Dagger Directive 
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Small PatchJun 6, 2025 - Community AnnouncementsHi Everyone! We have another small update today. This includes a fix for anyone that was not able to continue their saved character profile after yesterdays patch along with a few other issues. Apologies to all who were unable to continue their character profile.Next week we'll be focused on improving general performance and multiplayer stability along with fixing bugs. Build: 669Known issues:Only the first 100 lobbies will appear in the server browserJavelin menu becomes unusable in multiplayer if killed when actively holding it and revived Notes:Added "Optional" text to the server password and placeholder text to clear up confusion that it is not mandatory.Changed Private Server text to say Local Server instead to have a more clearly defined distinction between passworded and local servers. Bug Fixes:Fix for players whose characters are not loading properly after the last update. You should now either load into the hub or to the start of the last mission you played when clicking continue.Fix for clients crashing when completing objectives throughout the game. Most noticeable on the first objective of Chemical Crossfire but could affect all missions.Fixed the Javelin target lock beeping continuing after death and through loadsFixed a crash that can be caused by a corrupted global data save file.Fixed Manufacturing Meltdown not loading in multiplayer.Fixed OICW airburst range finder key binding.Controller localization for Xbox and PlayStation controllersFix for inverted settings on mouse and controllers.Fix for sensitivity on menu not applying to controllers.Thanks!- DanFirst PatchJun 5, 2025 - Community AnnouncementsHi Everyone! First I’d like to say a big thank you to all of you! It’s been amazing to hear all the feedback and seeing so many of you having fun! We’ve also gotten a lot of reports of issues with crashes or blockers, especially while loading from a saved game. We’ve spent the last few days focused on fixing single player and improving stability. Our first patch is here and thanks to your help we’ve been able to track down and fix a number of issues. Our goal for this first update was to fix as many saving or loading, random hang ups, and adding missing settings as we can. There is one downside to all of these changes, any in-progress mission saves you have are invalidated. Your character saves, progress through the campaigns, and your saved loadouts will all still be there. If you continue to run into issues please continue to report them here in Steam or in our Discord (https://discord.gg/NnY2JrNPPd) We’ll continue to be focused on improving stability, fixing issues with multiplayer, and fixing bugs over the next few weeks. Change LogImportant:All previous in-progress mission saves are invalidated. Character saves, progress through the campaigns, and your saved loadouts are not affected.Known issues:Only the first 100 lobbies will appear in the server browserDestroying all of the BRDMs in the first objective of Chemical Crossfire is likely to cause non-host players to crashNotes:Key bindings now allow modifier key combinations (Shift, Control, Alt).Updated Default key bindings to use Shift + (1 - 6) for Pouch selection on top of the original 6 - 0. Requires resetting key bindings to take effect.Removed Console hotkey key bindings to prevent confusion.Updated credits with additional artists.Added setting “Invert Menu - Y Axis” so the menu and gameplay axis can be inverted separately. “Invert Look - Y Axis” only affects the camera controls now.Slightly reduced AI’s ability to see drones.Increased smoke grenade throw distance to be the same as the frag. Also increase the power meter duration.Updated localization for all languages.Recon drone can now place a marker and toggle its laser.Added control instructions to the drone menu.Added new pinging activation to binoculars. Equipping a new loadout from the loadout board now destroys your old items instead of dropping everything on the floor.Added Commander dialogue during the training intro flight that informs the player they can leave the training at any time through the Pause Menu.Increased helicopter speed in the training intro flight to reduce the time it takes to reach the landing.Adjusted enemy voices to have a further out volume falloff and increased volume.Reduced tank volume and distance.Reduced truck engine volume and distance.Added Invalid mission save version handling.The message popup menu can now be colored based on its message.Bug Fixes:Fixed the "Game - Y Axis" input sensitivity labeled as "Menu - Y Axis" incorrectly.Fixed missing localization and audio for the compass intro.Fixed th...💥 Dagger Directive – Locked, Loaded, and in Early Access! 