Hey, everyone.
Our last contact has been a while ago, in Build Update #060, when we released Patch V1035.1.
Although we usually reserve our Intel Reports for longer periods of quiet between major releases, Patch V1035.2 is taking a lot longer than initially anticipated, and we thought it was important to give everyone a quick heads-up on what’s going on behind the scenes.
🙌 Before we get into more detail, rest assured that GROUND BRANCH continues to be developed normally by the same folks you already know and love/hate, plus a few new faces! We're simply having to do some more refactoring to ensure longevity and consistency in our systems.
With that out of the way, let’s get into it.
A necessary shift: from Lua to C++ and UE4 Blueprint
As we continue development, we’ve made another difficult but crucial decision to refactor the game’s core logic—including all game modes/missions as well as much of the UI, the Mod Kit and more—away from Lua and into native C++ and UE4 Blueprint. This foundational change is the main source behind this delay, but we are confident it’s the right long-term path for GROUND BRANCH.
Our initial Lua-based systems ultimately proved unfit for purpose: over time, more and more critical logic was pushed into C++ and Blueprint to meet performance and complexity demands, which ironically negated Lua’s main benefit: rapid iteration. The system became redundant, and we simply lack the resources to properly develop and maintain two separate scripting environments.
💡 Though mods will also be affected and that is of course unfortunate, we have assessed that the vast majority of Lua-tagged mods are actually maps created in the Mission Editor, with only a tiny fraction being true Lua-based projects.
A proper map editor will ultimately provide more power and flexibility than the current Mission Editor + Lua combo could offer. The possibilities exposed by robust Blueprint support far outweigh what our current Lua systems can achieve, and it aligns with modern development practices. Also, new programmers joining the project are already familiar with UE4’s native C++ and Blueprint workflow, allowing them to become productive much faster.
While this transition means a much longer wait than we’d like, it paves the way for a more stable, performant, and moddable GROUND BRANCH for years to come. We appreciate your patience as we work to get this right!
Other updates and changes
One of the more popular PvP game modes in the game, Hostage Rescue, will finally return in Patch V1035.2 as all game modes are rebuilt with C++/Blueprint logic.
The update will also introduce a new Kit Restrictions system for server-side customization, a complete door rework to (among other things) hopefully resolve long-standing replication issues alongside new VFX and the return of frag and smoke grenade abilities for enemy AI.
On the gear front, you can expect new weapons like a stock (factory) G36K carbine, the AUG A1 and F88SA2 assault rifles, new Galil variants, as well as updated models for the HWS 553 (and a couple of new holo sights!), a remade ASR, revised M110 and M110K1 models to fix proportions, a new MS2000 IR strobe, and a cleanup of the Tan/Coyote Brown platforms and pouches, among other updates.
HWS 551 holo sight
Updated platforms and pouches in Coyote Brown (formerly Tan), as well as the new MS2000 strobe model and the HWS 552 holo sight on the M16A4 rifle
Galil SAR
We hope to have Patch V1035.2 ready in a few weeks.
Stay tuned and thank you for sticking with us!