Hell Let Loose News

We wanted to take the time to thank you all in this week’s dev brief, and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

The team are always grateful to see the Hell Let Loose community share their passion for the game, whether that’s through playing, creating artwork, or providing valuable feedback and suggestions that help to shape future updates.

With Update 13 ‘Burning Snow’ now live, and a hotfix to suit, we hope everyone has been able to enjoy jumping into Kharkov and trying out the fast and fiery new items.

The team will once again be taking a small break this festive season, and will be returning in the New Year to tackle the remaining known issues with Update 13, and prepare to take on the next 12 months with some very exciting plans that we’ll be able to tell you more about soon.

We hope that everyone will be able to also rest up and enjoy time with friends and family, both inside and outside of Hell Let Loose.

Happy Holidays, from everyone at Black Matter Studios, Flix Interactive, and Team17!



[h2]Community Content[/h2]
As it is the season, we’d like to share some of the great wintry screenshots posted in the Hell Let Loose Official Discord featuring Update 13’s new map, Kharkov.

A unique perspective - [233C] Chrysallia

Winter Uniforms - [233C] Chrysallia

Appearing through the snow - [233C] Chrysallia

Flamethrower in action - [233C] Chrysallia

[h2]War Correspondent, Content Creator and Community HLL Videos[/h2]

Time for some more community highlights from the below creators.
We highly recommend giving them a watch! If you see a Video you like make sure to post in the Discord #hll-videos channel.

I destroyed a Molotov in mid-air... with a GRENADE - Hell Let Loose - Monoespacial
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0ruMDw1GNFI

Hell Let Loose 2 - What Does The Future of HLL Look Like? - RedcoatViking
https://youtu.be/Q78yYGKU0ak

Hell Let Loose - The IS-1 Is Good On Kharkov? (Update 13) - The Fresh Baked Goods
https://youtu.be/mYGyYYrs82s

Don’t forget that if you haven’t checked out the other Hell Let Loose socials you should do so. Like our Discord you will find them great places for information and community interaction.

Join the Discord here https://discord.gg/hellletloose

Our other social platforms can be found here:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HellLetLoose/
Twitter https://twitter.com/hell_let_loose
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HellLetLoose
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/HellLetLoose/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellletlooseofficial/
Steam http://steamcommunity.com/groups/HellLetLoose

We’ll see you all on the frontline in the new year!

Hey everyone,

A hotfix for Update 13 'Burning Snow' is now live! We are very grateful to the community for continuing to submit feedback and share their experience with Update 13.

For a comprehensive list of changes for this hotfix, please read the changelog below.

[h2]Hotfix Changelog[/h2]

Weapons
Increased Flamethrower damage so that players will now be killed faster when in the direct line of fire. This aims to address feedback from the community surrounding players getting hit with a Flamethrower and having too much time to fire back and kill the wielder.

We have also increased ground fire for both Flamethrowers and Molotovs from 40 to 80 to address feedback around fire not resulting in kills as quickly as expected.


Bug Fixes
[Fixed] Players can unlock the achievement "Rollin' In The Jeep" via incorrect methods
[Fixed] M40 Winter Coat looking the same as M43 Winter Coat
[Fixed] Steady aiming with the Panzerschreck causes it to disappear
[Fixed] Garrisons placed by Recon can't be used by any other unit
[Fixed] Using ammunition boxes causes character models to T-Pose
[Fixed] Swapping from the Flamethrower / MG to any item while continuously walking causes the character to T-Pose


Kharkov
[Fixed] Some trees collided with vehicles and often launched them into the air
[Fixed] The wooden fences disappear when viewed from around 100m
[Fixed] Stones have no collision with the player and bullets
[Fixed] Pile of snow has no collision with the player
[Fixed] Electricity poles do not present any type of collision
[Fixed] No bullet collision is present on a well asset
[Fixed] Players can reach the church back roof by climbing a wall with no collision
[Fixed] Invisible floating collision present in the roof area of the church
[Fixed] "Your team is losing a Critical Sector!" hint appears when first capture point is attacked
[Fixed] A gate presents an invisible collision box
[Fixed] Destroyed Tank Wreck Has No Bullet Collision
[Fixed] Snowy mud assets throughout map (on trenches, fences, and more) is visibly low res and pixelated
[Fixed] Players can reach the church front balcony via the roof area of the church
[Fixed] Two columns in the church are missing a texture
[Fixed] Misaligned snowbank present on a hill
[Fixed] Inside the church there is floating terrain that the player can stand on top of
[Fixed] A fence is floating above the terrain
[Fixed] Train wagon is clipping through the rocks
[Fixed] Misaligned stone asset can be found in some sectors


