Method Of Entry News

[p]Hello Operators!

As we close out the year, we have some exciting news and a clear outline of the next steps in development for Method of Entry. Let's dive into the progress!

Performance & Lighting Deep Dive

Over the last few weeks, our focus has been on deep optimization work across the entire game, specifically around lighting solutions. We aimed to find the perfect balance between performance and visual fidelity—solutions that are both attractive and performant. Testing: We rigorously explored both Lumen (as a global lighting solution) and various iterations of baked lighting. The Winner: Baked Lighting showed extremely promising results, delivering significant performance increases while maintaining high visual fidelity. [/p][p]The Results You'll See: Dramatically smoother framerates. Faster load times. Far more stable gameplay overall. [/p][p]We’re incredibly proud of this progress. For the initial demo and general alpha testing, the finish line is now within sight!

Prioritizing Integrity: Transitioning to Dedicated Servers

We have evaluated the performance of our current listen server (P2P) hosting. The data confirms that P2P does not meet the standard for a competitive, low-latency tactical shooter. Inconsistent connections often meant unstable hit registration and inherent host advantages—things that break the competitive integrity of CQC. Therefore, we have decided to make the necessary jump to dedicated servers. This is a major investment, but it guarantees a stable, low-latency, and fair foundation for every match, finally resolving those host-related registration issues! [/p][p]
The Final Major Lift: Preparing for Public Access! [/p][p][/p][p]We have confirmed the path forward: the implementation of dedicated server infrastructure is the last major engineering task required before the game is ready for public access. The core gameplay loop is stable and playable right now. Once the server network is established, our focus will shift to final polish: Aesthetic detailing of the maps. Minor gameplay features and general optimization tweaks. While we will always prioritize optimization based on testing feedback, clearing this server hurdle will allow us to finally outline how YOU can get involved in MoE’s testing phase! Special Thanks: To our select pool of testers—your detailed reports and insights have been invaluable to shaping the game's foundation. Thank you for your continued dedication! [/p][p][/p][p] — The Team at Attack Dog Studios[/p]

[p]Good evening operators! [/p][p]Over the past 12 months, development on Method of Entry has seriously ramped up. Our team has been pushing hard behind the scenes, and we’re finally ready to share a clearer picture of where things are going. The pace of development has never been higher, and with the road map we’re sharing today, you’ll be able to see exactly what we’re building toward in the months ahead.[/p][p]With the road map, we wanted to briefly show where we've been but obviously we also want to shine the most light on where we're going. [/p][p]The core game play loop has been implemented and is working. Now comes the time for the addition of all the "flavor" that will make Method of Entry the tactical experience we're aiming for and ensure that we stand out in the genre. The team has been hard at work with implementations all across the board including our unique sounds effects, animations, game play mechanics, and playable environment optimizations and tweaks.[/p][p]One of the biggest milestones we’ve hit recently was migrating the entire project to a fully workable Steam client. This wasn’t a small lift — it meant reworking a lot of our build systems, testing pipelines, and infrastructure. The result? A far smoother, more stable experience for players and a foundation that lets us move faster than ever before.[/p][p]Alongside that, we’ve begun deep integration with Steam’s ecosystem. From achievements, to matchmaking, to community features — the groundwork is now in place, and you’ll start seeing more of these elements roll out in upcoming builds.[/p][p]Be sure to check us out on the socials and join the community discord for ever more information regarding the development road map as well as everything Method of Entry![/p][p]Thank you for sticking with us through the journey — the next phase is going to be big![/p][p]👉 Check out the full road map below and let us know what you’re most excited for![/p][p][/p]

[p]Over the past few months, the team at Attack Dog Studios has been hard at work taking Method of Entry from a proof-of-concept build into a fully realized Steam client build. This has been a big milestone for us, and with it came the opportunity to refine, rebuild, and push forward many aspects of the game. We wanted to give you a look behind the curtain at what’s been happening during this transition and highlight some of the major improvements that have gone into the latest build. [/p][h3]From Proof-of-Concept to Steam Build,[/h3][p]Moving to our new Steam build wasn’t just a matter of shifting platforms—it was a chance to rebuild the game’s foundation with more stability, scalability, and polish. Since May alone, we’ve pushed 500+ updates, changes, and tests, making sure every system feels sharper and more refined. [/p][h3]Technical & Visual Upgrades,[/h3]

