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Gray Zone Warfare News

Server Fix Now Live – Changelog

[p]Hey, GZW Community,[/p][p][/p][p]A server fix has gone live.[/p][p][/p][h2]Changelog[/h2]
  • [p]\[IMPROVED] Scaling of servers to reduce the chance of matchmaking queues[/p]
  • [p]\[IMPROVED] Detection and reporting of server issues to the developers[/p]
[p][/p][p]This fix was implemented server-side only, meaning you don’t need to download an update.[/p][p][/p][p]If you run into 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 [/p][p][/p]

Check Out the October Recap in 10 Minutes

[p]Hello, GZW community,

Patch 0.3.5.0 is finally live, and it’s one of our biggest patches to date. The latest Community Briefing sums up everything you need to know in under 10 minutes!

Watch the latest news:[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]Video Summary[/h2][h3]Performance & Stability[/h3][p]Gray Zone Warfare has been optimized and updated to Unreal Engine 5.5, unlocking a huge leap in performance across all systems. Improvements include:[/p]
  • [p]Significantly better CPU utilization, especially on mid- and low-end rigs[/p]
  • [p]2 GB RAM and 400 MB VRAM savings[/p]
  • [p]Noticeably reduced hitching and stuttering[/p]
  • [p]AMD FSR 4 support[/p]
  • [p]Smoother gameplay and improved visuals overall[/p][p][/p]
[h3]AI Aiming Rework[/h3][p]Enemy AI has been completely reworked to react, aim, and shoot like real combatants.[/p][p]AI accuracy now depends on multiple factors like distance from target and effective range, weapon type, AI skill, their suppression, health, and even weather conditions such as fog or rain. AI can now lose or switch target lock dynamically when reloading, getting hit, or losing line of sight. This change should lead to more immersive and less frustrating combat.[/p][p][/p][h3]Health System Rework[/h3][p]The health system has been reworked to provide a better experience when dropping enemies. The increased projectile penetration of bones and skulls, in combination with increased blood loss upon hit, will lead to a less spongy feeling when engaging AI enemies.[/p][p][/p][h3]Audio Improvements[/h3][p]We’ve refined weapon sounds for clearer directionality. Gunshots should sound appropriate to their distance.[/p][p]Sonic cracks now behave properly based on projectile type and distance, so gunfights finally sound the way they should according to real-life physics.[/p][p][/p][h3]Weapon Recoil Overhaul[/h3][p]Shooting in Gray Zone Warfare just got a major realism boost.[/p][p]Recoil is now driven by real physics and energy computations, as well as the position of the lower receiver, gas factor, barrel length, and attachments like muzzle brakes or suppressors.[/p][p]Your stance and movement now directly affect recoil. Crouching or going prone helps control your weapon, while running and firing on the move will challenge your aim.[/p][p][/p][h3]Reworked First-Person-View Animations[/h3][p]We have optimized the first-person animations in various ways. First, we minimized excessive character movement and animation blending. The result should be much smoother movement, especially in CQB.[/p][p]Secondly, we have redone the weapon sway to better reflect the character’s movement while aiming a weapon.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Death Cam[/h3][p]Downed characters will now subtly turn towards the origin of the kill shot.[/p][p][/p][h3]New Server Region – Mainland China[/h3][p]We have added a new server to provide a better experience to our players located in China.[/p][p][/p][h3]Hundreds of Other Fixes and Improvements[/h3][p]From shader caching hitches and night lighting issues to NVG borders, audio cutouts, and task hand-in bugs. Overall, there are over almost 600 tasks resolved in patch 0.3.5.0.[/p][p]The patch also brings refinements to the UI, world geometry, and custom servers, along with updates to DLSS, FSR, Wwise, and Oodle for maximum stability.[/p][p][/p][h3]Community Testimonials[/h3][p]Hear directly from the community what they think of the new patch. [/p][p][/p][p]See the full Patch 0.3.5.0 Changelog: [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Got any feedback or suggestions? Share it with us in the comments below and help shape the future of Gray Zone Warfare!

