Black One Blood Brothers news & patch notes

New Tools, New Tactical Possibilities

Greetings, Operators. You enjoyed Helios' overview of the philosophy and vision behind Black One Blood Brothers' level design, so here's the second and final part. This time, let's explore how the migration to Unreal Engine 5.7 has impacted the game's level design.

The migration to Unreal Engine 5.7 unlocked new possibilities and tactical tools for map design, including the addition of swimming and ladders, two features that had been highly requested by the community. These additions also required major underlying changes, because introducing more verticality and depth into level design means reworking the AI, pathfinding, and animation systems as well. The goal is to deliver new gameplay possibilities while maintaining an AI that feels coherent and immersive, capable of navigating these new environments naturally.

Learning From Past Maps

Changing level design is never a simple process. Since the beginning of development, many maps have been improved or completely rebuilt.

"My biggest mistake was probably creating areas that were sometimes too large or too ambitious at first. On paper, a huge map sounds exciting, but if it isn't tactically dense enough, it can end up feeling empty or exhausting. I've learned that a great map isn't necessarily the biggest one, it's the one that offers the best tactical decisions. Since then, I've preferred making maps denser and better rather than simply making them bigger."

Designing Better Tactical Spaces

One of the key principles of designing a great FPS map is offering more than one viable solution while finding the right balance between realism, gameplay, and fun. There's also Black One Blood Brothers' procedural design philosophy to consider. While each map contains fixed landmarks that experienced tacticians can learn and rely on, mission objectives are procedurally generated, ensuring that every deployment feels fresh and constantly encourages players to adapt.

The Importance of Polish

Finally comes the polishing phase, adding subtle environmental elements that guide players without relying on the HUD. Lighting, pathways, terrain, and countless silent visual cues help players naturally understand the map, identify key points of interest, build tactical awareness, and reinforce the feeling that these environments are truly alive. With this philosophy in mind, the Residential Area map has been completely redesigned, now featuring multiple houses, an actual street, and more varied vegetation. These additions create many new tactical opportunities for players, while also requiring careful work on enemy and mission spawn locations to ensure everything remains believable and cohesive.

Evolving Existing Maps

Thanks to technological improvements, accumulated experience, and community feedback, Black One Blood Brothers' level design has continued to evolve. "As the game evolves, some maps can be reimagined to take full advantage of the new mechanics." Gabriel Harbor is a perfect example, having undergone spectacular changes that players will discover in the next update. "The overhaul has made it much more interesting, immersive, and better suited to the game's new mechanics. One of the features I really leaned into is tactical swimming, allowing players to approach and assault both boats by swimming underwater."

Looking Ahead

As for the future of the game's maps, you can expect major improvements in the upcoming updates. Richer environments, more verticality, better interconnected layouts, and greater overall coherence are the goals Helios has set, whether by introducing entirely new maps or completely reworking existing ones.

What map would you like to see reworked next?

- Improvement: Arm and weapon movement while aiming

- Improvement: Player movement transitions based on changes in movement speed

- Fix: Player directional movement issues in certain cases

- Fix: Backpacks disappearing when an operator was in water

- Fix: Issue with electric lights flickering when malfunctioning

- Addition: New icons for certain kits

- Fix: Certain clothing and gear items being available with scuba gear and visually overlapping

- Fix: Weather sound volume not being adjusted according to the selected SFX volume

- Fix: Rail covers on a weapon’s handguard sometimes being visible inside rifle scopes

- Fix: Villa interior being too dark on the “Sullivan’s Bachelor Pad” map

- Fix: Floor display not working properly on the “Sullivan’s Bachelor Pad” map

- Fix: Weapon-switching animation issue in third-person view

- Fix: Weapons not being properly positioned on the operator’s back-mounted gear

- Fix: Incorrect operational skill values on the “Empty” squad

- Fix: Bullet whiz sound not triggering at the correct time

- Fix: Issue where enemy AI could fail to properly enter combat behavior

- Addition: Closed Circuit Rebreather Gear

- Addition: Gear placed on the back of the tactical vest is now available in the Backpack category

- Addition: Back-mounted tactical vest gear to official squads

- Fix: Issue in Quick Orders where available orders were not updated when switching operators

- Fix: Issue with the operator height slider

- Fix: Some AI errors

Greetings, Operators.

The wait is over, Black One Blood Brothers Early Access 2.10 update is now available. You can read the full preview here.

Reworked maps, new gear, AI improvements, and numerous quality-of-life enhancements... there's a lot to unpack. As you may have noticed, this marks the first step in a major overhaul of the game's level design. Our goal is to revisit maps over time, refining them when needed to provide new tactical opportunities while supporting both current and future gameplay mechanics. Great things are coming your way.

Without further ado, here's the complete list of changes included in this update.

