Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the PTE for Patch 17.1, this patch will come with quite a few Quality Of Life improvements which we hope you will all appreciate!

Please find below a list of extensive changes that have been made / are currently being worked on by the team, we’d love to get your feedback on all of this prior to the release to make sure we can evaluate and make changes based on your feedback!

At the bottom of the sheet you will find a feedback form that we’d appreciate if you filled out.

The map rotation for this PTE is going to be:

• Kharkov - Offensive - RUS
  
• Foy - Offensive - US
  
• Kharkov - Warfare - Night
  
• Mortain - Warfare - Overcast

This rotation should allow you to experience all the changes that have been made, also feel free to use the new Explore menu to test out changes made to the bipod and any other weapons!

Along with this patch will come a lot of general bug fixes and improvements! A full list of which will as always be delivered to you with the final changelog when the patch goes LIVE in the near future!



As part of the ongoing effort to improve Medic gameplay, the Design team has tuned several in-engine values to improve both both performance and playability. As a result of this, the following values now apply:

• Full HP on revive
  
• Medic bandage speed is now 2s (this also applies to self bandaging)
  
• Revive speed for all Forces has been reduced to 2s
  
• Medic revive XP increased from 30 to 75
  
• Being revived by Medic XP increased from 30 to 75

This PTE also introduces the Medic ‘Call & Response’ system, allowing downed players to request a revive. Medics can respond using the radial ping marker system, helping prioritise revives and reduce unnecessary journeys across the battlefield.

It’s important to note that this feature is still in development and will not be included in Update 17.1. Player feedback during testing will help shape its final version.


The bipod system has been significantly overhauled for more flexible and realistic deployment, improving the overall gameplay experience.

The system now detects objects in the player’s deployed path, rather than relying on hardcoded limits. This reduces instances of clipping into static objects. Deployment inside objects is no longer possible.

Pitch angles now reflect the height of the surface, allowing a wider range of weapon rotation. You can aim lower from low surfaces and higher from elevated ones.

Server-side checks now ensure valid deployment surfaces, fixing issues where deployment would cancel mid-animation. Standing and crouching now share the same deployment limits, eliminating the need to change stances to check for valid deployment surfaces properly.


Following the overwhelmingly positive reception of Elsenborn Ridge, we're bringing the same winter tank camo style to the tanks in Foy and Kharkov.



The Technical Art team has begun addressing LOD-related issues raised by players, including abrupt LOD transitions (e.g., between LOD 0 and LOD 1), inconsistent screen size thresholds, uneven triangle density, and large assets using too few LODs.

The initial focus is on barbed wire assets, along with the setup of optimised LOD materials for use on the lowest LODs.

LOD 0 was already efficiently configured with minimal overdraw. However, performance decreased noticeably when transitioning to lower LODs

• The optimised LOD material is set to be opaque to reduce the fill rate of masked materials seen at a distance
  
• As texture mapping blurs masked textures, switching to opaque textures improves performance with minimal impact on visual quality

The barbed wire assets have been updated to LOD more efficiently. Previously LOD 0 was on screen from a screen size of 1.0 to 0.1, meaning over 6,000 triangles were occupying the screen space. This has now been balanced so that LOD 0 is visible until 0.5 screen size, after which it transitions and to a model with 50% fewer triangles, remaining until 0.1 screen size.

Another issue affecting distant objects is the use of Hierarchical Level of Detail (HLOD) systems, which optimise performance by merging meshes into lower-detail proxies. These clusters reduce triangle count and material complexity, allowing many objects to render at distance without a performance hit.

However, problems arise when HLOD transitions occur too early, as the system relies on player to object distance without accounting for zoomed views through binoculars, scopes, or tank optics. In these cases, higher-detail models are not restored when expected.

Barbed wire assets, in particular, did not benefit from HLOD passes and appeared overly low poly at distance. The Technical Art team has addressed this by removing barbed wire from HLODs, allowing them to LOD more effectively on their own.

Original Barbed Wire HLOD ProxyBarbed Wire Removed from HLOD Proxy
Players can now retain voice communications for the Leadership and Squad channels during the post-match flow, this allows players a grace period to discuss the match, or plan out next steps for the upcoming match.

Players will notice that a “MUTE ALL” button has been added next to “PERSONAL STATS”, this allows the player to quickly mute all players in the team.


In response to community feedback, the Technical Art team is working to enhance flare gun effectiveness in night-time scenarios. We’re currently exploring ways to improve the spread of the particle light associated with the gun's visual effects (VFX) to increase its reach. Feedback is welcome as we continue refining this effect.


Following recent updates to the admin camera, there has been a request to introduce filters. The Technical Art team has explored various existing filters used by the community and has created a set of presets designed to enhance the overall experience. Below are examples using Colour Look Up Tables (CLUTs).

2 Strip Colour Treatment
Bleach Bypass
Black and White (Red Filter)
Black and White (Blue Filter)
Modern 35mm
1940’s Colour
1940’s Colour (Variation)These are then combined with additional post pro settings available in the engine, such as shadow intensity, bloom, chromatic aberration, film grain and vignetting. Below is a demonstration of these camera effects.


The Practice Range now allows players to sample all available loadouts, regardless of their current in-game role rank. This enables testing of every weapon within a safe, controlled environment.


Dynamic weather has been integrated into several legacy maps. The Technical Art team is currently evaluating appropriate lighting and weather conditions to incorporate effects such as snow, rain, and sandstorms across these maps. The new weather manager allows each map to deliver a distinct and immersive experience due to it’s flexibility.

Below are short videos showcasing the transition of light to extreme snow both in Foy (available to play in the PTE) and Kharkov (available to play on release).


Community feedback highlighted concerns over excessive fog and difficulty with sightlines on some of the newer night maps. It was found that Elsenborn Ridge (night) had an acceptable level of fog and lighting exposure which the team are using as a basis for improvements.

Based on evaluation and feedback, El Alamein, Omaha Beach and Hill 400 were found to have acceptable intensities of fog, with El Alamein’s fog intensity being welcomed in addressing overly long sightlines.

Kharkov, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont (SMDM), Driel, Carentan, St Mere-Eglise (SME), Utah Beach, and Stalingrad were found to be excessively foggy.

These have all been updated to leave longer sightlines.

Kharkov - Original Fog Settings
Kharkov - Updated Fog Settings
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont - Original Fog Settings
Sainte-Marie-du-Mont - Updated Fog Settings
Driel - Original Fog Settings
Driel - Updated Fog Settings
Carentan - Original Fog Settings
Carentan - Updated Fog Settings
Sainte-Mère-Église - Original Fog Settings
Sainte-Mère-Église - Updated Fog Settings
Utah Beach - Original Fog Settings
Utah Beach - Updated Fog Settings
Stalingrad - Original Fog Settings
Stalingrad - Updated Fog Settings
Stalingrad - Updated Fog Settings
A new “Explore” tab has been added to the Enlist screen. This section allows independent exploration of each map at a player's own pace, separate from standard gameplay.

In Explore Mode, the player can:

• Explore every section of the map
  
• Play as any role
  
• Use faction/role appropriate vehicles
  
• Use faction appropriate artillery

In Explore Mode, the player cannot:

• Gain XP
  
• Win/Lose Matches
  
• Capture any Capture Points

Hell Let Loose on PC platforms now uses DirectX 12 as it’s rendering API, offering performance gains during gameplay. Due to the variety of PC setups, we understand that issues may arise with this change. Therefore, an option to switch back to DirectX 11 will be made available in the Video Settings section of the Settings menu.


