W.I.P New Standard Infected meshes preview!
Patch Notes:
Various model improvements to Alcatraz island
Pandemic Treasure Island Operation last Light Added (Beta) Angel and North San Francisco will be added in the coming months as we continue to add the ability for Infected to island hop!
Fixed bogus fence collision on TI
Gate structure delegate issue that causes a performance hitch
Fixed the Player camera getting locked to weird rotations when you exit the Operator while shooting from the skids of the Sparrow
Fixed Helicopters not being able to land on the LHA6 after the recent landing tool improvement
Formation System =Units in 'Run Mode' will leave run mode if given a move order with enough other units who are not in run mode. Units will not stay at 'jogging speed' when exiting a formation move (due to final move order), when not running
Adjusted collision box for SOC Tent to not have as much 'invisible collision' over its top
Adjusted SOC upgrades to not have collision on for the 'additions'
When constructing the build tool will now remember the last orientations of placed structures to make mass building placement quicker. it will reset after 10 seconds after leaving the building tool.
Improved the Building tooltip to reflect the new building options
Added safety to a delegate that was being called improperly due to a race condition
Fixed hit reactions for blow up and co when shot from an Operator acting weird when shot in a critical point
Increased the min update rate of helicopters to decrease jitter on clients
Fixed Flare crash, RadioMusic Crash & Client side radio widget crash
Fixed skycrane cables not spawning on clients
Improved sky crane net update rate to make its movement smoother for clients
Replaced Standard Infection models with 2 new ones. More to come!
Added all CERC classes as selectable Operator "skins" under the Generic tab
Speculative fix for buildings disappearing if you late join for CERC stuff
Fixed some weapon range logic issues for helicopters where the would fail to shoot sometimes if another weapon slot was empty( Sparrow)
Fixed a safety on weapons incorrectly blocking the proper VFX spawn locations' only for helicopters
Made a helicopter 'move up check' trace more reliable
Fixed infected melee code sometimes improperly setting capsules outside of valid ranges making them miss attacks.
Vision Grid crash resolved
Fixed the 'Hold Fire' icon not appearing on player unit overhead UI
Set up the 'weapon range indicator' to no longer appear for units without an inventory component (so a selected LHA6 no longer shows range indicator if you have that ROE turned on)
Updated hovertip (at bottom right) to support displaying power requirement/power supply for structures
Set up the LHA6 to use a proper unit icon (ported and darkened the one from Legacy) -Fixed up redirectors
Set up the Wallbuilder Cost Widget (price display when constructing wall segments)
Unified the 'building construction' call into a single function call, even when multiple buildings are in the same order (i.e. bunch of wall segments) =Should be more net-friendly and it unifies the 'activity log' entry down to one thing per bulk-buy, rather than one entry for every wall segment
Fixed up 'building refund' logic to detect if the owning player of the building/wall is disconnected, and if so, to give the money to the Faction Owner instead (host usually)
Set up some Unit Ownership improvement to building/wall construction, so if you refund a building when economy is in 'split' mode, the player who constructed it gets the refund
Set up the 'Garrison' mouse cursor when mousing over a garrisonable-actor with units that can enter it (with appropriate updates in selection or garrison array changes)
Removed all restrictions on gibbing. Implemented a new "live" system that is far more efficient and cheaper.
Fixed bleed out so it now occurs whenever a limb is destroyed instead of only when legs were
Added support for infected to support deterministic spawning for mesh variants for all the new standard infected types.
Fixed Operator Damage not applying properly for limbs
Fix hangar collision and restored old Treasure island static meshes for roads
Speculative fix for OnLoseSightOfUnit on unit death crash
Fixed collision issues on TI landscape
Fixed bad water shader failing to compile
Made helicopter landing more reliable ('ground height' trace started too low, so helicopters sometimes would end up getting low to the ground then 'missing' said ground from being too close, but no more)
Fixed a decay rate issue on Infection for CERC
Fixed Medical tents not properly healing infection
Resolved an infection bug where CERC units would turn incredibly fast at higher infection levels
Bug fix for crash
https://discord.com/channels/469412014427602944/1432150898246815784/1432150898246815784
Bug fix for crash
https://discord.com/channels/469412014427602944/1431738741721927833/1431738741721927833
Damage balance pass on cerc weapons for better range falloff
Fixed a bug where CERC would fail to turn when infected
Fixed attenuation for reloads
Fixed some remaining spine thrower issues
Added Ammo tent resupply actor component override for new radius values
Updated fog of war to use the "Max" or highest sight range of the 2. So units can always get the job done. I.E Spine throwers always having a longer Air range
Expanded Weapon Range for all weapons in game to have a Air range + ground range. So Spine throwers and other weapons can have more nuance
doubled the resupply range of barrack/ medical and ammo tent . Added Treasure Island to map Rotation under the code name Operation Last Night
Fixed up Structures not properly deregistering from FOW on death (including on clients)
Shooting enemy structures and Spine Turrets is now far more reliable
Phased out a legacy approach to how infected target structures in melee, to make them more effective at range calc.
