Mil-Sim Shooter ‘Onward’ Unveils First Major Update Following Year-Long Hiatus

Onward, the tactical military simulator shooter developed by Meta-owned Downpour Interactive, is preparing to roll out its eagerly anticipated 2.0 update. Fans of the game have been waiting for some time, as the last significant update took place nearly a year ago.

While some might have feared the game had been left by the wayside, Onward has not been neglected. Over the past year, the updates have been rather modest following the release of the substantial ‘Mercenary’ update in February 2024. That particular update introduced a player-versus-environment mode along with several visual enhancements.

Downpour Interactive is now gearing up to release the 2.0 update for Onward, which Meta has proudly declared, in a recent blog post, will be “its biggest update ever.” This update promises a wealth of new content that’s set to excite players.

Among the updates is a “massive graphical overhaul” for weapons and utilities, which should elevate the game’s visual fidelity significantly. Players can also look forward to a new Operator system featuring 20 additional characters and fresh map content. Meta assures that more details about this exciting update will be coming “very soon.”

This development comes against a backdrop of challenges within the gaming industry, including significant layoffs at Downpour Interactive in 2023. Notably, Dante Buckley, the founder and CEO who established the company in 2015, left his position just a month before these layoffs.

Onward first debuted on Steam in Early Access in 2016 and was later made available for the original Oculus Quest in 2020. The game prides itself on delivering a realistic, squad-based experience, diligently replicating real-world weaponry.

If you’re interested in experiencing Onward, you can visit the Horizon Store page for Quest 2 and up, or head to Steam for PC VR headsets. The game is typically priced at $25.