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Level Z

New Weapons, AI Enemy, Contracts | What's New in the Open Beta?

OPEN BETA CHANGELOG



▶ General Game Updates ◀



  • 🆕 NEW SYSTEM: Contracts. Accessible through the menu and inside the session through the Holomap. Players can find various items at the location, extract them to sell to vendors later, and get rewards and REP;
  • 💬 Added localization to Ukrainian, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese;
  • 🌐 New server regions: US West, Asia East, and Australia East;
  • Improved optimization; fixed several issues that were causing irregular performance drops;
  • Added Tutorial Blocks for both Mercs and Aliens, helping out with basic mechanics inside their first matches.

▶ Merc Gameplay Changes ◀





  • 🆕 NEW WEAPONS ▲: Military firearms like pistols, machine guns, submachine guns, and respective ammo for them;


  • 🆕 NEW MILITARY WEAPON MODULES ▲;
  • Increased the amount of Mercs in one session from 9 to 12;
  • Added a Basic Kit that contains a Nail Gun, 60 Nail Gun Ammo, an Axe, 2 Starter Flares, and 3 Glowsticks. This starter kit can be used at any time, adding items up to these numbers;
  • Reworked Mercs' handheld map, allowing players to see tooltips for various points of interest and place markers that are seen by their squadmates;
  • Added a hotbar on UI when switching items;
  • ⚙️ Various balancing changes and QoL improvements.

▶ Alien Monster Gameplay Changes ◀





  • 🆕 NEW SKILL: Acid Cloud ▲. Throws an acid egg that causes an acid cloud to burst out of it on impact. The acid cloud deals periodic damage, slowing Mercs down;
  • Redesigned the Aliens' Energy System compared to the Closed Beta. Aliens now have cooldowns on abilities while having energy, limiting “burst” windows;


  • Redesigned the Aliens' UI ▲;
  • Slime Spit now also deals damage but has a longer cooldown;
  • Screamwave now affects Mercs based on the number of targets hit by it, increasing by up to 3 mercs affected;
    Developer’s note: The change above is one of many that are coming soon. They will affect solo Mercs' viability.
  • Screamwave now has visual feedback on humans that were affected by it;
  • EMP now turns off flashlights;
  • Alien Energy Eggs are no longer affected by light damage;
  • Alien Trap Eggs are no longer affected by light damage;
  • ⚙️ Various balancing changes and QoL improvements.

▶ Map Changes ◀



  • 🆕 NEW EVENT: Airdrop. Occurs randomly in the match, spawning a loot crate that drops outside the research station. Notification is sent to players on the map when this event starts;



  • 🆕 NEW EVENT: Alarm Crate ▲. Can be found in the Warehouse. Players need to start a 3-minute timer by interacting with a crate, after which it will be available to open and get valuable loot. Notification about this event is available on the Holomap;
  • 🆕 NEW EVENT: Data Transfer. Players can find laptops at various points of the map to extract data and carry that flash drive to an extraction point for a reward. While carrying a flash drive, players will be seen on the Holomap by other mercs;


  • 🆕 NEW ENEMY: Mutants. Mutated workers of the Research Facility that react to sound. They can attack players in melee and chase them if triggered;
  • Reduced the amount of mines and turrets, as well as mine damage.

    Living Roadmap


    June '24 Revision






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[TAG-200]

Open Beta Is Live!


The Open Beta Has Started



It's time to extract data as a hardened mercenary... or prevent mercs from doing so as a deadly alien monster.

To play, go to our Steam page and click on the Download Level Zero: Extraction Demo button:



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1456940/Level_Zero_Extraction/
As always, we're open to your feedback. Share it on the Feedback forum, report issues in Bug Reports; also, become a member of our Discord to let us know what you think about LZ:E, discuss the game, find people to play with, and join voice chats.



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Developer Podcast #2: Open Beta Details


Hi, everybody,



Our second Developer Podcast is out. We chat about changes to the game as we prepare to launch the Open Beta test. There will be quite a few exciting additions, too—from new military weapons to a Contract system to additional languages. And that's not to mention a new ability for alien monsters. Our team is beyond pumped to share all this with you, so let's get right into it.

Watch the podcast on YouTube:







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INCOMING TRANSMISSION

Intermediate Dev Update


Hello, Mercs and Aliens!



While we're making preparations for the Open Beta that's coming this summer, our team decided to post a short update to get you in the loop.

NEW WEAPONS



With our approach leaning more toward militaristic realism, we're determined to introduce more real-life guns in the Open Beta.

M4A1 ▲




Kriss Vector ▲



SCAR-L ▲



RD-704 ▲



SIG MPX ▲



Heckler & Koch MP7 ▲



Various Attachements ▲





Working on weapon animations ▲


Attachable laser mine ▲




Merc starter kits will include a distress flare. Weaker than regular flares purchased from traders, it will give a Merc the chance of survival against Alien Monsters in the early stages of a mission. ▼




ALIEN SKILLS & UI REWORK





We've reworked the Alien Monsters' UI and added a reticle for the Spit ability. ▲


NEW AI-CONTROLLED ENEMIES



By-products of an interbreed experiment ▲



A stationary turret to protect defend rooms ▲




PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS



The game is being upgraded to Unreal Engine 5.4.1 to noticeably boost performance & FPS rate.