All Maps
Rebuilt HLODs for all maps

[h2]Known Issues[/h2]
- Players may crash when loading into any variant of the map Kursk
- German Machine Guns disappear while mounted and ADSing at specific angles


Don’t forget that if you haven’t checked out the other Hell Let Loose socials you should do so. Like our Discord you will find them great places for information and community interaction.

Join the Discord here https://discord.gg/hellletloose

Our other social platforms can be found here:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HellLetLoose/
Twitter https://twitter.com/hell_let_loose
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HellLetLoose
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/HellLetLoose/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellletlooseofficial/
Steam http://steamcommunity.com/groups/HellLetLoose

Thank you to everyone who gave feedback on their experience with Update 13 and provided detailed accounts of the issues encountered. It has greatly helped shape these fixes.

Now that you won't be able to hide in rocks anymore, we’ll see you all on the frontline!

Hey everyone,

The day is upon us, Update 13 ‘Burning Snow’, is out now across all platforms!

Burning Snow brings fast and fiery warfare to the game with Flamethrowers and Molotovs, as well as jeeps for all factions; landing alongside a brand new winter map, Kharkov, new Winter Uniforms, and an exciting new DLC pack.

Check out the official teaser for Update 13, Burning Snow and the changelog below:

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Update 13 Changelog[/h2]

Vehicles

• Added Soviet T-70 Light Tank
  
• Added Jeeps to all factions:
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Faction

  
  

  Vehicles

  
  

  
  

  
  

  GER

  
  

  Kubelwagen

  
  

  
  

  
  

  US

  
  

  Willys Jeep

  
  

  
  

  
  

  SOV

  
  

  GAZ-67

  
  

Weapons

• Added Flamethrowers:
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Faction

  
  

  Role

  
  

  Level

  
  

  
  

  
  

  GER

  
  

  Support

  
  

  Level 8

  
  

  
  

  US

  
  

  Support

  
  

  Level 8

  
  
• Added Molotovs:
  
  
  
  

  
  

  Faction

  
  

  Role

  
  

  Level

  
  

  
  

  
  

  SOV

  
  

  Assault

  
  

  Level 9

  
  

  
  

  
  

  SOV

  
  

  Support

  
  

  Level 6

  
  

  
  

  
  

  SOV

  
  

  Automatic Rifleman

  
  

  Level 3

  
  

  
  

  
  

  SOV

  
  

  Rifleman

  
  

  Level 6

  
  
  
  
  
• DP-27 buff - Reduced recoil while brace firing from 0.75 to 0.2 and increased damage from 65 at 75 meters to 100 at 150 meters

Loadouts

• Added Lend-Lease Bazooka loadout for Soviet Anti-Tank Level 8

Maps

• Added Kharkov - Warfare - Offensive GER - Warfare SOV
  
• Added fire damage logic to preplaced fire assets across all maps

Gameplay/Features

• Added persistent dismantle progression (saves progress for 5 seconds of inactivity)
  
• Added shared dismantle progression (dismantles faster the more people there are assisting)
  
• Improved Satchel placement logic
  
• Improved Satchel damage consistency
  
• Vehicle engines now drown when being submerged in water
  
• Added new achievements:
  Frozen Fields
  You... Shall Not... Spawn!
  Who's Garry?
  Fast Track Delivery
  Track and Trace
  One Hit Wonder!
  Firestarter
  Medium-Rare
  Extra Crispy Please
  Fight Fire with Fire
  This Is a Flammenwerfer, It Werfs Flammen
  Hans! Get Ze Flammenwerfer!
  Disco Inferno!
  Molotov Party!
  Za Zdorovie!
  Jeep Let Loose
  Jeepers!
  Drop it Like Its Hot!
  Dear Devs...
  Liar, Liar, Pants of Fire!
  Like a Moth to a Flame...
  Get that Windshield Up!
  Rollin' In The Jeep

