It's the most, wonderful time, of the year! Tremendous work has been assembled by the team here at Cornered Rat Software, a group of dedicated game developers who were primarily once community members first. WWII Online runs in our blood and this list of achievements should make that clear.
Our hope is that you will see that we are listening and tackling important items relevant to your most recent feedback to improve the game's quality of life.
Please enjoy, and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
World War II Online Version 1.37.11.0 - December 2024
Happy Holidays from CRS! Bombs are more explosive, SpeedTree "wind" has been reactivated to bring the world to life, infantry control and aiming have been enhanced, the Fishbowl effect is gone, Mobile Spawn deployments are now more accessible, satchels no longer clip into tanks, and a host of other improvements have been introduced by our outstanding team here at CRS.
We thank you, the community, for making this possible.
Features
Ny and Drake1 have been added to the Fallen Soldiers list, S!
The game's credits have been updated for Q3 of 2024
Due to the enhanced shrapnel and spall calculations, all HE ammunition have undergone an audit for updated shrapnel piece counts
By default, planes will now begin at the Max RPM setting instead of Economy RPM
Trees and bushes now have "wind" movement
Mouse sensitivity settings have been updated, there is a check box within the Preferences to revert these settings in case the new setting cause motion sickness
The Ammo Cache PPO (Player Placed Object) has been added to Fairmiles
The Fairmile has had its damage model updated
The Flakvierling on the German Trawler has been updated
The Secondary Weapon button will now trigger the horn on SPAAs and Alt+H will trigger the horn on trucks
The Bailey Bridge, Sandbags, and Barbed Wire PPOs have had their overall damage to be destroyed increased
The game's lighting has been updated to brighten up daytime, nights lit by the light of a full moon and added sunrise and sunset colors
The F2P's (Free to Play) in game upsell message has been updated with new information
All light tanks now have the ability to tow light AAA and AT guns
All medium and heavier tanks now have the ability to tow light and medium sized AT and AAA guns
The default rifle for the US ground forces will now be the M1 Garand
The M16 SPAA (Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft) has been added to the US forces
The Sd.Kfz. 7/1 20mm SPAA has been added to the German forces
All SPAA units can now deploy all Mobile Spawn PPOs
Winter Theme updates
All towed guns now have winter textures
Winter maps have had their textures updated
Terrain
A Rat Pack Squad statue has been added to Antwerp South
Layers have been added to the different cloud levels
A new pathway through the berm west of Breskens has been added
Dover has had new British phonebooth objects added to it
Spawn locations within the Barracks buildings has been updated
Rotterdam South has been updated
A canal north of Hellevotsluis has been added
Couvins has had a small airfield added to it
Airfield garages have been updated to match ones found in towns
New towns have been added to the game; Zaandam, Beverwijk, Castricum, Alkmaar, Petten, Den Helder, Delfzijl and Le Feuillie
Bug Fixes
The sky "fishbowl" effect has been fixed to enhance the flying experience
Clipping into moving tanks when placing satchels has been fixed and a new indicator has been added to inform player when a satchel can be placed
By default, when spawned in, the Target town will have its facilities expanded instead of the Origin town
The Fairmile's gun shield has been fixed
Odd infantry riding positions on the Laffly has been fixed
The German ATR's (Anti-Tank Rifle) over penetration has been corrected
The M3A3 Stuart's hull deck armor was increased from 3/8" to 1/2" armor
The missing capture bar in some bunkers has been fixed
Footstep sounds in some bunkers has been fixed
The gunshield has been removed from the Bofor's commander binocular view
The StugG's machine gun misfire has been fixed when moving
The screeching sound with some units for Mac players has been resolved
Terrain
An issue in Pernis has been corrected
A floating berm near Tongeren has been fixed
Some damage state textures have been fixed
S! Cornered Rat Software
Copyright 1999-2025 Playnet, Inc.
MOUSE SENSITIVITY
Infantry model adjustments: Lateral mouse sensitivity settings have been updated to reflect a more anticipated gaming feel. It is more noticeable on the horizontal axis as we have modified the avatar's center of gravity. This will lead to a more accurate prediction of infantry movement from a third-person perspective. If this new feature causes an issue, it can easily be reverted in the Preferences settings.
INCREASED FRAGMENTATION
Bombs are more explosive than ever. Recently, we developed a greater capacity within our engine to process more bomb fragments. This has been translated to creating the most realistic fragmentation counts per high explosive to date. After rigorous testing to ensure it did not impact performance, game play will now be a bit more lethal.
