Well done, mountaineers! The mountain was conquered many times - overall the Austro-Hungarian defenders won more often than the attacking Italians, but not by as much as you might think. A mountain is a big place, and it's not easy to observe the entire cliff face from above, or to spot individual Alpini against the rock. For most of the event the Italians managed around to win around 40-45% of the time. A very respectable success rate.

On the other hand, it seems that for all their elegant simplicity, rocks are actually not the most effective weapons. Only 1% of players earned the Rock 'n Roll achievement for killing someone with a rock. And considering how many rocks we've seen in our matches, it wasn't from lack of trying!


[h3]Don't worry! Ascent will be back.[/h3]
As with the special modes for Verdun and Tannenberg, you can expect Ascent to return on a semi-regular basis. This won't be the last time you'll be scaling the 'Queen of the Dolomites'!

[h2]Community Screenshots[/h2]
Most of you were too busy throwing or dodging rocks to indulge in any combat photography, but there were a number of shots we enjoyed from the event.

Cinematic action shot by North_Dumpling.

Aiming down by Golden$Dragon.

Looking up to a long rope by Jan Schovanek.

Not Ascent, but a fantastic shot by Wulfess from earlier this year, who has been taking great screenshots since Verdun!

[h2]What's coming up?[/h2]
There's still plenty on the roadmap for Isonzo! First up will be the third new map in the White War expansion, to arrive later this year along with some new weapons. It's not a huge spoiler to say you can expect some more snow there :)

After that we get into the Solstice expansion, which when complete will include two new maps, each one releasing alongside new weapons and a new cosmetic DLC pack. The fog of war hides when Solstice will go live, but rest assured we'll let you know as soon as there's an updated roadmap with dates.



Until next time, soldiers.

[h3]You've asked for it: Due to popular demand, the Ascent event has been extended by about a week! The new end date is Tuesday, April 30th at 5:59 PM EDT / 11:59 PM CEST.[/h3]

Thank you for all the kind words about Ascent! It's been a blast to see all of you enjoy the mode and come up with creative solutions to avoid rocks or prevent the Italians from getting too close. We got many requests to keep the event going for a little longer, so we hope you enjoy the additional week.

Once the Ascent event is over, it won't be gone for good either. Ascent will return every so often as the re-occurring event of Isonzo.

See you at the summit!

There's a wealth of fantastic FPS games out there these days. If you're looking for a serious WW1 shooter set on the lesser known Italian Front, we've got you covered! Mountain warfare with First World War technology is an intense experience. But what else makes Isonzo stand out?



[h2]Historical Authenticity[/h2]
Since our first game Verdun, we've been committed to bringing history to life in a way that reflects something of the real WW1 experience. Uniforms and weapons are carefully recreated based on research and reference materials (including actually firing many of the guns in-game), and most of the time you'll be using a bolt-action rifle rather than the machine guns or prototype handguns that flood the battlefields in a lot of WW1 games. Of course we have machine guns, sniper rifles, rifle grenades, and other weapon types, but they're generally linked to specific classes or map specific heavy weapons rather than being available for anyone. This also means that melee combat takes center stage when you get into close quarters, for the same reasons it often did in real life.




This doesn't mean that Isonzo is trying to be a playable war documentary. It's a game, and we always keep gameplay in mind. Maps are based on real photos, drawings, and trench maps - but compressed where necessary so you aren't walking for 15 minutes between objectives and to maintain variety. You can see how we use reference material in the comparison shots below:





[h2]Verticality[/h2]
Many of Isonzo's battles are set in or around the mountains of the Alps. To represent these accurately we had to design maps with a lot of variation in heights - for instance this early part of the Dolomites Offensive where the attackers must storm clifftop trenches:



In a lot of FPS games height differences are limited to two story buildings or gentle hills, but we needed a more epic scale for Isonzo. If you skip ahead to 1:30 in the Sabotino map flyover video below, you see how it transitions from a mountaintop objective to sweep down into the valley and bridge. While defenders are usually the ones occupying the high ground, in this map you fight your way up the mountain and then down the other side, giving the unusual experience of defending from below. Watch out for grenades...

[previewyoutube=Dp-luYJhe4w;full][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Mustaches![/h2]
The clothing and styles of the 1910s were far more varied than what you see in a lot of FPS games with a modern setting. During the war things progressed quickly as armies moved away from the more colorful uniforms of the last century and towards plainer, simpler uniforms that provided better camouflage. There was also a lot of variety, with less of the standardization seen with modern militaries. Last but not least, mustaches were in fashion - and what fashion!



In Isonzo we represent a wide variety of the clothing and accessories that troops might have worn on the frontlines. Uniforms and headgear are all linked to the different classes in the game to maintain that historical authenticity we mentioned earlier, while facial hair and items like glasses or smoking pipes can be used with any class. Players can expand their selection through our paid cosmetic DLCs which focus on specific themes, like veteran troops or high altitude cold weather gear. These DLCs are only visual, and we don't lock any gameplay features or updates behind them.

[h2]There's more coming![/h2]
We've already released a number of free updates for Isonzo with new maps, weapons, and even a whole new faction... and we're not done. There are more maps and weapons coming, alongside additional paid cosmetic DLC packs.



See you on the battlefield!

Ascent is live now!

[previewyoutube=fD24Zcn52z8;full][/previewyoutube]
[h3]Jump into Isonzo and either assault or defend the sheer rockface of the Marmolada mountain. 16 brave Italian mountaineers attempt to scale the Marmolada mountain on a new map, while 16 Austro-Hungarian defenders do their best to stop them.[/h3]

As you can see from the trailer, Isonzo has come a long way in the years since it was first released. The Ascent mode is a highlight for sure, but we're still not done yet!


[h2]Climb for your life![/h2]
For the Italian mountaineers, climbing is freeform as long as you stay within the boundaries of the combat zone, and use common sense to avoid overly steep overhangs. No yellow paint to mark the only route here!

On your way up, consider establishing your own 'via ferrata' - this means a protected climbing route, generally including steel fixtures such as handholds or cables to make climbing safer or easier. Nothing is going to make this climb significantly safer, but if leading climbers can place pitons with ropes as they go it will greatly speed up other soldiers following along the same route. Your allies will thank you for it!



[h2]Kings of the hill?[/h2]
Things aren't quite as easy for the Austro-Hungarian defenders as you might think. Limited room to maneuver means you need to keep your wits about you to avoid getting picked off by Italian rifle fire or stabbed at close range by an Alpini who snuck up onto your ledge. Those ice picks are wickedly sharp.

Read more about the Ascent mode on last week's blog.



The Altitude Units Pack is out now!
Thick wool coats, wicker wrapped footwear, ski suits and hoods - there's a lot of stand out items in our latest cosmetic DLC pack! Just the thing for combat on Marmolada - whether you're scaling cliff faces in Ascent or engaging in close combat through the frozen tunnels of the Ice City!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2719540






Remember, Ascent is live for two weeks until April 24th. Good luck out there, you'll need it...

Climb for Victory!
We'll see you on the cliff face, soldiers.

We released a small patch fixing a number of issues across the game.

Adjusted challenge requirements
After player feedback, we decided to adjust the requirements of some of the more grindy challenges to better fall in line with the others. This only affects players who have not completed these challenges yet.

Other fixes:

• Fixed game crashing on Quit
  
• Fixes to joining the game through Steam invites
  
• Various map fixes
  
• Fixed not being able to kick/ban players as a custom match Admin
  
• Various medal tracking fixes
  
• Fixed scores in the After Action Report not being properly calculated if player switched tabs
  
• Fixed the game sometimes incorrectly triggering the drowning mechanic in water
  

[h2]Scale a mountain in the Ascent game mode, coming to Isonzo from April 10th until April 24th![/h2]

Read all about this very special game mode in our blog. Find out how climbing works, what the objectives are, and how dangerous a rock can really be!

[previewyoutube=qYpI6wixcfc;full][/previewyoutube]

We'll see you on the cliff face!

[h2]We'll start with our trailer for the new game mode...[/h2]

[previewyoutube=qYpI6wixcfc;full][/previewyoutube]

All about Ascent
Today's blog will explain the gameplay systems of Ascent and the new map - how does a game mode about climbing actually work? You'll be able to play from April 10th until April 24th, and earn a special Ascent medal for taking part - if you have more questions about the event itself, check out the FAQ here. For gameplay, you're already in the right place - let's get into it!

[h2]The Objective[/h2]
The Ascent map only has one objective - a capture point at the top of the mountain where the Austro-Hungarians have established a command post in a few snow blasted wooden huts. However, it's really more about the journey than the destination this time - there are 10 forward spawn points for the Italians scattered across the various ledges on the Marmolada cliffside, and the Austro-Hungarians have almost as many.


Combat around the command post. It doesn't look like much, but the strategic value is enormous.

A rush to the top won't work - the Italians need to advance ledge by ledge, destroying the Austro-Hungarian forward spawn points and establishing their own. The final step is getting a foothold on the top of the mountain with one or both of the two forward spawn points up there, and finally storming the command post. How hard can it be?

[h2]Climbing[/h2]
Scaling the mountain is the only way up for the Italians. Hand over hand, clinging to the unforgiving rock of the cliff face. There are no alternate routes or clever shortcuts.

The mechanics of climbing are not too complicated - approach the cliff and press the button to switch from regular movement to climbing. A prompt will show up when you're close enough, in the same way you get prompts for mounting heavy weapons or cutting wire.

Alpini reaching the top and preparing to assault the command post - there's a long way up before you get here though!

Once you're on the cliff, you move the same way as usual, except that forward takes you up, backwards brings you down, and left/right will trigger a sideways hop. This kind of sideways movement isn't especially quick, so it's highly recommended to plan your routes to minimize how much sideways shuffling you're doing - but sometimes it's the only way to navigate an overhang or stay out of sight.

And you will want to stay out of sight, with 16 angry Austro-Hungarians shooting or throwing rocks down at you. There's no yellow paint highlighting the best routes, so take a moment to scope out the mountainside, and experiment with different paths.

[h2]Pitons and Ropes[/h2]
Luckily, you can improve the odds - at least for people following you. While climbing, you can place pitons into the cliff. During the First World War, pitons were actually still a relatively new technology, originally used only to aid a descent!

Pitons and ropes in-game.

In Ascent, if you place multiple pitons close enough together they will be linked by ropes. Once that's done, climbers following the same route will get a boost to their climbing speed. There's no need to attach yourself to ropes or anything like that - just stay reasonably close to the ropes and you'll move faster.

Do be careful about where you place pitons or which ropes you follow! You might be faster while following a rope, but you're a long way from being able to outclimb bullets. A lovely straight path with pitons and ropes is nothing more than a deathtrap if the Austro-Hungarians have good lines of sight to it.

[h3]A historical aside[/h3]
Did you know that Marmolada was a key site for some of the earliest use of pitons in climbing? In 1901, expert climber Beatrice Tomasson was the first to ascend the 'South Wall of Marmolata', which was the biggest vertical wall ever climbed at the time - more than 600m/2000ft.


Beatrice Tomasson, right, alongside fellow climber Arcangelo Siorpaes, left.

[h2]Rocks![/h2]
It's not an April Fool's joke, the rock (not that one) will be a lethal weapon in Ascent!



Rocks fall into the category of 'easy to learn, hard to master'. The basics are: find rock pile, take rock, throw rock at enemy. If you avoid throwing it directly up above your head you'll be fine!

But once you're in battle, you'll find there's more nuance to it. Rocks are physics objects, and will bounce on their way down the mountain. You can adjust the power of your throw by holding down the fire button, to allow you to target climbers who aren't directly below you. It also means you can stay away from the edge if you want - depending on how sharp eyed the Italians below you are, it might be dangerous to silhouette yourself against the cliff edge while aiming a rifle downwards.

These piles are where you can draw new rocks from.

[h2]Heroic climbs![/h2]
Ascent is inspired by the many daring climbs made during the war in the Alps - both the recorded ones and the ones done by soldiers whose names are lost to history. We also shouldn't forget that climbing itself is dangerous, all the more so back then when much modern safety gear wasn't yet invented or in widespread use. It takes bravery to scale any mountain, even if you're not actively being shot at.

Two names we do know are Ugo Vallepiana and Giuseppe Gaspard, Alpini veterans who made a series of climbs during the war. One of their most dangerous was during the Italian operation to capture the Castelletto, a strategically important piece of high ground. Vallepiana and Gaspard planned to climb past the enemy positions on the Castelletto and occupy a ledge 10s of meters above them, from which they could shoot down.

Their journey was not an easy one - a slip of his foot would have killed Gaspard, except he had the incredible luck to land in a snowbank thick enough to cushion his fall. Further along, the Austro-Hungarian occupants of the Castelletto spotted them and a sniper shot Gaspard in the arm. When that didn't stop them artillery was fired into the mountain they were climbing, sending shrapnel and rock fragments through the air around them. Somehow they still reached their ledge, and were able to haul up some heavier weaponry!

As often happens in war, their heroic achievement was sadly not as decisive as hoped, and the defenders of the Castelletto remained well dug-in. Ultimately the Alpini would dig into the rock below the Austro-Hungarians and detonate a mine - you can read about that in our previous blog!


An image from the other blog post, taken from Itinerari Della Grande Guerra. As noted there, it's included with an article about the Castelletto, but seems more likely to be an Austro-Hungarian mine at Monte Lagazuoi.

[h2]The Altitude Units Pack will arrive with Ascent[/h2]
You can already wishlist our upcoming cosmetic DLC, which is full of cold weather clothing that will suit any of our colder maps, including the vertical cliff face of Marmolada in Ascent!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2719540




Gear up for Altitude!
[h3]The assault begins on the 10th and will run until the 24th of April. Get your ice picks and rocks ready...[/h3]

This update includes the following fixes and improvements:

• Improvements for disconnect issues
  
• Voice chat fixes
  
• Fixed jittery weapon movement after player dies on an HMG
  
• Fixed Officer whistle abilities sometimes not being usable
  
• Internal logging
  

[h3]We no longer have to talk about 'the new game mode' for Isonzo, because today we can reveal that you'll be playing the Ascent mode! [/h3]
No doubt that already gives you some ideas what's going to be involved, but because we're feeling generous we also have another screenshot for you - which you might have already seen if you follow our socials or hang out on our Discord...

An interesting set of equipment, often used to reach greater heights!

Otherwise, it's a shorter blog this week as the release day for Ascent marches closer.

One more exciting detail to share with any of your friends who play on console: this is the first special game mode which will be coming to consoles as well as PC!

[h3]Updated Roadmap![/h3]
Our plans have changed a little since the last roadmap was posted, so it's time for an update!



[h3]The Altitude Units Pack is available to wishlist![/h3]
Our next cosmetic DLC can be wishlisted on Steam now. If youre looking for uniforms and gear suited for the extreme conditions of mountaintop combat, this pack has you covered!

Find it here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2719540


An Italian officer with uniform and gear from the Altitude Units Pack. Notice the unusual aviator goggles, available both on headgear and to wear.


An Austro-Hungarian engineer and sniper dressed for the cold. Balaclavas and more goggles!

Well be back in two weeks with a full intelligence report on the Ascent game mode! Before that though, there will be new teasers appearing on our social media channels, so if you cant wait, you know where to go.

[h2]Until next time, soldiers![/h2]

This hotfix deals with the stability issues introduced by last week's update, as well as some visual issues.

• Fixes for stability issues
  
• Fixed shadows jittering in some scenarios
  
• Fixed the Madsen offset LMG grip animation in the After Action Report
  

With the arrival of the frozen mountainside and ice tunnels of the Marmolada map we also released the Glacial Units Pack to provide improvised clothing for the extreme cold. But as the fighting continues with no sign of the conditions improving, its time to offer something a little more heavy-duty.

Today were excited to officially announce our next cosmetic DLC: say hello to the Altitude Units Pack!

Everything youll find in the Altitude Units Pack!

Whats new?
Compared with the Alpine Units Pack and even the Glacial Units Pack, these uniforms are thicker with more padding and layers. For instance, with the Alpine Units Pack the Austro-Hungarian troops got great coats and a scarf here or there, but they still had bare hands and regular boots. That wont do in the extreme conditions like those seen fighting for the heights of Marmolada! With the Altitude Units you get fur lined coats, thick gloves, balaclavas, wool hats, and even some unusual wicker footwear

An Austro-Hungarian Engineer and Sniper enjoy a moments clear weather.


Reference photo showing wicker shoe covers worn by an Austro-Hungarian rifleman.

The pack also includes ski jackets and their accompanying hoods, as you can see in the center-right soldier below. Theres a range of headgear choices, with many caps and helmets included with or without balaclavas and hoods. Often there are goggles or sunglasses in easy reach. Of course these are not modern sunglasses instead they tend to use mesh or thin slits to try and limit the suns blinding impact.

Italian Assault and Mountaineer troops advance through the snow.


Italian mountaineers, one with ski hood.

This closeup on an Austro-Hungarian officer and rifleman shows off the full face sun goggles very useful against snow blindness caused by UV light reflecting off the snow.

There are also a number of smoking pipes in the pack including this one with has been customized with the addition of carved trench art.

Last but not least, there are three mustaches and two mustache-beard combos included, as well as two face options with the slightly haggard old soldier Giacomo and fresh faced Georg who has likely just arrived at the front. As always you will be free to mix and match these items within historical limits. We hope to announce the release date for the Altitude Units Pack soon!

Are we forgetting something?
We did say that a bigger teaser for the new game mode would be part of this weeks blog. Have a gander at this very small part of the ground youll be fighting over


[h2]Make sure to wrap up warm out there![/h2]

We released an update today that makes several improvements to voice chat and allows Steam and Epic players to communicate with each other. Additionally, there's a host of additional fixes across the entire game.

Please keep in mind that people on different versions of the game cannot play together, so player numbers may be lower than usual shortly after the update.

The download size is expected to be around 1 GB.

[h2]Changes[/h2]

[h3]New[/h3]

• Steam and Epic players can now communicate through voice chat
  
• New Voice Chat Settings:
  - Added Voice Chat Modes setting - Players can now select between 3 different settings; Off, Listen and Talk and Listen
  - Added Audio Output Device setting
  - Added Voice Chat Input Device setting
  - Added Voice Chat Output Device setting
  
• Added a new indicator on the scoreboard to show if a player is muted or not
  
• Bots in squads - bots now join existing squads and are removed when real players join
  

• Fixed players sometimes dying from desertion when they shouldn't be
  
• Further improvements to players sometimes being invisible and/or invincible
  
• Fixed players not always being able to use the periscope
  
• Fixed an issue where player aborting reloading wasn't visible in third person
  
• Fixed not being able to get the Sacro Egoismo achievement if any class was prestiged in the meantime
  
• Fixed some game sounds not responding properly to the Volume setting
  
• Fixed an issue where the base ability cooldowns weren't properly calculated upon use
  
• Fixed Shaken Not Stirred achievements not always properly tracking
  
• Fixed players sometimes not getting Damage done XP
  
• Fixed players sometimes not getting Assist XP
  
• Fixed flare gun showing the wrong prompt on first equip
  
• Scoped weapons now apply suppression to players
  
• Firing the Bodeo no longer has a big impact on performance
  
• Fixed twitching for the pistol holding animations
  
• Fixed players sometimes not being able to instantly spawn after Charge ability was used
  
• Fixed players getting resupply points when not supposed to
  
• Austro-Hungarian non-built Forward posts now show the correct preview
  
• Piave bridge no longer prevents bots from walking across the river until destroyed
  
• Fixed bots not being able to plant/defuse bombs on bridges
  
• Bot spawning improvements
  
• Fixed bots getting stuck in the last sector of Dolomiti
  
• Fixed an issue where players were sometimes not shown in their correct stance while on an HMG
  
• Fixed Longest distance kill Medal being overtaken by bots
  
• Fixed various medals not being achievable
  
• Game pop-ups can now be interacted with even if player spawned in the meantime
  
• Fixed Officer call-in screen remaining active when the match ends
  
• Fixed not being able to add spaces in player reports
  
• Fixed objective UI sometimes being visible in Settings menus
  
• Kill cam movement improvements
  
• Fixed sector cooldown UI appearing when the match ended with an Attacker victory
  
• Fixed Hunter challenge counting non-primary weapon kills
  
• Fix for long Custom Match name not being correctly displayed in menu
  
• Fixed Inventory Display in HUD settings missing the toggle option
  
• Fixed Lanciarazzi Very Flare gun name in kill feed
  
• Improved sector outline visibility
  
• Various Localization fixes
  
• General Performance improvements
  
• General map fixes and improvements
  

You get an extra blog this week, thanks in part to the tireless efforts of the fighters on the Western and Eastern Fronts in Verdun and Tannenberg. Last weekend we ran one of our multi-front Campaign events where battle casualties for both the Entente and Central Powers are tallied up, with the side taking the least losses winning.

The result means that we are sharing a mini-teaser about the upcoming new game mode in Isonzo. But first we have news of a small but significant feature update that will be arriving sooner.

Voice Chat Updates Coming
Alongside a selection of bug fixes and general quality of life improvements for Isonzo, we will soon be improving our voice chat system on PC so that Steam and Epic players will be able to talk together all the better to coordinate your attacks and defenses. At the same time we will be implementing voice chat on consoles for the first time, something we know the community has requested.


A US Army field radio station in 1919. Communication technology has come a long way! It would take 16 key presses to call someone a n00b in morse code.

Battle of Verdun Weekend Campaign
Historically with the Battle of Verdun the Germans hoped to inflict heavy casualties on the French by taking vital ground and then smashing their counter-attacks. This plan failed, with both sides suffering enormous losses over the course of one of the longest battles in history.

In our games, so far the Entente always win the campaigns, so we challenged the community to see if they could give the Central Powers an ahistorical victory, with the potential prize a teaser about the upcoming new Isonzo game mode. The result

[h2]Entente Victory! Again.[/h2]
Its not so easy to change the course of history. But, if you look at the numbers below youll notice the Central Powers only lost around 7000 more troops during the campaign. In previous campaigns the difference would usually be closer to 40-50,000 more Central Powers casualties.


The final results from the campaign.

Its still a good performance, and while you couldnt quite beat our challenge weve still decided to share a very mini-teaser with you:

[h3]You can see part of the combat area of the new map from our most recently released map: Marmolada.[/h3]

Its not much, but we know you can be resourceful when it comes to figuring out new game content. And if not - there will be a bigger teaser coming in next weeks blog.

[h2]See you then, soldiers![/h2]

Its a very special day today, as we mark the anniversary of the start of the Battle of Verdun. Our very first game in the WW1 Game Series was named after this massive clash between the French and German armies, and it can certainly be considered one of the most significant battles of the war.

As well as looking back at the Battle of Verdun, we also have a new campaign event with the possibility to win a teaser reveal, another image from the upcoming Isonzo cosmetic DLC, and we compare the types of weapons you can use in each WW1 Game Series title. Off we go!

A map of the Verdun area.

The Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun began on this day 108 years ago, on February 21st 1916. It was the longest battle of the war and one of the longest in history. The German plan was to capture strategic defensive positions from the French and then destroy their reserves when they tried to counter-attack.

It began well for the Germans with the stunning capture of Fort Douaumont without a shot being fired. French commanders had ordered the fortress almost entirely emptied of men after Belgian forts were destroyed early in the war, and small German patrols were able to climb inside through (unoccupied) firing slots intended for machine gunners. Once in German hands the extent of the mistake by French command became clear Douaumont was a more modern fortress, and proved entirely capable of withstanding the kind of heavy artillery that had devastated the Belgian positions.

Fort Douaumont in Verdun.

However the attack soon bogged down, and French reinforcements organized a strong defense. French General Nivelle gave the famous On ne passe pas! declaration which can be translated as they shall not pass. In the event of German advances immediate counter-attacks were to be organized. This might seem to be exactly what the Germans had hoped for, but they had not established the impenetrable defensive positions they hoped for. Instead, by late March French artillery was pounding their positions and causing heavy losses.

Fierce fighting continued even as both sides pulled troops away from Verdun in July to support the Battle of the Somme. The Germans gradually reduced their commitment further, until in September and December the French were able to recapture most of the ground lost earlier in the battle. It officially ended on December 18th, almost four months after it began.

Change history, win a teaser in our new campaign event
For those who havent fought before, our campaign events are special multi-front battles in Verdun and Tannenberg, where every kill is tallied up, and the side which manages to lose the least troops wins. You can earn a medal for participating in the campaign, with a shinier medal for fighting on multiple fronts. The Battle of Verdun Weekend Campaign will run from Friday February 23 through (surprise!) the weekend, and end on Monday.

Did you know that the Central Powers havent been able to secure a win so far? To give them a bit of a boost, lets up the stakes a little this time around: if the Central Powers manage to come out on top, well give you the first big teaser for the upcoming new game mode in Isonzo!

Weve been working on a grand map showing every battlefield in the series heres the Western Front part, with a bit of the Italian Front.

Can you change history and see the Central Powers win the battle for attrition as planned for Verdun? Or will they once again be unable to pass?

Guns Across the Fronts
Every game in the WW1 Game Series so far features rifles, bayonets, pistols and grenades. But if you want a shotgun, youll need Verdun. Sabre? Tannenberg. Rifle grenades are only in Isonzo. Why the differences?

[h2]Verdun[/h2]
Our first game has quite the variety of weapons, and this is a function both of gameplay design choices and the setting: the Western Front saw some of the greatest weapon variety in the war. With some of the largest and most heavily industrialized countries gradually moving to a total war footing, all kinds of weapons were tested, improved, and invented.

Unique weapons to Verdun include the Winchester Model 1897 trench gun, the MP 18 submachine gun, flamethrowers, and even an anti-tank rifle, albeit only in the Attrition and Team Deathmatch game modes.


One notable omission is the heavy machine gun. On the sometimes narrow maps of Verdun there can be a fine line between places where an HMG would be overpowered and places where they would just be useless. In any case, the LMGs available to specific squads can provide weight of fire when needed. Heavy machine guns would become part of the WW1 Game Series though, with the release of...

[h2]Tannenberg[/h2]
Yes, heavy machine guns made their debut in Tannenberg, where more open maps and freedom of movement for players allowed for both better fields of fire and more flanking routes. They were part of a number of new map features alongside things like command posts for calling in support, and ammunition crates. Also new to the series were swords, used by specific members of specific squads and offering unrivalled close combat power.


A number of the more advanced or unusual weapons were not present in Tannenberg, like the flamethrower and light machine guns. While these did see use on the Eastern Front historically, they were less common than in the west. It was also an intentional design choice to increase the importance of maneuver and positioning rather than having special weapons breaking gaps in defensive lines as you sometimes saw in Verdun.

[h2]Isonzo[/h2]
Which brings us to the present day and Isonzo, which in many ways is the best of both worlds. Light machine guns and sniper rifles share the battlefield with heavy machine guns and the newly added mortars and field guns. One major factor was the new class / loadout system in Isonzo, where instead of players choosing squads and each squad having different roles each with different loadouts, you simply pick a class and a suitable loadout. The key difference is that class limits can be set as part of the map design in Verdun there was nothing to stop every German squad going Landser and having their MG-Schtze take an LMG. In Isonzo the number of potential LMGs and snipers can be limited to prevent them getting out of hand.


There were also new utility weapons and equipment added, from the flare guns used by officers to target support call-ins to the canteens and instruments used for buffing yourself or others. Of course the bulk of the fighting is still done with trusty rifles, pistols, grenades and bayonets but the more specialist weapons and map based heavy weapons can make all the difference if used right.

[h2]The Warming Continues[/h2]
Well round off with a few more teasers from the upcoming cosmetic DLC, full of extreme cold weather clothing. You enjoyed last weeks Sgt. Chungus Italian engineer, and we hope youll be as enthusiastic for this pair of Austro-Hungarian assault troops and their impeccable mustaches.

Both men have goggles ready in case of blinding sunlight off the snow, and the man on the left is wearing a ski suit and shoes.

[h2]Good luck with the campaign soldiers![/h2]
Lets see if you can earn that teaser

The team is hard at work on the new special game mode right now, and were hoping to share more about it with you as soon as possible! Alongside that release will be some new weapons and a new cosmetic DLC pack and we do have a teaser about that. Of course, all our cosmetic DLCs use real uniforms and equipment which we strive to reproduce accurately, the same as our weaponry and battlefields but how do you properly recreate a setting from more than 100 years ago?

Weve talked before about how we use references and try to walk the line between making realistic content which is also fun to play for instance our second ever Isonzo Dev Blog from before the game was even released!


Heres a comparison image from our blog about the creation of the Gorizia map. Things like trenches, barbed wire, and constructions like those seen here might seem less exciting than big-ticket items like the train station that serves as an objective but theyre much more common and getting them right is vital to establishing an authentic atmosphere.


And heres the aforementioned train station alongside a reference photo. You can see there have been some adjustments made to the in-game version to support better gameplay (e.g. trains and wagons provide cover along with added visual interest, and the station isnt quite so long.

When it comes to getting the lay of the land, photographs are helpful but usually not enough. Especially with the rough terrain in Isonzo, even a series of photographs is unlikely to capture every ditch and rocky ridge, or clearly identify whats a safe mountainside path versus a mere goat trail.

Luckily we can often find trench maps from the exact battles were working with! Its also possible to use modern satellite imagery but you have to be careful, because places change over time, sometimes much more than you might think. For instance, the GIF below shows just such a change in the landscape.



Distinguished Firearms
We never went in-depth on the blog about the new weapons released in the free White War update time to remedy that for anyone who doesnt follow our social media.

[h2]Gewehr 71/84[/h2]
The Mauser name will be familiar to most people with an interest in WW1 or WW2 history, or weaponry in general. Renowned as accurate and reliable, Mauser rifles are still popular with hunters and collectors today. And it all started with the Gewehr 71 (or Mauser Model 1871), a bolt-action rifle adopted by (most of) the German Empire in 1871.



In Isonzo you wont find that original single-shot Mauser, but instead the updated 1884 version which incorporated an 8 round tubular magazine (an integrated magazine where the bullets are inserted one by one and sit end-to-end in a kind of tube, hence the name).

You should bear in mind that even this 1884 version is still using black powder cartridges as opposed to modern smokeless ammo. While itll still shoot just fine, you do leave a noticeable puff of smoke with every pull of the trigger. Not ideal if you want to play a more stealthy mountaineer role!