Every Move Matters,
MADFINGER Games Team [/p]

Testing a new server region for players in China

[p]Hey, GZW Community,
[/p][p]We’re excited to announce the testing of a new server region for players in China.[/p][p][/p][p]When connecting to the new ‘China Mainland’ region, the players should experience lower latency and reduced packet loss, resulting in a smoother experience and less rubberbanding.[/p][p][/p][p]During the initial testing phase, we’ve already observed a reduction of 110ms to the median ping of players from China when they are connected to the new region. Additionally, we are no longer observing latency spikes that were happening during certain time of the day. The initial results look promising, and the region will undergo an extended testing phase to evaluate the performance and viability for long-term deployment.[/p][p][/p][p]We invite all players in the region to connect, help us evaluate the network quality, and share feedback in the comments or through our website. You can also review our guide on in-game status notifications to understand your connection indicators better.[/p][p][/p][p]Disclaimer: We are not using servers physically located in Mainland China. Instead, we use a proxy to ensure that players connecting from the region experience improved network quality. The server region is named this way to help players easily identify where they will get the best connection if they are located in China.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Performance Improvements[/h2][p][/p][p]We’ve also just released the much-anticipated Patch 0.3.5.0, featuring an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.5, and a wide range of changes and improvements based on player feedback. The Patch brings a noticeable boost to performance and stability, particularly on lower-end machines. You can see the full changelog of the patch here.
[/p][p]In addition, we’ve added minimum and recommended laptop requirements to our Steam page to help players better understand the hardware needed to run Gray Zone Warfare smoothly.

See the laptop and PC requirements below:

[/p][p]We hope that these additions will improve the experience for our players from China. Let us know your thoughts in the comments![/p][p][/p][p]Every Move Matters, [/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team[/p]