THE WORLD IS NOW BRIGHTER
In-game lighting has been updated to brighten up during daytime, with full moon lighting during nighttime, and added sunrise and sunset colors.
ALL-NEW SATCHEL PLACEMENTS
Clipping satchels are no more! When infantry places their charges, they will see a visual color indicator on whether the charges will stick. Green = placeable, Red = not-placeable. This gives you better feedback and helps prevent satchels going into the wrong location.
GREATER IMMERSION
Cloud layers have been added to the different cloud levels, and SpeedTree "wind" has been reactivated as tall grass, cornfields, and trees will now sway. Now you can't just sit there and watch your screen and wait for that pixel to run by. This should increase the survivability of infantrymen and bring the world more to life.
SUPPORTING TRUCK DRIVERS
Mobile Spawn Deployment (all types) is now linked to all motorized SPAA platforms. This enables our steadfast support players to continue creating bigger, better battles while allowing them to participate in the fight.
TANKS CAN NOW TOW GUNS
Tankers can now tow their support of anti-tank/anti-air guns to battle. All light armor can tow light guns only with medium and heavy armor towing light and medium gun platforms. Heavy haulers will still tow heavy guns to the front.
HELPING NEW PILOTS
Flying in WWII ONLINE is difficult for new pilots. To help them get into the air quickly, the default setting for all engines will be MAX RPM instead of ECONOMY. We hope this helps get our new pilots into the skies and in combat.
Mobile Spawns: Refactored rules, and new vehicles eligible to deploy them.
Mobile Spawns are critical to WWII Online's population growth and retention. After careful review through trial and error, it has been made clear that separating certain mobile spawn objects has not paid off and we need to make a course correction.
The total number of players interested in logistics support for battles is a very specific niche, but critical, nonetheless. We're going to break down some of the changes being planned for the next release and how they will improve overall gameplay and help those guys who are literally creating the fun for the general player base have more accessibility (options) and reduce the pain.
REFACTORED RULES
No specific rule changes have been made to how the player-placed objects (PPOs) operate, only which vehicles can deploy what spawn type.
All standard Trucks and Haulers will be able to deploy:
Fortified Mobile Spawn (FMS) - Capable of spawning both infantry and Light AA & ATG.
Light Mobile Spawn (LMS).
Urban Mobile Spawn (UMS).
Supply Trucks will be able to deploy:
Fortified Mobile Spawn (FMS).
Only the High Command infantryman will continue to be able to deploy the HCMS.
LIGHT SPAAs now eligible to deploy mobile spawns
After careful discussion with players conducting these logistics operations, the consensus has been made that the number 1 threat to being able to deploy these spawns is enemy aircraft.
Tier 0 (light truck) self-propelled anti-aircraft (SPAA) vehicles are now eligible to deploy the FMS, LMS, and UMS spawn points.
NEW SPAA ADDITIONS TO GAME W/MS DEPLOYMENT ABILITIES
As the war progressed, we realized that the US Forces didn't receive a SPAA with this capability, so we are introducing the US M16 variant which has the recently added M45 Quad AA gun mounted onto the rear of it.
Additionally, to maintain parity, the Germans have received the Sdkfz 7/1 (20mm) Flakvierling SPAA as well.
Both of these SPAAs operate similarly to the Tier 0 SPAA variants as they can shoot and move on the run, while also deploying mobile spawns.
Something new and unique about them is that their driver can also utilize binoculars while being on the move, marking the first time this is being tried out.
OPERATION NAME: Gravy Train WHEN: November 17th at 12PM Server Time / GMT-8 WHERE: Campaign Server DURATION: 3 hours UNLOCKS: All-Access / No-Rank on Sunday
Join us to participate and witness: • Combined arms assaulting across a bridge or airfield • Dogfights and level bombers dropping payloads • Massed infantry assaults • Tank columns storming through expansive terrain • Scores of paratroopers dropping over the objective • Artillery bombardment and smoke
All of the above are accompanied by the "soundtrack" of WWII Online's gunners firing anti-aircraft, light machine guns, and the whistling of artillery. Experience YOUR immersive "WWII Online Moment."
Every soldier is requested to RSVP right away. Doing so encourages more players to participate. Spread the word, let's go! Here is the Discord link to the event . . . https://discord.gg/wwiionline
Existing and new equipment is being developed to the new Unreal Engine 5. The following models are 100% in-game, UE5 compliant, and ready to roll into 2.0. New trucks, anti-tank guns, and anti-aircraft guns with more UE5 models coming.
