Civilian Evacuation Changes Everything

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The virus is loose across the Bay Area. Flashpoints are erupting across the peninsula as entire districts fall into chaos and infected swarms push deeper into civilian zones.

CERC forces are already in the field.

Embedded military reporters and frontline operators are transmitting battlefield coverage directly from active operations. The images you are about to see were captured during recent combat deployments across the region.

These transmissions come directly from the front.

The battle for the Bay Area has begun.

🎧 Update On Progress…

Civilian Evacuation Mechanics Progress Update

For the full original overview of the Civilian Evacuation Mechanics check out this article[dynamiclink href="https://steamcommunity.com/games/979640/announcements/detail/541134496998621258"]Over the last four weeks, we’ve made major progress on the Civilian Evacuation Mechanics. These updates represent a shift from early implementation into full system integration, touching population control, logistics, AI behavior, and overall match pacing.

Below is a summary of the last four weeks of development while we work to iron out the new main mechanics of Civilian Evac.

Also consider opting into "Legacy" and try the older version of Cepheus the rebuilt was based on to get some insight on what er are aiming to do differently this time around

Week One | CERC HQ | # 83

A major new gameplay system is currently in development, focused on changing how players handle the outbreak over time.

Calypso is nearing readiness after a public playtest exposed pathfinding and gameplay issues. The map itself is largely complete, with dense terrain, cities, and chokepoints designed to support base building and flanking strategies. Current work is focused on resolving those issues before pushing the map to experimental.

Legacy locations are also being reworked into standalone scenarios. Iron Wake is being adapted into a pandemic style map with carrier based deployment and inland progression. Additional island maps are being planned to support shorter session formats while larger regions continue development.

Combat pacing is being adjusted based on feedback. Early waves are being tuned to ramp more gradually, with fewer special infected. Balance changes to juggernauts, weapon damage, and anti air systems are in progress, alongside fixes for issues like bird targeting and rally point bugs.

At the same time, early work has begun on a civilian evacuation system. The current focus is on building out screening checkpoints, isolation zones, evacuation areas, and euthanization options, along with staff management. Infection detection is intentionally limited early on, with research planned to unlock better tools. Logistics systems like buses and helicopters are being explored for moving civilians between zones.

Next steps are focused on continuing evacuation system development, expanding research mechanics, and preparing for infection spread across multiple locations.

[dynamiclink href="https://youtu.be/4tBE2l4C79c"] Week Two| CERC HQ | # 84

Civilian evacuation development is expanding into a broader population control system that is still actively being built and refined.

Work is underway on zone to zone population management, allowing players to move, contain, or eliminate civilians depending on strategy. Building level mechanics like purge and condemn are being developed to tie directly into reputation and long term stability.

DNA gameplay is also being reworked. Current work includes implementing drops, collectors, and faster gathering, with scientists playing a larger role. This system is intended to support future progression tied to infection control.

Map updates are continuing, with a refreshed island and another standalone map in development. Weapons are being expanded, and ongoing balance work is targeting vehicles and time to kill.

Several issues are still in progress, including infected bird behavior, inconsistent AI, and bugs in DNA collection. Upcoming work is focused on buses, evacuation intake systems, and overall