Cosmetics

• Skull Bucket DLC:
  
  GER - Paratrooper Fallschirmjäger M38
  GER - Double Decal Police M35
  US - 101st Airborne 506th PIR Paratrooper M1
  US - 29th Infantry Division M1
  SOV - 1941 Model Blockaded Leningrad Helmet
  SOV - M36 Budenovka Winter Cap
  
  
• Winter Warfare DLC:
  
  GER - Winter Covered Fallschirmjäger M38
  US - Winter Covered M1
  SOV - Winter Covered SSh-40
  SOV - Winter Toques
  
  
• Base Winter Uniforms:
  
  US - M1943 Winter Uniform
  SOV - Ameba Winter Uniform
  GER - Heer Schneetarnjacke Winter Smok
  
  
• Base Winter Helmets:
  
  GER - White Painted M42
  US - White Painted M1
  SOV - Winter Painted SSh-36
  SOV - Winter Painted SSh-40
  SOV - White Ushanka
  SOV - White Tied Ushanka

HUD/UI

• Added the ability to set cosmetic presets in the Barracks and Loadout screens
  
• Added additional non-verbal comms:
  Precision Strike
  Request Ammo

Optimization

• Refactored the animation system to use fewer bones per character mesh
  
• Particle and decal FX optimization
  
• Improved LoDs for vehicles

Effects

• Added variation to the Bombing Run explosion FX

Sounds

• OPs/Garrisons/Half-tracks radio effect now fades to static noise when overrun by the enemy
  
• Added UI SFX for deploy countdown in the final 3 seconds

Animation

• Refactored a new animation system. This should result in increased performance and smoother animations in TPP

Server Administration

• Map rotations now allow for duplicate entries of the same map
  
• Added ability for admins to direct message players via RCON
  
• Added RCON command to display game state information (team sizes, score, remaining time, current map, next map)
  
• Steam64ID is now displayed in the Connect/Disconnect log
  
• [Fixed] Temporary Bans Not Removed From RCon List Once Ban Timer Expires

Bug Fixes

• [Fixed] Method which allowed non-recon roles to spawn on a Recon OP
  
• Improved ‘Shots Hit’ statistic to not count structures/vehicles shot with firearms
  
• [Fixed] Drivers can no longer turn off the engine to ‘stealth roll’ long distances in vehicles
  
• [Fixed] Incorrect plane used to drop Ammo Drop for RUS/GER
  
• [Fixed] The deploy button disappears when the player resigns the Commander role then creates/joins another unit without changing the role
  
• [Fixed] The Russian Commander Fuel abilities list order isn't consistent and changes
  
• [Fixed] Satchel Charges won't destroy barbed wire at certain distances
  
• [Fixed] German Fuel Nodes are unable to be destroyed with Satchel Charges
  
• [Fixed] Gunshot SFX can still be heard after the player that is shooting with certain weapons dies
  
• [Fixed] The "Back" button in the Barracks menu does not work correctly immediately after a new favorite role is selected
  
• [Fixed] 'Resign as commander' button doesn't disappear after rejoining previously created armor/recon unit
  
• [Fixed] Panther (German Heavy) has a shorter cooldown after spawning it compared to the Tiger
  
• [Fixed] Machine gun cannot be mounted in specific type of buildings across all the maps
  
• [Fixed] Receiving an invite/request while on the deploy screen will block a player from leaving the loadout menu once accessed
  
• [Fixed] [FPP] The German Small Ammunition box, Medical Supplies box and Explosive Ammo box have identical models when held in hand
  
• [Fixed] "This sector is locked" hint triggers unproperly in deployment screen
  
• [Fixed] Some achievements contain spelling errors
  
• [Fixed] "Rain Hell" achievement does not unlock when killing 10 players with one projectile of the Katyusha strike
  
• [Fixed] Attempting to join a server through a direct link does not launch the game or connect the player to a server if the game is running
  
• [Fixed] Joining servers through the Steam Servers option with the game closed will leave the player on the Front-End
  
• [Fixed] The player is unable to join a server through another player or by an invite when using the Steam Overlay
  
• [Fixed] Muzzle flash FX is missing from DP-27 Machine Gun
  
• [Fixed] US Medium Tank M4A3 has no SFX when colliding with objects
  
• [Fixed] At very specific angles Trucks would sometimes not receive damage
  
• [Fixed] Floating fireball is visible after vehicle engines are damaged and repaired
  
