We know it’s been a while since our last major announcement. While we've been sharing updates on Discord and the Steam forums, not everyone may have seen them, so here’s a larger write-up:

We’ve been rolling out new builds weekly, and we’re nearly ready to begin multiplayer testing. The latest builds are quite stable in singleplayer, though there are still a few issues to iron out. You can currently try out the beta of U15 – Grand Operations on the testing branch! See the bottom of this post for instructions on how to join!

As things naturally evolved, Grand Operations has now become a sort of "2.0" version of the game. We have tackled almost all the things we planned for the real launch and so much beyond. Almost everything in the game has been touched in a major way. All in all, Grand Operations is like a new game, even ignoring the home base entirely. From enemy, weapon, item, loot, shop and map reworks, to UI, multiplayer, localization and even settings, U15 is a huge overhaul of the entire game and far beyond.

You've seen maybe some of the graphics and main menu changes. Some people voiced concern that all the development time is spent on the hub, which of course wouldn't be smart. Most of the development time actually went into everything around gameplay even with the hub being the biggest visual change - refactors, optimizations and in our new and improved systems and pipelines (a lot of code, networking, shaders, modeling, texturing, terrain, ui, animation, lighting, character creation ..). Update 15 marks the completion of many of our new workflows which were key in making Grand Operations a reality and getting the game in the best possible position for the full launch and beyond.

Anyways, here we have a spoiler of the many gameplay changes you will see with Grand Operations:

• Huge Cover Gameplay Overhaul for better tactical gameplay
  
• Tons of Map Changes implemented for improved clarity and flow
  
• Introduced the New Directives Mutator System
  
• Added New Divine Blessings for Loop gameplay
  
• New Enemies, New Enemy Abilities, and numerous enemy overhauls
  
• Implemented a New AI State Machine for enhanced behaviors
  
• Many Class Changes and balance adjustments implemented
  
  
  🚀 Items, Loot & Weapons
• Redesigned Upgrades & Shops, plus new Terminals
  
• New improved Loot Distribution system & Campaign Drop redesign
  
• Added New Weapons and improved overall Loot Table
  
• Starter Handguns Overhauled & Re-shuffled
  
• Complete Overhaul of Weapon Tech Perks
  
• Dozens of Weapon Balance Changes pushed live
  
• Tons of Item Improvements across the board
  
• Added New Multi-Variant feature & Variant Override system
  
  
  🧰 Visuals & UI
• New Muzzle, Impact, and other Visual Effects (VFX)
  
• New Cursor options and Damage Text styles available
  
• Improved Healthbar design, features and clarity
  
• Improved Unit Visibility on the battlefield
  
• Better Hit Feedback for more satisfying combat
  
  
  ..New Graphics, Music, Networking and tons more!
  
  
  
  🔧Base / Menu Upgrades
  The new Base Hub in U15 is more than a visual overhaul — it’s a complete rework of the menu system, with tons of new functionality. Our goal was to introduce meaningful meta progression without disrupting balance. That means improvements across the board: from quality-of-life to lore, and even a bit of power scaling for long-term motivation.
  
  
  🧱 New Additions:
• Construction – Progressively build up your base and unlock new features
  
• AI Core – Unlock new quests and unique in-run terminal events
  
• Mail – Daily rewards, global notifications, and in-game news
  
• Radio – Change music tracks and see community updates
  
• Tech Center – Browse and learn all technologies in detail
  
• Barracks / Medical / Shield Generator – Each includes new upgrade paths
  
  
  📁 Legacy Menu Improvements:
• Escalation – Now shows detailed info for every level
  
• Armory – The item/weapon database, now with more types
  
• Lab – New Android lab with improved UI and more style
  
• Modding Menu – In active rework with the latest Mod.io framework
  
• Mission Console – Quick restart after matches & new matchmaking
  
  This is just the tip of the iceberg for U15— dive into the test branch now and check it out for yourself. Unlock the new features and let us know what you think!
  
  
  🧬 Past U15?
  Even after U15, most of the work on the upcoming Engineer class is already completed. The new “D-DAY” environment is nearly 90% finished and should be ready to follow soon as we move closer to launch. We’re also thinking about a revamped class perk/module system, along with plenty of the usual polish and refinements.
  
  
  🚧 U15 Beta Test:
  If you want to try the latest build and give feedback to the current version, here are the steps to enter the beta testing branch:
  
  Warning: This is a Beta Testing Branch, is unfinished, single-player and potentially buggy!
  Step 1: Go to your steam game settings
  Step 2: Go to the Beta Tab
  Step 3: Enter code SECRETTESTBRANCH, and you should gain access.
  
  Please let us know what you think after unlocking all the new features and we'll keep you posted for the coop-test branch soon. Have fun!
  
  - Team FFG