Working with Tripwire Interactive, the developers of Heroes of the West mod to RO2/Rising Storm, are proud to announce the release on Steam of an update to the mod to coincide with the anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy on D-day 72 years ago.

The update introduces 2 new maps, the first being a combined arms map featuring the British in a gruelling fight to break out from the Normandy beachhead in summer 1944. The map, Caen Outskirts, introduces the British Bren Carrier troop transport.

The other map, Hill 400, recreates the bitter fighting in the winter of 1944 with the 2d Ranger Battalion struggling against Axis forces in the Hurtgen Forest.

There have been numerous balance, technical and cosmetic additions and fixes introduced in this update, read the notes below to see them.

• Caen Outskirts (Combined Arms)
  
• Hill 400
  
• Updated Vehicle Skins for Western Front:
  
• Panzer IV
  
• Sd.Kfz. 251

• Added Enfield bayonet by Shel100.
  
• Added Scoped Enfield by Shel100.
  
• Added Radioman Role for Germans and Americans.
  
• Added Bren Carrier Transports
  
• Added 2 new British voices

Oosterbeek:
• Extended E Objective towards Defenders Side
  
• Added 2 Seconds to F Objective Capture time
  
• Added Cover to D Objective Approach for Defenders
  
• Moved Defenders Spawn for D Objective closer
  
• Added Cover near Final Defender's Spawn to approach last capzones
  
• Added Radio near Final Allies Spawns
  
• Adjusted Axis Roles
  
  Omaha Beach:
  
• Reordered Letters for D, E, F Objectives
  
• Added new Spawn Zone for Attackers once D is captured
  
• Added Radioman Role to Allies
  
• Adjusted Axis Roles
  
  Port Brest:
  
• Removed one Axis Spawn zone for Objective D
  
• Added Allies Spawn Zone for Objective C
  
• Expanded Spawn Zone Protection after B is captured
  
• Added Cover to B Objective Approach
  
• Added Cover to C Objective Approach
  
• Removed some walls in alleyways
  
• Removed Fixed MG in Objective D
  
• Added Radioman to Allies
  
• Added an additional BAR, MG, and 2 Engineer Roles to Allies
  
• Adjusted Axis Roles
  
• Added Cover for attackers near B Objective
  
• Shifted C Cap slightly towards Attackers
  
• Added open building near Fountain for Attackers to attack D from.
  
  Carentan:
  
• Adjusted Axis Roles

• Axis Engineer G43 replaced by Kar98, Shotgun replaced by carbine. AT grenade added.
  
• Axis Rifleman Hero garand replaced by springfield, Springfield no longer frontline upgrade.
  
• Axis Squad leader has Kar98 added.
  
• Axis Assault no longer has access to the STG44
  
• Axis Radioman now uses MP40.
  
• Allied Radioman now uses Carbine and M3.
  
• Axis Elite Assault added.

• STG44 fire rate changed from 600rpm to 550rpm.
  
• MP40/I removed (This is the Dual Mag version)
  
• Sten gun now has a single shot function.
  
• Allies on Omaha beach now have Assault jackets.
  
• A Few weapons renamed to better represent them.
  
• Players can now accumulate game hours through Steam.
  
• Added German Splintertarn helmet covers.

• Divisional shoulder patches now show up in online games.
  
• Sten bolt no longer detaches from the weapon while blindfiring.
  
• German "Spiderman" gear bug fixed.
  
• German Marksman level 5 no longer spawns with a japanese helmet.
  
• SMi44 Mine kill icon resized to fit.
  
• Bren alt fire removed.
  
• Game mode now properly displays in webadmin.
  
• German Eagle now shows on chest for all variations.
  
• Germans no longer turn invisible in the halftrack.
  
• PIAT launcher is now empty when fired.
  
• Enfield bolt animation no longer jolts into place when manual bolting fast.
  
• Germans, British, and American Army soldiers now bleed correctly when dismembered/decapitated.
  
• Fixed American Airborne's 1st person arms being US marines arms.
  
• Fixed texture bugs on German Hero and some Highly decorated uniform variations.

Please give time for servers to update. If you start downloading things from a hotw server press F10 to cancel and find another one.

The launcher may come up with an error message stating that the mod is installed in the wrong place. If you previously have been able to play the mod with no issues ignore this message and click launch anyway.