• [Fixed] Tanks moving in reverse will automatically change to Gear 1 when the tracks are destroyed
  
• [Fixed] Player doesn't get AFK kick after he already received one if the idle time is changed via RCon
  
• [Fixed] Satchel damage against Belgian gates is inconsistent
  
• [Fixed] Walking into supply truck crates causes the dropping sound effect to be played
  
• [Fixed] AP and HE shells are unable to suppress enemy players
  
• [Fixed] Supply box achievements count boxes placed instead of total supplies provided
  
• [Fixed] Destroying the Panther rewards the player with the wrong combat score
  
• [Fixed] Hull and coaxial machine guns do not reload after exiting and entering during reloading
  
• [Fixed] Opening the game in windowed mode with certain resolutions will cause the top bar to appear off screen
  
• [Fixed] Closing scoreboard while opening personal stats page will cause scoreboard to not appear
  
• [Fixed] Choosing the Bill Head on a US role equips the player with the Hans Head from the German side
  
• [Fixed] Kills With The RG-42 Grenade and Mk2 Grenade Are Not Recorded If Thrown Post Death
  
• [Fixed] Soldiers don't have 3rd person animation for vertical aiming movements on specific map HQs
  
• [Fixed] Head rotates unnaturally after being revived
  
• [Fixed] The Russian Half-Track appears in the wrong part of the Russian Commander ability list
  
• [Fixed] No animation transition present when ADS with Flare Gun
  
• [Fixed] Some helmets fall through the ground after a player is headshot

Carentan

• [Fixed] Some crater assets allowed players to see under the terrain

Purple Heart Lane

• [Fixed] Player can spawn into closed house in C8
  
• [Fixed] Invisible wall collision is present on a section of stone wall along the main road

Remagen

• [Fixed] Rubble can be seen through when prone
  
• [Fixed] There is a kill volume in sector E10 that makes vehicles disappear
  
• [Fixed] Misaligned Train
  
• [Fixed] Multiple visual issues around a trench
  
• [Fixed] There is a large misaligned dirt pile near a German Bunker
  
• [Fixed] Mud embankment along road is misaligned in multiple places

Kursk

• [Fixed] Light can be see shining through the ground
  
• [Fixed] Floating grass is present in certain areas
  
• [Fixed] Misaligned terrain texture present in sector C9
  
• [Fixed] A pair of wooden gates are not connected to any fence
  
• [Fixed] The artillery shells are misaligned with the terrain
  
• [Fixed] Two metal barrels in certain location are clipping through a wooden fence

Stalingrad

• [Fixed] Players can clip into a specific metal roof and hide from enemies
  
• [Fixed] One of the buildings in the vicinity of the Nail Factory lacks collision below the staircase on the ground floor

Utah

• Repair stations spawn in American HQs on US-Offensive
  
• [Fixed] Some hedge instances being able to block bullets

[h2]Known Key Issues[/h2]

• Infrequently a player’s face texture may become misaligned

Don’t forget that if you haven’t checked out the other Hell Let Loose socials you should do so. Like our discord you will find them great places for information and community interaction.

Join the Discord here https://discord.gg/hellletloose

Our other social platforms can be found here:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HellLetLoose/
Twitter https://twitter.com/hell_let_loose
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HellLetLoose
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/HellLetLoose/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellletlooseofficial/
Steam http://steamcommunity.com/groups/HellLetLoose


We also wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who took part in the recent PTE sessions and provided feedback ahead of release, we appreciate the time you take to share your experiences.

Now it’s time to bring the heat with Update 13! We’ll see you all on the frontline!

Hey Everyone,

It's time for another update from the trenches! After the rollout of the first two U13 PTEs, with players having their first hands-on experience with most of the U13 content, we have a LOT to highlight here today, including; the U13 release date, a new full time Community Manager, animation optimisation, Steam free weekend, and the new premium DLC bundle that will be rolling out alongside U13.

[h2]Update 13 ‘Burning Snow’ Release date Tuesday December 6th![/h2]
Time is almost upon us, as many have noticed over the last few months we have been highlighting and in some cases sneak peeking into the upcoming Burning Snow update for Hell Let Loose.

