Regarding the Black Screen Issue for Some Quest Players
Hey everyone,
We’ve received several reports of a black screen for some Quest players after starting Hard Bullet. Please ensure you are running the correct OpenXR Runtime:
Meta Quest Link: Use the Meta Quest Runtime for native Airlink or Cable connections. You can also run it with SteamVR.
SteamVR: Use this for Virtual Desktop and SteamLink. The Oculus version won’t launch unless you switch back to the Meta Quest Runtime in the settings.
Your SteamVR settings should look like this if you are using SteamVR by default.
By default, Windows and Meta use the Meta Quest Runtime and will automatically switch to SteamVR if you use alternate streaming solutions. However, it’s always worth checking your settings if you encounter such issues.
Please let us know if you are still having some issues, we'll have a look into it!
🚀 Performance Update, Explosives, Player Customization & MORE!
Hey everyone!
We are more than happy to share with you our latest update to HARD BULLET which mainly brings a huge performance boost, deeper player customization, and endless RIDE mode!
⚒️ Stability & Performance
Long-waited performance update is here! We have worked hard on a more optimized experience and this update should bring a significant FPS and performance boost for everyone.
Let us compare some numbers for nerds out there!
BEFORE: 4 puppets, 60FPS
AFTER: 5 puppets, 90FPS
Puppets Optimized: We have worked hard on optimizing the enemies to afford more puppets on arenas bringing up to a 50% FPS boost to some systems.
Game engine to Unity Il2CPP: This new experimental way of game build brings us some good FPS boost and stability. Expect 10% to 20% performance improvements in all locations.
This performance update makes the overall gameplay experience much smoother for every player. Please feel free to give us your feedback as always, we will be looking into them!
New Cooling: Using a new cooling system that brought some decent performance boost.
Resolution Scale Option: Sometimes simply lowering the overall resolution scale by 5-10% can bring a significant FPS boost. We recommend you play with this option to raise or lower overall visual game quality.
🧤Player Customization
Rise and shine everyone! It's time to show your unique style to those enemies.
We've added a new player customization feature! Now, you can mix and match several suits, heads, and gloves when playing in full-body mode. If you're using hands-only mode, you can enjoy the new glove appearances.
You can change your outfit using the mirror in the Lobby!
💣 Explosive Objects
Expanding the category — explosive objects like barrels and gas canisters are here! After getting a shot, the liquid inside starts burning so you have a little time to get away or throw it somewhere.
Just make sure to keep your distance, will you? Or don't, your choice.
There are eight new explosive objects of various sizes and effects. You can find them throughout the locations and in the Explosives tab of the Hand Spawner Menu.
⚔️Endless RIDE
Now RIDE is an endless experience, so after finishing it, you can continue playing and unlocking new weapons. The progress saves every time you finish the arena or die, so you can give a break anytime you would like to without losing anything you have unlocked.
More Gun Visuals!
Now most firearms in the armory have unlockable visuals — today we have added 50 more looks for the 12 guns that did not have them before!
Challenges, Unlocks, Updated UI
We've updated the main Progression UI with a reworked Challenges Tab. It now includes information about three unlock categories: Gun, Player, and Arena.
Gun and Player Challenges: These will unlock new weapons or player appearances.
Arena Challenges: A collection of different challenges.
There is no need to jump into Arena challenges right away — we recommend just keep playing Hard Bullet and you'll get them all eventually. No need to rush, take your time! 🕒
We plan to add more unlockable content and additional rewards for completing these challenges in the future. Keep your eyes on the horizon!
Save System Updated
We've reworked the save system to better manage player progress and unlocks. Your progress will transfer smoothly, so no worries.
However, if you roll back to older versions of Hard Bullet, you may lose your weapon unlock progress unless you make a copy of your save file before downgrading.
Your save file is located here: C:\Users\WINDOWS USER NAME\AppData\LocalLow\GexagonVR\Hard Bullet
New Lighting
A new lighting system has been added — dark areas are darker, and colorful lights now blend and mix beautifully on the walls.
Metal objects also feature additional reflections.
So, to sum it all up, we not only achieved significant FPS improvements and stability but also enhanced the in-game graphics with much more realistic lighting.
Damage Across the Enemy Body
Your chance to have critical damage on the enemy is now here! Here's a quick guide to show you how damage is distributed across the enemy's body.
Head and Neck: Critical damage, 500%
Torso: 100% damage
Upper Arms and Thighs: 70% damage
Wrist-Elbow and Lower Knee Zones: 60% damage
Hands and Feet: 50% damage
With legs and hands now taking less damage, fights with heavily armored enemies will be tougher. Time for a new strategy!
Other Improvements
Armory: Weapons are now arranged according to their unlock order.
Holster Offsets: Fixed a bug where the checkbox was removed after loading into a new arena.
Enemy Helmets: Fixed an issue where enemy helmets could not be knocked off if violence was turned off.
Fire Rate Selectors: Set to automatic where needed on guns.
Bullet Pusher: Fixed an issue where the bullet pusher could get stuck even with an empty mag on some pistols.
Flashlight Intensity: Reduced the flash intensity from bullet impacts on metal surfaces.
Current game version: EA 0.7.4.32
Older Hard Bullet Versions
Feeling a little bit nostalgic? We prepared some older game builds to play as many of you wanted to check how HB evolved over the years.
August 2023 — this one is known as "moddable", for anyone interested it's better to check with our mods community for more details.
