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Full Release: Liftoff: Micro Drones

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When we launched the Early Access of Liftoff: Micro Drones back in late 2021, we made a bold promise: to deliver the ultimate simulator for the micro drone class.[/p][p]Today, we’re proud to say, we’ve kept that promise. And it’s all thanks to you. Your passion, feedback, and unwavering support have shaped every update, every feature, every line of code. [/p][h2]
TL;DR
[/h2][p]The changelist below is massive—packed with the fixes, features, and fine-tuning you’ve been waiting for. But we know you love a good TL;DR, so here’s what you really need to know:[/p]
  • [p]Track Builder — The long-awaited, fully custom toolset is finally here. Over a year in the making, built from the ground up to empower your creativity. Create, share and download custom tracks. [/p]
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  • [p]Levels — Azure District (previously Silverscreen) and Melon Pan Park now feature stunning nighttime versions, each transforming the experience into something entirely new.[/p]
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  • [p]UI/UX Polish — We’ve polished every pixel. Buttons are consistent, menus intuitive, everything feels tighter, smoother, better.[/p]
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  • [p]BETAFPV Air75 — You asked. You waited. It's here.[/p]
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  • [p]Steam Achievements — Track your progress, challenge yourself, and unlock milestones[/p]
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Changelist
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[p]New:[/p]
  • [p]Two new environments![/p]
    • [p]Melon Pan Park - Neon City[/p]
    • [p]Azure District - Grip[/p]
  • [p]All new Track Builder[/p]
    • [p]Build and configure your own custom Tracks and Races![/p]
    • [p]Share your custom content through Steam Workshop[/p]
    • [p]Place gates, triggers, checkpoints, resizeable blocks, …[/p]
    • [p]Familiar industry-standard 3D editor controls: 3D gizmo, increment snap, snap points[/p]
    • [p]Spline placement tools[/p]
    • [p]Over 175 Track Items with various skins, with more to come![/p]
    • [p]Empty variants for each “daytime” Environment; and the night variants are under way![/p]
  • [p]Achievements! 18 achievements are available to unlock.[/p]
  • [p]Thumbnails and description added for each track[/p]
  • [p]Added BetaFlight Air75[/p]
    • [p]BetaFPV Air75 frame[/p]
    • [p]BetaFPV Motor 0802SE 19500kv[/p]
    • [p]BetaFPV Motor 0802SE 23000kv[/p]
    • [p]BetaFPV LAVA 1S battery 450mAh 75C[/p]
  • [p]Multiplayer high scores save a recording. Recordings can be reviewed in the leaderboards menu.[/p]
  • [p]Pre-v1 leaderboard times have been archived. They can still be accessed by selecting the ‘Legacy - no recordings’ option in the leaderboards menu.[/p]
  • [p]Added a volume setting for Ambient sounds.[/p]
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[p]Updated:[/p]
  • [p]Extensive UI polish pass for consistency and flow.[/p]
  • [p]Added Purist toggle for leaderboards.. You can now switch between purist and regular leaderboards.[/p]
  • [p]Updated text in the multiplayer game lobby to be more readable.[/p]
  • [p]Changed the default motors for the BetaFPV Air65 frame from 23000kv to 27000kv.[/p]
  • [p]Updated the race guides visualization. Arrows are used for the next checkpoint, and spheres for subsequent ones.[/p]
  • [p]Updated the race guides’ generation to be more smooth between checkpoints.[/p]
  • [p]Several new options in the game settings menu:[/p]
    • [p]toggle skip the race countdown[/p]
    • [p]setting for how many checkpoints ahead the race guides should show[/p]
    • [p]Threshold for “best lap time” notification[/p]
  • [p]The next music track starts playing when loading in an environment.[/p]
  • [p]In the multiplayer game lobby, clicking on a player now shows their leaderboard times and drone setup. You can clone their drone setup to include it in your own fleet.[/p]
  • [p]The multiplayer chat window now displays new leaderboard high scores set by other players.[/p]
  • [p]Updated the display logic of the multiplayer chat window. When expanded, the chat will always be visible. When collapsed, the chat will auto-expand when the player is not flying and auto-collapse when they start a flight.[/p]
  • [p]The realtime ranking in-game now shows your personal best score for a race.[/p]
  • [p]Updated the multiplayer game settings menu to store your last session, and restore it when creating a new game.[/p]
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[p]Bugfixes[/p]
  • [p]Reduced frame weight of the BetaFPV Air65, so motors and propellers are not counted double.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed propeller blur visuals on certain props.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed camera part angler where it wouldn't stay between \[-180, 180].[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where the default spawnpoint could still be used for drone placement.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where rewind would also bring the drone to a previous spawnpoint.[/p]
  • [p]Tutorial Fixes:[/p]
    • [p]Fixed issue where the flight inputs were being re-enabled after returning from an exercise, possibly conflicting with the dialog being shown already.[/p]
    • [p]Fixed several issues in the game features tutorial.[/p]
    • [p]Fixed issue where resetting the drone during an ongoing dialog would lock the player out from continuing to fly afterwards.[/p]
    • [p]Fixed ZetaFlight input issues in the tutorial.[/p]
    • [p]Improved Hoverdrone track in tutorial.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue with hover drone not showing the proper speed and altitude values in the Item Collect game mode.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where the propeller collisions would not work as intended when the drone is not armed.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue where UI becomes unresponsive after a race.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed issue with KISS rates where the yaw channel was always overridden with the pitch channel values.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed drone audio getting “stuck” upon disarming.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed windshield collider on car in San Lipo Drive.[/p]
  • [p]Partner logos are no longer low-res in the splash screen on lower quality settings.[/p]
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What to Expect Next
[/h2][p]In the days and weeks ahead, we’ve scheduled time for:[/p]
  • [p]Rapid fixes and improvements While we’ve tested extensively, an update of this scale always brings unexpected bugs. We’re ready to respond quickly and keep things running smoothly.[/p]
  • [p]Track Builder enhancements The new Track Builder is a powerful starting point, but we’re not done. Expect additional building elements, quality-of-life improvements, and ongoing polish.[/p]
  • [p]New content in development The next micro drone is already in production, and we’re actively conceptualising the next environment, with level production to follow shortly after.[/p]
[h2]A Heartfelt Thank You
[/h2][p]Once again, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the entire Liftoff and FPV community for being part of this journey. FPV has always been a passion-driven niche, and while it may be a smaller market, it’s one with a big heart. Projects like Liftoff: Micro Drones only exist because of your collective support. Every single pilot makes a difference.[/p][p]What we’re launching today is not just the result of our development efforts, it’s the achievement of an entire community. True teamwork.[/p][p]A special thank you goes out to our testers, who’ve spent the past weeks relentlessly bug-hunting and stress-testing the new Track Builder. Your dedication and detailed feedback have been invaluable.


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A Tribute
[/h3][p]Lastly, we’d like to dedicate this launch to someone truly special, a legend in the Liftoff community whose creativity and passion have touched us all.[/p][p]Shane Hirst, known to many as Mekon, gave us countless hours of joy through his incredible tracks. His talent, generosity, and love for the game inspired a generation of pilots and creators.[/p][p]Though he’s no longer with us, his legacy lives on in every turn, dive, and gate we fly.[/p][p]This one’s for you, buddy. Thank you, Shane. You will be missed.[/p][p][/p]