FEATURED 

- Overhaul: “The Gabriel” map has been completely reworked and is now “Gabriel Harbor”

- Overhaul: “Residential House” map has been completely reworked and is now “Residential Neighborhood”

- Overhaul: “Valenwood Villa” map has been completely reworked and is now “Sullivan’s Bachelor Pad”

- Addition: Underwater swimming

- Addition: "Scuba Diver" kit

- Addition: Ghillie Frogman

GAMEPLAY

- Addition: New action - Drop Scuba Diver

- Addition: Official Squad - Combat Swimmers

- Addition: Window curtains are now closed at night on “Residential Neighborhood”, making  house infiltration more effective

- Addition: Additional notes are customizable in the campaign editor

- Change: Mission 11 “The Snake” from the main campaign now takes place on the “Sullivan’s Bachelor Pad” map

- Improvement: Movement on the “ARIAL Offshore Drilling” map is now much freer

- Improvement: Lighting optimization on the “University” map

- Improvement: Third-person camera position when aiming

- Improvement: Rendering inside rifle scopes

- Fix: The selected first-person field of view was not synchronized with scope zoom

- Fix: Body of a hostage controlled by the player was not visible in first-person view

- Fix: Collision issue on the “University” map

AI

- Addition: Full in-water movement system for allied soldiers

- Improvement: Overall enemy behavior when they detect something suspicious before you have been spotted

- Improvement: Patrolling enemies no longer carry sniper rifles, only assault rifles

- Improvement: Campfires and braziers now affect the player’s camouflage and enemy perception

- Improvement: Enemy shooting accuracy

- Fix: Some lights did not affect the player’s camouflage or enemy perception during night missions

- Fix: Pathfinding issues on certain maps

MAP EDITOR

- Addition: Exterior - Assets - 24 new assets

- Addition: Interior - Assets - 20 new assets

RENDERING

- Overhaul: Cliffs in “Enila Islands - Talmio” map

- Overhaul: Cliffs in “Enila Islands - Tanavia” map

- Addition: Graphics Option - Film Grain

- Addition: Wall graffiti on some maps

- Improvement: Firearm sounds when using a suppressor

- Improvement: Skin colors

- Fix: Texture issue on school tables and chairs on “University” map

UI

- Overhaul: Game mode thumbnail visuals

- Addition: Interface Option - No Radio

- Addition: Interface Option - No Events

- Addition: Interface Option - No Tasks

- Addition: New input - Drop Scuba Diver We really hope you will enjoy the new maps and features.

As always, please report any issues on our Discord, main thread on Steam, or social media. The game wouldn't be the same without you and Helios higly values your feedback.

Greetings, Operators,

Many of you have been eagerly waiting for this announcement, especially after the recent speculation about the release date of the next major Black One Blood Brothers update on the community Discord. Today, we're giving you a first look at what's coming in Early Access 2.10.

Three Major Level Overhauls

We've already shared a few previews across our platforms: Helios has completely reworked three maps from the ground up, bringing a whole new tactical dimension to these environments. Beyond refining progression and level design, these changes also serve to seamlessly introduce two new gameplay mechanics: swimming and ladder climbing.

The Gabriel has been entirely redesigned. Now docked in a harbor, the map offers a much larger and more diverse area to infiltrate and secure, complete with an immersive port environment. It is now called Gabriel Harbor.

The residential house is no longer standing alone. It has expanded into an entire neighborhood with the new Residential Neighborhood map. Prepare for intense close-quarters combat and methodical room-to-room clearing.

Finally, you may not even recognize Valenwood Villa, now renamed Sullivan's Bachelor Pad. Please note that it has also replaced the original location in Campaign Mission 11. Larger, more modern, and isolated in the mountains, it offers a completely new tactical experience.

We hope you'll enjoy these changes, and as always, we look forward to hearing your feedback.

A Brand-New Gameplay Feature: Tactical Swimming

This new mechanic brings a major shift to the battlefield. Water is no longer just scenery—it becomes a tactical space that can be used to your advantage.

Infiltrate enemy positions from unexpected angles, bypass patrols, or launch surprise assaults. The possibilities are numerous. You'll also be able to explore rivers and waterways. Who knows what opportunities may be hidden beneath the surface to help turn the tide of battle.

This feature comes alongside a new diving equipment kit for your operators, as well as a brand-new combat diver squad template.

We can't wait to see how you'll incorporate this new tactical option into your campaigns, missions, and custom maps.

AI and Quality-of-Life Improvements

In addition to these major additions, the update also includes a range of fixes and optimizations based on your feedback.

Improvements focus on AI behavior, pathfinding, enemy firing logic, and various navigation issues. Voice commands are currently undergoing a complete review and have been temporarily disabled while we work on making them better align with your expectations and gameplay needs.

We hope you'll enjoy these improvements. As usual, the full patch notes will be released alongside the major update on June 25th at 6:00 PM (Paris time).

Kane, out.

Greetings, Operators,

It's time for another Behind the Scenes! This time, we're focusing on level design.

In a tactical FPS like Black One Blood Brothers, level design is one of the most important pillars of the experience. Every map is built like a tactical puzzle, offering diverse environments, multiple strategic approaches, and enough flexibility for players to tackle objectives in their own way, without compromising balance.

Driven by his passion for tactical games, military simulations, and documentary-style storytelling, Helios also works closely with a former French Commando Marine consultant.

“His feedback helps me understand what feels credible in the field and then adapt it into gameplay. I’m not trying to recreate reality 1:1, but to preserve its spirit, logic, and tension.”

While real-world operations serve as an important reference, game design comes with its own constraints, especially when it comes to time and distance. In reality, operators may spend hours covering several kilometers before reaching their objective. In a video game, however, that wouldn't necessarily make for engaging gameplay.

“You have to condense reality. Keep what creates tactical depth and remove what only slows the player down.”

Every map starts with a strong tactical scenario: infiltrating a villa, assaulting an enemy compound, creating intense CQB encounters, or offering meaningful opportunities for long-range overwatch and sniper gameplay.

From there, the environment is built to support and enrich that scenario. The goal isn't just to create a visually appealing location, but to provide players with more tactical choices: breaking lines of sight, bypassing enemy patrols, coordinating a fast assault, or finding unconventional routes through the environment.

