Welcome to the Text Chat update. This update introduces the Text Chat feature for all platforms and is a full cross platform feature allowing you to communicate with Nightfall operatives on the fly to expand communication and strategy within Killing Floor 3. This update also includes some pointed fixes around various Crashes, the Medic Pistol Dart recharge rate, and a handful of other targeted bugs.
A full text chat system has rolled out across the game! Features include:
In-match text chat with team and public channels, configurable opacity, and fade-out for inactive messages
Text chat in the Stronghold, Pre-Match (Ready Up) lobby and the After Action Report, in addition to gameplay
Spectator text chat so spectators can communicate
Command Wheel to chat integration: command-wheel selections (callouts, requests for healing, etc.) post as messages in chat
Channel switching with Tab; Party / Public / Team channel separation
Controller support: open chat from the gamepad, right-stick to scroll, virtual keyboard on Xbox & PS5
Mute and unmute controls in the Social Menu now also apply to Text Chat
Customizable keybinds: remappable Open Chat / Team / Public / Command Wheel switch keys on both keyboard and gamepad
New Game Settings:
Text Chat on/off
Background opacity slider
Profanity filtering settings (PC Only - Console players can adjust this via their console settings)
These performance improvements primarily target the CPU, specifically focusing on optimizing the game thread to ensure smoother execution. Key updates include refined multi-pass LOD bone-pruning for Zed models and more efficient handling of audio component ticking and occlusion services. Additionally, adjustments to VFX spawn counts and UI tick rates further reduce the processing load, minimizing CPU idle time. This should translate into up to a 14% improvement in base frame time (measured on a mid spec machine) in certain scenarios.
Multi-pass LOD bone-pruning and refinement across all Zeds
Fixed Siren inner-neck and Fleshpound pounder-tube meshes stretching at distance via Enforce Bone Boundaries
Audio component occlusion services sharing a refresh rate no longer all tick on the same frame
Batch Tick Subsystem register-order fix when changing tick intervals
Turrets and similar stationary actors disable Audio component tick where occlusion isn't needed
Migrated destructible destroy SFX and limb SFX to a different event to reduce spawning audio components per tick
Lowered toxic affliction VFX spawn count
Corrosion VFX budget tuning
Shockwave VFX budget tuning
Cleaned up several unused child-actor components
UI tick updated to reduce CPU idle time
1P camera update: New master camera-bob settings for smoother start/stop motion blending, resulting in a feel closer to Killing Floor 2
Fixed crash when loading into R&D Labs solo on a new account with newly rebuilt shaders
Fixed Xbox Unicode gamertags showing garbled — names are now properly UTF-8 decoded
Fixed a case where muted players would be unmuted after map travel
Fixed a case where a user losing connection would break the start-up timer
Fixed a case where a user using the armory during matchmaking could get stuck in a failed state
Reduced timeouts to prevent unresponsive cases while the game was still downloading in the background
Fixed medic darts failing to recharge when two updates happened on the same frame
Fixed Zed Time bonuses (Sharpshooter, Engineer) persisting past Zed Time
Fixed Specialist being able to walk freely while executing a Zed from a crouch
Fixed Zeds becoming unkillable in certain edge cases
Fixed progressive achievements not working in solo
Fixed a case where players could see negative perk proficiency after playing several matches and returning to stronghold
Fixed Chimera Phase 2 material LOD so crit zones stay consistent at distance
Fixed Cyst spit textures showing placeholder due to wrong reflection sampling
Fixed Queen Crawler Phase 2 mire-pool teleport material
Fixed Prison ice trap textures disappearing at distance
Fixed military star decal on the 4x4
Decal replacements and cleanup on workstations, security cars, container transports, crates, fume hoods, 4x4, zed hauler, power box