The Major Update & Zombies
Hey everyone,
We’re really happy to be back with this new update. Thanks again for your patience, we know it took some time, but we wanted to push as much as possible to deliver something truly solid and meaningful for the game.
Quick Recap on the Update!
For those who may not have followed all our recent communications: since the launch, the team has grown a lot and we’re now over 100 passionate people working on Bodycam!
We recently released a devlog showing a lot of upcoming features. Some of them are included in this update, others aren’t here yet, and that’s completely normal. We’re now working on several updates in parallel, so some features will arrive in the next major update.
If you want to get a preview of what’s coming, you can rewatch the devlog, especially Part 2: 🔗
[dynamiclink href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaowUvvJ-As"]We’ll also release a new devlog soon focused entirely on the next major update.
Thanks again for all the support.
This update is the first big milestone of this new development rhythm, and it comes with three major pillars:
1. Performance, Stability & Your Feedback
We gathered all your feedback from the past months and focused on the most important points first. This includes a massive amount of bug fixes, performance improvements, stability work (including VRAM), and key polish items reported by players and testers.
Some heavier topics like servers, anti-cheat, and the full UI rework are still in progress in parallel. While they require more time, they remain very high priorities for us.
This update is also a big internal milestone for us: we upgraded the entire project to Unreal Engine 5.5, cleaned and improved core systems, optimized all major maps, and reworked large parts of the technical pipeline.
It’s an on-going process and it’s a huge step that sets the foundation for the next phases of development.
2. The New Zombie Map
Today we’re releasing the biggest Zombie map to date.
It’s an extremely ambitious map and a true laboratory for us. It allowed the team to work on much larger environments, test new systems like the crossbow, handle more advanced AI, and experiment with new mechanics, all wrapped in a very intense, atmospheric, and horrific experience.
We think you’re going to love the vibe and everything we’ve packed into it.
If you want to know more about the long-term vision for Zombie Mode, we posted a full breakdown here: 🔗
[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2406770/view/607551006829446755"]
For us, Zombie Mode will always remain a secondary game mode, used as a playground to prototype ideas that can later improve the multiplayer experience, without ever slowing it down.
In the future, we’ll continue exploring Zombie Mode, but with a direction focused on ultra-realism rather than fantasy, the heart of the game being the multiplayer mode.
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3. A New Multiplayer Map Based on a Real Location
This update also brings one of the largest multiplayer maps we’ve ever shipped.
It’s based on a real airsoft location in France, a place you can actually visit in real life.
CQB Powergun, Rue Robert Canivet, Cerny Reproducing and adapting this environment for Bodycam was a massive effort, and we’re really proud to finally let you experience the first map of that kind in Bodycam. We can’t wait to hear what you think.
That’s the global overview of this Major Zombie & Polish Update.
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Thanks again for your incredible support.
We hope you’ll really enjoy all the new content.
And now… here’s the full patch notes 👇❤️
5. Patch Notes (Summary)
PERFORMANCE & OPTIMIZATION
Migrated from Unreal Engine 5.2 → 5.5, fully adapted to Lumen and Virtual Shadow Maps (VSM).
Optimized GPU and CPU usage across all major maps.
Reduced draw calls, dynamic render targets and shadow complexity on multiple maps.
Cleaned redundant sublevels, merged meshes and lowered texture streaming overhead.
Improved shader complexity and light culling to reduce overdraw.
Reduced Slate tick in the Play Menu frontend from 4.3 ms → 0.66 ms.
Lowered Play Menu memory usage from 250 MB → 180 MB.
Optimized asynchronous texture loading and streaming for both UI and environments.
Part of our team is now dedicated to GPU optimization to ensure we improve the rendering pipeline.
Efficiently integrated Virtual Shadow Maps across all maps (CQB, Rome, Bomb House, Airsoft, etc.).
Switched around 90% of textures to Virtual Textures with proper LODs and compression settings.
Improved texture grouping, compression and global texture memory usage.
Re-baked lighting passes across all maps to align with VSM + Lumen.
Optimized post-process effects and volumetric fog for better visibility and depth.
Improved load times and streaming consistency overall.
Polished props, materials and set dressing for better visual cohesion.
Improved settings management and input responsiveness.
Continued cleanup of legacy systems and deprecated logic.
Achieved higher and more consistent frame rates on Paintball, Logistics, Hospital, CQB, Public Pool, Airsoft, Bomb House, Russian Building, Shooting Range, Rome.