This week, we are excited to confirm that the update will be going live on Tuesday the 6th of December, across all platforms!



Burning Snow has some great features which we think players new and old alike will enjoy. We feel that providing a brief summary of some of the items in the update might be worthwhile for you all to get a glimpse of what is coming before Tuesday, December 6th.

Some of the items to watch out for in the new ‘Burning Snow’ update include:

New Vehicles:

• T-70 Light Tank
  
• Jeeps for all factions USA, Germany and Soviet

New Weapons:

• US: M2-2 Flamethrower
  
• GER: Flammenwerfer41
  
• SOV: Molotovs
  
• SOV: Bazooka

New Map:

• Kharkov (Snow map)

Additional Improvements:

• Updated and improved Player Animations
  
• Updated and improved Uniform Loadout presets
  
• UI Improvements

And a host of fixes and bugs squashed. In addition to the above, lots of work has been done to iron out a magnitude of small items like minor terrain glitches etc.

The above is merely a short summary of the bulk of the Burning Snow update. Upon release, we will disclose the full changelog which illustrates in detail all the improvements and changes made with this latest update.

[h2]Welcome to WombatMedic, the new Full Time Community Manager![/h2]

Throughout the last 12 months, both the Hell Let Loose team and community have continued to expand, and as part of that growth, we are thrilled to welcome and introduce Alisha ‘WombatMedic’, as our new full time Community Manager!

Alisha will be dedicated to supporting you on the frontlines, and has already been working away behind the scenes for several weeks and can’t wait to meet you all.

She’ll be jumping into Discord chat today to introduce herself, so head over there and give her a warm welcome!



[h2]Free Weekend December 01[/h2]
Starting December 1st, there will be a free weekend for Hell Let Loose on all platforms. If you have a friend or family member that is keen to hit the trenches on the frontlines of HLL, this weekend will give them the opportunity to do so for a limited time, for free.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/686810/Hell_Let_Loose/

[h2]Animation Optimisation - Bones Rework[/h2]
Amongst the quality of life updates we are implementing to U13 we have included the first iteration of an animation optimisation improvement. This is done through a rework of the animation bones used in the player models.

The purpose of the animation optimisation is to improve the look and feel of the animations, whilst optimising the performance of the third-person skeleton.

First, we optimised the TPP skeleton by removing excess bones which reduces draw calls and improves performance. This involved removing about 20 bones on the skeleton. This reduces calls by more than 2000 per frame to help boost fps. Next we added twist bone constraints and re-skinned all the skeletal meshes for more accurate bone placement. This improves fidelity of mesh deformation and makes for smoother animation visuals. Arms and legs bend cleaner and animations appear smoother and more natural.



[h2]Helmet Pack - Skull Bucket[/h2]
With the release of Update 13 we are also rolling out a new DLC cosmetics pack for players to purchase and enjoy. With the adept name of ‘Skull Bucket’, this DLC pack will feature 2 unique helmets for each faction of US, Germany and Soviet forces. The helmets include the following:

• US - 101st Airborne 506th PIR Paratrooper M1
  
• US - 29th Infantry Division M1
  
• Germany - Paratrooper M38 Fallschirmjäger Helmet
  
• Germany - M35 Double Decal Police Helmet
  
• Soviet - 1941 Model Blockaded Leningrad Helmet
  
• Soviet - M36 Budenovka Winter Cap

Let's take a look at how these helmets look with some detailed renders by our character artist.


US - 101st Airborne 506th PIR Paratrooper M1


US - 29th Infantry Division M1


Germany - M35 Double Decal Police Helmet


Germany - Paratrooper M38 Fallschirmjäger Helmet


Soviet - 1941 Model Blockaded Leningrad Helmet


Soviet - M36 Budenovka Winter Cap


[h2]Community Highlight[/h2]
Today, we are giving a shout out to the HLL Seasonal competition, which has been running for some time now, with many groups involved. The Seasonal has been a great insight into the competitive side of HLL. If you are curious, you can check it out below.

The HLL Seasonal Tournament, one of the largest worldwide community driven competitions, is returning for its fifth edition. Pitting 33 teams in 90 games over the course of 16 weeks, the HLL Seasonal Fall 2022 edition will once again be the peak of competitive HLL.

