Gray Zone Warfare News

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Hey, GZW Community,[/p][p][/p][p]Hotfix 0.3.5.4 has been deployed to the live servers and is now available for download. If the 'Update' option does not appear, please restart Steam.[/p][p][/p][h2]Changelog[/h2]

• [p]\[UPDATED] Settings required for the Update Preview
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[p]Note: For this Update Preview, we’re granting access to our loyal and valued supporters. All Supporter Edition owners will get a chance to play Spearhead a few days before the official release. We’ll share more details later.

If you encounter any issues, please report them to our support team.
[/p][p]Thanks for your continuous feedback. We are deeply grateful for your support![/p][p][/p][p]Every Move Matters,[/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team
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[p]Hey, GZW Community,[/p][p][/p][p]It's time to reveal information about what you can expect from the next major update for Gray Zone Warfare. Update 0.4, newly named Spearhead, touches nearly every part of the game, with reworks and rebalancing across almost all systems. It puts player agency front and center, improves sandbox features, and makes in-game information easier to understand, delivering a better overall experience.[/p][p][/p][p]Let’s dive into the first of three devlogs, where we’ll walk you through what’s coming. In the first piece, we’re focusing on quality-of-life improvements and upgrades to audio, animations, and the health system. With these changes, we aimed to strengthen core gameplay, improve combat readability, and strike a better balance between realism and game feel.
[/p][p]Watch the video or read the simplified list of upcoming improvements below:[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Video Summary - Player-Driven Improvements in 0.4 [/h2][p][/p][h3]Animations[/h3][p]Based on player feedback, we focused on improving fundamental gameplay mechanics and put extra effort into polishing core movement, which should now feel more fluid and weight-based. Other important animation improvements in 0.4 focus on enhancing combat readability, making it easier to see when and how you’ve injured AI NPCs. [/p]

• [p]Reworked the sprint into two types: a tactical sprint for longer distances and a burst sprint that is short, fast, and drains stamina quickly[/p]
• [p]Reworked vaulting, jumping, and falling[/p]
• [p]Added two types of hit reactions: shorter animations for light hits, and longer, visibly more severe reactions for organ or bone hits[/p]
• [p]Introduced limping when a leg bone is broken[/p]
• [p]Added new weapon check animations for the most commonly used weapons and newly added weapons[/p]
• [p]Improved weapon sway to better reflect the equipped weapon attachments[/p]

[h3] Audio[/h3][p]Gray Zone Warfare’s strength lies in its impressive visuals, and with Update 0.4, we want to match them with equally impressive sound. The newly refactored sound effects are designed to boost immersion, strengthen connection to your character, and highlight that every scratch matters. At the same time, we’re aiming for a better balance between realism and gameplay to make the overall experience more enjoyable.
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• [p]Introduction of a clearer and more detailed soundscape of:[/p]
  • [p]Human movement sounds[/p]
  • [p]Changes in the character’s health status (exhaustion, injury, pain)[/p]
  • [p]Use of medical equipment[/p]
• [p]Ambience[/p]
  • [p]Audio-based wildlife reactions to gunfire[/p]
  • [p]Localized audio cues from interactive items like radios[/p]
• [p]Weapons[/p]
  • [p]Close-range gunfire's deafening effect[/p]
  • [p]New sounds for weapon handling, distant gunshots, sonic cracks, bullet impacts, and ricochets[/p]
• [p]Voice-overs[/p]
  • [p]New voice-overs for AI NPCs and bosses[/p]
  • [p]Linking of the health system and the enemies’ voice-overs [/p]
• [p]Improved spatial audio and echo effects in certain buildings[/p]
• [p]Reworked headsets[/p]

[p][/p][h3]Health System[/h3][p]The health system has been rebalanced to increase combat lethality and improve clarity. Thanks to sound and movement, you should now have a clearer understanding of what is happening to you when you are hit, making it easier to choose the right steps to survive.
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• [p]Rebalancing of the health system and medical items[/p]
• [p]New medical items[/p]
• [p]Improved visuals and sound[/p]
• [p]Improved UI indicators when healing other players
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[h3]HUD improvements & Controls[/h3][p]We’ve added many quality-of-life improvements to the UI and controls to make navigation clearer and controls smoother.
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• [p]Indication of faction members’ locations on the compass[/p]
• [p]The health status indicator newly displays the severity of your wounds[/p]
• [p]Added information about items - e. g. durability, compatibility, armor levels[/p]
• [p]The ammunition item detail now displays the lowest armor class that the projectile is not able to penetrate[/p]
• [p]Improvements to weapon modding for easier understanding[/p]
• [p]Automatically equipping weapon attachments or parts onto an inspected platform using Ctrl + LMB[/p]
• [p]Direct weapon attachment swapping[/p]
• [p]Rewards are being sent directly to your stock instead of being delivered through Messenger[/p]

