BURNED HORIZONS News

// OPERATION LIVE FIRE // EARLY ALPHA TEST

Early Alpha is a live test of the game in its early state — expect rough edges.
This deployment is the first of several. The Alpha will continue in stages and
evolve forward into Beta as development advances.

Keys are limited. Slots will close fast.

Wishlist + Follow on Steam
Screenshot proof
Uplink screenshot to #fwd-dep (Discord)

Alpha deployment begins December 2026.
Feedback from this run will shape the fight ahead.

HQ will transmit confirmation if you make the cut.
Until then — stand by.

HOLD THE LINE. ALWAYS FORWARD. [/p]


//----


[The week in review:
— 1,900 new wishlists on Steam
— Featured by Turn-Based Lovers
— Picked up in Popular Airsoft
— Initial trailer in progress // deployment window Oct 2026
— Development of Early Alpha in UE5 in progress

The line is moving.


//----


b]SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.

OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.

[h2]// WEAPON SYSTEMS — Mods, Attachments, Evolution[/h2][hr][/hr][p]Weapons don’t just appear out of thin air. They evolve on two fronts:

WORLD EVENTS
A seized shipment, a captured cache, or a manufacturer rolling out a new variant — that’s how new hardware enters the fight. Always logical, always within reach of the era.

GUNSMITH GROWTH
They’re not menus, they’re people. Gunsmiths are operators in their own right. The more jobs they log, the more pathways open — better cuts, refinements, custom builds. Other specialists — mechanics, medics — grow the same way: by doing the work.

MODS & ATTACHMENTS
[/p]

• [p] Optics and grips can be swapped in the field — if the operator’s got the tool and the skill.
  [/p]
• [p] Deeper work (barrels, tuning, full conversions) happens back at the bench.
  [/p]

[p]This mirrors real life: PMCs and front-line teams adapt gear by skill and circumstance — not “magic unlocks.”

A carbine might stay stock… or edge toward an LVOC-style build as events and skill push it forward.

* \[ EARLY CONCEPT ART — NOT FINAL ]

— END OF BRIEF

//---

SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.

OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.

ALPHA SIGNUPS // Open. [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
[/p]

// DISPATCH UPDATE

We’re posting two devlogs today as a catch-up drop — pulling everyone into sync on where Burned Horizons is headed. From here on out, new devlogs will release every Monday.

For the latest versions — including edits, notes, and extras — you’ll always find them first on our Discord and the d-logs.

[hr][/hr]


* [ EARLY CONCEPT ART — NOT FINAL ]

⬤ D-LOG ENTRY [0002]

[// DEV]
[2025-06-09-1025]
[POE // DVG-98]
[NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA]
[RE: THE OLD RULES]

I’m a visual person. So you start with the art.

For me... realism isn’t just about the mechanics.
It’s in the depth and detail of what you’re seeing.
The more real the image, the more real it becomes.
An operator that looks like a cartoon — yeah, you can use your imagination and make that work.
But there’s still a disconnect.

So... you try to make the art reflect reality.
The gear feeling right — fatigues with weight, webbing that looks field-worn,
a plate carrier that makes sense for who this guy is.
But the more real it all looks, the more hollow the old systems feel.

You finish the art for an operator → now he needs a backstory → where did he serve → where’s he from → how did that impact his behaviors/skills → what skills does he have → ranks → roles → terms → structure → formatting → regional details → and on it goes. The train just keeps chugging.

So, how to make them real and not just pixels on a screen?
Well, I started with how actual people behave.
Which means XP, skill trees, role/class guardrails, RNG stats (INT, STR, DEX)
just weren’t gonna cut it anymore.

You don’t level up in a real fight.
You don’t get better at suppressive fire because you looted the right bush or jogged across a tile.
And war changes people.

The old rules don’t hold. So, you write new ones.

The start is UCD/S + Scars → then Roles → Archetypes → Specialization Pathways → Attributes

FWIW: Not saying all games are ‘bad.’
Some hit the tone just right but fail in other respects.
Some get further along with mods.
But many of them — even the good ones — make tradeoffs for financial considerations (like greater appeal).

This is especially true of games in this genre.

[hr][/hr]



⬤ D-LOG ENTRY [0003]

[// DEV]
[2025-06-16-1000]
[POE // DVG-87]
[NAFOSEC // NCC-RIGA]
[RE: PROGRESSION]

You don’t “level up” in a real unit.
You survive. You adapt. You get fractured.
You get better — or you don’t.
And what changes you isn’t a point bar.
It’s what you’ve lived through.

>> SCARS
Scars aren’t upgrades.
They’re what’s left behind — good or bad.

Maybe it makes you faster under pressure.
Maybe it makes you flinch when you shouldn’t.

But it sticks. And people notice.
Squads remember. So does the system.