Check out these NEW UE5 models that are IN-GAME now!
Coming Soon: Tanks Towing Guns!
For a long time, we have been requested to add the ability for Tanks to tow light-medium Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Tank guns. We're pleased to let you know our team is now finalizing the work to roll this out around the 2024 holiday.
This should dramatically increase the modularity of our game enabling new opportunities for teamwork and increasing towing of friendly guns to the frontline.
The size of the gun you can tow is dependent on the overall size of your tank. Smaller tanks for example can only tow small guns, and heavier tanks can tow medium guns.
Heavy guns cannot be towed by any tanks; rather, they will continue to be towed by Heavy Haulers like they currently do today.
Free 30-day premium pass for vet players inbound: all of November 2024!
We're pleased to let you know that we are launching a Welcome Back Soldier for all prior subscribers who have been unsubscribed since September 1st 2024 (or before), to come back and try WWII Online - totally free, with no strings attached.
We have made recent game play changes that have made battles bigger, better, and more stable particularly during Time Zone 3. Veteran players will understand why the TZ3 stuff is a big deal.
Download the game now and get setup / ready for full unlocks. Everyone can login and play today for free.
MORE PLAYERS = BETTER GAME PLAY FOR ALL. This really supersedes any new content we can offer, but rest assured, CRS is working on introducing new features and fixing tons. All we need is for you to take the initiative, login, and make the best out of this. Recent efforts from CRS to help increase awareness to WWII Online are growing, site traffic has increased 10% (and growing) and more people are learning about the game than ever before. With welcome back soldier hitting and as we prepare for our yearly big holiday patch, it's sure to be a really great season for the game!
We've also protected Free Player supply which has seen an increase in retention and boosted rifleman supply by 20% to encourage additional playtime. We will monitor supply closely and avoid making too many drastic changes during this WBS event.
DOWNLOADING THE GAME
If it has been awhile since you've played, don't patch your game! Download a new fresh full installer. This will overwrite your old files, and this is a good thing. You can do this and login with a free subscription right now. Your 30-day premium pass will be granted November 1st however fyi.
NEED HELP / SUPPORT? Go to http://support.wwiionline.com and we can get your support needs taken care of. For general game help and/or getting into a new squad go to our discord at https://discord.gg/wwiionline.
Here's some important considerations to know about as you come back:
WE NOW HAVE BUILT-IN VOICE COMMS Did you know we now have working in-game voice comms? Press your "V" key to speak on Target/Mission chat and communicate like never before in WWII Online. For more information check out our Wiki page on this: IVC - WWII Online Wiki
BIG HOLIDAY UPDATE COMING Each year CRS works to prepare a special holiday update for the WWII Online playerbase. This year is no exception, other than we have some very important unannounced fixes on the way for you that you've been wanting for a longtime. This will be deployed in December, so keep your eyes open.
STAY CONNECTED: MOBILE APP FOR NEWS Did you know we have a new mobile app? Download the "WWII Online" mobile app for iOS or Android. You can also get a QR code by clicking the WWII Online Mobile App QR code (here).
HOW YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS EVENT BIGGER Communicate with your gamer buddies, particularly old school WWII Onliner's and get them back in the fight. Don't wait around, re-create the epic old school battles that forged some of the best gaming memories and online friendships ever. All of this helps create an awesome experience today and keeps the game healthy.
Tell us what favorite unit your're going to play! If you're in a squad, post its name and info here to recruit more Steam Players!
OP RED OCTOBER - POSSIBLE BONUS SATURDAY? DETAILS INSIDE!
Join us on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6TH for an ALL-DAY / ALL-ACCESS / NO RANK REQUIRED battles on the Campaign Server. Tell your friends, share the news, and good luck on the battlefield!
Looking for a FREE or EXTRA day of ALL-ACCESS / NO RANK REQUIRED WWII ONLINE?
We need 100 RSVPs to UNLOCK Saturday. Simply RSVP on the #event channel on WWII ONLINE's Discord prior to OP RED OCTOBER, rally your friends to 100 and it's yours!
Existing and new equipment is being developed to the new Unreal Engine 5. New trucks, anti-tank guns, and anti-aircraft guns are in-game NOW with these new UE5 models. Under development: Panther A, Valentine X, and M18 Hellcat.
Tell you friends and come enjoy the latest updates!
Chokepoint: Now working in UE5!