💥Jun 3, 2025 - Community AnnouncementsWe’re excited to announce that Dagger Directive is officially in Early Access! After months of development—and thanks to a ton of valuable community feedback from the demo—we’re finally ready to drop you into the global sandbox of tactical combat. But let’s be real with you up front: this is a true Early Access launch. That means there’s plenty of content already live (15 missions, 25+ weapons, and full co-op support), but also a few rough edges we’ll be smoothing out in the coming weeks and months. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/e312fcbbeb32200cfb3000ff987df23c91a194fd.jpg 🛠️ What You Can Expect Right Now: Three unique campaign zones: Frozen coasts, jungle compounds, and war-torn cities await. Each offers distinct tactical options and challenges. Tactical freedom: Choose your loadout, your time of day, and how you want to approach each op—stealth, chaos, or somewhere in between. Co-op Multiplayer: Go solo or drop in with your squad. We've made recent improvements to stability, though some multiplayer hiccups may still occur. Full arsenal access: 25+ weapons and dozens of attachments, along with deployable drones, mines, and gear for all playstyles. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/254a03d62661330d818b7a8eeadc8f2079765258.jpg {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/1423e369dd32da626f0ba6c543930c1314badc59.jpg 👀 What We're Working On: AI fixes: Enemy behavior will improve significantly in the coming days. We're aware of inconsistencies and actively tuning how enemies respond, engage, and patrol. Mission polish: Some missions may feel a bit undercooked or unclear. Objective markers and general mission clarity are top priorities moving forward. Co-op stability: While mostly solid, there are a few known issues with player drops and mismatches. We’re on it. Feedback loop: The first few creator videos have been incredibly helpful—and honest. That’s exactly what we need. Keep the feedback coming. We’re listening. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/6f460bc55166ed967c8550dcc8025aabfac21cfd.jpg 🧪 Why Early Access? We chose Early Access because we want to build this game with you. Already, suggestions from the demo helped shape core systems, and we're committed to making Dagger Directive the best tactical FPS sandbox it can be—with your input guiding the way. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/1423e369dd32da626f0ba6c543930c1314badc59.jpg 🔮 What's Coming Next? Mission Editor with Steam Workshop support Advanced tutorials for stealth, tools, and tactics Free Play Mode to spawn enemies, allies, and vehicles at will Modding support for weapons and gear 💬 Help Us Improve Encounter an issue? Got a killer idea? Share it with us! We’re active on Steam forums, Discord, and more. This is just the beginning of the mission. We’ll be refining, expanding, and evolving Dagger Directive with every update. Thank you for suiting up with us on Day One. We’re stoked to have you along for the op. — The Dagger Directive Team 🎯 Dev Blog: May 2025May 13, 2025 - Community AnnouncementsWe're thrilled to announce that Dagger Directive will launch into Early Access on June 3, 2025. This marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we couldn't have reached this point without the unwavering support and feedback from our community. Watch the new trailer: 🔹 What's Available in Early Access At launch, players can expect: 15 missions spanning three distinct campaigns set in the Bering Sea, South Pacific, and Eastern Europe. Cooperative multiplayer support, allowing you to team up with friends. Over 25 weapons with a variety of attachments to suit different playstyles. Diverse equipment, including drones, grenades, and mines, to enhance tactical gameplay. Realistic simulation mechanics, where every projectile and piece of shrapnel considers mass, distance, velocity, and gravity. Dynamic environments, where time of day and foliage can be used strategically. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/03aa351287a54b103a594afd415558dce80e3e95.jpg {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/3f1284e6ec223040b146515b88cc0fb6eae2e917.jpg 🔄 Upcoming Features Post-Early Access We're committed to expanding and refining the game experience. Planned features include: Expanded tutorial to cover more complex weapons and items. Mission Editor with Steam Workshop support, enabling community-created content. Free Play Mode, allowing players to spawn any entity in the game at any time. Mod support for weapons and items, fostering a customizable gameplay experience. 