Again, the world's top teams fight for the fall crown in 4 stages: First, second, main and the feared play-off stage, with the event currently being in the main stage. All the games are being broadcast - check out discord.gg/hllseasonal for more information on where to catch the games live.

The Discord is also the best place for any additional content regarding the HLL Seasonal: make your predictions on the games, follow the map eliminations, and come support your team! The HLL Seasonal has, as always, a wide variety of casters from all over the world, which will cover most matches in English - and some in German, French, Spanish, Chinese and more. If you have missed a match, you may find some of them in #replayschannel of the HLL Seasonal Discord.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_U0OC5ilq8



[h2]War Correspondent, Content Creator and Community HLL Videos[/h2]
Time for some more community highlights from the below creators. We highly recommend giving them a watch.
If you see a Video you like make sure to post in the Discord #hll-videos channel.

Most Chaotic Game Of Hell Let Loose I've Played - TallGrass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi1aozNLrOs

Battle Highlights: Carentan Offensive - November 9, 2022 - SoulSniper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz2fgwQM6Cw

Hell Let Loose Gameplay and Laughs 16 - Tiger_Mafia Gaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z56MvLgqoFI

Don’t forget that if you haven’t checked out the other Hell Let Loose socials you should do so. Like our discord you will find them great places for information and community interaction.

Join the Discord here https://discord.gg/hellletloose

Our other social platforms can be found here:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HellLetLoose/
Twitter https://twitter.com/hell_let_loose
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HellLetLoose
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/HellLetLoose/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellletlooseofficial/
Steam http://steamcommunity.com/groups/HellLetLoose

Well, it's time to free up some SSD space for U13 and wrap up today's Dev Brief.
See you all on the frontline!

Hey everyone,

Last week we caught a glimpse of the new winter map, Kharkov, and the first iteration on the base for our future winter uniforms. With just enough time to take a quick breath, the programmers and artists have been able to share some more on the content for our next update.

In today’s brief, we’re heating things up with flamethrowers for the US and Axis, Molotovs for the Soviets, jeeps for all factions and a peek at the new cosmetic loadout preset options. Let's take a look at these latest items, starting with Flames and Fastmovers!

[h2]Flamethrowers[/h2]
Feeling the chill on the frontline? Here’s something you can warm up to!
The team are excited for the addition of Flamethrowers and Molotovs for use on the frontlines, which will surely bring out some great action and visuals to the fields of combat.

WIP of the Flammenwerfer41 Being put to work

The flamethrowers are brutal pieces of equipment that will make short work of infantry in close quarters action.

The flamethrowers will not only set troops, but also the surrounding area alight. Due to its power the flamethrowers can only be used in a brace fire stance. These flame-dealing units will allow the user to wield their stream of flames for approximately 20 seconds of sustained fire until it needs to be replenished with fuel.

Not only if you are directly hit by the flamethrower, burning items around its path will also inflict damage to the unwary. The area of effect that is burning will be a big discouragement for any troops who dare to walk in the path of any area alight with flames as it will cause damage. If you like the sound of a flamethrower in your kit and want to ‘get your burn on’, then you will have to work for it!. Initially, with the implementation of flamethrowers, only the US and German Support role at level 10 will be able to equip this sizzling piece of equipment.

There will be two models of the flamethrower. Let's take a look at them together below:

WIP pictures of the Flamethrowers. The left unit is a US: M2-2 Flamethrower. The right unit is a German: Flammenwerfer41

Close quarters combat will become even more brutal, as this US soldier using a M2-2 Flamethrower demonstrates.

This Axis soldier is ensuring the building is clear with the Flammenwerfer41

Trench warfare will take on a whole new meaning with Flamethrowers deployed at the front.

[h2]Molotovs[/h2]
A handy item about the size of a grenade and throwable at your enemy, Molotovs were a cheap and popular item of use during most battles on the frontlines. Soviets will have greater access to this weapon compared to the US/Axis’ fiery flamethrower counterpart, with Molotovs being available to the Soviet Support role at level 6 and the Assault at level 9.

Although shorter than a flamethrower in its duration, the Molotov, when used correctly, will have your foes running in fear. A single direct hit on enemy troops will easily add to the throwers kill count alongside setting the immediate area alight. Like flamethrowers, if unwary troops stand on burning ground they will receive a nasty bite of fire damage for their troubles.

