Hello Onward Community,
December is bringing 2022 to a close and we are happy to look back and see all the work the team has been able to accomplish this year and how all that hard work will help us make even more improvements and open the door for new additions in 2023.
The game got a lot of much needed improvements and additions to help the longevity of development and set the game up to have new content and fixes come in next year. This month, in the Devs’ Desk, we wanted to showcase all the additions and improvements that went into Onward this year. What isn’t included in the list is the hundreds of bugs that were fixed through the year. If you are curious about all the individual details that went into the game, you can always read the details from the previous patch notes.
The community also had some great additions inside and out of the game this year. From intense competitive matches, fun custom maps, to fun videos and fan art. Check out the Community Center for some of our favorite clips and events that happened this year.
Our office will be closed from December 22nd - January 2nd (including support). The team will be taking this time to recharge so we can return and hit the ground running in 2023. Expect more info about the new 1.10 content once we return.
From the Devs’ Desks:
The major focus for the year was improving our backend systems to give us the ability to continue to expand the game and improve the game’s foundation. Some of the systems had not been worked on since the game first launched in 2016. This investment helps give us the ability to add new features and content and allows current systems to be improved on.
Onward 2022 Wrap-Up
New Features Added
- Gunstock Calibration
- Friends joining matches directly via invite
- In-Game player reporting
Gameplay Improvements
- Loadout Points Rebalance
- Updates to Free Roam Gameplay
- Improvements to the server browser
- Improved player ragdoll when downed or dying
System Improvements
- Weapon Refactor
- New Voice Chat system including auto reconnect feature
- Rebuilt custom maps infrastructure for community map makers
- New hosting infrastructure for the game
Community Center:
A total of 32 new custom maps were added to the game this year! The community map makers have been hard at work offering a variety of new themes and environments for players to experience. If you are interested in learning how to make maps or connect with the people that do, make sure to check out our custom map creators section in the official Discord.
The competitive Esports organization VRML had a booming season this year. 1,527 players, making up 116 teams, competed this year. That’s 846 intense matches of PVP. Check out some of the highlights from this season on their YouTube channel. Their next season is starting soon, if you are interested in joining, make sure to check out the details here.
The VR Charity group ran two Onward charity tournaments this year raising over $7,500 for some great causes like Breast Cancer research and StackUp for Veterans. If you are interested in joining the community for future charity events check out their Discord
Thank you for all the great matches, feedback, and support you show the game and the team. We are looking forward to everything we are going to bring to you in 2023.
Happy Holidays from everyone at DPI!