Patch 0.3.5.0 Now Live - Changelog

[p][/p][p]Hey, GZW Community,
[/p][p]Patch 0.3.5.0 is now live. Download the update and jump in![/p][p][/p][p]This Patch represents over four months of daily development and fine-tuning, introducing major improvements such as the Unreal Engine 5.5 upgrade, performance enhancements, AI aiming and vulnerability improvements, a complete recoil and weapon sway overhaul, shooting sound tweaks, and much more. Check out the full changelog below.[/p][p][/p][p]A huge thank-you to everyone who participated in the Public Testing and helped us refine this Patch. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the new changes in the comments![/p][p][/p]
CHANGELOG
  • [p]Bugs fixed: 70[/p]
  • [p]Changes based on community feedback: 10[/p]
  • [p]Crashes fixed: 120[/p]
  • [p]Bugs discovered by the community fixed: 18[/p]
[p][/p]
Key Changes and Focus Areas
[p][/p][h2]Performance improvements[/h2]
  • [p]Updated to Unreal Engine 5.5, allowing us to parallelize rendering, significantly increasing performance on mid- and lower-end CPUs[/p]
    • [p]Reduced VRAM usage by about 400MB on all systems[/p]
    • [p]Reduced RAM usage by about 2GB on all systems[/p]
  • [p]Updated to AMD FSR 4[/p]
  • [p]Various performance, RAM, and VRAM optimizations[/p]
  • [p]Added an internal benchmark tool to suggest optimal settings based on the player’s hardware[/p]
  • [p]Focus on reducing hitching during gameplay[/p]
  • [p]Numerous crashes fixed[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]AI[/h2]
  • [p]AI aiming has been completely reworked to simulate human-like aiming behavior that adapts dynamically based on multiple conditions:[/p]
    • [p]AI difficulty level[/p]
    • [p]Distance to target and the weapon’s effective range[/p]
    • [p]Weather effects such as fog and rain intensity[/p]
    • [p]AI health status and suppression level[/p]
    • [p]Target movement [/p]
    • [p]Duration of target lock[/p]
      • [p]Several actions can now break or modify AI’s target lock, including:[/p]
        • [p]Target leaving line of sight[/p]
        • [p]AI switching to a new target[/p]
        • [p]AI reloading, getting hit, becoming suppressed, or stunned[/p]
  • [p]The result is more believable, less robotic AI behavior, with reactions and accuracy that depend on the situation, weapon, and environment.[/p]
[p] [/p][p][/p][h2]Audio [/h2]
  • [p]Shooting sound has been tweaked for all weapons, with improved directional perception of shooting enemies and realistic behavior of sonic crack and shot sounds for all weapons.[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][p]Watch Video[/p][p][/p][h2]Animations[/h2]
  • [p]Optimizing first-person movement animations in various ways:[/p]
    • [p]Reduced the impact of several animations on the first-person perspective to minimize excessive character movement and animation blending. First-person hand movement is now smoother and without glitches[/p]
    • [p]The weapon sway was adjusted, making it more responsive when the player moves.[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Weapon Recoil Overhaul[/h2]
  • [p]A completely new recoil formula has been implemented to simulate the behavior of real firearms more accurately.[/p]
  • [p]This system adds the need for precise player input, greater weapon balance flexibility, and a more authentic feel during weapon customization.[/p]
    • [p]Full-auto firearms now use unique recoil patterns tied to each weapon’s lower receiver.[/p]
    • [p]Recoil is now calculated using real physics and recoil energy computation.[/p]
    • [p]Introduced Gas Factor to simulate differences between weapon types and barrel lengths.[/p]
    • [p]Muzzle brakes, suppressors, and gas blocks now feature new efficiency behavior, reducing the impact of Gas Factor.[/p]
    • [p]Recoil control parts can further reduce remaining recoil.[/p]
    • [p]Aiming and movement states now affect recoil dynamically — ADS, crouch, and prone reduce recoil, while movement increases it based on speed.[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Gameplay & Design[/h2]
  • [p]Added a new and improved death sequence from the first-person perspective. Upon death, the player’s view now turns toward the approximate direction of the incoming shot.[/p]
  • [p]Improved the bullet penetration through the skull and bones. Headshots are now more lethal, and the increased bone penetration reduces cases where AI NPCs absorb hits with their arms. Additionally, increased blood spatter makes non-vital hits more impactful, reflecting greater direct blood loss.[/p]
  • [p]Balanced rewards for Strike missions in Blue Lagoon, Ban Pa, Pha Lang Airfield, Sawmill, YBL-1, and Hunter’s Paradise to reflect the difference in the area difficulty[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][h2]A new server region for Mainland China[/h2]
  • [p]Added a new server region, Mainland China, aimed at improving network quality for players in the area. The goal is to reduce latency and packet loss, providing a smoother experience with less rubberbanding.[/p]
  • [p]The initial results look promising, and the region will undergo an extended testing phase to evaluate the performance and viability for long-term deployment.[/p]
[p][/p][p][/p][h2]Most Important Community-Requested Fixes[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed a bug that caused the key drop frequency in Fort Narith to be incorrectly low[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the sonic crack sound could play after the actual gunshot[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue causing very dark nights with the global illumination set to medium or higher[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue causing black borders on the bottom half of the screen when using NVGs[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where FSR frame generation was disabled on RX 580 graphics cards[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where lasers were not working correctly in specific locations, such as YBL-1 and parts of Midnight Sapphire[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where players were unable to hand in task items in COPs[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a rare issue where blood regeneration would stop after healing all wounds[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue that caused audio to cut out in the Tiger Bay Mall[/p]