Here are some additional features coming to 17.1 that won’t be in the PTE but are scheduled for the full release:


In response to community feedback regarding the stepping effect of the VFX around large buildings, the Technical Art team has developed a new system to enhance VFX occlusion.

This improved system applies volumes around large structures and has now been implemented in Tobruk. Below, you will find a comparison showcasing the improvements made before and after the implementation.

The environment art team has made some visual improvements to the building exterior textures to add more bullet and shrapnel damage giving the town area a more war torn look. Also more ground scatter has been added where it is possible without affecting performance. The town building interiors have had more muck and scatter added to make it feel more lived in.


New features have been added to RCON for Update 17.1. Server owners will now have the ability to change the following parameters for their servers:

The overall match timer is now more flexible, with server owners allowing them to be adjusted within the following ranges based on game mode:
Note: The new timer range for Offensive mode is divided by 5 for each Capture Point phase, so a match timer of 300 minutes would give each Capture Point a 60 minute timer for example.

Note: Due to the way that Offensive mode “Warm-up” periods are dictated by its global spawn wave system, we have not yet added the ability to control this but it is something we are open to exploring with future RCON quality of life features.


The technical art team has now updated the Mortain overcast scenario from the older rain VFX to the newer dynamic rain.

Please note that server owners will have the option to disable dynamic weather with the launch of version 17.1. However, this feature is not available in the PTE.


These PTE sessions are a way for you as a community to feedback on Hell Let Loose work in progress, which means we can look to implement your feedback before a patch or update is released. Although we can currently only hold public testing sessions on Steam, we encourage everyone to take part to be able to share feedback.

You may encounter some placeholder assets / areas that do not look completely finalised, this is still work in progress but should give you a good idea of how the final map will look / feel

• Mute All is present on the scoreboard during gameplay
  
• Explore Mode has placeholder UI
  
• R.O.A uniform's Third Person Perspective hands are missing

You are welcome to both stream and record PTE footage, but as these sessions are showing unfinished work, it’s always good to let your individual communities know that the footage is from a PTE session, where you might encounter unfinished items, bugs and other issues.


Once you have completed a game and are ready to provide feedback, please use the forms below!


Check your Steam Library for the Hell Let Loose (Public Testing) application, or re-download it from the Steam store, you’ll want to boot this version up to take part in the PTE!

Once you’re in and have selected a server, you’ll be able to test out the new game map!



Because PTEs are run on development servers that have logging activated, you will experience a slight decrease in performance. You will also not earn any XP and your progress will not be carried over to the live game.



Hey everyone, Ben back with some community updates.

Firstly, we want to give a huge shoutout to everyone who has been submitting clips for our 'Best of the Community' series. It's been great to see so many phenomenal entries, and we loved being able to do an episode all about the Competitive Scene in Hell Let Loose. From admin cam casting, to clutch plays, enjoy our latest episode, co-hosted by the voice of comp DasAltberg, over on our YouTube channel.

If you would like to be featured in future episodes, be sure to submit your videos, artwork, or clips via our Discord server[discord.gg].
https://discord.gg/HellLetLoose


Alongside events that we are throwing, we wanted to once again shoutout BR1 Gaming who are back with another 'Road to D-Day' event. This year's event will bring together both PC and console communities, with matches set for both platforms. If you're interested in taking part or want to donate to their charity of choice, be sure to visit their website and register today. 

Another incredible event happening next weekend will be the testimonial event between 82AD and ESPT.

For those who may not have heard, Myrk — a former member of 82AD and ESPT — tragically passed away in an accident earlier this month. His legacy within the competitive HLL community, particularly in these two teams, is profound. His unmatched passion, sharp tactical mind, and genuine willingness to help others left a lasting mark on everyone who had the privilege to play alongside him. Myrk was instrumental in shaping how 82AD and ESPT approached arty and arty defence in past metas, long before the strategies we use today came into play.

Inchon captured his essence best:
"I first started playing with Myrk back in 2021 and quickly realized I needed to spend as much time with him as possible. His passion for HLL was infectious, and more importantly, his approach to helping others — always positive, never judgmental — was something rare. Whether you were a veteran or brand new, he'd jump into comms, pull up Stratsketch, and send a password for a private server. Time flew by as he shared his deep knowledge, great humour, and most importantly, his time. From 2022-23, Myrk helped us grow structurally as a team and introduced ideas that still shape our gameplay today."

To honor his memory, we’re hosting a testimonial match between 82AD and ESPT. We’ll start with a fun arty phase — all guns firing, defences built — before going into current meta rules. The match takes place on HLL’s newest map, Tobruk.

If you would like to donate, the group's have set up a fundraising page[www.justgiving.com] to help support Myrk's family.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/myrk-gaming-event

The event will be livestreamed on DasAltberg's Twitch channel [www.twitch.tv] on Saturday, 7 June 2025.
Games starting at 11am PST | 2pm EST | 7pm BST | 8pm CEST


And as always, our War Correspondents have been creating some excellent content for us all to enjoy. Here's what they have created recently:

Alpine Sniper
Soul Sniper
RazBora
https://www.tiktok.com/@raz_bora/video/7507794988332322091

DasAltberg

As a final reminder, please ensure that you share all feedback and bugs from this weekend's PTE via the below forms:


Thank you all and enjoy the PTE!

Hi all,

We’d like to start off by saying a big thank you to the community for their involvement with the recent VE Day 80th Anniversary Hell Let Loose event, and for the generous donations made towards SSAFA[tilt.fyi].

The reason for this developer briefing is that we have recognised that communication between the development team and the community has slowed recently, and we would like to address that. Typically, our developer briefings are centered around PTE’s and official updates to the game. Going forward, we’d like to take a different approach by giving you more frequent glimpses into what the team is working on between major updates. With that in mind, we’re excited to share some behind-the-scenes progress on the roadmap and offer a closer look at our development process.

We're excited to announce that we'll be running multiple PTEs in the coming months, featuring both upcoming features from future updates, as well as experimental content we’d love your feedback on. Stay tuned for more details in upcoming dev blogs.

• Everything you see here is work-in-progress at various stages of development, and is subject to change.
  
• The content shown in these developer briefings is not an exhaustive list of everything coming to the game, and will be spread out across various updates and briefs.
  
• Do comment, and give feedback on anything that you see whether positive or constructive.

As promised in the live Q&A, we’d like to invite the community to take part in several paused maps and modes from back in 2023. We’d love to know your thoughts on the modes as a whole, how/if they fit in Hell Let Loose, and whether we should continue exploring this direction (either by adapting these mechanics into the larger maps or developing them as standalone experiences).

The following maps will be available to test in an upcoming PTE.

Objective Mode - El Alamein Objective Mode - Brécourt Battery Objective Mode - Danzig Post OfficeMore details to follow in an upcoming PTE.



After extensive research into the community sentiment behind Stalingrad and reviewing the map in engine, the Level Design team have started work on making improvements to the map, firstly by adjusting the HQ spawner positions for a more balanced experience.


The team has completed a blockout pass of pre-placed cover to protect players when immediately spawning in. This has been done to varying degrees across all German Force and Soviet Force HQ’s.

Stalingrad Map Refresh - Capture Point - HQ BlockoutIterations on the central Capture Points have focused on cover, gameplay routes, and a sense of Capture Point identity. As with all map refreshes, our goal is to enhance the existing experience (building on what’s already there, rather than taking away from it).


Stalingrad Map Refresh - Capture Point - Train Station Stalingrad Map Refresh - Capture Point - Train Station
Stalingrad Map Refresh - Capture Point - Carriage Depot Stalingrad Map Refresh - Capture Point - Carriage Depot
The Art team have also been making some significant headway in improving optimisation in Stalingrad:

Some of the details used to populate the map had redundant amounts of material slots and overly complicated collisions. This caused larger draw calls and slowed things down. Some have been reduced from 18 materials down to around 4 or less and had unoptimized decals removed. Here are some examples of reductions without losing fidelity.

Basic Example of Material Reduction Collision Improvements/Optimisation 30-6
The burned out Izba’s had similar unneeded material slots, collision in need of improvement and were merged in a non-optimized way. We’ve improved this to aid gameplay (such as player traversal issues) and draw calls.

This process allows us to make some significant gains on the overall performance in the map, without compromising on quality.




With the Medic role, we have gathered feedback and begun to address a lot of the key issues raised about the gameplay experience. The aim is to bring the current forces into parity in terms of timings, to tweak the core game loop, and to make the role a more attractive experience to play.

• Medic Revive Speed decreased from 2.4s to 2s
  
• Soviet Medic Revive speed brought into parity from 3s to 2s
  
• Downed players are now revived to full health

Medic Rework - Soviet Revive Speed & Full HealthNote: We currently have our animators tweaking the animations to match the new speeds.

• Medic Revive XP increased from 30 to 75
  
• Getting revived by a Medic XP increased from 30 to 75

Medic Rework - Post-Match XP

• Medic Self Bandage Speeds decreased from 2.4s to 2s

Medic Rework - Self Bandage Speeds

• Medic Bandage Ally Speeds decreased from 3.9s to 2s

Medic Rework - Bandage Ally Speeds
The bipod system has been reworked to allow more flexible and realistic deployment by detecting objects in the player’s deployed path, rather than relying on hardcoded limits. This aims to reduce instances where the players body could be pivoted into hard surface objects.

Pitch angles have been improved to reflect the surface height, allowing for greater range, like aiming lower from a low ledge or higher from a high one.

Deployment checks are now handled server side to fix issues where players would initiate a deploy, but get cancelled out of it mid-animation. Additionally, both standing and crouching now use the same deployment limits, removing the need to switch stances to test deployment spots.

The range of motion has been unlocked, so that players are no longer restricted to the previous bounds. They can now turn a full 360 degrees.
Bipod Prone - First Person Perspective Bipod Prone - Third Person PerspectiveAnother common issue is using the bipod through open windows. By unlocking the system, we can now control the range of motion to make using the bipod more viable through windows. The next steps are to add collision checks to prevent any excess clipping through objects.

Bipod Crouch - First Person Perspective Bipod Crouch - Third Person Perspective
Players can now retain voice communications for the Leadership and Squad channels during the post-match flow, this allows players a grace period to discuss the match, or plan out next steps for the upcoming match.

Post-Match VOIPAs mentioned previously, this is this first in a regular series of updates of what the development team are working on, a sneak peak at the future of Hell Let Loose, and your chance to share any early feedback and thoughts. Until next time, see you on the battlefield.


Hey everyone, Ben here — your Hell Let Loose Community Manager!

Over the past couple of months, we’ve been working hard to ramp up our community engagement and bring you closer to the heart of the action. One of the highlights so far has been our very first episode of ‘Best of the Community’, which we had the pleasure of live streaming with the incredible RazBora.

If you missed the stream, don’t worry - the full VOD is now available on our YouTube channel, ready for you to watch at your convenience. Be sure to check it out and see some of the awesome community moments we featured!

Our next episode is due to air on Thursday 29th May 2025, and will be all about the Competitive HLL Community. If you are a member of the competitive scene, and would like to show of your best clips or what it is you do in the space, head over to our Discord channel[discord.gg] and submit your entries today. I'm excited to be joined by the incredible DasAltberg - our resident HLL Comp expert. 

As well as the first 'Best of' stream, we also ran a phenomenal charity event on May 8th celebrating the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. This was an amazing 3.5 hour stream, where alongside some community games casted over by our War Correspondents, we also had five incredible interviews from members of our community. If you are interested in watching these interviews be sure to head to our YouTube and find them in the Community Interview playlist we've created. You can also watch the full VE Day VOD of the stream on our YouTube as well. 

We would also like to thank everyone who donated to the fundraiser we did during the stream for the SSAFA. If you are still interested in donating, the fundraiser[tilt.fyi] will remain live till the end of the month. 


Alongside events that we are throwing, we wanted to shoutout BR1 Gaming who are back with another 'Road to D-Day' event. This year's event will bring together both PC and console communities, with matches set for both platforms. If you're interested in taking part or want to donate to their charity of choice, be sure to visit their website[www.br1gaming.com] and register today. 

This will be taking place on June 7th 2025, with the first match starting around 4:30pm EST. 

Here is BR1 with a bit more information on the event itself:

"Since its inception in 2021, BR1Gaming has embarked on a mission to support veterans and unite gamers for a meaningful cause. This year, they have decided to focus their fundraising efforts with the Fisher House Foundation[www.fisherhouse.org], this renowned foundation is dedicated to taking care of our nation’s wounded, injured, and ill service members, veterans, and their families. As of 2025, BR1Gaming has successfully raised $11,498.22, a testament to their commitment and the generosity of their supporters. Through their endeavors, BR1Gaming has not only raised vital funds but has also raised awareness about the challenges faced by veterans, fostering a community of compassion and support among gamers."


As always, our War Correspondents have been creating some phenomenal content for us all to enjoy. Here's what they have created recently:

Thank you for reading this dev brief! Next up for Hell Let Loose will be some PTE's which we cannot wait for you to join!

Have a wonderful weekend.

"Thank you to everyone who has jumped into Update 17 of Hell Let Loose!
The team has loved seeing your reactions to the new map, Tobruk, and everything else the update brought to the battlefield.

Of course, with any major release, a few bugs have crept through but we've been hard at work squashing them. Today’s hotfix addresses several of the issues you flagged, and we're pleased to share that it's now live.

A huge thank you to everyone who reported bugs and shared feedback across Steam, Discord, Reddit, and social media. Your support helps us improve the game for everyone.

We hope you continue to enjoy Tobruk. See you on the front lines!"

– Team17 & Expression Games.

Below are some key fixes and improvements that are incoming with this latest hotfix patch.

We have noticed that a lot of people reported that Support Effectiveness XP is immediately granted to users who ping enemy locations, allowing them to confirm locations via the scoreboard. To combat this, we are doing the following:

• Rewarding player XP and scores for accurate marks or pings on the tac-map has been disabled.
  
• XP and scores for accurate markers or pings are only rewarded to the player upon: the players death, the player leaving the server or the match ending.

• [A6] Players could see beneath the map and fall through in sector A6 of Tobruk.
  
• Damage indicator remained permanently on screen after redeploying.

• Missing keybinds for Admin Camera in the keybindings menu.
  
