GROUND BRANCH: Complete Guide

A tactical-realism primer for GROUND BRANCH V1.0: loadouts and encumbrance, the new armor and door systems, AI behaviour, maps, modes, and how to run clean co-op missions.

Researched September 2026 — current as of V1.0 Hotfix 3 (Build Update #068, 25 August 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• V1.0 is out. GROUND BRANCH left Early Access on 16 July 2026. V1.0 replaced the old "V1036" build label and added the campaign Prologue, an AI rework, armor, a door overhaul, new and remade maps and the Extraction mode.
• Start in the Ready Room / The Farm. The training areas have shooting ranges with dynamic targets and a killhouse with multiple floor plans. Zero your optics and learn the controls before your first mission.
• Everything is unlocked. There are no unlocks, microtransactions or loot boxes. Every weapon and piece of gear is available from the start.
• Weight matters. The encumbrance and stamina system slows you down if you overpack. Bring what the mission needs, not everything.
• What you see is what you get. The True First-Person system puts the camera at your eyes and bullets come from the muzzle. If your muzzle is behind cover, you'll shoot the cover.
• Armor is now real. Soft armor (Body Armor, helmets) is mostly effective only against pistol rounds, and as of Hotfix 2 rifle rounds can penetrate it on the first strike. Plate carriers with hard plates stop a few full-size rifle rounds, but only where the plates actually are.
• AI talk to each other. Since Hotfix 2, AI hear each other's gunfire and alert nearby teammates. One loud shot can wake up a whole compound.
• Pick your AI difficulty honestly. Difficulty levels run from Untrained upward (Hotfix 3 rebalanced Untrained through Veteran). Start low and move up.
• Use the Command menu and VOIP. 3D positional voice and team radio are built in. Communication wins co-op missions.

What Changed in V1.0 and the Hotfixes

Release | Date | Highlights

V1.0 | 16 Jul 2026 | Prologue campaign (2 Operations), AI rework, armor system, door overhaul, new maps Border and Outpost, remakes Airbase and Hospital, Creek overhaul, Extraction mode, new weapons (M500 shotguns, AK-74 family, RPK, RPK-74, MK3 pistol), moon phases

Hotfix 1 | 23 Jul 2026 | Install size cut from nearly 100 GB to 39.4 GB; DX12 launch prompt removed (use -dx12 launch option at your own risk); gamepad config; max weapon sway cut by about 30%; extremity hits made less lethal

Hotfix 2 | 30 Jul 2026 | Dialogue volume slider; bigger door-handle breach zone; rifle rounds can penetrate soft armor on first strike; lights and lasers stay on when switching items; AI hear each other's gunfire

Hotfix 2.5 | 31 Jul 2026 | VOIP audio cut-out fix; IR laser fix for listen-server clients

Hotfix 3 | 25 Aug 2026 | AI difficulty rebalance; sway, recovery and exhaustion reworked together; Outpost optimisation; PIP scope resolution default 0.5; volumetric fog disabled for now; VOIP component retooled; helicopter removed from City

Roadmap: the developers have announced V1.1.0 to V1.1.2 as three campaign chapters of 3-4 missions each, followed by V1.2.0, a multiplayer update with a mod kit. Dates aren't confirmed; watch the Steam news page.

Game Modes

Mode | Type | Goal

Operations (Prologue) | PvE campaign | Briefed missions in the Northwest Pakistan hotspot: 01. Onyx Flame and 02. Gilded Arrow

Extraction | PvE | Hostage rescue against a configurable enemy count (10-30 enemies)

Intel Retrieval | PvE | Find and secure intel, then exfil

Defuse | PvE and PvP | Locate and defuse devices

Team Elimination / Lone Wolf | PvE and PvP | Clear the enemy force

Adversarial modes | PvP, up to 8v8 | Team-versus-team objective play

Co-op supports up to 8 players. Quick Missions let you set up any map and mode fast from the Ready Room.

Maps

Map | Notes

Border | New in V1.0. US-Mexico border checkpoint with variants Bridge, Checkpoint, Construction and Telecom

Outpost | New in V1.0. Pakistani mountain fort, used in the campaign; optimised in Hotfix 3

Airbase | Ground-up remake of the old 747 map, set in Libya

Hospital | Ground-up remake of Run Down, with variants Barracks, Clinic and Garage

Creek | Overhauled militia camp; caves and streams

Tanker, Small Town, Rig, The Farm | Level design updates in V1.0

Arena, City, Compound, Depot, Docks, Storage Facility | Other maps in rotation

Moon phases: you can select anything from new moon to full moon. Moonlight casts shadows. On dark nights, NVGs need an IR illuminator to be really useful; on bright nights shadows can hide you (and enemies) almost completely.

