Espire 1: VR Operative

Digital Lode Immersive Media · Tripwire Presents

Released: Sep 24, 2019
Platforms
Last updated: 12 Sep 2026, 23:13 GMT

Updates & announcements

20 posts

13 Feb 2026Developer post
Espire 1 v1.13 Update Release Notes.
Espire Agents - the latest v1.13 “New Season” update is now available on Steam. Update v1.13 includes the following updates and improvements: It is now possible to disable snap / smooth turn in the ‘Gameplay’ settings. Fixed cases where the game could crash when restarting a virt
Espire Agents - the latest v1.13 “New Season” update is now available on Steam.
Update v1.13 includes the following updates and improvements:
It is now possible to disable snap / smooth turn in the ‘Gameplay’ settings.
Fixed cases where the game could crash when restarting a virtual challenge.
Added additional sound variants for commonly used interactions such as climbing and magnetically grabbing items.
The volume of Espire’s “Sprinting footsteps” has been reduced.
Minor localization fixes across all supported languages.
Improved “Climbing Collision” in the Wolf Takedown and Redleg Hostage Rescue Virtual Challenges.
Minor Lighting improvements in Mission 1.1 Espire Labs, with higher quality baked lighting builds for the 6 campaign missions.
PC & Quest unification for the Grammostola Person of Interest and Rosea Combat Takedown challenges. These 2 PC-only challenges are now also present on the Quest version of Espire 1. We optimized the performance of these challenges on the Quest platform using draw call reduction techniques which don’t lower quality on the PC version of Espire 1. As part of this pass, we performed a minor lighting and collision pass on the 2 missions.
Remaining in sync with the Quest version of Espire 1
Patch 1.13 is a minor update on the Steam platform, however it is part of our commitment to ensure the PC version of Espire 1 stays in lock-step with the Quest version. Since October 2023, we’ve been ensuring that the PC release stays in sync with the Quest release, with Espire 1 updates coming to PC within 2-5 weeks of them launching on Quest. There’s a delay as the PC version of Espire 1 has many levels that are unique to PC. The PC version of Espire 1 also supports approx. 16 different headset & controller combos and so a lot of extra QA testing is required. Side note: did you know Espire 1 allows you to switch between HTC Vive and Valve Index controllers at any time during gameplay?
This update is called the “New Season” update as on the Quest version of Espire 1, this update introduces some of the virtual challenges into the ‘weekly challenge roster’. Weekly challenges utilize the “Oculus Challenge Leaderboards" feature that’s exclusive to the Quest platform, which is why they aren’t included here.
What’s next for Espire
In other news, we don’t yet have access to Steam Frame devkits, however are keenly eying the hardware as a potential opportunity to finally port Espire 2 to Steam, as well as ensure the PC version of Espire 1 has frame support. Fingers crossed we can make that a real-reality in 2026. The biggest blocker for Espire 2 has been in having the resources required to do a port.
Thanks for your interest in Espire 1 and to the Espire 1 players, we hope you enjoy the latest updates.
Cheers,
EspireMike from LODE, developers of Espire.
PS: It’s not lost on me that we’re launching Espire’s 13th major update on Friday the 13th. Hoping for no gremlins. We did test it on all supported headsets, of which there’s a lot!
Original post
18 Jun 2024Developer post
Major Update for Espire 1 & Sydney Sneakabouts Mission Pack DLC Released!
ATTN: Espire agents our latest major update has just gone live on Steam. We've also releaed our first ever DLC, the Sydney Sneakabouts Mission Pack. This 1.12 update includes A.I and gameplay improvements that were made during the development of the DLC, but which benefit the who
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2932030/Espire_1__Sydney_Sneakabouts_Mission_Pack/
ATTN: Espire agents our latest major update has just gone live on Steam. We've also releaed our first ever DLC, the Sydney Sneakabouts Mission Pack.
This 1.12 update includes A.I and gameplay improvements that were made during the development of the DLC, but which benefit the whole game.
Full Release Notes - 1.12 “Sneakabouts” free update
A.I Improvements

We have adjusted the enemy AI behaviors during the ‘manhunt’ phase so that when the enemy sees the player, there is now a small window of time for the player to react / break line of sight before the enemy soldier triggers a base-wide combat alert. Also, when the enemy does lock-in on the player, the enemy will enter an “alarmed”state for 1 second instead of immediately triggering the alert. Previously, if an enemy soldier spotted the player during a manhunt phase, a base-wide alert (or virtual challenge failure) would be triggered immediately.
We have improved the enemy AI’s ability to hear the sounds of the player’s footsteps when the player is sprinting on a floor directly above or below the enemy soldier.
All weapons in the game have had their “Gunfire” sound event radius has been changed. We refer to the radius of sound that the weapon makes when fired by the player, as far as the AI soldiers are concerned. If an enemy soldier is within the radius, they hear the gun fire. Silenced weapons now have a radius of 1.5m, silenced shotguns have a radius of 3.6m and all other un-suppressed weapons have a radius of 55 meters. This changes the gameplay significantly in update 1.12. Enemies now hear un-suppressed gunfire far more often but will no longer hear suppressed weapon fire unless the player is very close to them. As part of this work, the sound radius of the guns has been unified - previously there were bespoke radius settings for each weapon which was more realistic but really hard to predict as a player.
Upon hearing un-suppressed gunfire, AI soldiers will now instantly attempt to report in and initiate a manhunt phase. Previously, they would investigate if hearing 2 shots fired, and attempt to report after hearing a 3rd shot.
As of update 1.12, when an enemy AI soldier is stunned, the ‘lure’ noise event is now smaller in radius. This means guards are less likely to hear a friendly NPC get stunned unless they are close-by.
AI Guards will now correctly avoid walking into tripmine lasers - unless the tripmine has been disarmed by the player and then placed again in the path of the guard.
Fixed an issue where, rarely, AI Soldiers would appear to stand still during manhunt phases. Their behavior tree could enter a loop condition that would stop them from moving to their next state.
Fixed an issue where ‘bullet impacts’ would not be heard by NPC guards - for example, bullet impacts that hit a nearby wall. Enemy soldiers will now correctly investigate the location of the bullet impact, but will attempt to flee if too many bullet impacts are observed in quick succession of each other.
Fixed an issue where it was impossible to hold up a ‘warning’ guard (a guard that has discovered an issue and is reporting it in via the radio)
Fixed an issue where a guard’s body would occasionally 'pop' 1 meter into the air the moment they are stunned or killed
Fixed an issue where If an enemy soldier observes the player dragging the body of a stunned ally soldier, but loses sight of the player and stunned ally, the guard could still incorrectly revive the stunned ally soldier from a distance, instead of having to walk up directly to the body of the stunned ally.
Fixed an issue where the player could not hold up a heavy weapons specialist if this soldier was in a ‘patrol’ state.
Fixed an issue where, very rarely, a nearby enemy soldier could be instantly lured towards the player the moment the player started a virtual challenge mission.
Gameplay improvements

In Update 1.12, the ‘Espire charge cost’ for activating Espire Vision has decreased by 8x. The cooldown between each activation of Espire Vision has also been reduced. This means players are able to utilize Espire Vision much more frequently.
Detonation of explosive tripmines will now cause nearby explosives canisters or other electronic threats to be destroyed - including cameras and auto-turrets.
Explosive detonations now impart physics forces on nearby props, sending them flying throughout the environment.
Fixed an issue where the intel laptop had strange collision issues which would make it difficult for a player to collect intel by dropping down onto the intel station and attempt to hack the intel while standing on top of the intel station.
Tripmines and Turrets remaining in the environment are now destroyed at the virtual challenge Mission Summary UI.
UI Improvements

We have increased the render resolution of the main menu, with tailored settings for Quest 2, Quest Pro and Quest 3.
The “Virtual Challenge selection” UI no longer paginates when there are 8 or more challenges in a category. Instead, the UI will grow vertically and the player can scroll the list up or down using a scroll bar or their controller’s thumbstick.
On the virtual challenges category select screen, the order that challenges are presented in has changed to: Combat, Stealth, Objective-based, Weapon. Combat challenges are more approachable to the first-time player compared to the Stealth challenges.
The “Swap left / right thumbstick” option has been removed from the Gameplay settings menu. For players that wish to swap thumbsticks, the Quest OS now offers this option via the Meta OS System Accessibility Settings.
Fixed an issue that was introduced to the game due to a recent Meta OS update. Rarely, upon launching the game, the player may initialize in the wrong location - Instead of being in the center of the control theater, the player is in the corner. ‘Recentering’ would not correctly work.
A UI has been added that allows players to view and purchase our “Sydney Sneakabouts” DLC. This can be found in the virtual challenges menu.
The UI has been modified to display DLC levels within the challenge
Across various virtual challenge categories, we have adjusted the order that certain Virtual challenges are presented to the player in order to better reflect their difficulty - with easier challenges shown first.
Localisation improvements

As of version 1.12, Espire 1 is now localized in Simplified Chinese
We have done a localisation pass of various UI menus that were added in recent Espire updates. These menus were previously only localized in English and are now localized in all supported languages, including the newly added Simplified Chinese Language.
Please note that we are aware of some German localization bugs where text may overflow their intended size within the UI, and we intend to fix these issues in a future update.
Visual improvements