• [p]New keyboard shortcuts - opening messenger, dropping and deleting an item[/p]
• [p]Improved quick zooming
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[h3]Visual Improvements[/h3][p]To deliver a more polished, realistic impression, we’ve made many visual improvements. In the next devlog, you’ll find out more about improvements made to the in-game world. 
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• [p]Complete remodel of vendor visuals[/p]
• [p]Lighting improvements[/p]
• [p]Visual polish of grenade explosions, fences, cars, buildings, and much more (more on that in the next devlog)[/p]

[p][/p][h3]What’s Next?[/h3][p]
We’re still deep in internal testing, making sure everything in Spearhead is polished and ready. Next week, you can look forward to the second devlog, focused entirely on new content, including weapons, gear, new locations, and more additions expanding the experience.

In the meantime, let us know which of the changes we’ve mentioned so far you’re most excited about!

Every Move Matters, [/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team[/p][p]
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[p]Hey everyone,
[/p][p]A first look at the eagerly awaited Update 0.4 is here. The next major milestone for Gray Zone Warfare is scheduled for release in March 2026 and comes with a new title: Spearhead. Want to know why the update got renamed and what to expect over the coming month? Watch the quick Community Briefing or read the summary below:
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Why Spearhead?[/h2][p][/p][p]As you may know, Update 0.4 had a working title, Dark Revelations. However, the scope of the update has grown, so we needed a name that better reflects what it has become. Spearhead symbolizes our hard push forward. Don’t worry, the promised expansion of lore is still coming in 0.4, but it’s now part of a much larger update that touches nearly every part of the game. Spearhead brings a long list of community-requested improvements, core system refinements, and new content.[/p][p][/p][h3][/h3][p][/p][h2]Upcoming Devlogs and Streams[/h2][p]
As promised, while we finish work on Spearhead, we’ll be sharing more details on what’s coming.[/p][p][/p][p]You can look forward to three video devlogs and their summaries leading up to the update’s launch in March. The first devlog will focus on key player-driven improvements. The second devlog will cover new content, including weapons, gear, locations, loot, and character enhancements. The third devlog will introduce the most significant reworks and new features, and explain how they’ll affect the gameplay loop and your overall experience.[/p][p][/p][p]After all three devlogs are out, we’ll host a Q&A livestream where the dev team will answer your questions. We’ll also follow up with another stream featuring special guests.[/p][p][/p][h2]Experimental Test and Update Preview[/h2][p][/p][p]Some of our players might be wondering whether we’ll run an Experimental test for 0.4. We’ve decided to skip the NDA test we’ve been organizing in the past and focus on a thorough internal testing cycle instead. And for you, we’ve got something better planned.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve heard your wishes, and for this Update Preview, we’re granting access to our loyal and valued supporters. All Supporter Edition owners will get a chance to play Spearhead a few days before the official release. We’ll share more details later. You can learn more about the Supporter Edition here.
[/p][p][/p][h2]Regional Pricing Update[/h2][p][/p][p]We’d also like to share an update on recent regional pricing adjustments for Gray Zone Warfare on Steam. In a limited set of regions (primarily parts of LATAM, MENA, and Asia), we’ve made changes to better align prices across markets. This is not a global increase, and prices in USD and EUR are not changing.[/p][p][/p][p]These adjustments help us maintain consistent pricing over time, cover operational costs, and avoid undercutting the game’s value across regions. They also reduce incentives for VPN purchasing and grey market reselling, and help raise the entry barrier against cheaters and refund abuse. Going forward, we’ll keep monitoring regional data to ensure pricing remains balanced.[/p][p][/p][h2]Stay Tuned[/h2][p][/p][p]Development of 0.4 has taken longer than expected, and we appreciate your patience and support. Now, we’re excited to finally start showing what we’ve been working on.[/p][p][/p][p]You’ll be seeing more very soon on our Steam page, Discord, socials, and livestreams. Follow the official Gray Zone Warfare channels so you don’t miss anything.[/p][p][/p][p]We’ll see you next week in the first devlog. [/p][p][/p][p]Every Move Matters, [/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team[/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]Hello, everyone,[/p][p][/p][p]Gray Zone Warfare has successfully wrapped up its second year in Early Access. 2025 marked a year of meaningful progress and important milestones, achieved together with our community.

Let's look back at the key moments that defined the year and shaped the game's future. Watch the Recap Video:[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Development In Motion[/h2][p][/p][p]To support the growing scope of Gray Zone Warfare and strengthen our development efforts, we welcomed 25 new colleagues in 2025, bringing the team to 110 people. For a self-publishing indie studio, this was an important step forward.