• The R key still has no functionality when unlocked from a target, but that button prompt has been removed. When locked to a target it still has the original functionality of Toggling locked rotation

[I6] Unnecessary fence removed.
[J5] Certain area looked too symmetrical.
[D8] Road spline texture visibly splitting.
[A8] Disconnected power cable pole.
[I7] Unnatural ridge without landscape painting.
[I7] Fallen electrical pole clipping with environment.
[I3] Floating assets covered by terrain layer.
[I3] Crates partially blocking tent entrance.
[J3] Poor fence blending at top British HQ.
[F8] Broken blue door fallen out of a green door frame.
[F8] Terrain covering a house foundation.
[D8] Missing pavement poly face at the sea wall.
[B4] See-through cliff terrain in sector B4.
[C7] Misaligned terrain inside a mud pile.
[I5] Rocks missing player collision.
[B4] Guard Room strongpoint missing on the tactical map.
Intense shadows on windows and doors in multiple locations.
[H3) Misaligned terrain in sector H3.
[D5] Misaligned house with the ground in sector D5.
[F8] Clipping through walls in Admiralty House.
[E6] [E7] Boxes missing player collision.

• Field Manual – Tobruk entry partially obscured in the Locations tab.
  
• DAK Panzerdivision & Afrikakorps Tropenfeldbluse – Stretched arm textures.
  
• Purple Heart Lane Map – Rare lightning strikes.

You may also notice an improvement to the interiors across Tobruk as well, courtesy of our art department

Unfortunately, not all identified issues were able to be added into this hotfix. That being said, we wanted to make you aware of the following bugs that are currently being addressed which will release in a future hotfix update.

• Loading into queue UI disappearance - Thank you to all the players who have noted this issue. Although frustrating we wanted to assure this bug does not impact your spot in the queue and only visually removes the UI showing you exactly what spot you were in.
  
• The Leichte Afrika Division Uniform on Support, the backpack is clipping with the fuel tank.

We appreciate your continued support and patience as we work through these fixes!

Hello Everyone,

Update 17 has deployed on all platforms!

This update brings the release of the brand new Tobruk map, Dynamic Sandstorms and some Quality of Life Improvements!

The Second Siege of Tobruk was a short lived battle set in Tobruk - Libya that saw the capitulation of the British defences, within a single day. Set on 20th June of 1942, the Second Siege of Tobruk featured the successful campaign of the Deutsche Afrika Korps against the British 8th Army, as the harsh summer sandstorms rolled in. Aside from the close-quarters combat of the city proper, the map also features various caves, aptly named the “Desert Rat Caves” after the defenders of Tobruk, who were often referred to as the “Rats of Tobruk”.

Tobruk comes with the following game modes:

• Warfare
  
• Offensive British
  
• Offensive German
  
• Control Skirmish

When planning what kind of thematic map we wanted to create, we referred to the existing maps that are currently available to players to help us decide. As a team, we decided that this map could be:

• A desert map that is different to El Alamein yet feels cohesive in nature
  
• An opportunity to provide players with new fighting experiences including: caves, creeks, accessible rooftops and the overall blend of urban and rural areas
  
• A map that incorporates dense urban areas but does not restrict vehicles/armour
  
• A map that has diverse Capture Point themes that contrast each other yet remain thematically cohesive overall

The desert nature of Tobruk has given us the freedom to experiment with the natural topography, allowing us to create interesting natural areas unique to this map. We had concerns about the open flat plains that the desert provides, however, we addressed this issue by utilising natural rock formations and sand dunes which provided cover but retained the authenticity of a believable desert landscape.

Tobruk - High Resolution Tactical Map

• Improvements made to the XP System
  
• Improvements made to the dynamic weather system
  
• Improvements made to the Flamethrower

Tobruk - The following time of day scenarios have been added:

• Morning
  
• Day
  
• Dusk

The following game modes have been added for Tobruk:

• Warfare
  
• Offensive British
  
• Offensive German
  
• Skirmish

Updated Tobruk themed main menu

Updated Tobruk themed loadout screen

Updated Soviet Practice Range:

• New distant landscape added
  
• Reworked materials
  
• Added new roads and snow details

Updated lighting for the Soviet Practice Range:

• A new skybox was added to create a more dramatic morning setting
  
• Tuned fog settings to ensure they worked well with the lighting conditions
  
• Updated HDRI, again tuned so that the specular values are less harsh
  
• Tuned direct lighting settings to be slightly more pink and less intense
  
• Tuned post-processing to add a subtle blue filter

The technical art team has collaborated closely with the programming team to improve the weather system originally developed for Elsenborn Ridge and Purple Heart Lane. This updated system introduces greater flexibility and adds an extra layer of randomness to the weather patterns. In the previous version, the weather would cycle through various intensities at predictable intervals (e.g. every 2 to 5 minutes), always ending in an extreme setting before cycling back down. The new system alters this behaviour, making it less predictable when an extreme weather event will occur. As with the original system the transitions have a time range and cool down time range, however, from here we can breakdown each of the scenarios to give them separate weighting. We can control how long it will stay at medium compared to heavy or extreme, we can control the maximum amount of occurrences for each scenario. This also means that when it reaches a heavy scenario it can sometimes move back to mild or medium rather than always going to extreme.

As part of our plan to expand the dynamic weather system, we are now able to introduce sandstorms to Tobruk. The sandstorm features four distinct modes, beginning with a light flurry of dust and sand particles and escalating to a full-blown sandstorm. The extreme setting reduces visibility, creating intense dust clouds and particles around the player. These moments offer players an additional layer of dynamic cover, and with the updated system, the occurrence and duration of these events are now less predictable.

Due to the nature of the sand dust and cloud particles the technical art team needed to update how the occlusion system worked. Traditionally the system was handled this way:

• Capture a world aligned top down heightmap
  
• Particles then sample the heightmap using their world position
  
• If the particle’s own height is lower than the sampled heightmap, that particle is occluded/hidden

With the updated method we do a small ray-march for each pixel in the direction of its motion. We do this to check the distance that it will get occluded in the future and we use that distance to start reducing the opacity before it reaches the occlusion boundary.

Environment Art - Expression Games

The following buffs have been made to the flamethrower to allow it to destroy more buildable structures:

Previous Behaviour - Previously could destroy:

• Garrison
  
• Outpost
  
• Forward Position

New Behaviour - Now is able to destroy:

• Fuel Node
  
• Manpower Node
  
• Munitions Node
  
• Repair Station
  
• Supply Drop
  
• Ammo Drop
  
• Ammo Box
  
• Supply Box
  
• Explosive Ammo Box
  
• Medic Box

[/i]

Garrison

Outpost

Forward Position

[/list]Based on feedback from the community after the PTE, the following changes have also been made:

• Flamethrower effective range increased from 23m to 35m
  
• Flamethrowers now suppress enemies

Player built structures now have varying durability levels. These are categorized as Light, Medium and Heavy. Upgrading structures will increase their durability. This will allow us to explore how various weapons interact with different structures.

• Bunker (Tier 1) - Light
  
• Bunker (Tier 2) - Medium
  
• Bunker (Tier 3) - Heavy
  
• Barricade (Tier 1) - Light
  
• Barricade (Tier 2) - Medium
  
• Barricade (Tier 3) - Medium
  
• Hedgehog - Medium
  
• Belgium Gate - Medium
  
• Barbed Wire - Medium

The first change we have made, along with the new structure durability, is that precision strikes can now destroy Light and Medium structures, giving commanders a tool to break through tough enemy defences.

Previous behaviour - Previously could destroy:

• AT Gun
  
• AT Mines
  
• AP Mines
  
• Ammo boxes
  
• Supply Boxes
  
• Medic Boxes
  
• Garrison
  
• Outpost
  
• Forward Position
  
• Fuel Node
  
• Manpower Node
  
• Munitions Node
  
• Repair Station
  
• Supplies

New behaviour - Now is able to destroy:

• Bunker
  
• Bunker Upgrade 1
  
• Barricade
  
• Barricade Upgrade 1
  
• Barricade Upgrade 2
  
• Hedgehog (US & BRITS)
  
• Belgium Gate (GER & DAK)
  
• Barbed Wire

[/i]

AT Gun

AT Mines

AP Mines

Ammo boxes

Supply Boxes

Medic Boxes

Garrison

Outpost

Forward Position

Fuel Node

Manpower Node

Munitions Node

Repair Station

Supplies

[/list]
As a first step to promote some positive play, we’ve added more ways for the player to gain XP whilst playing the game as it is intended to be played. These include the following:

• XP for accurate infantry marks/pings
  
• XP for accurate vehicle marks/ping
  
• XP for accurate OP/Garrison Markers
  
• XP for suppressing enemies
  
• XP for kill assists

• Recon Outposts layer on top of all other outposts
  
• Player icons may block the ability to click on outposts
  
• The active Outpost icon fails to layer on top of other outposts
  
• Microphone Check Settings Reset After Closing Game
  
• HQ spawn timers freeze while the "Unit Join Request" pop-up is on the screen.
  
• All British helmets sit too high on the character’s head
  
• Aim down sights triggers read/write of the input.ini file multiple times per ADS
  
• A crash will occur after performing a network disconnection and then reconnecting and progressing past the IIS

(I8) Additional stone wall on the road
(G4) Deploying on an outpost placed next to the house causes the player to become stuck in the building
(H8) Players can use an Airhead to spawn into an inaccessible area
(E2) The player can become stuck inside the building after deploying
(D6) Players can spawn in a locked building
(F1) Misplaced artillery prevents the player from exiting the seat
(F1) Floating artillery
(F4) Two buildings are overlapping
(H3) The player gets stuck between a sandbag wall and a pile of barrels
(D10) The snow is not blending correctly with the road and ground
(C2) There are wooden boxes and pallets without snow in the open
(HF) (H3) Missing polygon face at the end of a trench network
(H8) Small seam that the user can see out of the game world
(H4) Big snow pile with furniture appears low resolution
(G6) Misaligned snow terrain
(C5) A little bit of snow texture is poking through the roof asset on the interior side.
(C3) The Back face of a rockface that is alongside a road is missing

Deutsches Afrikakorps: At the helm of the Afrikakorps, command directed sweeping offensives across North Africa. With Tobruk in their sights in June 1942, they launched a coordinated assault to seize the key port and strengthen Axis control.
21. Panzerdivision: As one of the Afrikakorps’ primary armored divisions, the 21st Panzer Division advanced toward Tobruk in June 1942. With tanks at the forefront, they aimed to smash through British defenses and secure the key stronghold.
90. Leichte Afrika Division: The 90th Light Afrika Division operated across North Africa, specializing in fast, flexible warfare. In June 1942, they advanced on Tobruk, tasked with breaking through its defenses and seizing the vital port for the Axis.
Eighth Army:Eighth Army Command oversaw pivotal battles throughout the North African Campaign. After the defeat at Gazala, miscommunication led to the Tobruk garrison failing to evacuate in time. This resulted in the formation of an ad hoc defensive force tasked with preventing Axis forces from capturing the port.
Cameron Highlanders: The Cameron Highlanders saw action across North Africa, enduring the hardships of desert warfare. In June 1942, they braced for the Axis assault on Tobruk, ready to defend the strategic port against the advancing forces.
1st Armoured Division: The 1st Armoured Division took part in some of the largest armored battles in the Western Desert Campaign. After defeat at Gazala they retreated East, with elements breaking off during the disarray to resupply at Tobruk.
LRDG:The eyes of the British Eighth Army in North Africa, the Long Range Desert Group tracked Axis movements deep behind enemy lines. This unit supplied vital intelligence to Allied forces, helping to turn the tide of the Western Desert Campaign.

We hope you enjoyed what we brought to the game last year, and we’re excited to share what’s coming next. As Hell Let Loose continues to evolve and grow, our next four major updates bring the following content:

🗺️ Two brand-new maps, in two very different locales.
🔧 A map refresh of Stalingrad, refining the player experience and addressing long-standing performance issues.
⛽ Powerful new vehicles to shift the tide of battle.
🔫 DLC content bringing new thematic cosmetics to further personalise your loadout.
🎉 And much more!

🗒️ Please note that this roadmap highlights just some of the key additions coming to the game. Each update will also include a variety of new content, quality-of-life improvements, and bug fixes. As we progress we’ll be diving deeper into each update to share more details with you all.

📽️ This starts on Friday 21st March 2025, where we will be hosting a live Q&A with the game devs. Keep an eye on our socials this week for more details.
❓ If you would like the devs to answer your questions, be sure to submit them in the Hell Let Loose Discord server[https//www] or on our Hell Let Loose Reddit.
Question submissions will close on Thursday 20th March.

We are super excited for another year of Hell Let Loose and cannot wait to experience these updates with you. Thank you for your continued support— see you on the frontlines!

Hello All,

Welcome to the PTE for Tobruk! We’ve got a lot of exciting things for you to play around with.

• Warfare - Morning
  
• OffensiveBRIT - Morning
  
• Warfare - Day
  
• OffensiveGER - Day

The Second Siege of Tobruk was a short lived battle set in Tobruk - Libya that saw the capitulation of the British defences, within a single day. Set on 20th June of 1942, the Second Siege of Tobruk featured the successful campaign of the Deutsche Afrika Korps against the British 8th Army, as the harsh summer sandstorms rolled in. Aside from the close-quarters combat of the city proper, the map also features various caves, aptly named the “Desert Rat Caves” after the defenders of Tobruk, who were often referred to as the “Rats of Tobruk”.

When planning what kind of thematic map we wanted to create, we referred to the existing maps that are currently available to players to help us decide. As a team, we decided that this map could be:

• A desert map that is different to El Alamein yet feels cohesive in nature
  
• An opportunity to provide players with new fighting experiences including: caves, creeks, accessible rooftops and the overall blend of urban and rural areas
  
• A map that incorporates dense urban areas but does not restrict vehicles/armour
  
• A map that has diverse Capture Point themes that contrast each other yet remain thematically cohesive overall

The desert nature of Tobruk has given us the freedom to experiment with the natural topography, allowing us to create interesting natural areas unique to this map. We had concerns about the open flat plains that the desert provides, however, we addressed this issue by utilising natural rock formations and sand dunes which provided cover but retained the authenticity of a believable desert landscape.

Tobruk Hi-Res Tac Map


Starting with the North West of the map, we have the Guard Room Capture Point. This German Capture Point features a bespoke building that was repurposed into a storage space for the upcoming assault, rocky terrain, reinforced buildings and a variety of verticality. As with all Capture Points here, vehicle access is not limited and is aided with the addition of a long open main road and branching dirt pathways.

