Hey everyone!

We've got a long awaited update for you today with Update 20;

It's finally here! A new alternative environment for the Arctic Base.

Iron Fortress, codename "D-Day" starts with a beach landing area, transistions to heavily fortified trenches and culminates in a heavily fortified fortress.

From the rocky beach, to the heavy trenches, missile launch zones and concrete reinforcements, the Fortress offers a very brutalist and very Synthetik style, with heavy cover, large open areas and a lot of action. Some assets you might remember from the first game :)

As the Iron Fortress is new, we need your feedback about issues, balancing and everything else!

We did some improvements in the main menu and on the cursor.

• Cursor visibilty improved when out of range

• Cursor now has better anti-aliasing

• Cursor now shows more clear reload indication

• Varied minor cursor polish effects

• Active reload fail now hides the active reload bar

• Added mini-map icons for summons

• Main menu - varied menus renamed for simplicity

• Main menu - improved Armory Token user experience

• Removed fallback self targeting on Ion Cannon

• Removed friendly targeting on dynamic reflector

• Sticky bomb now can explode while stunned

• Fixed Golden Boy removing itself still

• Fixed around 20 suboptimal enemy navigation areas in environments

• Normalized 3 maps which were far longer than others in terms of enemies

• ZB-26 Rex damage 1.2 > 1.3

• Scavenger variant safety added & visual

• Handful of minor action fixes

We added a second reliability layer for important gameplay events like spawning entities, weapon actions, and other critical interactions.

Previously, these events relied only on Steam P2P’s built-in reliability. In rare cases with very poor connections, that could still lead to issues like enemies or other entities not spawning correctly. To reduce this, the game now also resends critical events at the application level.

This should greatly reduce worst-case problems caused by packet loss or unstable internet connections.

We also improved movement smoothing for high-latency and packet-loss scenarios.

In poor network conditions, enemy movement could sometimes look choppy for clients. To improve this, bots now send pathing information as well, which helps the client interpolate their movement more accurately. In our tests, bot movement looks much more stable even at high ping, including around 200 ms.

Recently we noticed that oil impacts on the ground had a sort of smooth fade-in. After noticing we couldn't unsee it anymore. Tuning this made weapon impacts noticeably more direct and punchy.

• Oil splats are now more direct, leading to better impact feedback and feeling

• Oil splats are now slightly more consistently visible

Boss performance was in some arenas quite lacking due to some oversights, this has now been resolved and the affected fights have significantly better performance.

• Significantly improved Raptor Jet Boss performance

• Significantly improved X57 Spider Boss performance

• Significantly improved Hovercraft Boss performance

• Significantly improved Last Defender Boss performance

• Slightly improved Sawblade Boss performance

• Slightly improved Arena Masters performance

• Reduced pixel fill rate costs of most newer VFX

• Reduced pixel fill rate costs of varied distortion effects

• Reduced overdraw on Mortar Markers

• Reduced overdraw on basic Mortar Explosions

Synthetik 2 is now getting close to 1.0

With over 100 weapons, thousands of actions (items, perks, buffs..), 10 classes, and around 4 times the maps of the first game, we are at a state where we are slowly preparing for launch.

Getting the game to this point was a hard battle, with many big plans, some wrong turns, innovations, learnings, experiments and refactors. We are very proud about our progress from the initial start to the current state and how we have advanced as a team.

To bring a little perspective to the amount of work going into these games and the general complexity of such a project, here are the windows folders of both projects.

Of course there is always more to do.
1.0 is by far not the end either but we are very glad that we finally reached this point.

We can't disclose too many details about console ports but generally speaking, the game works well on console and we are dealing with certifications and launch preparation there as well.

That's it for Update 20!

Up next: More polish, fixes, UX, class improvements, balancing and quality of life.

We are also investigating mods in co-op and seeing about per-class tokens amongst other things! Updates will continue, stay tuned for the 1.0 annoucement!

Stay tuned! - Team FFG

Hey everyone!

We are very glad about the positive reception of the Engineer Update!

Update 19 is a big spring cleaning update, with a heavy focus on fixes and quality of life.