Sound settings changes for consistency set targeting speed to be faster on turrets
INCREASED all targeting speed of ground units. fixed some sound issues with evolys and tweaked attenuation
Decreased build time for garrison tents, turrets and generators.
Increased smaw reload time to 3s.
Increased reserve ammo counts for all ground units.
Reduced spec ops entry fee.
Increased sparrow health to 380 from 280
Speculative freeze fix for radio music bug
OPtimized some Construction system to be more efficient and performant at large scales
Fixed Kicking not working after a recent UI revamp to player lists
Added some safeties to Weapon to fix Niagara queries
Moved Writing to the activity log to a background thread and added some async locking code to better safeguard read/writes
Fixed ADS remaining client side desyncs
Fixed barbed wire having a collision setting that blocks FOW, Fixed ADS not rotating on clients
Fixed a math issue where the newer smaller helipad would malfunction
Fixed juggernauts pausing randomly in the middle of combat again!
Current State of the Rebuild
A few times each week, our developers host public multiplayer sessions where we jump into the chaos ourselves—testing, refining, and showcasing the true state of the game. These sessions are open for everyone to join, chat, and experience the evolving sandbox that Cepheus Protocol Multiplayer and Singleplayer has become.
The Battle of Half Moon Bay
This particular session started with twelve players splitting into multiple fireteams, each setting up forward operating bases (FOBs) across the city. One team established their base in the center, another fortified the soccer field, while a third entrenched themselves near the construction site. Once Chelseys location was discovered, the teams coordinated to divide the map—back-capping the right side and containing her forces to the left.
The first major engagement came at the soccer field, where Chelseys infected army launched repeated assaults. Waves of brutes and juggernauts clashed against entrenched defenses while operators and RTS-controlled infantry fought street-to-street. When Chelsey shifted her focus toward the Bayfront Administration Center, the central fireteam held firm, repelling the push and stabilizing the front lines.
Meanwhile, Moro’s team conducted daring hit-and-run strikes deep in infected territory—keeping Chelsey off balance and forcing her to defend on multiple fronts. A few close calls nearly broke our lines, but through coordinated air support and precision strikes, we turned the tide. Soon after, our combined forces launched a decisive counteroffensive that pushed her back to the import-export district.
The Final Push
At the climax of the battle, Chelsey unleashed everything she had—massive infected hordes, explosive variants, and juggernauts charging the southern front. The push almost succeeded, but a quick call for reinforcements from Ford’s squad brought helicopters and operators roaring across the skyline. The ground units regrouped for a final unified assault, sweeping across the neighborhoods toward the lighthouse and satellite communications sectors.
In a storm of gunfire, missiles, and chaos, we finally pushed Chelseys forces back into the sea—securing a hard-fought victory. The battle ended with every surviving player lined up across the pacified coastline for a well-earned group screenshot.
A Milestone Moment
This match marked one of our most successful multiplayer playtests yet—no crashes, minimal bugs, and over 90 minutes of pure, unscripted RTS/TPS mayhem. You can watch the full 1 hour and 28 minute playthrough below. Every week, sessions like this bring us closer to the vision of what Cepheus Protocol is meant to be: an RTS unlike anything else in the genre—alive, unpredictable, and built on the stories that emerge when real players face impossible odds together.
Thank you for your continued support as we rebuild Cepheus Protocol from the ground up. Every match, every bug fix, and every chaotic moment helps shape the future of the game.
How to Opt In
Here’s how to opt into the Cepheus Protocol public playtest on Steam:
Open Steam and go to your Library.
Right-click Cepheus Protocol and select Properties.
In the left panel, click on Betas.
From the dropdown menu, choose public-playtest.
Close the window. Steam will automatically begin downloading the playtest branch.
Once the download is finished, you’ll be running the public playtest version.