Peter Paul Mauser, who handled most of the design for their weapons while his brother Wilhelm focused on the business side of things.

[h2]Vetterli Model 1870[/h2]
There are several versions of the Swiss designed Vetterli rifle in Isonzo, but this is the oldest, and like the Gewehr 71/84 above it also still fires black powder cartridges! However this Vetterli is single-shot at the request of the Italians themselves. The version used by the Swiss army at the time of adoption had a 12 round tubular magazine, and you could have another round in the cartridge elevator.



The Italians would instead take a roundabout route to magazines by using a conversion designed by Italian artillery captain G. Vitali to convert Model 1870s into M1780/87s, which had a four round box magazine. During the First World War some of these M1780/87 rifles would then be converted again into M1870/87/15s that could use the same ammunition as the standard issue Carcano rifle being used by the Italian Army at the time. They also had six round magazines instead of four. None of the Vetterli rifles (all of which are represented in Isonzo) were intended for frontline combat during World War One since they were very outdated. However, with the pressures and uncertainties of war they did end up seeing some action.

[h2]Repetier-Gewehr M.14[/h2]
The most modern of these three rifles, the Repetier-Gewehr M.14 was an Austro-Hungarian made version of the Gewehr 98, which was the standard issue rifle for the German Empire during WW1 made by Mauser! This version had some minor adjustments compared to the regular Mauser, and was produced for export rather than local use.



In particular a lot of Repetier-Gewehr M.14s were used during the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. They were primarily used by the Mexican Federal Army (the Federales) from 1913 onwards until they were defeated and replaced by the new Constitutional Army in 1914. These rifles would have been some of the more modern weapons in use at the time, especially compared to the elderly Winchesters of 1886 and 1894 vintage that were common among the Zapatistas just one of the many groups that fought against the government.

With the outbreak of the First World War, the Austro-Hungarian government would make use of thousands of these export model rifles, with almost 67,000 Mexican-contract rifles, 43,000 Chilean rifles, and a number of Columbian rifles seeing action in Europe.

[h2]Dress Up Warm[/h2]
Were excited to reveal a first look at the new cosmetic DLC which is on the way! Expect clothing for the worst Alpine weather conditions as the war progressed, both sides adapted to the freezing temperatures and blinding snow with more and thicker layers. There are some very interesting uniforms and bits of facial gear coming with this one. Expect more teasers in the coming weeks.


An Italian engineer - very well wrapped up!

Returning to our reference theme, its best to use multiple references where possible. For instance, for one of the uniforms in the upcoming new DLC, we were able to find both a photograph and an illustration. The illustration includes extra details that arent clear in the photograph, such as the kind of boots that might be worn along with such a warm coat.



That said, its possible that the illustrator of the left-hand image was using this same photograph as a reference, so every reference needs to be checked individually to make sure theyre as reliable as possible. Its possible for historical misinformation to be spread unintentionally in this way, where one person uses an inaccurate reference, and then their work serves to spread the original inaccuracy further!

[h2]Marmolada in-game and in-reference[/h2]
Well close out todays blog with some comparison shots from our most recent release: the Marmolada map!




[h2]Until next time, soldiers![/h2]

Photographs and drawings from the First World War might catch the eye, but the letters and diaries of the participants can give a far more detailed understanding of how it felt to actually fight under the grim conditions of 1914-1918. Letters and diaries allow us to reconstruct battles like the fighting for the Castelletto a fortified Austro-Hungarian position with a commanding position over strategically important supply routes. Despite the strength of the position, it was exposed and Austro-Hungarian commanders felt it was only a matter of time before the Italians took it.

Following multiple failed attacks, the Italian Alpini resorted to mining into the mountain below the Austro-Hungarian positions, first using picks and eventually pneumatic drills. The Austro-Hungarian commander of the Castelletto at the time was a 19-year-old given the posting because he was young with no family. Hans Schneeberger wrote letters describing the fighting around the position. Eventually the Italians finished their tunnel, which the Austro-Hungarians learnt about from an intercepted transmission. Schneeberger wrote: Everything is like yesterday, except that another 24 hours have passed and we are 24 hours closer to death.


A mine detonated beneath a mountain position, from Itinerari Della Grande Guerra. They include it with an article about the Castelletto, but it seems more likely to be an Austro-Hungarian mine at Monte Lagazuoi.

Miraculously, Schneeberger would survive having 35 tons of explosions set off beneath him while he slept in the Austro-Hungarian barracks on the Castelletto, fight off an Italian assault, and then eventually withdraw under cover of night. War diaries like those of Erwin Rommel, who was a young officer during WW1 and fought on the Italian Front, often go into great depth about the challenges of battle in the mountains.


An Italian assault on Austro-Hungarian positions on the Marmolada map in Isonzo.

[h2]Weight of Words[/h2]
Almost 4 billion letters and cards were sent to and from Italian soldiers during the First World War this compares to around 10 and 30 billion items sent by the larger armies of France and Germany respectively. But another factor to consider is that alongside having less total soldiers mobilized, Italy also had a rather low literacy rate: at the outbreak of war there were perhaps 40% of the population who couldnt read or write.

With no other way to communicate with their loved ones, or sometimes just to express themselves and find an escape from the experience of the war, illiterate men would either learn or get help writing from their comrades or military chaplains. The Italian military issued a large number of postcards, many in a format designed to be easy for less literate soldiers to fill out, with some preprinted text, clear spaces for addresses. However, these cards may have had a dual purpose: in giving such a limited space for actual writing, it would prevent soldiers writing too much about their experiences, controlling the amount of information getting out to the civilian population and making the job of the mail censors easier. Mail censorship was common during the First World War, and means that a lot of letters and cards are more vague and less expressive than they might otherwise have been.


This Italian postcard from the front was written in 1917, and uploaded by a Wikipedia user. Note the purple stamp indicating thats its been checked by a censor and are all those flags really necessary...

Along with descriptions of the usual machine guns, artillery, and poison gas are the unique dangers of high altitude combat. Boulders rolled down the steep slopes and cliff faces, avalanches triggered by shell fire, and simply cutting ropes or ladders Schneeberger recollects his sergeant cutting a rope ladder being climbed by Alpini and laughing as they fell to their deaths.


Fighting through the ice tunnels of Marmolada.

You might not have to worry about avalanches when fighting in the mountains of Isonzos higher altitude maps, but where available tunnels will provide cover from artillery and aircraft, while you will need to watch your step on some narrow cliffside paths well worth the risk for the chance to take your enemies by surprise.

Dress for Alpine Warfare with the fittingly named Alpine Units Pack, featuring uniforms from mountaineer units alongside winter clothing for regular soldiers and a range of accessories.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815511/Isonzo__Alpine_Units_Pack/

Its 1916. The Austrian troops have occupied what they called Forcella Vu. Its the most strategic position, right at the top of Marmoladas glacier with a connection to the nearby bastion of Height 3153. However, the only supply route was being watched by the Italian troops situated in the Serauta bastion. Braving the trip to Forcella Vu would mean you had to not only watch out for the regular avalanches and snow storms, but also the hail of Italian lead. However, that summer Lieutenant Leo Handl had an idea. If you cant go over, why not go under?

[h3]The City of Ice[/h3]

Thus, construction of a tunnel began. No one actually knew how well this was going to work. They had to test the materials, few explosives and technologies they had on hand. After all, no one had done this before! There was a lot of trial and error involved, but eventually they dug their tunnel.


Source: Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum

However, the tunnel ended up being surprisingly pleasant. You dont have to worry about avalanches, snow storms cant reach you and the icy walls insulated the tunnel to a relatively comfortable 0 C. Functionally, it became a big, subterranean igloo. The protection from avalanches was particularly salient given the disaster of White Friday on December 13, 1916. Heavy snows and unusually warm temperatures (for the mountain top, so still very cold!) led to perfect avalanche conditions. Both sides exacerbated the situation by firing artillery to try and collapse snow onto their foes. Thousands of soldiers would be killed by avalanches that December, but the worst might be the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian barracks atop Gran Poz, which saw 270 soldiers buried alive beneath the snow.


Source: Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum

Additional offshoots were dug out the sides of the initial tunnel. These offshoots became hallways as rooms were created. The rooms got purposes: everything from barracks, toilets and provisions & ammunition storage to a kitchen, field hospital, chapel and various gun emplacements for machineguns and even artillery. Ultimately, the Ice City took 10 months of heavy labor to be created and could house and provide for more than 200 soldiers in its 12 kilometers-worth of tunnels.

Source: Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum

[h3]Italian counter-offensive[/h3]

The Italians already began their counter-mining works, but accelerated their efforts upon being shelled by artillery from the subterranean city. Thanks to drilling machines, they rather quickly dug their way below the city and destroyed several key positions with explosives, including artillery emplacements.

Source: Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum

With the superior supply line of the Italians, the Austro-Hungarians found themselves on the defensive and had to continue digging more and more to counteract the movement of the Italians. The mining and countermining from both sides continued until the Italians surrendered their positions following the Battle of Caporetto in late 1917.

[h3]The fate of the city[/h3]

As the Italians backed off, the Ice City lost its purpose. It was abandoned by the Austro-Hungarians and ended up in disrepair. As the glacier started to melt, the city was destroyed and little evidence of the citys very existence remains to this day, though sections of the various structures continue to re-emerge.

If youd like to learn more about the Ice City, as well as Marmolada as a whole, be sure to give the Museum of the Great War in Marmolada a visit. They have many exhibitions about the Ice City, including items they've recovered from the City's remains. This blog is for a large portion based on their documentation. Find out more about the museum through their website.

Source: Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum

[hr][/hr]
You can explore our rendition of the Ice City on Marmolada, the latest map added to Isonzo as part of the free White War expansion. Get lost in the tunnels, fight over the bridges and gain or keep control over the supply line!

Want a more authentic Marmolada experience? Be sure to check out the Glacial Units Pack and dress up for the cold!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/

It's been a great year for the WW1 Game Series, with special Christmas Truce and Wolf Truce events in Verdun and Tannenberg, and Verdun appearing in a French museum exhibit. The series also celebrated our 10 year anniversary, since Verdun entered Early Access!

Isonzo especially has had a good year - starting off by winning the IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022 award, thanks to your generous votes!

For our part, we made sure to implement masses of new content. From our first big expansion with the Piave map all the way to a snowy end to the year with the White War release, the game has grown substantially!

- 4 Huge New Maps!
- 8 New Weapons!
- 2 Cosmetic DLC Packs!
- Mac Support!
- Much more!

If you haven't yet felt the crunch of Alpine snow beneath your boots, Isonzo iscurrently 67% off with DLC up to 30% off until January 4th.

[h2]Four New Battlefields for Isonzo![/h2]
[h3]Piave - Caporetto Offensive[/h3]

[h3]Grappa - Caporetto Offensive[/h3]

[h3]Piana - Mountain War Offensive[/h3]

[h3]Marmolada - White War Offensive[/h3]




Upwards and onwards!
We completed a lot of our roadmap milestones in 2023 just as planned, and there are plenty more coming in 2024!

There'll be a new map, more weapons, additional cosmetic DLC packs... and a special game mode! We're maintaining radio silence about the new game mode for now, but keep your ears to the ground and you might pick up some teasers.


[h2]Marmolada Video Dev Blog[/h2]
Go behind the scenes with map designer Kian as he discusses the creation of Marmolada in this YouTube video - including almost 1000 reference images!

[previewyoutube=9Y1Is925m4c;full][/previewyoutube]

Verdun at the Museum
In the aisles of the History Center of the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Memorial'14-18 youll be able to find a special exhibition! The War games. Playing with History exhibit allows visitors to immerse themselves into WW1 history, by having 10 games available to play. Were very pleased that Verdun is one of those games!

The exhibit runs until May 2024, and entry to the museum and exhibition are both free. If youre in the area, check it out!



[h2]Christmas Truce[/h2]
The Christmas Truce is live once again in Verdun, and youre able to participate in multiple activities together with other soldiers who joined the Christmas Truce. Join a friendly match of football, have a snowball fight or just take a nice relaxing stroll and enjoy the winter scenery.

The Truce event runs until January 7th!


https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

[h2]Wolves in Tannenberg![/h2]
In October, the wolves returned to the forests of Tannenberg, asking the question: would you cease fire with your human foes to battle a new enemy? Some of you will have managed to hold a successful truce to fight off the canine aggressors, and others, not so much.


https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

Last but definitely not least... thank you!
We're extremely grateful for all the support from our great community this year, and it's been wonderful to see people enjoying themselves with our games.
We can't wait to show you what we have planned for 2024! On that note, we'll end with a little WIP image...

Hello Soldiers,

During the war and especially around Christmas, there were several unofficial and spontaneous truces where armies agreed not to shoot at each other.
A notable example occurred on December 1917, amidst the brutal winter in the Italian Front's mountainous areas, where a striking incident unfolded. The intense weather posed immense challenges for the Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops, subjecting soldiers on both ends to brutal conditions like frostbite, avalanches, and scarce supplies. At times, when the weather turned unbearably harsh or when both sides mutually recognized the futility of battling in such extreme environments, impromptu truces emerged. These unofficial pauses in fighting permitted both factions to tend to their injured, honor and bury their fallen, and occasionally even trade goods or share information. There are even rumours in 1916 near Lavarone and Folgaria of Italian and Austro-Hungarian singing carols to each other across no-mans land. Boosting each other morale, which can be seen as them throwing each other a life-line in their harsh living environments which they shared together.

All though this wasn't an official occurence, on the Western Front there were several official Christmas Truce's taken place which we reinvisioned in Verdun.

For the 11th time, you can participate in this historical event on the Western Front in our game Verdun. Starting today (Dec 21) until January 7th, you can join by simply choosing the Christmas Truce option from the Play menu in the game.

[previewyoutube=LqSbWDa-RyU;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2] Experience Christmas on No Mans Land [/h2]
On the Christmas Truce map in Verdun, there are multiple activities you could do with your fellow truce holders. Play a match of football (soccer), have a snowball fight, and attend a burial for the fallen.



Gather around the bonfire and listen to classic Christmas Carols in-game and dont forget to send your Christmas greetings to your loved ones right from Verdun!

[h2]Send postcards & join our raffle [/h2]
On the Christmas Truce map you can find post offices that allow you to send people outside the game digital Christmas cards, which might feel like you're throwing them a life-line!. There are several ones, so be sure to explore the map and find all the special post offices. If you decide to send postcards through Verdun, you'll automatically join the raffle to win some prizes!



[h2] Join the Chrismas Truce now! [/h2]
Currently Verdun is on sale with 80% off! Right in time for you to join the Christmas Truce or gift a friend the game so you can both experience this historical event together in-game.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

The rest of the WW1GameSeries, including Isonzo's DLC, are on sale as well, so be sure to get yourself (or someone else) a gametastic present this holiday season



Happy Holidays everyone!

Hello Soldiers!

Its been a month since weve released the White War expansion with the Marmolada map! We hope youve been enjoying the map, new weapons and the newest Glacial DLC as well.

In case youve missed it, heres our announcement about it with everything added.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3791528713027549895?l=english

Now we would like you to (re)introduce you to one of our mappers, who you mightve seen before on our YouTube channel.

[h2] Meet Kan [/h2]

Hello! Could you introduce yourself

Hello! I'm Kian, 27 years old and I live in the cheese capital of the world, Gouda!
I joined the team mid 2020 right after graduating from the HKU in Utrecht here in the Netherlands.
Besides working on and playing video games, I love everything about music and my band "PANSHIR" (shameless plug), which mixes a few of my interests namely middle-eastern art and music. It's all I focus on in my spare time. Been playing the drums all my life and recently also picked up the piano to maybe also do some songwriting myself!

What is your role in BlackMill Games and for the games?

I'm an environment artist/level artist or mapper as we call it. It's a pretty broad role involving everything to do with the maps.
But mostly we work on researching and gathering photos of the chosen location, designing the gameplay layout in the maps, blocking that out and then detailing them, while making sure all the gameplay systems are correctly implemented and run without issues.
My role in the team is a little broader than that though, as I also worked quite a lot on creating a few of the trailers and flyover videos for Isonzo.

For example, the Caporetto expansion trailer for which I recorded all the footage, animated explosions and bots, and composition of the shots.

[previewyoutube=s2V38TymG34;full][/previewyoutube]

Next to that I also made all the animated bridge, cave explosion events there are in the game, worked a little on improving some of the particle effects and created cloud shadow cookies for the maps.
So a little bit of animation and FX work here and there as well!

Where did your passion come from?

I've always been quite creative as a kid.
But the Far Cry 2 map editor is where my passion for creating environments really started. I was just blown away by how easily I could create a level.
I remember being super excited and telling my dad to come look at how I had made a river in a savannah area and was now driving through it with a boat!
You also had the map browser which you could use to play published maps from other players. Eventually I found a series of levels called "escape".
In these levels players made the player parkour/platform through maps, and created puzzles that utilised glitches to solve along the way to the finish line. Like clipping through walls by dismounting HMGs that were close to walls.
Even though the game only had gamemodes like TDM or free for all, they had built their own unofficial mode sortoff. You d go into FFA and then play the level.

In later Far Cry's this mode would actually be an official one called extraction.
I took this idea and started making escape levels for my friends! Difficult puzzle and platform maps heavily inspired by Tomb Raider.
And they would try to complete them. And after they did, I would then create a new even more difficult level for them! A friend of mine started doing the same thing and I would play his maps.
I think that's where it all started for me. Those are some very fond memories of mine. I continued doing this all the way till Far Cry 4. All the maps are still online on PS3, PS4 and PC. Funny how this actually became my job eventually.



What was the first thing you made in Isonzo?

Caporetto's attacker spawn sector and village sector were the first things I worked on. Set dressing, mostly to get to know the workflow. It changed a lot after that though.




After that, the first real big thing I worked on was the Fior map , which I did research on, designed, blocked out and then dressed up completely. Placed all objects, particles etc.
Fun fact: all the trees and grass patches were placed completely by hand one by one mostly! A lot of hours building that map.



What is a memorable moment in the development of Isonzo?

In one of the meetings early on, I remember Frank showing some of the new assets and tech we were gonna use for Isonzo. The visual upgrade was pretty big!
Seeing it change from Tannenberg like visuals into the Isonzo visuals was very promising, that was very exciting to me.

The release was very exciting too. And ofcourse the first time seeing the map I designed be played by big streamers online was like a dream come true!
Recently Marmolada was released which I'm very proud to have worked on. Seeing people like it so much was such a great moment. All the hard work finally paid off after nearly 8 months.

Can you show off some of your work process and tell us what youre doing?

Yeah! So the process of creating a level is a lengthy one. It can take months to create. There are many steps before a map is finished.
We start with design meetings and doing research on the chosen offensive. Photo references and design sketches. In this time we work on an initial version of the map. The blockout then gets playtested by the team and iterated upon until we are happy.





Then the dressing phase starts. Detailing the entire map, making sure everything is working as well like the HMGs or wire cutting points. Most of my time is spent here, sculpting and painting Unity terrain, and placing assets. Here are a few before and after shots, from the blockout to the dressed version!







Though you could say the main thing were doing is composition.
Whether it be trailer shots, matching set pieces with photos or creating nice looking set dressed areas. Each one of them has lots of elements that need to come together in just the right composition to make the best possible version of it. Story, realism, gameplay, the general fun factor and making a nice looking picture too.

Also everything that I place down in the level is for a reason. Placing a tree or crate somewhere will have an impact on the gameplay and the visuals.It has to look nice, but also work in gameplay. So it's important to consider everything I place, that it is for a reason.

Even if its obvious, I want to mention that the levels in the game are never completely done by 1 person. Some of the levels I detailed/dressed were designed by other level designers. Shoutout to Robin Nielsen! Who unfortunately left the team. But for example he designed and blocked out Cengio, I then took over and detailed the map front to back. Then Frank came in and modelled the Fort. I then detailed the interiors with crates, chairs, trees, grass, particles. etc,.

Which other game dev/studio inspires you?

Ubisoft inspires me. Especially old Ubi around early 2000 - 2012. Back then they took risks in game design and settings. They created so many unique games back then which turned into my favourites of all time.
It seemed like they weren't afraid of scaring players off. And the themes used in those games were taken to the next level.
They had next level atmosphere in games like Prince of Persia SOT, WW, and ofcourse Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. Don't forget mechanics like malaria in Far Cry 2.
Also the way they combine history and different time periods into their games has always been amazing to me and has inspired, and continues to inspire, me in my art and music to this day.

Favorite game atm?

I've been playing Lethal Company with friends lately!
I like the tension you can get in the game with the different monsters and generated dungeons. You never know exactly what to expect! And I like not knowing if your team is still alive if you are using voip. Your entire run is on the line, so you really care about surviving. I wish more horror games had some of these elements incorporated. Mystery and actual risk. Very fun game.

My all time favorite game is probably Red Dead Redemption or Prince Of Persia or Splinter cell CT or Battlefront 2. And some others, I can't really choose :)



Anything else you wanna share?

In case you want to see a bit more of the level design process, there was a previous dev blog where I showed how we designed a part of the Ice CIty on our map Marmolada! Check it out!

[previewyoutube=9Y1Is925m4c;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2] Festive jingles at the Western Front [/h2]

Thats it for our latest devblog! The dev team will go soon on their Christmas break but dont worry, our annual Christmas Truce will take place in Verdun! Keep an eye out for our announcements for when it goes live! Maybe make a list already to whom you want to send a postcard too ;)



If you want to join your first Christmas Truce but dont own Verdun yet? You can now get the game with a 80% discount!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

[h3]See you next time soldiers![/h3]

Today's update contains additional fixes for issues with players not having a team, which among other things lead to being able to friendly fire, as well as other game features misbehaving.

This is a small update and it contains just this fix. Update also changes the network version, so please update before playing online.

Hello soldiers!

Great surprise; the Isonzo sale of 67% discount continuous into the Steam Autumn Sale!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

You can also get some cosmetics if you would like, as several Units are discounted. Both the Royal- & Expedition Units for the Germans are on sale, as well as the First Wave DLC bundle



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214671/Isonzo__Expedition_Units_Pack/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2542160/Isonzo__First_Wave/



[h2] More music from the Italian Front! [/h2]

Four additional songs have been added to the Isonzo Soundtrack. You can now also find the songs; White War, Anthem Germany, Grappa and War Isn't Over Yet in your songlist. If you don't have the Isonzo soundtrack yet, it's currently discounted as well :)

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2078340/Isonzo_Soundtrack/

[h2]Nominate Isonzo[/h2]
If you haven't already, you can now nominate Isonzo for the 'Labor of Love' Steam Award!. This award is especially for games that have had continious updates after their release, so it fits Isonzo perfectly! You can nominate Isonzo by clicking on the announcement below. Thank you in advance!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/6968819156367374590?l=english

[h2] Join the other Fronts! [/h2]

Want to have a change of scenery? Both Verdun & Tannenberg are part of the Autumn Sale as well! Both games are discounted with 70% off.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

[h3] See you at the Fronts! [/h3]

Hello soldiers!

It's been more than a year since Isonzo has been released. Time sure flies when you're having fun and working on a game! Over the year, we've released a new playable faction, the Germans, 5 new maps, 3 new cosmetic DLC's, several weapons and a good amount of optimizations & bug fixes that are worth an uncountable amount of coffee and sleep.

Only 2 weeks ago, we released our latest White War expansion with the new Marmolada map! In case you missed it, our mapper Kan has a video where he talks a bit more about the map creation process by looking at historical photos, references combined with current day images.

[previewyoutube=9Y1Is925m4c;full][/previewyoutube]

If you've been enjoying Isonzo and its free expansions, we would like to ask you to nominate Isonzo for the Labor of Love Steam Award!



[h2] Salesonzo Continues! [/h2]

Autumn is here and so have the Steam Autumn Sales! The base game sale for Isonzo continues with the 67% discount. Several DLC items are on sale as well, such as the First Wave DLC bundle with 20% off.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2542160/Isonzo__First_Wave/

[h3] Thank you in advance for your nomination! See you at the front soldiers! [/h3]

Hello Soldiers!

As you might know, our White War expansion has been released, which takes you to Mount Marmolada and the Ice City!

[previewyoutube=0Bhh96UcM8s;full][/previewyoutube]
With this expansion, we also released a new cosmetic DLC, the Glacial Units!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/



The Glacial Units pack contains a series of uniforms for unprepared troops struggling to keep warm or stay concealed in the freezing conditions of the wintery Alps. Finding themselves fighting on Europe's highest peaks in frigid conditions the troops often had to scrape together whatever they could to prepare
for the extreme cold.

The Glacial Units pack contains 40+ items:

• 6 Italian Uniforms
  
• 13 Italian Headgear Items
  
• 6 Austro-Hungarian Uniforms
  
• 13 Austro-Hungarian Headgear Items
  
• 7 Facial Items
  
• 5 Mustaches
  
• 2 Faces (one per faction)
  

We have released a small update for Isonzo today, with the following fixed and improvements:

• Improvements to Marmolada lighting
  
• Improved Marmolada performance
  
• Various gameplay and visual improvements for Marmolada
  
• Vetterli Mod. 1870 is no longer limited to 1 per team
  
• Fixed ammo clip scale and reload animation for M.14
  
• Fixed players getting stuck in grenade throw animation state
  
• Fixed Linux and Mac crashes since last update

Today is November 11th - Armistice Day. Also known as Poppy Day, Remembrance Day and Veterans Day. A special memorial day dedicated to remember those who gave their life during WW1. Held by several countries, moments of silence fall over several areas all over the world.



As more countries follow this tradition of remembering those whove fallen in their line of duty, November 11th is known under many names, but all with the same idea in mind. This tradition grew out of Armistice Day, which marks the signing of the armistice between the Allies and Germany.

[h2] A moment of silence in Isonzo [/h2]

In Isonzo, but als Verdun & Tannenberg, youll be able to remember those who have fallen as well. There's 2 minutes of silence when you start up the game, just as it would be during an IRL memorial. If you choose to participate, youll receive a Remembrance medal afterwards.



Furthermore, weve also enabled the Film Memoir mode for today as well. You find this filter at Settings -> Graphics.

[h2] Remember together [/h2]

Additionally, we have a special poppy flower emote in our Discord , specially for this day. Feel free to use it in your Discord bio, status and share with others. If you want to, you can share with us as well who and/or how you remember on this day in our dedicated armistice channel.
Other activities that you could do to remember on this day are:

• Visit a WW1 museum, stand still by the stories that are being told through the exposition
  
• Read a WW1-related book. Fiction or nonfiction, whatever has your preference. As long as you feel compelled and touched by the story.
  
• Watch a WW1 movie and/or series. Your streaming service might have a special dedicated section for today. Watch a movie you enjoy or try something new.
  
  

Hello everyone!

We're hope you're enjoying our free White War expansion and for our new recruits, welcome!
On the streams, you'll see some pre-recorded footage of Jos talking with Flakfire about the new map, as well as a more historical approach of Isonzo in general with Indy Neidell & Pr from Sabaton

It's lovely to see you all! If you wanna chat with us and/or mention any issues you encounter, feel free to join our Discord

Hello everyone!

This small hotfix contains some internal logging and a fix for the missing Aiming Sensitivity setting.

Thank you for playing, hope you are enjoying the free weekend!

If you encounter any issues (or just want to chat), please join our Discord and let us know!

Hello new recruits!

Isonzo is now temporary for FREE until November 13th, 7pm CET. Right on time to experience the White War and visit the Ice City, which was released yesterday!

[previewyoutube=0Bhh96UcM8s;full][/previewyoutube]

In this new White War expansion you'll embark on the cold Marmolada mountain and explore the glacial trenches. Alongside this map, 3 new weapons have been added as well as a new strikingly cool cosmetic DLC can be purchased as well, the Glacial Units!



If you want to continue to fight on the Italian Front after your free period, you can purchase Isonzo at the 67% discount

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/



If youre interested in getting cosmetic DLC for your game, some are currently discounted as well! Heres an overview of what is included in each edition of the game and DLC waves. If you want to get the lastest ones, you can get the Second Wave bundle or just the singular Glacial Units.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/

[h3] See you at the front, recruit! [/h3]

Hello Soldiers!

Its time to embark on the cold Marmolada mountain and explore the glacial trenches. The first map of our White War expansion, Marmolada, is available now! Alongside this map, 3 new weapons have been added as well as a new strikingly cool cosmetic DLC can be purchased as well, the Glacial Units!

And last but not least, for the potential new recruits, we got some extra exciting news for you, starting later today. Find more about it further down in this announcement.

[previewyoutube=0Bhh96UcM8s;full][/previewyoutube]
Want to prepare yourself for the map before jumping in? Read our devblog about the Marmolada map. So youre fully ready to explore the maze-like Ice City.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3791528713024015694

To give you some information, for Marmolada in Isonzo, the Italians will be the attacking side, which means the Austro-Hungarians will be defending the mountain and their Ice City. Starting off, the Italians will be placed on the mountain side in the open, surrounded by snow. Fighting for objectives outside on the snowy mountain top, making your way through the tunnels of the Ice City to eventually make your way to the final objective; This map is unlike any other in the game.

As for the new weapons; the Vetterli Mod.1870 for Italy, Austria-Hungary gets the Repetier-Gewehr M.14 and the Germans receive the Gewehr 71/84.



[h2] Glacial Units [/h2]

As stated above, the update comes with a new cosmetic DLC, the Glacial Units! This pack consists of 40+ items.

• 6 Italian Uniforms
  
• 13 Italian Headgear Items
  
• 6 Austro-Hungarian Uniforms
  
• 13 Austro-Hungarian Headgear Items
  
• 7 Facial Items
  
• 5 Mustaches
  
• 2 Faces (one per faction)
  

• All uniforms display snow on snow-themed maps! (instead of mud/sand)
  
• Walking over snow leaves footsteps behind
  
• New Italian rifle: Vetterli Mod.1870 Single shot
  
• New German rifle: Gewehr 71/84
  
• New Austro-Hungarian rifle: Repetiergewehr M.14
  

• Fixed black and white ammo icon sometimes being stuck to the middle of the screen
  
• Fixed players sometimes not getting order points as an Officer
  
• Fixed Officer order overriding each other
  
• Fixed bots using static weapons too far from the front line
  
• Fixed bot navigation on bridges
  
• Fixed bots sometimes not detecting they're in water
  
• Fixed bots getting stuck interacting with the same thing
  
• Fixed players being immune to gas when performing an interaction inside of a gas cloud
  
• Fixed an issue where call-ins weren't detecting multiple concurrent kills for the Strategist II Challenge
  
• Fixed destroyed Engineer equipment still preventing placement of new equipment
  
• Fixed melee weapons not using all attack animations
  
• Fixed FSR settings not correctly resetting when turning FSR off
  
• Fixed an issue where gas masks weren't instantly equipped upon spawning inside of gas
  
• Fixed character hands sometimes getting stuck behind them
  
• Fixed Beretta Modello 1917 sometimes being affecting by surrounding textures
  
• Improved prone hand movement animations
  
• M.13 and G88 now use correct bayonets
  
• Fixed jittering on the Frommer Stop
  
• Updated animations for wire cutting, mortar reloading and grenade throwing in third person
  
• Spawning improvements
  
• Localization fixes
  
• Various map fixes
  

Hello soldiers!