MISCELLANEOUS



Check out the Dev Podcast, where we talked about our plans for the Open Beta:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFpqv4rR0ww

We've uploaded the Main Menu Theme to YouTube. Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Odwdj7pqjw

Last but not least, Level Zero: Extraction was featured in the printed PC Gamer magazine. It seemed like a cool thing to share.



Stay tuned for future announcements regarding the Open Beta.



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Developer Podcast #1: Open Beta Plans


Hey, everybody!



Our team at Doghowl shot the first-ever Level Zero: Extraction Developer Podcast. Daniel (Nuclearjke, Executive Producer), George (Antishyr, Community Manager), and Alex (osallivan, Art Director) sat down to chat about our plans for the upcoming Open Beta in Summer, discuss the amazing feedback players have provided us with, and reflect on the Closed Beta we held back in March of this year. It's a lengthy watch (or rather, listen)—around 50 minutes—so if you're down for a deep dive into what we're working on, you might want to check it out.

Watch the podcast on YouTube:







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Closed Beta: Streamers & Players' Funniest Moments


Hey again, mercs & aliens.



We've compiled some of the funniest, most hilarious, and simply priceless clips of people double-crossing each other and being scared to death in Level Zero: Extraction - Closed Beta. Enjoy:




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The Closed Beta Is Over! What's Next?


Hey, everyone!



First and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude to all of you who had the opportunity to play and participate in the Closed Beta Test of Level Zero: Extraction. And even if you didn’t have the chance to play, we still appreciate your interest, whether through liking, sharing, adding the game to your Steam wishlist, or simply visiting our community Discord. As a small studio working on its first project, we were genuinely overwhelmed by the number of players (more than 150,000 Closed Beta sign-ups!) who were eager to try out the game. We’re also incredibly excited to announce that Level Zero: Extraction has reached 200,000 total wishlists! It wouldn’t be possible without your support.



We want to remain as open to our players as possible. During this test, we received a lot of feedback on the game, its mechanics, and balance, as well as many suggestions on how you would like to see the game develop further. Currently, we're deeply analyzing all the data we obtained from the test, as well as numerous feedback threads. We will make changes based on that in the upcoming builds.

We're excited to test them in the upcoming playtests, including during the Open Beta this summer!


The four days of the Closed Beta were filled with emotions, featuring three phases of testing: two options for Alien balance and a more advanced Merc progression stage with weapons. The goal here was to gather as much data as possible and simulate various experiences for players within a short period. We've identified a few key learnings we would like to highlight and focus on as we move forward.

Some Positive Highlights


We have achieved an asymmetrical feel by offering two distinctly different gameplay experiences. Evidently, players naturally gravitate towards either the Mercs or the Aliens, each enjoying their unique gameplay and passionately supporting their chosen ‘faction’.

Based on the numerous videos posted by players and content creators, we are delighted to see that the game has evoked a spectrum of emotions! Players enjoyed funny, scary, and tense moments as they explored Level Zero: Extraction.

We were also thrilled with the overall server stability, so much so that we decided even to prolong the test for one day, which you seemed to love! Considering the limited availability of server regions, even the most distant players could successfully join game sessions and play. We will expand server region availability and add language localization in the future!

New Player Experience


Our Closed Beta primarily focused on testing the core gameplay loop and basic progression, lacking streamlined first-time user experiences, short-term goals for players to focus on, or a comprehensive look at the late-game experience. While our tutorials covered most of the game mechanics, we acknowledge that there are better ways to introduce players to the game. For future iterations, we'll prioritize short-term progression within sessions, introducing more activities on maps, such as PvE threats (AI-based enemies) and more exciting loot to discover. Our approach will prioritize growing complexity gradually rather than overwhelming players with everything at once. We will also explore more opportunities to streamline the first sessions, aiming to ease new players into Level Zero: Extraction and its complex systems.

Performance


As we approached the Closed Beta, our primary focus was on testing all gameplay systems, considering the significant evolution of our game over the past year, which included adding more layers of gameplay than initially planned. Although we did a lot to ensure the best possible performance for our Closed Beta participants, we understand there’s still so much to do regarding performance and optimization. Further down the road, optimization will become one of our main priorities as we aim to make our game accessible to more people. We apologize to all players who have experienced framerate or latency issues during the test, and we really appreciate your feedback!

Balance


Balancing a multiplayer game with asymmetrical PvP as well as PvE is a significant challenge, and we fully recognize that. During the Closed Beta, our balancing efforts were conducted within specific test environments and rules that we designed, allowing us to gain valuable insights into the challenges of balancing the game to ensure enjoyment for both new and experienced players. Moving forward, we plan to conduct more playtests focusing exclusively on late-game balance and more complex systems, including meta-progression. Join our official Discord server and stay tuned as we announce future private testing sessions.