Recap for those late to the party
What’s Coming Next
Immediate priorities are:
Balancing the new
Builder Droneand Juggernaut AIWrapping helicopter polish (directed landings, pads, operator features, desync fixes)
Fixing AI issues with enemy prioritization and tactical decisions
Frequent bug fixes as we get reports
Chelsey’s AI
Juggernauts are undergoing testing at the moment
Population Meter re-implemented at the bottom-left of the UI for tracking infection strength
Once helicopters and AI stability are locked in, focus will shift to Custom Game Options so players can tune pacing and difficulty. Vehicle driving AI and pathfinding are next in line, but we may hold off depending on the volume and severity of bug reports.
October Goals
We are aiming to flip the rebuild into the default experience by the Halloween Sale, with older versions still available as an opt-in. The exact timing will be based on stability, bug reports, and community feedback — our goal is to get as many people as possible playing on the rebuild once it’s ready.
October priorities include:
Implement the AJAX(HUMVEE) as a test bed for vehicle driving. Work with the community to establish a good "core" vehicle driving. After its "done" we start porting over all the wheeled vehicles and follow up with the Abrams and co.
Extensive Bug hunts / Performance tweaks
A save/load system for Pandemic
Bay Area map updates: Treasure Island and Angel Island are under renovation, with rollout expected around Halloween. Stay tuned! We will aim to release this map in segments going into XMAS. Starting in stages
Treasure Island->
Angel & Alcatraz Island ->
San Francisco North
On top of these big-ticket items, there are many smaller details and fine-tuning tasks underway — some not listed here but discussed in recent CERC HQ broadcasts. October will be a mix of large features and constant iteration as we refine the fundamentals.
🎧 Last Time on CERC HQ…
Cepheus Protocol | CERC HQ | #69
This week’s update is a no-holds-barred breakdown of Pandemic mode’s evolution, centered around the rebuild of Treasure Island and a total systems overhaul. Robert walks through the new layered rollout strategy for map expansion, beginning with a playable slice of Treasure Island set to launch around Halloween. With Unreal Engine 5’s precision fixes, the team can finally realize their original vision for a scalable, destructible, and immersive RTS battlefield.
Level design gets serious upgrades, including foliage placement, bridge logic, and terrain verticality—while the devs debate whether to support multi-tiered underpasses for gameplay. On the AI side, huge strides are made in how infected evaluate targets, spread, and adapt to player fortifications. Pathfinding gets tighter, blowup enemies are rebalanced, and new debug systems give devs visibility into AI logic mid-match.
Operators get more integration with RTS elements—riding helicopters, building structures, and coordinating in full co-op squads. Helicopter physics and weapon balance receive a full pass, alongside early work on ground vehicle deployment starting with the Ajax. Meanwhile, discussions begin on evolving infected variants and bringing dynamic civilian factions back with better AI direction systems.
Chelsea’s overhaul is still coming. Juggernaut and Builder units continue to be tested. And yes, feedback from Discord and Steam is actively shaping next steps.
🔥 Highlights
Treasure Island rebuild set for Halloween rollout with layered map expansion
Fully revamped AI threat logic, pathfinding, and zone targeting
Debate over under-bridge traversal and visibility in RTS gameplay
Helicopter balancing complete: physics, flight feel, and weapon tuning
Operators now ride, build, and interact deeply with RTS mechanics
Juggernaut and Builder infected updated with smarter behaviors
Upcoming work on vehicle AI, bridge destruction, and custom doctrines
New debug tools help devs analyze AI decisions during play
Feedback-driven dev cycle with live balance adjustments
Community Q&A covers everything from faction AI to turtling tactics
🛠️ Patch Preview
Expect nerfs to blowup units, tweaks to helicopter refueling, and tighter threat evaluation logic. The Ajax vehicle rollout begins soon, and feedback is requested for bridge logic, underpass use, and unit camera control. It’s shaping up fast—get ready to test hard and break things.
🎙️ Next CERC HQ – Livestream Details
🕔 When: Weekly Saturdays – 3 PM EST (New Time!)
📺 Where to Watch:
💬 Topics We'll Cover:
Co-op Progress
Total Revamp based on Community Feedback
Level Design Updates
🎤 Don’t miss our Live Q&A! We’ll be answering questions from the community during the stream.
📺 Missed a Stream? No Worries!
Spotify Podcast Archive (VODs may take 24 hours to appear)
Changed depots in public-playtest branch