That's why water, ladders, crates, rooftops, and terrain features are never just decorative elements. Maps are designed as three-dimensional spaces rather than flat layouts, filled with opportunities that can completely change how a mission unfolds depending on the player's preferred playstyle.

At the same time, level design must avoid becoming too predictable.

Years of FPS experience often teach players that reaching high ground is the ultimate solution to every problem. In Black One Blood Brothers, that's rarely the case.

“An elevated position usually provides better visibility, but it can also expose the player, limit retreat options, or attract enemy attention. A strong position should always come with trade-offs. If high ground automatically becomes superior to every other option, then the map loses tactical depth.”

Every advantage is intentionally balanced by a weakness, encouraging players to continuously assess risk versus reward rather than relying on a single dominant strategy.

Looking Ahead

As Black One Blood Brothers continues to evolve, so do its battlefields.

Over the past months, player feedback has played a major role in helping identify opportunities to improve navigation, sightlines, environmental storytelling, and tactical options across several maps. Combined with the capabilities unlocked by Unreal Engine 5, these insights have allowed Helios to revisit and refine existing locations while pushing the visual and tactical quality of future environments even further.

The following screenshots offer a first glimpse at some of the map improvements and upcoming evolutions currently in development. From enhanced terrain and environmental details to new tactical opportunities, these changes aim to make every operation more immersive, believable, and rewarding to approach from multiple angles.

Take a look at what's coming next.

In the second part of this Behind the Scenes series, we'll dive into the hidden secrets of Black One Blood Brothers' maps and explore how Unreal Engine 5 has influenced the way levels are designed.

Which map has been your favorite so far? Let us know in the comments.

New elements introduced in the next major update of Black One Blood Brothers. The different forms of water and underwater movement take center stage in this article, serving as a first taste of the upcoming previews for Black One Blood Brothers Early Access 2.10.

Let’s dive in!

Water Becomes Tactical

While water has always been present across various maps in the game, until now it was merely part of the scenery, with no possible interaction outside of aquatic insertion cinematics. For Helios, however, it was only a matter of time before this aspect became a true gameplay element. “In a tactical infiltration game, every element should be able to create new opportunities, and water is clearly one of them.”

That said, the entire system had to be designed so that water interaction would go far beyond being just a gimmick. Making the AI functional, creating the animations, adjusting underwater pathfinding, and adapting many maps around this feature to provide new strategic options for players all required a solid technical foundation.

Why Unreal Engine 5 Changed Everything

That is why the migration to Unreal Engine 5 proved decisive. “As soon as the migration to Unreal Engine 5.7 was complete, I started integrating the new water system and modifying many existing maps to prepare them for underwater movement. Adding water was only the beginning: I also had to rethink certain areas so this new mechanic would have real strategic value. That means creating access points, areas where players can enter or exit the water, alternative routes, but also designing situations where using water can genuinely change the way a mission is approached. Depending on the map, it can be used to avoid confrontation, discreetly approach an objective, bypass defenses, or simply offer more freedom in how an operation is planned.”

Adding such a complete system naturally comes with its own set of challenges, especially since water is a fluid environment where characters must move in a coherent and realistic way while respecting the natural motion of waves and surfaces. “In a game like Black One Blood Brothers, characters cannot simply float or move in an approximate way. Animations, transitions, body positioning, equipment, height management relative to the water surface, ultimately the entire general behavior must remain believable for both the player and OPFOR. On top of that comes the complexity of AI behavior around this new element. There is no miracle solution: you have to test the concept, iterate, fix, and adjust constantly until you are satisfied.”

Introducing the Scuba Gear Kit

Sometimes, game development also leads to questions you do not immediately think about, especially when it comes to equipment. “With this new strategic element, I had to think about how the mechanic would integrate into mission preparation. That is how the ‘Scuba Gear’ kit came to life. It allows equipped operators to stay underwater much longer without needing to surface as frequently as a non-equipped operator. This kind of addition also impacts the pacing of the game. You have to balance the freedom given to the player with the necessary constraints that keep the experience interesting. The goal is not to make every underwater infiltration easy or automatic, but to provide an additional option that is useful in certain situations and coherent with the equipment selected.”

Whatever your playstyle may be, this addition should provide new ways to have fun, create increasingly complex plans, and embrace an undeniably cinematic side of the game. Underwater infiltration is not only strategically impactful, it also carries its own unique atmosphere. Without replacing other approaches, it becomes an equally compelling option. As always in Black One Blood Brothers, freedom of approach remains the most important aspect.

Freedom of Approach

“The addition of swimming opens up many possibilities for the future, whether in terms of gameplay, level design, or tactical situations. Future maps will make greater use of this mechanic, but I would rather not go into details for now in order to preserve some surprise. For the moment, however, the main objective is to continue improving the feature throughout the next updates. Like many major systems in the game, the first integration serves as a strong foundation, but it is meant to evolve: movement feel adjustments, AI behavior improvements, refined transitions, better equipment integration, and of course overall optimization. I want this component to gradually become a key part of the gameplay, not just a one-off feature. It will therefore continue to be reworked and refined over time, based both on my own testing and on player feedback once they have had the opportunity to use it in real gameplay conditions.”

Which topic would you like to see tackled next? Let us know in the comments!

Kane, out.

Greetings, Operators, and welcome to the updated Tactical Map Guide. 

This is a crucial tool in the game. From this interface, you can define a wide range of actions. Press CAPSLOCK by default to bring it up.

