GROUND BRANCH, the hardcore tactical shooter from BlackFoot Studios and MicroProse, leaves Early Access for its full v1.0 release on July 16, 2026. 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 on launch day.
When does GROUND BRANCH 1.0 release?
GROUND BRANCH 1.0 launches on July 16, 2026 on Steam (PC). The dedicated server is free and available now, so you can set one up in advance and be ready the moment 1.0 goes live.
The Operations campaign returns — with a new Prologue
The headline addition is Operations, GROUND BRANCH’s campaign framework. It first appeared as the “Silent Reach” demo back in V1034, was pulled for retooling, and returns for V1.0 — but this is no simple re-release. V1.0 introduces the Prologue, set in the new Northwest Pakistan hotspot, where you play two new missions set two years before the main events of the campaign as an on-ramp into the Operations loop.
The bigger shift is that story is now a central focus — a proper narrative with grounded characters and factions, with writer Scott Hamm setting the stage. Expect the return of full briefings with voice-overs and persistent progression. At launch, Operations is lone-wolf and co-op only; a proper friendly-AI system is planned for Chapter 1.
The Operations campaign interface (earlier “Silent Reach” demo shown).
New weapons: AK-103 Alpha & G36K Custom
1.0 continues to expand an already deep arsenal. Two standout additions:
- AK-103 Alpha — a modernized AKM with plenty of aftermarket accessory rails. Chambered in 7.62×39mm, fed from 30-round magazines, with semi and full-auto fire modes.
- G36K Custom — a compact, rail-heavy take on the classic H&K carbine for close-to-mid-range work.
As always, there are no unlock gates — every weapon, optic, attachment and piece of gear is available to build your loadout exactly how you want it.
New equipment: Chemlights
Chemlights are now part of your kit — useful for marking positions and providing limited illumination during night operations. Your operator automatically spawns with 10 chemlights (no need to add them to your loadout); select them from Equipment and use Fire/Throw to drop one on the ground.
Smarter, more dangerous AI
One of the most significant 1.0 improvements is a major overhaul of enemy AI, making opponents smarter, more reactive and more unpredictable. Highlights:
- AI may now throw frag grenades at players in some situations.
- AI under pressure may throw smoke to cover a retreat.
- AI will see and investigate flashlight beams and laser pointers, and can be temporarily blinded by flashlights at close range (both work-in-progress).
- The patrol-route system was overhauled, so patrolling AI are more unpredictable and cover their routes more thoroughly.
- A widespread AI rout/flee can be triggered by game events — like covering fire from a helicopter during a campaign exfil sequence.
- Enemy spawn points now have optional day/night states, plus new idle animations and various movement tweaks.
Everything else in 1.0
- New & remade maps: V1.0’s map selection adds Outpost (a fort on a ridge along the Afghan border, tied to the second Prologue mission at launch), plus Airbase (747 remake), Hospital (RunDown remake), Border, and an overhauled Creek.
- Extraction quick mission — the PvE counterpart to Hostage Rescue: rescue a hostage held by two captors whose morale drains as combat unfolds (and hits zero = execution). Maps run 10–30 enemies.
- New player locomotion — fresh motion-capture for every stance, with more natural weapon-handling wobble and aim sway.
- A new door interaction system — locked doors, breaching with charges or shots to the handle, and physics-driven doors that react to being pushed.
- Armor system + hit reactions — more survivability at the cost of stamina, and getting hit first makes returning fire harder.
- Returning moon-phase control (pick it per mission; shadows conceal you), the classic AN/PVS-7 NVGs, and a pile of new gear (RPK, M500, MK3, rig/armor combos, kneepads) and character options.
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):
- July 2026 — V1.0.0: launch, plus the base for multiplayer.
- Summer 2026 → Winter 2026/2027 — the campaign chapters: three new chapters across V1.1.0, V1.1.1 and V1.1.2, each adding a new hotspot with 3–4 missions and its own themed Ready Room.
- 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 for launch day.
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 1.0 on July 16, 2026 brings the Operations campaign, new weapons and equipment, a smarter AI overhaul and a fresh map — a genuine milestone for one of the most authentic tactical shooters on PC. Get a server ready now, rally your squad, and drop in the moment it goes live.
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