  • [p]Fixed ambient noise transmission in some parts of YBL-1[/p]
  • [p]Improved scope visibility under specific weather conditions where the image appeared overly dark[/p]
  • [p]Improved collision detection on the ground to help prevent players from falling through the ground after getting revived[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Performance optimizations[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed an issue in Unreal Engine's pre-caching system that caused frequent shader compilation hitches[/p]
  • [p]Fixed numerous hitches caused by the missing pre-caching of specific shaders[/p]
  • [p]Fixed periodic hitches caused by cloud and reflection rendering calculations[/p]
  • [p]Customized Unreal’s graphic resources allocator to significantly reduce hitches caused by resource allocation[/p]
  • [p]Optimized asset streaming to reduce CPU load when traveling to new locations [/p]
  • [p]Fixed hitches caused by a character spawned by the network[/p]
  • [p]Fixed periodic hitches caused by updating the Sun/Moon lights in the day/night/weather cycle[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hitches caused by loot spawned by the network[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hitches caused by bullets traveling over long distances[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hitches when certain environmental particles spawned[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hitches that occurred when capturing a COP[/p]
  • [p]Fixed hitches occurring when vending machines were streamed in[/p]
  • [p]Optimized the VFX for barrel fire, campfire, explosive grenades, flashbang grenades, and mortar explosions to improve performance[/p]
  • [p]Optimized muzzle particle effects on all weapons to improve the framerate during full-auto fire[/p]
  • [p]Various other under-the-hood optimizations[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Gameplay[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where players always died if they got into a coma while in a helicopter[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where using the splint did not prioritize the most damaged bone[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the player's weapon can become invisible after examining another player with a grenade in hand[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the RIS II 12 Handguard setup to correctly prevent its use with shorter barrels[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue that allowed players to remove a scope from the SVD while loading the magazine into the weapon[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a minor animation glitch when starting to run with a knife while in dynamic crouch[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where AI NPCs sometimes did not turn on their flashlights at night[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a very rare issue where an AI NPC would keep the player as a target indefinitely[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue that caused players to be unable to scope zoom while slow walking[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where footsteps sounds disappeared when the player turned their back to a moving character[/p]
  • [p]Reduced the visual range of flashlights on AI NPCs[/p]
  • [p]Added the missing FDE AK Handguard to the military firearms box loot table[/p]
  • [p]Added the missing HP Bunker key to the Hunter's Paradise Boss loot table[/p]
  • [p]Adjusted the extraction range for the Squad Strike mission ‘Fragile Goods’ from 2.5 m to 25 m[/p]
[p][/p][h2]World[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed several locations where players could get stuck: [/p]
    • [p]Tiger Bay Wrecking Yard at 195, 130[/p]
    • [p]Fanny Paradise - between a house and some pallets at 189, 121[/p]
    • [p]In rocks near Sabai Lake Restaurant at 204, 152[/p]
    • [p]In rocks near Inthavong Farm at 159, 133[/p]
    • [p]Near Sawmill, between logs and a container at 138, 143[/p]
    • [p]Outside the Nomad COP at 189, 157[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the rooftop of the Crusader COP was not recognized as part of the COP area[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a missing collision on a wall near the Tiger Bay Central Southeast entrance[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an incorrect collision around fountains in Midnight Sapphire that caused grenades to bounce off[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a visual discrepancy between the sky and the environment during specific weather conditions on low settings.[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the position of the interaction box for the laptop in the Shepherd COP[/p]
  • [p]Disabled lights that were unintentionally active during the daytime[/p]
  • [p]Adjusted terrain and objects in the Spielberk COP to prevent players from climbing onto the roof[/p]
  • [p]Removed an unused interaction option from a light switch in YBL-1[/p]