Its almost time to join the White War as the Marmolada map releases on November 9 for free! In case you missed it, be sure to check our release date reveal announcement.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3737484245038187268?l=english

As stated, the expansion will include three new weapons as well! Weve seen you guys speculate on which ones it will be, and were here to put you out of your misery and reveal them!



Last but definitely not least, the Glacial Units cosmetic DLC will join Isonzo as well. This DLC will include over 40 items that you can use to dress up your Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/

Now, lets take a closer look at the Marmolada map.

[h2] The Marmolada map [/h2]

For Marmolada in Isonzo, the Italians will be the attacking side, which means the Austro-Hungarians will be defending the mountain and their Ice City. Starting off, the Italians will be placed on the mountain side in the open, surrounded by snow. They need to advance up the mountain, towards the top. But to get there, they first need to make their way through small tunnels and gullies carved out from the mountains rock, and cross narrow trails. These can easily become death traps and opportunities for close combat, so get those ice picks ready.



As said, the first objective for the Italians will be the mountain top. Here they need to capture the objective. But this wont be an easy task. The peak is not that large and the Austro-Hungarians will charge up from the other side. Potentially, the Officers call-in can make or break the objective, be sure to strategize and work together as a team!



If the Italians succeed and capture their first objective, they make their way to the Ice City. Before they get there, they need to get through some snow-made trench-like areas to get entrance to the glacial tunnels.



Once inside, the task will be to make it through the maze-like corridors of the Ice City, without getting lost and/or killed in close combat with the enemy. As unlike the previous objective, call-in support from the Officers wont be of any help here. There will be bridges and staircases to cross, of which the former can be built (and destroyed), which might be a difficult task when enemies can come from various directions.

If the Italians soldiers were able to make it out of the Ice City, theyll find their next objective. A small base in a similar small area, covered by snow walls. Wooden huts are spread out, providing some cover, but also an opportunity for the enemy to hide inside before making their move. This is another capture objective, which will surely provide some interesting combat. Smoke around the area combined with soldiers coming from the glacial tunnels will be an exciting combination. Will the Italians conquer the city or will the Austro-Hungarians remain the sole citizens?



[h2] Your Trip to the Ice City begins soon[/h2]

Thats it for now! We hope this provided you with the intel you need to prepare you for your battle in White War! Well see you on November 9th on top of the mountain and/or in the glacial tunnels!

Hello soldiers!

Were happy to share with you all the first map in the White War Expansion

[previewyoutube=2CSDteHZjlg;full][/previewyoutube]
Marmolada will release next week on November 9th for free alongside new weapons and a new cosmetic DLC pack; the Glacial Units.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/



Now, we can hear you guys thinking; What about the special game mode?. Unfortunately we made the decision to postpone this event for the second half of the White War expansion. We believe we need a little bit more time to tweak the game mode and map to give you the experience you all deserve and will enjoy! We hope for your understanding.



[h2] Marmolada History [/h2]

The Marmolada map is based on the Marmolada mountain, which lies in northeastern Italy and its the highest mountain of the Dolomites. Standing strong between the borders of Trentino and Veneto, it has an ultra-prominent peak (meaning its 1.500 metres/4,900 ft or more) which is known as the Queen of the Dolomites.

Relating to WW1, the deep inside tunnels in Marmoladas glacier were known as the Ice City. These were tunnels, almost maze-like, stretching to almost 12km(7.45mi). All tied together, there were ruins such as barracks, kitchens, chapels, stores etc.

The Austro-Hungarians settled on the Forcella Vu, named after the shape and was on top of the glacier. It was difficult for them to get supplies on top of the mountain. Not only due to their location, but also because the Italian troops kept a watchful eye over them from their bastion of Serauta.


Source: Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum

Thats why in the summer of 1916, Lieutenant Leo Handl came with the idea of digging a tunnel deep into the glacier. This would allow him and his men to reach the top, hidden away from the Italians, and save from avalanches and snow storms. To eventually get to what we now know as The Ice City, it took 10 months of work. It ended up being a living space for up to 200 soldiers.

Unfortunately in December that same year, an avalanche did strike the Austro-Hungarians barracks, outside The Ice City. This event is also known as White Friday, where 270 soldiers were killed. Multiple other avalanches occurred that day, and both Austro-Hungarian- and Italian soldiers lost their lives. According to some reports, both parties shot shells into weakened snowpacks, an attempt to bury the other side in snow.

Overall, White Friday had claimed 10,000 soldiers and its known as one of the greatest numbers of deaths caused by snow and ice debris from avalanches in history.


Source: Nicolai Eberholst

Unfortunately in December that same year, an avalanche did strike the Austro-Hungarians barracks, outside The Ice City. This event is also known as White Friday, where 270 soldiers were killed. Multiple other avalanches occurred that day, and both Austro-Hungarian- and Italian soldiers lost their lives. According to some reports, both parties shot shells into weakened snowpacks, an attempt to bury the other side in snow.

Overall, White Friday had claimed 10,000 soldiers and its known as one of the greatest numbers of deaths caused by snow and ice debris from avalanches in history.

Last year on July 3rd, a serac (block of glacial ice) from Marmolada had collapsed, sliding down 200 000m3.


Source: Trentino

[h2] Get your snow boots ready [/h2]

Mark November 9th down and be ready to brave the snow. A devblog about the map will follow as well, so you can fully prepare for your departure to The Ice City!
If you havent already, you can get the Deluxe Edition of Isonzo now with a 55% discount and the First Wave DLC set with 20% off.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2542160/Isonzo__First_Wave/

[h3] See you next week soldiers! [/h3]

Today's update fixes issues with players not having a team, which among other things lead to being able to friendly fire, as well as other game features misbehaving.

This is a small update as it just contains this fix. This updates the network version, so please update before playing online.

Hello soldiers!

Time to experience real horrors for the spooky month, by getting Isonzo and join the Italian Front in Isonzo! The Deluxe Edition is now available with a 55% discount! Once you go the Isonzo storepage, be sure to add the Deluxe Edition to your shopping basket!



If you already own Isonzo but would like some of the cosmetic DLC's, the First Wave of Isonzo DLC is also on sale! You can get this now with 20% off. The First Wave includes the 4 DLC Units that Isonzo released with; the Reserve Units, Veteran Units, Elite Units, and Alpine Units.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2542160/Isonzo__First_Wave?snr=1_5_9_

Both sales run until November 6, 6PM CET so be sure you don't miss it!

[h2] The wolves at the Eastern Front [/h2]

Your comrades need your help on the Eastern Front! Weve got intel that wolves have joined the battlefield. The German and Russian armies have stopped fighting each other to defeat their shared enemy. Are you going to help them? You can join the Wolf Truce until November 1st.



You can still get Tannenberg for a 75% discount as well!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

[h3]See you at the front soldiers![/h3]

Hello soldiers!
Your comrades need your help on the Eastern Front! Weve got intel that wolves have joined the battlefield. The German and Russian armies have stopped fighting each other to defeat their shared enemy. Are you going to help them? You can join the Wolf Truce until November 1st.

[previewyoutube=5X20SeHBIUk;full][/previewyoutube]
You can get Tannenberg with 75% off at 7PM CEST; join the Wolf Truce! Youll be able to earn a special medal during this period if you stay true to the truce.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

[h3] Good luck soldier! [/h3]

Hello everyone!

With our latest map Piana up and running, were full steam ahead and working on the White War expansion! No news on its maps and release date, but well be sure to notify you all once were ready to do so. In case youve missed it, heres our latest roadmap.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3032136251

Furthermore, we want to thank everyone who filled out our player survey! Were going through all your responses and analysing the data, which will be very helpful for Isonzos future. The winners will also be contacted by email before the end of the month, so please keep an eye out for your inbox (or spam folder).

[h2] We're the winners! [/h2]

Isonzo was nominated for the Dutch Game Awards in the category Best Audio! Last night was the award ceremony and were happy to share that Isonzo was declared the winner!



Special thanks to Bart Delissen, Lars Tesselaar & Niels van der Leest (Game Audio Squad) for their amazing work on the audio for Isonzo!
If you want to read more about how the title song of Isonzo was created, be sure to read our devblog about it.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3280333372353228993?l=english

You can find the entire OST here on Steam. The Isonzo soundtrack contains about 30 minutes of music. Purchasing the DLC will help out the development of the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2078340/Isonzo_Soundtrack/

If you cant afford it, you can also listen to it on our YouTube channel.

Now without further ado, lets meet a new member of the BlackMill team!

Hello! Could you introduce yourself
Hi! Im Aitor, a 25 year old (I had to double check) programmer from the Basque Country. I havent worked on anything youve heard of before Isonzo, so heres some cool ragdoll tech I developed a few years ago.

[previewyoutube=ByNPbbACf40;full][/previewyoutube]
I was also a musician for about a decade, before I got deep into game development. I have an obsession with learning new instruments, with my current tally at around 8, depending on how low your skill threshold for counting one is, and Im a progressive rock nerd.

What is your role in BlackMill Games and for the games?
At BlackMill Games, every programmer does a bit of everything. But we also, as individual programmers, own systems based on what were interested in. For me, that mostly translates to three things: Third Person Animation, Physics and AI (the bot kind, not the copyright infringement image generating kind).

Where did your passion come from?
As a kid, games always seemed like magic. They were things you could explore and learn inside and out. Years later, it clicked for me that they werent magic, that somebody had created that world, those systems, with the intention of them being explored. Since I already liked messing around with computers, it was a perfect fit. I wanted to be that somebody.

What was the first thing you made in Isonzo?
I did a lot of tweaking on ragdolls and the forces that are applied to them, making them feel heavier.



Ive spent many hours in my career setting up complicated scenarios, all to blow up ragdolls in. Game development really is a dream job.

What is a memorable moment in the development of Isonzo?
In programming, you generally try to gradually improve on what you already have. Sometimes, however, you need to completely rebuild the foundations to really take things to the next level. Of course, rebuilding the foundations means not having a house for a few months.

Thats exactly what happened with our third person animation setup an animator and I spent months building it from the ground up, and let me tell you, it was terrifying! Thankfully we stuck the landing, and the new foundation allowed us to make dozens of animation improvements like the one Guido showed off in a previous devblog.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/3649652637281432071?snr=2_9_100003



This is the result of all that work. Here you see just one of 20 layers that can affect the character animation! They dont all run at the same time, of course, but for a player that is moving while firing at you, the final pose you see can be the result of around 10 different layers of animation, all being mixed together.

Can you show off some of your work process and tell us what youre doing?
I spend a lot of time tweaking bots. One of the ways I do this is through a behaviour tree, a system that allows me to describe the way a bot will do something.

When a bot is given the mission to contest an objective, the behaviour for that might look something like this:



Lets say, I wanted to make sure bots healed themselves before fighting for an objective. I can make that happen by adding this new section at the left of the tree.



This was very quick, because I had already implemented these Is At Full Health and Heal Self nodes when making bots heal in a different situation. By making these modular pieces, I can easily get creative with bot behaviour.

Now, Ill let you in on a secret: we have a hidden stat describing how emboldened a bot is. Which is to say in simpler terms, how 'dumb' they are. Assault bots are the dumbest (I will not elaborate). Its also affected by many factors. For instance, every bot gets more emboldened during overtime.
So lets make dumb bots ignore their bleeding and walk straight into the objective!


Tada! Done.

Of course, in reality (in the game) this is a small branch of a tree, and those colourful nodes hide other trees. (You can imagine how PatrolArea alone might get complicated). The whole thing is huge!



Which other game dev/studio inspires you?
Something I greatly appreciate about being a game developer is that I get to work with lots of extremely talented and creative people, and help make their vision come to life. The best games are made when all the different disciplines are working together towards a common goal.

As far as Im concerned, no team has ever succeeded on that front as hard as Mobius Digital did with Outer Wilds. The story of that game isnt just in the writing. Its in the animation, in the music, in the textures, in the physics of the spaceship. An entire team firing on all cylinders. Awe inspiring stuff.



Favourite game atm?
I dont usually play forever games, instead I obsess over one game for a few weeks, then move to the next game on my embarrassingly large backlog.

That said, Im really enjoying playing Heavenly Bodies in co-op mode. Accidentally and irreversibly hurling my partner into the void of space while reading the half NASA, half IKEA mission debrief is amazing fun. Trust me, disable all the assists. This is a game that is best enjoyed through suffering.

Anything else you wanna share?
Working on animation has the benefit of experiencing the absolute best class of bugs in the medium: funny, non game breaking ones. Heres a personal favourite.



[h3]Thats it for now! [/h3]

If youre looking for fellow players, want to let us know of issues you encounter with the game or just want to chat and hangout, be sure to join our Discord!

Hi everyone!

Fixed an issue where bots were able to interact with objectives and other buildable objects from too far away (such as defusing bombs).

Thanks for the info! If you encounter any issues, please join our Discord and let us know!

Hello everyone!

This small update fixes the issue where joining players occasionally were not being added to a team correctly.

Thank you for playing Isonzo. Keep an eye out for future updates, which will include further AI optimizatons.

If you encounter any issues, please join our Discord and let us know in our support channel! Sharing your logs greatly helps us with looking into the issues you might encounter. Thank you in advance!

Today marks the anniversary of the WW1GameSeries, as today Verdun went into Early Access 10 years ago!

We want to thank all our soldiers who have joined the fronts over the years. Did you make your way from the Western Front, towards the Eastern one and ended up high in the mountains in Isonzo?
Or are you a new recruit who recently joined any of the fronts?

No matter what, we thank you for playing our games!

Here are some fun facts for each games, that you might not know.

• The first ideas and concepts for Verdun were made back in August 2006, 17 years ago!
  
• For Tannenberg, the team considered for a long time to make a Cossacks soldier the main promo banner character
  
• Isonzo's well beloved OST 'Rinascereme Insieme' wasn't planned at the beginning, but more a place holder song. It really grew on the team and they decided to make it into a full song that you now know and love today
  
• Combined, the games have 29 maps. Here they are from west to east, north to south:
  
• Flanders, Artois, Picardie, Aisne, Champagne, Argonne, Vauquois, Douaumont, st. Mihiel, Vosges, Cengio, Fior, Dolomiti, Piana, Grappa, Piave, Caporetto, Sabotino, Gorizia, Carso, Baltic, East Prussia, Galicia, Poland, Carpathians, Prsemysl, Ukraine, Roumania, Dobrudja
  
  

Hello everyone!

The new Monte Piana map is live now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

Furthermore, Isonzo & WW1 Game Series is part of the Focus Publisher Sale!



[h3]
Good luck & have fun on Monte Piana![/h3]

Soldiers!

Its time to join the Italian Front once again and fight on Monte Piana! The map is now available for everyone & for free!

[previewyoutube=XAWS13O7bWs;full][/previewyoutube]
Its been almost 1 year since Isonzos release. Weve released 4 additional maps, the German Empire as a playable faction, numerous weapons & consistent bugs and optimization patches.



Thank you all for playing our game. We still have a lot more in store for you on the Italian Front, as were already hard at work for a special event, similar to what you might know from Verdun & Tannenberg!



[h2] Dress up to fight the cold [/h2]

Speaking of the special event, here is our upcoming cosmetic DLC that comes along with it, which might give you a hint ;)



Thats right, you can now already wishlist the Glacial Units Pack. Like our previous DLCs, this is purely cosmetic and wont give you any in-game advantages (buffs, perks etc.). Well follow up on this DLC pack with an in-depth devblog (at some point) like weve done with previous ones.

[h2] First Wave of DLC [/h2]

Additionally you can now find the First Wave of Isonzo DLC in one bundle and its discounted at the moment as well!
It includes

• Reserve Units
  
• Veteran Units
  
• Elite Units
  
• Alpine Units
  

• New map in the Mountain War offensive - Piana!
  
• Mac support - check the store page for specs
  
• Partial reloading is now possible for en bloc rifles
  
• Full body aiming animations
  
• Adjusted Grappa last sector capzone objective size
  
• New splash screen - woooo
  

• Spawning improvements
  
• Fixed achievements not triggering when they are supposed to do
  
• Improved bot objective prioritization
  
• Improved defender bot distribution
  
• Fixed bots sometimes walking too slowly
  
• Fixed bots sometimes not being able to interact with bridges or pontoons
  
• Improved bot interactions with static weapons
  
• Fixed bots sometimes getting stuck healing themselves
  
• Fixed bots not dying from gas
  
• Fix for Radial Menus swapping selection rapidly when using a controller
  
• Fixed UI elements that were not being toggled off/hidden by their associated settings
  
• Added an option where all warning messages can now be now turned off
  
• Players can now cancel joining a match in some situations
  
• Fixed the message of player being healed getting stuck sometimes
  
• Fix for players not being able to build locations where it should be possible
  
• Fixed Austro Hungarian loadouts not saving
  
• Increased periscope interaction range
  
• Fixed periscopes and static weapons sometimes not usable
  
• Fixed sleeve movement when using a Madsen and switching to canteen and back
  
• Fixed player's character head showing during spawning transition
  
• Fixed Beretta 1917 scale and VFX
  
• Fixed some missing footstep and impact sounds
  
• Improved audio timing for the M95 Stutzen, M88-90, Vetterlis and the M90 Carbine
  
• Fixed Albini binocs dealing less melee damage in comparison to others
  
• Fixed Forward Posts sometimes being too dark
  
• Resupplying with Ammo Box now shows faction specific bullet models
  
• Fixed visual issues in last Defender Spawning Sector of Sabotino
  
• FSR 2.2 general improvements
  
• Improved scope visuals when using FSR 2.2
  
• Main menu performance optimization
  
• General optimization
  

• Squad UI shows up in Spawn Overview when a player joins/leaves the squad
  
• Bots sometimes vault/mantle too abruptly
  

Hello everyone!

Were excited to share the Piana map release date with you all! Next week, September 7, youll be able to play on this new map!



As stated in our roadmap, this update will also come with Mac Support!

Want to know a little bit more about the historical events of the map? Be sure to read our devblog about it!
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/3667672110007215603?snr=2_9_100000_

[h2] Piana Map [/h2]

Back to the two original factions, this map features the Italians and the Austro-Hungarians. With the Italians on the attacking side, they first need to make their way through No Mans Land, where you can find a crashed aircraft.



The first section, Monte Piana, only has one objective; capture the area around the Piramide Carducci, the stone pyramid. The objective lies deeper into the section towards the left side (from the Italian POV), making it accessible from different sides. There are many paths, trenches and cabins connected that can offer you some guidance and help to help you get there, may you be defending or attacking. Dont forget that youre on a mountain, so there are different types of altitude combined with stairs and buildings that might provide the flank or cover you are looking for.



Once the Italians are successful in capturing their objective, the match moves to the second section. Again, a No Mans Land area must be crossed, which sees a significant drop in height before making it towards the new objectives. This area is called Forcella dei Castrati.



This new section, Monte Piano, has two objectives; another point cap and destruction. The point-cap objective is towards the side of the mountain, where several cabins are built alongside the ridges and connected through wooden stairs and planks. Its easy to get lost here, friends and foes can come from multiple sides. Before you can claim the side as your own, you have to be sure that no one from the opposite team is there, which might be a tricky part. Who knows who might be hiding around the corner in a cabin. And the walls wont protect you from potential gas attacks that might be sent your way



On the other side, there will be a canon that needs to be destroyed (or defended). A trench will be leading your way towards this objective, alongside other pathways that provide less cover. Be sure to hold your ground, as this could be your final objective of the map and give you the victory! Will you celebrate victory with a bang or will you go out with a blast?



We hope you all look forward to this new map! The team also continues to work on the upcoming bigger expansions, so prepare your snow boots for the upcoming updates!

[h3] See you next week at Monte Piana soldiers! [/h3]

Hello soldiers!

Its time for another devblog! The release of our Monte Piana map is getting closer. We cant share the release date with you all just yet, but don't worry, your wait will be over soon enough.



Before we get into the historical background of the map, we would like you to ask you all once again to fill out our player survey. This is to make sure that were putting our development focus in the right areas, and to keep our fingers on the pulse of the WW1 Game Series community.

Many of you have already done so, thank you very much! This is a reminder for the people who mightve missed it (or forgot it). You can click here to be redirected to the survey.

Weve heard some of you struggling to fill in the survey due to the Google login requirements. This is a safety precaution. Well look into other alternatives for future surveys.

Now, lets take a look at the Battle of Monte Piana.

[h2] Preparations [/h2]

Before the actual commence of the battle, both sides (the Austro-Hungarians & Italians) made adjustments of their positions. On 8 June 1915, the Austrio-Hungarians began to dig deep trenches, which were accompanied with barbed wire a day later. On the Italian side however, two infantry battalions (Marches brigade) relieved the Alpini and resisted the daily Austrian attacks (Schaumann). A few days prior, the 55th Marche had been alerted to move to Monte Piana.

The two lines faced each other at a short distance, and the Austro-Hungarians adopted a singular strategy to impede the Italian patrolling actions: every evening around 11pm they sent 50 to 60 men to take up positions behind the barracks less than 100 metres from the Italian line who fired shots rifle in order to keep the Italian troops still.

On 9 June, the Italian artillery targeted the northern plateau with the new 149 pieces causing numerous losses: after a few hours the damage was so serious that a partial Austrian retreat from the advanced trenches was necessary. In the night between 9 and 10 June the Austro-Hungarian shock troops were replaced by a company of Landesschtzen.


An image of Monte Piana before the war

Towards the end of the month, the Italians expected the medium- and large calibre batteries (infantry) to be available. General Ragni Ottavio issued the order for an operation, which focused on the barriers of Landro and Sesto. Several areas were targeted such as; the North of Cortina, Passo Tre Croci, Val Padola and more.

On July 9th 1915, the Austro-Hungarians almost completely expelled the Italians from the mountain, but didnt put in the final blow in their attack, resulting in the stay of their enemy. This allowed them to plan a counter attack.

[h2] The counter attack [/h2]

In the early morning of July 15th, the Italians started their counter attack. Their goal was to recapture Monte Piana.



They started firing with artillery fire; about 40 pieces of various calibres including the 280 and 305 of Federavecchia, their targets were the trenches on Monte Piana and the Pyramid Carducci. Around 9am, a rocket launched from Villa Loero gave the signal for the infantry to fire.

And here we are lying under the last scree*. We look in amazement at the valley of death. An old captain comes out of a boulder. He has a sheet in his hand, he shakes it convulsively. Someone murmurs: 'He's drunk, poor captain'. A bullet hits him and he falls into a flood of dust. He shouts: 'I'm hurt!' He gets up. He staggers. He turns his back to the enemy who riddles him. And the grapeshot continues without interruption. Two generous men from the Red Cross approach on all fours to take him away. One is injured. They flatten themselves behind the boulders. It seems to see the projection of a flickering film. " - Infantryman Brusatin

*A Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff.




At the end, the battle turned into two years without any progress on both sides. In the months October & November 1917, the Italians were forced to abandon their post in order to move towards Monte Grappa, where they needed to withstand the Austro-Hungarians Caporetto Offensive.

[h2] Thats it for now! [/h2]
Well post a more in-depth devblog of the actual map as well, so be sure to keep an eye out for that!



[h3]Until next time soldiers o7[/h3]

We have a small patch today with hopefully big changes! We have a fix for the falling-through-ground issues that eliminated the issue entirely in our internal and community tests. The root cause is still elusive (and thus we can't promise a 100% fix) but we managed to prevent the consequence of falling infinitely.

Again, please let us know if you still experience the issue after this patch.

Other than this, the patch provides major improvements to our FSR implementation, which should improve the picture quality in the cases mentioned below!

General

• Potential but very hopeful fix for falling through ground

• Scope sight quality improvementgs
  
• (PS4 + XB1S) Scope render target size increase to 512x512
  
• Improved foliage rendering
  
• (PS4 + XB1S) Improved skybox quality

Hello soldiers!

As you mightve read in our latest devblog, we now have Isonzo Steam Trading Cards & Point Shop Items!



We saw in our Discord that there was some general confusion of what the cards do, how you can get certain items etc. so heres a little overview!

How do I get these cards?

If you purchase and play a game, youre automatically awarded a number of cards. For Isonzo, the max number of cards you can obtain by playing is 5. In total there are 10 cards. Once you have all 10 of them, you can craft a badge (see the image above).

You can find the cards you have in your Inventory, which you can find on your Steam profile. To view your badge progress, you can simply click on an Isonzo card you own and click the button view badge progress



If you own all 10 cards, youll be able to craft your Isonzo badge. If you do not, youll be able to purchase the remaining cards from the Steam Market by clicking on buy remaining cards on the Market.



If your Steam friends own a card that youre missing, youll also be able to ask them to trade on this screen. Just scroll further down.



What happens when I craft a badge?

Crafting a badge will reward you with some xp for your overall Steam profile/account. Additionally, you can enable the badge to be visible on your profile & you're able to gain some of the other items, like the backgrounds.



What do the different kinds of badges mean?

Each time you craft a badge, the badge will become visually more impressive and reward you with more xp. Crafting a badge each time means that youll need the 10 different Isonzo Trading Cards each time as well.



The special foil badge can only be crafted with special foil cards. Like the other cards, these are randomly distributed.

If other players put them on sale on the Market place, youll be able to purchase them, similar to the normal cards. You can find the Steam Market simply under the Community Tab (a menu will appear when you hover over it), or by clicking here. Simply type 'Isonzo' in the searchbar to see what items are available for purchase.



Please note that we're not responsible for the prices. These are put up by the sellers themselves.

What are the Point Shop Items?

The Point Shop is a special shop, specifically for Steam Profile & chat items (stickers, emotes). Youre rewarded Steam Points by simply purchasing games on Steam, so were sure you got some ;)
Here youre able to exchange your Steam Points for profile backgrounds and emoticons. Find the Isonzo Items here.

Will you add animated backgrounds, profile pictures etc.?

This is definitely something we want to look into in the future!

[h3] Hope this helps![/h3] pizzonzo

Hello soldiers!

The devblog is arriving early this time! And besides meeting another member of the devteam, we have exciting news!



Yes thats right, Isonzo now has Steam Trading Cards & Point Shop Items! We know many of you have been asking for it, and were happy to finally share this with you. Time to Isonzo-fy your Steam profile!



[h2] Survey Reminder [/h2]

In the previous devblog, weve asked you all to fill in our player survey. This is to make sure that were putting our development focus in the right areas, and to keep our fingers on the pulse of the WW1 Game Series community.

Many of you have already done so, thank you very much! This is a reminder for the people who mightve missed it (or forgot it). You can click here to be redirected to the survey.

Weve heard some of you struggling to fill in the survey due to the Google login requirements. This is a safety precaution. Well look into other alternatives for future surveys.

Now lets meet another programmer in our team!

[h2] Meet the Dev [/h2]

Hello! Could you introduce yourself

Hi, my name is Nico, Im 39 years of age and I live in Utrecht, right in the middle of The Netherlands. I studied Computer Science at the University of Groningen and moved here to Utrecht in 2012 to work at a game company. After moving back and forth between different fields of software development for a few years, in late 2015 I decided to start a freelance career.

I was introduced to the WW1 team on literally the first day of being a freelancer, and worked with them on Verdun for a few months initially. I didnt become a full-fledged member of the team until the end of 2017 though, when Tannenberg was in development.

What is your role in BlackMill Games and for the games?

Officially, Im no longer a member of the BlackMill team! I left at the end of last year and rejoined on a consultancy basis to work on the FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.2 (FSR2) implementation and to help out in other areas that I have knowledge of.

Before that though, I was primarily responsible for the console ports of the WW1 games. This started with just technical work: integrating various console features, optimization work and producing builds. Over the years, Ive taken on more responsibilities including QA, release management and managing communications with Sony and Microsoft.

Where did your passion come from?

From playing games as a kid back in the 90s, as trite as it may sound. I was an impressionable child and anytime I saw someone make or do something cool, Id be like I wanna do that too!. Computers, games and programming are what stuck around long enough to become a career and I cant complain about it. If I had pursued a career in music, comic book drawing or operating drawbridges, I probably would have struggled a lot more in life.

Playing other peoples games and seeing how they were made is what made me passionate about creating games myself. Fortunately, I had a knack for programming and I learned a lot from modding existing games while still in middle school. Throughout my studies, I kept up-to-date with what was happening in graphics technology, worked on hobby game projects of my own, and tried to make choices with the idea of someday working in game development in mind. Im glad that that worked out in the end, even if it took me a while to get there.

What was the first thing you made in Isonzo?

The first thing I did for Isonzo was to make it run on the Xbox One console. This was shortly after the console release of Tannenberg in mid-2020, so the production of Isonzo was already well underway by then. It was not a pretty sight. The game ran at barely 10 fps on the Xbox One X and that was despite the maps still being very basic and missing a lot of the details that made it into the final release. A lot of work has been done to whip the game into shape since then.



What is a memorable moment in the development of Isonzo?

Very recently, the moment FSR 2.2 first started working in Isonzo and I could see the potential of what it would bring to the game. It felt like I was looking at an offline render, rather than something that was being drawn in real-time. Everything looked sharp with clean edges, distant objects were displayed with perfect clarity and details popped like never before. It was at that moment that I knew my gamble to work on this research project had paid off.



Of course, a still shot like this is a bit flattering and there were plenty of problems yet to solve once things started moving around, but this gave me the motivation to promote the feature to the team and to really push for its inclusion in the game. Fortunately, it was not too hard to convince them of its value and Im very happy with the way they supported me to get FSR2 across the finish line.

