where I was on the map too.

PCVR
Panda Towers - Submitted by Monorchid

What some of the judges had to say:

• SyrinS0ng:
  This is a unique design style we haven't seen yet. Set on the rooftops of a large building with skyscrapers all around you. You have to weave through different obstacles to find your enemies and need top communication to navigate though this map.
• WH1SKEY: An enjoyable map that adds verticality to Onward. The battles that engage on this map make any angle action packed and really puts a player's tactics to the test.

Oculus Quest
Frostbite - Submitted by Evolution

What some of the judges had to say:

• SyrinS0ng:
  As soon as I spawned in I felt immersed in the location. I could feel the cold fog around me. The rooms were great to explore and lots of area throughout to get some team tactics going.
• KasperVld: I enjoyed the verticality in this map quite a lot: the fact that your opponents can be hiding behind any hill makes for a slower paced, nerve wrecking match. Never let your guard down, and always keep your gun pointing up.

Congratulations to the winners! All of the maps that were entered are available for you to download and play on. Go check them out! If you are interested in custom map building, check out our discord for more information and chat with fellow map makers.

Map Contest Entries available for Play:

• Arctic / Arctic Night (PC & Quest) by Heclak
• Ashes In The Snow (PC & Quest) by Stahr
• Cerbere Landing (PC) by MOTYSHIZ
• Dumpster Fire (PC & Quest) by 04
• Hotham Day (Quest) by DaveSparhawk
• Ice (PC & Quest) by Koiz
• J-Street (PC) by GiantRobot
• North Pole (PC) by WhiteFang
• Trench - At Christmas (PC) by Winston
• Wilderness (PC & Quest) by Monorchid

Hello everyone!

We have just released a hotfix for Onward 1.8.7. The hotfix fixes a problem where if you're playing on custom maps the game could become unresponsive.

We intend to release another patch in the next couple of weeks to address more issues, ahead of the 1.8.8 update release. We'll post a sitrep with the details later this week.

The fix is available now, and will download automatically to your device. Stay frosty!

Hello everyone!

We are wrapping up our A Winter Onwardland contest by announcing the winners for the map creation portion. The community submitted some really fun maps. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries. Lots of creative style throughout them all.

As a refresher: we are announcing winners in three categories today: cross-platform, PC and Quest! The overall winner will receive their choice of an RTX 3090 or an AMD 5950X processor with a high-end motherboard, whereas the best PC and Quest maps will be rewarded with the author's choice of an RTX 3080 or an AMD 5900X with a high-end motherboard.

Without further ado, the winners are...

Cross Platform
Sommet - Submitted by Weidz

What some of the judges had to say:

• Tribly:
  Sommet is impressive from when you first spawn in the cable car looking out over the mountains, to sneaking around in the caves and back rooms. Everything felt hand crafted from the observatory at the top of the mountain, all the way down to the map on the tablet. From the museum, to the kitchen, the wine/cheese cellar, every area felt unique which makes learning the map and orienting yourself much easier.
• Eritheis: I liked that the map had different distinct areas. All of them were interesting and made me want to explore to see what else could be found. Having the different areas being so different from each other made it easier to figure out where I was on the map too.

PCVR
Panda Towers - Submitted by Monorchid

What some of the judges had to say:

• SyrinS0ng:
  This is a unique design style we haven't seen yet. Set on the rooftops of a large building with skyscrapers all around you. You have to weave through different obstacles to find your enemies and need top communication to navigate though this map.
• WH1SKEY: An enjoyable map that adds verticality to Onward. The battles that engage on this map make any angle action packed and really puts a player's tactics to the test.

Oculus Quest
Frostbite - Submitted by Evolution

What some of the judges had to say:

• SyrinS0ng:
  As soon as I spawned in I felt immersed in the location. I could feel the cold fog around me. The rooms were great to explore and lots of area throughout to get some team tactics going.
• KasperVld: I enjoyed the verticality in this map quite a lot: the fact that your opponents can be hiding behind any hill makes for a slower paced, nerve wrecking match. Never let your guard down, and always keep your gun pointing up.

Congratulations to the winners! All of the maps that were entered are available for you to download and play on. Go check them out! If you are interested in custom map building, check out our discord for more information and chat with fellow map makers.

Map Contest Entries available for Play:

• Arctic / Arctic Night (PC & Quest) by Heclak
• Ashes In The Snow (PC & Quest) by Stahr
• Cerbere Landing (PC) by MOTYSHIZ
• Dumpster Fire (PC & Quest) by 04
• Hotham Day (Quest) by DaveSparhawk
• Ice (PC & Quest) by Koiz
• J-Street (PC) by GiantRobot
• North Pole (PC) by WhiteFang
• Trench - At Christmas (PC) by Winston
• Wilderness (PC & Quest) by Monorchid

A big thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the contest!

Hello everyone!

Happy 2021! We are stepping into a new year and have a lot of opportunities and things to look forward to. Onward keeps moving... well... ONWARD! This month's Sitrep is a little lighter on development updates than usual due to the holiday season, but we still have some news to share.

Earlier this month we released Update 1.8.7. We have received lots of feedback from the community, we are listening to it all and we hear you. We are happy that you are enjoying the audio improvements and the updated Snowpeak map. With all improvements come some bugs and rest assured, we will be addressing things in 1.8.8.

1.8.8 will be coming out a little quicker than our usual patch releases as a maintenance release to address some ongoing issues and make some adjustments from 1.8.7 based on community feedback. Fixes that will be addressed include significantly reducing the occurrence of broken lobbies, which often cause issues such as voice chat issues, lobby lockups, rounds not assigning points correctly. Additional Audio improvements based around voice chat are also in the works. Fixing an issue allowing players to sometimes see through smoke emitted by smoke grenades and a fix for the infamous "jiggle peek" are on our provisional list as well. We also continue to work on a couple of large new features which are due to release over the next couple of months. Be on the lookout for more details as the patches get closer.

Downpour Interactive continues to grow as a company and we have been adding to the team to keep up with the game design, improvements, and the future of the game. You have already been introduced to our new Community Manager Korine (SyrinSong) earlier this month, and now we would also like to introduce a new Programer, Ben, and Level Designer, Joe who many of you may know under his nickname Snooper Fax. They have been a great addition to the team here at DPI. We would also like to announce some changes to people you know and have interacted with in the community. Daan (MrDeath) will shift his focus from Community Management over to level design and Kasper (KasperVld) will be taking up the role of Producer while still keeping an eye on community tasks and supporting Korine where needed.

We have wrapped up our Community Contest and judging for the custom maps has begun! We will be announcing the winners in the upcoming weeks. If you missed the announcements for the Fan Art and Video winners, check out our social media accounts.

In addition, for our community we have posted a new Support area to our website with an FAQ section to help with common questions that people may have about playing or any suggestions/reports that need to be sent to us.

To stay up to date on the latest news between Sitreps, make sure to follow our social media accounts and join the Official Onward discord.

Stay Frosty!