Hello, Science Team!

Launch day is finally here, complete with a brand new trailer! We are making a big push to let everyone know that Black Mesa 1.0 is OUT! Please share this great news with your friends and followers on any social media platform.



We have been working exceedingly hard to bring you Black Mesa. Since the full release of Xen (0.9) we have done a complete overhaul pass on the combat design and guidance for all the earthbound levels, redesigned the HECU marine AI, upgraded the Vortigaunts AI, and built a new, modern user interface.

At launch, we’ll be right here to fix bugs and add quality of life improvements. After that, we will be taking a break before starting up on any big updates.

So, without further delay, here is a detailed change list for Black Mesa 1.0!



Our time in Early Access gave us lots of opportunities to beta test new content and talk with our community. We took what we learned during the development of Xen, and applied it to the Earthbound Chapters.

- Improvements to every major combat arena in the game
- Redesigned puzzles for clarity and intention
- Enhance environments to highlight objectives

We took a number of sections throughout the game and updated them visually to help the game feel more cohesive. We also made better use of the dynamic lights that we created for Xen.






-Better utilize cover and movement in general
-Put suppressing fire on players last known location and where they expect you to be
-Use grenades more strategically and more often
-New environmental analysis lets them track, flank, and move in for the kill
-Use weapons and abilities depending on their class
-Occasionally use RPGs (grenadiers)
-Use under barrel MP5 grenade launcher (commanders)
-Drop med kits properly (medics)
-Marines wearing a gas-mask will now use alternate, radio-filtered, deepened voice lines, which sound much more like the original HECU!
-Use more voice lines and communication




The Vorts got an upgrade too, with features from their Interloper counterparts and new features to make them more fun to fight!

-Dodge on spawn or dodge when player aims at Vort
-Better navigate to the player
-Use close-range charge attack (Dispel)
-Use dynamic lights when attaching
-Vorts AI now behave differently depending on how brave or scared they are feeling, which is based on damage taken / done to the enemy.

-Slightly nerfed assassins to have lower health and accuracy
-Nerfed Abrams 50 cal damage to make it less murderous
-Buffed Apache 30mm damage slightly

-Optimized sun shadows
-Optimized dynamic lights
-Fixed bug with popping sun shadows
-Removed view punch from smaller caliber weapons
-Fixed trip mine hitbox
-Added dynamic lights to portal effects
-Fixed NPC teeth being black or bright colors
-Made sure all tripod and ceiling turrets use tracers
-Fixed gravity in Earthbound
-Fixed HECU calling wrong SMG animation
-All new, modern user interface
-Expanded options with descriptions and performance cost

-Fixed HEV chargers giving you 76 charge instead of 75
-Fixed slide sound effect playing each time the player crouched
-Changed tank machine gun accuracy for better game play



Lots of mods have not been updated to work with the new version of the game. Until they are updated, they may (and probably will) cause all kinds of strange and seemingly unrelated bugs. If you want the best Black Mesa experience, make sure that you do not have any mods installed. If you have had mods in the past, it may be worth uninstalling the game, deleting all local files in Black Mesa, then reinstalling the game.

-The entire game has been subject to a huge number of bug fixes and improvements throughout. The following notes won’t mention every single fix, but will detail the most important ones! We scoured the community for things to fix.
-Removed all old “dynamic” lightstyle VRAD lights and replaced them with new gbuffer dynamic lights. These will look better and perform better.
-Full dynamic light pass across the whole game. Lighting should be much moodier and dynamic throughout.
-Updated lightmap scales across many chapters, so baked lights will be more defined and have nicer shadows. This will result in generally nicer looking lighting.
-Implemented CSM volumes across every outdoor map, which should substantially improve performance at no visual cost

-Updated title card to take up more of the screen
-Fixed various dynamic light errors
-Totally re-arted outdoor/cave sections
-Fixed tram not casting sun shadows

-Updated lighting for HEV suit holder room
-Updated down lights to have crisp shadows
-Went through light maps and increased resolution (now that we are no longer using light styles)
-Updated Vortigaunt Xen scene with newer environment visuals
-Removed light style lights and replaced them with new dynamic lights

-Fixed headcrabs on platform elevator from spinning around 180 degrees as they landed
-Fixed various console errors that may have been affecting performance
-Fixed houndeyes spawning in and facing wall away from player
-Updated coolant/valve puzzle to better teach core valve mechanics and for better player guidance in general
-Improved design of AM machine control room to force the player into the space
-Improved player guidance throughout the chapter and added player “drop downs” and closed doors to prevent confusing backtracking, or breaking danger sequences
-Improved box jumping puzzle
-Improved lighting for the “Lamarr jar”
-Changed ladder skins to red to help them stand out from similarly colored walls
-Improved sewer water section to show the player the ladder exit before they find the valve to raise the water level, allowing you to know where your end objective is before activating the flood
-Improved platforming/jumping on the crane boxes section
-Improved Crowbar pickup by highlighting it with door movement
-Added rewards for exploration
-Added guidance light to first retinal scanner to help new players