Another memorable moment is an older one, when I was first testing builds of Isonzo on PS5. That console is quite a bit different from the Windows and DirectX environments that were so used to, so it often has a lot of unique issues that crop up. Initially, all of the shaders were completely broken, causing all sorts of bogus pixel values to be drawn and together with bloom and other post-processing effects, it made the entire map light up like a Christmas tree. I affectionately called this glitch Disco Isonzo.



In general, I look back fondly at the last few months of development before release and witnessing the game gradually come together thanks to the hard work from everyone on the team. Getting Isonzo to run, look and play decently well on consoles felt like an impossible task at times and I would not have been able to do that on my own without everyone pulling together and making it work.

Can you show off some of your work process and tell us what youre doing?

A lot of my time is spent looking at code, which is not the most visually exciting thing to be showing off. Lately though, I have been doing a lot of performance analysis and bug fixing using GPU profilers, so I can show some of that.
Below is a GPU timing snapshot of a typical single frame on Xbox One S



When I first ran tests of FSR 2.2 on Xbox One, I was very sceptical whether it was going to be worth it. 6 milliseconds of GPU time to run FSR2 on a budget of 33 ms (to hit 30 fps), with nearly 8 ms spent on post-processing in total. No way would that ever be compensated by rendering the game at a lower resolution internally.

But I was wrong. In fact, the game ran considerably better with FSR2 enabled, even on the least capable consoles. On some maps, for example Fior, the frame rate jumped from the mid-20s to the low 40s while walking around in the forest. Not only that, using FSR2 also helped to smooth out the performance spikes in more graphically demanding areas. It was a true game changer!

Just a few weeks before we were going to launch FSR 2.2 on consoles, I received a report that players were able to see ghost images of each other through walls on PS5. It was pretty bad.



This was clearly an issue with motion vector rendering, and its something that had plagued us before, but we never figured out what caused it. I was mindful of this problem when I worked on FSR2 and specifically checked for it, but as it turns out, it only happens on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and nowhere else.

Its crucial for FSR 2.2 that motion vectors are correct, so this time I had to really dig into this problem and find out why it was happening. A GPU capture confirmed that indeed, all was not well with the motion vectors:



The color buffer on the left is perfectly fine: the other player is obscured by the rock and not drawn, as you would expect. However, the motion vector buffer on the right clearly shows the other player. This causes FSR2s image reconstruction to think those pixels should be moving, and so it will make a ghost image appear on the rock.

It took me almost a full day and a lot of pouring through GPU data to finally figure out that Unity was for some reason adding an arbitrary offset to meshes when drawing motion vectors for moving objects, which drew them closer to the camera. In this case, close enough that the player model was considered to be in front of the rock and its motion vectors were drawn. Just a small change to the motion vector shader code fixed this and FSR2 was good to go again.

At the moment I am still working on further refining and improving our FSR 2.2 implementation. One often-heard complaint is that scopes have become blurry and smeary, making them hard to use. This is because the scopes zoomed-in view isnt a proper part of the main scene, and so FSR2 doesnt really know what to do with it. The correct solution for this problem isnt super obvious, so it took us a while to understand what we needed to do here.



What you want in this case is for the scope image to be composited into the scene, that is, for it to just get glued into the final picture without any further modifications. Fortunately for this, FSR2 has the ability to take a composition mask as an input, which tells it which pixels should be left alone. So, the challenge for us was to isolate the scope lens and draw it to a separate composition mask. The above image shows the result of that. Were also doing the same for water surfaces as those too are animated texture effects and require special treatment by FSR2.

Which other game dev/studio inspires you?

Historically, id Software has been a great source of inspiration for me. They were always at the forefront of PC gaming technology. Their Doom and Quake games allowed me to get a start in modding and game programming. Their generous open sourcing of their engines allowed millions of aspiring game developers, myself included, to learn and understand how games work under the hood. Without them, I dont think I would be working in game development today.

A bit closer to home, Ive always had a deep respect for Nixxes and the quality of the conversion work theyre doing. From all the way back in the Dreamcast days up until today, whenever Nixxes ports a game to another platform you know that a lot of care and attention will have been put into it. I look at their work as a reference for the quality I should be striving for.

Favourite game atm?

The last two years I have been captivated by Soulsborne games. I keep coming back to Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Dark Souls III. Last years Elden Ring was an amazing experience. Lies of P which comes out later this year is looking very promising too.

Whenever I want to hang out and chat with my friends, PUBG is still my game of choice. Paradoxically, despite being a rather hardcore and deeply unforgiving game, it offers a lot of quiet moments too where you can just chill and have fun together.

While everyone else is being hyped by the shiny new Final Fantasy XVI right now, Ive been intrigued by the Pixel Remasters of the classic Final Fantasy titles. Currently Im playing through Final Fantasy V for the first time and Im thoroughly enjoying it.

Finally, recently me and my friends discovered Placid Plastic Duck Simulator which is extremely silly, as youre literally doing nothing but watching rubber ducks bob around in a pool. However, it is strangely fascinating and Ive already spent way more hours on it than is sensible.

Anything else you want to share?

For anyone who may be dreaming of working in game development someday, the best I can say is: be proactive, be curious, and make things! Even if youre repeating what someone else has already done before you, the best way to learn is by doing and then showing other people what youre capable of. Never stop being curious.
Thank you everyone for reading and I hope you found it interesting to see some of what went on behind the scenes on the console side of Isonzo and what weve been doing lately to further improve the game.

[h2] Film Memoir [/h2]

Dont forget that the Film Memoir mode is available for free until August 4 for all our games. You can enable this by going to Settings -> Graphics. We hope you enjoy this special feature and create some fun & interesting footage.



Additionally, Verdun & Isonzo are currently both discounted.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

[h3] See you next time soldiers o7 [/h3]

Hello soldiers,

On this day in 1914, World War One had officially begun. What many initially thought as a 'short' conflict, turned into an international battlefield for 4 years and changed the world forever.
To commemorate this, we've enabled the Film Memoir mode for you all to experience for free, even if you don't own the Digital Goods. This provides a new experience in the game, so be sure to check it out! You can use this feature for free until August 4th. You can enable the feature by going to Options > Graphics.

[previewyoutube=U_tVvpUxUKw;full][/previewyoutube]

You can share your screenshots and video clips with us in our Discord or on our social media when using the filter!



[h2] Other ways to remember [/h2]

Additionally, weve arranged a list of activities you could do remember this important day in history.

• Visit a memorial monument
  Depending on where you live, there might be a WW1 memorial monument nearby. See if you could visit and pay your respects.
  
  
• Visit a museum with a WW1 exposition
  Again, this is depending on where you live, but potentially worth going there. Visit a museum with a WW1 exposition brings you a little closer to the events that took place. There might be even a special tour regarding this important day in history.
  
  
• Read a book regarding the Great War
  Books can be important means of media to remember history, but they can also be used for entertainment purposes. Fiction or non-fiction, there are many books regarding the subject of WW1. Here are a few you could read on this day.
  - A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire by Geoffrey Wawro. Delving into the dark heart of Vienna, Wawro shows how it goaded Serbia and Russia into war, before tracing the wavering fortunes of the Royal and Imperial Army as it faced off against two strong opponents and, ultimately, nearly collapsed after just three months of fighting.
  - The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front, 1915-1919 by Mark Thompson. Featuring many well-known characters of the Italian front such as General Luigi Cadorna, Ernest Hemingway and Gabriele DAnnunzio, it shows us what happened when Italy joined the First World War and fought so hard for a victory that was, in the end, a mutilated one that would poison her body politic for generations.
  - Death of a Hero by Richard Aldington. Semi based on the authors own experience during World War One, the story follows George Winterbourne, who enlists in the British Expeditionary Army during the Great War and gets sent to France. After a rash of casualties leads to his promotion through the ranks, he grows increasingly cynical about the war and disillusioned by the hypocrisies of British society.
  
  
• Watch a movie/series centering WW1
  You might not have much free time to read a book or visit a place. Movies/series are also a great media to remember what happened and experience stories of what (couldve) happened. Here are a few recommendations:
  - All Quiet on the Western Front (1930/1979/2022). All based on the novel with the same title by Erich Maria Remarque, its for many a must-watch if youre interested in history and World War One. You mightve only seen one movie adaptation. Now is a good time to give others a chance too!
  
  
  
  - 1917 (2019), directed by Sam Mendes. You follow the story of Blake & Schofield. The date is April 6th, 1917 and an infantry battalion assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory. Its up to them to deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.
  - Apocalypse la 1re Guerre mondiale (2014). Originally a French, mini documentary tv series, it is highly acclaimed as it doesnt solely focuses on the the relatively known Flanders and France battles, but also the generally unknown Italian-Austrian, German-Polish-Russian, Japanese-German, Ottoman Empire- Allied and African German Colonies, and other unknown or forgotten fronts and battles. Later translated into English for international audiences as World War 1: The Apocalypse.
  
  
• Play a World War One game
  Fully immerse yourself and experience World War One (to a certain extent of course)! Join the Western-, Eastern and/or Italian Front in our games. Hold a moment of silence before you start the battle with your fellow soldiers* in a match. And of course, can always play another WW1-inspired game in your library that you might have.
  
  *this not referring to a moment of silence thats triggered by the game, more a suggestion of what you can do as players yourself.
  

Hello soldiers!

Before we get into meeting a new developer, we have a small request.

[h2] Isonzo Survey [/h2]

We're asking for you help! We've created a survey for you, the Isonzo players. We want to make sure that were putting our development focus in the right areas, and to keep our fingers on the pulse of the WW1 Game Series community.

Answering these questions will help us make a better game and will also help us bring in new players and communicate better with our fans. Click here to be redirected to the survey.

Thank you so much in advance!

Now for the man of the hour, meet one of our progammers!

[h2] Meet the Dev [/h2]

Hello! Could you introduce yourself

Hi! Im Tijmen, a programmer on the WW1 Game Series. Unlike many of my colleagues, I didn't purposefully enter the game industry, it was a rather gradual transition from making websites and backends to becoming a fulltime game developer. Ive been doing this for about 15 years, and I joined the WW1 Game Series team in 2016.

What is your role in BlackMill Games and for the games?

At BlackMill Games we luckily have a very flat structure, everyone is invited to contribute in their own way. For me that fluctuated over the years Ive been here, but currently I'm the generalist programmer, focussing on performance and graphics.

Where did your passion come from?

Although the creative aspect of making games is appealing, what I enjoy most is collaborating with so many talented people to make an idea into reality. It's really exciting when that character movement youve programmed gets hooked up to a 3d model made by an artist, walks through the world thanks to the animators, and syncs up perfectly with the footstep sounds from the audio designer. No individual could do all those things, making a game like ours really reliant on so many expertises.
This was really apparent during the weeks and days before Isonzos release. The whole team and product came together and delivered one of our best games so far.

What was the first thing you made in Isonzo?

For the series in general, the first big thing I worked on was the Horrors of War update for Verdun! That certainly feels like 100 years ago.

For Isonzo in particular it's quite difficult to say, we didn't have a clear point where we went from working on one game to the other. Especially considering how much we still work on our older titles, the lines get a bit blurry.

From the archives i can see ive added the italian main menu on Tuesday 6th of August 2019, and added a goofy placeholder image as a game icon.

What is a memorable moment in the development of Isonzo?

Spawning has been a large part of my work, seeing all that come together is great. It's a system that has evolved with the series, and our ever increasing scope.
For Verdun our mappers manually placed each and every possible spawn point, but with Tannenbergs increased map size this became unfeasible. We created an algorithm that would evaluate the safest spots on the map, think trenches and dugouts, and automatically place points there.

Isonzos maps are even larger, so we continued with this automatic system. However the Dolomiti map especially made it quite obvious that this game is very different. A crater in the flat Poland map was a great spawnpoint, but a similar crater in the Italian Alps might just have a cliff right after, allowing the enemies to shoot and potentially spawn kill you. We tried many different ways of improving our algorithm, including searching vertically as well.



However this never really got the right results, our playtests still were plagued with poor spawn locations. The solution came from one of our mappers, who casually suggested they would really like to paint how safe a particular area is. The idea would be to augment the algorithm with human input. A week later, our safety-painting-tool was born:



Our AI programmer instantly jumped on this opportunity, and made the bots also follow these safety suggestions. This is why they will prefer to walk in a trench, rather than in an open area.

With this added data we can generate all spawnpoints, remove the ones near enemies and other dangers, and then pick the best one.



A system like this is really tough to develop, working on this alone in my basement trying to estimate how players would behave is very difficult. The playtests we do really help, but it's not until the game is out with a lot of players that you can really fine tune a system like this. No game gets it absolutely perfect, but I feel like were in a pretty good spot with spawning at the moment.

Can you show off some of your work process and tell us what youre doing?

Ive just wrapped up a bunch of work to improve our sector drawing tools. We need a way to know and shade in what area of the map you are, and when you are in a capzone. The artist draws these areas in engine, however those tools were quite dated.



Next up, I'm addressing how we bundle assets in our game. Currently, even for a minor patch, there is a small download, but Steam takes a long time to patch the relevant files. This is because all our maps are currently in the same file. If we split those up patching will be much faster.

Which other game dev/studio inspires you?

We certainly learn a lot from other studios, resources like GDC, Siggraph etc. are invaluable to us. If I had to pick a certain studio, Id say Guerilla Games does tremendous work with their Horizon series, despite being in Amsterdam ;)

Favourite game atm?

I don't have that much time to play games right now, but whenever I have a moment to spare I enjoy a game of Hearthstone Battlegrounds.

Anything else you wanna share?

Yeah Id like to thank the community for so many great interactions! We have a dedicated channel to highlight fanmail and cool community projects, and that never fails to put a smile on my face.



[h2] Still Sale-ing [/h2]

The Steam Summer Sale might've ended, but we've still have a sale going on! Besides Isonzo being available with 50% off, you can now get some DLC packs discounted as well. Get that dripsonzo.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815511/Isonzo__Alpine_Units_Pack/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214671/Isonzo__Expedition_Units_Pack/

Ooh and before we forget, be sure to keep an eye out for a future announcement


[h3]Until next time soldiers![/h3]

Hello soldiers!

The dev team is working hard throughout the summer! While continuing to work on improvements, bugs etc. the team is also busy with the new map which will release this summer: Piana! We're currently not ready to show/tell anything about it, but we will eventually! Be sure to look forward to it.



It's time for you to meet another member of the BlackMill team. If you're part of our Discord server, as you should be, then he might be a familar face. Or should we say beak

Here's our Operations Director, Thomas!

Hello! Could you introduce yourself

Hey! Im Thomas, Im the Operations Director at BlackMill Games. Im 30 years old and Im from Groningen in the northern Netherlands. To people in Amsterdam or just not in the North in general, I live north of the wall in Game of Thrones, but honestly its been weeks since I last saw a White Walker.

Besides working in games I enjoy cooking (mostly Mexican and Chinese but you can wake me up for almost any cuisine), and the occasional board game (The Crew is one of my favourites).

What is your role in BlackMill Games and for the games?

I work at BlackMill Games as the Operations Director, although I started as a Producer almost four years ago. My task is that everyone knows what should be made next and when it should be done.

For every update, I make sure that all work is started in time, everyone is aware of deadlines and priorities, and I communicate with our lovely marketing team, external QA, localisation, et cetera. Im a bit of a spider in the web!

Where did your passion come from?

My journey in games started in 2011 when I studied Communication & Multimedia Design. I chose the game branch because of the awesome people and because the collaborative nature of game development resonated with me!

I had a small company first, made a small Steam game called Super Flippin Phones. After that I did some freelancing. Then in 2019 I wounded up at BlackMill Games! My drive is to remove planning stress from the team, so they can focus on making great code, art and more; and to cultivate a good studio culture based on trust and empathy.

What is a memorable moment in the development of Isonzo?

One of the major improvements I worked on for Isonzos development was the Closed Testing. Verdun and Tannenberg both had an early-access release, but we didnt want this for Isonzo, so we needed to make sure our initial release would be worthy of a full release. Seeing our Closed Testing community play our game for the first time was incredible!

After the first session, we updated the game 33 times pre-release and know that every release takes a lot of effort from the team, even if weve done it 1000 times all while still developing the game. We did 38 testing sessions in alpha and beta, and Im extremely happy with the results and the effort of our testing group!

Can you show off some of your work process and tell us what youre doing?

A downside of my job is that I rarely have shiny creations to show, haha. Currently I am working on managing the next couple of Isonzo updates. Every update has a big checklist that starts approximately two months before release.

We usually start planning the trailer for an update eight weeks in advance, and a map has to be ready a month in advance. This adds up, with dozens of small steps (like making store images for new DLC) that all need a time, a place and a developer. This isnt counting development, which needs to be 90% done around this time! My job here is to track all of these small steps and inform everyone if there are changes.

It isnt always chronological, either. Currently we are working hard on the special game mode that will be in the map update after Piana, while we also did a huge technical update for Isonzo two weeks ago. As you can hopefully see, this requires a lot of juggling of priorities, and its my job to make sure that the other developers can focus on their job instead of worrying which patch to focus on this week.

Which other game dev/studio inspires you?

My most played game in the last five years has been Hunt Showdown. Other than playing it, Im also watching Cryteks update strategy and how they communicate with the community. They have similar issues in that they have to stick to era-appropriate weapons (somewhat) so its interesting to see how they deal with this!

What is your favourite game at the moment?

Hunt Showdown definitely deserves a second mention here. Please check it out; it takes place around the turn of the 19th century so it has a lot of WW1 weapons. I would have previously pitched it as a small-scale battle royale, but since its release, extraction shooters have gained popularity, and Hunt is also easily pitchable as a smooth, no-nonsense extraction shooter without tedious inventory management.

Other than that, Im playing some science-fiction games currently like Citizen Sleeper, which is really special. Its a weird blend of narrative adventure and resource management, you constantly feel chased but youre also making friends along the way (who arent doing much better).

Anything else you wanna share?

No, but I would be very grateful if you (the reader) would please send me their favourite comfort food recipes in the comments or in the #food channel in Discord! Thanks for reading :)

[h2]The Summer Sale is still going[/h2]

The Steam Summer Sale is still going! You can complete your Isonzo collection by purchasing the DLC or go to the other fronts in Verdun & Tannenberg. Additionally, you can also participate in our giveaway on Twitter!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214671/Isonzo__Expedition_Units_Pack/




[h3]Until next time soldiers![/h3]

Hello soldiers!

The Steam Summer Sale has begun! You can now find Isonzo with a 45% discount and additional cosmetic DLC with 30% off.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/



[h2] On the other fronts [/h2]

If you would like the other fronts; now is your time! Both Verdun & Tannenberg are currently discounted with 75%. Perfect time to join the Summer Retreat Offensive that currently going on.

[h2] Meet the Dev [/h2]

In case you've missed it, last week we released a devblog were you got to meet one of our animators! Be sure to read it

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3649652637281432070?l=english

[h3] See you at the front soldiers o7 [/h3]

This small update fixes issues you may have experienced after our big technical update from last week.

• Fixed players sometimes not being connected to the correct region and not seeing all available matches
  
• Fixed players switching teams defaulting to the Mountaineer class
  
• Fixed turning FSR on or off after changing Resolution settings causing the game to stop working
  
• Fixed being able to bypass the match joining pop-ups causing the player to get stuck in a previous match
  

Hi soldiers!

We hope youve all been well and enjoying the game! Its been about a month now since we released the Monte Grappa map and recently we also released a big patch with several new implementations and fixes. You can find the patch notes here. Thank you for your reports & patience! Well of course keep an eye out and continue on optimising the game, as well as adding new content thats still coming!



Now, instead of only talking about the game, lets talk about the people who create them as well! Come on in and meet some members of the BlackMill team! First up is one of our animator's Guido!

Hello! Could you introduce yourself

Hi! My name is Guido, Im 33 years old and Im from the Netherlands. I studied 3D Computer Animation and worked mostly in film in the past. An animation project I did which you may know is a short film called Mac n Cheese.
[previewyoutube=MUwnVA6GNXo;full][/previewyoutube]

Ive been a part of the WW1 Game Series for over 5 years now. Besides being an animator, Im currently finishing a Masters in Biology where Ive focused a lot on working with microbial fuel cells. So if there are any biology geeks, you can hit me up if you ever want to talk about powering small devices using bacteria

What is your role in BlackMill Games and for the games?

My first job for Blackmill Games was editing for the game trailers, starting with Verdun. When the studio was looking for an animator, I applied and took on the role of the First Person animator. Since then Ive been responsible for everything that moves on your screen! I also do a lot of work on the trailers where I get to make a short film every few months to showcase new maps and weapons.

Where did your passion come from?

I started doing 3D modelling when I was about 14 years old. Ive always enjoyed using my PC for more than just playing games and Im terrible at drawing, so 3D allowed me to tinker away at things. I found out during art school that animation is really what I enjoy most, so ever since then I've been doing just that. While I really loved making films, the switch to games made me realise how much fun it is to make something, coordinate and brainstorm with programmers to integrate my work into the game and really bring everything to life.

What was the first thing you made in Isonzo?

Oof! Thats a long time ago. I think one of the first things I worked on were the animations for the Carcano M91 rifle, because the Italians needed something to work with! But since then, its received a few more passes so Im not sure if what I did then is still in the game as it is!



What is a memorable moment in the development of Isonzo?

When we started out, gunplay and the way we handled animations was still similar to Verdun and Tannenberg. We really wanted to bring something new to the series, so we brainstormed with game designers and programmers about what gunplay should be. Our programmer Ben (who you get to meet in a future devblog) then came up with a way to handle movement and recoil procedurally. That has really changed my workflow and made gunplay in Isonzo unique. It was literally a game changer.

Can you show off some of your work process and tell us what youre doing?

Besides working on the first-person animation and the trailers, I also try to continually improve character animations in the game. Currently I've been given the task to change the way you see other players aim.
In the past we had 5 directions (forward, up, down, left, right) and we would blend between them, limiting the movement to just the upper body. We currently have 9 directions and movement of the entire body is being used.. This looks a lot more natural.





Oh and heres a clip of what the animation for the Dreyse pistol looks like from my side!



Which other game dev/studio inspires you?

Theres so many first-person animators out there sharing their work and its been a great inspiration. For instance, Haydn Cooper makes the craziest, most creative animations. There are many more like her out there that I try to learn from and get inspired by. Although I always have to tone it down a little bit, because were trying to be realistic here

Favourite game at the moment?

Lately Ive been really enjoying the co-op experience of playing Valheim. A good friend of mine built the sickest treehouse ever and we cleared the Mistlands. Pretty proud

Anything else you wanna share?

I just want to take a moment to thank all the fans that have been with us for so long. Were closing in on 10 years as a series and Ive been here for about half that time. Im also very curious to hear what you guys enjoy about Isonzos animation, but also what you would like to see as were always trying to improve upon what we have. See you on the battlefield!

[h2] Thats it for now! [/h2]

Hey everyone!
We have list of patch notes here for you! Thank you for your patience and support!

[h2]New[/h2]

• Implemented FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2). This is a rendering technique that can either help significantly with your GPU performance, and/or acts as an anti-aliasing solution! Can be found under Graphics Settings
  
• Implemented Steam rich presence - displaying currently played maps and friend grouping
  
• Networking solution update - we are hopeful that this will improve a lot of network related issues players have been experiencing!
  
• Sabotino rework and balancing of points of interest in the first- and last sector
  

• Falling through ground/map improvements
  
• Fixed arming/defusing animation appearing very slowed down
  
• Fixed screen sometimes being tinted blue or green
  
• Gas masks now have a grace period when equipping them to prevent dying when players have already equipped it
  
• Fixed Bugle aura effect being wider than its preview
  
• Fixed Bugle cooldown sometimes not activating
  
• Fixed periscopes sometimes not being usable
  
• Fixed periscopes not disappearing if player changes faction
  
• Fixed non showing interaction tag text on nearest object
  
• Periscope can no longer be sabotaged while someone is using it
  
• Fixed periscope use animation in third person
  
• Grappa lighting improvements
  
• Grappa map improvements, fixes and optimization
  
• Caporetto map improvements and fixes
  
• Piave map improvements and fixes
  
• Fixed an issue where in some cases an Officer was not correctly assigned to an Officer slot in the map overview
  
• Improvements to Officer player syncing
  
• Fixed flares sometimes not registering
  
• Fixed Officer sometimes unable to use call-ins
  
• Fixed bad performance in the 'After Action Report Highlights' screen
  
• Fixed uniform & flavor text when looking at squad view while someone joins the squad
  
• Improved appearance syncing in the squad menu
  
• Fixed bots not balancing out when players swap faction
  
• Fixed an issue where player weren't able to reload from a grenade crate if they only had rifle grenades
  
• Fixed an issue that caused players to always start with 3 grenades instead of the defined starting amount
  
• Fixed an issue where the HUD in the weapon stats screen would show incorrect ammo values
  
• Fixed an issue that caused players to bypass the resupply cooldown
  
• Fixed sabotaging pontoons using the building animation
  
• Fixed stance switching would interrupt bash animations
  
• Fixed suppression effects not working
  
• Fixed an issue where mortars sometimes appeared to have infinite ammo
  
• Fixed the Tettoni losing bullets on reload
  
• Fixed an issue where the static weapon name would be added twice to the tag text
  
• Fixed Grappa match not granting bonus tickets if previous rounds were won by attackers
  
• Fixed an issue where the river sound would remain persistent when dying inside of water
  
• Improved defender bot behavior while an objective is being attacked
  
• Better bot distribution when objectives are contested
  
• Fixed bots sometimes not retreating when they should have
  
• Fixed bots not knowing how to aim with mortars
  
• HUD tags no longer float away if player changes resolution
  
• Fixed player tags being affected by motion blur on the spawn map
  
• Fixed mouse scrolling speed under the Match tab in the After Action Report
  
• After Action Report now sometimes shows secondary weapon instead of primary
  
• Fixed incorrect audio being played on challenge completion
  
• Fixed loadouts not correctly updating in the barracks when using the back button
  
• Fixed sabotaging sound not playing throughout the sabotage process
  
• Fixed being able to equip the gas mask while underwater
  
• Fixed barbed wire icons not showing correct states
  
• Fixed bullet ejection direction for the Dreyse
  
• Fixed bullet visible in the Dreyse mag when unloading an empty magazine
  
• Dreyse texture fixes
  
• Fixed Mannlicher being offset in first person
  
• Improved Leichter mortar use animations
  
• Mannlicher & G98 - Fixed clip issues during reload
  
• Improved bolting animation for the Kar98
  
• Fixed rotation of Stielhandgranate M17
  
• Textures fixes and animation tweaks for various weapons
  

• Switching Teams when playing solo will force switching to the Mountaineer Class
  
• Switching Teams from Italy to Germany can show an Austrian Mountaineer in the Squad Menu
  
• Main Menu Barracks doesn't always save presets for certain classes
  

This bug fix patch for the Grappa Update includes the following fixes:

• Fixed errors which should affect performance
  
• Fixed missing reload open sound for the Tettoni
  
• Fixed clipping issues with M13 and G98 reloads
  
• Fixed errors on loading into Grappa map
  
• Fixed lighting issues
  
• Fixed graphical issues in the Grappa caves
  
• Changed Kar 98 bolting animation

Hello soldiers!

Your battle for the Sacred Mountain starts now!

[previewyoutube=QKW15_J7ENQ;full][/previewyoutube]

The Monte Grappa map is now available for everyone to play for free!
Be sure to update your game and join the battle.

Additionally, we have new weaponry for you to try out! In case youve missed, you can check our devblog about them.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/6977806508505445576

We also got new cosmetic DLC for the German Empire! This cosmetic DLC contains over 40 items, including the famous Pickelhaube!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214671/Isonzo__Expedition_Units_Pack/



[h2] Complete your Isonzo collection [/h2]

Want your friend to join your conquest for Grappa or want to complete your drip set? Isonzo and various DLC items are currently on sale in celebration of Grappas release!



[h2] Patch notes [/h2]
Here's an overview of all things included with this update.

[h3]New additions[/h3]

• New map: Monte Grappa
  
• New weapons: Tettoni Mod. 1916 "Ona" (IT), Gasser M.1870 (A-H), Dreyse M1907 (DE)
  
• New DLC: Expedition Units
  
• Added more robust data gathering about sessions and match length, for which there will be a new EULA popup

• Added Captured Beretta M15 to German Officer as Logistics II (level 20) challenge reward
  
• Fixed issue where XP requirements for challenges were not checked properly
  
• Fixed floating bullets when reloading the Gewehr 98 with stripper clips
  
• Fixed issue with Luger reload sound
  
• Improved consistency for reward display consistency in Progression screen, including "captured" status
  
• Fixed standing up animation looking odd in first person by removing hand animation for now
  
• MG08/15: Improved wall collision behaviour, Fixed bash & vault animations not working, Preventing firing while mid-air, Fixed mag reappearing when interrupting reload, and prevent conflicting icons showing, fixed clip state when empty, numerous other fixes to audio and first person behaviour
  
• Fixing being able to skip transitions when firing LMG's while tigering/sighting
  
• Fixed M95 issue where the riflegrenade wasn't following the hand
  
• Fixed deployed icon not reappearing after finishing reload
  
• Glisenti grip update & shell eject fix
  
• Tweak to audio delay for fiat revelli reload close sound
  
• Fixed audio reload issues with Beretta M1915
  
• Fixed not being able to bolt weapons when sprinting with manual bolting off
  
• Removed "J" debug key that would cause you to fall through the ground sorry

• Increased Sight Speed of G98, M88-90 and Glisenti M1910
  
• Increased Fire Rate of M95
  
• Decrease Fire Rate of M88-90
  
• Increased Stopping Power of M13, Roth Steyr M1907, G88 and Beretta M15
  
• Decreased Stopping Power of Glisenti M1910
  
• Slowed Reload Speed of P08 and C96

Hello soldiers!

Monte Grappa's release is tomorrow, but to give you some extra insight, there will be dev stream live tonight at 8PM CEST/11AM PDT/2PM EDT

Additionally, this will be combined with an AMA, so if you have any questions, be sure to leave them in our Discord!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

We hope to see you there!

Hello soldiers!

Since its finally May, we got the release date for the Monte Grappa map for you all!