We have made a new texture + material for the non lethal E1416 Rubberized Rifle so that this weapon is more distinguishable from the similar looking “Lethal” E1416 Rifle.
Fixed an issue where, throughout the game, certain explosive actors would not render. The explosives were placed in the world, could be ignited or interacted with, but would not render - they were effectively invisible. This issue was exclusive to the Quest version of the game - these explosives would render correctly on the PS4 and PC versions of Espire 1.
Fixed an issue where the “handcam” did not correctly render certain parts of the environment-in game, specifically HISM meshes (a certain type of optimized Mesh). HISMs are used frequently in our new DLC levels, but less so throughout the core game’s content, so this bug was evidently not observed until now.
While fixing the related “HISM” issue, we have Improved the rendering quality of the hand-cameras to include reflections, better anti-aliasing and other visual effects.
Fixed an issue in Mission 1: Espire Labs where various props in the environment were not rendering correctly on the Quest hardware.
Fixed an issue in Mission 1: Espire Labs where some lights were casting low quality shadows.
Weapon Improvements

On the Quest and Rift platforms, The grip alignment has been improved for the E1416 Rifle, Supernova Shotgun and sawn off shotgun. These weapons previously un-naturally pointed upwards when gripped. Please note that this particular fix has already shipped on the Steam version of Espire 1 as part of the 1.11 update.
The player can no longer pull the magazine out of pistols. Players overwhelmingly want to grip at the bottom of the pistol to dual-grip it, however Espire 1 treated this action as wanting to remove the magazine from the gun in order to throw it as a distraction tool. This caused great frustration as players would pull out the magazine and then have only 1 bullet in the chamber of the pistol without realising it. Our sequel Espire 2 has correct dual-grip logic for pistols, weapon steadying, recoil reduction and grip animations. This solution of ‘blocking magazine grips’ was the best we could do for Espire 1 at our current capacity.
Fixed an issue where, if the player was gripping a weapon, but had no ammo left in reserve, and then picked up some more ammo from the environment, the hip-mounted Readymag would not appear until the player dropped and then re-gripped the weapon.
Audio improvements

The “Shotgun fire” sound effect that plays when enemy shot-gunners fire at you is now correctly spatialized with occlusion. It was discovered to incorrectly be a ‘2D sound effect’.
Audio Volume for the mounted Security camera was reduced while the camera is “idle patrolling”.
Audio Volume for the Automated turret was reduced while the turret is “idle patrolling”. On the Quest platform, we also added additional SFX variants for turret’s start / stop actions and for destroying turrets. These variants were already present on the PC platform.
Unlockables & Achievements

Fixed an issue where Achievements related to ‘Flashback progression’ could no longer be unlocked after the 1.10 Convergence Update - the update which removed flashbacks from the campaign. Our fix is to perform these achievement checks in the main menu and unlock them if the player has progressed beyond the relevant points in the campaign.
Virtual challenge completion tracking has been adjusted to ensure that players only ever need to complete ‘base game’ challenges in order to unlock relevant cheats and achievements - there is no requirement to purchase the DLC. However if players purchase the DLC content, the “% completed UI” will adjust to account for the newly added DLC challenges.
Original post
02 Apr 2024Developer post
Now available - Espire 1's 11th Major update "New Recruits"
Attention Espire Agents! Developer Digital Lode and Publisher Tripwire Presents are proud to announce the immediate availability of our v1.11 "New Recruits" update. Espire’s 11th major update delivers a suite of improvements for newcomers and veteran Espire operatives alike! Ther
Attention Espire Agents!
Developer Digital Lode and Publisher Tripwire Presents are proud to announce the immediate availability of our v1.11 "New Recruits" update. Espire’s 11th major update delivers a suite of improvements for newcomers and veteran Espire operatives alike!
There has never been a better time to experience Espire 1: VR Operative.
Improved VR Device support
This update includes native support for Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest Pro. To make the most of the increased visual fidelity and compute power of these newer headsets, we’ve done an uplift pass to the game. Espire 1 now features higher quality assets, effects and rendering features. As part of this work, we’ve also done a polish pass of the game’s Campaign and Virtual Challenge Missions.
We have also finally ensured correct compatibility with the HP Reverb G2. We apologize again for breaking support for this headset in our previous update. We did not have a device on-site to test with so were trying to add support speculatively.
This update also includes a host of input + orientation improvements for all supported headsets.
Visual Improvements
Espire 1 now features higher quality assets, effects and rendering features. These improvements scale across every single supported device. As part of this work, we’ve also done a polish pass of the game’s Campaign and Virtual Challenge Missions.
Removing Competitive Exploits.
We’ve addressed various exploits that allowed some players to obtain cheat times on the leaderboards. As part of this work, we are now removing these ‘unobtainable’ entries from the various leaderboards across the game.
A note on "Controller Bindings".
We have made several updates to the official "SteamVR Controller bindings" for Espire 1. We recommend that you use the "Default" bindings supplied by Digital Lode. If you experience control alignment / input button issues, you may be using a custom community binding. Follow this guide for instructions on how to ensure you're using the default bindings.
Known issues & What's next for Espire 1
We are aware of the following issues with Espire 1 and are working on fixes.

If playing Espire 1 using SteamVR, when you use the 'artificial crouch' button to make the Espire unit crouch, the HUD will incorrectly lower out of view. This issue was already present in the game before this update.
If playing Espire 1 using "Meta Quest Link", the controllers in-game will look like the Meta Quest 2 controllers, even if your Meta headset is not the Quest 2.
If playing Espire 1 using Rift CV1 or Rift S and SteamVR, the headset will be reported as a Quest 2. To workaround this, please ensure the Meta Link app is the "Default XR Runtime" and close SteamVR.
In the "Gameplay Settings" menu there is an option to 'swap left and right thumbsticks'. This option is broken.
When using the HP Reverb G2, the 3d models of the controllers do not line up with your real world controllers. There is a discrepancy of ~3cm.
We hope to include these fixes in our next "1.12" update - scheduled for May 2024. This 1.12 update will include various AI feature improvements, and will coincide with the launch of our first ever Espire 1 paid DLC; a series of challenge missions set in 2 new environments. We will share more news in the coming weeks. Share your Espire feedback and join the community at https://discord.gg/EspireVR
Thanks!
LODE + Tripwire
Full Release Notes for Espire 1 v1.11 "New Recruits" update.
VR Hardware support

Espire 1’s XR device Initialisation logic has been completely rewritten to better support existing headsets and more easily add support for devices that may be released in the future.
Espire 1 has been updated to support Meta Quest Pro and Meta Quest 3
Official support for HP Reverb G2 has been added. Previously support was implemented by Microsoft / HP with a custom binding. Please note: Reverb G2 users may need to ensure they're using the "Default Bindings" that we have created. See notes above.
Improved grip orientation / weapon alignment for Valve Index and HTC Vive controllers.
We have added support for Quest 2, 3 and Pro users via "SteamVR Link"
We have fixed an issue where the grip alignment for the E1416 Rifle and various shotguns was incorrect on all supported VR devices.
Additional logging is added to the game to make it easier to add support for future devices in the future
Visual improvements

NPC guards now have much higher resolution meshes and higher quality BPR materials applied to them on the Quest + PC platforms.
NPC support staff including IFA scientists and security staff now render with higher resolution meshes and higher quality BPR materials.
Mesh + shadow resolution has been increased for many assets throughout the game. Key meshes include primary weapons, Espire cradle units, cradle panels, cradle podiums, doors, large Espire Batteries, Pallets and other common environmental cover.
The Hand-mounted “HandCam” and throwable “RemoteCam” holographic camera feeds now have a higher resolution and refresh rate, depending on the current Quest device you are using. Espire 1 now renders more spent bullet casings and empty weapon magazines on all platforms. The holographic waypoint that guides the player to their next objective renders at a higher resolution on the Quest platform.
The User Interface across the title renders at a significantly higher resolution.
The User interface across the title has been scaled down and repositioned - much easier to read and navigate.
Various Scientist, security and support NPCs have been added to the main menu environment.
Audio Improvements

For NPC soldiers, a significant amount of previously unheard lines of dialogue have been added. There are now various versions of the main menu background music that will play.
Fixed an issue where an NPC guard’s spoken dialogue may not “slow down” when the player slows down time using Espire Instinct.
Gameplay improvements

Automated Turrets will now trigger a combat alert the moment they detect the player. Note that the automated turret at the very start of mission #1 Espire Labs is configured to not cause a combat alert when detecting the player.
Security cameras will now trigger a combat alert far quicker than before and this detection time is again halved in Hard difficulty.
Security camera damage logic has been re-written. It will now take multiple shots to destroy the camera. The lens is a weak spot, with a 1 hit destroy for any bullet - including tranq darts. Explosives and other ‘damage causers' are now able to damage security cameras. The player can only destroy a security camera with a tranq dart if the dart hits the camera's lens.
The “venting” behaviour for all explosives in the game has been improved - with more random movement and hecticness, based on the explosive mass
Green-variant explosive canisters have been removed from the game, replaced with red canisters. Blue explosive barrels are now red.
Game Content - Polish Pass

