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

Onward, the tactical mil-sim shooter from Downpour Interactive, a studio now part of Meta, is gearing up for a major 2.0 update soon. It’s been eagerly anticipated since the last significant update was released almost a year ago.

Though some might wonder if Onward had been left on the back burner, this isn’t the case, despite the relatively minor updates over the past year following the substantial ‘Mercenary’ update. Released in February 2024, that update introduced a PVE mode and gave the game several graphical enhancements.

Now, the team at Downpour Interactive is getting ready to roll out the 2.0 update for Onward. According to a recent blog post from Meta, this update is set to be “its biggest update ever,” packed with a wealth of new content.

We can look forward to what Meta describes as “a massive graphical overhaul across weapons and utilities.” Additionally, players will be introduced to a new Operator system featuring 20 new characters and fresh map content. More details on what’s included in the 2.0 update are expected to be shared “very soon.”

This all comes amidst some upheaval within the gaming industry at large, which saw significant layoffs at Downpour Interactive in 2023. This tumultuous period also saw the departure of the studio’s founder and CEO, Dante Buckley, who started the company back in 2015, just a month before these layoffs occurred.

Onward initially launched in Early Access on Steam back in 2016, before making its way to early access on the Oculus Quest in 2020. The game is renowned for its focus on realistic squad-based gameplay and its meticulous attention to detail when it comes to replicating real-world weaponry.

For those interested in diving into Onward, more information is available on the Horizon Store page for Quest 2 and beyond, and on Steam for PC VR headsets, where the game is regularly priced at $25.