Tobruk Guard Room

This desolate wasteland known as the Tank Graveyard Capture Point, is the result of a previous German armoured assault attempt on Tobruk which ended in defeat. Now all that remains are the artillery craters and tanks from both factions that lay in ruin. From dead tanks and large craters, to clouds of smoke and exposed rock formations, players have a variety of cover options to aid their advance. Though the result of the terrain proves vehicle navigation to be trickier, the winding paths and deeper terrain provide cover for vehicles for strategic attacks.

Tobruk Tank Graveyard

At the South West of the map we have the German makeshift base, the Division Headquarters Capture Point. This Capture Point was a staging ground for the German Forces’ assault on the city. With large rock formations, enterable tents and trench networks, players of all role types are offered a variety of cover.

Tobruk Division Headquarters

The next Capture Point revolves around a terrain feature new to Hell Let Loose, desert creeks. With a blend of rocky terrain, sparse foliage and various depths of the creek’s bed, the addition of this themed topology creates unique and interesting gameplay that provides players with the opportunity to utilise different tactics. Though the creek spans roughly 4 sectors in length, the West Creek Capture Point focuses on the widest part of the creek and its surrounding compound and focuses heavily on the more natural elements of the map.

Tobruk West Creek

Towards the centre of the map we have a Capture Point that contributes to the dense urban area, Albergo Ristorante Moderno. Whether you’re using the accessible rooftops to utilise the high ground, or using the planks connecting them as a pathway to reach further into the city, the rooftops in the Albergo Ristorante Moderno Capture Point provides players with a fighting experience new to Hell Let Loose.

Tobruk Albergo Ristorante Moderno

Making up the other half of the dense urban area, the King Square Capture Point mostly comprises second-story buildings and encourages close-quarters battle in the lower courtyard areas. This is a direct contrast to its counterpart Albergo Ristorante Moderno which mainly features single-storey buildings to aid rooftop fighting. We have not limited vehicle access in these urban areas, but instead, have provided many roads and alleys to account for all playstyles. So whether you’re infantry on foot or armour in tanks, this area caters for all play styles.

Tobruk King Square

Another Capture Point that provides players with a new gameplay experience is the Desert Rat Caves. As the name suggests, this area will allow players to participate in close-quarter battles within a small cave system. This area is full of verticality and does not limit vehicle access in most areas. Players will be able to walk and climb into the caves, offering flanking abilities and other strategies to tactically advance.

Tobruk Desert Rat Caves

In the heart of Tobruk, we have the Church Grounds Capture Point, which focuses on the area surrounding the church. We decided to not have the church itself in the hard cap to help mitigate against spawn camping, however, the church is fully accessible, including the spire to retain that Hell Let Loose gameplay that appears in other maps.

Tobruk Church Grounds

Near Tobruk’s harbour, we have the Admiralty House, a large structure that saw a collapse of its western wing after a devastating airstrike. Though the building itself is non-enterable, players will be able to scale the building’s rubble or utilise the facades and walkways in order to take the risk of its exposed rooftop vantage point.

Tobruk Admiralty House

One of the key attributes of the Abandoned Ammo Cache Capture Point, include the mixture of open desert road for flanking opportunities, and a warehouse that features towering ammo crates both inside and outside to provide strategic cover.

Tobruk Abandoned Ammo Cache

The 8th Army Medical Hospital Capture Point has many enterable buildings for close quarters battle and rooftop access for long range attacks and interesting crossfire opportunities. There are open courtyards to aid tactical advancements, and many flanking opportunities for vehicles.

Tobruk 8th Army Medical Hospital

This Capture Point provides a lot of verticality with 4 large two storey apartment buildings. Though the apartments are non-enterable, the apartment's walkways are accessible, with stairs to the second storey too. The Supply Sump Capture Point provides a variety of sightlines in all directions and an open courtyard space that allows vehicle access and large towering cover to either attack or help defend the apartment buildings.

Tobruk Supply Dump

The next Capture Point is the Road to Senussi Mine. This area features a long open desert road and plenty of verticality from the watch tower, large sand mounds, sand dunes, rock formations and tunnels. The Capture Point tells the story of the British Army who would load supplies onto mine carts, and transport them through the tricky desert landscape with relative ease and speed.

Tobruk Road to Senussi Mine

The Makeshift Aid Station Capture Point provides a variety of tactical advantages with the tents and the wide open approach for vehicular assaults. The road networks and dirt track paths also offer the players flanking opportunities.

Tobruk Makeshift Aid Station

The Cargo Warehouses Capture Point features large enterable warehouses that allow for close quarters combat and also vehicle access. There are also off-road opportunities and a variety of areas that provide flanking opportunities.

Tobruk Cargo Warehouses


The technical art team has collaborated closely with the programming team to improve the weather system originally developed for Elsenborn Ridge and Purple Heart Lane. This updated system introduces greater flexibility and adds an extra layer of randomness to the weather patterns. In the previous version, the weather would cycle through various intensities at predictable intervals (e.g., every 2 to 5 minutes), always ending in an extreme setting before cycling back down. The new system alters this behavior, making it less predictable when an extreme weather event will occur.

As part of our plan to expand the dynamic weather system, we are now able to introduce sandstorms to Tobruk. The sandstorm features four distinct modes, beginning with a light flurry of dust and sand particles and escalating to a full-blown sandstorm. The extreme setting reduces visibility, creating intense dust clouds and particles around the player. These moments offer players an additional layer of dynamic cover, and with the updated system, the occurrence and duration of these events are now less predictable.

Heavy Sand Storm GIF

Flamethrowers now deal more damage to trucks. Additionally they can now destroy the following items, giving the flamethrower more utility on the battlefield:

• Resource nodes
  
• Supply and ammo crates
  
• Supply and ammo drops
  
• Forward positions

U17 Flamethrower Buff

Player built structures now have varying durability levels. These are categorized as Light, Medium and Heavy. Upgrading structures will increase their durability. This will allow us to explore how various weapons interact with different structures.

• Bunker (Tier 1) --> Light
  
• Bunker (Tier 2) --> Medium
  
• Bunker (Tier 3) --> Heavy
  
• Barricade (Tier 1) --> Light
  
• Barricade (Tier 2) --> Medium
  
• Barricade (Tier 3) --> Medium
  
• Hedgehog --> Medium
  
• Belgium Gate --> Medium
  
• Barbed Wire --> Medium

The first change we have made along with the new structure durability is precision strikes can now destroy Light and Medium structures, giving commanders a tool to break through tough enemy defences.


These PTE sessions are a way for you as a community to feedback on Hell Let Loose work in progress, which means we can look to implement your feedback before a patch or update is released. Although we can currently only hold public testing sessions on Steam, we encourage everyone to take part to be able to share feedback.

You may encounter some placeholder assets / areas that do not look completely finalised, this is still work in progress but should give you a good idea of how the final map will look / feel

• Airhead can be placed inside a couple of the buildings around the map
  
• Dust storm flickers upon the players spawning after a mass redeploy
  
• Strafing runs are limited where they can be placed on the map in certain orientations
  
• A specific building asset is placeholder in sector E7
  
• Sandbag floating in the sky in sector F6
  
• Seam in the ground seen in Sector H8

You are welcome to both stream and record PTE footage, but as these sessions are showing unfinished work, it’s always good to let your individual communities know that the footage is from a PTE session, where you might encounter unfinished items, bugs and other issues.