All campaign missions have had a significant polish pass, focused on improving lighting & shadow quality, while addressing collision issues & rendering issues.
More bodies of fallen IFA security staff and personnel have been added throughout the campaign.
All 53+ virtual challenge missions have had a significant polish pass, focused on improving lighting & shadow quality.
The Mitrata virtual challenge is now a ‘shared’ mission between PC and Quest platform with various fixes applied to the environment.
General Fixes

Fixed a rare issue causing Espire 1 to crash on launch on some PCs
Various animation issues for guards have been found and removed.
Fixed an exploit allowing players to cheat in a virtual challenges.
Fixed an issue in Mission 2: Reech Division where players are able to glitch through a wall and finish the mission early.
Misc Changes

Espire 1 key art, launch splash screen and icons have been refreshed as part of this update.
Added a 1.11 news page to the main menu.
Relevant Guides
We've prepared these guides to help players with controller bindings + Windows Mixed Reality support
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3209743872
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3209707906
Original post
29 Feb 2024Developer post
Espire 1 v1.11 "New Recruits" update now in development, releasing March
Attention Espire Agents: We're excited to announce our next major update for Espire 1 is now in development for SteamVR + the Rift PC platform. Espire update 1.11 "New Recruits" update focuses on modernising Espire 1. Support for newer VR headsets like Quest 3 and Quest Pro will
Attention Espire Agents:
We're excited to announce our next major update for Espire 1 is now in development for SteamVR + the Rift PC platform. Espire update 1.11 "New Recruits" update focuses on modernising Espire 1.

Support for newer VR headsets like Quest 3 and Quest Pro will be added. We will be FINALLY ensuring full HP Reverb G2 support with this 1.11 update.
To make the most of the increased visual fidelity and compute power of today's PCs, we’re doing an uplift pass to the game. Espire 1 will now features higher quality assets, effects and rendering features.
As part of this work, we’re also doing a polish pass of the game’s Campaign and Virtual Challenge Missions.
Current Status
Our update has just launched on the Meta Quest platform, and we're now focused on completing the SteamVR + Rift versions of the update. We will ship our "New Recruits" update on the PC platform before the end of March 2024.
Original post
04 Dec 2023Developer post
Convergence Hotfix #1 now live
Convergence Update - Hotfix #1 Attention all VR lovers! We hope you're enjoying the Steam VR Fest! Espire 1 has received a 1st hotfix for our recent "v1.10 Convergence" update. This hotfix will shortly be live for all players. Release Notes: Our v1.10 Hotfix #1 includes the follo
Convergence Update - Hotfix #1
Attention all VR lovers! We hope you're enjoying the Steam VR Fest! Espire 1 has received a 1st hotfix for our recent "v1.10 Convergence" update. This hotfix will shortly be live for all players.
Release Notes:
Our v1.10 Hotfix #1 includes the following fixes and updates:

Fix for an issue where users with the Valve Index Controllers or HTC Vive wands would find the controllers are pitched too far forward.
Fix for an issue for users with the HP Reverb G2 would find their controllers are not being detected by the game.
Fix for an issue where rarely, when playing the 2nd mission, "Reech Division", the game will crash while the player equips a tranquilizer gun.
New audio track. We have included a remixed version of the Main Menu music, titled "Droid Cowboys". This remixed track will play in the main menu once a player completes the campaign on any difficulty.
Thank you
Thankyou to the players that reported the issues above via our Steam Community forums or at our official Espire Discord - https://discord.gg/EspireVR. Particular shoutout to Ueki_168 for helping us troubleshoot the HP Reverb G2 issue, Khalaris for logs regarding the "Reech" issue, and TOX1N for helping us troubleshoot the Index controller issue.
2nd hotfix in development
On Dec, Valve released Steam Link for Meta Quest, a very exciting development!! We've encountered an issue where if Quest users (Quest 2, Pro or 3) play Espire 1 via the new Steam Link for Quest app, their headset is incorrectly detected as a HTC Vive. We are working on a fix which we will ship as soon as its ready. in the meantime, a workaround is to bring up the Steam VR UI, open the "Controller bindings" menu, switch your controller manually to "Oculus Touch".
We hope you are enjoying Espire 1's v1.10 Convergence Update. If you've enjoyed the game, we'd appreciate it if you'd consider leaving a review. if you have any feedback, please leave it in the Steam community discussion forums or at our official Espire Discord - https://discord.gg/EspireVR.
Cheers!
Original post
27 Nov 2023Developer post
Espire 1 Beta hotfix now available for Index controller issues
Hello Operatives, since releasing our 1.10 Convergence update last month, we've received reports from users with Index controllers. For users with the Valve Index controllers (with Index Headset or other SteamVR headsets, the controllers are pitched too far forward. Hotfix in dev
Hello Operatives, since releasing our 1.10 Convergence update last month, we've received reports from users with Index controllers. For users with the Valve Index controllers (with Index Headset or other SteamVR headsets, the controllers are pitched too far forward.
Hotfix in development
We're working on a hotfix to address 4 known issues reported by users. We are aiming to release the hotfix in mid-December. We have a beta build available today which should resolve the issue with the index Controllers.
How to access the Hotfix Beta
If you'd like to switch to the hotfix beta now, ahead of our public release, follow these instructions:

Right-click on Espire 1 in your steam Library and select Properties
Navigate to the “Betas” tab
For the “Beta Participation” drop-down menu, select "public_beta_1.10_hotfix_1"
Steam will now download the hotfix.
If at any point you wish to play the currently live 1.10 update, use the above process and set “Beta Participation” to “None.”
Known Issues
Please note, we are also aware of the following issues reported since the 1.10 update last month:

For users with the HTC Vive wands, the controllers are also pitched too far forward. (this issue is partially fixed in the current beta build).
For users with the HP Reverb G2, the controllers are not being detected by the game. (2 user reports)
Rarely, when playing the 2nd mission, "Reech Division", the game will crash while the player equips a tranquilizer gun (1 user report)
The current beta hotfix does not yet fully address the issues reported above.
Thanks for your support
We hope you are enjoying Espire 1's v1.10 Convergence Update. If you've enjoyed the game, we'd appreciate it if you'd consider leaving a review. if you have any feedback, please leave it in the Steam community discussion forums, or at our official Espire Discord - https://discord.gg/EspireVR
Original post
23 Nov 2023Developer post
Hotfix in development, workaround for Index controller alignment issues.
Hello Operatives, since releasing our 1.10 Convergence update last month, we've received reports from players who've encountered the following issues: Known Issues The following issues have been reported since the 1.10 update last month: For users with the Valve Index controllers
Hello Operatives, since releasing our 1.10 Convergence update last month, we've received reports from players who've encountered the following issues:
Known Issues
The following issues have been reported since the 1.10 update last month:

For users with the Valve Index controllers (with Index Headset or other SteamVR headsets), the controllers are pitched too far forward. (10 user reports)
For users with the HTC Vive wands, the controllers are also pitched too far forward.
For users with the HP Reverb G2, the controllers are not being detected by the game. (2 user reports)
Rarely, when playing the 2nd mission, "Reech Division", the game will crash while the player equips a tranquilizer gun. (1 user report)
Hotfix in development
We're working on a hotfix to address 3 known issues reported by users. We are aiming to release the hotfix in mid-December. We aim to have a beta version of this hotfix available within the next few days and will create a new announcement when this beta hotfix is ready.
Temporary Workaround
Until our beta hotfix is available, there is a workaround to adjust the controller orientation angle. The workaround is detailed here in our community discussion forums.
Thanks for your support
We hope you are enjoying Espire 1's v1.10 Convergence Update and apologise for the issues above. if you have any feedback, please leave it in the Steam community discussion forums, or at our official Espire Discord - https://discord.gg/EspireVR.
Happy thanksgiving to all players in the USA!
Original post
02 Oct 2023Developer post
Espire 1.10 Convergence Update Now Live
Dear Espire Agents! We are excited to announce our biggest update ever for Espire 1: VR Operative. This update includes everything from our 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 updates, alongside PC-centric fixes. Key Features 5 new challenges Crassipes - Sneaking Cicurina - Hostage Horcotes - Elimi
Dear Espire Agents! We are excited to announce our biggest update ever for Espire 1: VR Operative. This update includes everything from our 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 updates, alongside PC-centric fixes.
Key Features
5 new challenges

Crassipes - Sneaking
Cicurina - Hostage
Horcotes - Elimination
Furcata - Hostage
Mangua - Takedown
1 new environment

Coober Pedy
2 new weapons in the campaign

Spectre (Silenced SMG)
Sawn Off Shotgun
Major UI changes

Main Menu redesign
Expenditure summary
Removal of the 'flashback sequences' in the campaign
Support for newer VR Headsets
In particular Meta Quest touch controllers

Fix for the game not launching on some newer PCs.
Technical Improvements
Unreal Engine Upgrade
The project has been upgraded to Unreal Engine 4.25 and with it brings some minor visual & performance improvements. This also fixes a critical issue where the game fails to launch some PCs due to OpenSSL incompatibility with new Intel CPUs. See Espire 1 Steam - OpenSSL launch crash fix.
More VR Headset Support
We’ve added support for newer VR headsets & controllers via Steam VR. We also fixed various binding issues with older headsets. This includes:

Meta Quest 1, 2 and Quest Pro
Rift, Rift S, and Rift CV1
HTC Vive
Valve Index
Windows Mixed Reality
HTC Cosmos
Pico 3 and 4
Bug Fixes and Improvements
Visual Enhancements

Major UI changes to the Main Menu and the Expenditure summary
Improved shaders and materials - with roughness and reflectivity added to many more surfaces in the game
Added higher mesh resolution for the guards and other characters
The game’s end-credits have been updated to credit the team members and testers who have worked on Espire 1 since its initial release.
AI Fixes/enhancements

Fixed an issue where enemy Soldiers no longer reacted to the player's hands. Now, guards will correctly spot the player’s hands if you’re using the hand-cams around a corner at close range to a guard!
Fixed an issue where enemy guards would not update their ‘perception component’ correctly. This reduces situations where enemies may spot the player at a glancing angle when they should not have
Fixed an issue where Enemies would say an incorrect voice line when discovering a knocked out ally, reporting the incident to their unit commander, and then waking up the ally.
Fixed an issue where dead/stunned hostages would appear to stand back up again after a period of time.
Fixed an issue where players could fall on the Jacobson (Destroyer) drone and ‘knock’ it out!
AI fix in mission 1.6: Sometimes the guards on a different level of the hostage side mission will not load in.
Unique Bullet impact Sound Effects for each surface type that the bullets hit
Added ricocheting bullets for player and guards
Crash Fixes

Crash Fix: Fixed an issue where the game would become unresponsive if the player possessed an Espire unit while holding a weapon in their non-dominant hand. Thanks to the users who reported this issue and allowed us to narrow down the repro-steps.
Crash Fix: Fixed an issue where rarely, the game would crash during a ‘loading’ sequence in an airlock.
Crash Fix: Fix for the game not launching on some newer PCs
Achievements, Espire Trials, Completion-related

Fixed an issue where an achievement related to collecting badges and trials will not be unlocked correctly. The player would have to replay a mission a 2nd time for the badge-count/trial-count achievement unlock to be reflected.
Fixed an issue where if the player completes every trial, the associated achievement would not unlock correctly.
Increased the time limit requirement for the "Feet don't fail me now” Espire Trial in mission 1.6 to reflect recent changes to the map that made it very, very difficult to complete under the original time limit.
Fixed an issue in Mission 1.5 where pistols were missing in the level, making the ‘weapon procurement’ badge for that mission unobtainable.
Fixed an issue where rarely, In one of the takedown challenges (Cinnamon), a particular enemy would spawn inside a wall, and the player would be unable to shoot them, making the challenge impossible to complete.
Fixed an issue where In mission 1.5 “Ventilation System”, there was a case where a major cinematic will not play and the player would have to restart the mission.
General Issues

Added plenty of ammo for the 2 secret cheat weapons "Golden gun" and "Silver Serpent", ensuring that if you use them in a campaign mission, there will be enough bullets.
Fixed in issue in mission 1.4 Data Centre where a weapon rack right near the start of the mission incorrectly had 3 copies of every pistol placed on it.
Fixed an issue in the game's first mission where, under certain circumstances, an area of the environment appeared jet black (not loading in).
Fixed an issue in the campaign where some weapons would sit at an incorrect orientation on the weapon racks found in airlocks
Fixed an issue where players would not correctly possess a new Espire unit if they happened to possess the unit while in the middle of climbing with their old Espire unit
Bullet logic (fired by the player and by enemies) was rewritten, improving performance
Enhanced Audio: When the player crouches down, the game’s soundtrack dynamically submixes the music down, and increases the sounds footsteps and voices of the guards
Fixes have been made to ensure all cutscenes throughout the campaign are working.
“Flashback sequences' have been removed in the campaign
Increased performance & loading times across the board
Fix to prevent players cheating by completing parts of a challenge before hitting 'Begin'
Fix to prevent players cheating by walking through walls before hitting 'Begin"
Fix to prevent players cheating by un-crouching through air vents and skipping parts of the level
Level Changes

Fixed an issue where tripmines in the Militaris Intel challenge were not being activated correctly
Fixed an issue where a corpse in the Militaris environment did not render correctly
Fixed an issue in the Militaris challenges where a player could ‘throw themselves’ out of bounds.
Fixed an issue in the Militaris environment where players could climb so high that they could see’ out of world’
Missing door in Mission 1.4 has been added into the environment.
Invisible wall removed from Mission 1.2 that was preventing players from shooting through it.
In Mission 1.2 a rock face the player could clip and fall through has been fixed.
Fixed a number of locations in the game where players could break through terrain and fall through the map.
Original post
13 Sep 2023Developer post
Espire 1 is receiving a massive free update, available to play in Beta today.
Dear Espire Agents! We are excited to announce that we are FINALLY updating Espire 1: VR Operative. This is our first update in 3 years, our biggest Espire update ever and it will include everything* we’ve shipped on the Quest platform in our 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 updates, alongside s
Dear Espire Agents! We are excited to announce that we are FINALLY updating Espire 1: VR Operative. This is our first update in 3 years, our biggest Espire update ever and it will include everything* we’ve shipped on the Quest platform in our 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 updates, alongside some new extras for PC. *Note that we are unable to support the Quest-exclusive “Oculus Challenges” feature on PC as that feature only works on the Quest platform.
This major “1.10” update is officially launching soon but you’re able to play it right now. We have set up a public beta channel here on Steam where you can opt-in to the update. We’d love your impressions and feedback. The release notes for this update are extensive. You can see a current draft of the full release notes here.
The highlights are:

The PC version of Espire 1 includes all content from the Quest 1.7, 1.8 and 1.9 updates
Due to popular demand, we’ve Removed the two 'flashback sequences' from the campaign
Added Support for newer VR Headsets and addressed various user reported Headset/controller issues
Fix for the game not launching on some newer PCs
Major Unreal Engine Upgrade - 4 engine versions back to back
5 new challenge levels
1 new environment
2 new weapons unlockable in the campaign (Spectre SMG, Sawn Off Shotgun)
Major UI improvements
Many user-reported bug fixes for A.I, achievements, UI, gameplay and more.
How to access the Beta
We are still a few weeks from our full launch, but a release candidate build is available to play right now.

Right-click on Espire 1 in your steam Library and select properties
Navigate to the “Betas” tab
For the “Beta Participation” drop-down menu, select X.
The game will now download the 1.10 update.
If you wish to play the currently live 1.6 update, use the above process and set “Beta Participation” to “None.”
Sorry for this delay
We sincerely apologise for the very long time it’s taken to get this update to you. When we did our 1.7 update in late 2020, it included a major Unreal Engine upgrade that broke many things in Espire. We struggled to allocate the time + resources required to address the issues on the PC version of the game. A small team @ Lode have been working on this update in short bursts to bring it to players. The team has been unable to address this sooner as we have been stretched thin on other projects. This is not the fault of the talented team at LODE (developers of Espire) but at the top leadership level. We thank those who have supported us and given us the opportunity to make these games for our dreams. We hope the update addresses the feedback raised and improves the first time experience playing Espire 1.
If you have any feedback, please leave it in the community discussion forums, or at our official Espire Discord - https://discord.gg/EspireVR
PS: To coincide with the official launch of our 1.10 update, we will also be releasing the Espire 1 soundtrack on Steam, composed by Chris Lisati.
Regards,
- LODE
Original post
05 Sep 2022Developer post
Fix for Espire 1 failing to launch
Hello Espire Agents! We are aware that a number of steam users have encountered a very frustrating issue where the game fails to launch. After a lot of investigation we believe we may have determined the issue causing it, and a potential fix for steam users. A lot of games made w
30 Sep 2021Developer post
Espire 1: VR Operative MIGW Livestream
Greetings Espire Agents! Espire 1: VR Operative is being featured as part of the Melbourne International Games Week on Steam from September 30th to October 7th! You can watch the developers live streaming gameplay and they will also be hosting a Q&A! The stream will be broadc
10 Sep 2020Developer post
Espire 1: VR Operative v1.6 Hotfix #2
Espire 1: VR Operative v1.6 Hotfix #2 Attention Espire Agents! We’ve pushed a second hotfix for Espire 1: v1.6 “Assimilation Update”. This hotfix includes text localization for the new content that was added in the 1.6 Assimilation update. We have also pushed a number of fixes fo
Espire 1: VR Operative v1.6 Hotfix #2
Attention Espire Agents! We’ve pushed a second hotfix for Espire 1: v1.6 “Assimilation Update”. This hotfix includes text localization for the new content that was added in the 1.6 Assimilation update. We have also pushed a number of fixes for bugs reported by the Espire community on our discord, social media and forums.
Features
Localisation files (subtitles) have been updated for content added in the 1.6 Assimilation update.
Enemy Footstep audio (Attenuation/Occlusion) has been improved across the game.
Changes
Reduced the throw range of the hand cam to be shorter to help players unlock the “Go Long” Espire Trial in mission 1.6 Basement Level 1.
Bugs Fixed
Thanks to the members of the Espire Community who reported these bugs.
Fixed an issue where some players could not save their score to the leaderboard.
Fixed an issue in the Mission-Select UI, where the leaderboards button would incorrectly display before a player had selected a difficulty, resulting in a blank leaderboard being shown.
Fixed an issue where the “Stealth Master” achievement was no longer obtainable.
Fixed an issue where rarely, the body of a stunned guard would freeze in mid-air while the player was holding it.
Fixed an issue where in Mission 1.2 “Reech Division” where the standard 92FS Pistol was unobtainable.
Fixed an issue where in Mission 1.2 “Reech Division” an SMG weapon clipped through a table.
Fixed an issue where a movement lock was not correctly applied after switching to the Espire Beta Unit at the end of mission 1.1 Espire Labs.
Fixed an issue where the green silenced Shotgun was unobtainable in Mission 1.4 Data Centre.
Fixed an issue in mission 1.5 Ventilation system where it was possible to simultaneously complete and fail the mission.
Fixed collision issues at the start of the Inclemens virtual challenge.
Fixed an issue where a particular guard would not consistently appear in the “Cinnamon” takedown challenge.
Original post
16 Jul 2020Developer post
Espire Hotfix 1.6 For PC And Quest Platforms
Attention Espire Agents! We've just pushed a small hotfix for Espire 1: VR Operative on the PC and Quest platforms. This hotfix resolves a user-reported bug where 2 of our "Espire Trials" were unable to be unlocked after the release of our 1.6 Assimilation Update. The issue is no
Attention Espire Agents! We've just pushed a small hotfix for Espire 1: VR Operative on the PC and Quest platforms. This hotfix resolves a user-reported bug where 2 of our "Espire Trials" were unable to be unlocked after the release of our 1.6 Assimilation Update. The issue is now resolved with this Hotfix. Please note that this bug was present only on the PC and Quest platforms - the PSVR version did not have this bug.
Build Access
STEAM VERSION: Version 1.6.207
RIFT VERSION: Version 1.6.208
QUEST VERSION: Version 1.6.206
Bugs Fixed