🙏 Thank You A heartfelt thank you to everyone who's followed our development journey, played the demo, and provided invaluable feedback. Your support fuels our passion and drives us to deliver the best experience possible. Stay connected and share your thoughts on our Steam Community Page or join the conversation on our Discord server. Dev Blog: April 2025Apr 29, 2025 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/10048aae16520bfd7588b3fb2213b35a3d7b45b5.jpg Hi everyone! Last month I went over some of the new weapons and announced that co-op is getting added. This month brings more weapons and I’ll go into some more details on what’s changing with multiplayer. Weapons FGM-148 Javelin with its two fire modes (Top Attack and Direct Attack) and ability to lock on to a variety of targets will make quick work of enemy vehicles. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/a48c575223282ef383483c7f96851e9006dc9a56.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/aad9fb25-14ab-4cae-bc5a-a48431aadc87/blog_6_lock.gif?content-type=image%2Fgif https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/73057c2c-d355-458a-8cc6-7439cc38657e/blog_6_javelin_firing.gif?content-type=image%2Fgif XM29 OICW Provides a combination of a 20mm programmable grenade launcher with a 5.56mm assault rifle. This was an experimental weapon so we took some liberties with its implementation in the game. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/7dde3d2bd5ceb50f85e8d0376a372075f9f93f06.jpg Multiplayer Updates As the work to add co-op continued we’ve had to adapt some current systems and add some new ones to get the game working smoothly with multiplayer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/eaee870c-6f78-4aaf-986a-1a91a94ff848/blog_6_nvg.gif?content-type=image%2Fgif Changes to existing systems: You will have a separate character to use in multiplayer. Loadouts are now shared between all of your characters. This makes it easier to jump from single player characters to multiplayer. The preset loadouts can now be deleted to make room for more customized ones. All missions will be unlocked by default in multiplayer. If you want to play the missions in order you can, but we didn’t want to restrict players just because they haven’t unlocked a mission yet. Hardcore mode will only be available in singleplayer to keep the player data more organized. Saving and loading mid mission is restricted to single player. There are just too many variables that can affect smoothly loading and saving in the middle of a multiplayer mission. Additions: Reviving dead players has been added as a way to keep the pace up and make the game fun for everyone, even if a player is taken out early. While having everyone join on the ship, prepare equipment, and deploy on a mission is the ideal flow, we know that won’t work every time. We’ve added the ability to join mid mission. To get joining players started quickly they’ll parachute in near the existing team. Weapon selection can still be made from the loadout screen on the way down to the ground. The ship now has a locker where you can customize your character's uniform, appearance, and patches. Friendly fire became a bit of an issue during playtesting over the last couple of weeks so we’ve added a Friendly Fire warning to the UI. It can be seen in the gif below. Communication is very important for a game like thi...Dev Blog: March 2025Mar 20, 2025 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/0fcd1fe8e50ea1a7c704d9df0a12d4bc4ed24b84.png Thanks to everyone that has played the demo! The feedback has been great and we appreciate all of the suggestions and ideas! If you have an idea or suggestion, feel free to post them in the Steam Discussions or on the Dagger Directive Discord https://discord.com/invite/NnY2JrNPPd. There’s some good news and some bad news. The bad news is the demo will not be getting updated with bug fixes anytime soon. The good news is the reason for the delay, we’re adding co-operative play which was by far the top requested feature! Adding networking required some foundational changes so trying to rush out bug fixes for the demo while working on multiplayer would just cause more bugs and delays. To help out with the newly planned content we’ve brought on a new team member, Cody! “Hello! My name is Cody and I'm an engineer that has worked in gaming for about 7 years. I've had the privilege of working on some awesome projects over the years, including Onward and Blacktop Hoops. I'm super excited to be working on Dagger Directive, connecting with you all, and contributing some fun things to the game.” - Cody Co-Op! I’ve been heads down for the last three weeks setting up the core components of the game to work in multiplayer. The basic game flow is working: you and up to three other players all join up on the ship, choose a mission, select weapons, and deploy. There’s still a lot of work to do but co-op is already a ton of fun! New Weapons! Even though we’re adding multiplayer, we’re still focused on the single player experience. The whole game will mainly be balanced around playing solo. We’re also taking the extra time to add some more weapons and equipment! Here’s the new weapons that have been added so far. M240 Light Machine Gun {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/4206f025f8f5caeb84bcb77f11e71d6f9e41c0e2.png M24 Sniper Rifle {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/94d69f548280eae1f660c2931ac2886b63ea9876.png L85A1 Assault Rifle {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/eda5abdaf40ada6fc15ac075d881df34b2fca95f.png Here’s a preview of one of the upcoming weapons, the G11! