Hey everyone! We’re glad you enjoyed the latest patch. It seems our experiment with the beta patch was a success—we’ll aim to revisit it during the next major patch, which we’re planning to release closer to the end of winter. We’ll share more about its contents after the New Year. But if you thought we’d leave you without a holiday patch, you’re deeply mistaken! And today, we’ll tell you why. [h2]Patch 0.8.5[/h2] In December, we’re planning an intermediate patch that will significantly improve the game’s core and simplify the tools we use to develop it. It will primarily focus on the game’s technical aspects, implementation of specific systems, and data structures. You might think this patch is more for us, the developers — but not at all! This patch will greatly expand your arsenal of armor, weapons, and active items, and it’ll also introduce a couple of interesting features. Now, let’s dive into the details. [h2]Upgrade to Unity 22[/h2] We’ve moved the game to a more recent version of Unity to ensure ongoing support for the project and compatibility with the engine developer’s updates. This is a crucial step for the project’s development, unlocking more tools for us. This update fixes certain issues with HDR monitors and LED brightness levels. It also improves stability on the Steam Deck. And this brings us to one of the key features of the new patch! [h2]Gamepad Support / Steam Deck Optimization[/h2] The game already runs on portable devices, but we’ve reworked the controls and UI navigation for gamepads, plus implemented several new features: [list] [*] Plug-and-play gamepad support [*] Hotkey icons [*] Interface navigation adaptation [*] Optimized controls [/list] In short, the game is now much better to play on gamepads across the board. Important note: This is the first version of the optimized controls. We’ve seen your requests for this feature and will keep working to make it smooth and comfortable. We’re looking forward to your feedback! [h2]Data Table Structure Overhaul[/h2] We’ve completely reworked the structure of our data tables. As the saying goes, “there’s a time to scatter stones and a time to gather and organize them so they’re easier to throw later.” [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42894393/3157860efca4771982411e9b7eee657d99345b4e.png[/img] The point is, our configuration tables have been growing since the early demos of the game, and maintaining them has become increasingly difficult. Now, we’ve taken the time to reorganize, reformat, and update them to match the game’s current state while accounting for future expansions. This not only simplifies our work but also lays a foundation for modders. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42894393/fb1069be115d0624d6bec7216f31b280acefa099.png[/img] That said, we have to share some unfortunate news: because of these table overhauls, we’ll need to perform a wipe, and many mods will likely stop working. This is a necessary measure, but we assure you it’s worth it. As we’ve said before, we avoid wipes unless absolutely essential, and in this case, it truly is. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42894393/623f3a382133c9ef31a38bd67ad3c159f59d07f3.png[/img] What does this mean for players? Here’s the exciting part: [list] [*] Almost double the number of new items — guns, armor, quasimorphic gear, medicine. Loot goblins will be thrilled! [*] Less junk in loot — we want everything you find to be more useful and functional [*] Improved item categorization and multi-purpose usability. [*] Reworked spawn logic for items and enemies—locations and their types will play a bigger role. [/list] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42894393/1d96eae872ade3d6c2d7bf1b05034675af2c8ffc.png[/img] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42894393/93c20c874954c6f249a4f812063779ef01d48379.png[/img] [h2]AI Overhaul[/h2] We’re improving the AI for both enemies and allies. The primary focus is on enhancing enemy behavior during missions, making them act more realistically. There will also be additional notifications for enemies—you’ll have more clarity on who saw or heard you. This AI rework ties closely to the table refactor: we’ve introduced behavioral archetypes. Some mobs are now more aggressive, while others are more passive, and their behavior is influenced by their roles and nature. The number of behavior patterns will significantly increase, including the addition of patrols. Finally, we’ll improve ally interactions. Escort missions, for instance, can feel tedious and random, so we want to give you more control—allowing you to issue simple commands and heal allies. Summonable units, like robots, will also be easier and more fun to use. [h2]Render Pipeline Overhaul[/h2] Another key component of the game’s backend overhaul is rendering animations and character models based on equipment. This is a complex part of the project that was initially implemented under tight deadlines, and it’s long overdue for a rework. The new approach allows for more enemies, more animations, different weapon grips, and so on. In the future, we plan to provide tools for modders to add their own character models to the game. [h2]Roadmap Update[/h2] During development, we occasionally adjust priorities, add or remove stuff, as we recognize that some features require more focus or will take longer than expected. We hope for your understanding and believe our update's scope shows that we know where we’re headed. Our roadmap has seen a few important changes: we’re gradually getting everything together and plan to release the game next year. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/42894393/c0fbfd8d4e7e63aabc7d7fae81bb1fbc9a9a1b90.png[/img] A year ago, we entered Early Access and have been working step by step to create the game we envisioned. Thank you to our community for this incredible year, and we hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the holiday patch. We’ll be back soon with information about the patch’s release date. Happy hunting, mercenaries!