A Major 'Zero Hour' Update Is Coming This August

The next major update for the tactical squad-based shooter “Zero Hour” is scheduled for a mid-August release, and it features plenty of new content and quality of life improvements that are focused on improving immersion and enhancing the game’s existing experience.

This update, dubbed “Operation Meghna,” has two new maps at the center of the spotlight: Ferry Launch and Abandoned Hospital. Ferry Launch will have players clearing a large commercial ferry floating above the titular Meghna River in a new bomb defusal scenario. Meanwhile, Abandoned Hospital will be another hostage extraction mission featuring the abducted ambassador from one of the earlier maps. Both maps will be available in PvE and PvP game modes.

"Zero Hour" developers are also adding four new weapons to the game: the FN-57 pistol, a sawed-off shotgun, the AS Val and the PP19 Bizon. These weapons will be further complemented with new attachments such as pressure pads for tactical lights and different types of foregrips as well as new smoke bombs to block off lines of sight in PvP matches.

In response to player feedback, the game is getting a complete overhaul for its weapon sounds. Each gun is going to receive updated sound effects that are punchier and more realistic along with additional sound effects that better reflect real-life gunfire. Shots will echo loudly through halls, distant fire will be heard more clearly and players will experience in-game tinnitus whenever prolonged gunfire or loud explosions occur around them.

Footsteps and OpFor voicelines are also getting updated. Footstep sounds will depend based on whatever materials players are walking over — trudging through grass will no longer sound the same as walking over concrete. Meanwhile, terrorist voices have been altered to be slightly more intimidating opposed to the existing voice lines.

A myriad of other changes are coming as well. Improved gore and blood splatter effects are coming to help players identify whether a target is hit or not and the first iteration of an experimental inventory system is going to be implemented into the game to make equipment management more convenient.

“Zero Hour: Operation Meghna” has a rough release date of mid-August and the date may change depending on how smoothly the development process is going.