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/65ab965f9676c6795def46ec444a719b5b3ec5d1.png Bugs Multiplayer has brought in a whole new set of bugs. Not sure what this guy was doing but he did his best… {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/d9b76eaefccd19053f95766361046a0e752de061.gif Come back next month! We’ll have some mOre nICe things to shoW off! - DanPlay the Demo Now!Feb 22, 2025 - Community AnnouncementsHi Everyone! Today's update is a short one. You can now play the Demo for Dagger Directive! The demo includes a limited selection of weapons, equipment, a few training missions, and one mission from the third campaign. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/b0c3d61d-c6f5-4d21-a874-d0022ce66fed/blog_3_demo_l.gif?format=750w Training missions Fly in on a helicopter, run through the obstacle course, and then learn how to use the inventory and weapons on the basic weapon range. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/50d54d1b3653c5e3c03d5750e2bd7d9db3160ea9.jpg Cache Clash Fight your way through the valley while searching for weapon caches to destroy! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/ac02f217475b691ebf8c7554454c5bc051261f05.jpg Feedback Thanks to everyone who reported the issues with crashes! If you were experiencing crashes you can now select from either DirectX 11 or DirectX 12 graphics APIs. I’m sure there are still a ton of other issues, they will get fixed over time. I appreciate any feedback you have! You can either post in the feedback channel in the games Discord Server (https://discord.gg/NnY2JrNPPd) or in the Steam Discussions. Thanks and have fun!Dev Blog: January 2025Jan 29, 2025 - Community AnnouncementsDrones As I so subtly hinted at in last month's blog, drones are here! You’ll have the choice between reconnaissance to search for and observe targets, and explosive drones to attack and disrupt the enemy. As this is a game there will be a few unrealistic restrictions on their usage. Their range is limited to 500m with an altitude limit of 200m. This still leaves you with plenty of room to effectively employ them. Here you can see the recon drone being deployed from the attic of a blown out building. An enemy patrol is seen coming down the road. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/6ad23e62-8c87-44b1-88db-07593bb0e661/blog_2_recon_l.gif?format=750w Time to swap to the explosive drone. The drone is detonated with a button press. Then observe the damage after swapping back to the recon drone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/9c3f4ae9-7250-4e8e-9066-f6e690f06062/blog_2_exp_l.gif?format=750w There’s still some polish work to be done along with tying it into the enemy AI so they have a chance to scatter or shoot down your drones. Bullet Penetration Bullet penetration has been on the to do list for a long time. I’m happy to say it’s finally in! A few things go into determining how and if projectiles penetrate a surface. First you have the material of the object getting hit. Solid stone and metal offer higher protections vs. wood boards or concrete blocks. Next, the thickness of the surface at the point and the angle of impact. Shooting straight onto a wooden board will be more likely to penetrate vs. hitting it at a 45 degree angle as the path is then longer. Finally you have the bullet itself which adds in velocity at the time of impact, mass of the bullet, and its density. A 9mm impacting a cinder block at 100m probably won’t penetrate. Swap over to a .50 cal and you’ll tear right through it and probably the next block or two as well. Below you can see the cinder block wall of this building now only provides concealment for this enemy when facing a .50 BMG. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/0f28380c-741a-4f53-b15f-afb1ad588059/gif_large.gif?format=750w This goes both ways. Taking cover in a small dilapidated building doesn’t provide quite the same level of cover that it did before. The enemy rounds will rip right through the walls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6462dc1318729b07fa3d6dd5/bda15145-8cfa-4824-a665-db6ae486de67/blog_2_pen_2_l.gif?format=750w AI Rework That brings us to one of the largest changes over the last month, the AI overhaul. I had a few goals when developing the AI; high enemy counts, dynamic cover, a variety of actions, and team work. I was having issues adapting the old AI system as new features got added. It got to the point where a full rework was needed. I started with a utility AI system. While it was responsive, evaluating a ton of conditions hurt performance. I then moved to a behavior tree. It was ea...Dev Blog: December 2024Dec 3, 2024 - Community Announcements{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/c9fc3fb2c8e97d9474e1b3f14b1f2a00b02821cb.png Hi everyone this will be the first in a series of monthly dev blogs. First off I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Dan, an engineer and designer. I’ve been working on video games since around 2010. I’ve worked on a mix of web and mobile games; AdVenture Capitalist and a couple unreleased games at NCSOFT, up to more recent games; Onward and Batman Arkham Shadows. I left Downpour / Meta back in July in order to focus on Dagger Directive full time. Dagger Directive has been in development for about 4 years now. It started as my fun side project that I used to test out ideas for things like grass generation and AI behaviors, but has since grown into a full game. I’ve been pretty busy since the publishing announcement. Adding content, upgrading Unity, and fixing bugs found by the MicroProse QA team. Plus, artists from MicroProse have been re-doing older art and creating new characters, vehicles, and weapons for the game. Weapons Additions and Improvements First up is the M4. Dagger Directive is heavily inspired by the old Novilogic Delta Force games and the M4 was a big part of those games. It was the first weapon in Dagger Directive and I made a few different versions before the artists at MicroProse came in and did an amazing job with the final version. Here’s the evolution of the M4 over the last few years, the old one is on the bottom. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/29fdfc702258a7488929844e8dc317e0fc964f64.png Next up is a new weapon to the game, the PKM. It’s the second belt fed machine gun to be added. It comes with built in bipods for stability when shooting from a prone or supported position. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/0e4107a93f0b9512d996b87635ac2119ad5a8ce2.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/8d2bc3cd055624b5a4d9f9879959a1bb55f44952.gif The SVD is a solid marksman rifle and can be equipped with the PSO-1 optic. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/5aaa9379b8332f9a1e96075e9fb8853e6e389df2.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/242844738f697cd691379da2e16efefa6ba33975.gif Finally, the first bullpup rifle in the game, the AUG A1. It’s the older model and comes equipped with a foregrip and the built in 1.5x scope. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/f337b6587d6df6aacb112c1bc52804b786f22903.png {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/1a90f6b3e507b0800683ba5d3e886d7adfaf2437.gif Technical Changes The engine has been upgraded from Unity 2021.3 to Unity 6. This brings a variety of improvements, not just to the built game itself, but to the development experience in the editor. Using the new rendering features I’ve seen up to a 20% increase in rendering performance. The game is running at a solid 30 FPS on the Steam Deck during intense fighting and can reach 60 FPS in many areas. (Note: Steam applied some compression to the exported screen shot) {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/efd1aa75ac255570e697e6c5e63847d6a70bdadd.png Using the updated asset management features I’ve been able to get the game size down from 4.1GB down to 2....Publishing AnnouncementSep 2, 2024 - Community AnnouncementsHi Everyone! We’re happy to announce that Dagger Directive will be published by Microprose! I’ve been working on Dagger Directive for four years now. There’s still a lot of work to be done and I’m excited that Microprose has joined in! With their support through art, marketing, QA, and more, Dagger Directive will be a better game in the end. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/886338dc3f6b449b1f5aac30094e4ef82350a458.jpg Now for a quick update on development. The core gameplay is done and about half of the content is in. I’m currently focused on building out missions, adding weapons and equipment, balancing gameplay, and of course fixing bugs. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/44570740/a4466f5f24ec4282293f4fa6d744b94061076693.jpg I’m excited about the news and I hope you are too! If you want to keep up with the latest news you can Wishlist Dagger Directive and join the Discord: https://discord.gg/NnY2JrNPPd Thanks! Dan
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