Huge progress within the halls of Playnet/CRS is being made as we have been working around the clock to get WWII Online: Chokepoint's conversion from Unreal 4 to Unreal 5 rolling. We have an important message directly from XOOM for you to hear, some detailed notes about changes made, and some brand-new Unreal Engine 5 screenshots for you!
Please note: The following does not represent a final product, we are still at work. S!
Key highlights of this video include:
The team has been rebuilt.
We've been able to do internal UE5 testing.
We aim to open the door for keyholder testing before the end of 2024.
Real tangible progress is being made.
Continue reading below to see the important fixes we've put together.
This is UE5 alpha and there's more work to be done.
FIXES / CHANGES
UE 5 game server rebuilt.
Server browser now shows accurate information.
Audio, video and game options are now saving.
Player Spawn logic now works correctly.
Allied TNT explosive re-added.
M1 Garand re-added.
M1911 re-added.
Kar98 re-added.
Walther P38 re-added.
Mantling disabled.
Fall damage disabled.
Carentan boundaries were cleaned up.
Several buttons are hidden, pending repairs.
Fallschirmjager helmet was re-scaled and properly set.
Feet no longer flip while running.
Torso no longer grows to become a giant when crouching.
Reload animations cleaned up.
Weapon sounds timed correctly and rebuilt.
Glass now breaks when shot.
Prone (crawling) animation no longer shakes in third person.
Input controls now work properly when you respawn.
Kar98 transitions between crouching and movement are cleaner.
Haunted audio file removed.
Character weapons cleaned up (more to add later).
Removed improper equipment from character models.
Rebuilt Chokepoint app icon for taskbar.
FEATURES
Carentan has a new and improved town hall building.
New historically accurate telephone poles created.
Credits updated.
All-new game build deployment methodology.
Splash screen updated.
New “Bug” report button added to UI.
New “Discord” button added to UI.
New “News” button added to the UI.
Map (M Key) instantly pulls up your game map.
Allied Engineers are dispatched with demolition charges to destroy the German FlaK 88 position.
German forces viciously defend the FlaK 88 and twisted bodies and blood show the brutality of WWII.
Multiple casualties litter the battlefield as the Allies try to liberate La Fiere.
Allied Gliders end up off-target trying to dodge FlaK fire and tough controls.
Intense close-quarter combat ensues with Allied soldiers guarding the church staircase.
The La Fiere "Manor" is contested with a white flag, denoting intense fighting.
If you are not actively subscribed and would like to help support our studio, you first need to create an account and then upgrade it by signing in at https://account.wwiionline.com.
Can't spawn a vehicle? FIXED!
A small portion of our community reported as of the latest game update they were unable to launch into vehicles and when attempting to, they would crash.
We immediately identified the root issue as being an issue with the build process, and this was corrected in a recent Microsoft Visual Studio update.
SOLUTION IS DEPLOYED
While there is no new obvious download,
To resolve, do the following:
Uninstall WWII Online from your Steam library.
Re-install.
Run the game - and that's it!
CRS is working on additional game fixes behind the scenes to address other performance and crashing concerns. We'll be sharing more information with you all soon.
OTHER ISSUES? USE THE "BUG TRACKER!"
We want to inform you that bugs absolutely should be reported to https://www.wwiionline.com/bugs. Please include any supporting information, most importantly how to reproduce the problem. This saves us 90% of the effort in resolving player reported bugs and getting you solutions faster.
OP HEAT WAVE THIS SUNDAY - POSSIBLE BONUS SATURDAY? DETAILS INSIDE ARTICLE!
Looking for a free extra day of WWII ONLINE as a FREE-TO-PLAY player?
Simply RSVP on the #event channel on WWII ONLINE's Discord prior to OP HEAT WAVE and it's yours!
Join us on SUNDAY, AUGUST 11TH on the CAMPAIGN SERVER for an ALL-DAY / ALL-ACCESS / NO RANK REQUIRED battle on the Campaign Server.
Tell you friends and come enjoy the latest updates in 1.37.10. READ-ME is already posted in another article.
CRS continues ongoing development of modeling the existing equipment to the UE5 standard. All of these anti-tank guns and quad-barrel anti-aircraft guns are in-game now in the 1.0 gaming world.
Join the fun, hop on our WWII ONLINE Discord and participate in the combined arms carnage of WWII ONLINE.
US M3 37MM ANTI-TANK GUN FRENCH 37MM ANTI-TANK GUN UK 2-LB ANTI-TANK GUN GE PAK36 ANTI-TANK GUN US M45 QUAD MOUNT 50 CAL ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN (The Meat Chopper) GE FLAKVIERLING 20MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN
