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Steam News3 July 20263d ago

The Forever Winter - June 2026 Update

Hello Scavs, Here is our latest update! Before we get into the details of this update: We want to thank everyone who has been filling out the weapon survey. There is a LOT to digest there!

Full notes

Full The Forever Winter update

Read the full published notes in a cleaner layout. The original post stays linked below.

Repeated intro

Hello Scavs,

What changed

1 fix3 additions6 changes0 removals
  • Gameplay
  • Balance
  • Performance
  • UI and audio
changedBefore we get into the details of this update: We want to thank everyone who has been filling out the weapon survey. There is a LOT to digest there! As we stated before, we are not going to be implementing changes to the weapon systems until we have taken the time to know exactly what will yield the desired results. Measure 100x, cut 1x as it were.
changedRecoil & bloom across all weapon classes. This was the most common thread in the survey. We're taking a deep look at weapon handling to better understand which systems should be tuned, which systems are important to preserving the Scav experience, and where we can better communicate player progression. In addition to core tuning, attachments, player skill, and equipment choices should have a meaningful impact on weapon handling (while the tradeoffs behind those choices should be clear and support the overall Scav fantasy).
changedWeapon class identity. We're reviewing pistols, SMGs, rifles, shotguns, and heavier weapons to make sure each class has a clear role. The goal isn't for every weapon to be equal: not everything will compete with a rifle in raw damage. The goal is for every weapon to have a reason to exist. SMGs may do less damage than rifles, but they can also generate less attention, making it a better choice for a Scav trying to move quietly through a dangerous area. A shotgun should excel at close-range stopping power. Heavy weapons should feel like a serious commitment rather than an obvious upgrade. Utility is the goal. We want players to choose a weapon because it's the right tool for the job—not because one weapon is simply the best at everything.
changedADS responsiveness & weapon weight. Time to aim, aim consistency, and weapon weight all came up often. Weapons in The Forever Winter aren't meant to feel frictionless, but that friction needs to feel fair, readable, and intentional. Heavy weapons should feel heavy. Lighter weapons should feel more manageable. Attachments, Scav skill, and player familiarity should all matter.
changedAdditional Mother Courage / Octogirl Quests Once you have collected Mother Courage’s head and all of the questions available, Octogirl will have additional quests for you to continue to investigate Mother Courage. You will have to perform tasks to attempt to acquire more of Mother Courage’s pieces to find more information. This quest progression will reveal additional HKs that will pursue you. This quest progression will also allow you to interact with Mother Courage more once complete. To access Octogirl as a quest giver, go to the quest terminal in the main Innards after her additional quests become available.
addedEnemy AI New HK: Eurasian Sand Diver Squad New HK: Eurasian Assault Officer

The Forever Winter changes

changedBefore we get into the details of this update: We want to thank everyone who has been filling out the weapon survey. There is a LOT to digest there! As we stated before, we are not going to be implementing changes to the weapon systems until we have taken the time to know exactly what will yield the desired results. Measure 100x, cut 1x as it were.
changedRecoil & bloom across all weapon classes. This was the most common thread in the survey. We're taking a deep look at weapon handling to better understand which systems should be tuned, which systems are important to preserving the Scav experience, and where we can better communicate player progression. In addition to core tuning, attachments, player skill, and equipment choices should have a meaningful impact on weapon handling (while the tradeoffs behind those choices should be clear and support the overall Scav fantasy).
changedWeapon class identity. We're reviewing pistols, SMGs, rifles, shotguns, and heavier weapons to make sure each class has a clear role. The goal isn't for every weapon to be equal: not everything will compete with a rifle in raw damage. The goal is for every weapon to have a reason to exist. SMGs may do less damage than rifles, but they can also generate less attention, making it a better choice for a Scav trying to move quietly through a dangerous area. A shotgun should excel at close-range stopping power. Heavy weapons should feel like a serious commitment rather than an obvious upgrade. Utility is the goal. We want players to choose a weapon because it's the right tool for the job—not because one weapon is simply the best at everything.
changedADS responsiveness & weapon weight. Time to aim, aim consistency, and weapon weight all came up often. Weapons in The Forever Winter aren't meant to feel frictionless, but that friction needs to feel fair, readable, and intentional. Heavy weapons should feel heavy. Lighter weapons should feel more manageable. Attachments, Scav skill, and player familiarity should all matter.
changedAdditional Mother Courage / Octogirl Quests Once you have collected Mother Courage’s head and all of the questions available, Octogirl will have additional quests for you to continue to investigate Mother Courage. You will have to perform tasks to attempt to acquire more of Mother Courage’s pieces to find more information. This quest progression will reveal additional HKs that will pursue you. This quest progression will also allow you to interact with Mother Courage more once complete. To access Octogirl as a quest giver, go to the quest terminal in the main Innards after her additional quests become available.

