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Squad 7.1 and Sanxian Island

Attention Squaddies,

A few months back we spoke of the work we were doing on the next coming map for Squad, Sanxian Islands. Now we are happy to announce that Sanxian Islands will be coming with Squad 7.1 on February the 8th 2024!

Sanxian Islands


This island chain, resulting from volcanic activity, has been inhabited for several hundred years but in recent decades the two major islands in the north have seen expansive development. During the early 90’s a coal power plant was constructed powering a nearby mainland city. The Sanxian Islands hold great strategic importance in the Pacific region due to their coastal location and the potential for pre-existing industrial infrastructure to be repurposed for military use. The occupation of this island by a regional force has made for rapid construction of new military facilities including a radar station and helicopter base. These new projects are in contrast to the existing mostly rural locations that cover the eastern and southern islands. Those rural towns rely on their farming and fishing industries. Hills are covered in rice paddies and sugar cane that quickly turn to dense jungle and bamboo. Towns on the coast feature low density commercial, slipways for fishing boats, and cages/netting close to the shore.



Sanxian will have a brand new biome, with lush jungles and sandy beaches, but also brand new East Asian style buildings and environments. It is a level that focuses heavily on Infantry warfare, with lush forests, industrial zones, and claustrophobic Villages. The use of amphibious vehicles and helicopters allows for high flexibility in the transportation of infantry between locations, but infantry can stand on their own, sneaking through jungle and shallows that connect the island chain together.



The map will offer quite a few tactical possibilities, so let’s take a look at some of the places you and your squad will fight in Sanxian:

[h2]Power Plant[/h2]
A large coal power plant constructed in the early 1990’s has become a strategic asset as it provides the majority of power to nearby mainland urban and industrial zones. The power plant and its surrounding campus support mixed infantry and vehicle game play. It will require heavy cooperation amongst squads if they are to hold the entire POI.



[h2]Canal Town[/h2]
This town well predates the more recent power plant and is one of the largest settlements in the region. It was at one point the hub for the farms and commerce for the entire island but has since been overshadowed. The land its surrounding occupies has been bluntly cut at its edges by the power plant contrasting its mostly rural feeling. Control over the bridges and house to house fighting should offer you plenty of challenges!



[h2]Naval Base[/h2]
PLA helicopter base located on the interior of the lagoon. Shares the port with civilian commercial industry with the militarized area forming a fortified core. The Naval base will support island hopping themes and amphibious combat across the lagoon.



[h3]Sanxian Islands Map Layers[/h3]
  • AAS v1 - USA vs PLA
  • AAS v2 - USMC vs PLA
  • AAS v3 - CAF vs PLA
  • Invasion v1 - USMC attacking PLA
  • Invasion v2 - PLANMC attacking USA
  • RAAS v1 - USMC vs PLA
  • RAAS v2 - ADF vs PLA
  • Seed v1 - ADF vs PLA
  • Skirmish v1 - USMC vs PLA


We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!

Squad Hotfix 7.0.1 Release Notes

Squad Hotfix 7.0.1 is now live! Here are the extensive list of the changes:

[h2]System & Gameplay Updates[/h2]

- Adjusted the TLF SOR-109T SMG recoil to be less aggressive and more controllable in full-auto for short-range use.
- Adjusted TLF LAT 02 and LAT 03 kit inventory as follows:
LAT 2:
  • MPT76 + HNA
  • RPG7 HEAT x2
  • RPG7 Frag x2
LAT 3:
  • MPT76 + A940
  • HAR66 x2
  • Frag Grenade x1



[h2]General Bug Fixes[/h2]

  • Fixed an issue where the TLF ACV-15 Open Top M2 and MG3 APC’s required a crewman for the driver.
  • Fixed an issue with TLF being able to have two AR MG3+Irons kit roles in a squad, should now only be able to have 1 in a squad. This is unlocked when the squad reaches 3 squad members.
  • Fixed missing text on the TLF LAT 01 RPG-7 v2 kit on the loadout screen.
  • Fixed an issue with the RGF AK74M 1P78 scope which looked darker/more saturated/shinier than the rest of the weapon.
  • Fixed an exploit where players could uncap their input on a joystick or steering wheel enabling them to zoom across the map in a vehicle at ludicrous speeds.
  • Fixed an issue where Shoulders would look deformed when performing emotes with smaller weapons equipped.
  • Fixed an issue where Armpits would look deformed during animations.
  • Fixed an issue where the TLF Rally Point was accidentally using the ADF Rally Point when equipped in hands.
  • Fixed an issue in the Infantry Tutorial where an NPC soldier would be T posing when they needed to be crouching.
  • Fixed some client side log spam relating to Weapon Skins.
  • Fixed an issue where Find Match was not working properly.
  • Fixed an issue where you were unable to use Admin commands on a locally open map after disconnecting from a server.
  • Fixed an issue where failed pings to servers would show -1000. This has been changed to 9999.
  • Fixed an issue where filtering by Ping would not properly filter found results.

o Fixed a Crash related to Alt Tabbing with DLSS enabled.

[h2]Map Updates & Bug Fixes[/h2]


  • Fixed an issue on Belaya RAAS v1 Where the PLANMC could place infinite HASCO bunkers with no resource cost.
  • Fixed an issue on Belaya RAAS v1 where the description was incorrect.
  • Fixed an issue where Yehorivka Invasion v5 was incorrectly labeled as v4.
  • Fix an issue on Yehorivka Invasion v5 where the TLF ACV-15 would not spawn in.



[h2]Known Issues[/h2]

  • The Server Browser may refresh itself after an initial delay. We’re still investigating the underlying cause of this.
  • Server Browser Filtering by Ping will not result in fetching only servers under that ping. It will instead filter the servers you already have in your current server browser view to that ping limit. Refreshing your server browser will fetch new results but could produce less results. This is due to a limitation with the amount of sessions EOS allows us to retrieve per call.
  • Server Browser Filtering in general is done on results after they have been fetched. Epic Online Services will send its session results in whichever order it decides which is outside of our control. We consider this to be a significant issue and are doing our best to resolve this in a future update. Due to it happening after the results have been received, you may not be able to find a server you are looking for immediately and will need to click the Refresh Button a few times.


SQUAD 7.0 LIVE & RELEASE NOTES

This update introduces the Turkish Land Forces faction, a new set of emotes, and a new weapon skin system:

[h2]Turkish Land Forces (TLF)[/h2]
The Turkish Land Forces join Squad as a capable, Independent faction that fields strong infantry, and good vehicles. They boast a mix of domestically produced, Soviet, and Western equipment and although some of their vehicles are older, they make up for it with highly capable infantry. The infantry has access to an extra grenadier role, including one equipped with the MGL, a powerful semi-automatic grenade launcher, a raider role equipped with a modern submachine gun, and can field more light anti-tank weapons than other factions but lack a dedicated heavy anti-tank role.



[h3]Weapons[/h3]
SOR 109T Submachine Gun
  • MPT-76 Rifle
  • KNT-76 Marksman Rifle
  • AK40-GL Underslung Grenade Launcher
  • PMT-76 Medium Machine Gun
  • MG3 - Iron Sights Variant
  • MKE MGL Grenade Launcher
  • HAR-66 Light Anti-Tank Weapon
  • SOR-9 Pistol
  • Optics

o A940 1-4x Optic
o KESKIN Marksman Optic
o HNA Red Dot Optic



[h3]Vehicles[/h3]
  • BMC 185-09B Truck
  • Cobra II MRAP
  • ACV-15 Tracked APC/IFV
  • PARS III Wheel APC/IFV
  • M60T MBT
  • UH1H Helicopter




[h3]Kit Roles[/h3]
  • Squad Leader (3 variants)
  • Medic (2 variants)
  • Rifleman (3 variants)
  • Light Anti-Tank (3 variants)
  • Automatic Rifleman
  • Jandarma
  • Marksman
  • Machine Gunner
  • Crewman (+ Squad Leader Crewman)
  • Pilot (+ Squad Leader Pilot)
  • Engineer


[h2]TLF Gameplay Layers[/h2]

