Steel Swarm: APOCALYPSE News

[h2]Free XBT Rotation:[/h2]

• Freedom
  
• Sphinx
  
• Panther
  
• Inso
  
• Khan
  

[h2]⚙️ General Fixes & Improvements[/h2]

• Fixed bot getting stuck in practice mode
  
• Fixed incorrect team assignment in launcher match statistics
  
• Reverted Steam Next Fest XP multiplier
  
• Added Mantis icon to the minimap and announcement on spawn
  
• Fixed issue where friends list and chat were not connecting
  

[h2] ːsteamthisː Drone & Mine Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed mine and invisibility issues related to Mine Drone relocation
  
• Fixed Mega Mine Drone exploding immediately upon becoming visible
  

[h2]💀 XBT & Visual Effects[/h2]

• Fixed missing explosion effects on certain XBTs and added Xalium VFX
  
• Fixed issue where Sphinx’s charge visual effect remained on screen after death
  

[h2]🧠 UI & Controls[/h2]

• Changed free camera key to Alt
  
• Removed Middle Mouse as freecam key
  
• Set Middle Mouse to be click-to-move input
  
• Increased XBT infrared visibility aura range from 12.4 to 16
  

[h2]🔊 Sound Effects (SFX)[/h2]

• Added new gear sound effects:
  
  
  
  • Repair Kit
    
  • Radar Kit
    
  • Airlocking Gear
    
  • Stun Immunity Gear
    
  • Shield Gear
    
  • Counterfire Gear
    
  • Engine Stop Gear
    
  • Teleport Gear
    
  • Cold Blood Gear
    
  • Optical Invisibility Start
    
  
  
  
• Extended teleport sound effect and made it audible to other players
  
• Streetwalk sign ambience sound
  

SSA TEAM

[h3]🖱️ Right Click[h3]

• Players can now right-click on either the minimap or the main game screen to instantly command their XBT to move to that location.
• This feature allows for faster and more intuitive unit control, especially in high-pressure combat scenarios.
  
• It works seamlessly with both standard and free camera modes.

[h3]🎮 Gameplay & Mechanics[/h3]

• Support Kit bonus increased from +20% → +30%
• Context menu added to Match History
• Overhead HP Bar visuals implemented:
  
  
  
  • Two long bars span 20,000 HP
    
  • Two short bars span 4,000 HP
    

[h3]🎯 Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed issue where projectiles could still hit units after being destroyed (Queen double damage bug)
  
• Fixed Firefly Pitch Black ignite bug
  
• Fixed issue where some players’ match end progression was not processed
  

[h3]🔊 Audio & Visual[/h3]

• All SFX are now spatially correct and synced with free camera movement
• XBT Sprocket rotation improved for visual consistency
  
• XBT Box unlock animation chip now rotates
  

[h3]🤖 AI & Pathfinding[/h3]

• AI units no longer get stuck on impassable areas (e.g., waterfalls)
  
• Bots now take cross-country movement penalties into account
  
• Miscellaneous pathfinding improvements
  

— SSA TEAM

• He is the first geist
  
• He made the first contract
  
• He executed the first massacre
  

[h3] 🜂 Obelisk is coming.[/h3]

Prepare for impact.

Steel Swarm: Apocalypse welcomes its most ruthless XBT yet— one that embodies annihilation and silence with every strike.

🔥 Stay tuned for the reveal trailer.

https://steelswarm.net/news/Obelisk.html

SSA TEAM

[h3]GAMEPLAY[/h3]

• Fog of war now extends beyond the map borders
  
• Fog of war transitions are now smoother
  
• Free camera system added:
  
  
  
  • Hold mouse middle button or Ctrl and move to screen edge to pan
    
  • Click on minimap with middle/Ctrl to jump to that location
    
  • Camera now updates to show entities at its destination
    
• While dead, you can switch between teammates using left/right click
  
• If the entire team is dead, camera stays at your death location
  
• Super Ballistic Drone now uses bot AI like Escort Drone
  
• Escort and Ballistic Drones now scale speed with level (like wave minions)
  

[h3]Balance Adjustments:[/h3]

• Respawn timers have been increased.
  
• Minions now move faster at level 20 (corresponding to around the 20-minute mark).
  
• Vulcan turrets’ range and AOE radius have been reduced.
  
• Vulcans can no longer deal damage to targets outside their effect circle.
  

[h3]SOCIAL PANEL: ACTIVITY STATUS[/h3]

• Added new activity status indicators to Social Panel
  
• You can now see if friends are:
  
  
  
  • In Match
    
  • Online
    
  • Offline
    

[h3]BUFFS & ABILITIES[/h3]

• Added missing buff icons for:
  
  
  
  • Ghost Portal
    
  • Jet Fuel
    
  • Invisibility
    
  • Shield, Counter Fire, Cold Blood
    
  • Panther Talent 4B
    
  • Freedom Fighter Ultimate
    
  • Khan Ultimate
    
  • Firefly Pitch Black & Fire debuff
    
  • Ironclad Triangle Formation DEF debuff
    
• Added Mantis reward wave buff:
  
  
  
  • First kill: +100% DEF & ATT to wave minions for 2 minutes
    
  • Second kill: +100% DEF & ATT for 4 minutes
    
  • Third kill: +100% DEF & ATT for 4 minutes
    

[h3]AI & BOTS[/h3]

• Increased bot gear purchase chance
  
• Fixed Pirate Smuggler casting harpoon while disarmed
  
• Firefly wheel rotation is now visible to other players
  

[h3]VFX & AUDIO[/h3]

• Replaced old gatcha box render with new one
  
• Prevented launcher from playing SFX while in-game
  
• Replaced launcher chat notification sound
  
• Added death SFX for fire hydrants
  
• Overhead VFX like stun and heat ammo now correctly position above large units
  
• Sprockets now rotate on XBTs (Khan, Sphinx, Inso, Panther)
  
• Added wheel rotation to Riot Suppressor
  
• Slightly moved up announcement text widget to prevent overlap with stats screen
  

[h3]BUG FIXES[/h3]

• Fixed incorrect status text in surrender window
  
• Prevented launcher from playing SFX while in-game (duplicate entry removed)
  

SSA TEAM

We’ve got a small but meaningful update to share!

Indie Game Spotlights recently featured our game Steel Swarm: Apocalypse on their social media channels 🎮

We’re incredibly grateful for their kind support and for helping us reach more players.

As an indie team, we deeply appreciate every bit of recognition. These kinds of shoutouts help us grow our community and bring our game to a wider audience.

A big thanks again to the Indie Game Spotlights team!

And don’t forget to check out and follow their accounts!
https://www.instagram.com/indiegamespotlights/

https://youtu.be/vPBKrl7rFH0?si=T2iRbWcgBVSScBNg

See you again in our upcoming updates! 🚀
https://steelswarm.net/news/igs.html

Clay Token Game Studio