December 2022 — revolvers and hand poses added.
December 2021 — before more complex heads with mouths were added.
OldHB — 2021 version before we moved to the new engine.
December 2020 — oldest version, electricity added.
Notice: Old 2021 and 2020 versions have issues with modern Oculus runtimes, and work fine with SteamVR.
We've been working hard on the next RIDE update, which was planned to launch this week, but it needs a little more time in the oven.
However, we have one important update that we can release today: our new Hard Bullet build with significant FPS improvements!
Key Improvements
Moved to Unity IL2CPP: This new experimental build method provides a significant FPS boost and improved stability. You can expect a 10-20% performance improvement across all locations.
Overall Experience: This FPS stability improvement makes the overall experience much smoother.
Thank you for your patience and support!
Older Versions Available
We also prepared some older game builds as many of you wanted to check how HB evolved over the years.
August 2023 — this one is know as "moddable", for anyone interested it's better to check with our mods commmunity for more details.
December 2022 — revolvers and hand poses added.
December 2021 — before more complex heads with mouths were added.
OldHB — 2021 version before we moved to new engine.
December 2020 — oldest version, electricity added.
Notice: Old 2021 and 2020 versions have issues with modern Oculus runtimes, works fine with SteamVR.
In Next Update
Here are some of the features we plan to add in the upcoming update next week:
Firearms Update: Gun Weight, Inertia, New Recoil, Spread and Impact effects
Second major update, huh? Those who participated in our Public Beta test already have an idea of what's coming. Thank you to everyone who took the time to help us test the new physics and weapon inertia during last month.
Firearms Updated
Weight & Inetria
We've added noticeable weight and inertia to all weapons. Now, it won't be as easy to quickly wave big, heavy guns in your hands, making gameplay and handling more realistic.
Recoil & Spread
We've updated the recoil and spread for all Hard Bullet weapons, adjusting the recoil for both one-handed and two-handed grips. Now all firearms has their own spread pattern too.
Summing up the significant improvements to the firearms in Hard Bullet:
Unique Spread and Recoil: Each firearm now has its own spread pattern and recoil.
Extensive Collection: Nearly 100 firearms in the game.
Unique Characteristics: Each gun features unique sounds, spread patterns, and recoil.
Realistic Handling: Guns now have weight and handle differently.
Balancing all these elements is a complex task and we hope you will be impressed with the results!
Other Weapon Updates
Lights on Impact
Added a quick real-time light effect to particles when bullets hit metallic surfaces. It shouldn't impact performance significantly, but if you experience FPS drops, you can turn it off in the Graphics settings.
New and updated guns
Automatic 12 gauge
Sisu — grandfather of all automatic shotguns.
Wicked — don't hesitate, Mr. Wick.
7.62 Rifles
Rupert Mini
Coyote
Three more guns have been updated with new highly detailed models:
CS75 — deadly eastern handgun in all its beauty.
Maverick — new model, kept the old shell holsters for now.
Moss Shorty — came to change older low-poly Cruiser shotgun.
Adjusted Weapon Unlock Order
Slightly changed weapon unlock order in RIDE to make it more balanced. This will prevent overwhelming players with new weapons and gradually add new ones to the collection.
The changes are minor, so they won't affect early- or late-game players and should be smooth for those at mid-level too.
Player Body
Elbows Physics Changes
Elbow physics is now off by default. After research, we've concluded that additional physics simulation in players' elbows isn't necessary for most of our players, because mostly firearms and melee weapons are used to kill bots.
Today, we're adding a new option to Player's Body Settings. You can now choose between two full body modes:
The old mode with elbow physics.
A new mode with a visible full body model but only hand physics, similar to most VR physics games.
If you prefer close combat martial arts gameplay, you can switch on the old mode to deal damage and push enemies with your elbows. For the rest of the players, the "no elbow physics" mode will be the default. This should reduce instances of elbows getting stuck and improve movement through locations.
We recommend all Hard Bullet players choose the No Elbow Physics option to enhance your shooting experience.
Mirror Feature
Can ragdolls recognize themselves in the mirror? That's the question we're going to answer today!
We've added a work-in-progress mirror, currently available only in the Lobby location. In future updates, we plan to add more features to it, including the ability to switch between different outfits without needing to visit Player Settings in the menu.
Other Improvements
Fixed an issue where enemy weapons could disappear in the player's hands, causing the hands to get stuck in the air.
Arena Spawns: Fixed Starways and Rooftop waves menu.
Inner code refactoring for Armory and UIs.
Current game version: EA 0.6.3.11
Nearest Development Plans
We're working on new baked lighting to enhance the atmosphere in our locations. While GIFs can't fully capture how gorgeous it will be, they should give you a small preview.
Working on new outfits and gloves for player model.
We're starting work on optimization and player body improvements. This complex process will take the entire summer, but we have big plans to significantly improve FPS and player movement.
Work on Challenges is progressing well, and we plan to roll them out in the next update this summer.
Fixed an issue where unlocking one skin in a skin family would unlock all associated skins for all guns. Your save file should now reflect the correct skins.
Arena Fixes
Backstreet
Fixed some invisible walls for enemies.
Pool
Fixed some parts of the level where players could fall under textures.
Stairway
Removed second doors in Armory during RIDE.
Known Issues
In rare situations kill counts with some guns may not register correctly on the Basement level. We are actively investigating this issue.
