GROUND BRANCH, the hardcore tactical shooter from BlackFoot Studios and MicroProse, has left Early Access — V1.0 is now available as of July 16, 2026 (Build Update #064). After years of steady development, 1.0 is the biggest milestone yet for the slow, deliberate, true-first-person mil-sim that fans of the original Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon have been waiting for. Here’s everything new — and how to get a dedicated server running so you and your squad can jump straight in.
Launch sale: to celebrate V1.0, GROUND BRANCH is 20% off for a week — $29.99 → $23.99. Grab a key or two while it’s cheap.
Is GROUND BRANCH 1.0 out?
Yes — GROUND BRANCH V1.0 released on July 16, 2026 on Steam (PC). The dedicated server is free, so you can spin one up right now and jump straight into the campaign and co-op.
The Operations campaign returns — with a new Prologue
The headline addition is Operations, GROUND BRANCH’s campaign framework. V1.0 opens it with the Prologue, set in the new Northwest Pakistan hotspot (a “Kill or Capture” area of interest). You play two new operations in succession — 01. Onyx Flame and 02. Gilded Arrow — with the second unlocking after you finish the first, in offline solo or online solo/co-op.
Story is now a central focus — the hotspot and each mission open with fully voiced briefings (characters John Hawk and handler “Forge”), with playback controls to replay the audio, plus special scripted events. Operations mode is launched from a new Ready Room built into The Farm (the training map). At launch, Operations is lone-wolf and co-op only; a proper friendly-AI system arrives in Chapter 1 (V1.1.0).
New weapons in V1.0
1.0 expands an already deep arsenal — and as always, there are no unlock gates: every weapon, optic and attachment is available from the start. The new additions:
- M500 & M500 Tactical (shotguns) — the classic pump-action. The factory M500 holds 5+1; the Tactical variant holds 7+1 and adds a top rail for optics and sights.
- AK-74 (assault rifle) — an earlier version of the AK-74M already in-game, with “plum” polymer furniture. Chambered in 5.45×39 mm.
- AKS-74 & AKS-74 (Poly) — AK-74 variants with a side-folding metal stock; the Poly version swaps wood for polymer furniture.
- RPK & RPK-74 (machine guns) — heavier, longer, higher-capacity AK-pattern automatics. The RPK is 7.62×39 mm (40-round mag); the RPK-74 is 5.45×39 mm (45-round mag).
- MK3 (pistol) — an integrally suppressed .22 LR handgun with a 10-round magazine. Underpowered but the quietest weapon in the game — ideal for quietly taking out sentries.
New attachments include the AN/PVS-17C MNS night-vision scope (4.5× with a red-dot aim point), the Vertical Grip A foregrip, Rail Panel B covers, and dedicated magazines for the new weapons.
New armor system & hit reactions
New to V1.0 is a full armor system that changes how firefights play out:
- Hard armor (plates) — ceramic inserts that stop a few full-caliber rounds (e.g. 7.62 NATO) before depleting. The Plate Carrier (MPC) holds 4 plates (front, back, and each side); the Plate Carrier (JPC) holds 2 (front and back). Protection only covers the plated area — everywhere else stays vulnerable.
- Soft armor — Kevlar-type protection in helmets and the Body Armor platform (formerly “Bulletproof Vest”), effective mainly against pistol rounds but covering most of its area. It’s active automatically once equipped.
- Armor HUD — shows each plate’s status (white = intact, yellow = damaged, red = depleted) next to the stance indicator.
- Hit reactions — getting shot now makes your character flinch, potentially throwing off your aim. One more reason to see the enemy first.
Substantial enemy AI rework
One of the most significant 1.0 changes is a major overhaul of enemy AI for more reliable, dangerous behavior:
- Targeting — AI now default to the pelvis; if only the head is visible they target it instead of losing you, and higher-skilled AI default to chest or head shots.
- Perception — maximum view distance increased from 100 m to 200 m, with alertness tuned so AI don’t just stare without reacting.
- Suppression — AI now react to being shot even while unaware; hits apply suppression and location data and can trigger flee behavior without line of sight — so a missed lethal shot is more punishing.
- Defender AI — enemies in guard mode are tethered to their guard points but turn toward sounds, so on maps like Hospital they hold rooms instead of funneling into choke points.
- Morale — AI suffer suppression and morale loss when they witness allies die, so your actions shape their decisions.
- Retreat & performance — flee duration scales with skill (tougher AI hold cover longer), and behavior-tree logic was moved from Blueprint to C++ for better performance.