Mission 1.1 Espire Labs: "Me and my lucky charm" (Golden Espire Doll) challenge will now unlock correctly.
Mission 1.4 Data Centre: "Family Bonds" (Mr Winklebottom Gnome) challenge will now unlock correctly.
This update should be rolling live shortly.
Original post
05 May 2020Developer post
Update 1.6 Assimilation Brings New Weapons, Modes, and Challenges
Highlights of today’s free Espire 1: VR Operative Assimilation content update include: New Operative Weapons Vector SMG: This semi-auto weapon is an excellent choice for mid-range combat, providing for accurate and quick bursts of controlled fire with one bullet firing upon the f
Watch on YouTube
Highlights of today’s free Espire 1: VR Operative Assimilation content update include:
New Operative Weapons

Vector SMG: This semi-auto weapon is an excellent choice for mid-range combat, providing for accurate and quick bursts of controlled fire with one bullet firing upon the first trigger press and the last bullet firing upon release. With an extended clip of 45 rounds and very low recoil, it is the weapon of choice for the new “SMG” weapon challenge mode.
Sawed-off Shotgun: Get up close and personal with this new shotgun, boasting a wider spread for close quarters combat. Its compact design allows for the shotgun to be holstered as either a sidearm or primary weapon -- and reloads via magazine clip instead of individual shells.
New Virtual Challenge Game Modes
Experienced Espire agents can also look forward to three new Virtual Challenge game modes, featuring new stealth gameplay not featured in the campaign. These new Virtual Challenges focuses on weapon mastery, climbing and intel gathering stealth skills essential to completing missions quickly and efficiently. Test your skills against players around the world with an improved leaderboard.

Weapon Challenges: Run, weave, duck, climb, jump and zipline your way through seven courses designed to test your mastery with each weapon class. Rack up the highest combo while eliminating static, moving and explosive targets, as well as enemy combatants in order to reach the top of the leaderboard.
Climbing Challenges: Overcome climbing puzzles where speed and timing is paramount to completing the course with the highest score. Make sure to avoid getting squashed by the fast-moving crushers!
Intel Challenges: Explore four completely new environments. Locate and hack intelligence from all workstations in the area and reach the extraction point. This game mode builds on the core Espire gameplay from the campaign.
In addition, Espire agents can expect a variety of technical and quality of life gameplay improvements based directly on player feedback and requests with today’s free release of the Espire 1: VR Operative Assimilation content update.
The full changelog is a WIP, but it is available as is and being updated here
Original post
13 Feb 2020Developer post
Espire Version 1.5 Hotfix now live
Attention Espire Agents! We hope you’re enjoying our recently released version 1.5 content update. We’ve pushed a quick hotfix for the current v1.5 version of Espire that fixes some issues reported by users since release of the update: Leaderboards Fixed an issue with Leaderboard
Attention Espire Agents!
We hope you’re enjoying our recently released version 1.5 content update. We’ve pushed a quick hotfix for the current v1.5 version of Espire that fixes some issues reported by users since release of the update:
Leaderboards

Fixed an issue with Leaderboards where the “My Rank” button was not correctly showing the user’s rank in some circumstances.
PAR Targets
Adjusted the PAR time, cost and expenditure targets for some virtual challenges based on user feedback. Some targets were too difficult or easy. They’ve now been adjusted as follows:

Hold-Up #2 Togah Expenditure PAR: Decreased from 10000 to 2745
Hold-Up #3 Silver Expenditure PAR: Decreased from 7500 to 3000
Hold-Up #3 Silver Combined Score PAR: Increased from 4000 to 8000
Hold-Up #5 Stellata Combined Score PAR: Increased from 2500 to 9600
Hostage #2 Mira Expenditure PAR: Increased from 2500 to 25000
Note that to see these new scores reflected in the UI, you’ll have to play the challenge once.
Fixed an issue where on Oculus Quest, the option to disable the "HUD Helmet lines" was not being saved in the user’s save file, so they would have to disable this feature on every play session.
Level Streaming

Fixed a level streaming issue in Mission 1.3 Research Sector. The "Lecture Hall" area would not load if the player visited it after going through a nearby vent system loading trigger.
Fixed a level streaming issue in Mission 1.6 Basement level 1. The "Storage area" would not load correctly if the player visited it after going through a nearby vent system.
We have also added a feature:

Players can now ‘cancel’ a forced Espire Instinct Slo-Mo event by pressing the Instinct button.
Thankyou for your support
We’ve been working hard on our next major update for Espire and look forward to sharing news about it with you ahead of its release. If you’re enjoying Espire, we’d appreciate you leaving a review to share your thoughts.
We’re also on Discord - join us at discord.gg/Espire1. Thanks for supporting the game!
Release notes for the previous 1.5 Patch
We didn’t post our release notes for the recent 1.5 content update as a “patch” announcement on Steam. Incase you missed the news about the update, you can check out those release notes below.
Virtual Challenges

We’ve taken a survey on our Espire Discord and added 9 new virtual challenges, based off everyone’s favourite game modes. There’s now 34 challenges in total.
3 new “Person of Interest” challenges. Identify the person of interest and get them to the extraction point alive. Previously there were only 2 POI challenges.
3 new “Elimination” challenges. Eliminate all targets within the time limit.
1 new “Takedown” challenge. Eliminate every enemy without raising an alert.
1 new “Sneaking” challenge. Reach the goal plate without being spotted by the enemy
1 new “Climbing” challenge. An advanced challenge that tests an advanced Espire mechanic where you can physically ‘throw’ yourself through the air to reach areas above you.
Based off user feedback, we’ve adjusted the way you can access the challenges
There are now 23/34 challenges unlocked by default when starting a new save file. Previously there were only 5 challenges by default and you would have to progress through the campaign to unlock more. You will still have to complete the campaign to unlock the very hardest challenges
You can now complete the challenges in any order you like. Previously you would be unable to attempt a challenge until you had completed the one before it
2 of the hardest challenges “Graysmoke” and “Cinnamon” have been rebalanced based off user feedback
Leaderboards
Each of the 9 challenges have 3 new leaderboards to compete on - Lowest cost, lowest time, or best combined score. We’ve added our best times to them while testing. See if you can beat us!
Feature Improvements

We’ve added a new “Unlock summary” screen at the end of each mission. It tracks your progress on Trial, Badge and weapon unlocks. Hovering on any unlockable item will give you instructions on how to obtain it.
The “Spectator Camera” (An optional ‘steadycam’ that renders to external displays for streamers on PC) should be aligned down the player's right eye by default. We will add an option in our next patch to let players switch between left/right eye,
Spectator Camera - default rotation speed is now quicker
Spectator Camera no longer has “Roll”, so will always be aligned to the horizon, even if the player is twisting their head.
Spectator Cam Brightness, Gamma, Contrast and render settings adjusted to better match what the player actually sees inside their VR headset.
On Oculus Quest, players will now get a push notification if one of their friends beats them on a leaderboard.
Tutorialization / On-boarding

Based off user feedback we’ve been working on improving the 1st-time experience and tutorialization
We’ve added short videos in the settings menu that describe what the “Espire Control Theatre” comfort mode is, to make it easier to adjust or disable it.
The tutorial that teaches you how to repair your Espire early in the campaign has been improved.
The tutorial describing “Espire Instinct” (bullet time) has been improved.
Added a tutorial explaining how to gain access to the generator room in mission 1.2 “Reech Division.”
Described how to unlock the 5 “Playstyle Badges” that can be collected in each campaign mission.
Added a tutorial on first launch of the game that describes how to pause the game using the wristwatch.
Adjusted the “Flashback” sequences so they are easier to progress through.
Gameplay and A.I Improvements

