Last week's patch V1035.2 released with more than a few issues, so we're addressing as many as possible in this hotfix.

• Restored accessibility settings for Color Blindness Mode and Replace Key Reds With (Settings › Video › Advanced › Accessibility).

• Fixed front-left rails on the M110K1's handguard having their slots flipped, causing attachments to mount inwards.

• Restored ability to edit callsign in Lone Wolf.

  • Removed logic for "Use Standard" callsign, which used Team Elements as reference — feature was rarely unused and used Lua logic, so we opted to scrap it (at least for now).

• Hooked up the F8 key shortcut to the Admin Panel again.

• Updated the logic for the Hide HUD function while spectating (H key) to take into account whether the player was alive or dead and avoid an issue where the H key fails to hide HUD due to being tied to hand signals.

• Various small changes to UI text, formatting and styles in Admin Panel elements (particularly Kit Restrictions and dialogs) to improve consistency and usability.

• Fixed missing tooltip to Game Stats button (top Esc menu).

• Added mention and tooltip for Check Watch ability in keybinds list (Settings › Controls) next to Freelook.

• Fixed issue where the Steady Aim (ADS) ability was tied to Focus Zoom (ADS). Now you can use these abilities separately again.

• Fixed invalid state when picking up a shotgun shell or round that was ejected intentionally during a reload.

• Tweaked AI frag grenade ability: increased minimum throw range, which should reduce the frequency of grenades. (NOTE: A more complete solution is already in the works for V1036.)

• Updated the smoke grenade ability to fix AI getting stuck due to an issue with the logic tree.

• Updated the distance threshold for detection on bots to help with them running into players or not seeing them when they should.

• Updated the US PMC voice lines to not use the radio filter.

• Fixed issue where players would leave a match in progress on a server and it would fail to end the round if no one was playing it.

• Updated all Intel Retrieval missions to ensure AI will not spawn near the player spawn points.

• Updated Extraction Point to always show regardless of distance.

• Updated the Ops Board (Ready Room) to allow players to click to spectate again.

• Changes to Hostage Rescue requirements: now you only need 2 players on Red team and 1 player on Blue team to start the round. This should reduce the headache of starting a Hostage Rescue match if the teams suddenly change balance during a countdown or during the round start.

• Removed bad spawns on City (Subway) and fixed issue with missing doors on that map.

• Fixed issue where the voting timeout logic was being interpreted incorrectly, leading to timeouts upwards of an hour.

💡 For a more in-depth look into the Lua refactoring, check out Intel Report #027[www.groundbranch.com].

• Non-Lua mods will not be affected
  Once updated to V1035.2, most mods (e.g. item mods) should continue to work as before.
  
• Lua-based game modes and missions will need to be converted to Blueprint-based onesWith rounds, settings and other game mode-related classes being far more modular now, it'll be easier than how we had it setup. The Blueprint-based games modes we've included can be used as a base/example.

💡 What about custom maps?

While you can convert older custom maps using the mission actor conversion tool, we’re also developing a proper map editor for future content.
For best results — and full compatibility going forward — we recommend building new maps with proper actors and assets once the new Map SDK is available.

💡 We are also working on a UI solution that will replace the old setup for admins who prefer to load them via the in-game menu.

💡 Dedicated servers no longer need to be restarted after a few hours to recover online performance — huge relief!

• Doors no longer have a fluid-looking opening and closing motion — this will be addressed in the future with animations.
  
• Doors will no longer desync: an open door will stay open and a closed door will stay closed. No more guesswork when approaching a door online.
  
• In addition, doors now have a weight we can assign per door type. While we haven't gone through and updated every door, you will notice the gate on Compound "feels" heavier than before. This will also be updated throughout the next few patches to better represent our doors materials.
  
• Lastly, AI have had a pass on how they navigate doors. Initial tests with squads of 4 AI going through a door are good, and we will use this same logic to improve navigation through double doors, as well as for friendly AI in the future.

🐞 If you "lose" the door prompt while gradually opening/closing a door, you have to release and hold your Interact key again before resuming the action.

💡 We'll of course continue to improve the grenade ability as we go, but in the meantime this added logic makes it a more interesting mechanic to deal with in firefights.

💡 We had to rebuild Hostage Rescue from the ground up for V1035.2. This means some of the systems may be a bit different than before. Please have a try and give us your feedback.

• To start the mode, there must be at minimum 5 players on a server and at least 1 more player on the RED than the BLUE side. (Currently, BLUE team are always the defenders and RED team are always the attackers. This will be updated and improved in V1036.)
  
• A random player of the attacking RED team has been taken hostage in one of the map’s buildings. The hostage player is hooded and cuffed, limiting their vision and movement — they are unable to interact with map objects such as doors or items, and are restricted to walking (no running/sprinting).
  
• The target building is selected by the defenders BLUE team by choosing where to spawn, and defenders are restricted to within that building unless the hostage escapes it.
  
• Defenders can lead the hostage around the building or simply hold them in place by holding the Interact key (default F). While being led, the hostage will be intimidated and unable to speak. (This represents a simplification of the previous iteration, where intimidation was a separate action done by pointing a weapon at the hostage.) Note that it takes about 1 second for the leading/freeing to begin. This is a change from the immediate grab mechanics from before.
  