[previewyoutube=WgX_ECJolLU;full][/previewyoutube]

Yes, on May 17th, youll be able to play on this new map! This update will also include new weapons & new cosmetic DLC.

You can now wishlist the new Expedition Units Pack here on the store page! The price will be around $9.99, similar to the Royal Units DLC.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214671/Isonzo__Expedition_Units_Pack/

Yes, youre seeing that correctly! The Pickelhaube will be one of the items available in this cosmetic pack.'



Remember that these items are purely cosmetic visuals for the players characters and do not provide any game advantages like buffs or perks. We hope youll enjoy this DLC pack for the German Empire.



[h2] Something is missing [/h2]
Unfortunately, we have to delay the Mac version of Isonzo which was scheduled to release with the Grappa map. We need a little bit more time to ensure that the game runs well, so were taking some extra time.

We are currently still working on the map and finalising it as much as we can with data required from internal and closed beta testing.

[h2] Were here to help [/h2]

Of course if you run into any issues, please let us know in the Discussion Community tab or in our Discord

[h2] Keep an eye on the horisonzo [/h2]

Keep an eye out on our store page for upcoming deals in celebration of the Monte Grappa release!

Hello soldiers!

Today marks the release anniversary of Verdun! You can now find the game with a 70% discount, the soundtrack with 50% off & the Film Memoir mode is available for all for a timely period.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

Be sure to share your screenshots and footage in Discord or on Twitter with the #Verdunversary hashtag.

You can also find a special Verdun Bingo card in the Verdun announcement.



[h3]See you at the Western Front![/h3]

Hello soldiers!

Its almost time to get your assault on Monte Grappa started! Dont forget, alongside this update will come the new weapons, Mac support and the Expedition Units Pack DLC. Be sure to check out our previous devblogs on these as well in case youve missed them.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/6977806508505445576

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/5513009457817733187

[h2] The final standing [/h2]

While along the course of the Piave all attempts at a breakthrough by the Austro-German troops were unsuccessful, the objective of the German General Otto von Below's was Mount Grappa. This range of mountains represented the keystone of the whole Italian front: winning its 1,770 meters meant that it would be possible to move into the plains of Veneto and leave behind both the Asiago plateau as well as the river.

On 20th November, the Austro-German troops occupied Mount Tomba and Fontana Secca, but three days later they were driven back to their original positions. Even lieutenant Erwin Rommel, already a protagonist at Kolovrat with his battalion of Wrttemberg, failed to break through because of his lack of knowledge of these peaks.

Want to read more about the history of the Battles of Monte Grappa? Read our devblog here.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1556790/announcements/detail/3699183438970767121

For now, lets take a closer look at the upcoming map and its objectives!

[h2] The battle for the Sacred Mountain [/h2]



Your match will start out in Nomansland, a wooded area that has suffered a lot of damage from previous fighting. Trenches run through this dense forest, as well as a stream of water.

For the German Assault team, your first main objective will be Monte Tomba first, continuing along the ridgeline of the mountain towards Monte Palon and further beyond.



Your A & B objectives will be a Bunker Forest Capzone and a destructible objective which is a communications bunker, which can be found on the top. Youll see stone barracks and resting areas on the backside of the mountain ridges.



Be wary of the steep climb! But then again, its a mountain top, so what did you expect ;)

If the Germans are successful, theyll advance to Castel Cesil, a fortified area above the forest. This is one of the main objectives for the section of the map. The other one will be a heavy artillery piece that is located in the valley.



This area of the map will have several fortified positions that provide great overlooking areas, may it be the forest or the valley. This valley will also be a big divider between the two objectives! So be sure to be strategic in your plans for assaulting and defending them. Will the your team's snipers make those shots count, or will the Germans separate the defenders amongst the objectives in an efficient manner?



The third main objective will be Monte Palon, another destructive objective. Here your goal will be to blow up (or defend) the munition stock of the artillery gallery. This section of the map is especially interesting since it has multiple cave systems to defend or sneak around in.



If youre afraid that the enemy might be camping out in the caves, you can always try to advance through the center, where you run into the main trench artery, which runs along the mountain ridge. Or maybe you find your own special route towards the objective?



And there it finally is, the snowy mountain top! Destroyed trenches, cratered landscapes, artillery batteries and crestling hills & valleys paint your final objective - Cima Della Mandria.



Your final A & B objectives will be a capzone and a destructible artillery battery. On the right side youll find a crashed Caproni bomber leading towards the main trench in the area, leading to this final destructive objective. The final fight for glory on this Holy Mountain is shaping up to be a fierce one, so be sure to make it count!



Now to round it all up, heres a flyover of the Monte Grappa Map.

[previewyoutube=hj0_mNdgjqA;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2] Mehr Musik [/h2]

You asked for the Isonzo OST to get updated with the Germans theme and the instrumental/piano version of Rinasceremo Insieme, so we did! Starting today, you can find these songs in your soundtrack folder as well!

Did you know that the piano reprise of Rinasceremo Insieme was actually earlier in the making than one with lyrics? The piano version used to be a guide track for the development team and the Tenor vocalist initially.

A few months ago, our landscape artist Kian, who's responsible for the map flyovers, was browsing the pieces of music that were created for the game and saw this one fit for the Piave flyover. That's when Bart, our composer, did some minor mix updates to make the track fit nicely on the Isonzo soundtrack album.

If you dont own the Isonzo Soundtrack yet, you can get it now with a 20% discount!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2078340/Isonzo_Soundtrack/

[h2] Upcoming Anniversary [/h2]

Upcoming Friday, April 28th, will be the Verdun Anniversary!
Go back to the origin of the WW1 Game Series at the Western Front.

The game will be available with a big discount along with some other aspects, so be sure to keep an eye on it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

[h3] See you next time soldiers! [/h3]

This update adds more logging and potential fixes for cases where players would fall through the ground. We are still actively working on the remaining issue, but it should improve your experience in the meantime.

We apologise for this ongoing issue and we will keep you posted as we have more news.

Hello soldiers!

It is time for another devblog. May is slowly approaching, but to ease the pain a bit, well take a look at some upcoming weapons.

In case youve missed it, the Monte Grappa map will be released in May! Be sure to check our updated roadmap as well.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2957046383

[h2] The Orbea Brothers [/h2]

As some of you already noticed in the screenshot from the last devblog, one of the weapons youll be getting with this update is the Revolver Orbea Hermanos - Tettoni 1916.



The Revolver Orbea Hermanos - Tettoni 1916 is a Spanish copy of the Smith & Wesson Double Action .44. pistol and was imported by F. Tettoni of Brescia for the Italians, and chambered for the 10.4mm Ordinanza Italiana ( the same round used in the Bodeo revolver). The need for weaponry was high during WW1, especially for handguns. Several Spanish manufacturers filled this need for countries such as France and Italy.

Although this model was imported for the Italians, it was never officially adopted into the Italian military at the time. However, many Italian officers used the weapon during their service in WW1, which youll also be able to do in Isonzo.


Source

The Orbea Hermanos started their company in the 1880s and was the only company listed in Eibar (Spanish city) as an arms factory. In 1883 they obtained a permit that would be valid for 20 years, where they would make a revolver based on the Smith & Wesson First Model DA. Over the years, they would manufacture multiple variations.

Orbea still exists to this day and focuses primarily on manufacturing bicycles, helmets and other cycling related items.

[h2] Gasser Gunner [/h2]

The Gasser M1870, designed and manufactured by Leopold Gasser, was originally adopted by the Austro-Hungarian army for cavalry use. By the outbreak of WW1, this borderline obsolete firearm was pressed into military service once more.



Genuine Gasser-made products are marked 'L. GASSER PATENT WIEN' or 'L. GASSER OTTAKRING PATENT', and often carry the Gasser trademark of a heart pierced by an arrow.

Chambered for the hefty 11.3x36mmR, this revolver has an open-frame model, with the barrel unit attached to the frame by a screw beneath the cylinder arbor. The pin was screwed into the barrel unit and fitted into a recess in the stranding breech. From the right side, the cylinder was gate-loaded, and beneath the barrel there was a rod ejector - held in place with a handy thumbscrew.



Below the cylinder on the right side of the frame was an unique safety bar; it carries pins that pass through holes in the frame to engage the lock mechanism. Slightly retracting the hammer allows one of these pins to move inward, preventing the hammer moving forward again when released. After this, the pistol was safe to carry safely while being loaded.

Gasser also made several commercial versions of this weapon, which overall had a better finish. Other variants of the revolver were produced in smaller calibers such as the 9mm Gasser-Kropatschek M1876.

The Gasser family of revolvers also included the famous Montenegrin revolvers, ownership was even made mandatory by Nicholas I of Montenegro in 1910, enshrining it in Montenegrin culture at the time.



[h2] Dre(i)yse M1907 [/h2]

Finally, theres another gun that will join your arsenal! The Dreyse Model 1907 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by Louis Schmeisser, which he named after Nikolaus von Dreyse, designer of the Dreyse Needle Gun.



For its time, the gun had an interesting feature; when it was ready to fire, the firing pin projected through the back of the breech block. It had a .32 ACP with a 7 round detachable magazine that's interchangeable with the Browning 1900.

During WW1, it was mainly used by Austo-Hungarian & German officers. Examples issued to the Imperial German Army will have an acceptance proof above the ejection port on the right as well as the normal Crown N commercial proofs on the left side of the frame and slide near the trigger.


Source

After WW1, the pistol continued to see service in military and police roles. It saw action again in WW2, and was mainly used by Wehrmacht troops.



[h2] Isalezo [/h2]

Currently you can find Isonzo and the Deluxe Edition with a 45% discount! The sale runs until the 15th, so be sure to get it before it's too late.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

[h3]Until next time soldiers![/h3]

This update provides several bug fixes, but also extra tracking and logging for the falling through ground issues. We understand this is very frustrating and it is a priority for us to fix these issues. Thank you for your patience!

This update is about 130 MB. We increased the network version, so make sure you update before playing if you want to play online.

Fixes:

• Fixed hands sometimes staying in wrong position after switching weapons
  
• Fixed left arm staying behind while prone and equipping some tools or weapons
  
• Improved character turning and prone movement animation in third person
  
• Fixed missing reloading animation for HMGs in third person
  
• Fixed movement animations not starting when player moves slow with a controller
  
• Fixed the indicator for recently unlocked equipment not showing up in the the Main Menu Barracks
  
• Stability and performance improvements

Hello soldiers !

Its April Fools but this is all but a joke.
Breadsonzo is a reality! This weekend, you can find special pieces of bread on Dolomiti & Piave.

Your goal is to find 10 different pieces of bread at the end of the event. If you do so, youll obtain a special medal and you can call yourself a breadwinner!



[h2] How to find the bread [/h2]

• Enter a public or custom match on Piave or Dolomiti and collect the bread
  
• Each sector has several amounts of spawn points for the bread
  
• Spawn points will be randomizer for each map
  
• Each sector on Piave will spawn 2 breads in random spots
  
• Each sector on Dolomiti will spawn 5 breads in random spots
  
• Collect 10 breads total during the length of the event to get a Breadwinner medal
  
• Same bread can be collected by more than one player
  

Hello soldiers !

As you know, the new upcoming map in Isonzo will be Monte Grappa! Along with this new map will also be new weapons and a new DLC pack for the Germans - the Expedition Units Pack !

And theres more news! Weve finally updated the roadmap, and as you can see, you can expect to conquer Monte Grappa this May! And what's that; do you spy the new addition as well? Yes, a special Piana map will come to Isonzo as well, with even more content !



But thats news for a later devblog. For now lets take a closer look at the Expeditions Units Pack DLC ! And remember, these DLCs are purely cosmetic and DO NOT impact the game at all with perks or buffs.

[h2] Expedition to the cold [/h2]

This pack will contain 48 items, regarding the Gebirgsjger and Alpenkorps - all ready and geared up for the cold temperatures. Furthermore, there will be the Royal Bavarian Lifeguards and extra heavily kitted out, grenade laden stormtroopers.

Overall it will contain:

• 12 German Uniforms
  
• 24 German Headgear Items
  
• 2 Facial Items
  
• 7 Facial hair items
  
• 3 Faces
  

We have a small update with fixes for you today. It also contains some preparations for a starchy surprise this weekend. Keep an eye out for the next blog for more info!

• Fixed Kar98 AZ and Kar88 Carbines not tracking for the Recon I challenge
  
• Fixed missing bayonet for the G98 in the Marksman class
  
• Fixed bots clipping trough objects on the Piave bridge
  
• Fixed missing periscope tags on the minimap
  
• Fixed Marksman Scout and Stalker perk icons
  
• Fixed wrong weapon showing in barracks after swapping teams
  
• Skipping reward screen no longer hides reward renders in the After Action Report
  
• Stability improvements

Hello soldiers !

We hope youve been enjoying Isonzo and the latest Piave map ! Were aware that with this update, a new fall through map issue has arised. Please know that were aware of this and looking into solving this issue (alongside other reports). Here you can find an overview of Known Issues and the FAQ if you have any questions.

Besides this, were currently also working on bringing you the final map of the Caporetto expansion, the well-known (and requested) Monte Grappa map ! We cant give you a release date yet, but what we can do is provide you with some information on the Battles of Monte Grappa.

[h2] Most Important Pillar [/h2]

The Battles of Monte Grappa were a series of battles that were fought at the end of 1917 until the end of 1918.

The first battle is well-known for putting the Austro-Hungarian advance to a halt after the Summer Offensive of 1917. Previously when he was still chief, Cadorna had ordered the construction of multiple fortresses in the mountain, making the mountain impenetrable. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans were unable to take the mountains summit during this first battle. For the Italians, their front was not stabilised along the Piave river and their number of casualties were significantly lower.


Trenches on Monte Grappa. Source

The second battle was complementary to the Battle of Piave River, which took place on June 15-23 1918. This is seen as a decisive victory for the Italians and beginning of the end for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In January 1918, General von Htzendorf wrote to his wife We can no longer coin on victory in Italy..This front was easier to defend for the Italians, as it was shorter, now chief Diaz had the opportunity to reorganise and re-equip his army. Due to this, combined with increased rations and pay, the morale and discipline of the Italian soldiers was restored.

Now with new and stronger spirits among the Italian soldiers, the support of the home front grew as well (or moderate amongst the working class). The battles got the name battaglia d'arresto, the Stop Battles, and the mountain became a symbol for this new defensive war and survival of the homeland; resulting in the unification of Italian political forces.


Source

[h2] Italian Victory awaits [/h2]

The third and final battle of Monte Grappa started on October 24, 1918. Being part of the final Italian offensive, the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, 9 Italian divisions attacked the Austro-Hungarians position at the mountain. The task of the Italians was to simply hold the front line and follow up the enemy when they retreated. The task of opening the attack and taking on the strongest positions fell to the Fourth Army, led by Lieutenant-General Gaetano Giardino.


Italian Machine gunners. Source

Though they increased their forces, outnumbering the Italians in divisions, the soldiers were too worn down and the army began to do a general retreat on October 28. when Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic & Slovak Republic) declared their independence from Austria-Hungary.

[h2] A sacred place [/h2]

Shortly after the war in 1922, the Italian government declared Monte Grappa sacred and immortal to the Fatherland. Later in 1935, a military monument was built on the mountain, turning it into a destination for patriotic pilgrims and history fans.



[h2] Meanwhile on the Western- & Eastern Front [/h2]

Starting today until the 26th, you can join the March Offensive in Verdun & Tannenberg ! All casualties in Frontlines- & Maneuver game modes will be added to the total losses. The winning side will be whoever suffers the least amount of killed and wounded soldiers.



[h2] Grappa in Isonzo [/h2]

As stated before, we cant give you a release date for the Grappa map, for now. As always, well continue to update you all on future content, so be sure to look out for a map devblog regarding Monte Grappa ! For now, enjoy this screenshot !



[h3] See you later soldiers! [/h3]

[h2]UPDATE:[/h2]
chasseur The issue has been resolved on our network partner's end. You can continue playing on the EU server! chasseur
_______

Previous post contents:

We are aware of issues with the EU server browser and "Play Now" functionality. Servers seem to disappear from the list, leaving them running but making it impossible for new players to join via "Play Now" or the server browser. We have investigated this and it seems unlikely that the issues were caused by this week's patch.

From what we've seen, all our games are affected on all platforms, however it only seems to target players on the EU server.

The issues seem to be with our networking partner, we are getting in touch with them to see what can be done.

In the meantime, we're working on a temporary solution so you all get the opportunity to play. Especially with the latest Piave map and weekend coming up. We may make changes to our region selection, for example by disabling EU and/or replacing it with a nearby region.

For now (to ensure a full match) EU server players are advised to switch to another region yourself through the Main Menu.

We're sorry for the inconvenience, we're aiming to solve the issue ASAP. Be sure to keep an eye out for future updates on the matter.

Today we present a hotfix for issues related to our latest release. This should mostly smooth out performance on Piave and in general.

Full changes below. This update increases the network version, so make sure to update before playing online again!

[h2]Fixes[/h2]

• Memory optimisations and general performance improvement on Piave
  
• Other miscellaneous memory fixes for high memory usage on other maps
  
• Removed match IDs from the menu again (were not intended to be published

Hello soldiers !

The Piave map is now available for you to play for free !

[previewyoutube=mqy6Jeu6CiI;full][/previewyoutube]

Alongside this release, we added more custom match options and new weapons for you to play with ! If you would like to read more about the map and its historical background, you can read our previous devblogs:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3632752093411262805
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3641760560649857977?l=english



[h2] Pave to the Sale [/h2]

Alongside the Piave release, we got a special discount for Isonzo! You can now get the game with 40% discount, the Elite- & Alpine Units Pack have 30% off and you can find the Royal Units DLC and Soundtrack with a 10% discount.



[h2] Devs coming to you live! [/h2]

On the same day, February 28, a few members of the development team will be live here on the Steam page to play and discuss Isonzo! At 8PM CET/11AM PST/4AM JST (Wed), be sure to tune in here on the store page of Isonzo !

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

[h2] Patch Notes for the Piave Update [/h2]
The update is 2.1 GB on Windows, a bit smaller on Linux, and it will update the network version, so make sure to update before you play again.

[h3]Patch Overview[/h3]
Newly added

• New map: Piave
  
• New Officer weapons: Beretta M1917 and Mauser M1914
  
• The game now supports Fullscreen Borderless mode
  
• You can now choose which display the game should use

• New gradual bot difficulty settings
  
• Set Number of bots per team
  
• Set number of attacker tickets
  
• Ability to remove weapon limitations
  
• Adjust sector cooldown times

• Fixed an issue where the MG08 and Fiat Revelli had vibrating thumbs
  
• Fixed offset aim on the MG08/15
  
• Fixed reload skipping for mortars
  
• Fixed mortars sometimes having infinite ammo
  
• Resupplying with the ammo box will no longer break after resupplying multiple times in a row
  
• Fixed wrong ammo count on the Frommer Stop
  
• Players can no longer reload while Rifle Grenades are equipped
  
• Fixed offset muzzle flashes on some weapons
  
• Third person Rifle grenade animation cancels no longer interrupt other actions
  
• Fixed third person building animation playing even when player is not building
  
• Animations no longer get cut off in the After Action Report screen
  
• Fixed aborted reload sometimes not being synced for all players
  
• Fixed resupplying not taking loaded clips into account for the Villar Perosa
  
• Fixed magazine attachments not being taken into account when resupplying ammo
  
• Fixed weapon stats sometimes incorrectly showing difference between weapons
  
• Updated weapon stats to reflect revolver and other single insert bullet reload speeds
  
• Added Ammo Count in weapon stat comparison
  
• Fixed Field gun rangefinder not showing correct distance
  
• Possible fix for players sometimes dying with no death cause
  
• Bots are now slowed by water
  
• Fixed more areas bots would get stuck in
  
• Fixed bots sometimes not being able to plant or defuse bombs on bridges
  
• Various animation fixes and improvements
  
• Loading screen text is now more readable
  
• Localization fixes
  
• Various optimization and memory use improvements

• Defending bots objective prioritization
  
• Bots dont always use bridges as intended
  
• Mechanic sound when starting to fire MG08/15 before bracing
  
• Left arm animation sometimes incorrect while prone and using certain tools

Hello soldiers !

As you might know, the upcoming Piave map is releasing on February 28! This is the second map of the Caporetto expansion, meaning this will be another map for the Italians & Germans to fight on. Of course, this a free new map, alongside the new weapons and more custom match options youll be getting as well.



The battle for Piave is only a few days away, so what better way to prepare yourself is some in-depth information about the map and your objectives !

[h2] Remember, the 10th of November [/h2]

Its November 10, 1917.

Only the Vidor bridge northwest of Montello still remains intact. All the previous bridges were destroyed a day prior. It was the Italians' strategic plan to maintain the bridgehead beyond the Piave river at Vidor and Valdobbiadene. Start a counter-offensive against the Austro-German forces at the right wing (and help out the deployment of the Allied forces at the Italian Front). In order to deal with the danger that was lurking, a bridgehead was ordered to be built on the left side of the Piave river at Vidor.
If you would like to read more about the Battles of the Piave, be sure to read our previous devblog.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3632752093411262805

[h2] P(i)ave the way [/h2]

As you mightve seen from the screenshots that we teased, youll be fighting in some vineyard. This is where the battle will commence for the German assault. Destructed vehicles and ruins of buildings that made up the town mark the battlefield as you fight your way up the hill. A real highway to hell...



At the top of the hill youll find the ruins of a castle. A strong holding point for the Italians with the highground, but the surrounding vineyards might make it a bit harder to see the attackers coming. Combined with foxhole-style trenches, overtaking the castle were the first objectives for the Germans to take, and for the Italians to defend.



If the Germans are successful in their capture of the hilltop castle and clearing out the vineyard, they make their way to the town of Vidor. A distinct height difference will be visible between the town and the forest at the top of the hill. Perhaps using this to your advantage will help, or maybe it makes you extra wary of potential flanks of the enemy?

The next objective will be the towns Abbey. To reach this, the Germans need to make their way through the town first, go down the slopes across the towns mainstreet which has turned into No Man's Land due to the battle. Fighting again on a ground level, both parties need to stay aware of their visibility and long distance firing/bombing that potentially can happen.



If No Mans Land is crossed, the new fighting ground will be the Abbey. A beautiful building that still stands strong in the midst of the battle, like the Italians' morale. The hallways, paths and inner sanctuary make for some close range combat, so be aware that a foe can be around every corner. Visually, it's a very mesmerizing place to fight the battles of war.





The final destination will be the Piave Bridgehead and its right bank. The bridge still stands but only partly, but can be fully destroyed if successful. Finding a different way to cross is of importance for the Germans. Luckily, a small bridge can be built on the right riverbank.



But remember, what can be built can also be destroyed. Be sure to not be distracted by this side of the river. Though a smaller bridge makes it easier for soldiers to cross, that doesnt mean its the only way. Keep your eyes on the river, there seems to be more swimming in the water besides the fishes



[h2] Piave from above [/h2]

To get you fully prepared for your new upcoming battle, weve a complete flyover of the map for you on our YouTube channel

[previewyoutube=6FbGW7SoQWU;full][/previewyoutube]

Remember that this update is completely for free, so be sure to update your game on February 28 to fight on this new battlefield!

[h2] More coming to Isonzo [/h2]

This is not the last map we will bring to Isonzo! We got a lot more coming for you Up next is a well-known phenomenon, so well be getting on that right away (along with the other future content).

[h3] See you at the Piave River next week! [/h3]

Hello soldiers !

Currently our games Verdun & Tannenberg are on sale with 75% off!



Experience the Western- and Eastern Front of the Great War in these previous two games.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

[h3]See you at the fronts soldiers[/h3]

Hello soldiers !

Were excited to share with you all what the new upcoming map is going to be! Only a few of you have guessed it correctly; the new map is going to be Piave !



The release date for this map is February 28 and will release alongside more custom match options (more bot options, cooldown timers, ticket timers & more) and new weapons
For now, lets talk about the Piave battles.



[h2] Battles of the Piave [/h2]

The two battles of the Piave river were fought between November 10-December 25, 1917 and June 15-23 1918. The Austro-Hungarians together with the Germans advanced together and aimed to bring down the Italian army once and for all.

After the Italian defeat at Caporetto (24 October 1917), they retreated to the Tagliamento line. At the same time, Boselli resigned as the prime minister of Italy and he was replaced by Vittorio Emanule Orlando. Together with King Victor Emmanuel III, he formed a new cabinet. They met with the British and French prime ministers (David Lloyd George & Paul Painlev) to discuss the emergency facing the Italian army. One of the decisions that were made during this meeting was Cadornas replacement by Armando Diaz as the new Italian chief of staff. Additionally, the British and French prime ministers suggested that the Mincio river might be easier to defend, but the king supported his new chief to stand firm on the Piave river, to prevent Venice from falling into enemy hands.


King Victor Emmanuel III and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Source

Allied forces made their way down to the Italian front and realised there that their current situation was a serious matter, but there was no desperation (yet). Though the pride of the Italian soldiers was scarred, they were determined to redeem themselves.

[h2] The Arresto [/h2]

On 9 November 1917, all the bridges of the Piave river were blown up with the exception of the Vidor bridge. This was to allow the Italian rearguard troops to get to the right bank of the Piave river. These troops arrived later as they preceded invaders and troops who came down from the Dolomite front. This gave the Italians a chance to buy some time, as they didnt have the means or numbers to create a well-structured defense line with sufficient forces in the field.



On November 10th, the German troops of the 12th Silesian division of the Stein group attempted to cross the Vidor bridge. However the Italian army repelled the attacks, despite the various losses they suffered beforehand. This was the start of the First Battle of the Piave (Battaglia dArresto) , which was split up into two phases; 10-26 November 1917 and 4-25 December 1917.



The goal of the Austo-Hungarians, under the lead of general Franz Conrad von Htzendorf, was to take Monte Grappa and break through the Piave line of the Italians, which was reinforced by the Allied units. However, Grappa is in a strong defensive position with his natural elements. This helped the Italians to hold their positions in the freezing cold winds and dry snow.


Italian soldiers firing MGs at the Piave river. Source

A few days later on November 22nd, German Sturmtruppen were able to take Monte Tomba and on December 4th, they overran the Melette. However they were unable to advance any further. During the remaining month of December, the Austro-Hungarians made another attempt to break through the Italian defense line, but due to heavy artillery lagging behind and the overall exhaustion of the men, this was unsuccessful. Following German advice, further operations by the Austro-Hungarians were suspended.

[h2]More next time! [/h2]

So what do you think? Well go more in depth about the Piave map in the game and your objectives in the next blog!



[h3]P(i)ave the way on February 28! [/h3]

Hello soldiers !

The dev team is working hard on the upcoming map that was teased in the last devblog!



We cant reveal yet what the map is going to, but some of you have guessed correctly. Do with that information what you want ;) Once we get more information for you to share, well be sure to post a devblog about it as well. For now, we want to dive into some of the items that are included in the Royal Units DLC, which is the cosmetic pack for the German Empire.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2197970/Isonzo__Royal_Units_Pack/



[h2] An interesting headpiece [/h2]

One of the headgears that youre able to equip is the Tschako Wrttemberg.
A Tschako (shako) is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. Adorned usually with an ornamental plate/badge on the front, metallic and at the top (at the front), theres often feather, plume or pom pom attached to the Tschako.

Its origin lies in the Hungarian name csk meaning peak. Around 1790, the Austro-Hungarian border soldiers (Grenz-Infanterie) added the Tschako to their equipment. Originally these hats were part of the clothing commonly worn by shepherds, before being added to the uniform of the hussar in the early 18th century.

For the German Empire, the Tschako was the most commonly worn helmet before the introduction of the Pickelhaube in 1842. Even during the Napoleonic wars until well into the 1800s. With the introduction of the Pickelhaube, the Tschako got a more refined shape and was eventually worn by the Jger Schtzen, Telegraph, Train (Supply) and several other (small) units.

As previously mentioned, the Tschako was often a feather or plume at the top of the helmet. In German, this was called a Feldzeichen (field sign). They came in different colours and variations. Heres an overview of the most commonly used ones.


Source

Wrttemberg Telegraphen (Telegraph), Train (up to 1903), and Ulanen.

The emblem that was attached on the front came with different variations. During the 1800s, most of them portrayed an eagle, which had different styles and variations over the years.


Source

In 1860, a new Garde star was introduced to the Tschako with the text Mitt Gott fr Knig und Vaterland (With God for the King and Fatherland), combined with the adoption of the Bandeau with the same text.
In the game you can find the Wrttemberg Tschako, which is a very rare item for the elite unit in the Wrttemberg army, also known as the Mountain Troops. The text reads Furchtlos und Treu" which means fearless and loyal.



Other examples of Tschako plate emblems include the coat of arms of many of Germanys city states.

The Tschako continued to evolve and was present during World War Two for Germany, portraying the swastika. Nowadays, several countries use their own Tschako mostly for ceremonial purposes.

[h2] Piping hot item [/h2]

One of the visually outstanding items in this pack are the Cavalier Pipe and especially the Epic Cavalier Pipe. Smoking during WW1 was a common practice amongst the soldiers. Soldiers were often sent tobacco and cigarettes from home or even by their countrys leader during Christmas as a present.
A cavalier pipe is a special kind of pipe. Its based on the older Tyrolean pipes that originate from Germany. The cavalier pipe is more of an unusual pipe because of its airhole system. The airhole of the pipe in the shank goes all the way past the bowl ,where the tobacco is inserted, and is capped. This way the smoke can travel from the bowl through a hole that joins the airhole. This design allowed for more moisture to be collected in the airhole, adding more flavor and an overall better experience.



The Epic Cavalier Pipe is more decorated. Often there were small drawings of high military figures on them, which could differ from the regiment. Soldiers usually got these made after their service, becoming a memorial keepsake.



A unit of men stayed together from their training all the way to their discharge as a unit. This sense of togetherness fostered the custom of buying souvenirs with the unit name, insignias and decorations as a keepsake of military service. Rosters of names from your unit, or regiment, could be added to the steins and these became known to collectors as regimental steins.



[h2] Erwin Rommel [/h2]

Most of you noticed the face named Erwin and the moustache Rommel, which of course refers to Erwin Rommel.

Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel was born on November 15, 1891. He served in the Reichswehr during WW1 and later Wehrmacht during WW2. He received the Pour le Mrite which is an order of merit, established by King Frederick II of Prussia. He received this for his actions on the Italian Front, which he later wrote a book about; Infantry Attacks.