-Fixed bad autosaves throughout
-Added cover to first ceiling turret section
-Added new dynamic lights to elevator
-Added clip ramped steps for better player and NPC navigation
-Added more dramatic lighting for the “help my buddy” scene where you can first get the shotgun. In addition…
-...moved the Shotgun back to its rightful place with the Guard in this chapter!
-Updated map C freezer puzzle, to better illustrate cause / effect and utilize the entire space
-Improved all “shortcut” doors given consistent signposting (use wooden boards)
-Improved changed ladder skins to red to help them stand out from similarly colored walls
-Removed end valve/fire hazard, to streamline the end of the chapter.

-Fixed consistent crash that occurred when using closed captions at lower resolutions
-The HECU overhaul really shines in this chapter!
-Re-timed music start cue and added an explosion before it so it transitions in less abruptly
-Replaced dynamic lights and shadows in the transitioning elevator between map B and C

-Fixed janky dying scientist so he doesn’t just pop when he dies
-Substantial improvements to Tentacle AI
-Added art to map E to make it feel more like you’re heading down the shaft where a giant tentacle monster just lived.
-Moved the first .357 here, to match HL1!
-Added xog volumes to areas with radiation liquid

-Multiple fixes to the Gargantua to make him behave better throughout
-Added xog volumes to bottom of water section in map B

-Removed redundant console in Map A opening puzzle to streamline progression
-Added alternate route in Map B office fight vs 50 cal, to allow flanking. Also changed approach path to provide more cover to the player.
-Fixed bug in map B where battery light would show through the world
-Overhauled launch pad fight in Map C so that the player must use the entire space and a variety of different angles and tactics.

-Overhauled opening barrel puzzle for map A to remove redundancy, better signpost the various stages of the puzzle, and encourage more exploration of the initial arena.
-Overhauled lighting around the shark cage to better signpost objective.
-Mood lighting across the entire chapter to enhance the ambiance and also better direct the player in multiple places.
-Removed soft lock where players could put barrels in the crushers and lock progression.

-Reworked navigation around the trash compactor to stall the player a bit more (gives the doors more time to open so there’s less of an awkward pause), and better direct the player.
-Entirely re-arted Map A opening section.
-Significant streamlining across the entire chapter to reduce length of backtracking and make the path clearer and easier to discern for players.
-Substantially improved performance throughout the chapter

-Improved signposting in the lobby fight to make the origins of each wave clearer to players

-Several major performance fixes and optimization tweaks throughout the chapter.
-Completely redesigned and re-arted Map A (dam map). Every combat encounter on the map was redesigned and the Apache fight was improved.
-Added structure to the end of map B to help guide the player better and highlight the exit
-Replaced all old HL2 rock models with new, beautiful models
-Foliage pass in many places across the chapter
-Moved around some cover and rocks in map C to help the player
-Fixed the Apache fight in map C to use proper health values and move between phases
-Implemented cinematic physics rocks at the end of the Apache fight in map C
-Reduced difficulty in the “whack a Gordon” section (removed some I/O logic that makes it so the Marines always know where you are) and improved player guidance
-Fixed bug in the “whack a Gordon” section where the tank would blow up a wall randomly for no reason, even after it had died
-Art pass on transition from map D → map E.
-Added a system to eject high velocity gibs when you kill the snipers
-Art pass on map E’s trip mine warehouse. Now with 200% more explosives!
-Reworked map F’s intro sequence so it’s more like you are coming into the middle of a conflict, rather than some Alien Grunts randomly standing around waiting to die
-Lighting / guidance improvements in map F’s bombed out building
-Door to the bathroom in map H will now close behind you so you can’t escape the Snark sequence just by backtracking

-Redesigned map B big finale fight. Now features considerably more aerial action and a big bang for an opener!
-Re-arted the snarks devouring HECU scene to better reflect the prominence of the alien infestation throughout.
-Redesigned map B underground garage fight to more prominently highlight the aliens vs HECU aspect.

