Playtest Update and Kickstarter Announcement

It has been a while since we last shared development news.

We apologize for not being able to provide updates more frequently due to Kickstarter preparations and build updates.

Today we would like to share two major updates.

1. New Build Update

Soon you will be able to play a new build through the Steam Playtest feature.

This update includes

• New special equipment

• New weapons

• Campaign story additions

• UI improvements

• AI improvements

• Difficulty adjustments

• Bug fixes and many other changes.

Special Equipment Added

New special equipment that adds strategic options to gameplay will be introduced.

BUCK-M9 Barrier

An instantly deployable barrier device. It blocks threats from the front and is specialized for sealing narrow areas or controlling enemies approaching from a single direction.

Dgoth-S28 Auto Turret

An auto turret that automatically detects enemies. Although it cannot attack in all directions, it eliminates frontal threats with powerful firepower.

J14-300K Aerial Drone

A high-mobility aerial combat drone. It supports firepower in the direction the player is facing and effectively suppresses enemies ahead with a wide firing angle.

BARAN-D20 Ground Drone

A ground combat drone that defends both the front and rear. It features strong durability and excellent enemy detection capability, making it ideal for frontline combat.

UI Changes and Control Improvements

The existing weapon UI has been redesigned to better match a sci-fi near-future special forces aesthetic.

• Before

• After

The following overall interface improvements have also been implemented.

• Minimap UI improvements

• UI control bug fixes

Campaign Story Added

Additional story elements have been added to the existing campaign.

These elements existed in early development but were removed because they were considered lower priority. However, we later determined that they are important for establishing the game's world and progressing the campaign story, so they have been reintroduced.

Three New Weapons Added

This update introduces two primary weapons and one secondary weapon.

The update focuses on experimental weapons that slightly diverge from existing firearm mechanics.

SG-12 Breaker

A pump-action shotgun that can fire even while reloading. It delivers extremely powerful close-range firepower.

Burkefull-A20 Trinity

A three-round burst battle rifle with strong power and long range.

HG-234 Ripper

A secondary weapon in the form of a rapid-fire machine pistol.

Enemy AI Improvements

Previously, enemies spawned from creature nests (spawners) appeared at a rapid pace. If the nests were not destroyed quickly, enemies would tend to rush toward players regardless of distance.

Creatures now have a patrol state.

Enemies spawned from nests will no longer blindly rush toward players. If players move away, they will instead wander and patrol the surrounding area.

Additional AI behavior improvements include:

• Optimized player detection logic

• Improved AI behavior for creatures with special abilities

Difficulty Adjustments

All firearms have been adjusted so they can more effectively stagger zombie movement, and all melee weapons now include a pushback effect.

Overall difficulty has also been slightly increased with the introduction of special equipment.

Especially for solo play

• Increased creature spawn counts

• Limited item supplies

These adjustments have been made.

Previously it was possible to clear the game without actively using secondary weapons, but now utilizing a wider variety of equipment, including secondary weapons, will become more important.

Multiplayer Bug Fixes

Overall multiplayer issues have been improved.

In particular, the following issues that affected gameplay progression have been fixed.

• An issue where players could not board the extraction ship

• An issue where mission progression could become blocked when not playing as the host

However, multiplayer systems require continuous improvement, so we would greatly appreciate your bug reports and feedback.

Detail Improvements

Overall firearm animation details have been improved.

• Improved running animation while holding weapons

• Adjusted sound effects for some weapons

• Added muzzle smoke effects during sustained fire

Several issues related to player animations have also been fixed.

In particular, the high jump that occurred when using the sliding command on stairs, which many players enjoyed, has been fixed due to balance and progression concerns.

However, since many players enjoyed this mechanic, we are considering whether it could return in the future as a separate piece of equipment or system.

Additionally, instead of immediately switching to walking when stamina is depleted while running, a new exhausted running state has been added for a more natural transition.

Content Currently in Development

The following content is currently in development but was not included in this build.

• Campaign stages

• New creatures

• Mission objects

• Game modes (Horde Mode, Defense Mode)

• Mid-boss stage

This content is scheduled to be revealed during Steam Next Fest.

Going forward, while continuing existing development work, we are also reviewing ideas suggested by the community, including a class system and player suit upgrades.

Expanding the player suit to enable new equipment or abilities such as jetpacks or self-repair kits is also being positively considered as a potential direction.

2. Kickstarter Funding

March 24, the BLACKOUT: Zero Point project will be revealed on Kickstarter.

Through this campaign we are preparing various special rewards.

For example

• Weapon design participation

• Creature design participation

• Boss design participation

and various other rewards are planned.

More details will be shared in a future announcement.

Finally, this playtest may not feel like completely new content for players who have already played the previous build.

However, this update focuses on improving the overall polish and quality of the game.

Your feedback will be extremely important for improving the demo quality that will be shown on Kickstarter.

We will continue sharing development updates more frequently in the future. Thank you.