The Espire now has more air-control. This means that you can better influence the direction you’re moving in as you fall (or fly) through the air.
The Espire is now blocked by guard’s bodies and cannot move through them. Previously their bodies did not block the player. This improves melee combat. We are further improving melee combat in our next update.
We revised the game’s first large-scale encounter with enemies - the “Marion Server Room”. There’s more hiding locations and guards have adjusted patrols after being alerted.
On Oculus Quest, we’ve done a performance pass of the campaign and some virtual challenges to improve areas where framerate could drop.
General Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue in Mission 1.5 Ventilation system where the player could become stuck in a loading screen while moving through the small transfer vent.
The marking system has been revised to remove bugs and lessen the instances where an enemy will ‘auto-mark’ themselves. The only way enemies will be marked now is if you use your hand-camera to scan them, if the enemy spots you (vision) or if the enemy sounds an alarm.
Fixed an issue where the haptic feedback (vibration effect) on your controller could be stuck “on” after reloading a shotgun in certain conditions.
Fixed an issue where the Bomb Defusal Expert Achievement could be unattainable in Mission 1.5 in certain scenarios.
Improved collision in the “Mission 1.2 Reech Division” Reech tunnels area where players could fall through the overhead pipe system
Fixed an issue on the Oculus Rift version of the game where the title could crash when entering the Oculus dash while falling through the air after encountering the destroyer drone in Mission 1.5
Revised our “Tiny Espire” cheat to be more fun and fix some small bugs with tiny ‘artificial crouch’ + tiny inventory
Fixed an issue where the repair tool could enter a state where it repaired impact points 4x too quickly
Fixed issues in the Mission 1.3 “research Sector” where briefing videos would not play incorrectly.
Fixed issues where guards could sometimes ‘pop back’ roughly 1 metre during a melee attack.
Environment pass of the existing 25 virtual challenges to fix gaps in walls, missing meshes and alignment issues
Fixed an issue on the Quest version of the game where, if a player is holding a gun in their hand, then overlaps an ammo collision (collecting ammo from a gun), the Ammo overlay may not update to show the new ammo they collected
Boss battle: When shooting the weak point of a Destroyer Drone, the drone was not flashing yellow.
Boss battle: When the Ventilation boss sequence begins, there’s 12+ spotter drones, there should only be 6.
Fixed an issue where a character could be rendered invisible during a story sequence in mission 1.6 “Basement Level 1”.
Original post
23 Jan 2020Developer post
Espire Joins the Steam And Oculus Lunar Sales - 15% Off!
If you haven't yet checked out Espire 1 VR: Operative, there is no better time than now! Recently updated to build 1.4 which has brought many community requested features and fixes, the team is hard at work getting ready for update 1.5 in the coming days. The work in progress cha
If you haven't yet checked out Espire 1 VR: Operative, there is no better time than now! Recently updated to build 1.4 which has brought many community requested features and fixes, the team is hard at work getting ready for update 1.5 in the coming days. The work in progress changelog for that update can be found below!
EDIT: Update 1.5 is now live on Steam and Oculus!
Virtual Challenges

We’ve taken a survey on our Espire Discordand added 9 new virtual challenges, based off everyone’s favourite game modes. There’s now 34 challenges in total.

3 new “Person of Interest” challenges. Identify the person of interest and get them to the extraction point alive. Previously there were only 2 POI challenges.
3 new “Elimination” challenges. Eliminate all targets within the time limit.
1 new “Takedown” challenge. Eliminate every enemy without raising an alert.
1 new “Sneaking” challenge. Reach the goal plate without being spotted by the enemy
1 new “Climbing” challenge. An advanced challenge that tests an advanced Espire mechanic where you can physically ‘throw’ yourself through the air to reach areas above you.
Based off user feedback, we’ve adjusted the way you can access the challenges

There are now 23/34 challenges unlocked by default when starting a new save file. Previously there were only 5 challenges by default and you would have to progress through the campaign to unlock more. You will still have to complete the campaign to unlock the very hardest challenges
You can now complete the challenges in any order you like. Previously you would be unable to attempt a challenge until you had completed the one before it
2 of the hardest challenges “Graysmoke” and “Cinnamon” have been rebalanced based off user feedback
Leaderboards

Each of the 9 challenges have 3 new leaderboards to compete on - Lowest cost, lowest time, or best combined score. We’ve added our best times to them while testing. See if you can beat us!
Feature Improvements

We’ve added a new “Unlock summary” screen at the end of each mission. It tracks your progress on Trial, Badge and weapon unlocks. Hovering on any unlockable item will give you instructions on how to obtain it.
The “Spectator Camera” (An optional ‘steadycam’ that renders to external displays for streamers on PC) should be aligned down the player's right eye by default. We will add an option in our next patch to let players switch between left/right eye,
Spectator Camera - default rotation speed is now quicker
Spectator Camera no longer has “Roll”, so will always be aligned to the horizon, even if the player is twisting their head.
Spectator Cam Brightness, Gamma, Contrast and render settings adjusted to better match what the player actually sees inside their VR headset
Tutorialization / On-boarding
Based off user feedback we’ve been working on improving the 1st-time experience and tutorialization

We’ve added short videos in the settings menu that describe what the “Espire Control Theatre” comfort mode is, to make it easier to adjust or disable it.
The tutorial that teaches you how to repair your Espire early in the campaign has been improved.
The tutorial describing “Espire Instinct” (bullet time) has been improved.
Added a tutorial explaining how to gain access to the generator room in mission 1.2 “Reech Division.”
Described how to unlock the 5 “Playstyle Badges” that can be collected in each campaign mission.
Added a tutorial on first launch of the game that describes how to pause the game using the wristwatch.
Adjusted the “Flashback” sequences so they are easier to progress through.
Gameplay and A.I Improvements

The Espire now has more air-control. This means that you can better influence the direction you’re moving in as you fall (or fly) through the air.
The Espire is now blocked by guard’s bodies and cannot move through them. Previously their bodies did not block the player. This improves melee combat. We are further improving melee combat in our next update.
We revised the game’s first large-scale encounter with enemies - the “Marion Server Room”. There’s more hiding locations and guards have adjusted patrols after being alerted.
On Oculus Quest, we’ve done a performance pass of the campaign and some virtual challenges to improve areas where framerate could drop.
General Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue in Mission 1.5 Ventilation system where the player could become stuck in a loading screen while moving through the small transfer vent.
The marking system has been revised to remove bugs and lessen the instances where an enemy will ‘auto-mark’ themselves. The only way enemies will be marked now is if you use your hand-camera to scan them, if the enemy spots you (vision) or if the enemy sounds an alarm.
Fixed an issue where the haptic feedback (vibration effect) on your controller could be stuck “on” after reloading a shotgun in certain conditions.
Fixed an issue where the Bomb Defusal Expert Achievement could be unattainable in Mission 1.5 in certain scenarios.
Improved collision in the “Mission 1.2 Reech Division” Reech tunnels area where players could fall through the overhead pipe system
Fixed an issue on the Oculus Rift version of the game where the title could crash when entering the Oculus dash while falling through the air after encountering the destroyer drone in Mission 1.5
Revised our “Tiny Espire” cheat to be more fun and fix some small bugs with tiny ‘artificial crouch’ + tiny inventory
Fixed an issue where the repair tool could enter a state where it repaired impact points 4x too quickly
Fixed issues in the Mission 1.3 “research Sector” where briefing videos would not play incorrectly.
Fixed issues where guards could sometimes ‘pop back’ roughly 1 metre during a melee attack.
Environment pass of the existing 25 virtual challenges to fix gaps in walls, missing meshes and alignment issues
Fixed an issue on the Quest version of the game where, if a player is holding a gun in their hand, then overlaps an ammo collision (collecting ammo from a gun), the Ammo overlay may not update to show the new ammo they collected
Boss battle: When shooting the weak point of a Destroyer Drone, the drone was not flashing yellow.
Boss battle: When the Ventilation boss sequence begins, there’s 12+ spotter drones, there should only be 6.
Fixed an issue where a character could be rendered invisible during a story sequence in mission 1.6 “Basement Level 1”.
Original post
20 Dec 2019Developer post
Espire 1.4 Update is live! Major patch, Gameplay, AI, and other fixes
Dear Espire Agents! We are very proud to release our 1.4 update for Espire 1: VR Operative! With this release, we’ve focused on improving 3 areas of the game: Enemy A.I, Gameplay/UX and, on Quest, Graphical Updates.These updates are live now on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and on St
Dear Espire Agents!
We are very proud to release our 1.4 update for Espire 1: VR Operative!
With this release, we’ve focused on improving 3 areas of the game: Enemy A.I, Gameplay/UX and, on Quest, Graphical Updates.These updates are live now on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and on Steam. They will be coming straight to PSVR asap after Christmas.
Here is a summary of the core improvements, with the full release notes below:
AI Improvements
This has been our core focus above all else in this release. The major improvement in this patch revolves around the enemy A.I’s perception of the player. Guards can now easily spot players if the player is standing, however, the player is far more hidden when crouched. Enemy guards also have a much harder time seeing the player when the player is high up in the rafters now. Their vertical line of sight will increase as the enemy threat level increases into combat. Regarding combat, we’ve spent a lot of time refining their combat routines so they will pose more of a challenge to the player and select better locations in the environment to take up defensive positions. We have fixed a number of A.I issues reported by players.
Gameplay / UX
Since launch, we’ve tried our very best to collect and collate all of your feedback on the game. With this patch we’ve tried to include the top user-requested features and changes to the game. We’ve always had 2 different difficulties in Espire and our core game design was: On Espire Agent difficulty (Normal mode) you play the game like a standard FPS if you want to. On VR Operative, Stealth is really your only option. We’ve listened to feedback and tried to refine the difficulty and make these options clearer to players. We have placed Tranq dart ammo magazines throughout every mission in the game. You’ll be able to find them using Espire vision. There’s now a ‘controllers’ menu that lists your controller input mapping and on platforms like Steam, it will update if you switch between Vive wands and Index controllers mid-session. Various “Espire Trials” (these unlock cheats) and mission objectives have been adjusted so they are more easier or more fun to complete.
Quest: Graphics Update!
With Patch 1.4 we’ve improved the visual quality on the Oculus Quest platform. The major improvement revolves around roughness/reflectivity. Key items in the game (hands, gadgets, weapons, etc) now have roughness and will reflect light. We’ve also improved shadow quality, mesh tri counts, and the resolution fo the game’s User Interface so it appears crisp. This has required a lot of work to ensure the game still meets it’s 72FPS target on the Oculus Quest. In Espire, you have full freedom to ‘throw’ yourself around the environment and view it from any angle while avoiding many enemy threats on-screen, XRay vision and “hand cameras’ that render the entire scene again from a unique viewpoint. These mechanics do strain the Quest a lot, but we continue to further optimize every aspect of the title and this graphics update is only the beginning.
At Digital Lode and Tripwire, we sincerely thankyou for your support of Espire and wish you a happy holiday period. We have a lot of exciting content updates planned for Espire in 2020 and can’t wait to share more info in the coming year. Your support of this title allows us to continue to develop updates and other content. We listen to people’s reviews and feedback. If you enjoy Espire, we ask you to leave a positive review, it really helps us out! You can reach us any time via our Digital Lode Discord: http://discord.gg/espire1
Full release notes for the Espire 1.4 patch:
A.I. Updates