-Substantially improved player signposting and direction across the 3 “hub-like” maps (C, D and E).
-Several guidance and path improvements to map C, particularly the main path by the huge turbine, to let player flow through easier.
-Significant optimizations across all Maps C, D, E, F and G. Performance should be drastically improved for all users.
-Several lighting improvements between maps D (orange map) and E (blue map), to better visually differentiate them and reduce player confusion.
-Simplified several paths around Map D and E to make navigating to your destination easier, and also massively simplify backtracking to map C.
-Multiple new dynamic lights across maps D and E to help guide the player better.
-Improved signposting on the Map G teleporter puzzle to make it feel less like trial-and-error. Burns now appear around each teleporter you’ve gone through, so you know which ones you’ve tried. The “right answer” teleporters gain a new sparkly particle effect once you’ve used them a first time, so it’s easier to remember.
-Overhauled Map I finale sequence before the teleport to Xen. You now no longer take falling damage (as previously intended), the combat is now centered entirely around controllers, and the core navigation of the arena has been rebuilt to facilitate better flow around the arena and serve as a light bit of long jump training.

-Added missing collisions to many props

-Fixed crash when you shoot Gonarch’s mortars (again)
-Fixed some logic in map B where the Gonarch could randomly be missing during the crystal cave sequence
-Fixed bug in map C where Gonarch wouldn’t show up for the final chase
-Added missing collisions to many props
-Re-balanced Gonarch AI for all the difficulty modes

-Fixed bounce pads during chase in Map A1 to always put the player where they’re meant to go
-Fixed map D glass at the end of the elevator section sometimes not shattering
-Fixed transition bug at the end of map D so players will always transition at the end
-Fixed sucky vent in map D1 to fix a rare case where players could fall through it out of the world
-Added another layer of lasers to the bottom of D1 to prevent rare bug where players could fall out of the world

-This was already perfect so we did not need to fix even a single thing on this ;)

-Fixed tram door occasionally going missing for some players

Thanks. Hope everyone enjoys Black Mesa!


Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N

Hello again, fellow scientists! I bet you weren’t expecting to hear from us again so soon!

We’ve just pushed another update to the game based on feedback from yesterday’s beta. As with the previous beta, you can find the latest update on the public beta branch.

We found an issue with the update’s deployment which meant that certain maps weren’t updated when they should've been. This led to some bizarre issues (which were not present on our internal build) with rainbow/pitch black cliffs in Surface Tension map A, or Gonarch C being unbeatable. Those issues should be resolved now.

We have also deployed a few major UI and AI improvements.

As always, please let us know what you think! As with the previous beta, we are mostly on the look-out for game-breaking issues.

Here is a small changelog specific to just this new beta only. When 1.0 goes live on March 5th, we will post the full changelog for all of 1.0!

• Fixed bindings layout.
  
• Fixed layout for new Video Options tooltips.
  
• Fixed missing translations.
  
• Fixed Engine crash with New UI on exiting the game.
  
• Fixed sensitivity bug with the “Invert Mouse Look" option.
  
• Fixed manual saves limit bug.

• Removed old Combine code responsible for spontaneous rushing and other quirks.
  
• Rushing now occurs less and is more dependent on distance. The HECU will tend to rush less now if they’re further away from you.
  
• Fixed infinite looping of melee schedule. Now rather than standing there hitting you repeatedly, there is a 50% chance of retreating after each attack.
  
• Added a new “Cat and Mouse” behavior which is used while in cover or holding assault points. This is much closer to how HL1’s Marines behaved and is more engaging to fight. If you attempt to approach their cover point, the HECU will now try to suppress you with "extreme force," while still remaining in cover. They will then immediately try to hide again after being exposed.
  
• Fixed the LOS checks performed before firing. Now they are much less likely to accidentally shoot each other in hectic scenarios, as they will take into account their weapon LOS before each shot, rather than before bursts.
  
• Fixed Grenadier with RPG running around for a while instead of focusing on firing. Now he should fire as soon as he finds an adequate position, with no delay.
  
• Fixed rocket spawn position for Grenadier with RPG. It no longer shoots from just below his head anymore.
  
• Increased suppression point query radius. This causes HECU suppression behavior (where they fire at your position when they can't see you) to occur more often and have a chance of covering a bigger area.

Hello again, Black Mesa friends!

We have pushed another build to public beta on Steam. This is the second revision to the 1.0 update, which will take us out of Early Access on March 5th! If you are interested in helping us test, we would greatly appreciate it. You can find instructions on how to opt into the beta here.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1711867920418803575

Since the last beta, we have tackled any important issues that were raised by the community, along with eliminating the previously known issues list. Moving forward, we are most importantly looking for any major game-breakers or issues with the UI.

We also believe that all the achievements should now be fully working for everybody. Those of you who struggled to earn some achievements in the previous beta, please attempt to do so again. If you experience any further issues with them, let us know!