New Extraction game mode
Extraction is a new PvE mode for solo and co-op: you’re a rescue team, and enemy AI hold a friendly hostage guarded by two captors. The captors’ morale drains as they witness or hear combat and does not refill — hit zero and the hostage is executed, so speed and stealth matter. You free and lead the hostage via the Command Menu (“Follow Me”, “Move To”, “Take Cover”). Enemy counts run 10–30 per map. Extraction is currently playable on Airbase, Compound, Hospital, Small Town and Tanker.
Everything else in V1.0
- New & remade maps — two brand-new maps (Border, a US–Mexico checkpoint; Outpost, a fort in northwest Pakistan), two ground-up remakes (Airbase, a remake of 747 set in Libya; Hospital, a remake of RunDown), an overhauled Creek, plus level-design and art passes on Tanker, Small Town, Rig and The Farm. (Full breakdown in our map guide.)
- New door mechanics — locked doors you can breach with explosive charges or by shooting the handle, physics-driven doors that react to being pushed, and a reach-out interaction animation.
- Player locomotion overhaul — all-new motion-capture movement for every stance, with more natural weapon-handling wobble and aim sway.
- Grenades — the M67 frag is now an instant kill within 5 m (dropping off to a 15 m max radius), and the M84 flashbang no longer blinds or deafens through walls.
- Selectable moon phases — pick your night darkness per mission; moonlight now casts shadows for near-perfect concealment (if patrols can’t hear you).
- New gear & customization — plate carriers, chest rig + soft-armor combos, the Leg Shroud drop-leg holster, new hairstyles and facial hair, and a range of outfit items.
What’s on the roadmap after launch
1.0 is a milestone, not the finish line — BlackFoot Studios has mapped development through 2026 and into 2027 (dates tentative):
- V1.0.0 (July 2026): launch, built on a refactored foundation for stability, plus the base for multiplayer.
- The campaign chapters (V1.1.0, V1.1.1, V1.1.2): three new chapters, each adding a hotspot with 3–4 missions and its own themed Ready Room. Friendly AI for Operations returns in Chapter 1 (V1.1.0).
- V1.2.0 — the Multiplayer Update: a dedicated MP improvement pass shipping alongside Mod Kit (SDK) updates for maps and missions (the Mod Kit won’t update until then).
How to play GROUND BRANCH 1.0 with your squad
GROUND BRANCH is at its best with a coordinated team, and the most reliable way to play together is a dedicated server that stays online 24/7 — no host needing to keep the game open, no P2P connection issues. On a dedicated server you control the maps, mission rotation, AI count and difficulty, round timers and player slots (up to 16), and you can run co-op Terrorist Hunt and 8v8 PvP however your group likes.
The catch: the GROUND BRANCH dedicated server is officially Windows-only and involves SteamCMD, port forwarding and editing config files by hand. If you’d rather skip that, a managed host handles it for you. XGamingServer’s GROUND BRANCH server hosting runs on AMD Ryzen 9 7950X hardware with instant setup, one-click updates, DDoS protection and a visual config panel — so you can spin up a server in minutes and be ready to play.
New to hosting? These guides walk you through it:
- Ground Branch game modes & missions — set Terrorist Hunt, Uplink, Intel Retrieval and more
- Configure your Ground Branch server — MaxPlayers, MaxAI, difficulty and config files
- Change map & mission rotation
- Connect to your server
The bottom line
GROUND BRANCH V1.0 — live now (July 16, 2026) and 20% off for launch week — brings the Operations campaign with its Northwest Pakistan Prologue, a new armor system, a substantial AI rework, the Extraction mode, new weapons, two new maps and two ground-up remakes. A genuine milestone for one of the most authentic tactical shooters on PC. Get a server ready, rally your squad, and drop in.
Read more
- GROUND BRANCH Operations Campaign Explained — the Prologue, Onyx Flame & Gilded Arrow
- GROUND BRANCH V1.0 New Weapons — M500, AK-74, AKS-74, RPK & MK3
- GROUND BRANCH Armor System Guide — plates, soft armor & the HUD
- GROUND BRANCH Extraction Mode Guide — the new co-op rescue mode
- Every GROUND BRANCH Map Explained — the full roster
- GROUND BRANCH Roadmap 2026–2027 — chapters, the MP Update & Mod Kit
Ready to play?
Run your own Ground Branch server with XGamingServer
Spin up an always-on Ground Branch server your friends can join in minutes — no port-forwarding, no tech headaches.