Molotovs were a cheap and popular item of use during most battles on the frontlines.

WIP - Soviet Troop hurling Molotovs into a trench.

[h2]Crispy Critters[/h2]
To complement the fire breathing flamethrower and pocket paraffin Molotovs, we have also introduced an initial implementation of new uniform texturing to reflect characters being hit by these weapons.

A WIP picture of a charred Axis soldier pondering his next move.

Ground environments, vehicles, and even bodies will burn for a time after being hit with flame weapons.

[h2]Vehicles: Including Willys Jeep, Kubelwagen and Gaz-67[/h2]
We are also pleased to showcase these new vehicles, especially the Jeeps! As our backers and veterans will know, jeeps were one of the first vehicles we had shown. We never intended on taking this long to introduce them to the game, however, we are now happy to announce their much anticipated inclusion.

Each faction will now have a jeep option; the US with the Willys, Axis with the Kubelwagen and the Soviets with the Gaz-67 to round out this trio.

Kubelwagen

Gaz-67

Willys Jeep

Traverse the wintry terrain.

Being small and nimble will be the biggest asset for jeeps.

Not only as a mode of transport, the jeeps will also offer a limited ammunition resupply for troops on the ground. This is done by the driver of the jeep (when parked) and selecting to deploy ammo, in a similar way that a truck drops supplies. These vehicles can drop 2 ammo boxes before requiring a ‘return to base’ re-supply. The ammo box functions similar to the ammo crates dropped by the Commander although they come in smaller quantities allowing for only 6 resupplies.

Being able to quickly drop their supply then move off is a major benefit for jeeps deploying ammo.

[h2]Loadout presets[/h2]
With the addition of a new snow map we thought that now would be a great time to allow players the ability to set cosmetic presets. Now when accessing the loadout screen players will be greeted with a “Preset #1” and “Preset #2” option below the Appearance tab. Switching between presets will remember your last configured cosmetics for that preset, allowing players for example to create a preset wearing snow camouflage that they can easily switch to when moving from a lush green environment to a snowy one.



[h2]PTE For Update 13 Next Week![/h2]
With progress coming along nicely, we’re excited to announce the beginning of PTE testing for Update 13, with the first session kicking off next week. We will endeavour to message early in the week as to the exact date and time of the PTE.

As always, we greatly appreciate all who participate, whether it’s to provide valuable feedback and bug reports, or simply help out with the numbers to test server loads and other items. We’ll also be jumping into battle amongst the ranks on the day, so if you have the time or are just curious, we would love to hear from you!

If this is your first time wanting to participate in a PTE, you’ll need to head over to the Discord where you can find information on how to join and get notifications on when a testing period is live. A full changelog can be viewed in the HLL official discord in the #pte-Info channel on the day.

A quick reminder of what’s included:

• New Map Kharkov
  
• Winter Base Uniforms for all factions
  
• Flamethrowers
  
• Molotovs
  
• Fastmovers - Willys Jeep, Kubelwagen and Gaz-67
  
• Soviet T-70 Light Tank
  
• Appearance loadout option for uniforms
  
• Various QOL items
  
• And a host of other gameplay improvements and fixes

[h2]War Correspondent, Content Creator and Community HLL Videos[/h2]
Time for some more community highlights from the below creators! We highly recommend giving them a watch!

If you see a Video you like, make sure to post in the Discord #hll-videos channel.

Hell Let Loose - WW2 through a Sniper's Scope - Alpine Sniper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8BevPdzIno

Player Interactions In Hell Let Loose Are GOLD - TallGrass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IAPyLvXhg

HELL LET LOOSE IN 2022 IS GREAT - Tantwo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHwvDq7cCAY

Don’t forget that if you haven’t checked out the other Hell Let Loose socials you can find their details below. Like our Discord, you will find them great places for information and community interaction.

Join the Discord here https://discord.gg/hellletloose

Our other social platforms can be found here:

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HellLetLoose/
Twitter https://twitter.com/hell_let_loose
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HellLetLoose
Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/HellLetLoose/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hellletlooseofficial/
Steam http://steamcommunity.com/groups/HellLetLoose

Well, it's time to hop into our jeep and speed away to wrap up today's Dev Brief.
See you all on the frontline!