Prior to his deployment to the Italian Front, Rommel had fought in France and Romania.
His first combat experience was on 22 August 1914 as a platoon commander near Verdun. He caught a French garrison unprepared, which led Rommel and three other men to open fire on them without ordering the rest of his platoon forward. The armies continued to skirmish in open engagements throughout September, as trench warfare, which WW1 is known for, was yet to fully establish.

In August 1917, Rommel and his unit was involved in the battle for Mount Cosna, a heavily fortified objective on the border between Austria-Hungary and Romania, which took over two weeks of difficult uphill fighting. Being a Mountain Battalion, their next assignment was the mountainous area of the Isonzo Front. Taking part in the Battle of Caporetto on October 24, 1917, Rommels battalion contained three rifle companies and a machine gun unit. Their objective was to (try) take the enemy positions on Kolovrat, Matajur and Stol. In two and a half days after the start, Rommel and his 150 men captured 81 guns and 9,000 men (including 150 officers), at a loss of six dead and 30 wounded. Rommel achieved this remarkable success by taking advantage of the terrain to outflank the Italian forces, attacking from unexpected directions or behind enemy lines, and taking the initiative to attack when he had orders to the contrary.



Rommel helped with the introduction of infiltration tactics, which were at the time a new form of maneuver warfare, freshly adopted by the German armies. Seeing the success of these new tactics, these were quickly adopted by foreign armies. Rommels tactics were often described by Blitzkrieg without tanks.

On the 9th of November, Rommel and his unit acted as an advance guard to capture Longarone. He decided again to attack with a small force, since it has been proven to be a successful tactic. The 1st Italian Infantry Division, consisting of 10.000 men, thought they were surrounded and surrendered to Rommel.

In January 1918, Rommel was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) and assigned to a staff position in the 64th Army Corps, where he served for the remainder of the war.
He died on October 14, 1944 by commiting (forced) suicide as being involved (allegedly) with the military resistance against Hitler.

[h2] Another teaser [/h2]

As said before, were working hard on bringing you a new map to fight on ! Heres another sneak peek image for you all. Can you make a better guess now?

We released a small update for Isonzo today. It contains small fixes while we're working on the next big update.

The patch weighs in at 2.3 GB. It updates the network version, so make sure to update before playing online.

[h2]Changes[/h2]

Improvements:

• Adjusted Madsen recoil pattern
  
• Adjusted drowning VFX
  
• Improvements to the G98 reload animation
  
• Improvements to mortar VFX
  
• Officer aura is now also presented with a perk icon so the player knows how they are affected

• Fixed first person asphyxiation animation
  
• Bridge explosions no longer play for any joining player
  
• Fixed not being able to resupply players with the Ammo box in some cases
  
• Fixed being able to resupply players that already had full ammo
  
• Fixed clicking on social buttons forcing the game into windowed mode
  
• Various memory usage improvements and fixes

Hello soldiers !

You can now get Isonzo with a 25% discount!
Additionally, you can find the Alpine-, Reverse- and Veteran Units Pack with 10% off as well.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/

[h2]Latest Devblog[/h2]

If you haven't already, be sure to read the latest devblog.
We share some info and images of an upcoming weapon and map teaser.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/6265103629458306142?l=english

[h3]See you at the front soldiers![/h3]

Hello soldiers !

We want to wish you all a happy 2023! Hope you all had happy holidays and a wonderful New Year's Eve. The WW1 Game Series is fully recharged and ready to work on upcoming updates/expansions for Isonzo!

A small note regarding the devblogs - from now on the devblogs will be posted bi-weekly. This gives everyone a bit more time to work on content for the devblogs, to provide you with some nice information and images. We hope you understand and keep looking forward to these Isonzo Intels.

[h2]Isonzo is victorious[/h2]

Thank you all for voting for Isonzo last year for the IndieDB Awards! We obtained the 1st place of the Indie IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022 Award and are therefore the winners!! This is all thanks to you, so thank you all so much for giving us the award!



As we said before, there's a lot more exciting content coming for the game this year, as you can see on our roadmap so we hope that Isonzo can be one of your top games in 2023 as well.

Now let's take a look at an upcoming weapon that will join the Italian Front soon.

[h2]A new Mauser joins the battle![/h2]

Made by the famous Mauser company the Model 1914 is a .32 ACP blowback defensive pistol. It was an improved model of the previous Model 1910 pistol designed by Josef Nickl. The pistol is small, handy, and modern. Though the blowback design was not suited for 9mm parabellum, the .32 was popular in Europe at the time.



Nickl and the Mauser company had envisioned a family of pistols based upon the Model 1910. These pistols would utilize uniform features, something that could be considered quite modern for this point in history. The original 1910 pistol used a weak .25 cartridge; not well suited to military use, but was popular on the private market. The Model 1914 .32 pistol was developed with the .32 cartridge used as a sort of stopgap between further 9mm trials. However it was quickly found to be more than suited to police and indeed military use.



Many pistols during World War One were pressed into service for front line use; to plug any gaps which freed up the Luger P08 pistols for where they were needed. The pistol was easy to use and generally liked by the troops. The 8 round magazine was a reasonable capacity for the period, and while the .32 cartridge might be considered insufficient in todays conflicts, it still did its job.

Extremely handy and easy to maintain, this relatively obscure pistol would make its way to most fronts during the Great War and continued on during World War Two.

[h2]Fruitful Teaser[/h2]

We end this devblog with a little teaser of the map for the upcoming update of the Caporetto Expansion! Be sure to let us know your guesses.



[h3]See you in the 2 weeks![/h3]

Hello soldiers !

Were slowly making our way towards the end of 2022. A lot has happened for us. On September 13, Isonzo released after announcing it back in March 2021. We want to thank you all for your support. Long time veteran of the series or new recruit, we appreciate your excitement for the game and we hope youll look forward to future content !

[h2] Isonzo at conventions [/h2]

We did a lot of exciting things working towards the release of Isonzo. Back in March, we had our first public playtest of Isonzo at the W.A.S.D convention in London! It was exciting (and a little bit scary) to have our latest project out in the open for people to see and play. The response was very positive and we even made some fans of the series at the expo!



But we didnt stop in London! Only a month later in April, members of the WW1 Game Series team flew across the ocean and headed to PAX East in Boston! This was an extra special event for us, as this was the first time one of our games was showcased in the USA! Like they say, everything is bigger in the States, and the convention sure was ! We met a lot of amazing people there and our 4-day long convention was a huge success. Big thanks to our American players for making this experience very memorable.




[h2] Isonzo in the IGN Gamescom show [/h2]

At Gamescom, a month before Isonzos release, the devs were at the business pavilion of the convention, talking with press and content creators. But for you people at home, we had a big surprise! Jos had a talk with Matt Purslow from IGN to talk a bit more about the game ! This was also the first time weve shown some official gameplay of our Italian Front game. Thank you all for breadsonzo hype in chat and confusion the non breaderens

[previewyoutube=7Bd2vlaIf5c;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2] The Ultimate Collab [/h2]

A really special video weve worked on for quite some time is our collab video with Indy Neidell and Pr from Sabaton ! This almost 1 hour long video, the three men talk about WW1, teaching about history nowadays and taking a look at Isonzo gameplay! This was extremely fun to do and make, and we definitely recommend you watching it (again) if you havent already.

[previewyoutube=cZKegBMBWCA;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Christmas at the Western Front[/h2]

The Christmas Truce has started in Verdun! Be sure to join and relive a special moment of history through our game. Listen to Christmas Carols, play some football (soccer) and send actual Christmas cards straight from the game !



If you send postcards, you'll automatically join our raffle to win prizes! These can vary from gamekeys to actual WW1 Game Series goodies. Winners will be contacted in the 2nd week of January.

If you haven't joined the Western Front yet, Verdun is currently on sale with a 70% discount. Be sure to get it now, right in time for the Christmas Truce.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/

Happy Holidays everyone!

Today we have a small Isonzo update with fixes before the holidays.

Our work on the game isn't done, of course; besides the roadmap we are also aware that bots don't always have their priorities straight, so this will be addressed in a future update. We have heard decreased reports of the "ghost bug" in which invisible players can sabotage matches, but are keeping a finger on the pulse.

Enjoy! This update weighs in at ~180 MB.

Fixes:

• Fixed being able to resupply some grenades up to the spawn bonus
  
• Fixed bots getting stuck in some areas
  
• Fixed tracking for "Sacro Egoismo" and "Can I go home now" achievements
  
• Fixed incorrect German gas masks in first person
  
• Fixed mortars firing outside of the selected area
  
• Fixed Main Menu Weapons not showing all weapons and tools
  
• Memory optimization improvements

Hello soldiers,

It's been a week since our Caporetto Expansion went live!
Many of you have joined the Battle of Caporetto already and fight in (or against) the German Empire army!
We hope youve been enjoying the new map and faction so far.

[previewyoutube=s2V38TymG34;full][/previewyoutube]

In case youve missed the latest devblog, we provided some information about the new map in this Isonzo Intel. Be sure to read it if you havent already.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3632745751430993795?l=english
Since Caporetto's release, we've also released a patch addressing some issues that occcurred with the game and the Caporetto map in general. You can find the patchnotes here. We continue to work on the game, so please make sure that your game is always updated o7

[h2] Look back at release [/h2]

Its been almost 4 months already since you all enlisted for the Italian Front ! The hype and excitement for the release date is still fresh in our memory and a lot of fun memories have been made since !

Weve made a little compilation video of the content creators/streamers who joined the Italian Front during its release!

[previewyoutube=QynIVNp2Zks;full][/previewyoutube]
[h2] WW1 Dev AMA [/h2]

Last week, we held an AMA here on steam !
You were able to send in your questions through our Discord and founder Jos & producer Thomas provided you with answers !
These questions related to the Caporetto update, the gameseries in general or just some personal questions. Missed the AMA? You can watch it on our YouTube channel !

[previewyoutube=GqCAMD5iSlM;full][/previewyoutube]
[h2] Isonzo fanart [/h2]

Weve received some amazing fanart again ! Twitter user Hetaira has made several art pieces, inspired by the different factions in Isonzo. Thank you so much, they look amazing !



[h2] Bring home the trophy for Isonzo [/h2]

Thank you for your votes! Isonzo has made it to the Top 100! Now its time to vote again so Isonzo can bring home the award for Indie of the Year 2022 in the category FPS ! Last year we won the award for Most Anticipated Game, so it would be amazing if we can complete this set. Theres not much time left, so be sure to vote (again) here



[h2] Celebration Sale [/h2]

In celebration of the Caporetto Expansion release, the WW1 Game Series is on sale !
Besides Isonzo, you can now also get the DLC with 10% off (besides the new Royal Units).

Furthermore, both Verdun & Tannenberg are available with a 70% discount ! In case you need a break for the Italian Front, both the Western- & Eastern Front await your arrival as well soldier!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

[h3] Until next week soldiers ! [/h3]

This first patch after Caporetto brings some fixes, both general and relating to the new content. We also made the Caporetto offensive appear in the rotation more now, since we know a lot of you are excited about it and want to play as the German faction.

We are fully aware that the "ghost bug" (players turning invincible/invisible and being able to stall matches this way) is still present. If you encounter it, please report it using the /reportbug function in chat. For more information, take a look at our community Discord.

This update weighs in around 1.1 GB and it updates the network version.

[h2]General fixes:[/h2]

• Fixed End match camera animation not working
  
• Bots will no longer stay behind in forbidden sectors
  
• Fixed bots sometimes not cutting wire if the whole line of wire is built
  
• Fixed some glasses and gas mask lenses not being transparent
  
• Fixed resupplying loaded ammo not working on items that are not currently equipped

• Fixed Caporetto not showing in Discord rich presence
  
• Fixed terrain spike in the last sector of Caporetto
  
• Fixed missing lights around Forward Posts
  
• Fixed some houses and areas being too dark
  
• Various smaller Caporetto map fixes

Hello soldiers!

It is finally time to fight the Battle of Caporetto - the expansion is out now ! Be sure to update your game and start playing!

[previewyoutube=s2V38TymG34;full][/previewyoutube]
With this new expansion comes:

• The German Empire Faction
  
• The Caporetto map
  
• New weapons
  
• New challenges
  
• Prestige levelling
  

Today we are releasing the first huge Map Update for Isonzo, introducing the infamous Battle of Caporetto on the Kolovrat Ridge, and the German Empire faction.

The update weighs in around ~1.2 GB.

[h2]The German Empire[/h2]
With this update, the German Empire joins the Kingdom of Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire on the Italian Front. They will be playable only on maps where the Germans historically participated, so for now they are limited to the Caporetto map.

Factions are extensive in Isonzo, and so the Germans come with a set of their own challenges to unlock the German arsenal; two uniforms per German class based on different years; and of course the weapons and gear themselves, all down to their own binoculars and gas masks. Alongside this, more German cosmetics are available in the Royal DLC.

[h2]Caporetto[/h2]
The first map in the German Intervention offensive! Caporetto features a distinct look with the colours of fall, and pits the Kingdom of Italy as defenders against the German forces.

[h2]Prestige and levelling[/h2]
This update brings two new features to level beyond the maximum class and player levels.

Class Prestiging lets you reset a class' level and unlocks in return for a fancy new class icon in the scoreboard. You can prestige each class 10 times to gain the esteemed golden icon. The prerequisite to prestige a class is reaching level 20 with it and completing its challenges. However, when prestiging, you only have to level to 20 again you don't have to redo the challenges themselves.

The max player level has been increased from 100 to 150, with exceeding XP requirements, to really show off your expertise at the game.

[h2]Balancing[/h2]
We are rolling out map changes to improve the balancing on the map towards Attackers. We targeted specific areas of Cengio and Gorizia as a pilot. If we see improvements in the overall match results, we can deploy these changes on other maps. Changes include sight line adjustments, HMG quantity and positions, and Forward Post positions.

Overtime now increases the capture speed of objectives over time. Since capture objectives are often the ones saved for last, we hope that this reduces the cases of overtime overstaying its welcome. We did many more adjustments which you can read below.

Full patch notes
[h2]New and improved[/h2]

• German faction
  
• New map: Caporetto
  
• German weapons, items and challenges
  
• German DLC uniforms
  
• Class prestige feature
  
• Player Levels increased to 150
  
• Bots use customization!
  
• Rifle Grenade handling reworked
  
• Resupplying ammo now takes loaded ammo into account
  
• Standardised Static weapon use sensivity to prevent movement being too slow or fast
  
• New one handed Melee attack animation for the shovel

• Capzone capture speed increases with length of Overtime
  
• Balance improvements for problematic areas on Cengio and Gorizia
  
• Lethal damage range increase for Heavy and Superhavy Artillery shells
  
• Reduced non-lethal damage falloff for all types of Artillery shells making them more effective at suppression and dealing damage
  
• Grenade stats adjusted
  
• Increased fire rate for the Carcano and Vetterli M1870/87/15
  
• Increased stopping power of the Vetterli M1870/87/15 and Vetterli M1870/87
  
• Decreased fire rate for the Vetterli M1870/87/15 T.S.

• Fixed Voice chat sometimes not working!
  
• Fixed keybinds not being applied on the spawn map
  
• Fixed being able to hear other players even if Allow Voice Chat setting is turned Off
  
• Fixed footstep sounds not always being heard if the player is not visible
  
• Fixed missing sound on the lock squad button
  
• Fixed "Thus with a Kiss" achievement tracking for players even if they are not officers
  
• Fixed some achievements not being registered when completed
  
• Fixed tutorials not being automatically cycled
  
• Improvements to character movement while prone
  
• Fixed Ammo/Grenade crates not disappearing when a new blueprint is placed
  
• Fixed players sometimes being in the wrong stance while using an HMG
  
• Corrected weapon limit for Italian Carcano with Rifle Grenades
  
• Fixed wrong grenade counts for some classes
  
• Fixed issues with the dynamite planting animation
  
• Fiat Revelli closed bolt animation update
  
• Fixed Schonauer reload sounds being slightly out of sync
  
• Fixed Arditi dagger and Mustard gas names in the Kill info/feed
  
• Fixed camera shake from grenades affecting players from too far away
  
• Fixed first person footsteps sounding like there is someone following you while wearing Armor
  
• Fixed bots walking through the Sabotino bridge
  
• Improved Friends list functionality and performance
  
• Fixed Support Company Engineer perk speed bonus
  
• Fixed Rifle-grenadier perk resupplies giving more grenades than needed
  
• Further fix for being able to join private matches through the friends list without entering the password

Hello soldiers !

Its almost time for the Caporetto Expansion! On December 5th, well release this free expansion that will include several things, but most prominent will be the Caporetto map and the German Empire faction (along with their own weaponry)!

Since our announcement, weve updated our roadmap, so be sure to take a look to know when you can expect the other maps and additional content from this expansion and the upcoming ones !
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2891901825
Additionally, the German Empire will have their own cosmetic DLC pack! The Royal Units pack will include over 40 cosmetic items that you can use to customise your soldier! Remember that this is only purely cosmetic and wont give you any in-game advantage. The price will be $ 9.99. Not available for pre-order but you can wishlist it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2197970/Isonzo__Royal_Units_Pack/



[h2] A dozen Isonzo Battles [/h2]

Our hitherto silent artillery began its preparation at 0200, October 24, 1917. It was a dark and rainy night and in no time a thousand gun muzzles were flashing on both sides of Tolmein. In the enemy territory an uninterrupted bursting and banging thundered and re-echoed from the mountains as powerfully as the severest thunderstorm. We saw and heard this tremendous activity with amazement. The Italian searchlights tried vainly to pierce the rain, and the expected enemy interdiction fire on the area around Tolmein did not materialise as only a few hostile batteries answered the German fire. That was very reassuring and, half asleep, we retired to our cover and listened to the dying away of our own artillery fire.

The Battle of Caporetto, also known as the 12th Battle of the Isonzo, took place from October 24 - November 19, 1917. Though the battle commenced in late October, preparations started in August. Paul von Hindenburg, who was a German field marshal and statesman, figured that if they wanted to keep the Austro-Hungarians in the war, Germany had to help them defeat the Italian army. Erich Ludendorff, General of the Infantry, was opposed to this but was overruled. The next month, three experts from the Imperial General Staff, led by chemist Otto Hahn, went to the Isonzo front to find a site suitable for a gas attack. The Caporetto sector was a proposed attacking area, as it had a good road that ran west through a mountain valley to the Venetian plain.

With this preparation and field research, the Austro-Hungarian Army Group Boroevi, commanded by Svetozar Boroevi, started to prepare for this offensive. Additionally, a new 14th Army was formed with nine Austrian and six German divisions, commanded by the German Otto von Below. It is said that the Italians inadvertently helped by providing weather information over their radio, which was intercepted.

At 06:41, 2,200 guns opened fire, many targeting the valley road along which reserves were advancing to plug the gap. At 08:00 two large mines were detonated under strong points on the heights bordering the valley and the infantry attacked. Soon they penetrated the almost undefended Italian fortifications in the valley, breaching the defensive line of the Italian Second Army between the IV and XXVII Corps. To protect the attackers' flanks, Alpine Troops infiltrated the strong points and batteries along the crests of the adjoining ridges, Matajur and Kolovrat, laying out their telephone lines as they advanced to maintain contact with their artillery. Specially-trained and equipped stormtrooper units led attacks, making good use of the new German model 08/15 Maxim light machine gun, light trench mortars, mountain guns, flamethrowers and hand grenades.


German troops advancing over a wooden bridge spanning a gorge during the operations near Tolmin | IWM

Want to read more about the the Battle of Caporetto, read our previous dev blog
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3360274802610878231?l=english
[h2] Caporetto in Isonzo [/h2]

Caporetto is a large five line battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat - specifically the German advance from the town of Tolmin (Tolmino/Tolmein) all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. The first thing youll notice is the change of scenery and weather: overcast and rainy, in sharp contrast to the bright sunny days of most Isonzo maps.
[
The scenario as depicted on the map

The first line lies within the ruins of Tolmin, ruined by heavy shelling. The rubble provides plentiful cover for defenders and multiple routes to sneak forward for defenders. The town church still stands, however, and its a capture objective. The Italians have fortified it with multiple heavy machine gun positions and there is clear ground leading up to it, so the Germans will need to use smoke, gas, or flank it from the direction of the other objective - a sabotage point deeper in the town itself.


The church tower still stands strong


Reference vs. in-game

After breaking through Tolmin, the road to victory for the attackers leads uphill. Two bunkers on a forested slope both need to be sabotaged to allow progress, and to reach them a dry riverbed must be crossed. Following that, the trees begin to thin out a little but the third line consists of trenches built with wood logs and utilizing pre-existing stone walls. To obtain this objective, the German soldiers will need to capture one trench position and sabotage another.



The fourth, penultimate defensive line is where the Italians have based some huge siege mortars, one of which must be dynamited! The other objective is a capture point within a cluster of shell blasted houses. All of this is still uphill fighting for the Germans - the siege mortars are in fact built into a kind of stepped position rather than all being on the same height. The Italians are well dug in here, possibly smart-placed barbed wire from engineers could really make things tricky for the attackers.

And at last, following a road lined with destroyed trucks and rocky outcrops, the Germans reach Hill 1114! For this primary capture objective both sides will be attacking uphill, as Italian reinforcements deploy lower down on the other side of the peak. The defensive positions naturally favour the Italians, but counterattacking wont be easy either, so its best for the Italians to try and hold the hill rather than trusting their ability to take it back. The hill is not as wide or as fortified as the peaks on some other Isonzo maps, and there is a second objective to deal with so it isnt necessarily all about the peak. Be sure to strategize your deployment and focus on both objectives. It's better to divide and concur!



We would like to highlight a video of our great Indy Neidell, who has visited the area and the summit of the map.
[previewyoutube=7_fzmkQjo2I;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2] Complete Overview [/h2]
Hopefully you got a good understanding of what is waiting for you this monday ! Want to take it all in again? We got the complete flyover of the Caporetto map on our YouTube channel!

[previewyoutube=rA9sYQrZBa4;full][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Play cat & maus(er)[/h2]
To end this devblog with, we have a final weapon highlight before you can start using them yourself! This weapon is not unknown to many of you. This semi-automatic pistol design from Mauser and chambered in the high velocity 7.63x25mm cartridge, the Mauser pistol is about as iconic as they come.

An effective semi-automatic design, and commercially successful, it was widely used across almost every front of the Great War. While impressive at the trials, it would effectively lose the Army contract to the Luger P08. Still, the Mauser was pressed into service in many areas



Sporting 10 rounds - this pistol provided a large capacity with an effective cartridge. Compared with the Germans current pistol, the Reichsrevolver, it was an improvement in nearly every necessary field. Though theres no perfect weapon and the Mauser faced some issues with jams and its weight. Another short falling, which many pistols at the time had, was the stripper clip - which wasnt ideally against more common and faster reloading styles of magazines. A nice addition to the Mauser was an optimistic adjustable sight. This led to the ability to see up to 1000m.

It was used extensively as a private purchase by many officers of different nations throughout the war, and by many famous historical figures, including Winston Churchill (who was fond of the pistol). The iconic design would also lend itself to Han Solos blaster in the Star Wars franchise. It would see further development towards the Second World War in the form of magazine design and automatic fire.



[h2] AMA with developers! [/h2]

On December 7 at 9pm CET founder and creative director Jos (BlackMill Games) & producer Thomas will hold an AMA (ask me anything) here on Steam! You can submit your question in our Discord in the ama channel. Be sure to join our server to send in your question and just chat with us in general while youre there!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3632745751430720171

[h3] See you soon at Caporetto soldiers ! [/h3]

Hello soldiers !

In celebration of the Caporetto Expansion release, founder Jos and producer Thomas will host an AMA!

Join the stream were they will answer the questions you've submitted in our Discord and maybe even your questions in chat.
They will take you through the new Caporetto map and German Empire faction and share some interesting insights.

Be sure to tune in!

Hello soldiers!

Have you been enjoying Isonzo so far? Was Isonzo the game you've been looking forward to play this year? Are you loving the game despite getting shot all the time? Blown away by the amazing original soundtrack that greets you in the menu?

Well, if you answered 'yes' to at least one of these questions, it's your chance to support us by nominating Isonzo for the Steam Awards!

[h2]Best Game You Suck At Award[/h2]

Who said that war was easy? We sure didn't! Being on the Italian Front with no real protective armour, just you, your fellow soldiers and your weapons. Kill or be killed. That's how things were back in the day and that's how it is in the game. Don't worry, practice makes perfect as they say. Or just play against bots, although they don't seem to be an easy enemy either...

Therefore, be sure to nominate Isonzo in the Best Game You Suck At category!



[h2]Rinasceremo Insieme![/h2]

Many of you were amazed by Isonzo's original theme song that greets you in the main menu, alongside all the other music you can hear in the game! In case you've missed it, we've written a dev blog all about the creation of the song, so be sure to give that a read!

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3280333372353228993?l=english

Rinasceremo Insieme is the heart and DNA of Isonzo! If the song has found a way into your heart as well, be sure to vote Isonzo for Best Soundtrack as well. Have a listen to the song, while you do so. ;)

[previewyoutube=wlmiQBcttYw;full][/previewyoutube]



If you would like nominate Isonzo for any of the other categories, you can do so here or choose at the special feature at the top of this announcement !


[h2]Caporetto Expansion releases next month![/h2]

Earlier today, we announced that the German Empire along with the Caporetto map will be added to Isonzo on December 5th for free!



Along with this release we'll have new cosmetic DLC for the Germans as well! Named the 'Royal Units', it has large amount of different items, and will cost $9.99.


Overview of the Royal Units DLC Pack

You can already wishlist this DLC pack! Remember, the Caporetto expansion is free, only the cosmetic DLC is available for wishlisting and later for purchase.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2197970/Isonzo__Royal_Units_Pack/

[h2]Isalezo[/h2]

Isonzo and its DLC is also part of the Autumn Steam Sale! Great time to gear up your soldiers for the windy and icy cold weather with the DLC items (although it won't matter much in-game).



[h3]Thank you for all your support![/h3]

Hello soldiers,

Were happy to share with you all that the free Caporetto Expansion is next month!
On December 5th, Isonzo will get a big new update with the new Caporetto map, the addition of the German Empire faction, new weapons and the Prestige levelling for our veteran soldiers, combined with fresh challenges!

[previewyoutube=w58hPwegk1I;full][/previewyoutube]

Additionally, there will be cosmetic DLC available for the Germans! The Royal Units Pack will be available on the same date and includes a diverse set of items; the distinctive uniforms of 2 major states within the Deutsches Reich: Bavaria and Wrttemberg. It contains 2 sets of uniforms for all classes, plus a special officer uniform.

The Royal Units Pack contains 40+ items:

- 13 German Uniforms
- 18 German Headgear Items
- 5 Facial Items
- 5 Mustaches
- 3 Faces

Hello soldiers!

Thank you all for your participation during the Armistice Day silence. We loved seeing and reading your comments in Discord as well.

Additionally, we shared a devblog about the German rifle . We would like to continue this trend and shed some light on a different German class for this week.

[h2] The German Assault - Stotrupp [/h2]

During World War One, Germany (and other nations) made use of assault troops, building a certain reputation for it. They would be fielding minimal equipment, armed with grenades and light rifles/pistols. In 1918 submachine guns were added to their loadout. The stormtroopers were made up of well-trained & experienced soldiers led by largely autonomous decision-making commanders. Their expertise and role was to break the impasse of trench warfare. Known as; mobile, ruthless, and effective - these troops are prevalent in WW1 imagery to this day.



The Stotruppen in Isonzo showcase some classic characteristics you might know. Some of these are; the reinforced leather knee patches, grenades worn on the belt, grenade bags/chest plate, the gas mask worn at a readied position for immediate access. This all contributed to a general lighter kind of equipment, which we mentioned earlier. Additionally, it wasnt uncommon to see them with a trench dagger, like many assault forces during the war.

Lets take a closer look at some of their equipment items!

Look out! Grenade!

The concept of the grenade was not something new during WW1, as it has been around for centuries. Prior to the Great War, it wasnt an especially popular and effective piece of military equipment. With the introduction of Trench Warfare, the grenade became an increasingly apparent item.

The grenade was a useful tool for clearing entrenched positions such as bunkers and dugouts. Its efficiency for this purpose provided the standard infantry man a form of mobile light artillery. Its design changed and adopted during this new worldwide conflict and type of warfare it was now used in.

The grenade effectively gave the standard infantryman a form of mobile light artillery, and the designs adopted during the conflict borrowed many features from their predecessors.



[h2] Stielhandgranate [/h2]

Portable, powerful, simple, and easy to use the German stick grenade would become intertwined with World War One imagery.

Appearing first in 1915, the stick grenade was a concussive blast grenade (unlike the French F1 and British Mills bomb) which didnt always kill but would often stun opponents instead. The shape of the grenade was ideal for throwing and the short fuse made it a difficult weapon to avoid for the enemy.

Made out of a wooden handle, grenade head and fuse, it came with a hook on the grenade head making it carriable on the belt. Its shape made it quite safe to use accurately, as it was less likely to roll, compared with the rounder hand grenades of the period.



A faulty element of the original 1915 grenade was the pull cord located at the base, which could lead to accidental triggers. Therefore the new 1916 design introduced a small screw cap, which hid the cord (with a porcelain bead) safely located within the grenades wooden handle.

The German grenades came with a variety of different heads such as our M16 variant, which has the older Brennznder 15 style grenade head. The M17 design in general was more streamlined and had a smaller grenade head. This was due to the more powerful explosive Trinitrotoluene that was used in these models.

Famous through both the First and Second World Wars, many variants of this simple design would be adopted throughout the years by multiple nations though eventually the smaller compact style of the F1/Mills style grenade design eventually took over.

[h2] Eierhandgranate M17 [/h2]

Further adding to the German arsenal is the M17 Eierhandgranate (literally meaning egg hand grenade). Although the stick grenades showed their effectiveness on the battlefield, the German forces recognized a need for other grenade types. This led to the introduction of several small grenade designs that resemble a hens egg, hence the name. The n/A (Neuer Art / new model) improved on earlier models which were entirely smooth - not ideal for handling in the wet and mud that characterized many World War One battlefields.



