We are nearing the completion of Phase 1- We have a few days of final work for the Operator then we'll be shifting to UI + Bug fixes & performance improvements before we officially enter stage 2.
We thank our community for their continued support and patience! Playing the game with you guys on Discord has been an absolute honor! We will be hosting public discord play sessions almost daily as we work to hunt down bugs and finish phase 1. So consider joining our discord!
Currently we have to port over the remaining abilities to the Operator going into Tuesdayish.
Medic Healing
Engineer Repair/Building
Throw Grenade Flash/HE
Key Notes:
Press Tab to cycle right through Operator abilities
Press Z or X or cycle left or right
Press G to enable the currently selected ability
Last CERC HQ 7.19.25
🛠️ How to Opt In
Right-click Cepheus Protocol Experimental Branch (Granted when you buy the base game) in your Steam Library
Click Properties > Betas
Choose cerc-hq-public from the dropdown
Let Steam update the build and launch the game
📦 General Fixes & Stability
Crash Fixes
Fixed crash from Infected melee + blowup guy killing structures.
Speculative fixes:
Skycrane crash.
Final Horde Objective self-destructing in Half Moon Bay.
VisionGrid crashes (e.g., VisionGridPerformLineOfSightCheck).
DOTS crashes.
FinishFormationMove crash.
RestoreMaterialsFromMap crash for Cloak_Ability.
AddCategoryXP crashfix.
Addressed thread safety and destruction order issues in UnitComponent::EndPlay.
Performance Improvements
Converted lighting to a persistent system (removed Master Lighting Level).
Optimized network performance:
Refactored LandscapeActor.cpp to not replicate by default.
Lazy registration for Landscables, reducing Half Moon Bay load times.
Improved LandscableManager.cpp and optimized network desyncs.
Fixed jittering when units re-target after enemy death.
Reduced HMB loading issues related to sun system initialization.
Log & Debug Improvements
Various log cleanups and dev checks.
Added safety for Server_ calls when recruiting units.
Wrapped debug logs in #endif //WITH_EDITORONLY_DATA.
🌇 Map & Environment
Half Moon Bay
Major detail pass, scripting, border edits, and spawn flow rework.
Fixed AI registration on large maps.
Improved zone color feedback when infected take over.
Addressed water cutout and navmesh bugs.
Adjusted sun system registration logic for slower loads.
Alcatraz
Reorganized starting areas: library, play yard, Quartermaster.
Added interiors and rooftop access meshes.
Updated cutout & HLOD quick start from legacy files.
Fixed water cutout bugs.
⚙️ Gameplay Mechanics
Combat & AI
Increased minigun spread (12 → 18) and price (2000 → 8500).
Increased infected base health (150 → 200).
Improved threat generation from turrets and SOCS.
Blowup guy explosion now does more wall damage.
Flamethrower logic redone; now powerful like in legacy.
Fixed issue where CERC stared at horde objectives with no enemies.
Operator Mode
Added Operator ability system with UI, tooltips, and selection (Z/X/TAB).
Limited to 4 abilities max (for now).
Deployed abilities: Rapid Fire, Snipe, DeployGun, Cloak.
Aim borders and visuals added for aimed abilities (green border).
Human-controlled Operators have doubled effective bullet range.
Cloak ability now properly cancels on shooting, shows VFX, and works with glowstick (partial).
Fixed DeployGun to exit on OperatorMode entry if unusable.
Added name popups & cooldown overlays to ability UI.
Fixed 'mixed up operator with another host's' issue.
AI Perception & Noise
PerceptionComponent temporarily disabled until hearing logic is ready.
OnHearNoise improved but still in progress.
Made combat noise system unified via MakeCombatNoise and MovementNoise attributes.
Operators make footsteps noise only when player-controlled.
🧠 Attribute & Ability System
Introduced Attribute & Ability Point system for Operators:
Health, Infection Resist, MovementNoise, etc.
UI meters added with live stat changes.
Implemented dynamic effects, save/load support.
Works in RTS mode; Operator mode still in progress.
Fixed attribute canceling logic replication and cooldown displays.
Gunsmith now shows value deltas and live stat previews.