[p][/p][h2]UI[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed an incorrect ‘joined squad’ notification when a player was promoted to squad leader[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a missing notification that the squad had been disbanded after the squad leader, who created the squad, left[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where a messenger channel would get stuck in the pinned section after unpinning[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the messenger window would fail to display when sending a message through the player interaction panel[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the incorrect text wrapping in the feedback form window[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue causing the weather forecast in the main menu to be out of sync with the in-game one[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the tracking tag icon disappeared from the map if the tracked item was looted from a player's body and then placed back[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the cursor did not appear after pressing Alt+F4 outside of the friendly area[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where pressing Backspace when inputting a safe code did not delete the numbers[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the conflict zone detail text did not update when changing the game language[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the incorrect size of the maintenance notification widget in the main menu and unified its position across various resolutions and screen sizes[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the character level was displayed as 0 instead of 1 after a wipe[/p]
  • [p]Fixed incorrect text on the End Deployment button when outside of friendly areas[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a missing icon in the hair selection section of the character creation screen[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the incorrect DLC message wrapping in the Czech localization[/p]
  • [p]Fixed the conflict zone detail text in the Spanish localization[/p]
  • [p]Changing settings now lists each changed setting item, along with the original value. Players can revert each of the changed settings[/p]
  • [p]Removed the option to invite offline friends to a squad from the friends list[/p]
  • [p]When reporting a player for a faction kill, the reason is now pre-selected in the report window[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Custom Servers[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the player count was not greyed out when a custom server was running[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an incorrect text label in the player list on custom servers[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where players who joined a custom server for the first time had ‘Nickname’ displayed instead of their username[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the player's rank was not set correctly on custom servers when using the ‘Everything Unlocked’ preset[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a crash on custom servers when the invisible free-cam character was shot[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue preventing elite operators from starting a custom server in the central US region[/p]
  • [p]Implemented support for gamepad control for the free cam on custom servers[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Other changes[/h2]
  • [p]Improved the visuals of glass reflections in scopes[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a visual movement glitch that caused a sudden bump after stopping while in dynamic crouch[/p]
  • [p]Adjusted the lighting on low settings to balance the overall darkness[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Technical and rendering fixes[/h2]
  • [p]Fixed an issue that could cause the game to freeze when closed with ALT+F4[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the foliage might flicker and disappear under specific circumstances[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue that caused the Load Friends Failed error if a player accumulated over 100 friends[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where Steam friends data failed to load after 60 minutes in the main menu[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where players were unable to join the server as a squad leader under specific circumstances[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a rare issue that caused players to connect to a full server, resulting in a connection error message [/p]
  • [p]Fixed the Twitch Drops rewards distribution system for players who were unable to claim them until now[/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where light artifacts appeared on buildings during nighttime [/p]
  • [p]Fixed an issue where the inside of a bunker in Fort Narith got too dark if global illumination was set to low[/p]
  • [p]Fixed a rare issue where the suppression blur effect would persist on the player's screen after death[/p]
  • [p]Reduced flickering of various smoke effects in shadows[/p]
  • [p]Players can now choose whether they want to reconnect to their original server, if within a reconnection window, or to abandon it and join a new one[/p]
  • [p]Added a recommended driver version pop-up that appears when starting the game after an update if outdated graphics drivers are detected[/p]
[p][/p][h2]Technical Updates[/h2]
  • [p]Updated to Unreal Engine 5.5[/p]
  • [p]Updated the NVIDIA DLSS plugin to version 8.1.0[/p]
  • [p]Updated to AMD FSR 4[/p]
  • [p]Upgraded Wwise to version 2024.1.8[/p]
  • [p]Updated Oodle to 2.9.14 to reduce crashes related to specific Intel CPUs
    [/p]
[p]For a quick summary of what's new in Patch 0.3.5.0, see the Community Briefing video:
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]
If you encounter any issues, please contact our support team. Your continued feedback is invaluable and helps us make Gray Zone Warfare better with every update.

Every Move Matters,[/p][p]MADFINGER Games Team [/p]

If you wanted Arc Raiders PvE, the next Gray Zone Warfare update could be the answer with enemies that behave "like real combatants"

Are you in the camp that wishes Arc Raiders had a PvE mode? Then a new Gray Zone Warfare update may be the ideal time to check in with Madfinger Games' extraction shooter. GZW prides itself on realism, and with the ability to play the tactical FPS on entirely PvE-focused servers if you want, getting its computer-controlled enemies to behave like real soldiers is one of its toughest challenges. The developer says that it's made big steps on this front in recent months, and is now showing off the fruits of its labor, along with overhauls to everything from recoil to sound design.


Read the rest of the story...


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