Here is our latest update!

Before we get into the details of this update: We want to thank everyone who has been filling out the weapon survey. There is a LOT to digest there! As we stated before, we are not going to be implementing changes to the weapon systems until we have taken the time to know exactly what will yield the desired results. Measure 100x, cut 1x as it were.

Here's a high-level sneak peek at what we're investigating based on the weaponry feedback:

Recoil & bloom across all weapon classes. This was the most common thread in the survey. We're taking a deep look at weapon handling to better understand which systems should be tuned, which systems are important to preserving the Scav experience, and where we can better communicate player progression. In addition to core tuning, attachments, player skill, and equipment choices should have a meaningful impact on weapon handling (while the tradeoffs behind those choices should be clear and support the overall Scav fantasy).

Weapon class identity. We're reviewing pistols, SMGs, rifles, shotguns, and heavier weapons to make sure each class has a clear role. The goal isn't for every weapon to be equal: not everything will compete with a rifle in raw damage. The goal is for every weapon to have a reason to exist. SMGs may do less damage than rifles, but they can also generate less attention, making it a better choice for a Scav trying to move quietly through a dangerous area. A shotgun should excel at close-range stopping power. Heavy weapons should feel like a serious commitment rather than an obvious upgrade. Utility is the goal. We want players to choose a weapon because it's the right tool for the job—not because one weapon is simply the best at everything.

ADS responsiveness & weapon weight. Time to aim, aim consistency, and weapon weight all came up often. Weapons in The Forever Winter aren't meant to feel frictionless, but that friction needs to feel fair, readable, and intentional. Heavy weapons should feel heavy. Lighter weapons should feel more manageable. Attachments, Scav skill, and player familiarity should all matter.

There was obviously more (we have thousands of responses) but that’s the big three.

IN THE INTERIM (for this update): We have made adjustments to the thrown weapons / grenades based on the feedback from the survey and discord. See below for specifics.

See you in the wastes!

  • Fundog Out

Below is a list of everything that went into this release.

  • Additional Mother Courage / Octogirl Quests

    • Once you have collected Mother Courage’s head and all of the questions available, Octogirl will have additional quests for you to continue to investigate Mother Courage.

    • You will have to perform tasks to attempt to acquire more of Mother Courage’s pieces to find more information.

    • This quest progression will reveal additional HKs that will pursue you.

    • This quest progression will also allow you to interact with Mother Courage more once complete.

    • To access Octogirl as a quest giver, go to the quest terminal in the main Innards after her additional quests become available.

  • Enemy AI

    • New HK: Eurasian Sand Diver Squad

    • New HK: Eurasian Assault Officer

  • Grenade improvements

    • Work was done on the grenade aiming system (the trajectory preview line) so that the grenades follow the line more reliably

    • Grenade throwing speed increased by 1.5x

    • You can now increase and decrease the power / arc of the throw using the mouse wheel (remappable), allowing you to fine tune your aim without having to “look away” from the target

      • Looking still impacts the throw trajectory and strength

    • The frag and cluster grenades now have a proximity detonate effect; if they are close to a foe they will explode before the timer is done.

      • This has a 1.5 second safety fuse to prevent the grenade from exploding the second it leaves your hand

    • There has also been tuning of grenade fuse timing and damage

  • Quest Improvements

    • Bonds of brothers questWe adjusted the description text. This should make the victory condition clearer.

    • Science of stimulants: We made sure there are containers in the correct levels that have the correct items (thus allowing Scavs to consistently complete the quest)

    • Velko: there was a race-condition that could get SOME Scavs in a state where the # of taps that have been placed was getting out of sync. We put a check in to prevent this from happening.

    • Made earning trust for Kane’s quest “Kane's Favored” easier when the quest is active.

  • Audio

    • Overall mix adjustments and audio polish across the game.

    • Optimized the footstep and movement audio systems for improved performance.

    • Improved footstep, landing, scuff, and movement sound responsiveness across walking, jogging, running, and sprinting.

    • Added unique movement audio for Boss Drones.

    • Updated C4 placement audio and related UI sound effects during Boss Takedowns.

    • Continued audio optimization work to reduce overhead while improving consistency.

    • Updated ambient soundscapes for Babel.

    • Updated Lost Angels base ambience.

    • Added and improved environmental one-shot sound effects across multiple maps.

  • Misc.

    • UV updates for Shaman

    • Some navigation / nav-mesh work in tunnel areas where AI were not pathing as intended.

    • Fixed an issue where recruits could sometimes continue to fire if there was no valid target.

    • Fixed several typos.

    • Slightly increased the chance that night shift occurs

    • Increased drop chance of Explosive Charge item

Source

Steam News / 3 July 2026

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