At this point, we have addressed most of the issues (if not all of them) with the game that we intend on fixing for 1.0. The goal of this beta is mostly to check that the game is fully functional and ready for the final release, start to finish. Please let us know if you run into anything major.

Most importantly, a big thank you to everyone who helped us test this beta, and all the betas thus far. Your feedback was invaluable and we have absolutely loved pouring through your notes and thoughts!

The previously mentioned MASSIVE 1.0 changelog will be shared with you all once we have set 1.0 to the main branch on Steam, so those of you who would love to devour every little detail will be able to do so.

Finally, we are currently at PAX East! In case you didn’t see our last update on this, please check it out here:

https://steamcommunity.com/games/362890/announcements/detail/1716372156954041181
If you’re at the convention, please stop by Booth 24081 and check us out, have a chat, and play our demo! We’re having an absolute blast so far!



Thank you, and have a very safe and productive day. See you all for the 1.0 RELEASE on March 5th!

Crowbar Collective and Black Mesa will be at https://east.paxsite.com/, booth 24081, located on the map below (and be sure to check out the super handy app):


The expo will be from February 27th to March 1st and there are still some passes available. Come say "hi" to some of the team, check out the game, take a picture in the HEV suit, and get some free stickers (if we have any left)!


This is our first big convention, and we are excited to see everyone, and experience PAX for ourselves.

We plan to have more information for everyone about the game in the next few days.

Hope to see you there!

Discord - https://discord.gg/PSZfh8N

In March 2006, two of my college classmates got onto the Black Mesa mod team. I applied as an artist, and they more or less vouched for me. The team “hired” me without even completing an art test. From there I became the art lead, a partner in the new “Crowbar Collective LLC”, project lead, and eventually owner of the company.

As I write this, I am realizing that we plan to FINISH Black Mesa exactly 14 years to the month from when I first joined the team. 14 years working on a single project, with a dedicated team, that had a vision, and saw it through.

There are probably a fair number of people who if you asked them “Do you want to own a video game company?”, would say “Yes! Absolutely. Whatever it takes!”, but it is easy to commit to something when it is guaranteed. If instead in 2006 someone said to me “This will be difficult. You will consider quitting multiple times, and it is going to take you at least 14 years to complete.” I am not sure I would have signed up for that.

Who would have blamed me if I didn’t? For the majority of its development, Black Mesa was a volunteer project. Even after we got the green light to sell the game, we still did not make any money until late June of 2015.

I have heard “you should never work for free”, and I really couldn’t disagree with that more. I did multiple free side projects in college that either eventually paid off, or got me connections I otherwise would not have had. I learned communication and leadership skills in my volunteer fire department. I got my first game industry job because of my free work on Black Mesa, and then after a round of layoffs, my job BECAME Black Mesa. The thing that was supposed to be a portfolio piece to launch my career, became my career, and I would not have been in that position if I didn’t commit to the work as a volunteer.

The key to doing work for free is it has to be important to you AND it has to be important to other people. For Black Mesa, the quality of the source material, and the excitement of the community when we would post even the smallest amount of media is what kept us going.

The fact is, all roads are long roads. If you fear that, you’ll shy away from choosing the one that excites you most, and has the biggest reward. Not everyone is going to have reliable friends to pull them onto projects, not everyone is going to have the opportunity to own a video game company, but if there is something you want to accomplish there’s nothing left to do, but to do it. You can not win the game if you don’t play.

Through luck, hard work, and maybe a bit of ignorance we didn’t shy away from our goal of bringing this game to completion. We are proud of what we built. We think this upcoming 1.0 release is the best, most polished, and most fun version of the game yet. The anticipation and excitement around our project is beyond flattering.

Black Mesa is a video game, it is our video game, and it has its strengths, and its flaws. As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Art is never finished, only abandoned” and while we plan to fully support this game after 1.0 with bug fixes and more, it will never be a perfect game.

This is not to downplay, or make excuses, but as the person who drafts most of these media posts, I think it is important to break away from the marketing and the “hype”. Before Astroneer launched, they made a blog post[blog.astroneer.space] about managing expectations for their game, and it really resonated with me, and inspired me to someday write a post like this one. We are super excited to have Black Mesa be “complete”, but acknowledge it is not perfect and won’t ever be perfect.

I hope that everyone has something that inspires them as much as Half-Life inspired us. I hope that everyone embraces the setbacks and challenges that come, and I hope no one fears the long road in front of them.

Black Mesa 1.0 will launch Thursday March 5th on Steam.

Thank you,
-Adam Engels
-The Black Mesa team

https://store.steampowered.com/app/362890/Black_Mesa/