>> UCD/S
Unit Command Designation / S
Two layers. Both leveled.

UCD-1 to UCD-4 tracks your standing inside NAFOSEC — from probationary to field leadership.
S-1 to S-5 measures cohesion and trust — what the unit sees in you, not just what you’ve done.

UCD is about who you are in the structure.
S is about who shows up when the pressure hits.

And somewhere past UCD-4... there’s a UCD-5.
You won’t see it in early deployments —
but if you stick with someone long enough, it’s there.
It’s not a class unlock.
It’s what you become when the system stops needing to ask.

Operators may also carry Legacy Tags — VETERAN, RELIC, NON-STANDARD, ASSET-R.
You won’t see those right away either.
They follow UCD-5.
They aren’t cosmetic.
They affect how people see you —
and how command calculates risk when your name comes up.

>> ROLES + SPECIALIZATION PATHWAYS
Everyone starts with a Role.
Not a class. A function. A signature.
CT-17, AF-75, RW-31 — they’re not kits.
They’re starting points.

From there, behavior takes over.

Specialization Pathways emerge based on what you do — and how often you do it.

• Stick to your lane? You refine it.
  
• Drift hybrid? The system adjusts.
  
• Shift entirely? It doesn’t wipe the slate.
  

Nothing is lost.
You keep what you’ve earned.
You don’t discard your role — you expand on it.

//-----

SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.

OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.

ALPHA SIGNUPS // Open. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/3985330/view/501710244523540881?l=english

[h3]
We’re opening alpha signups for the first Operational Test Build of Burned Horizons.[/h3][p]
\[ If STEAM is removing the links for some users - join our Discord (link on store page) and post in the #fwd-dep channel. ] [/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h3]TARGET WINDOW:[/h3][p]December 2025[/p][h3]FORMAT:[/h3][p]Limited Steam keys (invite-only)[/p][h3]PURPOSE:[/h3][p]Early gameplay test + community feedback
[/p][hr][/hr][h3]
// WHAT THIS IS[/h3][p]This is not a polished demo.
It’s a vertical slice — very early, work-in-progress build.[/p]

• [p]Core tactical combat[/p]
• [p]Early persistence systems (SCAR + UCD/S)
  [/p]

[hr][/hr][h3]
// HOW TO SIGN UP[/h3]

1. [p]Wishlist + Follow Burned Horizons here on Steam[/p]
2. [p]Take a screenshot[/p]
3. [p]Complete the signup form → UPLINK \[ https://burnedhorizons.com/fwd-uplink?source=alpha ][/p]
4. [p]If selected → Join our Discord (keys + feedback live there) \[ https://discord.gg/QRnh2pbqKd ][/p]

[h3][/h3][hr][/hr][h3] // WHY TO GET INVOLVED[/h3]

• [p]First hands-on with Burned Horizons[/p]
• [p]Be part of the first field test — your input on this limited build shapes the mission going forward[/p]
• [p]Insider access as we prep for Kickstarter (Jan 2026)
  [/p]

[hr][/hr][p]
⚠️ Note: Visuals = placeholder. Content = limited. Testing focus: stability, flow, readability of systems. Expect rough edges.[/p][p][/p][p]⚠️ Slots are scarce. Sign up early for a chance at the shortlist.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p]
— \[POE // DVG-98] // Burned Horizons Studio[/p]

SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.

OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.

[p][/p][h2]OPERATORS — FORWARD DEPLOY[/h2][p]
[/p][h3]SIGN ON[/h3][p]• WISHLIST + FOLLOW ON STEAM
• SCREENCAP WISHLIST + SUBMIT A NAME OR HANDLE OR DISCORD \[ annex / #fwd-dep ].
SUBMISSIONS MAY APPEAR AS AN OPERATOR ALIAS, INTEL DROP, OR CODEX SCRAP.
[/p][h3]SPIN UP[/h3][p]• PRE-DEPLOYMENT FUNDING SUPPORT
SUPPORT ROLLS INTO OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 (P2).
FORWARD DEPLOYED RECEIVE PRIORITY IN OPERATOR BONUSES. GROGNARD \[GRG] TAG IN CREDITS / DISCORD.
[/p][h3]OPERATION FULCRUM // P2-KICKSTARTER[/h3][p]LOCK YOUR OPERATOR BONUSES: SERVICE JACKET, CALLSIGN, + MORE.
DEPLOYMENT WINDOW >> JAN. 2026[/p][p]
//---

SUPPORT THE OP
👉 WISHLIST + FOLLOW // Every mark adds weight to the push ahead.

OPN-FULCRUM // PHASE 2 → JAN 2026. Mission-critical funding op to carry Burned Horizons forward. Stay locked in — followers get the deployment notice first.

ALPHA SIGNUPS // Open. [dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]