Once in this view, you can take full control of your operators and organize different squads based on your tactical decisions. Whether it’s based on their equipment or their skills, the choice is entirely yours. Whether you carefully plan your operation or prefer to leave room for improvisation, the map adapts to your playstyle.

Controls

No corner will remain unknown. Thanks to the different controls, you can zoom in as much as you want and study the terrain for as long as needed. Time is paused by default in the TacMap view. The panels at the bottom left provide all the options you need for both topographic and time control. You can even synchronize your phases or attacks.

Squads

Still on the left side, you’ll find the status of your units, your different squads, as well as each operator’s condition and specialties, displayed through icons next to their name. You have several ways to select them: directly by clicking their name, by click-and-drag, or by pressing “all.” You can reorganize your squads however you want.

Basic Movement

Once your squad or squads are selected, movement is handled naturally with a left-click in the desired direction. You can click the hourglass to resume time and watch your operators move in real time. On the panels to the right, you can customize your formation using preset templates, then adjust them to fit your needs.

Basic Orders

The panels on the right are used for your most important orders. Focus orders encourage the selected operator to maintain attention in a given direction. You can also select grenades, place explosives, or interact with points of interest such as objectives or doors. Available interactions are displayed directly on the TacMap when selected.

The Importance of Waypoints

Waypoints can be set individually by clicking on each one, giving you extremely fine control over how your orders are executed. Up to six orders can be queued, with triggers assigned to your waypoints, allowing for near-surgical precision in your planning. You can also cancel a waypoint or adjust the behavior and speed of an operator or squad upon reaching it.

At each waypoint, you can assign a tactical behavior (such as switching weapons, activating equipment, or changing stance), or an order like an interaction. You can also set delays to synchronize actions between your different squads.

Behavior Relative to the Squad Leader

The designated squad leader determines the formation, pace, and overall behavior of the squad. Subordinates have more limited options, the most important being their behavior within the formation when no direct orders are given. You can also adjust your soldiers’ rules of engagement depending on the intensity and objectives of the mission, in relation to OPFOR.

Action Synchronization

For players who want to fine-tune every detail of their tactical planning, the TacMap offers near-infinite possibilities. Every action can be coordinated based on others.

First, you can assign triggers and manage delays, as mentioned earlier. The second layer is the ability to link actions to the waypoints of another squad.

With your TacMap paused, prepare your actions. For example: imagine a room with two entry points where you suspect OPFOR presence. You want to flank and neutralize them. You can first synchronize door breaches from two different squads, then have Squad 1 throw a flashbang into the room, and order Squad 2 to enter and neutralize OPFOR after a short delay to avoid running into the grenade.

By right-clicking and dragging a delay order onto the grenade order, you ensure that Squad 2 waits for Squad 1’s action to be completed before proceeding.

In theory, you can plan the entire operation without ever leaving the TacMap. Then click the hourglass and watch your plan unfold seamlessly.

Whether you are a tactical expert or a boots-on-the-ground operator, the TacMap will find its place in your gameplay, either as a support feature or as a complete planning tool, fully aligned with the level of control offered by Black One Blood Brothers.

- Addition: Upgrade on Unreal Engine 5.7.4 (various fixes for GPU-related crashes)

- Improvement: Visual details on certain maps

- Improvement: Grass optimization on the “Residential House” map

- Improvement: Optimized garden vegetation LODs on several maps

- Fix: Ladders on custom maps were not working properly

- Fix: Error that allowed the same kit to appear twice in the inventory

- Fix: Grass scaling issue on the “Klettgau Forest” map

- Addition: Enemy AI now uses different fire modes depending on faction, weapon, and distance to the target

- Improvement: AI spawn/despawn logic

- Improvement: Grass pop-in and fade-out on the “Ancient Ruins”, “Burnwood Mansion”, and “Jin-Shu Temple” maps

- Improvement: Grass pop-in and fade-out on the “Klettgau Forest” and “The Mines” maps

- Fix: AI Enemies could sometimes rush the squad too aggressively during combat

- Fix: Some assets from the “Burnwood Mansion” map could not be selected in the level editor

- Fix: “Lost Island” map did not load correctly in the map editor

- Fix: Optimized ray tracing and global illumination on the “Valenwood Villa,” “Burnwood Mansion,” and “Residential House” maps

- Fix: Several landscape geometry issues on the “The Compound” map

- Fix: Launching the game in DirectX 11 would display graphics options reserved for DirectX 12

Greetings, Operators.

We're thrilled to announce that Black One Blood Brothers Early Access 2.05 is now available on Steam. Please update the game and let us know if there is any issue, as your feedback is key for Helios to improve the game.

This update introduces several new features, including new ladders, improved level design on selected maps, overall AI and immersion enhancements, including new weather visual effects on your squad and equipments. Keep in mind that some features are paving the way for a bright future.

You can find a detailed preview in this article.