• Fixes varied issues with chat

• Fixed issues around turrets not shooting

• Fixed exploits around recycling

• Fixed tutorial using difficulty modifiers

• Fixed pickups not disapearing visually

• Fixed negative health issue where players should have died but didn’t

• Fixed issues around healing

• Fixed issue with un-setting hotkeys

• Fixed Power scaling not showing on buffs spawned by effects (scaling worked, but UI didn’t)

• Fixed Mortar shots sometimes being visually offset

• Fixed charges instantly granting another charge when used (e.g., Sabotage Package)

• Fixed charge shader not flooring correctly (4 charges showing as 5)

• Fixed charge recharge display not properly appearing on items

• Fixed buffs from item upgrades (armor, speed bonus, ammo regen) not stacking correctly

• Fixed varied Engineer related issues as described in the Engineer section

• Many reported action issues were fixed

• Fixed broken achievements

• Fixed that trading jammed weapons made jamming unrecoverable

• Fixed varied issues in end-screen

• Fixed stat displays of certain power scaling stats such as variant power

• Fixed clients not seeing Ping markers from the host

• Fixed issues around currencies

• Fixed an issue where you would gain doubled credits

• Fixed explosive shots (60-stack version) targeting self as fallback for minor damage component

• Fixed Laser Implosion bug

• Last Defender shop opening now grants 4 seconds of invulnerability

• After selecting a skill, the Class panel disappears, preventing class selection until clicking elsewhere.

• Language selection: [c]PortugueseBrazil[/c] is out of bounds for available themes; defaults to standard theme.

• Fixed broken cinematic in Oilrig Hovercraft Boss

• And more.

• Mortar Shots now have different visuals depending on the type of mortar

  We added new visuals for different mortar type attacks, such as shock mortar, flame mortar, 3 different types of explosive mortars and more. This makes the enemy attack patterns visually more distinct and interesting, while also reduces confusion about friendly vs enemy attack patterns.

• End-screen menu layout is now much closer to the main menu layout to reduce confusion.

• Multiple minor UI improvements

• Lost & Found starter weapons now gain a random variant on first upgrade

• Added sphere-cast for explosive ammo variants and Fireball Cannon ammo for better hit detection

• Industrial Breaching Cutter

  • Damage: [c]0.8 → 1.2x[/c] (+50%)

  • Ammo pickup: [c]180 → 120[/c]

  • Firing slowdown reduced by 25%

• Rubber Grenade Launcher: Improved ejection speed

• Spike Fireball Cannon: Added alt ammo – Curveball

• Area Saturator: Fire rate tripled; reload speed reduced

• Switched GM6 Lynx and R2000H perks

• KS-23: Added feedback to ammo unlock

• Flak Cannon:

  • Damage: [c]3.5 → 4.2x[/c]

  • Ammo reduced by 25%

• Tec-9 full-auto upgrade damage reduced by 10%

• Breaching variant:

  • Increased burst-fire delay

  • Fire rates increased

  • Scaling reduced

  • Deviation no longer scales

• Ninata Acid Shot cooldown: [c]6 → 4[/c]

• General Acid Tick damage: [c]100 → 200[/c]

• Rex:

  • Starting ammo: [c]60 → 120[/c]

  • Pickup ammo: [c]70 → 80[/c]

  • Luck: [c]10% → 20%[/c]

• Fixed CR18 chance being inaccurate

• Fixed ZB26 Spare Parts chance showing 33% instead of 45%

• Fixed Double Barrel misleading tooltip

• PPQ last-shot perk now applies only to the final shot (not last two); shield cost [c]150 → 100[/c]

• Removed outdated cooldown from Hot Loaded

• Abomination no longer has a hidden damage bonus

• Fixed Ambusher incorrect check

• Fixed Scavenger giving mismatched ammo types

• Fixed Unstable Ammo ignoring cooldown

• Improved Hot-Shot conversion scaling

• Ion Quick Swap now correctly grants speed; removed ejection speed

• Fixed Laser Divine Blessing affecting only laser perks

• Nano Armor tooltip fixed (10 → 15)