Adjusted the A.I. so guards have a harder time spotting the player when they’re at differing heights. For example, when the player is crouching and hiding in the ceiling, with a guard below.
Additionally, the ability for a guard to see above and below them will increase or decrease based on the current threat level.
Completely revised enemy sightlines. Now the player is easier to spot while standing, but much harder to detect when crouching.
Additionally, guards that detect a standing player will lose sight of the player if the player immediately crouches and the guard is still a good distance from the player.
Adjusted A.I. logic for when they’re in combat with the player so they better balance when to be offensive and defensive.
Additionally, guards will be more aggressive when attacking the player in groups.
Guards will find better locations to take cover.
Soldiers will no longer call their PMC commander for backup while actively in combat with the player.
Heavy guards now break holdup after 4 seconds and attempt to attack the player.
The enemy AI has 22 states that they switch between. All have been incrementally refined for a better stealth/action experience.
Guards will now be better about finding “safe areas” to call in backup and manhunts.
Fixed an issue where guards do not return to their original patrol if they've been stunned and woken up.
Refined Guard “Investigate” state. Guards spend more time investigating a sight/sound stimulus and will investigate a larger area
Fixed an issue where guards would “pop back” a short distance away from the player when entering their alarmed state.
Adjust A.I. behavior when they are shot at, but do not know where the player is.
Guards are now able to reload and strafe simultaneously.
Fixed an issue where Soldiers die automatically when tripping on various objects throughout the game.
Fixed certain instances of collisionless, frozen guards.
On Quest, fixed an issue where guards would not ragdoll when killed while using Espire Vision.
UX and UI Improvements

The Virtual Challenge Category Selection menu now displays the amount of available challenges and completion progress for each category.
Adjusted the wording around “VR Operative” and “Espire Agent” difficulty selection to better note that they are difficulty modifiers.
The player will now be asked what difficulty they want to play when starting a new campaign.
Players may now choose to play a mission on VR Operative (Hard) Mode without first playing the previous mission on VR Operative mode. Previously, you had to play each mission in-order on the hard difficulty.
Added a “Controllers” Setting Menu item to display the controller mapping of the player’s current VR Headset.
Playstyle badges must now be earned while playing a mission in one sitting.
After completing a required challenge during the flashback segments, players will be shown a “challenges remaining” screen before the challenge score screen. This will let the player know how many more challenges they need to complete to advance the campaign.
A distinct sound will now play whenever the repair tool is out of charge.
There is now a small tutorial hologram for using Hand Cameras, zooming them in, picking them up and then throwing them. It’s in the “Hardware Engineering” area in Mission 1.1.
The Bomb Defusal Expert Achievement in Mission 1.5 was very difficult to obtain. The player now only needs to diffuse 15 tripmines.
The player can now successfully complete mission 1.6 even after failing the Hostage Rescue objective. Previously, this would fail the mission.
Feature Improvements

Mounted turrets can now be destroyed with guns. The Tranquilizer pistol will have no effect on the turrets.
Mounted turrets now have a much higher rate of fire.
Security Cameras will now be destroyed in one shot regardless of the gun used or where they’re hit.
Tranquilizer Magazines have been placed around all missions. They will be highlighted in blue when the player uses Espire Vision.
Reviewed all airlocks and fixed issues with the weapon racks present when continuing from a checkpoint.
If the player wishes to edit the “Espire Control Theater” Comfort settings, they can now have a live update of how the settings will change. They can do this by moving on the thumbstick/trackpad. This will show the Control Theatre environment, allowing you to make tweaks with a live update.
Adjusted, improved, and added haptic feedback for various actions, such as shooting, grip/release, punching, etc.
Every campaign map has had a lighting, enemy encounter design and “ghost playthrough” pass. We will continue to improve the ‘ghost’ experience based off player feedback.
Change emissive lighting of repair tool to blue, not green
Quest Visual Improvements

Add roughness / reflectivity to key 3D assets: Player's hands, tools, weapons and bullet casings.
Improved the visual fidelity and text resolution of the main menu and pause menu.
Improved lighting, reflectivity, and quality of various map assets throughout the campaign.
General Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where the player’s own name would not appear next to their rank when using the “My Rank” button.
Fixed instances of floating alarm tripmines.
Fixed an issue where the hand cameras would bounce and spin before sticking to a surface.
Occasionally, the player would lose their equipment when trying to restore a mission in progress, this has now been fixed.
On Quest, fixed an issue where certain lights had texture errors in Mission 1.2 mess hall.
On Quest, A gun is floating in the air in Mission 1.2 "Reech Division" mess hall
Fixed an issue where certain NPC’s would appear frozen in cinematics after resuming a mission.
Fixed an issue where loud beeping sound effects would erratically play when a player was near certain doors.
Fixed an issue where Espire Instinct (Slow-mo) remains enabled after pausing the moment energy bar depletes.
Fixed an issue where in certain situations, the E1416 rifle (rubberised version) shoots sideways when using Espire Instinct.
Fixed an issue where Tripmines cannot be destroyed by gunfire.
Fixed an issue where guard headlamps would float in the air when they were stunned In the Stealth Sneaking #2 virtual challenge.
Fixed an issue in Mission 1.2 where guard bodies in the generator room would float when thrown by the player under certain conditions.
Fixed an issue where weapons could occasionally be found floating at the feet of the player after dying and possessing a new Espire unit. They should always be at the feet of the previously defeated Espire unit.
Fixed an issue where the Leaderboards button didn’t work at the end of Mission 1.6
Fixed an issue where the briefing for Mission 1.1 would not play if the player attempts to play multiple different agent files in the same game session.
Fixed an issue where leaderboards would only insert scores if the player’s score was greater than the PAR scores
Multiple issues with NPCs on Leaflitter between platforms
Players had issues shooting ‘through’ the frames of forklifts because the forklift collision did not accurately match its display mesh.
Original post
09 Dec 2019Developer post
Espire 1.3 patch is live, future plans
Attention Espire Agents! We are excited to present our 3rd patch for Espire. With patch 1.3, we’ve addressed some critical issues with the AI, fixed other reported bugs and, on the PC side, added more gameplay options for HTC Vive and Valve Index users. This patch will be shippin
https://forums.tripwireinteractive.com/index.php?threads/espire-1-vr-operative-patch-1-3-x-for-steam-oculus-rift-and-quest.2334976/
Attention Espire Agents!
We are excited to present our 3rd patch for Espire. With patch 1.3, we’ve addressed some critical issues with the AI, fixed other reported bugs and, on the PC side, added more gameplay options for HTC Vive and Valve Index users. This patch will be shipping on PS VR very soon.
The team’s core focus is now improving the A.I based off player feedback. We’ve been working on a sizeable “Espire A.I Update” that we hope will address the issues players have had with the AI. We will update our public roadmap to list everything we’re addressing in this A.I update, which will be landing ASAP. This update also aims to improve the user experience, mechanics and gameplay, based off your suggestions. The player will be able to find tranq ammo throughout the map, for example.
On the Quest side, we’re also preparing a visual update, where the game will have improved graphics.
We have also began work on a true light/darkness system! This is a feature that was originally out of scope for the game. We currently try to simulate this by hand-placing ‘VisibilityVolumes’ throughout the environment. It is clear there are areas where we haven’t placed volumes, and it can ruin a great stealth run. Based on feedback, we’ve been hard at work implementing a true light and shadow system where the AI’s perception of the player will be influenced by the light level of the environment. Our lead programmer has created a system which should work on all platforms, including Oculus Quest.
This is a feature that won’t debut until 2020 and when it does, all current leaderboards will be grandfathered and a 2nd set will be created, as gameplay will be affected by this future update.
We hope you enjoy patch 1.3 and our imminent AI update. We do read every review, note down player feedback and work as hard as we can to try and improve your experience with Espire. Our dream is for the team to be sustained so we can continue to develop new features for the game. Thankyou for your support of Espire!
RELEASE NOTES: VERSION 1.3 PATCH