Fixed FSR 3 so it now applies the correct screen percentage.
Enabled FSR Frame Generation when DLSS is active, without requiring FSR 3.
BUG FIXES & STABILITY
Fixed the lobby crash when hosting or loading a game after a friend invite (previously the most common crash).
Fixed Bodycam friends detection (green squares) not displaying correctly.
Fixed several cases of incorrect scores shown on the TAB scoreboard.
Removed duplicate players appearing in the friends list UI.
Fixed Steam invite issues preventing disconnected clients from rejoining sessions.
Resolved softlocks during map loading on certain maps (for example Paintball and Hospital).
Fixed a UI bug that could show "Defeat" after actually winning a match.
Restored missing sections in the server list and improved friend visibility in lobbies.
Fixed spawn bugs, stuck players and invalid collisions across multiple maps.
Fixed several map collision issues and player stuck spots.
Resolved a voice chat initialization crash.
Fixed replication errors when the host or client disconnects: clients now properly return to the lobby.
Fixed weapon switching and camera issues when cycling between weapons.
Resolved an infinite loading bug in the locker shop.
Fixed round win or loss desync in online matches.
Fixed multiple input rebinding issues introduced during the engine migration.
Fixed missing bomb sounds and invalid event triggers in multiplayer logic.
Fixed bots being immobile on certain maps (Airsoft, CQB, etc.).
Fixed bots that never reloaded their weapons.
Fixed multiple map vote issues: black screen, players kicked out, host stuck in freecam, etc.
Fixed freecam spawns on Rome in Team Deathmatch and Bodybomb.
Fixed unbalanced teams when hosting with friends in Teams mode.
Fixed all issues related to end of round and match screens:
"Victory" incorrectly displayed as Defeat for clients.
Score or result not appearing at the end of a round.
Wrong label "Round Lost" despite a victory.
"Round" displayed instead of "Match" on the end screen.
Fixed a ragdoll issue where some players stayed stuck in ragdoll and never switched to spectator.
Improved handling of two player games to avoid weird edge cases in team assignment.
GAMEPLAY & SYSTEMS
Added the Crossbow, first introduced in the new Zombie Village map.
Expanded Zombie spawn and behavior systems with improved wave pacing, loot areas and special enemy types.
Added a map voting system at the end of matches.
Updated Sprint to work as a toggle instead of requiring the key to be held.
Comprehensive fixes to the input binding system:
Keys already in use now properly display a warning message.
The "Reset inputs" and "Clear / Reset" buttons work as expected.
It is once again possible to bind the O key.
The Pause Menu now opens correctly with Escape in both packaged and standalone builds.
Fixed an issue where a night vision message could pop up when rebinding certain keys.
Improved zoom and camera navigation in several interfaces for smoother, more natural movement and focus.
Limited weird player rotations when turning the head too far to the sides or looking too high or too low while opening certain interfaces.
Posthumous grenade kills (kills after you die) now award the correct points.
Adjusted bomb timer to avoid rounds ending too quickly.
Bots now defuse the bomb correctly after the player dies.
Fixed and validated several achievements or trophies and their in-game tracking.
ZOMBIE MODE
Fixed zombie audio replication so clients hear the correct sounds in online sessions.
Fixed a severe FPS drop when zombie sprinters spawned.
Sprinters are now easier to identify by sound, with an increased audio range.
Added and tuned a specific audio cue for both sprinters and the scarecrow.
Reworked Mystery Box SFX for a more satisfying feel.
Fixed an issue where sprinters might fail to spawn correctly during the first wave.
Fixed multiple cases where zombies got stuck or despawned incorrectly on Village (windmill tower, doors, specific areas).
Fixed a crash related to explosions on the Village map.
Adjusted the zombie clothes system and several end of wave sounds (for example bells firing multiple times).
Fixed a bug where snow could appear incorrectly on players.
MAPS & ENVIRONMENT
Added the new Village (Zombie) map.
Added the new CQB Powergun multiplayer map.
Airsoft: a few fixes plus a new staircase to improve flow.
Multiplayer maps (CQB Powergun, Paintball, Public Pool, Rome, Russian Building, etc.)
CQB Powergun
Large optimization and polish pass (Tech Art, collisions, lighting).
Fixed bots getting stuck on CQB.
