Dear captains,
We are back with a new development blog! This time it's a long one.
As always, we’ve been working hard on the next updates for UBOAT. Let’s dive into the details.
Type IX
We are wrapping up work on the Type IX family, which will consist of three variants.
Type IXA is available from the beginning of the war in 1939. It's unique in that it has three periscopes.
Type IXC has an extended range over the IXA and is the main workhorse of the Type IX line.
Type IXC/40 has even greater range and an upgraded conning tower by default.
These will be the largest U-Boats in the game, with the highest range and vastly more living space. This makes them the best choice for distant operations.
Flotilla Headquarters
We've finally managed to improve the part of the game that, to us personally, has needed improvement the most for quite some time. We've reworked how port stays feel and function in many ways.
You no longer have the same group of officers following you wherever you go. Instead, each port has its own flotilla headquarters where you can interact with its staff.
The command structure is now represented more faithfully, with each flotilla having a Flotilla Commander, Ia: Chief of Operations, IIa: Flotilla Adjutant and IVa: Flotilla Quartermaster. There is also a briefing room and a staffed communications room in each flotilla headquarters to make it feel more authentic and lively.
You will be able to travel between the port, flotilla headquarters, and your accommodation by speaking with a driver.
Flotilla and accommodation buildings differ between regions. For example, in France and Malaysia they are requisitioned hotels, while in Germany they are purpose-built military facilities.
After visiting each new flotilla headquarters and being welcomed by its flotilla commander for the first time, you will also gain access to a quick port activities menu. This menu will appear by default after docking at your port each subsequent time and makes things convenient, but it is fully optional and may be disabled in the settings if you prefer to do everything manually.
Missions
We've invested more time into the upcoming long patrols that we first described in a previous dev log, namely the Cape Town Group, Wolfpack Eisbär, and Wolfpack Seehund. These are going to be much more story-rich missions, with a lot happening along the way!
You will have an opportunity to participate in historical events such as rescuing survivors after the Laconia Incident, meeting the surface raider Atlantis, performing a reconnaissance mission of St Helena, and more.
Once you arrive at the patrol destination, you will find yourself in competition with other commanders for the highest GRT score in the pack.
During these patrols, you will sometimes receive aid from Abwehr agents in British colonies who will be using a radio transmitter in Portuguese Goa to send updates about potential high-value targets.
World Map
We've added several more Allied bases to the game in the Atlantic and near the Cape of Good Hope:
St Helena Island.
Ascension Island (anchorage and an air base).
Azores air base operating from late 1943 onwards.
Port of Durban.
Graphical Improvements
New Faces
While developing officers for the flotillas and missions, we quickly noticed that it was time to add more faces to the game to make characters more distinct and recognizable.
We've added 11 new face types and 3 new complexions. It's now also possible to choose eye colours. Below are a few examples.
Sea Shader and Clouds
We've made various improvements to the sea shader and clouds to make the environment look more realistic. The sea now uses more modern shading formulas, while clouds now interact correctly with atmospheric scattering, making them much more visible in the sky than in previous versions.
Fog Simulation
In previous versions, fog had a strong tendency to exist in only two states: either full-on fog with visibility of a few hundred metres, or no fog at all, with short periods of transition.
In 2026.1, you will often encounter the entire spectrum. In addition, fog is now simulated more faithfully depending on the date and location. For example, summer months in the Arctic have numerous foggy days, while fog is less common in warmer seas.
A More Realistic Wave Spectrum
For a long time, we were quite sure that we had made some mistake in the code that computes the spectrum for sea waves. After years of glancing at it from time to time, we finally found the culprit. A simple line of code was missing, which prevented waves from dissipating into negative energy. This adjustment eliminates some waves that shouldn't exist and makes the overall visual experience more convincing.
While we were at it, we also made the swell a bit more intense.
Other Improvements
Tanker Interactions
It's now possible to stop tankers and send crew to them, just like with other merchant ships.
More Realistic Engine Animation
Diesels on the Type IX are now animated more closely to how real engines work, with a correct firing sequence for the cylinders.
Note: We haven't ported this to the Type VII and Type II yet, but we plan to do so soon.
Gun Animations
Guns no longer instantly rotate to their targets but instead rotate over time as they should.
We've also improved shell splash effects.
Release Date
We are set to release update 2026.1 along with the Type IX: Distant Coasts DLC on 29. January 2026.
We know it has been a long wait, but we want to get everything right and hope that it will be well worth it!
Yours,
DWS