New 'Beyond The Wire' Update Adds New Faction, Maps And Gameplay Changes

Offworld Industries’ World War I multiplayer FPS game “Beyond The Wire” has received a major update that adds one faction, one sub-faction, three new maps and plenty of new changes that drastically improve the game’s enjoyability.

The new “For King And Country” update introduces the British Expeditionary Force along with their arsenal of small arms and vehicles to the trenches of the First World War. The British is now the game’s fourth faction alongside the German Empire, the French Republic and the American Expeditionary Force. The latter faction is also receiving a new sub-faction in the form of the Harlem Hellfighters, one of the most decorated American units of the war.

Players will now be able to build fortifications like sandbags, barbed wire, ladders, deployable munitions caches and more, adding significantly more flexibility to each team on the battlefield. These fortifications can be built by an Engineering Section, a three-man squad dedicated to building and destroying defenses.

The Engineering Section has three selectable roles: NCO, Builder and Sapper. The NCO and Builder roles are responsible for placing and upgrading various fortifications while the Sapper is dedicated to clearing enemy defenses using Bangalore torpedo tubes.

Several modifications to the game’s combat were also added, including new charge attacks for melee weapons and rifles with bayonets. Audio cues for firearm hits to body parts and helmets were added for better feedback.

The new maps include Séchault and Combles from the Somme Offensive, and Poelcapelle in Flanders.

The Frontlines and Assault game modes received changes as well, with improvements to game pacing at the forefront. Changes to the Assault mode largely revolved around giving players more time to organize after objectives are taken, while Frontlines received more drastic changes.

The time-based phases in the Frontlines mode were replaced by a point system; the team that holds more than 50% of a sector’s capture points will earn victory points, and the team with the most points by the end of the timer will win the match.

“Beyond The Wire” has been well-received by players from a gameplay perspective with fans praising its dedication to realism and historical accuracy, but the game currently suffers from a low playercount.