Welcome back to another Verdun Community Development Update. This week we have a great announcement and tons of content to show! Test build live! The test build for the upcoming content update is now available for selected testers! In the coming weeks we will trial the massive content and all its aspects (including gore, new artillery abilities, flamethrowers, 73 weapons and more) with the community. If you are reading this and think, “I would like to join as well!”, look no further. You can sign up for the testing group here. Upon joining the test group, you will be able to give feedback and receive a key for the Verdun testing application. You will be able to keep having the regular verdun client installed side-by-side. So what is in this update? The past months we have teased quite a lot, but there is still so much more to show: Champagne This week we’ll also be revealing a little more info about the upcoming map titled “Champagne”. This map is based on the champagne front. A somewhat forgotten front, it saw major fighting in both 1915 and in the final offensive of 1918 which saw a major U.S breakthrough. The frontline is situated between Reims and the Argonne and consists mainly of open farmlands and hills. Many of these hills such as the “Main de Massiges” (“The hand of Massiges”) were heavily fortified. Combined with the fact that the front was largely static between 1916 and 1917, Champagne serves as inspiration for a totally different style of map which is entirely centered around the fighting within the complex lines of trenches. This should really contrast with the other maps where large portions of the fighting takes place in or around nomansland. Another iconic element which has been added to the game through Champagne is also that of night fighting. Our level designer has created some of our most stunningly realistic trenches in this new map, that really should do justice to the extensive and chaotic trench networks that could be found on the western front. Take a look at these teaser images (which also incorporate some of the upcoming new squad types)
“German "Pionier" squad conducting a night raid on the champagne front using a flamethrower. Note the entrenching tools carried by the pioneers as well as their distinctive canvas-covered stahlhelm. Also in the image is a soldier wielding the artillery luger (with 32-round drum magazine) The ‘Pionier’ class officer is using a C96 pistol for this raid”
"French Night attack in the champagne sector, 1915. French troops wearing their mid-1915 transitional uniform attack the German stronghold at the "Main de Massiges" ridge. Note the french officer wielding a m1892 revolver."
"German sentries fighting off a night assault, possibly American, champagne front 1918. The iconic German "Sappenpanzer", which (while mostly impractical) saw fairly common use among German sentries." New feature: bullet extraction New in the upcoming update is also animated extraction of the empty cartridges.
New Gasmask: The Small Box Respirator Last week we introduced the new first person animations for the French gasmask, the M2. This week we can show you the newly added SBR (Small Box Respirator). It has a distinctive tube and comprises of two main components, the mask and the box filter - usually carried in a bag and placed on the chest.
Note the iconic tube and a different experience from the current M17 mask Chauchat M1918 .30-06 “The worst” The U.S didn’t have much in the way of a lightweight machine gun come 1917, so when it entered the war, the U.S forces were issued with French Chauchat LMGs. The U.S later developed the m1918 due to a series of issues that were commonly faced by soldiers within the front lines. Primarily, the open sided magazine (which had been a major issue for French soldiers in the mud of the trenches) was replaced with a boxed magazine and a conversion to accept .30-06 rounds. The M1918 will be used by U.S marine squad by the close combat support role. The .30-06 round gives a slightly different performance from the french m1915 chauchat. The fact that it was frequently ditched by troops in the field because of jamming will be reflected in the fire rate of the weapon.
The team personally observed these distinct magazines dug-up in the meuse argonne region The C96 also received a great reloading animation of its stripper clip. This is just one of the many items you will be able to try in the test version.
The C96 cannot be reloaded mid-clip Screenshots of the Week
“Gas alert in a German Trench” That will be all for this update. We hope to see a lot of applications for the closed test build and see you on the front!

[ 2016-01-27 18:38:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Verdun is the first multiplayer FPS set in a realistic First World War setting. The merciless trench warfare offers a unique battlefield experience, immersing you and your squad into intense battles of attack and defense.
The game takes place on the western front between 1914 and 1918, in one of the bloodiest conflicts in world history. The developers were inspired by the infamous Battle of Verdun in 1916. The game offers 4 distinct game-modes: Frontlines, Attrition, Rifle Deathmatch, and Squad Defense. There are also many historically accurate features such as realistic WW1 weaponry, authentic uniforms, horrendous gore, and maps based on the real battlefields of France and Belgium.