Fixed footstep sounds on metal surfaces such as stairs.
Paintball
Fixed a broken wall material.
Completed a full Tech Art validation and fix pass.
Public Pool
Fixed a Hardpoint that was inaccessible to players.
Completed a Tech Art validation and fix pass.
Corrected overly dark starting lighting.
Polished Hardpoint locations for a better gameplay flow.
Russian Building
Fixed walls and environment elements.
Fixed a sky that was too bright at night.
Corrected a Hardpoint that did not function correctly.
Fixed a starting state where the map could be too dark.
Restored the characteristic blur effect, now applied consistently across all maps for visual cohesion.
Fixed a spot where players could get stuck when reentering via a wooden plank.
Removed a leftover "trailer bot" that spawned by mistake on the map.
Warehouse
The map is no longer locked in debug mode without bots and is playable again.
Worn House, Hospital, Asylum, Bomb House, Shooting Range, The Backrooms
Full Tech Art passes (collisions, materials, lighting, readability).
Added or fixed missing Hardpoint locations on several maps.
Airsoft
Fixed bots that were immobile on the map.
Completed Tech Art validation plus a post process polish.
General
Fixed several stuck spots for players across different maps.
Improved Village and background areas with more foliage and visual detail.
UI / UX
Integrated full aspect ratio scaling and partial controller support for all menus.
Optimized Play Menu performance using asynchronous texture streaming.
Added new Play Card visuals and data assets for map and mode selection.
Implemented a functional Pause Menu with proper layering and back navigation.
Redesigned the input rebinding interface for Unreal 5.5's Enhanced Input System.
Optimized font scaling and unified global UI visuals for consistency.
Fixed scoreboard, map voting and match end displays so they are consistent and reliable.
Fixed scaling issues on non standard resolutions and aspect ratios.
Fixed a bug where the rank UI appeared blurry due to the blur effect.
Fixed player nameplates not correctly following players.
Improved global visibility by fixing eye adaptation issues that could break player visibility.
Fixed the Bodycam detection icon (green square) so it displays correctly again.
Improved the overall behavior of the Escape key, menus and global navigation (map list, back button, etc.).
Long player names (for example from Steam) no longer break UI layouts.
The Score Tab now shows clearer information about the match state (time left, win conditions, etc.).
Fixed the Back button that could break navigation and clear the map list.
In the shop, when scrolling, the first item of the newly visible area is now automatically selected for smoother navigation.
When editing a class, the camera no longer zooms out to the full weapon and instead stays focused on the edited element.
Additional eye adaptation fixes were made to further improve visibility.
AUDIO & VFX
Integrated new footstep, impact and melee sound effects.
Removed looping bird and ambient noise clutter on several maps.
Balanced the global audio mix and adjusted sound occlusion, especially on Village.
Added end of wave audio cues and new voice lines for zombie spawns.
Fixed greybox VFX that appeared after the Unreal 5.5 migration.
Updated Niagara particles for blood, muzzle flashes, debris and impacts.
Reworked blood decals and improved their reflections in the lighting.
Enhanced post process visual feedback such as motion blur, depth of field and chromatic aberration.
Added the Main Zombie Theme.
Rebalanced:
Global reverb and environmental ambience to make maps feel more coherent.
Footsteps and surface variations.
Bullet impacts, fly by and ricochet audio to boost immersion.
Improved environmental ambience and audio on Village.
Adjusted wind sounds while turning and restored several blood related particles to get a feel closer to the previous versions.
Fixed audio parameters that were not applied correctly on some sounds.
NETWORKING & MULTIPLAYER
Improved the host to client disconnection flow: clients now consistently return safely to the lobby.
Fixed incorrect game mode transitions in some cases.
Enhanced replication performance and reduced lag spikes during player updates.
Improved lobby and matchmaking flow with better state synchronization.
Optimized server travel and reduced session recreation times.
Fixed disconnected clients that could not join a new host.
Fixed duplicate entries for a single player in the lobby.
Fixed an issue where map voting could kick players and put the host into freecam.
Fixed a bug where joining or rejoining a lobby could cause an infinite loading loop.
Fixed several issues with player names displayed in the TAB score and end screens.
Completed VOIP QA checks to stabilize and validate voice chat behavior.
Fixed nameplates replication so they track players correctly for all clients.
Adjusted edge cases where two player matches could behave strangely with team assignment.