READ THE FULL PATCHNOTES BELOW

FEATURED

- Addition: Ladders

- Addition: Clothing and equipment worn by operators and enemies are now affected by rain and snow

- Addition: Firearms and accessories by operators and enemies are now affected by rain and snow

- Addition: AI improvements

- Addition: Visual improvements

- Addition: Campfire and brazier lighting

- Addition: Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution 4.5

- Addition: Nvidia DLSS Frame Generation 4.5

- Addition: Nvidia DLSS Reflex 4.5

- Addition: AMD Fidelity Super Resolution 4.0.3a

- Addition: Intel XESS Super Resolution 3.0.0

- Addition: Ladders available in map editor

- Addition: Campfire and brazier lighting in map editor

GAMEPLAY

- Overhaul: Level design on the “Klettgau Forest” map

- Overhaul: Outdoor level design on the “Valenwood Villa” map

- Overhaul: Outdoor level design on the “Residential House” map

- Overhaul: Outdoor level design on the “Burnwood Mansion” map

- Addition: Water on the “Klettgau Forest” map

- Improvement: CPU Optimization

- Improvement: GPU Optimization

- Improvement: Vaulting and Climbing System

- Improvement: Optimized the squad preview in the customization menu

- Improvement: Optimized squad loading in the “Loadout” and “Deployment” menus

- Improvement: Triggered alarm now lasts only one minute instead of five

- Improvement: Adjusted the size of the several walls with holes you can crawl through to infiltrate

- Improvement: Adjusted the size of some walls with holes that can be used as firing positions

- Improvement: Checking the remaining rounds in the magazine is now much faster

- Fix: Front and rear iron sights were not properly aligned while aiming down sights

- Fix: Some objects meant to be visible only in tac-map mode were visible in-game

- Fix: Very large trees on the “Klettgau Forest” and “The Mines” maps had incorrect collision

- Fix: Night vision wasn’t activating properly during the HALO jump cutscene

- Fix: Stair railings didn’t have the correct collision on the “Valenwood Villa” and “Burnwood Mansion” maps

- Fix: FPS cap would get unlocked when opening the tac-map

AI

- Addition: Operators can now vault and climb over the same obstacles as the squad leader they are following

- Addition: Enemies coordinate to fight the player more effectively (grenade throwing, suppressive fire, movement, etc.)

- Addition: Enemy will fire into the air to alert his teammates if the player's team is spotted

- Improvement: Enemy behavior in combat

- Improvement: More realistic AI visual perception angle

- Improvement: Distance affects a soldier’s visual detection angle when spotting an enemy

- Improvement: Operators performing a sync shot no longer move and gain increased accuracy

- Fix: Enemies could sometimes fail to properly enter combat mode

MAP EDITOR

- Addition: Ladder 1

- Addition: Ladder 2

- Addition: Ladder 3

- Addition: Ladder 4

- Addition: Light - 2 new assets

- Addition: Exterior - Walls - 2 new assets

- Addition: Exterior - Assets - 87 new assets

- Addition: Exterior - Fences - 5 new assets

- Addition: Exterior - Hedges - 22 new assets

- Fix: An indoor house light had no light enabled in the map editor

RENDERING

- Overhaul: Grenades SFX

- Overhaul: Window architecture (frame separated for opening animations)

- Overhaul: 3D cursor for “Quick Orders” mode

- Overhaul: 3D cursor for “Voice Commands” mode

- Overhaul: Breaching hammer

- Overhaul: Ghillie Suit 2 and 3

- Addition: Grenade bounce sounds on surfaces

- Addition: Water now creates surface ripples when the player walks through it

- Addition: Vegetation foliage now gets wet in the rain

- Addition: Breaching hammer is now displayed on the operator’s back

- Addition: Graphics option - Frame Generation Option

- Addition: Graphics option - DLSS Frame Generation Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - Reflex Quality

- Improvement: Fog rendering

- Improvement: Sun rendering

- Improvement: Several weapon reload sounds

- Improvement: Supersonic bullet sounds over long distances

- Improvement: AA method automatically switches to TSR only when the upscaling is set to FSR

- Improvement: Foliage on the “Ruins” map

- Improvement: 3D indicator for logistics drop deployment

- Improvement: Gear on the first bulletproof vest now allows a backpack to be worn

- Fix: Some texture resolutions were too low

- Fix: Player-written text in custom campaigns could overflow outside the frame in the mission and campaign briefing menus

As always, we hope you will have a great time with this update. Your constructive feedback is always welcome, so feel free to share your thoughts on the Discord and our social media.

Operators, now it's time to get some fun.

Kane, out.

Welcome, Operators,

The next update for Black One Blood Brothers is coming.

This is the first major update following the migration to UE 5.7. It brings new optimization improvements, additional equipment, and significant AI upgrades. Let’s dive into the key highlights.

Improved Gameplay and Mobility

Verticality has been a strong request from the community.

This update introduces ladders and expands operator mobility. Obstacle traversal is now smoother and more realistic, and your squad will better adapt to movement across the environment.

Level design has also been updated to support this new gameplay, opening up fresh lines of sight and new tactical options.

Maps & Immersion Level Up

Maps continue to evolve.

With new gameplay elements come new tactical opportunities. Ladders, water, and lighting have been added to enhance both gameplay and immersion. Underwater swimming will arrive later in 2026.

The goal is to strike the right balance between a tactical playground and a living, believable environment.

Several maps now feature visual upgrades and new areas to explore, improving the flow of your operations. This is just the beginning of a deeper overhaul across all maps. More verticality, more insertion options, and more ways to outmaneuver OPFOR.

Details matter.

Weather now affects both your operators and their equipment. In a snowstorm, your squad will gradually be covered in snow as they move forward.

All these new elements will also be available in the map editor, giving you more creative freedom.

AI Improvements

AI remains a core focus.

Enemies are now more dynamic, more consistent, and better coordinated when alerted.

The OPFOR detection system has been reworked to be more realistic, taking into account vision angles and distance.