Once you have completed a game and are ready to provide feedback, please use the forms below!

Check your Steam Library for the Hell Let Loose (Public Testing) application, or re-download it from the Steam store, you’ll want to boot this version up to take part in the PTE!

Once you’re in and have selected a server, you’ll be able to test out the new game map!

• Submit Feedback[forms.office.com]:

[/b] https://forms.office.com/e/2ts89DtxS9

Share Bug Reports[forms.office.com]:

[/b] https://forms.office.com/e/Phkn3bjvX9
[/list]
Because PTEs are run on development servers that have logging activated, you will experience a slight decrease in performance. You will also not earn any XP and your progress will not be carried over to the live game.

Hello everyone,

We hope you've had a great start to the year! We've just pushed a new build live for U16 comprising the following fixes:

• [VOIP] Disconnecting and Reconnecting the headset will cause the Voice Channels to lose the functionality
  
• [EGS] The Invite Menus from the pause menu are incorrectly placed
  
• [EGS] The game has the EAC icon as the Desktop Icon

We're still finalising the 2025 roadmap, with news to follow as soon as it's ready to share!

Thank you.

Hello everyone,

Thank you for your continued support throughout 2024! We really appreciate the content and feedback you share with us daily.

Now that Update 16 has been released, we have delivered all content stipulated on the 2024 roadmap! It’s been an enjoyable year for us working on Hell Let Loose.

We began by wrapping up the British Rework, refreshing El Alamein and improving Update 14’s overall content. Console players received the long-awaited server browser, which allows players to select which maps/modes they want to play and, of course, relieves us of the challenge of selecting a map rotation that appeals to everyone.

We built two maps from the ground up, beginning with Mortain. From there, we took key lessons and applied them to Elsenborn Ridge, which also featured our new dynamic weather system first introduced in the Purple Heart Lane refresh. The positive feedback for Elsenborn Ridge has been wonderful to read, we thank you for sharing your thoughts, as always, helping us to further refine and improve Hell Let Loose.


In early 2025, we leave the intense snow and freezing conditions of Elsenborn Ridge and land at the frontlines of the Axis capture of Tobruk, also known as the Fall of Tobruk and the Second Battle of Tobruk. Tobruk was a deep-water port and therefore a key strategic objective of the North Africa campaign, it was involved in one of the longest sieges of British history. Our new map, is set within the successful Axis offensive and assault on Tobruk at the end of Operation Venezia and will feature the game’s British Eighth Army and DAK forces.

Looking Towards The Church Grounds
View Over The East Approach
Tobruk From The West Creek


Internal 2025 roadmap discussions started in the summer and are ongoing. We’ll share the final plan with you as soon as possible next year. We’ve crafted the 2025 roadmap with your feedback in mind and looking at what we can realistically achieve over the next 12 months. We’re acutely aware of the gameplay improvements you’re asking for and our goal is to implement as many of them as we possibly can.

2025 is going to be a very exciting year for Hell Let Loose! We’re looking forward to being able to share more detail with you in the New Year. Thank you again for your continued support and see you on the frontlines.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/686810/Hell_Let_Loose/

Hello everyone,

We hope you're enjoying the winter warfare and challenging visibility in Elsenborn Ridge! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback so far, we've loved reading the reception and can't wait to share our plans for 2025. Stay tuned for news on the upcoming roadmap.

If you'd like to join us on our mission from the Labor of Love award, you can vote here!

Thank you! Exciting years ahead for Hell Let Loose.

Hello Everyone,

Update 16 has deployed on all platforms!

This update brings the release of the brand new Elsenborn Ridge map, the anticipated Freelook Mechanic, a Dynamic Weather system, along with multiple QOL and bug fixes.

Elsenborn Ridge was a less-documented but integral battle nevertheless in the Ardennes ‘44 campaign of WW2. Set in the Belgian region of Büllingen, just 40 miles away from Foy, the U.S. valiantly tried to hold their position in the small village of Wirtzfeld. With territory having exchanged hands multiple times between the U.S. and German Forces, the U.S. was eventually driven out of Wirtzfeld, and onto the Elsenborn Ridge, where they dug in throughout the brutal December period of 1944, having been forced to abandon crucial ammo and fuel stores near the village.

The map joins the battle between 16-26th December 1944 with the U.S. Forces having established their defensive networks on the Elsenborn Ridge, while the German Forces controlled the village outskirts of Wirtzfeld to the South. The map comes with the following game modes:

• Warfare
  
• Offensive U.S.
  
• Offensive German
  
• Control Skirmish

Update 16 introduces Elsenborn Ridge, a new map set during the Battle of the Bulge - 71 kilometres north of Foy in the Büllingen region of Belgium set during that bitter winter in the closing months of the war.

As our most significant content release since Mortain, we’ve focused on delivering a map that balances performance and visual quality. As with preceding Black Matter maps, we have crafted a biome that reflects the terrain, settlements and the biting cold endured by the troops in this region.

The result is a map which offers an engaging gameplay experience and is visually distinct. We are extremely grateful to the members of our community who took part in our PTEs and have helped drive that vision forward.

Environment Art - Expression Games.

Six new achievements have been added for Elsenborn Ridge.

• Blaze of Glory - Whilst injured, kill an enemy with a Flamethrower on Elsenborn Ridge
  
• Hit the Road Jack - Drive or ride in vehicles for 1 hour on Elsenborn Ridge
  
• Ultimate Price - Destroy an enemy garrison with a satchel on Elsenborn Ridge
  
• Rations for the Ridge - As the Support role, drop 25 Supply Boxes on Elsenborn Ridge
  
• Snow Angel - Revive 50 players on Elsenborn Ridge
  
• See No Evil - Get killed whilst using Freelook on Elsenborn Ridge.

Elsenborn Ridge Night

Elsenborn Ridge Day

Elsenborn Ridge Morning

Elsenborn Ridge Morning

Elsenborn Ridge Tacmap



Freelook has been a highly requested feature in the community, and as frequent players ourselves, it has been a goal of the development team to bring it into the game. Running through fields always has been a risky endeavour with threats always looming. Freelook allows for a 130 degrees horizontal view angle that allows players to scan their peripheries while running, holding a position or even mounted on your MG. This helps to give players more control over their situational awareness which allows for more calculated actions.

Due to some limitations with our character system, such as first person characters not having full bodies, there are some known issues which occur. This includes some visual clipping with certain weapons and uniforms. We are exploring solutions for these issues and will fix them in future updates.

Freelook is mapped to the Alt key on PC and right bumper (hold) on console layout A.


We’ve made waiting in server queues a better experience! Previously, players were stuck on a locked screen with no access to other features while waiting to join a server. Now, you can freely navigate the entire menu while in the queue; customise your appearance, choose your loadout, or explore other options to get game-ready. Queue details are conveniently displayed in a small overlay in the top right corner of the screen, keeping you informed while you wait. We hope that this change puts the downtime to good use, so you’re always in control.


We’re excited to share an update to enhance our community's onboarding experience! We’ve streamlined the UI by removing Basic Training, an overly complex menu with unnecessary loading screens. The two key features from that menu, the Practice Range and Field Manual, are now directly accessible from the main menu. This change simplifies navigation and ensures new players can quickly dive into essential tools that help them learn the game and sharpen their skills. We hope this improvement makes your journey into the game even smoother!


