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Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the PTE for Patch 17.1, this patch will come with quite a few Quality Of Life improvements which we hope you will all appreciate!

The PTE will run between Friday 30th May and Monday 2nd June.

Please find below a list of extensive changes that have been made / are currently being worked on by the team, we’d love to get your feedback on all of this prior to the release to make sure we can evaluate and make changes based on your feedback!

At the bottom of the sheet you will find a feedback form that we’d appreciate if you filled out.

The map rotation for this PTE is going to be:

Kharkov - Offensive - RUS
Foy - Offensive - US
Kharkov - Warfare - Night
Mortain - Overcast - Warfare

This rotation should allow you to experience all the changes that have been made, also feel free to use the new Explore menu to test out changes made to the bi-pod and any other weapons!

Along with this patch will come a lot of general bug fixes and improvements! A full list of which will as always be delivered to you with the final changelog when the patch goes LIVE in the near future!

New Features

Medic Improvements

As part of the ongoing effort to improve Medic gameplay, the Design team has tuned several in-engine values to improve both both performance and playability. As a result of this, the following values now apply:

Full HP on revive
Medic bandage speed is now 2s (this also applies to self bandaging)
Revive speed for all Forces has been reduced to 2s
Medic revive XP increased from 30 to 75
Being revived by Medic XP increased from 30 to 75

This PTE also introduces the Medic ‘Call & Response’ system, allowing downed players to request a revive. Medics can respond using the radial ping marker system, helping prioritise revives and reduce unnecessary journeys across the battlefield.

It’s important to note that this feature is still in development and will not be included in Update 17.1. Player feedback during testing will help shape its final version.

Bipod Rework

The bipod system has been significantly overhauled for more flexible and realistic deployment, improving the overall gameplay experience.

The system now detects objects in the player’s deployed path, rather than relying on hardcoded limits. This reduces instances of clipping into static objects. Deployment inside objects is no longer possible.

Pitch angles now reflect the height of the surface, allowing a wider range of weapon rotation. You can aim lower from low surfaces and higher from elevated ones.

Server-side checks now ensure valid deployment surfaces, fixing issues where deployment would cancel mid-animation. Standing and crouching now share the same deployment limits, eliminating the need to change stances to check for valid deployment surfaces properly.

Soviet Winter Camo - Kharkov & Foy

Following the overwhelmingly positive reception of Elsenborn Ridge, we're bringing the same winter tank camo style to the tanks in Foy and Kharkov.

Soviet Winter Camo - Kharkov

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Kha_ (7)

Soviet Winter Camo - Foy

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LOD Improvements

The Technical Art team has begun addressing LOD-related issues raised by players, including abrupt LOD transitions (e.g., between LOD 0 and LOD 1), inconsistent screen size thresholds, uneven triangle density, and large assets using too few LODs.

The initial focus is on barbed wire assets, along with the setup of optimised LOD materials for use on the lowest LODs.

LOD 0 was already efficiently configured with minimal overdraw. However, performance decreased noticeably when transitioning to lower LODs
- The optimised LOD material is set to be opaque to reduce the fill rate of masked materials seen at a distance
- As texture mapping blurs masked textures, switching to opaque textures improves performance with minimal impact on visual quality

The barbed wire assets have been updated to LOD more efficiently. Previously LOD 0 was on screen from a screen size of 1.0 to 0.1, meaning over 6,000 triangles were occupying the screen space. This has now been balanced so that LOD 0 is visible until 0.5 screen size, after which it transitions and to a model with 50% fewer triangles, remaining until 0.1 screen size.

Another issue affecting distant objects is the use of Hierarchical Level of Detail (HLOD) systems, which optimise performance by merging meshes into lower-detail proxies. These clusters reduce triangle count and material complexity, allowing many objects to render at distance without a performance hit.

However, problems arise when HLOD transitions occur too early, as the system relies on player to object distance without accounting for zoomed views through binoculars, scopes, or tank optics. In these cases, higher-detail models are not restored when expected.

Barbed wire assets, in particular, did not benefit from HLOD passes and appeared overly low poly at distance. The Technical Art team has addressed this by removing barbed wire from HLODs, allowing them to LOD more effectively on their own.

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Original Barbed Wire HLOD Proxy

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Barbed Wire Removed from HLOD Proxy

Post Match VOIP

Players can now retain voice communications for the Leadership and Squad channels during the post-match flow, this allows players a grace period to discuss the match, or plan out next steps for the upcoming match.

