Hello there and welcome back! Today marks the release of Battle Cry of Freedom's most ambitious and largest update yet. After a long time without updates, today's 2.0 Update will include hundreds of changes, fixes, and features. You can read the full changelog down below.
Here is a small teaser showing some of the new features in action.
Get ready to saddle up and join the fray in the upcoming 2.0 Update! With the addition of cavalry and horse artillery, players can now traverse the battlefield with speed and precision. Mount a trusty steed to outmaneuver your opponents and gain the upper hand in battle.
The addition of cavalry and horse artillery adds a whole new dimension to the game, providing players with new tactical options and an even more immersive experience.
Most important new features:
- Cavalry: Mount horses and tow artillery for greater mobility.
- Graphic Overhaul: Stunning upgrade to terrain rendering, flora, and post-processing effects.
- Enhanced Performance: Improved performance, especially with many players on screen.
- Vehicles: Operate armored trains, steamboats, and wooden launches.
- Dynamic Terrain: Fully deformable terrain creates an ever-changing battlefield.
- Trench Warfare: Use shovels and pickaxes to dig trenches.
- Refined Class System: Reworked class system with distinct skills for each class.
- New Classes: Classes, such as the Chaplain and War Correspondent add depth to the gameplay.
- Blood & Gore: Free DLC adds realistic gore and blood.
- Brass Band Music: Access to Brass Bands with unique instruments via the Supporter Pack.
- Expanded Weaponry: New weapons and artillery pieces to tailor playstyle.
- Smarter AI: Entirely reworked AI code for intelligent opponents.
- Original Soundtrack: Purchase the game's original 57-minute soundtrack.
Cavalry and Horse Artillery!
The long-awaited addition of horses to our game, a feature that has been repeatedly requested by our passionate community, has finally become a reality! Players can now experience the thrill of riding horses into battle, adding a new level of strategy and excitement to the gameplay. Moreover, artillery crews can now tow their heavy artillery pieces across the battlefield with increased speed and maneuverability, giving players even more options for dominating their opponents.
Here is a short video that features in-game footage of the upcoming 2.0 Update for Battle Cry of Freedom. The video showcases the new and exciting additions and changes that players can expect to see in the game.
FREE Blood & Gore DLC and deformable Terrain!
Immerse yourself in the gruesome reality of 19th-century warfare with the Free Blood & Gore DLC for Battle Cry of Freedom. This DLC offers an unparalleled level of realism with its improved death and wounded animations, including decapitations and dismemberments, as well as blood splatters and pools on the ground and walls.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2306940/Battle_Cry_of_Freedom__Blood__Gore/
In addition, engineers now have access to shovels and pickaxes, allowing them to dig trenches or create embankments, providing more strategic options to players. With the fully deformable terrain, both players and artillery impacts can create shell craters and trenches, adding another level of realism to the game. Be ready to adapt your tactics and defend your positions by taking cover in shell craters or digging your own trenches.
Here is a short video that shows both of these new features in action!
Graphical and FPS improvements!
The highly anticipated 2.0 Update for Battle Cry of Freedom ushers in a new era of visual excellence, with a massive graphical enhancement that is sure to leave players awestruck. Moreover, the update delivers significant performance improvements across the board, ensuring a seamless and immersive gameplay experience like never before.
To give you a better understanding of these changes, we have prepared a comparison video that contrasts the upcoming patch with the current version of the game:
Supporter Pack: Brass Bands!
Show your support for the game with the optional Supporter Pack. This DLC features a variety of historical music instruments, including the Saxhorn, Tuba, Bass Drum, Trombone, and Cornet, all professionally recorded by musicians using authentic instruments. You'll also be able to play as the Drum Major and lead your troops into battle with the Tambour Major Baton.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2317210/Battle_Cry_of_Freedom__Supporter_Pack_Brass_Bands/
The Supporter Pack DLC offers an exclusive collection of historical brass music instruments, including the Saxhorn, Tuba, Trombone, Cornet, and more. You'll also have access to the US Marine Corps Band, the Virginia Military Institute Band, and both the US and CS Cavalry Brass Bands, providing a diverse range of musical options.
Here's a video that gives you a preview of the US Marine Corps Brass Band, exclusively available through the Supporter Pack DLC for Battle Cry of Freedom.
Battle Cry of Freedom Soundtrack!
Take Battle Cry of Freedom with you wherever you go with the Original Soundtrack and Concept Art pack. Immerse yourself in the sounds of the Civil War with the Original Soundtrack, featuring all of the music from the game, as well as previously unreleased tracks. In addition to the music, you'll also receive Concept Art made for the game, providing a unique look into the creative process behind the game's development.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2307360/Battle_Cry_of_Freedom__Soundtrack__Art/
2.0 Update - Full Changelog!
The 2.0 Update is a monumental achievement for our team, packed with exciting new features that will take your Battle Cry of Freedom to new heights. We could go on and on about the new classes, movable trains, and other improvements, but we'd rather have you experience it for yourself.
So, we invite you to jump into the game and see for yourself what this massive update has to offer! For a complete list of changes, please refer to our detailed changelog below. We can't wait to see you on the battlefield!
(Our Changelog was so long that Steam would not allow us to post it here (Reached max character limit)
Changelog: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lbVdfLjiDjpzC2TGbMF1hLrP0_7giQhmwVNBlYEI3ik/edit?usp=sharing
What's next? - Roadmap
We're excited to announce that we're still hard at work on Battle Cry of Freedom and are committed to delivering all of the promised features on our roadmap for 2022/23.
Here is an updated image of the roadmap as it stands as of today, the 9th of March of 2023.
GREEN - DONE ; BLUE - WORK IN PROGRESS ; GREEN/BLUE - MORE TO COME
Our immediate focus in the coming months will be on addressing any new or existing bugs and implementing general game polish. This will involve improving animations, refining the camera system, smoothing out the Inverse Kinematics, and more, to remove as much jankiness as possible from the game. We're committed to making Battle Cry of Freedom the best it can be, and we look forward to sharing our progress with you in the months ahead.
Large Scale Organized Event - March 12th 9:00PM CET
To celebrate the release, we will be hosting a Special Large Scale Organized Event.
The Event will take place on the 12th of March at 9:00 PM CET (4:00 PM EST).
The Rules and more information about the event will be published at a later Date.
Although we do not expect to fill them all, we have a Server with 750 slots ready for the event.
Any Regiment is welcome to attend! Pre-Event Signups can be done here: CLICK ME
Stay Informed!
If you're looking to stay informed about further Development on Battle Cry of Freedom, our Discord community is the perfect place to do so. Our Mini-Blog channel is dedicated to providing in-depth information and sneak peeks about the new features and changes. You can also join the conversation and ask any questions you may have directly to the development team.
Thank you!
/Flying Squirrel Entertainment