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
Patch Notes
Infection Gas Towers & Zone Control Overhaul
Introduced Infection Gas Towers that automatically appear when a zone is lost in Horde Mode.
These towers emit toxic gas that punishes lingering forces and visually reinforce the spread of infection.
Includes new VFX and materials such as fog, blood drops, and gas particle effects.
Zones now progress through a new "Yellow" warning phase before full infection, giving players clearer visual feedback on imminent collapse.
LCAC (Landing Craft Barracks) now:
Spawns Engineers, Operators, and will issue Ammo Resupplies.
Is destroyed when the first zone is lost, increasing the tension and pacing of early engagements.
No longer requires power, allowing faster deployment at game start.
Gameplay & Navigation Improvements
Zone collapse timer increased from 20s to 60s, giving players a fairer window to evacuate.
Trees and vegetation no longer block mouse clicks, making unit control smoother across forested terrain.
Zones now dynamically render as Red (Infected), Yellow (Collapsing), or White (Safe) to reflect infection status more clearly.
Fixed T2 and T3 large gates not allowing snapping
Power indicators are hidden in infected zones to reduce UI clutter and confusion.
Added blocking volumes to map edges to prevent units and the camera from exiting play areas.
Zone border visuals and mesh alignments polished across multiple Half Moon Bay sectors for improved immersion.
Continued polish on animations, muzzle attachments, and UI elements, including updates to crouch behavior and sprint handling with underbarrel weapons.
Inaccessible areas no longer allow CERC to attempt to pathfind through them greatly improving cross zone movement
💬 Known Issues
Opening the Pause Menu breaks the Quartermaster mouse
Half Moon Bay is about 85% ready for full playtests. We're still refining a few areas to make sure the experience is smooth.
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!