Players will notice that a “MUTE ALL” button has been added next to “PERSONAL STATS”, this allows the player to quickly mute all players in the team.

Flare Illumination

In response to community feedback, the Technical Art team is working to enhance flare gun effectiveness in night-time scenarios. We’re currently exploring ways to improve the spread of the particle light associated with the gun's visual effects (VFX) to increase its reach. Feedback is welcome as we continue refining this effect.

Admin Camera Lighting Effects

Following recent updates to the admin camera, there has been a request to introduce filters. The Technical Art team has explored various existing filters used by the community and has created a set of presets designed to enhance the overall experience. Below are examples using Colour Look Up Tables (CLUTs).

2strip
2 Strip Colour Treatment

Bleach Bypass

Black and Wite Red
Black and White (Red Filter)

Black and White Blue
Black and White (Blue Filter)

Cinestill
Modern 35mm

kodachrome 1936 (1)
1940’s Colour

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1940’s Colour (Variation)

These are then combined with additional post pro settings available in the engine, such as shadow intensity, bloom, chromatic aberration, film grain and vignetting. Below is a demonstration of these camera effects.

A Demonstration of Various Presets

Practice Range Improvements

The Practice Range now allows players to sample all available loadouts, regardless of their current in-game role rank. This enables testing of every weapon within a safe, controlled environment.

New Maps with Dynamic Weather

Dynamic weather has been integrated into several legacy maps. The Technical Art team is currently evaluating appropriate lighting and weather conditions to incorporate effects such as snow, rain, and sandstorms across these maps. The new weather manager allows each map to deliver a distinct and immersive experience due to it’s flexibility.

Below are short videos showcasing the transition of light to extreme snow both in Foy (available to play in the PTE) and Kharkov (available to play on release).

Improvements to Fog

Community feedback highlighted concerns over excessive fog and difficulty with sightlines on some of the newer night maps. It was found that Elsenborn Ridge (night) had an acceptable level of fog and lighting exposure which the team are using as a basis for improvements.

Based on evaluation and feedback, El Alamein, Omaha Beach and Hill 400 were found to have acceptable intensities of fog, with El Alamein’s fog intensity being welcomed in addressing overly long sightlines.

Kharkov, Sainte-Marie-du-Mont (SMDM), Driel, Carentan, St Mere-Eglise (SME), Utah Beach, and Stalingrad were found to be excessively foggy.

These have all been updated to leave longer sightlines.

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Kharkov - Original Fog Settings

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Kharkov - Updated Fog Settings

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Sainte-Marie-du-Mont - Original Fog Settings

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Sainte-Marie-du-Mont - Updated Fog Settings

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Driel - Original Fog Settings

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Driel - Updated Fog Settings

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Carentan - Original Fog Settings

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Carentan - Updated Fog Settings

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Sainte-Mère-Église - Original Fog Settings

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Sainte-Mère-Église - Updated Fog Settings

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Utah Beach - Original Fog Settings

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Utah Beach - Updated Fog Settings

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Stalingrad - Original Fog Settings

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Stalingrad - Updated Fog Settings

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Stalingrad - Updated Fog Settings

Explore Mode

A new “Explore” tab has been added to the Enlist screen. This section allows independent exploration of each map at a player's own pace, separate from standard gameplay.

In Explore Mode, the player can:

Explore every section of the map
Play as any role
Use faction/role appropriate vehicles
Use faction appropriate artillery

In Explore Mode, the player cannot:

Gain XP
Win/Lose Matches
Capture any Capture Points

Official DX12 Support

Hell Let Loose on PC platforms now uses DirectX 12 as it’s rendering API, offering performance gains during gameplay. Due to the variety of PC setups, we understand that issues may arise with this change. Therefore, an option to switch back to DirectX 11 will be made available in the Video Settings section of the Settings menu.

Additional Upcoming 17.1 Features

Here are some additional features coming to 17.1 that won’t be in the PTE but are scheduled for the full release:

Tobruk Improvements

In response to community feedback regarding the stepping effect of the VFX around large buildings, the Technical Art team has developed a new system to enhance VFX occlusion.

This improved system applies volumes around large structures and has now been implemented in Tobruk. Below, you will find a comparison showcasing the improvements made before and after the implementation.

The environment art team has made some visual improvements to the building exterior textures to add more bullet and shrapnel damage giving the town area a more war torn look. Also more ground scatter has been added where it is possible without affecting performance. The town building interiors have had more muck and scatter added to make it feel more lived in.