We’ve made some key improvements to the deployment screen to better equip players with critical information while waiting to spawn. One major update is the addition of the game progress bar which allows players to see which capture points are being contested in real time. This gives players the tools to make informed decisions about spawn locations and capitalise on pivotal moments during the match. Also, we’ve refined the spawn list to include more detailed information including; spawn types, their quantities, and individual cooldown timers. These changes aim to support Commanders and Officers in deploying critical spawn points when numbers are running low, while also reducing the friction of checking individual spawn timers for everyone waiting to dive back into the action.

The technical art team have been investigating the introduction of a dynamic weather system to Hell Let Loose, in particular a way to convey the weather that affected troops in Elsenborn Ridge. Troops were subjected to freezing conditions and blizzards affecting visibility.

We needed a system that could change throughout and be as unpredictable as the weather at that time to reflect this.

A set of VFX particles were created consisting of various intensities of snow. As we needed this to be configurable, we decided on a set of presets utilising data assets. This made it easier to drive the intensity of each level of snow.

This meant we could tune each scenario easily in isolation. Each scenario includes parameters referenced from the VFX and lighting to allow us balance intensity and atmospherics.

The VFX scenario was broken down into a set of presets:

• Light snow
  
• Medium snow
  
• Heavy snow
  
• Blizzard snow

The data assets were then accessed by a singular blueprint placed in the map which would blend each preset over time (all of which could be tuned in terms of frequency, probability and transition length). We added the probability of when the transition between each stage would occur in order to add some randomness to it.

The snow VFX behaviour has been improved since the PTE and we have made some changes to each stage to make the snow intensity transition more noticeable. Light and medium snow presets have fewer particles and a lighter feel, while heavy and blizzard presets have a significant increase in intensity. The transitions are now longer and feel more natural with the flow between each stage ramping up and down and not as immediate.

This introduced some challenges for how we would implement this for the online player experience of Hell Let Loose. Changeable weather conditions would need to be consistent over time for each player. The code team worked hard to ensure the levels of snow remained synchronised and consistent throughout.

In addition, the team went through the map to do a series of optimisations including:

• Terrain layer density, reducing the amount of terrain materials used in any one sector to reduce the strain on memory and GPU
  
• Particle quality settings, adding performance scalability for particle spawning
  
• Reducing the material complexity of various meshes
  
• Optimising the number of meshes found in each sector through merging assets and using the Hierarchical LOD system as a proxy for assets further in the distance to reduce the strain on both draw and GPU
  
• Optimising shadow depths throughout the map

Technical Art - Expression Games

This is a very exciting update for the engineering team. Along with freelook, UI improvements and the weather system, we also took the opportunity to overhaul the VoIP system in Hell Let Loose. The game requires heavy communication, and we understand that reliable VoIP is paramount to successful gameplay for Commanders and Officers.

We have introduced fixes for longstanding VoIP connection issues. As a player, this will result in a much smoother and more reliable VoIP experience. To achieve this, we reimplemented the VoIP management system from scratch with an updated version of the Vivox SDK. This was a large piece of work, but we knew that it was the only way to ensure a polished VoIP experience for the community.

Engineering Team - Team17/Expression Games

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3312110/Hell_Let_Loose__Wacht_am_Rhein_Units/

• Freelook mechanic added
  
• “Blizzard Dynamic Weather”
  
• Server Queue
  
• Ability to navigate menus whilst queueing to join a server
  
• VIVOX Upgrade / Reimplementation

Elsenborn Ridge

• Warfare
  
• Day
  
• Morning
  
• Night

Offensive

• Day (Offensive German/Offensive U.S.)
  
• Morning (Offensive German/Offensive U.S.)
  
• Night (Offensive German/Offensive U.S.)

Skirmish

• Day
  
• Morning
  
• Night

• New Elsenborn Ridge ISS screen
  
• New Elsenborn Ridge themed front end menu
  
• Freelook sensitivity added to the control menu
  
• The controller layout graphic was modified to reflect the new layout on a controller (Freelook)
  
• Removed the separate “Training Room” and added Practice Range and Field Manual to the front end for ease of use
  
• Elsenborn Ridge added to the Server Browser Filter

More authentic winter uniforms were added to the U.S., Germany & Soviet Union, including:

German

• Reversible Padded Parka
  
• Winter Covered M42

Soviet Union

• Padded Telogreika
  
• Winter Covered SSh-36

United States

• Wool Overcoat
  
• Snow Jeep Cap

• Map progress bar added to the deploy screen
  
• Timers added to deploy points
  
• Deploy points are split into categories on the deploy screen

• [Corps] U.S. Hair becomes way brighter in the sun
  
• There is no option to filter between the offensive team for the offensive game mode
  
• Certain maps do not have certain time of day/weather conditions, but the server filter does not inform the user of that
  
• Panzer Lehr DLC text is not localized for all non-English languages
  
• The Photosensitive seizure warning is missing localisation during boot flow
  
• Winter heads show clipping when Panzer Lehr Uniform is equipped
  
• 10 minutes after booting the title the servers will no longer appear in the enlist screen and a reboot is needed for them to appear again
  
• Temporary poor network conditions will cause VoIP to stop working until the game is relaunched
  
• The garrison count on the Officer's/Commander's watch is not a global team tally, only local
  
• The title soft-locks when the "Confirm redeployment" prompt is active if a player requests to join a locked unit

• [Factory Asset] Players can climb through a wall

• Cement block presents clipping with terrain in C10

• [A3] A trench has missing collisions

• [C10] Corrupted house asset can be found in sector C10
  
• [F7] House asset present inverted texture on wooden planks
  
• [G1] The Player can become stuck between a fence and house
  
• H2 Gate asset present on a closed fence
  
• A specific house asset presents tessellation issues at the foundation
  
• [C10] Supply truck can get stuck under a gateway
  
• [C7] Player cannot pass through wooden door without crouching
  
• [E4] The roof of a destroyed building found in sector E4 is missing texture parts
  
• [F1] Misaligned road, rocks and grass in sector F1
  
• [G4] The user can flip a tank on the bridge by driving into the cart located on it
  
• H8 A road texture is misaligned with the environment[H6] Destroyed house lacks bullet collision, allowing player to shoot through building and kill other players

• H6 Destroyed house lacks bullet collision, allowing player to shoot through building and kill other players

• [C4] The player doesn't have collision with the grass hill
  
• [E2] Incomplete stone asset
  
• [E3] A tree asset is misplaced inside a stone fence
  
• [E4] Invisible collision near bridge
  
• [F4] Missing collision on a wall inside a house
  
• [F4] Missing player collision on hedges
  
• [F4] Rain is falling through the roof
  
• [F9] The terrain is slightly misaligned with a large bush on a small hill
  
• [G2] Stone wall presents no player collision
  
• Invisible collisions in between hedges.
  
• Telegraph lines are connected out of sequence across the whole map
  
• H9 Trench wall presents missing texture and collision

• [RUS] Floating bottle in attic next to shooting range
  
• [RUS] Tree clipping through house
  
• [RUS] Wooden posts clipping through a wall
  
• If the player highlights the pause menu in the practice range, the subtitle above the Back button says Enlist

• [D7] User can get stuck inside a broken brick tower