Al Basrah
• Invasion v9 - TLF vs INS

Anvil
• RAAS v5 - TLF vs RGF

Black Coast
• Invasion v6 - TLF vs RGF
• RAAS v6 - TLF vs PLA
• Seed v2 - TLF vs VDV

Chora
• AAS v7 - TLF vs MEA

Fallujah
• Invasion v7 - TLF vs INS
• RAAS v8 - TLF vs INS
• Seed v2 - TLF vs MEA

Gorodok
• Invasion v4 - TLF vs IMF
• RAAS v13 - TLF vs VDV

Kohat
• Invasion v5 - TLF vs INS
• RAAS v5 - TLF vs IMF
• RAAS v11 - TLF vs RGF

Lashkar
• Invasion v5 TLF vs PLA

Logar
• AAS v4 - TLF vs IMF

Mutaha
• Invasion v5 - TLF vs MEA
• RAAS v8 - TLF vs USA

Sumari
• RAAS v3 - TLF vs INS
• Seed v4 - TLF vs USA

Tallil Outskirts
• Invasion v6 - TLF vs MEA
• RAAS v9 - TLF vs PLA

Yehorivka
• Invasion v5 - TLF vs RGF
• RAAS v15 TLF vs VDV

[h2]Weapon Skins[/h2]

Weapon skins are cosmetic items grounded in reality that don’t impact gameplay.
Skins can be equipped only by certain factions and are biome-restricted to keep gameplay authentic.
These items can be equipped on the Customize screen, which can be accessed from the Main Menu.

Woodland Warfare Pack ($4.99 USD)


Contains three cosmetic items for use on Woodland maps


  • Rainforest - Factory camo for the QBZ95-1 Assault Rifle and the QBZ95B-1 Carbine (PLA and PLANMC)
  • Shade - Spray paint for the M4A1 and M4 Carbine (USA and USMC)
  • Tree Line - Trusty camo paint for the AK74M Assault Rifle (RGF)




Desert Warfare Pack ($4.99 USD)


Contains three cosmetic items for use on Desert maps


  • Gobi - Special camo order for the QBZ95-1 Assault Rifle and QBZ95B-1 Carbine (PLA and PLANMC)
  • Black & Tan - Classic color scheme for the M4A1 and M4 Carbine (USA and USMC)
  • Dust - Slightly worn camo paint for the AK-74M Assault Rifle (RGF)




Legacy Weapon Skins
Updated existing founder and reward weapon skins to use the new skin system:
  • Moved legacy skins from the Steam Inventory section in Settings to the new Weapon Skins tab on the Customize screen
  • Legacy skins don’t have biome restrictions as they didn’t before
  • Added some of the existing skins to new factions that are thematically appropriat
e
o RPG7 Veteran can now be used by VDV faction
o RPG7v2 Veteran can now be used by VDV, MEA, and the new TLF faction

[h2]Emotes[/h2]
Added a new emote pack:

Stand Off Pack ($3.99 USD)



  • Cut Throat (Gesture)
  • Fist Pump (Gesture)
  • Finger Guns (Emote)
  • Can’t See Me (Gesture)
  • Stop (Gesture)


[h2]System & Gameplay Updates[/h2]


  • Integrated Epic Online Services

We have replaced all Steam backend calls with Epic Online Services backend calls.
This will still use your Steam account to authenticate to the backend as was done previously.

Weapon Skins Spotlight

Attention Squaddies,

With the next release of Squad, we will be introducing something new and exciting that we are happy to share with you now! Alongside the Turkish Land Forces, usual improvements and bug fixes, we are adding a new form of content to Squad with the introduction of Weapon Skins!

Weapon Skins will give you the opportunity to personalize your weapon, adding a special texture to it. We have taken great care to make them feel authentic and fit seamlessly with the aesthetic of Squad.

As we have done in the past with the introduction of Emotes, Weapon Skins will help us fund further development of Squad. Rest assured that there is plenty of free content on the horizon for Squad, but paid content helps us support our game and sustain our growth into 2024 and beyond. We have very exciting things coming into the new year that we cannot wait to share with you! Now let’s go over the specifics!