Fixed an issue where guards would become “Frozen statues” - standing in place, unresponsive to the player.
Fixed an issue where a guard could become invincible - not receiving damage from the player.
Fixed an issue where if a player stunned multiple enemies in an area, left the area and then returned to this area after 10 minutes, the stunned guards would all immediately wake up at as soon as the area loaded. There is now a random delay of between 10-50 seconds for each stunned guard to wake up.
Fixed an issue where if the player tried to punch an enemy from close range, the player’s hand might not register punches with the enemy, instead phasing through the guard’s body.
When players create a new agent, starting the campaign from scratch, we now display a prompt allowing users to disable the comfort features (Espire Control Theatre)
Fixed an issue where sound would no longer play if the Espire1.exe game window didn’t have focus ie: another app had focus with the Windows OS and Espire was in the background.
Players can now choose between ‘press trackpad for movement’ and ‘hover thumb on trackpad for movement’. Fixed an issue where the "HTC Vive Trackpad Press for movement" option was not being set correctly.
A slider has been added to the “Gameplay” menu allowing Valve Index users to adjust grip sensitivity. The default value is 10 (very sensitive).
Gripping/releasing with the Index controller should be improved. We are still working on this based on player feedback.
For users with Valve Index controllers, the hand ‘grip/open’ animation is now driven by the ‘pull’ value on the controller’s input.
Adjusted EspireVisibilityBlocker Volume classes: If a player is hiding in shadows and shoots at enemies, their cover is blown for 4 seconds. On hard mode, this is set to 9 seconds.
Fixed an issue where Tripmines would no longer collide with things if players left and re-entered an area
Fixed an issue where the "Direction for movement" (HMD based / Controller based) option was not being applied until after a mission restart.
Fixed an issue where the user could get soft-locked by recalibrating their torso after completing the tranq tutorial
Fixed an issue where the repair tool hits the ground, the noise it makes isn’t loud enough and guards rarely hear it
Optimized menu interactions. The main menu now loads 3 seconds quicker than before when returning from Agent Select, a mission, or a virtual challenge.
Original post
02 Dec 2019Developer post
Espire 1: VR Operative Patch 1.2.3 Is Now Live
This updated addresses the following items: Implemented a setting to change between hold-to-grip and toggle grip. Fixed an issue where players were still seeing their motion controller in-game. Added a Brightness option to the Display menu, allowing players to adjust overall brig
This updated addresses the following items:

Implemented a setting to change between hold-to-grip and toggle grip.
Fixed an issue where players were still seeing their motion controller in-game.
Added a Brightness option to the Display menu, allowing players to adjust overall brightness.
Fixed an issue where environmental objects were stunning guards without being, first, disturbed by a player.
Fixed an issue where players could incorrectly pause the game while inside the checkpoint airlock after reloading their saved mission progress.
Fixed an issue where the user would fall through the world after possessing certain Espire units while in the checkpoint Airlock after reloading saved mission progress.
Fixed lighting issues in the Radiata Virtual Challenge.
Improved the ease of use for “slider bars” in the game’s UI.
Thank you for your continued feedback and reports Agents.
Original post
27 Nov 2019Developer post
Espire Update 1 Is Now Available
Espire Update 1 is starting to roll out on platforms starting now with the Steam and Oculus platforms. This update includes the following: Feature Improvements Redesigned the Comfort Settings UI, such that it is clear how to disable our comfort mode (The Espire Control Theater).
Espire Update 1 is starting to roll out on platforms starting now with the Steam and Oculus platforms. This update includes the following:
Feature Improvements

Redesigned the Comfort Settings UI, such that it is clear how to disable our comfort mode (The Espire Control Theater).
Redesigned the Smooth/Snap turn settings so that players now switch between smooth and snap turn modes and adjust the speed/intensity of each.
Added an option in the Display Settings to disable the blue detection level HUD lines.
Sliders in menus now disable their associated feature when hitting a minimum value.
Disabled the "Ghost Hand" feature, where motion controllers render on top of weapons if Espire's hands do not match the real-world location of the player's hand. We will look to bring this back as a purely optional feature in a later patch.
Platform Improvements

Adjusted the grip sensitivity of the Valve Index 'Knuckles' controllers. In a later patch, we will look to make this into a settings slider.
Audio Improvements

Added an option to disable voice lines for the repair/damage notifications.
Adjusted the frequency at which voice lines for repair/damage notifications play, while enabled.
AI Improvements

Added more shadowed hiding spots in various areas of the Espire Labs mission.
Adjusted AI sight-lines so that it's more difficult for the guards to spot the player during the "Search" stage.
Explosives no longer apply stun damage to guards unless they have been first been hit by another object, or the player has gripped the explosive.
Bug Fixes

Fixed and issue where a blast door reappears without collision when back-tracking to the Command Center on Mission 1.6.
Fixed an issue where the user's hands are not aligned with their in-game counterparts when grabbing a certain assault rifle in Mission 1.3.
Fixed an issue where the Espire Trial 'Electrocutioner' is unattainable after fulfilling its requirement in Mission 1.3.
Fixed an issue where a user could become stuck in a wall in the caves of Mission 1.3.
Fixed an issue in Mission 1.1 where a hanging black pipe could not be climbed.
Fixed an issue in Mission 1.1 where a certain voice line was being triggered too late
Fixed an issue where guards would become unresponsive when stunned or killed while waking up.
Fixed a lighting issue Mission 1.3.
Fixed collision issues with some railings in Mission 1.4.
Fixed a visible gap in the map of Mission 1.4.
Fixed an issue where the blue holographic belt would remain visible when the player re-calibrates during Mission 1.1.
Fixed an issue where guards would appear frozen.
Fixed an issue where guards woken by an ally would be abnormally hard to stun.
Fixed an issue where guards were taking incorrect stun damage based on the limb that was shocked.
Fixed an issue where guards viewed by the hand camera would appear to slide on the ground.
A patch to address the controls issues noted on PlayStation is currently in test and we hope to share more details soon. This update will follow that one for PlayStation VR players. The Quest version will be out in the next few days.
Original post

Updates & announcements

Espire Agents - the latest v1.13 “New Season” update is now available on Steam.

Update v1.13 includes the following updates and improvements:

Remaining in sync with the Quest version of Espire 1

What’s next for Espire

There has never been a better time to experience Espire 1: VR Operative.

Improved VR Device support

Visual Improvements

Removing Competitive Exploits.

A note on "Controller Bindings".

Known issues & What's next for Espire 1

Full Release Notes for Espire 1 v1.11 "New Recruits" update.

VR Hardware support

Visual improvements

Audio Improvements

Gameplay improvements

Game Content - Polish Pass

General Fixes

Misc Changes

Relevant Guides

Attention Espire Agents:

Current Status

Convergence Update - Hotfix #1

Release Notes:

Thank you

2nd hotfix in development

Hotfix in development

How to access the Hotfix Beta

Known Issues

Thanks for your support

Known Issues

Hotfix in development

Temporary Workaround

Thanks for your support

Happy thanksgiving to all players in the USA!

Key Features

5 new challenges

1 new environment

2 new weapons in the campaign

Major UI changes

Technical Improvements

Unreal Engine Upgrade

More VR Headset Support

Bug Fixes and Improvements

The highlights are:

How to access the Beta

Sorry for this delay

Attention Espire Agents!

Leaderboards

PAR Targets

Level Streaming

We have also added a feature:

Thankyou for your support

Release notes for the previous 1.5 Patch

Virtual Challenges

Feature Improvements

Tutorialization / On-boarding

Gameplay and A.I Improvements

General Bug Fixes

With this release, we’ve focused on improving 3 areas of the game: Enemy A.I, Gameplay/UX and, on Quest, Graphical Updates.These updates are live now on Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift and on Steam. They will be coming straight to PSVR asap after Christmas.

AI Improvements

Gameplay / UX

Quest: Graphics Update!

Full release notes for the Espire 1.4 patch:

A.I. Updates

UX and UI Improvements

Feature Improvements

Quest Visual Improvements

General Bug Fixes

RELEASE NOTES: VERSION 1.3 PATCH

Feature Improvements

Platform Improvements

Audio Improvements

AI Improvements

Bug Fixes