This small grenade proved to be extremely portable but underpowered compared with the Stielhandgranate. It is not uncommon to see German troops with a plate worn on the chest for quick grenade usages. Effective in offensives, it was especially popular with assault roles. Photographs of this are rare as the grenades were often conveniently housed in a tunic pocket.


4th and 5th soldier holding an egg hand grenade and plate

[h2] A battlefield find! [/h2]

In 2017, we discovered this unearthed grenade during our trip to Fort Douaumont, which is near Verdun. With the grenade head of an older style M15 we made sure we didnt touch it!



It was most likely an unwelcome, but unsurprising discovery by someone metal detecting.

[h2]Howling heard on the Eastern Front[/h2]

It has gotten cold on the Eastern Front. The winter and snow have made it a difficult terrain for the soldiers to battle on. However, theyre not the only ones being affected by the cold season and the war. Like a soldier, the wolf awaits his moment to attack his prey in the woods...

Starting today until November 28, you can participate in the Wolf Truce in Tannenberg! Hold the truce and obtain a special medal!



https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/

[h3] See you next week, soldiers! [/h3]

Hello soldiers,

Today is November 11th - Remembrance Day. Also known as Poppy Day, this memorial day is observed by Commonwealth members since the end of World War One. A special day to remember those who have fallen in their line of duty. Other non-Commonwealth countries started to follow this tradition and have their Remembrance Day on November 11th.

In Isonzo (and our other games), youre able to participate in 2 minutes of silence and be rewarded with a special medal afterwards. Additionally we have enabled Film Memoir mode for all for a limited time.


Lest We Forget

The German Rifleman

The Rifleman is a familiar class in Isonzo already. With the introduction of the German faction as a playable country, they will fill a similar role to the riflemen of both the Italian and Austro-Hungarian factions. The differences here will of course be equipment/uniforms, and the weapons with which they will be armed with.

[h2] On top [/h2]

Like the other nations, Germany did not enter the Great War with a metal helmet.

The German soldiers would usually be seen wearing either a, nowadays, famous Pickelhaube or Feldmtze a soft cap. The Feldmtze of 1910 had a large red band and piping. Later models of this cap had these removed, as many nations throughout the course of the war thought bright colours dont work well with modern warfare. Before the 1917 pea green Einheitfeldmtze a band of canvas was introduced, with a view to masking the bright red colour of the Feldmtze. Other versions of this cap were also available for specialist troops like Jaeger and Pioneer troops these having different colour piping/bands. The caps had 2 roundels (Kokarden) one being the Imperial roundel and the other roundel signifying which German state the soldier belonged to.


Different versions of the Feldmtze in Isonzo

Another famous headgear of the German army is the Stahlhelm. Germany followed the French and swiftly adopted a metal helmet to try to combat the horrors of trench warfare. Although expensive to produce, they were superior to the Entente helmets, as they provided a thicker shell thanks to the stamping process. The helmet came with several aspects, such as a soft liner and strap to keep the helmet in place, and vent holes to deal with heat. During World War One, several variants were produced, combined with different color schemes. In 1918 a formal way of camouflaging the Stahlhelm was applied and introduced, though it wasnt unlikely to see soldiers trying to mask their helmet with mud and clay on the field.The Stahlhelm would gain infamy throughout the Great War and beyond. Germany would recycle many of their WW1 items of equipment or create new variants based on these, as the world headed towards the Second World War.

With the introduction of chemical warfare in WW1, a gas mask was of great importance for any soldier. The German soldiers were equipped with the 1917 Lederschutzemaske. This was an improved variant of the previous German gas mask (Gummimaske), which saw issues in both material shortages and performance against newer gas types. The leather mask was superior in protection but unfortunately not as efficient in its fit, especially problematic for soldiers with beards. This gasmask would be carried in the M1916 gas mask canister (Bereitschaftsbchsen), which contained spare lenses and filters. This can commonly be seen worn on the back or front of German troops, with the Lederschutzemaske also being worn in an alert position if a gas threat was imminent.



[h2] The belt equipment [/h2]

As with most military uniforms throughout history, the belt plays a pivotal role in a soldiers equipment. May it be for carrying spare ammunition, bladed weapons, rations, the Great War saw soldiers of all nations carry several pieces of vital equipment on their belts.

The German belt famously had a depiction of the Imperial crown with the slogan GOTT MIT UNS (God with us) though other variants of this were produced depending on the soldier's regional origin or his rank.



Common items that the German troops carried on their belt are the following:

• Ammunition pouches or Patronentaschen.
  The model 1909 cartridge pouch was standard issue to the German army. The leather was often blackened, and the pouch would take 20 rounds (4 x 5 round G98 clips) in each compartment. The soldier would typically sport two off these pouches, one left and one right, providing a total of 120 rounds of ammunition.
  
• Bread Bag (Brotbeutel ) and Flask (Feldflasche ).
  Worn on his right hip, this is where a soldier would keep his rations and other personal equipment. The bag itself was made of canvas and attached to the belt using canvas straps. Additionally, the flask could be attached to the bread bag. The bread bag also had a set of straps which troops often used in place of the Tornister straps to hook to each cartridge pouch.
  
  
  
  
• Shovel/carrier (Spaten mit Spatentasche) & Bayonet (M.1898/05 Seitengewehr).
  This short handled entrenching tool was carried on the belt as part of a combined piece along with the bayonet. This provided a relatively easy to access point from which the shovel could be drawn and the bayonet was immediately at the soldiers waist. An offshoot of the traditional sword knot the Troddel would often be found knotted around the bayonet frog. This knot could have different meanings; which company a soldier belongs to, his rank, as well as his state (for example, Prussian non-commissioned officers would have their own knot style).
  

Today is November 11th - Remembrance Day. Also known as Poppy Day, this memorial day is observed by Commonwealth members since the end of World War One. A special day to remember those who have fallen in their line of duty. Other non-Commonwealth countries started to follow this tradition and have their Remembrance Day on November 11th.

This tradition grew out of Armistice Day, which marks the signing of the armistice being signed between the Allies and Germany.

In the United States, this day is better known as Veterans Day.
The common British, Canadian, South African, and ANZAC tradition includes a one- or two-minute silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00 am, 11 November), as that marks the time when the armistice took effect (EU time).


The signing of the Armistice

As stated previously, this day is also known as Poppy Day. The poppy flower is a common symbol of Remembrance Day. It became the symbol of the Royal British Legion, a veterans organisation. They sell paper Poppy flowers which one can wear on their clothing, in memory of those whove fallen. The proceeds will go towards supporting war victims and families whove lost a family member during war.

[h2] Remember together with the WW1 Game Series [/h2]

In our games, youll be able to remember those who have fallen as well. There's 2 minutes of silence when you start up the game, just like the IRL tradition. If you choose to participate, youll receive a Remembrance medal afterwards.
Furthermore, weve also enabled the Film Memoir mode for everyone for a timely period. You can turn this on my going into settings -> graphics

[h2] Remember with the community [/h2]

Additionally, we have a special poppy flower emote in our Discord , specially for this day. Feel free to use it in your Discord bio, status and share with others. If you want to, you can share with us as well who and/or how you remember on this day in our dedicated armistice channel.

[h2] Lest We Forget [/h2]

This update for Isonzo addresses many visual issues, but also raises player height to hopefully improve sightlines and make it more intuitive to see who can see you, and fixes team mates looking like enemies and therefore being susceptible to friendly fire.

The update weighs in at 1.4 GB. It increases the network version, so take care to update in order to play with the majority of players!

[h2]Patch notes:[/h2]
New and improved:

• Improved animations for the Fiat Revelli
  
• New first person bashing animation variants for pistols
  
• New first person stabbing animation variants for bayonets
  
• Improved speed and animation timing for melee attacks in first person
  
• Player is now slightly higher in first person
  
• Split Player tags and World tags visibility settings
  
• Improvements to mortar aiming visibility
  
• Improved info panels for mortar and overview map
  
• Linux performance improvements

• Fixed players sometimes appearing like they are from the wrong team and therefore could be killed by teammates
  
• Bots no longer use Static weapons if enemies are too far away
  
• Headgear no longer clips through the gas mask
  
• Fixed Villar Perosa sound or muzzle flash sometimes missing in third person
  
• Fixed LMGs continuing to auto-fire while crawling
  
• Fixed full-auto firing animations not always playing in sync with fire rate
  
• Fixed animation snapping at the end of bayonet stab and revolver bash
  
• Fix for field guns animation snapping when first deploying to one on a slope
  
• Fixed fingers clipping through binoculars when looking through them
  
• Fixed Werndl cocking bone not setting when interrupting reloads
  
• Fixed bridge explosions replaying after switching graphics settings
  
• Corrected size of some pistols and flareguns
  
• Fixed Allow voice chat option not resetting to default
  
• Fixed incorrect names for Gorizia and Sabotino Capzones
  
• Sector outlines are now red when in cooldown

• Wrong marksman perk localization for some languages
  
• Ghost players
  
• Voice keybinds are sometimes not remembered on the spawn map

Hello soldiers !

We see youre enjoying the teaser for the upcoming Caporetto update, so how about some more? As stated before, were aiming to release it this year, but thats all the info we can share for now. Please enjoy Isonzo and look forward to the updates and expansions!
As always, if you want to chat with fellow soldiers, you can join our Discord . Here you can also report any issues you encounter in the game!

[h2] Italian Remembrance Day [/h2]

Today is National Unity & Armed Forces Day in Italy. On this day, the Italians commemorate the victory in WW1, an event that they consider the completion of the process of an unified Italy. The most important people in the Republic pay homage to the Italian Unknown Soldier and the Redipuglia War Memorial, where over 100.000 Italian soldiers found their final resting place.


The Unknown Soldier

The body of Italy's Unknown Soldier was chosen from among 11 coffins containing the unidentified remains of fallen Italian soldiers who fought, retrieved from various areas of the Italian front of WW1. Maria Bergamas, the mother of Italian soldier Antonio Bergamas whose body was never recovered, made the difficult choice in the Basilica of Aquileia on 28 October 1921. Reaching the 10th coffin in the line, she slumped to the floor and screamed her son's name. This was the body chosen.



The Italian Army Forces open their barracks to the public, showing exhibitions of The Great War, often combined with sport demonstrations by soldiers. On squares in big Italian cities, concerts are held by military bands.



[h2] German Gewehre [/h2]

Now on to this week's devblog, taking a look at some more weaponry you'll see in Isonzo with the Caporetto Expansion.

[h3] Gewehr 88/05 Commission Rifle [/h3]
First up, we have the Gewehr 88/05 Commission Rifle. Prior to its debut, the German Army found itself on the backfoot with the introduction of the Lebel 1886 combined with the new smokeless cartridge 8mm Lebel. This resulted in something of an arms race within Germany itself. They needed to produce a design which would replace the ,now obsolete, black powder Mauser model 1871. Borrowing from a series of prototype and submitted designs, eventually the pattern of the Gewehr 1888 would be ironed out. This weapon would see a 5-round capacity, a rimless 8mm cartridge, barrel jacket and enbloc design akin to that of the Mannlicher system. However the G88 enbloc could be loaded both ways. Far from perfect, these rifles would be the mainstay of the German army until the adoption of the Gewehr 98 later. Overall, just shy of 3 million were produced for Germany and its allies.



While the Mauser production was well under way for the Gewehr 98, it was noticed that a widespread conflict in Europe would eat up large numbers of arms, prior to the outbreak of World War One. In 1905 the Gew88 was revisited, and many of the rifles were converted to take the new 7.92 Spitzgescho (pointed projectile) spitzer bullet. This conversation made several changes to the weapon: the addition of a clip bridge for the stripper clip system in use with the new ammunition, rechambering of the barrel, a feed interrupter, and loading made easier with cuts to the chamber and receiver wall. The hole from which the enbloc would fall out was typically sealed too. Our model in game reflects the iconic and rather viscous looking Seitengewehr 1871 bayonet.





The Germans had around 500,000 of these converted rifles by the outbreak of war in 1914, which was extremely useful in a war of attrition. These rifles could use the same ammunition stocks as the Gewehr 98 and in issuing these rifles to rear line troops ,or soldiers less likely to see combat, it allowed for the superior Gewehr 98 to be given priority where they were needed.Weve covered this weapon in our game series previously; this antiquated rifle played an important part in the Great War.

[h3] Kar88 [/h3]

With the adoption of the Gewehr 1888 to replace the outdated black powder rifles, a carbine version of the main battle rifle would often be made as well with large armament changes. The Gewehr 1888 was no exception here. The Kar88 was designed with cavalry use in mind. It used the same ammunition and had the same mechanism, but it was a slimmed down version. Some features like the bolt handle were changed to reduce snagging. The overall idea was that the weapon should be light, small, and handy.



The rifle would be issued with cavalry and a version would be introduced for foot artillery use in 1891 the only difference between these rifles is the addition of a stacking hook. The Kar88, like other carbines, would also often be issued to light infantry and non-frontline units, making its way to the frontlines in many parts of the conflict. This model lacked the ability to attach a bayonet and were primarily produced by none-state arms manufacturers CG Haenel and VC Schilling.



About 225,000 of these carbines were made, at the arsenal in Erfurt made a batch of around 25,00 carbines in 1891, our model reflects this unique little batch. Again, no stranger to the game series, this short rifle should offer a nice parallel to the carbines of the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces.

[h2] Was ist das? [/h2]

To end this weeks devblog, we got a little guessing game for you! Do you know what this is? Be sure to reply with your answers




[h3] See you next week soldiers! [/h3]

Hello soldiers !

We know youre all excited for our upcoming, free update for Isonzo: the Caporetto Expansion! This update will include 3 new maps, the addition of the German Empire Faction and many other things ! In case youve forgotten, heres our roadmap overview



For the release date, we cant say anything for now, but were aiming to release it this year! Besides the expansion, we continue to work on further improving and fixing issues you encounter in the game. Thank you for your reports and patience. We recently released a new patch , be sure to update your game !

For now, lets learn a bit about the Battle of Caporetto. But first, here's a screenshot that shows a bit of the Caporetto map in Isonzo



[h2] The final battle [/h2]

The Battle of Caporetto, also known as the 12th Battle of the Isonzo, was one of the most significant battles of World War I along the Italian Front. This battle was fought between the Italians and the Central Powers, between October 24 - November 19, 1917.

When autumn arrived in 1917, Luigi Cadornas strategy of continuous offensives near the Isonzo River ,11 Italian attacks since May 1915, had cost the Italians heavy casualties for an advance of less than a few kilometers, only one third of the way towards their preliminary objective, the city of Trieste on the Adriatic Sea. However, the wave of Italian attacks had also taken a serious toll on Austro-Hungarian resources in the region. Indeed, in the wake of the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo in August 1917, their positions around the city of Gorizia were dangerously close to collapse. As a result, the German Supreme Command, led by Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, determined with Arz von Straussenberg that they would launch a counter assault on the Italians mid-September.



To prepare for this, the German army transported seven divisions of troops to reinforce the upper banks of the Isonzo. Cadorna, learning by aerial reconnaissance of the Austro-German movements, pushed back his own armys scheduled September offensive, so he would be able to prepare for the defensive positions to prepare defensive positions. However due to unfavorable weather, this resulted in the plans being pushed back, and by the time Germany and Austria-Hungary were ready to attack, they were able to catch the Italians by surprise.

The early morning of October 24, the battle began when the Austro-Hungarians and Germans carried out a series of poisonous gas attacks against the Italian trenches, meaning that the Italian soldiers had to retreat. Followed by these gas attacks was a heavy Stormtrooper assault by both parties, including the usage of flamethrowers, grenades, machine guns and mortars.


German assault troops

The Italian 2nd Army commander Luigi Capello was bedridden with fever. Recognizing that his forces were ill-prepared for this attack and were being routed, Capello requested permission to withdraw to the Tagliamento. Cadorna, who believed the Italian force could regroup and hold out, denied the request. Finally on October 30th, the majority of the Italian force were ordered to retreat to the other side of the Tagliamento river.

It took the Italians four full days to cross the river, and by this time the German and Austro-Hungarian forces were closing in on them, the Italians being ambushed as they tried to cross the river. These ambushes would become known as the Battle of Pozzuolo.

The rapid success of the Austro-Hungarians and Germans pushing the Italians back, caught up with them. Their supply lines were stretched to the breaking point and unable to launch another attack to isolate a part of the Italian army against the Adriatic. Cadorna was able to retreat further and by 10 November had established a position on the Piave river and Monte Grappa.


Italian trenches along the Piave River

Italian casualties during the Battle of Caporetto were almost 700,00040,000 killed/wounded, 280,000 captured and another 350,000 deserted. In the wake of the battle, violent anti-war protests reached a peak in Italy, as Cadorna was forced to resign his command. His successor, General Armando Diaz, would oversee a new Italian strategy, going for a more defensive approach. He remained in charge during the remainder of the war, including a greater reliance on the resources of the stronger Allied powers.

Fun fact, nowadays the term Caporetto is used by Italians to refer to a terrible defeat. For example, the failed General Strike of 1922 by the socialists was referred to by Mussolini as the "Caporetto of Italian Socialism".

[h2] Another Caporetto teaser [/h2]

A pistol that needs little introduction, and you might've spotted it already in the screenshot previously. One of the most iconic firearms in history, the Luger P08 was the German Armys primary side-arm during the Great War. Replacing the Reichsrevolver family or firearms, Germany found itself going from an antiquated and poorly thought-out revolver to something that could at the time be considered truly modern. A weapon that would offer up capacity and speed the likes of which the service revolvers of Entente nations simply could not match.



Designed by Georg Luger in the latter years of the 1890s, the Luger is a toggle-lock, recoil operated pistol that improved on the design of the Borchardt C-93. Developed with Lugers own 9mm Parabellum cartridge in mind, it would enter service first with the Swiss Army in 1900, and in 1908 for the German Army ( though earlier adoption had been made by the German Navy). Multiple variants were issued throughout the course of the war, including variants with butt-stocks, longer barrels, and drum magazines. Around 2 million Luger pistols would see use during the Great War.

Eventually to be officially replaced by the Walther P38 in 1938, the Luger saw major use in both world wars. A desired war trophy, the impact this pistol had can not be underestimated. Even if in time the Luger action would eventually become obsolete - the pistol cartridge itself is one of the most, if not the most, popular handgun and submachine gun cartridges.

A familiar sight to the game series, the Lugers media appearances are widespread and it can be spotted in the original All Quiet on the Western Front, the television series Band of Brothers, and in Hollywood blockbusters including Indiana Jones.

[h2] Community Screenshot [/h2]

To end this devblog, we share a screenshot from player, showing off some firey action ;)


By Raccon-m

[h3]See you next time soldiers!
[/h3]

This Isonzo update reverts TAA back to its initial settings, adds an option for autobalancing to Custom Matches (with advanced options), fixes numerous audiovisual issues and offers some quality of life fixes in the UI and gameplay departments.

We are working on artillery balancing and effectiveness, as well as on voice chat not behaving as it should. You can expect improvements for this in upcoming updates. We are also investigating the issues with players turning invincible.

This update raises the network version, therefore you need to update to play online with the majority of players! It is a ~600 MB download.

[h2]Patch overview[/h2]
[h3]New features[/h3]

• Team balancing can now be turned off for Advanced Custom Matches

• TAA effects restored to initial values
  
• Improved tree shadow popping on some maps
  
• Fixed several objects disappearing when a player is close
  
• Fixed "Shaken, not stirred" achievement tracking
  
• Bandaging in quick succession no longer stops bandaging animation from playing
  
• Further improvements to going prone sound playing while not actually switching stances
  
• Improvements to Bomber Squadron call-in sound
  
• Fixed Enemy on the left and right voice lines being reversed
  
• Fixed Follow Me voice line being triggered instead of an Attack one
  
• Fixed wrong bayonet attachment for Vetterli-Vitali in progression view
  
• Fixed stuttering when going up or down some stair types
  
• Improvements to the first person Schwarzlose firing animation
  
• Various weapon animation improvements

• Medals that can no longer be earned are no longer counted in Profile Medal Progress
  
• Joining Private matches from the friends list now also requires password input
  
• Fixed not being able to join matches through Play now (GameSetupReady signal error)
  
• Fixed Custom matches sometimes not starting when Create button is pressed
  
• Player and objective tag fading can now be turned off in Settings
  
• Fixed missing Offensive progression info in the After Action Report if the section was skipped

• Added grace time to interrupting Rifle Grenade loading and unloading animations
  
• Fixed resupplying Rifle Grenades sometimes resulting in losing grenades instead of gaining them
  
• Fixed not being able to bolt while sprinting if Manual Bolting setting was on
  
• Fixed sprinting sometimes being cancelled because of bolting
  
• Improved collision of HMGs (Players using them are now harder to hit)

• End match screen does not pan across the map
  
• Tutorials don't automatically cycle
  
• New settings do not have translations yet
  
• Scroll wheel doesn't always work on Linux

Hello soldiers!

Another week, another dev blog! Meanwhile, were working hard on the upcoming Caporetto update and of course, monitoring issues youre encountering with the game and releasing patches! Dont forget to check if your game is updated; we recently released a new patch that addresses several aspects. You can reach all the patch notes here.

Now as the days are getting colder and we're (hopefully) going to be seeing some snow, its time we take a closer historical look at the Alpine Pack!



[h2]Staying warm in the icy cold[/h2]

When fighting on the cold Alpine mountains, you better dress for the occasion. The Alpine Units Pack contains uniforms and gear worn by units in the winter, combined with facial hair, which would also help a bit against the cold winds. Each troop has 6 uniforms, combined with the respective headgear, facial items and moustaches/beards.


Overview of items included in this pack

[h2]The Alpini[/h2]

Formed in 1872, 11 years after the unification of Italy, the Alpini were brought together to protect the peninsulas mountainous borders and are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world.

Recruitment for the Alpini went through Italy's mountain valleys locals and organized them into a special corps. As they possessed superior knowledge of mountain territory and greatest adaptability to Alpine conditions, this was a great (and obvious) idea. At the beginning, the mountain regions were divided into seven military districts, each commanded by an Officer and home to at least two Alpini companies, each consisting of 120 members.

During World War One, which was for the Alpini also known as the "War in snow and ice", had a frontline of 600 km, running straight through mountains and glaciers of the Alps. Many soldiers lost their lives during the harsh terrain, such as avalanches. To survive on these icy cold mountains, massive underground bases were drilled and dug into the mountainsides and into the ice of glaciers. Guns had to be dragged up the mountain by hundreds of troops. going as high as 3,890 m (12,760 feet). Besides these bases roads, cable cars, mountain railroads and walkways were built as well. Many of these walkways and roads are still visible today, and many are maintained as Via Ferrata. In addition, along the former frontline it is still possible to see what is left of hundreds of kilometers of barbed wire.


Alpini soldiers climbing up the mountain terrain

Nowadays, the Alpini are known for their assistance with earthquake and avalanche recovery, particularly in Central Italy along the Apennines. Furthermore, theyve also been deployed to countries such as Afghanistan and Kosovo, where they are able to use their expertise navigating mountainous terrain.





Keeping a watchful eye high up on the snowy mountain required a clothing to match the high altitudes. Instead of the green-ish looks of the Italian uniforms, the Alpini here are wearing white overgarments. It might stand out on lower ground battles, but this was the perfect fit for those up on the Alps.





One of the headgear you can wear is the M1909 'Berreto' Cap. This is a soft-topped cap, made of grey-green cloth with a rigid peak & adjustable chinstrap of black leather. To the front of the cap is sewn a patch made of similar coloured material with a Crown above the respective regimental number.

The Italian Army adopted the grey-green uniform (grigio-verde) officially in 1909 although it had been trialed and accepted in 1908.

The version in the game with the Alpine Units Pack will include the goggles! Also separately available so you can wear them on your face instead of your cap. ;)

[h2]Gebirgstruppe[/h2]

The Imperial-Royal Mountain Troops, in German Kaiserlich-knigliche Gebirgstruppe, were founded in 1906 as part of the Austrian Landwehr, the territorial army of the Cisleithanian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Because of this, the abbreviation k.k - kaiserlich sterreichisch, kniglich bhmisch (meaning Imperial Austrian, Royal Bohemian) was used and not "k.u.k." ("Imperial and Royal") which would have implied a connection with the Hungarian half of the Empire.

Conrad von Htzendorf was the one who proposed the establishment and in February 1906 the War Ministry in Vienna convened a session on Alpine border security. Field Marshal Tunk agreed with him and put forward a concept, the fundamentals of which were then carried out.



The already existing state rifle regiments were to be trained as mountain troops and, together with the Landsturm border patrol companies and gendarmerie departmenta, they were responsible for the territorial defense force. Combined with the local knowledge on the border of Tyrol, they were seen as the backbone of the defense.





One of the headgears you can find in this pack is the Stahlhelm. Meaning steel helmet', this helmet is of German origin, and was mainly produced and worn to provide protection against shrapnel and fragments of grenades. The term Stahlhelm refers both to a generic steel helmet and more specifically to the distinctive German military design.

During World War One, many European countries introduced this type of helmet to their own army. Around 1916, the Pickelhaube ('spiked helmet') was being replaced with the Stahlhelm.

Austria-Hungary Empire purchased about 416,000 German helmets from November 1916 until the end of the war. Additionally, they started to produce their own licensed production around May 1917.

The Austrian M17 helmet was similar to the German M16 but was coloured golden-brown (known as Isonzo-braun), had a cloth chinstrap and had the chinstrap rivet located higher up on the steel shell.

Closely looking at the Austrian M17 was the Hungarian M18 variant. They shared a similar design, but the chinstrap rivet was smaller in size and located even higher up than the Austrian version. It had a similar Isonzo-braun colour.





You can find these items, and many more, in the Alpine Unit Expansion pack right here!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815511/Isonzo__Alpine_Units_Pack/

[h2]More Caporetto![/h2]

As stated in our roadmap, our first big free expansion will be the Caporetto expansion, which brings many new things, but most importantly , The German Empire! We cant give you an exact date (for now) as to when this expansion will be available, but know that well share the exciting news as soon as we know!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2862650102



[h2]Reichsrevolver M1883[/h2]

When Germany entered the war, as with many other nations, it found it was lacking the modern sidearms it required to outfit its army. This resulted in the common practice of reissuing older firearm designs to fill gaps left by prioritising more modern weaponry for frontline use. This is where the Reichsrevolver, specifically our model 1883, saw a second life.

A common sight until the Reichsrevolver family was replaced by the Luger in 1908, these single action 6 shot revolvers sported a powerful 10.6mm cartridge, but really did not stand up to revolvers of the period. Compared to the M1879 Reichsrevolver, the M1883 model sported a shorter 4.6-inch barrel, changes to the cylinder, a smaller grip and lanyard ring, and a smaller safety mechanism (though the design is often criticised for this).

In its function, the M1883 model is identical to the M1879 model, and again it suffered from the same loading issues experienced with the latter. Cartridge removal wasnt something that was well planned for the M1879, and the revolvers were issued with an easily lost ejection rod. The M1883 wasnt even given this privilege. Subsequently and as replicated in game users of the Reichsrevolver most likely resorted to a handy twig or stick!

Old, antiquated, obsolete. This revolver holds a special place in the WW1 Game Series arsenal and can be a bit of a toughie to master!

[h3]See you next week soldiers!
[/h3]

This update potentially improves issues with players being outside of a faction and therefore unkillable. It also addresses issues with periscopes, some UI improvements and a fix for the esteemed achievement "Sacro Egoismo".

This update raises the network version, therefore it is necessary to update to play with the majority of players. It should be an ~80 MB download.

[h2]Improvements:[/h2]

Gameplay and graphics:

• Potential improvements to players being stuck without a faction and unkillable/unable to play (further fixes may follow depending on feedback)
  
• Fixed players sometimes becoming invisible after spawn
  
• Fixed periscopes sometimes not being visible
  
• Fixed players teleporting to a different periscope when using one
  
• Fixed Lanciabombe Bettica not being shown as unloaded in third person
  
• Fixed planes flying into cliffs on Dolomiti
  
• Return to previous stance option now actually returns the player to the correct stance
  
• Improvements to health/bandaging stability

• Fixed Squad menu list showing empty squads or players that are not there
  
• Fixed Squad menu not always showing correct uniforms for squadmates
  
• Fixed "Sacro Egoismo" achievement
  
• Fixed slow scrolling on the After Action Report Medals screen
  
• After Action Report Medals screen is now scrollable with a controller

Hello soldiers !

How have you been enjoying Isonzo so far! We enjoy watching the clips of your gameplay and screenshots you share with us on social media and in our Discord, keep it up! Of course, were also monitoring issues you encounter with the game and we keep on fixing these and further improving the game! Dont forget to check if your game is updated; we recently released a new big patch that addresses several aspects. You can reach all the patch notes here.

Now for this weeks devblog, were taking a closer look at one of the cosmetic DLC packs for Isonzo: the Veteran Units Pack and its historical background.



[h2] Battle-worn Gear [/h2]

As the name suggests, this pack contains battle-worn uniforms, for those veteran soldiers whove seen a lot of battles. Containing uniforms from some of the most iconic units from both sides on the Italian Front - the Italian Sardinian brigade and Bersaglieri to the Austro-Hungarian Honved. Alongside the uniforms and their respective headgear, this pack also includes 5 mustaches and 2 faces (1 per faction) and 4 facial accessories.


An overview of all the items included

[h2] Sassari Brigade [/h2]

The Italian uniforms include the famous "Sassari" brigade (Sardinians), who were deployed in some of the most bitterly contested battles of the war. In addition the Italian officer and mountaineer get the distinctive Italian Royal Army capes.

During Italys general mobilization in preparation for entering World War I, the Italian Army assembled the Sassari Infantry Brigade on the island Sardinia on 1 March 1915. It was the 151st Infantry Regiment in Sinnai and the 152nd Infantry Regiment in Tempio Pausania.

Unlike other Italian infantry brigades, the Sassari recruited only Sardinians, hence their nickname. However, the highest-ranking officers were from the Italian Mainland.

The brigade had their first battle during the First Battle of the Isonzo and distinguished itself in the Second Battle of the Isonzo. In May 1916, they aided in Italys effort to stop the Austro-Hungarians Spring Offensive. Later that same year in June, they seized Monte Fior, Monte Castelgomberto, Monte Spil, Monte Miela and Monte Zebio.For these actions both regiments of the brigade were awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor.