Over the course of the year, we successfully delivered 17 releases, with the most significant being the Winds of War update (0.3). This major update introduced fresh content and impactful improvements. Players gained access to a dynamic weather system, new challenges across expanded locations, a broader selection of weapons and gear, and a smoother overall experience thanks to numerous quality-of-life improvements. The update also added 11 new localizations, making the game more accessible to players worldwide.[/p][p][/p][p]Beyond this critical milestone, the development team continued to work relentlessly, delivering a steady stream of patches and hotfixes driven by player feedback. Among them, Patch 0.3.5.0 stood out. It introduced the Unreal Engine 5.5 upgrade, broad performance improvements, refinements to AI aiming and vulnerability, a complete overhaul of recoil and weapon sway, shooting sound adjustments, and many other enhancements.
[/p][p][/p][h2]Representing Gray Zone Warfare[/h2][p][/p][p]Gray Zone Warfare had its own booth at two industry events in 2025. We were pleased to once again serve as the General Partner of the Game Access conference in Brno, Czech Republic, and to return to the business section of Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. During these events, we met with partners, press, and fellow developers. We also organized our first in-person fan meetup near the Gamescom venue, allowing us to connect directly with members of our community. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to organizing similar events in the future.

Members of our team also attended GDC, TwitchCon in both Europe and the United States, GCX, ChinaJoy, the 125th VFW National Convention, Game Industry Conference, and Unreal Fest.[/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][h2]Collaborations That Matter[/h2][p][/p][p]We established several important partnerships in 2025, including collaborations with 1 Shot, Viktos, Grunt Style, Stack Up, and Regiment. These partnerships supported Gray Zone Warfare in different ways throughout the year. They also brought exclusive in-game items that players could unlock by watching the game on Twitch during our very first Twitch Drops campaign, which accompanied the release of the Winds of War update. You can look forward to more Twitch Drops in the future. [/p][p]We were also happy to welcome selected content creators to our office in Brno, where they had the opportunity to meet the team, see our work on the game, and take part in a special preview stream we organized together.

Moreover, we partnered with Avalone, an organization that helps children in need by finding stem cell donors. Our studio and the generous visitors at our booth during Game Access helped raise funds for their cause. If you would like to learn more about Avalone, please visit their website.[/p][p][/p][carousel] [/carousel][p][/p][h2]Growing Together with the Community[/h2][p][/p][p]Throughout the year, we continued to expand our communication with the community through video briefings, newsletters, devlogs, and dev streams that highlighted the development team's ongoing work.[/p][p][/p][p]We also organized several in-game events that allowed players to join us and play alongside the team. The most recent was a Christmas event, during which we stress-tested a custom server with 126 players.[/p][p][/p][p]In addition, we worked closely with our community Game Masters, who consistently organized fun in-game events for players. If you are interested in participating, be sure to visit our Discord server and GZW Events website to stay up-to-date with upcoming activities.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Looking Ahead[/h2][p][/p][p]MFG headquarters are as busy as ever. We are currently undergoing office reconstruction while also preparing for Update 0.4, which was initially planned for release in Fall 2025. As development progressed, the scope of the update expanded significantly, and we determined that additional time was needed to deliver the level of quality our players deserve. Thanks to extensive reworks of core systems, Gray Zone Warfare will feel like a new game.[/p][p][/p][p]We know you are curious about what we are working on, and we promise to show you. You will learn everything about this major update through three devlogs and dev streams focused on refinement, new content, and new features. We are currently preparing all of this information and will begin sharing it once we are ready. Stay tuned to our channels so you do not miss anything important. Exciting times are ahead.
[/p][p]We are looking forward to another fantastic year spent with you.
[/p][p]How was 2025 for you in relation to Gray Zone Warfare? What would you wish for in 2026? Let us know in the comments.

Every Move Matters, [/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team[/p][p]
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[p]Hey, GZW Community,[/p][p][/p][p]Hotfix 0.3.5.3 has been deployed to the live servers and is now available for download. If the 'Update' option does not appear, please restart Steam.[/p][p][/p][h2]Changelog[/h2][h3]Fixes:[/h3]

• [p]Various crash fixes and backend optimizations[/p]
• [p]An issue where AI PMC guards in the base camp sank into the lookout platform after the player flew back to the base camp[/p]
• [p]A rare issue where gear and apparel might disappear from the character after multiple failed connection attempts[/p]
• [p]An issue where the in-game friend list didn't show Steam friends correctly[/p]
• [p]An issue where Steam friends were not imported correctly under specific circumstances[/p]
• [p]An issue where the game logo overlapped the game mode selection on specific non-standard resolutions[/p]
• [p]An issue where switching to FSR and back to other upscaling methods might result in performance degradation[/p]
• [p]A source of minor hitching in the Skalla allocator[/p]

[h3]Balancing Changes:[/h3]

• [p]Hits that cause broken bones are now always at least Medium wounds[/p]

[p]
Note: Nvidia GPU Users should update their drivers to 591.74. Read more here.
[/p][p]If you encounter any issues, please report them to our support team.
[/p][p]Thanks for your continuous feedback. We are deeply grateful for your support![/p][p][/p][p]Every Move Matters,[/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team
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