[h2]Weapon Skins[/h2]

In an effort to keep the game as realistic as possible and to show skins in the proper conditions (desert skins in desert, forest skins in forest, etc), Weapon Skins can be equipped to specific weapons, are faction-locked, and dependent on biome. This means that not all skins will display all the time and will show when a certain set of conditions are met.

  • Specific Weapons: weapon skin packs include weapon skins for specific weapons and their variants. Once you equip a skin, it will display on all kits that are using this weapon.
  • Faction-Locked: Weapon skins are tied to specific weapons. In consequence, only the factions that have access to the weapon will be able to apply the skin.
  • Biome Dependent: A weapon skin will only appear in the environment it was made for. A desert weapon skin will only be visible on desert maps, for instance.




[h2]Legacy Weapon Skins[/h2]

In the past we have already used Weapon Skins for a variety of different things like tournaments, events, and Kickstarter Founders rewards. This was built off the Steam Inventory system. We have moved away from it and have now built our own internal system to handle Weapon Skins. For those of you with legacy skins, you will find your old skins in the customize menu alongside the new skins. These legacy skins don’t have biome restrictions as they didn’t before, and we have added them to a few new factions that are thematically appropriate.

[h2]Using Weapon Skins[/h2]

Similar to Emotes, Weapon Skins can be purchased as packs. The packs can be previewed directly in the in-game Store and purchased on Steam. Once you have acquired a skin it will be available in your Customize screen which can be accessed from the Main Menu. Once in the Customize screen you can select which skin you wish to equip by simply clicking on it. It will display a preview of the skin as well to help you make a choice. A checkmark on the skin will also inform you of which one you currently have equipped.

Once you are in-game, and all the conditions are met, you will be able to look at your new skin. To help you look at your weapon’s new look, we have also added a new gesture for everyone to use for free, the Weapon Inspection. This gesture won’t be visible to other players, only you will see your soldier trigger it.



On the next release of Squad we will have two new Weapon Skin packs for you to buy. Both the Woodland Camo Pack and the Desert Camo Pack will be available for 4.99 USD upon release. Prices may vary depending on regional currencies. Take a look at the exhaustive list below to know the content of each pack.

[h3]Woodland Camo Pack
4.99 USD[/h3]

This pack contains 3 weapon skins for woodland maps:
  • Shade - M4A1 and M4 Carbines (USA and USMC)
  • Tree Line - AK74M Assault Rifle (RGF)
  • Rainforest - QBZ95-1 Assault Rifle and QBZ95B-1 Carbine (PLA and PLANMC)




[h3]Desert Camo Pack
4.99 USD[/h3]

This pack contains 3 weapon skins for desert maps:
  • Black & Tan - M4A1 and M4 Carbines (USA and USMC)
  • Dust - AK74M Assault Rifle (RGF)
  • Gobi - QBZ95-1 Assault Rifle and QBZ95B-1 Carbine (PLA and PLANMC)




Thank you for your on-going support as we continue improving Squad by creating new content, features, and other improvements for you to enjoy.

Sanxian and Turkish Land Forces Public Playtest!

Attention Squaddies,

We will be running a public playtest this weekend! It will feature the new pacific map Sanxian Island as well as the Turkish Land Forces (TLF) faction.

The playtest will take place on our Squad - Public Testing application which can be installed from your game library!



If you have already installed the playtesting app, an update will be made available the day before the test for you to download.

[h3]Playtest Start: November 17th at 7 PM UTC | 11 AM Pacific | 2 PM Eastern
Playtest End: November 20th at 7 PM UTC | 11 AM Pacific | 2 PM Eastern
[/h3]

For this playtest, we will be running ONE playtest server each day due to our specific needs for public testing. If you wanted to hop into a playtest but never knew of a good time, we suggest gearing up at 7 PM UTC | 11 AM Pacific | 2 PM Eastern each day over the weekend for what we're calling Playtest Primetime! We found this to be the best and most populated time to join.

So squad up and come try out the next faction and map coming to Squad and maybe you’ll reign victorious over some Offworld Squaddies with the new Turkish Land Forces MKE MGL Grenade Launcher!

To stay up to date and to join the discussion, we encourage you to join our Official Squad Community Discord Server to get the earliest news on playtests!

At ease,

[h3]Offworld Out.[/h3]