As a fun addition for April 1st, for about 1 week you'll be able to access a new temporary game mode featuring drones by joining a beta branch. But that's not all, this beta also includes several changes and improvements that need your help to be tested.
Take direct control of experimental FPV kamikaze drones and strike enemy vehicles from a first-person perspective. Use the crosshair to guide your attack, adjust throttle with the mouse wheel, and switch to thermal imaging to acquire targets—then crash into them with a HEAT warhead for maximum effect.
Here are the standard steps to join a beta branch on Steam:
Open Steam and go to your Library.
Find Armored Brigade II and right-click it.
Select Properties from the context menu.
In the Properties window, open the Game Versions & Betas tab.
Under “Selected Game Version”, you will see a list of available versions.
Select the Beta branch.
Close the Properties window.
If you own the game on Matrix Store, you can download the beta version from here.
Below you can find the full changelog. Please share your feedback with us.
v1.605
Fix: Bloom did not work on AMD systems.
Fix: Gaussian blur and shockwave effects allocated some RAM every frame and it was never released.
Fix: Vehicle movement animation would not stop if a vehicle was abandoned while moving.
Fix: Exit objectives were not saved outside the 3D view in the Mission Editor.
[campaigns] 'Polar Thunder': Fixed minor bugs (incorrect names of localities and the time format in briefings). Modified the second mission (removed one Home Guard platoon, changed the trajectory of the Soviet tanks), now no one should be able to win it for sure. A warning about the impossibility of winning has been added to the first and second scenarios.
[database] Adjusted smoke-on-impact for British 77mm and 84mm rounds.
[database] Reviewed APFSDS vs air interaction (e.g. Finnish M1000 round).
[database] Reduced 40mm Bofors HE penetration to 10 mm.
[database] Standardised and adjusted large caliber AAA values (base accuracy, range accuracy, penetration etc.).
[database] Added one rifle to unit 483 and replaced unit 789 CG ammo with older type.
[database] Set 122mm rocket pod tracer value to 1.
[database] Converted APHEI to explosive ammunition type.
[database] Changed Soviet airborne assault rifle ammo to AK sound profile.
[database] Removed premature M72 LAW from 95 S 58 section (1965–76).
[database] Corrected British LMG team to use MMG ammo.
[database] Reduced 76 mm M496 HEAT-T impact sound from large to medium and changed sound to 76mm.wav.
[database] Increased British 120mm HESH values and lowered other HEP values.
[database] Reviewed aircraft 146 cluster/napalm loadout and reduced aircraft 106 height to 3,400mm.
[database] Added radios to motorised USA MANPADS (formation 667).
[database] Added night vision to Strv 103C.
[database] Tunguska 30mm and Oerlikon 35mm (Gepard and Marksman) now used twin_autocannon tracer.
[database] Added Polish PT-76 light tank company and expanded PT-76 sections to platoons.
[database] Added the early turretless TOPAS.
[engine] Implement the depth of field post-processing effect.
[engine] Apply Gaussian blur on all particles.
[engine] Improve SSAO.
[engine] Improve bloom and apply bloom on building windows.
[engine] Distant vehicles have a shadow.
[engine] Gradually fade out the shadow map edges on the ground and buildings.
[engine] Improve the turret flying animation.
[engine] Halve the visual size of off-map artillery projectiles.
[engine] Use the water particle for water ricochets.
[engine] Add a drone movement sound.
[graphics] Checked muzzle_bb (backblast) on weapon models.
[graphics] Fixed M56 Scorpion model and added exhaust to UK Land Rover.
[graphics] Corrected Leopard 1 coax positions, and fixed Leopard 2 smooth shading.
[graphics] New Polish PT-76 and TOPAS-2AP models.
[ui] The Shift key connects to the previous line when drawing lines.