• [p]Engine Upgrade: We’ve moved from Unreal Engine 5.3 to 5.5, giving us access to better tools, improved performance, and more flexibility for development.,[/p]
• [p]Physically-Based Lighting: Lighting is now more consistent, realistic, and cinematic across all maps.,[/p]
• [p]Performance Passes: Ongoing optimization of maps, materials, and assets to keep the game running smoothly on a wide range of hardware.,[/p]

[h3]Core Gameplay Improvements,[/h3]

• [p]UI/UX Overhaul: From the HUD to menus to interaction systems, we’ve reworked the interface to be cleaner, more intuitive, and easier to navigate.,[/p]
• [p]Utility Items: Tools now feel more grounded—literally. Instead of spawning from nowhere, they can be equipped and held in your hands as you move. We’ve also added a default knife utility item for all players.,[/p]
• [p]Animations Retooled: Updated and refined animations for smoother, more realistic motion and better overall performance.,[/p]
• [p]Weapon Attachments (v1): Customization is beginning to take shape with our first pass at an attachment system.,[/p]
• [p]Looting Mechanics: If you take down another player and pick up their weapon, you can now loot ammo from their body to keep yourself in the fight.,[/p]

[h3]Game Loop & Systems,[/h3]

• [p]Persistent User Data: Progress and settings now carry over between sessions on the client side.,[/p]
• [p]Basic Host Migration: Multiplayer stability just got a boost with the early integration of host migration.,[/p]
• [p]Round Structure Work: We’ve begun rebuilding the round structure to finalize the core loop that will define Method of Entry.,[/p]

[h3]Expanding the Experience,[/h3]

• [p]Single Player Level: We’ve added a training level that introduces players to the game’s mechanics and includes a basic gunsmith to experiment with.,[/p]
• [p]Ladders (Early Version): Verticality is here—interactable ladders are live, adding new tactical options to maps.,[/p]

[h3]Looking Ahead,[/h3][p]The last several months have been about laying strong foundations and sharpening the tools that will carry Method of Entry into its next stages of development. Every update brings us closer to the experience we want players to have: tactical, immersive, and uncompromising. We’ll have much more to share in the coming months, including deeper looks at gameplay systems, map design, and the ongoing evolution of Method of Entry. Until then, thank you for following along with our journey—and as always, we can’t wait to see you breach, clear, and adapt when the time comes. – The Attack Dog Studios Team[/p]

[p]Greetings Operators, [/p][p]We wanted to share some exciting news with you all. The entire Attack Dog Studios team recently had its first official in-person meeting in Chicago! After almost 3 years of constantly working on Method of Entry remotely, it was a fantastic opportunity to finally meet up and get some much-needed rest and relaxation.[/p][p]Pictured here, from left to right, are Hubert, Joe, AJ, Chris, and James—the entire team behind Method of Entry.[/p][p][/p][p]We know updates have been a bit sparse lately, and we appreciate your patience. We've been heads-down and hard at work on some major milestones. We're thrilled to announce that we have successfully optimized major parts of the game and have ported the original client we have been working on for the past few years over to Steam! This is a huge step forward and we're incredibly excited to move into the next phase of development.[/p][p][/p][p]We'll soon be sharing a development roadmap that outlines our plans as we move closer to Early Access, including a number of exciting new features.[/p][p][/p][p]Your support means a great deal to us, and we appreciate you being on this journey with us. We look forward to sharing this next phase of development with you.[/p][p][/p][p]The best place to stay up to date with Method of Entry or to apply to become a private tester is on our official Discord Server[/p][p][/p][p]Click here to Join our Discord![/p]

In this showcase, we focus on the ‘Lights Out’ feature, a newly implemented game mechanic introduced to add uniqueness to the tactical shooter genre. Hitting the enemy with a fatal headshot displays an instant black screen for the player hit with no sounds or vision, which incentivises accurate headshots. Lights out removes the ability to communicate accurately to your teammates, drastically changing the game rounds' dynamic.

This feature showcase explains the difference in first-person death animations depending on where the fatal shot hits.

All footage is taken from the Pre-Alpha build, which is subject to change.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]