Your squadmates also benefit from improved pathfinding. They can now follow you over obstacles instead of trying to find alternative routes.

And this is only the beginning. Each new system opens new possibilities, and AI will continue to be a top priority for Black One Blood Brothers.

Performance & Rendering

This update also brings major improvements to performance and rendering.

Black One Blood Brothers now supports DLSS 4.5, FSR 4, XeSS 3, and Frame Generation, delivering a smoother and sharper experience.

Significant CPU optimizations have been implemented to improve overall performance while preserving the level of detail and visual quality.

With enhanced visual rendering and reworked audio for grenades and distant gunfire, Black One Blood Brothers reaches a new milestone in its development.

Ready to jump in?

The update will be available on April 13, 6 PM CET / 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST.

We can’t wait to see you in action and hear your feedback.

Until then, Helios and I wish you a great weekend, and a Happy Easter if you celebrate it.

Kane, out.

Greetings, Operators!

While Helios is hard at work on the next update of Black One Blood Brothers, we wanted to give you a quick glimpse of what he’s been working on.

Of course, this is just a preview of a very small part of what’s currently being reworked. With the addition of ladders bringing new tactical options, Helios is actively enhancing existing maps to meet the latest standards.

Lush vegetation, new ladders, new rivers, new ways to integrate these elements, and much more. All with one goal: making the maps feel more alive and offering more options for every playstyle.

See you soon for more.

Until then… take care!

Greetings, Operators,

Is there any better way to end this week with the first edition of the "Helios Drop", your exclusive first glimpse to WIP concepts that will make (or not) their way to Black One Blood Brothers.

This is a work in progress and it does not reflect final gameplay but at least you have a solid idea of what is coming next to the game.

This has been requested by the community and might offer more tactical options in the future 👀

Happy weekend, stay safe!

Kane, out.

- Fix: Several AI pathfinding issues

- Fix: Several SFX might not play correctly

- Fix: Music might not play correctly

- Fix: Some oceans on certain maps were using the old version

- Fix: Some object textures had a resolution that was too low

- Addition: Upgrade on Unreal Engine 5.7.3

- Fix: Several crashs during a mission

- Fix: Some scripts errors

- Addition: Pop-up message during shader compilation (especially during the game’s first load)

- Improvement: NVGs are now hidden when the operator uses a ballistic shield to prevent a visual glitch

- Fix: Interaction issue when trying to exit the inventory menu on a dead body

- Fix: Ballistic shield positioning error when switching weapons

- Fix: Inside of a scope could become completely opaque after picking up a weapon from another character

- Fix: Taking a weapon from another inventory might not work correctly

- Fix: Taking a gear from another inventory might not work correctly

- Fix: Picking up grenades from another inventory wasn’t working correctly

Dear Operators,

With the release of the new Major Update and the migration of Black One Blood Brothers to Unreal Engine 5, new possibilities are now open for creating your custom content.

Brand-new maps, missions, patches, full campaigns, custom squads… There is only one limit: your creativity.

It’s also the perfect time to highlight those who keep the game alive beyond the battlefield: the creators.

Hours spent building, designing, testing, refining, and sharing to enrich the experience for the entire community.

The true heroes of the game are you.

For this first Community Spotlight, we would like to recognize the work of Talocan.

In addition to participating in the UE5 playtests, he prepared no fewer than 65 Squad Packs on the Steam Workshop to support the release of the upgrade.

From iconic units to more confidential forces, this represents dozens of hours of work dedicated to the community.

Respect, and a huge shout out to him for this commitment.

Check his pack here!

We will be keeping a close eye on upcoming Workshop creations.

If you have a favorite, or if you would like to see your own work featured, share it with us on the Workshop and on social media.

Stay sharp! Helios, out.

- Addition: Gameplay option - Smoke trails

- Fix: Some UI elements wouldn’t appear correctly while the game was paused

- Fix: Movement key bindings were incorrect in the tutorial

- Fix: Tac-map tutorial might not work properly if the game is paused

- Fix: Several missing translations

- Change: Framerate is set to 60 FPS by default

- Fix: Bullet trail visuals

- Fix: Few script errors

- Addition: Bullet sonic boom sound based on the distance traveled

- Change: Ray tracing is disabled by default on the first launch of the game

- Improvement: Various optimization CPU

- Improvement: Optimization when loading a squad in the customization menu

- Improvement: Ragdoll physics

- Improvement: Adjusted the bullet trail VFX based on the distance traveled

- Fix: Conflict between voice recognition and MirillisActionVulkanLayer.dll when enabled

- Fix: Suicide bomber explosion VFX

- Fix: Window and door explosion VFX

- Fix: Enemy AI could fail to throw grenades properly

- Fix: Synchronization between two orders could disappear for no reason

- Fix: Animation framerate for AI operators and enemies could get stuck, causing choppy animations

- Fix: ADS mouse sensitivity and camera movement sensitivity options were synced to the same value

- Improvement: Visuals of some keyboard shortcut icons have been updated to be more readable on screen

- Fix: Corpses, police vehicles, and bullet casings couldn’t be selected in the level editor

- Fix: Corpses and bullet casings didn’t load properly when loading a map in the level editor

- Fix: Movement key bindings were incorrect in the first tutorial

- Fix: AI operators could teleport incorrectly depending on the squad leader’s position

- Fix: Music volume could fail to mute properly

- Overhaul: VFX Explosions

- Overhaul: Bullet tracers for all shots

- Improvement: Reduced ambient radio noise when using voice commands

- Improvement: Spoken word detection when using voice commands

Dear Operators,

Here we are! Following the two playtests, it is time to take the big leap. The migration to Unreal Engine 5.7.2 is now live today, Tuesday, February 3.