In both images, you can see the Sassari brigade wearing the Adrian helmet. Originally produced by the French Army in 1915, it was the first modern steel helmet, which later became a basic helmet of many armies into the 1930s. The helmet was designed for French troops who were fighting in the trenches. Prior to the Adrian helmet, soldiers wore a kepi cap, which left the soldiers open for injury as it provided no protection whatsoever.



Seeing how effective the helmet was and the fact it was easily (and cheap) produced, the helmet was quickly added by other countries, including Italy, who had their own license-built version.



[h2] Honvd - Defenders of the Homeland [/h2]

The Royal Hungarian Honvd, generally known as Honvd (literally meaning Defender of the Homeland) was one of the 4 armed forces of Austria-Hungary from 1867-1918. The term first appeared during the 1848 revolutions, and was given to the volunteers who joined battles for several weeks or until victory .

Like the Austrian Landwehr, the Hungarian Honvd began in 1867 as a militia charged with secondary security duties. During the negotiations that created the Dual Monarchy, the Hungarians demanded that the Imperial Army should be divided between Vienna and Budapest. There needed to be a separate Hungarian army command and Ministry of War, and the Hungarian Army would wear its own uniforms, march under its own banners and respond only to Magyarul as the language of command.

During World War One, 8 Honvd infantry divisions and the Honvd cavalry division marched to war in August 1914 alongside the Common Army, fighting on all fronts. Like the Common Army, the Honvdsg expanded during the war. However, the Common Army, Landwehr and Honvdsg were not mixed in the ad hoc divisions and brigades formed at the front, even during crises at the front. Also the official ad hoc infantry divisions that briefly served on the Italian front were not mixed.




Worn by the soldiers is the feldkappe. This cap was worn by the Austro-Hungarian army prior to 1907 and continued into World War One. More known is the Austrian version with the brass saying FJI (Franz Joseph I) whereas here in our game it reads IFJ (I. Ferenc Jzef) in Hungarian.



Additionally, you can see Cap Badges as well. Known as Kappenabzeichen in German and Sapkajelvnyek in Hungarian, these badges were made to represent several things such as; the portrait of the emperor, military commanders, commemorated armies & regiments, battles & campaigns, military hospitals and the Red Cross.



To end this section, we share a screenshot from a player who made a Hungarian squad with this pack! Looking great!


Screenshot by 'Wulfess'

[h2]Become a Veteran now [/h2]

You can find these items and more in the Veteran Unit Pack!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815513/Isonzo__Veteran_Units_Pack/

[h2] More German Sneak peeks [/h2]

With the same Mauser action and 5 round capacity of the Gewehr 98 rifle, the Kar98az ultimately managed to fix several of the Gewehr 98s faults. The German Empire realized the need for a shorter carbine for cavalry use in the early years of the 20th century, with designs being submitted and produced between 1902 and 1908.



The Kar98az was adopted in 1908, a model which resolved most of the earlier carbine model production problems. Adapted for infantry use az here refers to Aufpflanz-und-Zusammensetzvorrichtung ( with bayonet and stacking rod). Initially issued to light infantry and mountain troops, it was quickly pushed into front line infantry use, and became synonymous with the famous StormTroopers.

A shorter rifle with a turned down bolt handle was more befitting of trench warfare, and the improved sight picture was a welcomed change. As many as 1.5million Kar98az rifles were produced by the war's end in 1918.

This is another familiar face to fans of the WW1 Game Series.



[h3]See you next week soldiers!
[/h3]

Fixes some issues present after the last patch:

• Fixed issues with spawning as Assault class
  
• Fixed challenge progression showing 0 while the challenge is already completed
  
• Fixed some Post Processing options resetting or not working

We are back with another bigger patch for Isonzo, addressing several achievement and progression issues; better handling of grenade crates; memory and connection stability improvements; and better handling of LMG deploys, which no longer interrupt your firing!

This update is a 780 MB download.

[h2]Balancing[/h2]
We have been monitoring the outcome of matches and will be making serverside changes to improve balancing across the board.

[h2]Patch notes[/h2]
[h3]Improvements:[/h3]

• Players can now melee with the shovel by using the Primary Fire keybinding instead of a dedicated melee key
  
• Customization screen now defaults to your currently equipped uniform when not hovering over any selection
  
• Improvements to LMG handling and animation - firing and aiming down sights with LMGs is no longer interrupted by the bipod auto deploying or folding
  
• Grenade crate cooldown is now triggered immediately on spawn
  
• Decreased TAA ghosting and improved the overall look
  
• Significant improvement for "Connection lost" kicks (efforts to further reduce this are ongoing)

• Fixed characters screaming after spawn
  
• Fixed being able to see through smoke through buildable highlights
  
• Prone Stance change sound should no longer play if the player hasn't actually gone prone
  
• Fixed straight ammo belt in the Schwarzlose building highlight
  
• Remove building highlight from already built grenade crates
  
• Fixed showing the first person weapon too late after quickly equipping rifle grenades when spawning
  
• Ardito 1917 uniform now uses the correct gas mask
  
• M13 and captured M95 now have correct attachments

• Fixed "Thus with a Kiss", "Luigi Cadorna", "Farewell to Arms" and "Shaken, not stirred" achievements
  
• Various other achievement tracking fixes
  
• Various challenge tracking improvements and fixes
  
• Challenge HUD no longer shows challenges that can not yet be progressed
  
• Challenge HUD no longer shows duplicate entries when spawning
  
• Fixed Mountaineer Spotting I challenge not being translated
  
• Fixed the no progression text showing in valid matches
  
• Fixed DLC sometimes not registering on game start

• Fixed Film Memoir mode not being available despite owning Digital goods
  
• Fixed ghost squadmates and not being able to join squads in squad menu
  
• Players can no longer place engineer buildables around objectives in their spawn sector
  
• Fixed scoreboard score visual desync
  
• Friendly dynamite explosions no longer kill teammates
  
• Fixed overly long sector cooldown timers
  
• Fixed Offline mode matches becoming unplayable after some time playing
  
• Officer aura is now properly applied to the whole team instead of only squad
  
• Improved first person sight alignment for some weapons
  
• Improved first person sight alignment when changing stances
  
• Improved hit reg for point blank shots
  
• Fixed Sniper Stalker perk functionality
  
• Fixed being able to equip wire cutters as a melee weapon
  
• Fixes for periscopes not being usable
  
• Fixed shots at extreme distances sometimes not registering
  
• Fixed missing sway when moving while prone and aiming down sights
  
• Fixed not swapping to correct weapon in third person if looking through binoculars on swap
  
• Various naming and localization fixes
  
• Various map fixes and balance improvements

• Removed spammy spotting text in chat
  
• Fixed Offensive progression showing the progress for maps as 0/3 on the loading screen
  
• Fixed mortar map not returning if HUD was toggled/held off
  
• Fixed officer call-in menu use being inverted if Invert Look was on
  
• Fixed players not being able to open the Context menu of a player they reported
  
• After Action Menu scoreboard now lists up to 24 players per side without need to scroll

• Significantly improved memory use

• Fixed some bots standing still and being invincible
  
• Fixed some bots being able to run through barbed wire in no man's land sectors
  
• Bots should no longer use Static weapons if there are no enemies nearby

• Voice chat doesn't work while on the spawn map
  
• Headgear customization visible through gasmasks
  
• Tutorial pop-ups not automatically cycling
  
• Switching to previous stance option doesn't work
  
• Explosions sometimes hitting players through walls
  
• Mountaineer Spotter perk text description shows x4 increase in spotting when it should show x2

Hello soldiers!

Its been almost 1 month now since Isonzos release! Were overwhelmed with the amount of praise and love weve received for our latest game in the WW1 Game Series! Thank you all so much! We hope youll continue to play and enjoy your battles on the Italian Front!

A week before Isonzos release, we had a special play session for press and influencers to play together with devs and our beta testers to experience the game alongside other players. This way, reviews and videos containing content with real players would be available upon release for you all to read and watch! Now, lets see what some press and content creators thought of Isonzo!

[h2] A hill worth dying for [/h2]

One of the content creators who joined us in our special play session was jackfrags. With almost 4 million subscribers on YouTube and a vast variety of shooters he played, we thought he might be interested in playing Isonzo! And so he did! Though at first seeing a bit overwhelmed (or maybe lost) at what to do, he quickly got onto getting kills, getting objectives and admiring the scenery ! An iconic quote from Jack was I don't know why we're fighting over this hill. It's a nice hill, but is it work dying over? Which kind of sums up the Italian front nicely in our opinion ;) You can watch his entire video here !

[previewyoutube=m4o1BY6NU4c;full][/previewyoutube]

Another YouTuber who made a video about Isonzo is LevelCapGaming, with almost 2 million subscribers. In his video you get a nice idea about the Mountaineer class and how powerful it can be for you and your team! Playing on the Fior map, part of the Strafexpedition Offense, you can see him and his fellow soldiers battle through the forest, eventually making it to the final objective of the map. The change of a covered area full of trees and nature into a more open area took some adapting to, but eventually he managed to push forward with his team! To see if Cap as the Austo-Hungarian succeeds over the Italians, check out the video!

[previewyoutube=Hj4FXh-z7cI;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2] A gorgeous, accessible class-based shooter [/h2]

One of the press outlets that wrote about Isonzo is PCGamer. Stating that theres currently a milsim boom in the gaming industry, Isonzo is fitting right into this. Calling Isonzo one of the prettiest shooters thats currently out right now (thank you, youre making us blush), the review praises Isonzo as well for how easy it is to hop into a game. But be warned, that doesnt mean that the game is easy.

Furthermore, Isonzo is praised for its asymmetry. Though theres only two objectives to focus on, A & B, that doesnt mean you have to do these in order. Additionally, the extra side objectives were seen as a fun change of paste and felt rewarding! No long runs from the respawn, helping out your teammates and contributing to the overall pushes, - its the small things that matter unless you bring out the big guns and gun everyone down ;).

Again, Isonzo takes the players breath away by the way it looks. Isonzo's Italian setting is refreshing and feels great to fight in. (...) this is the most gorgeous, colorful portrayal of WW1 I've ever seen in a game. You can tell that Blackmill has had its fill of maps that capture the WW1 we see in our headsflat, muddy hellscapes where nothing happy can existand decided to cut loose with postcard-worthy Italian countrysides, quaint villages, and strikingly beautiful mountains. The mountains in particular are effective, being both very pretty to look at and creating the most distinct areas in Isonzo.

[h2] Isonzo Fanart [/h2]

Some of you enjoyed playing Isonzo so much that you even brought out your creative skills and drew fanart ! Thank you so much! Heres a small selection of the fanart we received. We would love to see more, so be sure to use the hashtag #Isonzo and tag us on Twitter!


Gan Emperor of Mankind


Emrivimaster123


VHetairaV


BanonCat

[h2] Die Deutschen kommen! [/h2]

Besides working on optimizing Isonzo and solving issues we and you encountered, the next big update is also on our radar! In case you've missed it, take a look at our roadmap !



For now, we can't give you a timeframe on when the Germans will join Isonzo, but we hope you're looking forward to it regardless! Here's a little weapon teaser for now.



The German Empire entered the war with a large army, and the workhorse for this army is the ever-familiar Gewehr 98. Design in 1895, and introduced into service in 1898, this is a versatile rifle of Mauser design. The Gewehr 98 would become synonymous with the great war and echoes of its design can be found in weapons adopted by other nations - with a shortened version of the design being adopted by the German Army by the outbreak of the Second World War.

Chambered in the effective 7.92x57mm Mauser cartridge, these 5 round rifles found a nice middle ground in areas like capacity, ease of use, speed to load, while excelling in weapon accuracy. Though criticized for its length, poor sights, and cost of manufacture, the German Empire would issue this rifle to the frontlines in the millions.

Finding fame in media such as the films All Quiet on the Western Front, and a mainstay in the WW1 Game Series. This rifle will offer a familiar face to fans of our previous installments.

[h3]That's the intel for now soldiers![/h3]

Hello soldiers!

This week, its time to put on your listening ears! If youve played the game or watched our trailer, you mightve heard it before. Isonzos main theme: Rinasceremo Insieme (We will be Reborn Together). Looking on the internet for the original song or just asking around if someone knew who the singer was, often left you guys with empty hands (or ears), as it is an original song made for the game! Our componist, Bart Delissen, has been with us from the very start and also worked on the music for Verdun & Tannenberg.

[h2]Inspiration from previous games[/h2]
For Isonzo, the research of what would be a culturally and historically accurate soundtrack started early 2020. I've done similar research back in 2014 for Verdun, and mainly during 2017 for Tannenberg. For this Eastern Front game, it relied heavily on finding musical tropes that fitted the Eastern European anthems and creating a custom orchestral soundtrack from that. Important was not to lose the Verdun theme at all, as to make clear this front is part of a bigger conflict/game series. So through the new Tannenberg Hymn and a few other tracks, the eager listener can also hear echoes of the ominous descending brass melody.

As you can see, Bart is not a new recruit in the field when it comes to making music. Isonzo being part of an entirely different front and being the biggest entry of our game series yet, Barts desire to implement that in his music, while also having a notch back to our two earlier games, was very impressive. Not to forget that the music should also resemble and fit the time period of World War One, this is where the early stages of research and demos started. But did that idea last?

[h2]Puccini as Inspiration[/h2]
Early Isonzo demos contained this idea as well, but since it was less needed to rivet the IP of the WW1 game series again, in terms of music (a lot of people knew the Verdun & Tannenberg already) it was dropped soon enough. We wanted to do something with the huge panoramas in combination with the fact that the game is set around Italy.

This made me pitch Italian opera and I showed the dev team some Verdi and Puccini. Puccini's work grew increasingly dramatic and bold as the years progressed into the 1910's. Some brushes and colours of his musical sound palette fitted perfectly to the Isonzo narrative, so I tried to incorporate some of the mannerisms into my writing for the soundtrack.

Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer, mainly known for his operas. Seen as one of the greatest and successful composers (after Verdi), he stemmed from a late-Baroque era, which is a type of Western classical music composed around 1600-1750. He drifted more towards creating late 19th century Romantic Italian opera music before he developed his work in a verismo style (meaning realism). This style had its origins in the literary movement in Italy and Puccini became a head composer. His most famous works are La bohme (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and Turandot (1924).


Puccini is known as one of the greatest and successful composers

[h2]The Importance of the Main Theme Song[/h2]
Besides taking his inspiration from well-known Italian opera singers, Bart looked further to see what kind of Italian music or artists were around the time period of the Great War and looked for inspiration. He explains what the importance of the main theme is for the rest of the soundtrack.

A main theme should be written first as the base material from which I could later extrapolate the tracks and themes for the entire soundtrack. We decided it would be a sung opera aria. This is a moment in classical opera where the story 'freezes' on a dramatic moment and a single soloist expresses the emotional singing that is evoked by the given situation.

I wrote the menu/main theme with this in mind, with just a piano sound as a placeholder for where the singer should sound eventually. After a short search, I came across Barbara Lotti, an Italian linguist, who helped me create the lyrics (libretto). I had already done research for Italian poetry around the WW1 era, and stumbled upon Guiseppe Ungaretti. He fought for the Italians at the Isonzo front, and he grew to become one of the most important Italian poets of the 20th century.

Giuseppe Ungaretti was an Italian modernist poet, journalist, essayist, critic and academic. He was one of the most important figures to contribute to 20th century Italian literature. Influenced by symbolism, he was briefly aligned with futurism. During World War One, he took an irredentist position, like many other futurists. He debuted as a poet while fighting in the trenches, publishing his pieces; L'allegria (The Joy). These poems were based on Ungaretti's experiences as a soldier.


Giuseppe Ungaretti during World War One

[h2]Putting everything together[/h2]
I had Barbara Lotti write original lyrics with stylistic elements of Ungaretti and I had music with hints of Puccini: now I needed a singer to bring it all to life. I found a tenor named Thomas de Bruijn, who sometimes goes by the stage name Thomas LeBrun. He's a freelancer, the National Opera House is even one of his clients! However, recording in a studio situation was new to him. The average studio sounds very different from a concert hall or opera house and that brings some challenges. In the end, the profound research and preparations paid off - we ended up with a main menu track called Rinasceremo Insieme, which many of you have heard by now.

Bart even made a vlog video talking a bit more about the process of working on the song, combined with some footage of the recording session, be sure to check it out!

[previewyoutube=WJoUl5Lyf1Q;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Rinasceremo Insieme is the DNA of the game[/h2]
Making the main theme Rinasceremo Insieme set the direction of what the rest of Isonzos soundtrack would sound like. It formed a sort of DNA for the other in-game music. It wasn't really something that was discussed, it was more of a natural process. The next challenge for Bart would be creating in-game music that would move along with the different battles and objectives you face in the game.

I took some inspiration and info from working on the precious games Ive worked with. Tannenberg had two interactive music tracks, intensifying the late game. I took what I built for the former game as a starting point, and with a lot of testing and tweaking created a system that could toss around snippets of music from a gradual 4+ minutes buildup that I had composed. The result of all non-linear options, in which the music can manifest, guarantees a tension build up throughout a series of battles. Almost every piece of music in Isonzo ended up having interactive/adaptive elements.

Fun fact: shards of the Verdun theme make a stealth comeback, buried within a stream of fast notes in the objective music.

Bart provided a video explaining more about the software he worked with for having the music and game work together, when certain events happen in the game! Its an interesting video, so be sure to check it out!

[previewyoutube=yFHAeH0G9_A;full][/previewyoutube]

We would like to thank Bart Delissen and the people he worked with for their amazing work on Isonzos soundtrack! You can clearly hear the time, effort, inspiration and passion that went into making it!

The Isonzo soundtrack contains about 30 minutes of music, and it will only increase along with the development of DLC!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2078340/Isonzo_Soundtrack/

To end this devblog with, here is the official video, together with the Italian lyrics and English translation!

[previewyoutube=wlmiQBcttYw;full][/previewyoutube]

We return to the Cengio map in this week's Isonzo Intel. Don't forget that Isonzo has been released and you can join the battle yourself right now! Thank you for your support so far! It's been very fun seeing you all enjoy the game!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo

As we prepare to attack the second line, it's worth noting that Fort Corbin, the capture objective of the first line, maintains some value as a spotting position for Officers and Mountaineers or a sniping nest for Marksmen. This said, never forget the value of being near the frontline - be ready to move on and join the assault ASAP if you don't find juicy targets.



There are two objectives for the Austro-Hungarians in the second line: sabotaging a gun position in a forest clearing and taking a capture point in a forested cliffside camp. The route to these leads from the fortress complex through a rural mountain settlement plus a shell cratered fields and forest. There is little in the way of chokepoints in this area, meaning youll need to maintain good situational awareness in case enemies are trying to sneak around your flanks. Recon flights and spotting can both help here. It also poses challenges for the Engineers of both teams, since there arent obvious locations for barbed wire and sandbags - lonely strips of wire out in the forest will be easily cut, so it makes sense to either plan to stand watch over your impromptu defenses, or build close to the objectives where you can be sure other players will always be present.


Sabotage Objective

When approaching the gun pit both sides will need to be wary of heavy machine guns positioned on banks of earth that can easily hide more enemies behind them. Visibility is often interrupted by trees or sunken lanes, so you need to keep your wits about you. The gun pit itself has plentiful stores of ammunition and other supplies, giving plenty of opportunity for people to hide. Bring close combat weapons or clear the place out with an artillery barrage before going in.

The tent encampment on the forest slopes is more open, running almost to the edge of the cliffs. Defenders should watch out for people shooting from Fort Corbin, and would probably be advised to keep the tents between themselves and the fortress complex. The Austro-Hungarians can try a frontal assault along the main road, or they can flank around from near the gun position objective.

If the Austro-Hungarians succeed, they are on to their penultimate objective: an Italian base on Monte Cengio itself. After crossing a picturesque mountain stream the route leads upwards to a series of winding cliffside paths reinforced with wood and wire.

The goal is a single capture point in a cluster of wooden shacks. Even after establishing forward spawn points there is still quite a way to go for the attackers to reach the capture point, and there are only so many routes up there. The Austro-Hungarians will need to make good use of grenades, officer call-ins, and a mortar at one the forward spawns if they hope to take this Sardinian command post. Assault classes with light machine guns can also be invaluable to suppress Italian reinforcements.


The forested cliffside camps and huts that you'll be able to enter


A tight and rocky path up the hill

Assuming they manage it, the final objective is a single capture point at the peak of Monte Cengio. The terrain for this final push is similarly rocky, but has less of a height difference, allowing longer range engagements. Without the brutal uphill assault and better sight lines from the forward spawn points to the objective, the Austro-Hungarians may well find this last push easier than the previous one.



That said watch out for the tunnels running below this sector and the capture point! Enemies can and will emerge from unexpected places. Learning the layout of the underground passageways will give you an edge. It won't be an easy battle, but overall the landscape is less unusual than the previous sector - except for the tunnels. Well close out with the complete flyover video!

[previewyoutube=rYsKk5pgtbg;full][/previewyoutube]

[h2]Fight for Monte Cengio today![/h2]
Isonzo has been released and you can join the fighting yourself on the Cengio map and others!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo

We thank you for your support and patience! Since release we had several hotfixes and big patches and we'll keep monitoring your reports! Here's a small info sheet about how things are going for the devs.


The work for a dev never ends ;)

[h3]Avanti![/h3]

Hi everyone. We hope you have been enjoying Isonzo so far. We are still actively monitoring your input and today, we present the second bigger update addressing several topics like saving stability and bots.

This patch raises the network version, which means you should update before playing online, in order to play with the majority of players.

[h2]Balancing[/h2]
We are collecting your feedback regarding balancing and we are planning adjustments. This is a sensitive process, so we want to make sure we have the correct picture of the situation before making big changes. Today, we have focused on adjustments for the Fior map based on our findings.

[h2]Saving[/h2]
We have made saving more robust, providing fallback opportunities if anything goes wrong, and saving more often than before. This is to make sure you don't lose progress when the game closes abruptly.

[h2]Bots[/h2]
We made slight adjustments to bots in the last patch and this one, and wanted to see how they feel now. Mainly we reenabled a measure that reduces their lethality, that was also active in Verdun and Tannenberg, so we hope they will feel better balanced again. Let us know what you think!

[h2]Patch Overview[/h2]

• Fixed players not swapping to correct weapon in third person
  
• Fixed Static weapons breaking if equipping them while aiming down sights
  
• Fixed getting stuck in a bleeding state
  
• Fixed players sometimes getting stuck in a slow state from bandaging
  
• Fix for sometimes not being able to bandage self or others
  
• Fixed players sometimes not dying from artillery when they should have
  
• Fixes for spawning in objects (ongoing)
  
• Bots should no longer vault into the second story of the fort on Cengio
  
• Reduced bot lethality slightly, similar to Verdun and Tannenberg
  
• LMGs will no longer auto deploy while the player is moving
  
• Fixed missing sound for Lanciarazzi Very
  
• Fixed Glisenti and Steyr 1912 clipping through the hand
  
• Fixed sometimes being unable to spawn after switching from an Armour perk
  
• Fixed corpses sinking into the ground too much
  
• Fixed players sometimes being able to join as a third Officer without abilities
  
• "Call-in boosting" by shooting two flares is now tracked per Officer, so that one Officer cannot use up the other Officer's bonus
  
• Fixed all players calling out officer call-ins instead of just the Officer
  
• Removed unobtainable "Best player" medal
  
• Players should no longer lose their match progress if they abruptly quit the game
  
• Fixed "Play now" not working correctly in Offline mode
  
• Pathing improvements for first sector of Fior
  
• Various visual improvements and fixes for maps
  
• Data saving improvements
  
• Performance improvements

This patch helps everyone who has experienced seeing different challenges on spawn, that didn't seem to track and stayed at 0. You should now always see the challenge with the lowest level prerequisite, in the widget when spawning. For more info, open the Progression Screen, which can be found on the Spawn Menu (or when pressing Escape during play) between the backpack icon and soldier customisation button.

• Fixed challenge progress widget showing the wrong challenges on spawn (and therefore they would not be tracked / stay at 0)
  
• Improvements to first person weapon sounds
  
• Improvements to footsteps sound volume
  
• When selecting Advanced custom match options you now get a big red warning
  
• Removed unnecessary logging, might improve performance a bit

Since Isonzos release earlier this week, we have actively been listening to your feedback, including bug reports and concerns about balancing, progression and features.
Today, we are addressing the first of these issues.

[h2]Recalibrating XP[/h2]
Our first pass was to make sure that playing the game would stay interesting to fanatic players. However, this caused early-game unlocks to be slower and more difficult to obtain in normal play, than intended. This patch eases the XP curve, especially for early levels, and makes some challenge conditions less of a grind.

[h2]Screenshake[/h2]
We have made call-ins less prominent by reducing screen shake over distance, and adjusting the cooldown times for them.

[h2]Patch Overview[/h2]

• Significantly lowered XP and challenge requirements for progression
  
• Significantly nerfed distance at which artillery screen shake affects the player
  
• Potential fix for matches abruptly ending when there are still tickets left
  
• Fixed gas mask lenses sometimes having odd reflections
  
• Fixed missing gas mask lenses and moustaches on Linux
  
• Rebalanced Officer call-in timings
  
• Decreased length of spotted icons above players and static weapons
  
• Fixed corpses sometimes blocking vision when using a static weapon
  
• Challenge progress reminder is now be shown at every spawn (if desired, the challenge reminder in general can be disabled in UI settings)
  
• Significantly improved performance in the Main Menu
  
• Increased size of the scroll bar for the server browser
  
• Potential fix for players getting placed in solo matches instead of a fuller lobby
  
• Fixed incorrect map/offensive info showing on the loading screen
  
• Performance: improves memory use over time
  
• Performance: optimised character models

Hello soldiers!

Isonzo released last tuesday ! We're so happy and excited to see you all play and enjoy the game ! Thank you so much for your love and support for the series!


Monte Cengio
Now let's continue with this week's devblog. Monte Cengio is the first map in the Strafexpedition Offensive - you can read about the second map, Fior, in our earlier blog entries: part one and part two.

Monte Cengio and Fort Corbin were the site of a fierce battle during the Strafexpedition - the punitive expedition intended by the Austro-Hungarians to punish the Italians for abandoning their pre-war agreement to join the Central Powers.



A Comparison between the real-life version and in-game. (Drone footage taken during our visit in 2020

Although built in 1906 and thus still fairly modern at the time of the Strafexpedition, Fort Corbin was undermined by a lack of armament and garrison (like many fortresses in WW1). Along with all the other forts on the plateau, Fort Corbin had its guns removed to serve in combat units, to be replaced with wooden decoys - keep an eye open when attacking over the roof where the gun turrets sit and youll spot the logs masquerading as gun barrels!


The decoys are presented in the game as well!

Fort Corbin was defended by the Grenadiers of Sardinia, who have a long storied history starting in 1831 - their name comes from the Kingdom of Sardinia, rather than the island! They continue to exist today, as the Mechanized Brigade "Granatieri di Sardegna". At the time of the Strafexpedition they were veterans who had participated with distinction in the first five Battles of the Isonzo.


The Battered outside of the fort

They fought hard to defend Fort Corbin and Monte Cengio, continuing to resist even after running critically low on ammunition. They held their positions on Monte Cengio and greatly hindered the Austro-Hungarian offensive. Of the 6,000 men deployed, 4,478 had become casualties by the time they were relieved from Cengio. The Sardinians would go on to fight in many more Battles of the Isonzo


Visible holes in the present-day fort of where the gun turrets used to be

Today the fort has been restored and turned into a museum! This is all the more impressive considering that the fort was reduced to little more than piles of rubble after the war - not from combat, but first from materials being taken to use in rebuilding villages on the plateau ruined in the fighting, and then from scavengers taking anything of value possible from the site. Eventually it was purchased by a farming family, the Panozzos, who first used the area for grazing animals, but later started restoring the site from their own pocket. Later it was recognized by regional authorities who offered financial assistance - but the family declined, instead continuing to maintain the museum themselves!



The fortress complex has already suffered through a heavy artillery bombardment, leaving large gaps in the outer walls for the attacking Austro-Hungarians to exploit. However, these gaps may well be blocked by wire built by defending engineers, and another challenge is the defensive ditch before the wall itself. A small bastion juts out into this trench, with two heavy machine guns, one facing each way. Attempting to cross the ditch without silencing the guns or laying down smoke is most likely a fatal mistake. The attackers can creep up to the base of the bastion itself to shoot inside or throw grenades, but won't be able to sabotage the HMGs themselves until they get inside the fortress.


Defending the moat from the bunker


Impression of fighting your way up the moat to the concrete gallery

Once past the outside wall there are two objectives. One is a capture point in the main part of Fort Corbin, the other is a sabotage objective in a supply room in a separate structure. However, even after destroying the supply room the Austro-Hungarians may want to maintain some presence here, since the area is adjacent to the route that defending Italian infantry will need to take in order to reinforce the Fort Corbin capture point. There are also clear sight lines from the second line of defense to Fort Corbin - this means troops in the capture point can shoot at defenders approaching, but are vulnerable to being shot at or suppressed themselves. Marksmen from both sides will find rich pickings here, unless their foes are smart enough to avoid lingering by windows and doorways.

[previewyoutube=8twAfMtk69Y;full][/previewyoutube]
An impression of the fort and its surroundings

That is it for now! Capturing the fort is just the beginning, however! Next week we will go more in depth in the second half of this map!

[h2]Avanti Savoia[/h2]

Don't forget that you can now get Isonzo with a 10% discount and a time limited Avanti Savoia DLC! After the release week, you won't be able to purchase it!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/


We'll keep working on Isonzo and adding (free) additional content to the game as well!



[h2]Community Image[/h2]
We love seeing your Isonzo screenshot and clips! Be sure to share them here in the community hub, social media and our Discord! We will highlight our favourites in the upcoming devblogs and on our social media!

This week's hightlight goes to Reddit user 'HowlingLemon'!




[h3]Good luck on the Italian Front soldiers and see you in-game on the battlefield!
Avanti![/h3]

This small patch for Isonzo fixes issues regarding:

- Launching the game at all (Steam saying "Running)
- Launching the game repeatedly within one Steam session
- Possibly also lessens the game staying running after closing it
- Fixes black scopes on the Linux version

We are actively monitoring other issues, expect more patches/hotfixes to follow!