• Extra Shot buffs now grant an extra shot, not extra pellets

• Ultracrit scaling adjusted

• Varied other minor fixes

• Bulletstorm Trigger Assembly armor penetration: [c]−50 → −50%[/c]

• Chromatic Alloy improved

• Fixed Weapon Super Recharger cooldown reduction

• Auto-Loader reload amount: [c]5 → 3[/c]

• Terror Lafette now also grants +50% projectile range

• Fixed Tri-Bolt Carrier not granting extra shotgun stats

• Fixed Golden Boy attachments disappearing

• Commando weapon mastery changed:

  • From 60% free extra shot

  • To 60% no-ammo-cost chance

You can now see incoming healing very clearly, both in the HUD and on unit health-bars. This currently has a small side effect where you can see added extra health from health scaling of summons however.

• High Power changed from −200 shield to −10% max health, Power 80>60%

• Disc of Justicia no longer stuns players

• Kernel Shop cost: [c]2500 → 2000[/c]

• Heat Ray:

  • Damage tick range: [c]6 → 10 m[/c]

  • Burn & slow range: [c]6 → 7 m[/c]

• Fixed Stasis Sphere using outdated healing logic

  • Invulnerability: [c]0.5 → 1s[/c]

• Ignition Core can now ignite itself

• Psionic Catalyst range: infinite → [c]20 m[/c]

• Thunderstorm Uplink ranges improved

• Guardian duration: [c]20 → 30s[/c], cooldown [c]70 → 80[/c]

• Ghost Spawner ghost duration: [c]~20 → ~10s[/c]

• Snappy now has melee repel, dealing damage and stunning melee attackers

• Synergy reloads 1 shot on HVAP / HEAT usage

• New starter healing item: Life-Ripper Shots

• Early game more dynamic; reinforces sniper fantasy

• Target Laser hold time for guaranteed crit reduced

• Engineer perks are out of testing; level requirements enabled

• Fixed Overdrive Station not being clickable

• Improved sentry targeting and ranges

• Improved Spider Mine explosion trigger range

• Greatly improved range of area denial system

• Improved cone of surge 3 area denial system

• Fixed area denial system not using 3 charges

• Overclocking now grants:

  • 50% damage reduction for 1.25s (summons survive longer)

  • Repair Kit doubles this effect

• Summon health loss reworked:

  • Uses damage instead of negative regeneration (more debuggable)

  • Faster decay offset by damage reduction

• Unidentified Potion:

  • Negative effects now work again

  • Stat upgrade chance reduced

  • No longer always heals

• Economy Booster: [c]300 → 200[/c] credits

• Fixed multi-overclock only working on summons and not on yourself

• New Engineer Evolution: Ability Shuffle

• Fixed Turret Shuffle spawning multiple turrets instead of rerolling

• Gambling Kit:

  • Higher chance for Epic / Legendary weapons

  • Max recycle stacks capped at 25 (prevents infinite scaling)

• Fixed Mortar firing without cooldown and clearing content instantly

• Fixed Surge exceeding 3 and causing issues

• Fixed Economy Booster exceeding 3 Surge

• Suspicious SSeth Beholder:

  • Duration: [c]30 → 20s[/c]

  • Evil check interval: [c]4 → 3s[/c]

• Spider Mines cooldown: [c]30 → 22s[/c]

• Fixed currency validation issues (Missile Drone)

• Fixed Metal Storm not correctly checking the cool-down

• Added a concept of Squad formation for entities

  This is currently in testing but already in use for mil-grade attack drones as example. Entities forming around a squad leader try to stay in one of multitude of switchable formations.

• We now standardized the de-spawning to no longer use negative health regeneration which was technically quite "un-safe". The base summon durations might have increased a bit to compensate but the destruction phases are now more quick, to prevent massive amount of summons but most notably prevent too many damage packets being sent from constant damage ticks.

• Varied item summons now properly de-spawn after a time which did not have proper duration set

Up next: Our priority right now will stay on stability, UX and polish. Additionally we are working on the new arctic-alternative, and a new boss fight.

Stay tuned!

• Team FFG