This is a major step forward for Black One Blood Brothers. Moving to this version of Unreal Engine allows us to break free from previous constraints and unlock exciting new possibilities for the game on many levels. There is no going back.

Visual Impact

The maps are now richer and more detailed, with improved lighting and readability, guided by a core objective that matters to all of us: bringing more life, more natural environments, and deeper immersion. It feels like discovering them for the first time, from a completely different angle and under a new light.

For more technical details on these improvements, you can check out our previous article on Steam.

Gameplay Changes

You asked for it, and I’ve been listening. Expect more diverse formations, better awareness of your teammates’ progression across the map, and reworked OPFOR behaviors designed to increase immersion while also offering greater flexibility. That is one of the key effects of migrating to Unreal Engine 5.7.

On top of these improvements, the UE 5.7 release introduces voice commands. This new tactical option complements the TacMap and Quick Orders. These three different ways of approaching a mission work together to give you full freedom to imagine, adapt, and refine your strategies. This feature will continue to be improved over time to meet your expectations.

New Visual Identity

This release is also an opportunity to celebrate with a new visual identity. It is built around tactical spirit, the sense of brotherhood within the squad you lead, and the energy of engagement, along with a modernized logo.

What if I don't want to play the game on Unreal Engine 5.7.2.?

For our players who don't want to make the shift, we also have another good news: they will be able to enjoy Black One Blood Brothers the way it was before the migration, by choosing the "legacy_version" public branch. However, please note that this version will not support any upcoming update.

This migration is not an end in itself and does not mark the exit of Black One Blood Brothers from Early Access. As always, Helios remains attentive, and you are warmly invited to share your feedback on Discord, X, Reddit, and Steam to help improve the game and bring your ideas forward.

We hope you will enjoy this update!

We also have one additional big update on Discord, join to learn more!

Helios, out.

Check our latest trailer here:

FULL PATCHNOTES BELOW

FEATURED

- Overhaul: Game migration on Unreal Engine 5.7.2 (DirectX 12)

- Overhaul: Dynamic lighting and global illumination implemented across all maps

- Overhaul: Dynamic shadows completely reworked for realism

- Overhaul: Unified weather pipeline; reworked lighting and all precipitation

- Overhaul: Replaced the old flat water plane with an entirely new water system for rivers and oceans (for a future update...)

- Overhaul: Sound design for all character footstep and movement sounds

- Overhaul: Aiming system with a precision scope

- Addition: Voice commands system

- Addition: Integrated Lumen GI for real-time bounce lighting

- Addition: Integrated Lumen reflections for real-time, high-quality glossy surfaces

- Addition: Impact of weather on vegetation

- Addition: Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution 4.0

- Addition: Nvidia Reflex Low Latency

- Addition: AMD Fidelity Super Resolution 4.0.3

- Addition: Intel XeSS Super Resolution 2.3

- Addition: DirectX 11 option launch —  For GPUs that don’t support DirectX 12

- Addition: Left / Right Pockets

- Addition: Scarf

VOICE COMMANDS

- Addition: Selection - All units

- Addition: Selection - Select character 1 to 12

- Addition: Selection - Select squad 1 to 6

- Addition: Stance - Stand up / Crouch / Prone

- Addition: Speed - Walk / Run / Sprint

- Addition: Rules of engagement - Hold Fire / Return fire / Open fire / Neutralization shot / Fire at will

- Addition: Laser - On / Off

- Addition: Flashlight - On / Off

- Addition: Formation Column / Line / Arrowhead / Double Line / Echelon Left / Echelon Right / Swarm

- Addition: Order - Follow me

- Addition: Order - Create Squad

- Addition: Order - Hold Position

- Addition: Order - Form Up

- Addition: Order - Move here

- Addition: Order - Watch here

- Addition: Order - Interact

- Addition: Order - Engage target

- Addition: Order - Breach and Clear

- Addition: Order - Take Cover

- Addition: Order - Throw Frag

- Addition: Order - Throw Flashbang

- Addition: Order - Throw Smoke

- Addition: Order - Switch weapon

- Addition: Order - Heal the wounded

INVENTORY AND CLOTHING CONTENT

- Addition: New helmet - Night Vision Head Mount (29 camos)

- Addition: Left and Right Pocket - Bag I

- Addition: Left and Right Pocket - Bag II

- Addition: Left and Right Pocket - Bag III

- Addition: Left and Right Pocket - Bag IV

- Addition: Left and Right Pocket - Ammos I

- Addition: Left and Right Pocket - Ammos II

- Addition: Scarf - Operator

MAP EDITOR

- Addition: Body corpse

- Addition: Bullet casings

- Addition: Police Vehicle

- Addition: Assault Vehicle

GENERAL CONTENT

- Overhaul: Level design of the “Elegance Airport” map

- Overhaul: Level design of the “Jin-Shu Temple” map

- Improvement: Foliage of the “Enila Islands- Talmio” map

- Improvement: Foliage of the “Enila Islands- Tanavia” map

- Improvement: Level design of the “Valenwood Villa” map

- Improvement: Level design of the “Old Fortress” map

GAMEPLAY

- Overhaul: Camera movement during player movement

- Overhaul: New lockpicking animations—more realistic and longer than a door breach