🛠️ Gunsmith & Attachments
Recoil graph and stat comparison widgets added and refined.
Foregrip, scope, suppressor attachments now show their stat effects.
WeaponStatDisplayWidget updated to handle new data asset setup.
Added:
New muzzles, scopes, magazines for M4 and Glock 19.
Urban skin for Honzo Lee.
Ergo, Operator, and BCM grips.
T1 Micro optic (design asset ready).
Fixed:
FNEvolys underbarrel level requirement.
Carbine-18 drum mag bug.
Gunsmith lighting and SG-12 bugs.
Underbarrel animation replication issues.
🧱 Structures & Construction
Speculative fixes to BuildingConstructionComponent.
'SeeThruLandscapeable' collision profile added (fences in HMB).
Fixed refunding units in Recruitment Queue not accounting for weapon cost.
🧪 Horde Mode
Increased max wave size by 50%.
Made enemy health, damage, and respawn rate dynamic to wave count.
Nerfed income: now based on active spawning sectors, not all objectives.
Updated spawner tool and exposed Rush mode variables.
Invalidated northern region for building.
💾 UI & UX
Enhanced attribute meters with delta indicators and labels.
Updated attribute allocation bar with better visual and logical handling.
Added zoom dampening and improved camera speed logic.
Drag selection now blocked in landscape mode.
UI improvements for:
Recruit popup, cooldown overlays, unit refund, operator abilities.
Weapon selector, recoil graph, dropdown hover preview.
🎮 Miscellaneous
Reorganized project folders (e.g., Honzo folder).
Removed outdated meshes and cleaned redirectors.
Setup logic to prevent duplicate Operator recruitment.
Applied various crash fixes to DOTS, flamethrower VFX attach logic, and session joins.
Disabled some bulk buy options where inappropriate.
💬 Known Issues
Opening the Pause Menu breaks the Quartermaster mouse
Half Moon Bay is at 75% in terms of being ready for full playtests. We are still working on refinement some aspects. We know that because of the recent changes for zones units can have pathting issues we are aware of this and working on this going into Monday.
New UI Mockup
We have had Winters who has far more experience with UX/UI work with our concept artist while ive been working to wrap up phase 1 from a structural/Gameplay standpoint. Here is the latest "Draft" let us know what you think of the UI. The Operator and all menus will be getting a pass next from a design standpoint once this UI is approved by myself.
Half Moon Bay Updates
More at this week's CERC HQ!
Operator Gunsmith Updates
Cepheus Protocol Roadmap
We’re thrilled to share our vision for the future of Cepheus Protocol! With your continued support, we’re working tirelessly to refine the game and introduce exciting new features that elevate the experience.
🚧 What’s in Active Development?
Experimental SP/Co-op Horde Mode Now live via the cerc-hq-public branch — up to 16 players in hybrid RTS/TPS.
Operator System (Hero Units) Possess and control elite units in RTS/TPS mode with leveling, perks, and loadouts.
Add more Operator weapons and equipment.; Michael is working through a backlog of 20 Operator weapons and more Operators/Skin variants atm.
RPG Progression System Operators gain experience, unlock skills, and equip customizable weapons.
UI Overhaul A new interface to support RTS/ Operators & Menu's
Monterey Bay Horde Map Large-scale co-op testing with new wave mechanics and future extraction goals.
Tracking down Desyncs, bugs & crashes!
🧠 What's Coming Next?
Finalize and polish Phase 1 by mid-July
Launch Phase 2: Expanded DNA Research + Doctrine gameplay
Prepare Phase 3: Pandemic Return
💬 Want to See the Full Timeline?
Check our stickied Roadmap post on the Steam forums
💡How You Can Help
Play the experimental SP/co-op mode!
Try Operator mode using the in-game console command: PossessFirstOperator
Report bugs, give feedback, and wishlist new content
Join our Discord to engage with the team and community
Thank you for continuing to support the game — this is just the beginning. 🛠️
Join the Discussion!
Head over to our Discord Server or Steam Discussions to connect with other players and the development team. Together, we’re building something truly special. Thank you for being part of this journey with us!
We also hosted a Playtest on Discord last week with 10 people check it out here!