The Frontlines game mode is unique in its tactical complexity. The realistic trenches are challenging to fight in and require tactical cunning to capture and defend. The Entente and Central Powers strive to gain control of frontline sectors. In one battle you’ll find yourself rushing the enemy trenches during an offensive action in order to gain ground, while in another you might be defending your recently conquered ground against a fierce enemy counter-attack.

Players can choose to be part of one of the many squad types in the game, each of which have their own distinct tactical roles. By working together with your friends, you can earn experience that improves the power and versatility of your squad. As you gain more experience fighting and get promoted in rank, you also earn Career Points which you can use to unlock specializations, weapons and equipment.

In the Attrition game mode, the Entente and the Central Powers are pitted against each other in a single battle. Each side has a number of tickets which represents the amount of manpower they have. When a player is killed and respawns, a ticket is deducted from the side they belonged to. When a side has no more tickets, players of that side cannot respawn - the last side standing wins!

The Rifle Deathmatch is a free-for-all game mode, where all players are pitted against each other in a thrilling contest of skill using only bolt-action rifles.

In the Squad Defense mode, the player along with three squad-mates will have to defend a position as long as they can against endless waves of AI controlled attackers.

Verdun key features include:
•Realistic World War 1 gameplay: Authentic weaponry with realistic bullet physics, skill based weapon handling, gore, poisonous gas with a claustrophobic gas mask experience, horrendous gore and artillery barrages
•Tactical squad-based FPS: Unique squad leveling system, distinct squad types and roles, voice chat
•True trench warfare: Real-time dynamic frontline with momentum-based attack and counter-attack gameplay
•Authentic World War 1 setting: Typical WW1 music and style, historical battlefields set on the Western Front
•Challenging game modes: Team-based Frontline, tactical Attrition, skill-based Rifle Deathmatch and desperate survival in Squad Defense



The gameplay is as immersive and gritty as it can get with elements such as realistic gore that portrays the true horror of the 1st World War Battlefield. This feature can naturally be disable if preferred. The authentic weapons need to be handled with skill, as they each feel differently and there are no floating crosshairs to aid your aim. Also, the realistic bullet physics require you to lead your shots when firing on a moving target at long range. In the event of a gas attack, you need to put on your gas mask, which impairs your view and gives you a very claustrophobic experience. And if getting shot or gassed isn’t enough, sudden artillery barrages that are called in by NCO’s can pin you down if you’re caught in the open and might obliterate your entire squad. This unforgiving war isn’t for the faint hearted!


Team play is what lies at the heart of Verdun. When you start a game, your first choice is to fight for either the Entente or the Central Powers. You can form one of the different squad types available to that side with up to three of your friends. Each squad has a specific tactic that is based on the historical units of that time. Depending on your squad’s type, players can choose a specific role within the squad, complete with historically accurate attire, weapons and special abilities. The more Co-op experience you and your squad mates earn together, the more powerful your squad will become and the better abilities will be unlocked. This progression is also shown visually as you and your squad get more advanced uniforms. You will also earn Career Points, which can be spent to unlock specializations, weapons and equipment.


The true WW1 battlefield experience has been captured in a real-time dynamic frontline, set in historically accurate locations of the Western Front. These frontline maps are comprised out of multiple sectors that can be captured by either side. Staying true to the typical attrition warfare of that time, both sides attack and counter-attack each other in turn, compelling you to defend each captured sector of trenches!


The development team has done extensive field research at Verdun and has been advised by knowledgeable historians to make sure Verdun is as historically accurate as it can get. Uniforms have been recreated to the tiniest details, the weapons are modeled to exact references and the maps use realistic World War 1 props and terrain layouts. Also, everything in the game has been tailored to recreate the grim atmosphere that is so typical of WW1; Gloomy clouded skies, an immersive interface combined with realistic sounds, accurate native voices that evoke the feeling of actually being there in the trenches, mud covered - trenches whilst peering over your rifle to spot the enemy.