- Overhaul: Bullet impact reaction on a killed character

- Addition: Bodycam view

- Addition: Voice Commands Tutorial

- Addition: Option in the tac-map that allows you to choose whether an operator can automatically revive a wounded teammate

- Addition: Choice of mission objectives can be doubled

- Addition: FOV-scaled mouse sensitivity (cursor movement now adapts to the camera’s field of view)

- Addition: Visible explosive device on booby-trapped doors and windows

- Addition: New action that lets you detonate all explosives at once

- Addition: Rolling option in photo mode

- Addition: On first launch, the game detects and sets the game’s language

- Addition: On first launch, if the game is set to French, the default key bindings are AZERTY

- Improvement: Overall CPU usage optimization

- Improvement: Optimizing the animation system using multithreading

- Improvement: Spawn / Despawn system in War and Siege modes

- Improvement: A hostage being killed no longer causes the mission to fail as long as there are other hostages that can still be rescued

- Improvement: Number of hostages rescued or killed affects the mission rating

- Improvement: Number of hostages rescued and killed is shown in the debriefing

- Improvement: Sprint Speed

- Improvement: Equipment camouflage has more of an impact during a night operation

- Improvement: New first-person camera behavior during door and window interactions

- Improvement: Operator positioning accuracy during door interactions

- Improvement: Effectiveness of suppressors varies depending on the type of weapon

- Improvement: Adjusting the amount of experience points earned based on the difficulty level in Mission mode

- Improvement: Shotgun shells are automatically distributed across magazines

- Improvement: Sound indicating that the player has been spotted by the enemy no longer plays when the tac-map is active

- Improvement: Ghillie suits have a greater camouflage bonus

- Improvement: Maximum equipment-based camouflage bonus increases from 30% to 40%

- Fix: "Toggle Aiming" option didn't work correctly

- Fix: Invisible wall around the residential house that was preventing proper clicking on the tac-map

- Fix: Numerous scripting errors

AI

- Overhaul: Reworked pathfinding so squad members now follow the player and maintain formation more intelligently, especially in tight, complex environments

- Overhaul: Reworked the squadmate teleportation system

- Addition: Operators will automatically attempt to revive a wounded teammate without being given an order

- Addition: Fog affects the vision of all allies and enemies on the mission

- Addition: By default, the player's squadmates take cover if they have no orders

- Addition: Wounded operators regularly call over the radio to ask for help

- Addition: Enemies can now patrol in pairs

- Addition: Enemy visual detection is significantly reduced in the “Reco” game mode to improve player infiltration

- Improvement: Overall AI Optimisation

- Improvement: Operators move more organically when they all move to the same waypoint

- Improvement: Enemy perception is much lower during night missions

- Improvement: Optimization for finding a cover point

- Fix: Several issues where operators can fall below the map when they’re dead or unconscious

RENDERING

- Overhaul: Main Menu Soundtrack

- Overhaul: Ocean rendering

- Overhaul: Car designs in parking lots

- Overhaul: HALO animations

- Overhaul: Knife attack animation

- Addition: HALO jump preparation cutscene in the plane

- Addition: Small stones on dirt paths on certain maps

- Addition: Grass reacts as the player moves through it

- Addition: Depth of Field

- Addition: Seamless transition between infiltration and combat music

- Addition: Some lights may be damaged, causing the electric lights to flicker

- Addition: Local fog visible in the distant environment

- Improvement: Night-vision goggles rendered with green phosphor

- Improvement: Landscape textures on numerous maps

- Improvement: Textures size on numerous assets

- Improvement: Distant texture rendering on landscapes

- Improvement: Size of patches on military jackets

- Improvement: Light intensity based on the weather

- Improvement: Best watch position on the left arm to see the time in first-person view

- Fix: Visual rendering issues on many textures

UI

- Overhaul: Maps Thumbnail

- Addition: New executable icon

- Addition: Keyboard layout - Choose between qwerty or azerty (Reset keys to default)

- Addition: Graphics option - Ray Tracing option

- Addition: Graphics option - Lumen Global Illumination Option

- Addition: Graphics option - Lumen Reflections Option

- Addition: Graphics option - Global Illumination Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - Global Illumination Distance

- Addition: Graphics option - Reflections Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - Upscaling Option

- Addition: Graphics option - DLSS Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - FSR Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - XeSS Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - Landscape Quality

- Addition: Graphics option - Electric Light Shadows

- Addition: Graphics option - Contact Shadows

- Addition: Graphics option - Frame Limit Option

- Addition: Graphics option - Realistic Bloom Option

- Addition: Graphics option - Depth of Field

Greetings, Operators,

We're currently reaching the end of the Playtest #2 and we wanted to take the time to thank and celebrate our playtesters: thanks to your valuable and constructive feedback, we were able to identify areas of improvement and fix issues. Black One Blood Brothers will be greater then ever thanks to you!

While Helios is till hard at work to polish the latest details, we are thrilled to announce that we have a release date for the Major Upgrade to Unreal Engine 5.7:

Save the date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 200PM CEST. We will update you with the entire patch notes!

Happy gaming!

Greetings, Operators!

A short post to celebrate the arrival of new visuals for Black One Blood Brothers, featuring a new key art and a new logo.

This new visual direction focuses on the tactical aspect and highlights the pillars of Black One: the squad, the tactical approach, and the tension of delicate operations unfolding in the shadows. I also wanted to improve the logo, making it more readable and more modern.

We hope you enjoy this new identity! Feel free to share your feedback in the comments, and stay tuned for what’s coming next…

Helios, out.