• Attackers can select any insertion point (including multiple if they decide to split the team) and will have to find the building where the hostage is being held — possibly with the assistance of the hostage making some noise with the Talk (VOIP) key (default V). Attackers must then successfully breach the building and rescue the hostage. If the hostage has their cuffs released by the attackers, they will regain a full range of movement and team communication (i.e. radio and text chat).
  
• If a hostage picks up a weapon once released, they become a valid target for defenders, who can then win the round by killing the armed hostage.

• ATTACKERS — To win the round, at least one attacker must escort the hostage to any of the available extraction points. Alternatively, attackers will win if the defending team is eliminated.
  
• DEFENDERS — To win the round, the defending team must eliminate all attackers, survive the assault until the time runs out, or kill a hostage that has picked up a weapon.

💡 With the rare exception of a released and armed hostage (mentioned above), any team that kills the hostage will instantly lose the match. Careful with those frags!

💡 Building Assault (a sub-game mode of Hostage Rescue) is gone temporarily — it will return in the future as a whole new standalone mode with unique mechanics.

• Drag a skin from the Available Skins list onto either team to allow that skin to be used.
  
• To remove it, simply drag it off the team.
  
• Click Apply in the bottom-right to accept the changes.
  
• Click Clear to revert to default restrictions.

💡 Please note that the map needs to be reloaded or changed for the new restrictions to take effect.

🐞 When first enabling or disabling skin restrictions, lighting will change to a bright, blue-ish hue. Simply changing the map in the server Admin Panel fixes the issue. This will be addressed shortly in a hotfix.

💡 Kit restrictions will be far more versatile in the future, allowing categories and specific items to be restricted rather than only skins.

https://youtu.be/Da2GafWRuh4

• The new colors should help visually group up related elements: red is used for objective-related elements, green for insertion/extraction points, and yellow is reserved for mission parameters.
  
• Mission parameters are more tidily laid out in boxes, and we've added a big clock icon to the insertion time (TOD) to make that military time format a little clearer without losing the flavor.
  
• Search locations (Intel Retrieval) will now display the name of the location when hovered. The list of locations on the left-hand side is now also a separate color from objectives, uses a separate font (the same used for the hover text on the map), and adds a little looking glass icon to each item.
  
• The extraction point icon uses a slightly different animation and color, and now also displays text ("EXTRACTION") when hovered.
  
• The button to refresh locations now has a dynamic description label next to it, which updates when clicked.

💡 The preset times are useful because our sky system accounts for latitude and time of the year. Since the sun angle at a given time vares considerably depending on a map's location and time of the year, the preset labels help players spawn in with the desired lighting conditions (rather than, for example, assuming 1830 is already dark in a given map).

🐞 Speaking of which, advanced time settings were also temporarily disabled due to the refactoring. This means the moon phase will be temporarily random.

💡 The logic to account for grenade kills has not yet been implemented. Grenade kills are currently displayed as self-kills or forfeits (withdrawal from play area), e.g.: [💀] fatmarrow

• The map selection screen (Lone Wolf and Host Game) has been updated slightly: the map entries have received some font formatting changes, as well as a nicer and clearer hover effect.
  
• Ranch and Power Station have also received new map descriptions in the aforementioned screen.
  
• Some of the copy/wording — particularly in Mission Settings/Parameters — has been updated for better clarity or to fit the layout.
  
• You may find other minor differences in various parts of the user interface; not all of it is intentional, so let us know if you catch anything odd!

💡 The G36K's handle includes working backup iron sights for very close range engagements, which can be switched to by scrolling your Mouse Wheel while aiming down the sights.

💡 The AUG A1 also includes working backup iron sights atop its scope. Scroll your Mouse Wheel while aiming down the sights to switch to them.

💡 In particular, the M110K1's handguard has received some further design tweaks to better match our reference for adopted SOCOM specimens. As a result, there have been changes to attachment points in-game.

💡 The previous skins were for the most part using a generic tan look that was neither Tan 499 (one of the more common US military tan colors) nor Coyote Brown (another very common but more red-heavy tan shade).

• An actual Tan skin has been added for the Plate Carrier (MPC).
  
• Tweaked the colors of buckles, MOLLE, straps, loops, buttons, stitching and other details for various platform skins to better match the reference items.
  
• Updated various skins to correct the direction of the camo pattern and/or to break up the camo pattern where it shouldn't be continuous (e.g. between the main body of an item and a MOLLE strap).
  
• A few other miscellaneous tweaks (e.g. reduced saturation on Coyote Brown Tactical Pants).

• Updated all 3 audio mixes (Settings › Audio › Audio Mix).

💡 The current "main mix" is now "Experimental". Please give it a try and share your feedback!

• We have added the American PMC enemy voice lines for our PMCs on maps Docks, Rig and Tanker.
  
• Fixed hearing sounds from the play area while in the Customize Operator screen.
  
• Updated attenuation on all weapons for better spatialization.
  
• Created audio system for optimization to allow more audio on levels.
  
• Fixed various bugs across all levels (e.g. missing audio portals).
  
• Replaced the old concrete footsteps sound effects with a better, more natural-sounding iteration.
  
• Changed diffraction and occlusion curves to better represent positional audio and geo impact with sounds (e.g. standing behind a tree while being shot at).
  
• Added audio to new animations, such as the chemlight deployment.
  
• Fix missing audio from various animations (e.g. the SpecterDR 1x/4x's lever throw when changing magnification).
  
• Removed middleware components from lights for optimization — this was part of the issue with a common audio crash that was resolved.
  
• Updated Power Station's audio with new room tones and sounds for the underground areas.