UPDATE [ALPHA BUILD 026- 031]

ALPHA BUILD 026 // v0.000.000.026 // (22.04.26)

• Refactors player weapon abilities and damage logic (weapon type now directly influences damage output).

• Adds "ghost" effect for previewing operator positioning and poses in-game.

• Fixes action lock (shooting, grenades, etc.) occurring when an enemy initiates combat while an operator is mid-movement.

• Fixes issue where suppression would fail to trigger a combat encounter.

• Fixes dead enemies failing to cancel their active Overwatch status.

• Fixes bug where low FPS could cause an operator to skip a shooting action.

• Fixes KIA status display failure upon operator death.

• Fixes movement breaking after multiple save/load cycles.

• Fixes "floating naked character" visual bug.

• Misc. fixes and internal refactoring.

//---- ALPHA BUILD 027 // v0.000.000.027 // (30.04.26)

• Adds new weapon classes (Pistol, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle) with dedicated abilities and updated firing sounds.

• Updates 3D meshes for Pistols, Shotguns, and Sniper Rifles, including socket fixes for female character models.

• AdjustedUpdates tactical UIRefreshed weapon/equipment icons, adjusted status icon scaling, and corrected icons for SMGs and Long Rifles.

• Refactors turn system initiative to bind directly to character attributes for both player and enemy units.

• Connects weapon effective range logic to the Overwatch system.

• Updates LR-42 Marksman kits with generic 'Sniper Rifle'.

• Refines mission text for Initial Briefing and Infiltration messages.

• Fixes Overwatch visibility bug where enemy direction was revealed through the Fog of War.

• Fixes "hunchback" visual bug on female meshes and removes unintended ghosting effects.

• Fixes inventory bug where the currently held weapon would fail to display.

• Fixes technical issues including flag duplication, weapon table naming, and triage animation timing.

• Misc. internal build stability fixes and merge conflict resolution.

//---- ALPHA BUILD 028 // v0.000.000.028 // (06.05.26)

• Adds new AWM / Sniper Rifle, Benelli M4 / Shotgun, SIG P226 / (Service) Pistol,

• Adds initial armor penetration logic to AI units.

• Begins factoring head and plate armor into shot penetration, reducing penetration chances when targeting armored zones.

• Begins layering Operator tactical aptitude as a factor in turn initiative order at the start of each round.

• Updates Operator roles and assigns placeholder weapons per role.

• Fixes weapon attachment animation states.

• Refactors Shooting abilities.

• Increases Sniper Rifle base damage.

• Fixes animation states for weapon handling and transitions.

• Fixes enemy units failing to exit Overwatch at the start of their turn.

• Fixes enemy units in patrol state being able to move without triggering Overwatch.

• Fixes teleport-to-cover exploit.

• Fixes Plasma ability being usable on dead characters.

• Misc. performance optimizations for inactive Operators and Enemies.

• Misc. internal build stability fixes and merge conflict resolution. KNOWN ISSUES // BUILD NOTES

• Weapon stats (damage, effective range, etc.) are currently abstract placeholder values. As we progress through Early Access, these will be tuned to reflect the real-world characteristics of the weapons they represent — e.g. the AWM Sniper Rifle will carry its true damage profile and range figures.

• Magazine and ammo types are generic placeholders. Weapons such as the AWM are temporarily using shared ammo values. Dedicated magazine and ammo types per weapon will begin rolling out in the coming weeks.

• A bug exists where attempting to swap weapons can occasionally fail. This will be resolved as part of our upcoming inventory system update next week.

• Some additional anomalies may be present as new features are introduced in their early placeholder state. These will be layered out and refined on a week-by-week basis. //---- ALPHA BUILD 029 // v0.000.000.029 // (21.05.26)

// INVENTORY

• Introduces major update to the inventory system.

• Adds item tooltips and hover state visual feedback to inventory items.

• Adds item stacking, stack splitting, and stack merging with stack amount and stacking policy display in slots.

• Adds weight and volume tracking per container.

• Updates looting panel and looting actor interaction logic.

• Adds item picker UI when using the command wheel or ability shortcuts, a selection menu now appears displaying available items for that action (e.g. selecting a magazine when reloading, a grenade when throwing, or a medkit when healing).

