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!
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
If you’re interested in getting cosmetic DLC for your game, some are currently discounted as well! Here’s an overview of what is included in each edition of the game and DLC wave’s. If you want to get the lastest ones, you can get the Second Wave bundle or just the singular Glacial Units.
It’s 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.
Want to prepare yourself for the map before jumping in? Read our devblog about the Marmolada map. So you’re fully ready to explore the maze-like Ice City.
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.
Glacial Units
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)
One of the most important things you could wear during a cold snowstorm is a warm winter coat. This is one of the items you’ll find in the DLC. The Austro-Hungarians get utilitarian snow overcoats, and later war grey greatcoats - there’s even an Austro-Hungarian officer forgoing all the style and bombast befitting his rank in preference for an ill-fitting white overcoat.
If you play as an Italian soldier, you can wear a selection of greatcoats, a fashionable open army cape or a warm sheep’s wool vest. The Italian Alpini enjoy a uniform kitted out with ice climbing cleats and a stylish cape, while their officers can luxuriate with a fur collared greatcoat.
New recruits making it to front
The news is not stopping! Today at 7PM CET, Isonzo will be available in a Free Weekend on Steam for the first time! Until November 13, players can try Isonzo for free, so expect a lot of fresh, new recruits on the battlefield. Be sure to help them out if they have any questions. You can’t win a war alone after all ;)
The map is cold, but the sales are HOT
If you’re a new player and want to continue to play Isonzo after the Free Weekend, or looking to update your DLC collection, we got a sale going on later today! Isonzo is in its highest discount ever, 67% off we know, missed opportunity and several DLC’s are discounted.
If you want to make sure that you get what you want, we’ve created a new overview image that shows you exactly what's included in each edition of the game and the Wave DLC Packs.
As for now, Isonzo has 11 maps for you to battle on. Have you been able to be victorious in all of them? Which one is your favourite? We’re sure that this new Marmolada map will become a beloved map for many of you.
Show us your drip and plays!
Be sure to show us your most epic, funny or bizarre plays in the Ice City! Or are you rocking the new Glacial look? We want to see it! Be sure to share it with us in our Discord or on Twitter using #GreetingsfromIceCity.
Patch Notes
Last but surely not least, here’s an overview of the patch notes that come with this update.
New
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
Fixes
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
Brave the snow and join the White War now! Avanti
Devblog #62 - The Upcoming Marmolada Map
Hello soldiers!
It’s 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.
As stated, the expansion will include three new weapons as well! We’ve seen you guys speculate on which ones it will be, and we’re 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!
Now, let’s take a closer look at the Marmolada map.
The Marmolada map
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 mountain’s 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 won’t be an easy task. The peak is not that large and the Austro-Hungarians will charge up from the other side. Potentially, the Officer’s 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 won’t 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, they’ll 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?
Your Trip to the Ice City begins soon
That’s it for now! We hope this provided you with the intel you need to prepare you for your battle in White War! We’ll see you on November 9th on top of the mountain and/or in the glacial tunnels!
White War release date reveal!
Hello soldiers!
We’re happy to share with you all the first map in the White War Expansion
Marmolada will release next week on November 9th for free alongside new weapons and a new cosmetic DLC pack; the Glacial Units.
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.
Marmolada History
The Marmolada map is based on the Marmolada mountain, which lies in northeastern Italy and it’s 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 Marmolada’s 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.
That’s 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.
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.
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 haven’t already, you can get the Deluxe Edition of Isonzo now with a 55% discount and the First Wave DLC set with 20% off.
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.
Surprise Salesonzo!
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.
Both sales run until November 6, 6PM CET so be sure you don't miss it!
The wolves at the Eastern Front
Your comrades need your help on the Eastern Front! We’ve 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!
Hello soldiers! Your comrades need your help on the Eastern Front! We’ve 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 get Tannenberg with 75% off at 7PM CEST; join the Wolf Truce! You’ll be able to earn a special medal during this period if you stay true to the truce.
With our latest map Piana up and running, we’re full steam ahead and working on the White War expansion! No news on its maps and release date, but we’ll be sure to notify you all once we’re ready to do so. In case you’ve missed it, here’s our latest roadmap.
Furthermore, we want to thank everyone who filled out our player survey! We’re going through all your responses and analysing the data, which will be very helpful for Isonzo’s 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).
We're the winners!
Isonzo was nominated for the Dutch Game Awards in the category Best Audio! Last night was the award ceremony and we’re 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.
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!
If you can’t afford it, you can also listen to it on our YouTube channel.
Now without further ado, let’s meet a new member of the BlackMill team!
Hello! Could you introduce yourself Hi! I’m Aitor, a 25 year old (I had to double check) programmer from the Basque Country. I haven’t worked on anything you’ve heard of before Isonzo, so here’s some cool ragdoll tech I developed a few years ago.
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 I’m 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 we’re 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 weren’t 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.
I’ve 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.
That’s 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.
This is the result of all that work. Here you see just one of 20 layers that can affect the character animation! They don’t 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 you’re 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:
Let’s 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, I’ll 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). It’s also affected by many factors. For instance, every bot gets more emboldened during overtime. So let’s 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 I’m concerned, no team has ever succeeded on that front as hard as Mobius Digital did with Outer Wilds. The story of that game isn’t just in the writing. It’s 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 don’t 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, I’m 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. Here’s a personal favourite.
That’s it for now!
If you’re 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!
Hotfix v47251
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!
Small Hotfix
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!