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New RCON Abilities

New features have been added to RCON for Update 17.1. Server owners will now have the ability to change the following parameters for their servers:

Match Timer

The overall match timer is now more flexible, with server owners allowing them to be adjusted within the following ranges based on game mode:

Mode	Current Timer (Minutes)	New Timer Range (Minutes)
Warfare	90	30 - 180
Offensive	150	50 - 300
Control Skirmish	30	10 - 60

Note: The new timer range for Offensive mode is divided by 5 for each Capture Point phase, so a match timer of 300 minutes would give each Capture Point a 60 minute timer for example.

Warm-up Timer

Mode	Current Timer (Minutes)	New Timer Range (Minutes)
Warfare	3	1-10
Control Skirmish	3	1-10

Note: Due to the way that Offensive mode “Warm-up” periods are dictated by its global spawn wave system, we have not yet added the ability to control this but it is something we are open to exploring with future RCON quality of life features.

New Maps with Dynamic Weather

Mortain

The technical art team has now updated the Mortain overcast scenario from the older rain VFX to the newer dynamic rain.

Please note that server owners will have the option to disable dynamic weather with the launch of version 17.1. However, this feature is not available in the PTE.

Known Issues

Mute All is present on the scoreboard during gameplay
Explore Mode has placeholder UI
R.O.A uniform's Third Person Perspective hands are missing

As mentioned in the intro, along with patch 17.1 will come a lot of general bug fixes and improvements! A full list of which will as always be delivered to you with the final changelog when the patch goes LIVE in the near future!

Community Updates

Hey everyone, Ben back with some community updates.

Firstly, we want to give a huge shoutout to everyone who has been submitting clips for our 'Best of the Community' series. It's been great to see so many phenomenal entries, and we loved being able to do an episode all about the Competitive Scene in Hell Let Loose. From admin cam casting, to clutch plays, enjoy our latest episode, co-hosted by the voice of comp DasAltberg, over on our YouTube channel.

If you would like to be featured in future episodes, be sure to submit your videos, artwork, or clips via our Discord server.

👉 https://discord.gg/HellLetLoose

Community Events

Road to D-Day

Alongside events that we are throwing, we wanted to once again shoutout BR1 Gaming who are back with another 'Road to D-Day' event. This year's event will bring together both PC and console communities, with matches set for both platforms. If you're interested in taking part or want to donate to their charity of choice, be sure to visit their website and register today.

2025_RTDD_Poster

Testimonial Event

Another incredible event happening next weekend will be the testimonial event between 82AD and ESPT.

For those who may not have heard, Myrk — a former member of 82AD and ESPT — tragically passed away in an accident earlier this month. His legacy within the competitive HLL community, particularly in these two teams, is profound. His unmatched passion, sharp tactical mind, and genuine willingness to help others left a lasting mark on everyone who had the privilege to play alongside him. Myrk was instrumental in shaping how 82AD and ESPT approached arty and arty defence in past metas, long before the strategies we use today came into play.

Inchon captured his essence best:

"I first started playing with Myrk back in 2021 and quickly realized I needed to spend as much time with him as possible. His passion for HLL was infectious, and more importantly, his approach to helping others — always positive, never judgmental — was something rare. Whether you were a veteran or brand new, he'd jump into comms, pull up Stratsketch, and send a password for a private server. Time flew by as he shared his deep knowledge, great humour, and most importantly, his time. From 2022-23, Myrk helped us grow structurally as a team and introduced ideas that still shape our gameplay today."

To honor his memory, we’re hosting a testimonial match between 82AD and ESPT. We’ll start with a fun arty phase — all guns firing, defences built — before going into current meta rules. The match takes place on HLL’s newest map, Tobruk.

If you would like to donate, the group's have set up a fundraising page to help support Myrk's family. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/myrk-gaming-event

The event will be livestreamed on DasAltberg's Twitch channel on Saturday, 7 June 2025.
Games starting at 11am PST | 2pm EST | 7pm BST | 8pm CEST

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War Correspondents

And as always, our War Correspondents have been creating some excellent content for us all to enjoy. Here's what they have created recently:

Alpine Sniper

Soul Sniper

RazBora

@raz_bora
What's your favorite tank? Panthers are INSANE! #hellletloose #pc #ps5 #xbox #twitchstreamer #gaming #pc #ww2 #whattoplay #gaming #streamer #pc @TheFreshBakedGoods
♬ original sound - RazBora

DasAltberg

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How to play Hell Let Loose? | Steam Free Weekend 2025

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