• Misc. bug fixes, UI improvements, and backend logic updates

// WEAPONS & ITEMS

• Adds or updates M4A1, AK-47, AWM, 1911, and Benelli M4 including updated models, icons, and unique magazine and ammo assignments per weapon.

• Begins adding weight and volume values across weapons and equipment. Additional values to follow next week.

• Updates item descriptions and designations for era authenticity weapons and equipment are being assigned their accurate 2002-era names.

Models are accurate where assets allow, with approximations in place where custom art/models are still pending.

• Updates starting operator loadout: all operators are currently equipped with the M4A1, AWM, and 1911. Role-specific loadouts will begin rolling in next week. The Benelli M4 is temporarily unavailable while its internal magazine is being configured. Expected back next week.

• Updates enemy starting kit — enemy units are currently equipped with the AK-47.

• Misc. additional item improvements and icon updates across the item table.

// GAMEPLAY & ABILITIES

• Adds grenade selection step to the Throw Grenade ability. Operators now select a grenade before committing the throw.

• Increases Sniper Rifle base damage. Refactors Shoot ability and enemy equip/unequip logic.

• Fixes multiple reload and ammo issues including consumption after firing, magazine compatibility, equip states, and preset loading.

• Fixes grenade consumption and enemy throw grenade ability.

• Fixes Plasma and Medkit ability issues.

• Fixes multiple Overwatch issues including enemy exit timing, patrol trigger, and operator rotation.

• Misc. additional ability refinements and gameplay improvements.

// UI & HUD

• Misc. UI and HUD improvements, bug fixes, and styling refinements.

// STABILITY & MISC

• Reverts renderer to DX11 for stability.

• Fixes fatal crash on new deployment.

• Misc. additional stability fixes, performance improvements, and internal refinements. KNOWN ISSUES // BUILD NOTES

"A number of the systems introduced in this update are framework-level implementations. The underlying logic is in place, but in some cases the UI, data, and front-end elements are still being built out. For example, weight and volume mechanics are active but values are still being entered across items, and some UI elements such as context menus are not yet present. Looting is temporarily unavailable while its UI is being rebuilt. Expected back next week.

Player weapons start unloaded. Check your kit prior to engaging. This will be addressed in next week's build. //---- ALPHA BUILD 030 // v0.000.000.030 // (27.05.26)

• Fixes looting interaction issues.

• Fixes ammo warning incorrectly triggering when sufficient ammo is present.

• Begins work on a modular pouch system for plate carriers — pouches will be driven by the attached rig rather than built into the plate carrier itself.

• Begins introducing plate carrier inserts (backend, not player-facing at the moment)— ceramic and steel plate options that will determine armor protection values.

• Continues inventory UI and styling work.

• Updates icon set — ammo, grenade, and magazine icons refreshed.

• Begins rolling out role-specific starting inventories.

• Misc. item naming updates for era authenticity.

• Misc. backend improvements, asset organization, and build stability fixes.

Primarily a backend and infrastructure update with continued work across inventory, items, and systems. More to come next week. //---- ALPHA BUILD 031 // v0.000.000.031 // (03.06.26)

• Introduces structured round control for all units on the map during active combat.

• Refines turn order widget with active battle tracking, phase indicators, and sequencing fixes.

• Fixes edge case where ending the last battle in queue incorrectly skipped player and enemy tactical phases.

• Adds friendly fire logic.

• Fixes issue with self-character selection in combat.

• Tweaks combat values for improved responsiveness.

• Adjusts enemy presence on main map.

• Continues work on modular pouch and rig system for plate carriers.

• Fixes several tactical drop visibility bugs when equipping and unequipping plate carriers.

• Updates team icons, ammo icons, and placeholder team naming.

• Misc. UI and HUD fixes and improvements.

• Fixes character appearance issue on load.

• Updates operator starting kits and inventory balancing.

• Misc. backend cleanup and build stability improvements.

Primarily a turn system and concurrency update with continued work across combat, inventory, and UI. More to come.

BUILD NOTES When combat starts, every unit on the map is now accounted for rather than continuing in real time unchecked. Units in contact fight through the tactical phase as normal. Units outside of contact take a structured action each round, preventing enemies from freely drifting in and out of engagements while combat is active. When all engagements resolve, the map returns to real time. The out-of-contact movement structure is a first pass and will continue to evolve as we refine how it fits the simulation logic of the game.