Ultimately, we're creating this game for you to enjoy for a long time, and we greatly appreciate all the feedback on aliens-vs-mercs gameplay. We agree that both factions should have a fair chance of winning based on the tools, mechanics, and skills at their disposal.

Next Steps


First and foremost, we're dedicated to addressing all technical and significant Quality-of-Life issues identified during the Closed Beta, ensuring a smoother and more enjoyable experience for all players. Additionally, we're hard at work on a new map, offering a new and immersive environment to explore. Lastly, we're working on adding new content along with expanded Alien progression, providing even more depth and excitement. As mentioned above, we will conduct private test sessions with select players as we work our way through the development. Take a look at our Living Roadmap below—it reflects our current plans, and we will update it with new revisions throughout development:

Click the image to enlarge


Before we let you go, we've got a couple of things to show you. Сheck out the first-ever fan art for Level Zero: Extraction. A pre-nerf alien monster pokes fun at a merc who seems to be pretty knackered and using his last flare. Mean.

Credit: You're NOTHING! NO TALENT! (Discord)


Also, here's a little teaser for you all:



Again, thanks to everyone who participated in the tests, be it recent Closed Beta or even earlier private test sessions, who expressed their feedback or supported us otherwise. We're hyped and charged with excitement and energy to push forward with our work, and we're eagerly anticipating our next huge milestone: the Open Beta, scheduled for this summer. Keep your eyes peeled for updates, and make sure to join our next closed playtest!



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[TAG-109]

Let the Mayhem Begin!


Hi again, mercs and alien monsters.



During our last day of the Closed Beta, we wanted to bring more chaotic fun into the gameplay. That's why we decided to rebalance store prices and reputation. Weapons are now cheaper and easier to obtain. This is a one-time deal only on the last day of the Beta. Purchase guns, gear up, and let the mayhem begin!

To apply these changes, please restart the Steam client and the game.

Cheers,






Revealing Level Zero: Extraction | Closed Beta Start Date, New Gameplay Trailer


Welcome to Level Zero: Extraction



Hello, mercenary. We have a job for you.


Over the past several months, we have been working on an updated vision for Level Zero. Today, our team at Doghowl is finally ready to reveal it, and we couldn't be more excited.

Apart from being huge fans of horror games like Alien: Isolation, we are also enthusiasts of titles like Escape From Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown. Throughout development, we've experimented with various gameplay mechanics. As a team, we concluded that blending ASYMMETRICAL SURVIVAL HORROR with EXTRACTION would yield a unique experience currently absent in the market. We believe the fear of losing your hard-earned loot after a failed extraction attempt will only amplify the horror. Needless to say, all pre-existing light and stealth mechanics will remain intact. Read more about the new features below.

This creative pivot should help us shape our game into a solid experience that all of us at Doghowl will be proud of. To ensure that, we're letting our players test it. The Closed Beta we announced a while ago is starting on March 15th! Go to our Steam page and click "Request Access" to participate:

JOIN CLOSED BETA


MARCH 15-18


https://store.steampowered.com/app/1456940/Level_Zero/

We will invite you to the Beta in batches, so if you're not selected right away, don't worry—you may have your chance later.

For a first peek at the reimagined gameplay, check out the new trailer below:




Now, let's talk about the main features of LZ:E.



▸ MULTIPLAYER EXTRACTION HORROR ◂


Embark on a dangerous scavenging expedition where three teams of up to 3 mercenaries compete for loot and dare to come back. Or take on the role of two deadly alien monsters and hunt for human prey.


▸ HIGH-STAKES PvPvPvE ◂


Venture out solo or with a team, and extract as much valuable loot as possible: weapons, gadgets, research data, crafting resources, and more. Cooperate, be a lone wolf, or betray other players. But remember: Death means losing almost everything that's on you. Other mercs compete for valuables and extraction points while player-controlled aliens lurk in the shadows, determined to hunt you down.


▸ BRUTALLY IMMERSIVE COMBAT ◂


Devastate enemies with a vast arsenal of melee weapons like hammers, bats, and machetes, or engage in tense shootouts using pistols, SMGs, shotguns, assault rifles, nail guns, flamethrowers, mines, grenades, and more.


▸ DEEP PROGRESSION & CUSTOMIZATION ◂


Use the loot you’ve extracted to grow your reputation with several traders and acquire better gear as well as unique items. Play as a human and a monster to level up and unlock new perks to develop your playstyle. Each firearm can be upgraded and customized.


We hope you are as excited as we are about this new direction we've taken. Before we let you go, there's something we want to share. Although there's no release date just yet, we are ready to disclose that LZ:E will launch in Early Access. It will allow us to develop the game under the watchful eye of our player base, implementing community ideas and listening closely to feedback.

Thank you for your sustained support and patience, everybody! See you on March 15th.




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