Loadouts and Gear

How the customisation works

You build your operator from scratch: outfit, vest or plate carrier, the placement of each individual pouch, and your weapon's attachments and rail positions. It's deep, and each choice has a trade-off.

Choice | Trade-off

More magazines and gear | Heavier: slower movement and faster exhaustion

Hard plates in a plate carrier (JPC or MPC) | Stops rifle rounds on the plate area only; adds weight

Soft Body Armor | Covers more area but is mostly pistol-rated

Long rifle | Range and power, but weapon collision in tight rooms

Scope mounted far forward | Smaller sight picture

Suppressor | Quieter, but a longer weapon

MK3 pistol | Integrally suppressed .22 LR for stealth; low power

Loadout templates

Role | Suggested kit (generic) | Notes

CQB entry | Compact carbine or shotgun (M500 family), red dot, light, plate carrier | Keep the weapon short to avoid collision

Rifleman | Standard carbine with a low-power optic, IR laser and illuminator for night | Most flexible role

Support | RPK or RPK-74, extra ammo, lighter armor to offset weight | Suppression on open maps like Border and Creek

Marksman | Magnified optic, suppressor, fewer magazines | Overwatch; keep scope position sensible

Stealth | MK3 pistol plus suppressed primary, dark moon phase | Avoid alerting linked AI

Night kit: NVGs plus an IR illuminator and IR laser (the V1.0 notes reference the AN/PEQ-15 style of device and the AN/PVS-17C MNS night scope). Remember IR only helps if you're wearing NVGs.

Performance tip: Picture-in-picture scopes are expensive. Hotfix 3 sets PIP Scope Resolution Scale (Settings, Video, Advanced, Textures) to 0.5 by default. Leave it there if your frame rate dips when aiming.

Core Combat Mechanics

Height over bore

Your camera is at your eyes, your bullets leave the muzzle. When you aim over a low wall, the muzzle can still be behind it. Raise up until the muzzle clears, or you'll put rounds into the cover.

Sway, stamina and recovery

Hotfix 3 made sway, recovery and exhaustion work together. In practice:

• Sprinting and jumping raise sway. Stop moving and let your breathing settle before precise shots.
• Encumbrance speeds up exhaustion. A heavy kit means you arrive at the fight shaky.
• Brace behind cover and take the extra second.

Damage and armor

• Hotfix 1 made shots to non-vital body parts and extremities less lethal. Centre-mass and head shots end fights; limb hits often don't.
• Hard plates only protect the plated area. Side hits and pelvis hits bypass front plates.
• Soft armor is mostly effective against pistols. Don't rely on it against rifles.
• Armor degrades as it takes hits, depending on calibre, angle and location. A plate that has already stopped rounds is not a fresh plate.

Doors

V1.0 added locked doors and a door overhaul:

• Locked doors can be breached with explosive charges or by shooting the handle. Hotfix 2 enlarged the door-handle target zone.
• Doors react physically when opened and have reach-out animations. Take corners and doorways slowly.

Enemy AI

• The V1.0 rework uses the Kythera AI plugin. AI accuracy, reaction time and turn rate are set by difficulty.
• AI now alert each other when they hear gunfire or are close to one another.
• Enemies throw grenades and use smoke, and they can flee when their morale breaks.
• Their line of sight and muzzle must be unobstructed to shoot you. The same rules apply to you.

Teamwork and Mission Flow

• Plan in the Ready Room. Pick the map, mode and moon phase. Agree on roles and who carries breaching tools.
• Insert quietly. Suppressed weapons and a dark moon phase let you take sentries without alerting their neighbours.
• Clear in pairs. One covers the door, one moves. Call rooms as "clear" over the radio.
• Mind friendly fire. It's always on in spirit; watch your muzzle around teammates.
• Use team radio for long-range calls and 3D voice for close coordination.
• Keep someone on rear security. AI that hear the fight will move toward it.
• Exfil deliberately. Most failed missions happen after the objective, when the team relaxes.

Settings and Performance

• Verify game files if performance with PIP scopes seems off. The developers reported it helped some players in Hotfix 2.
• DX12 is not selectable at launch any more. You can add -dx12 in Steam's launch options, but the developers warn it can crash.
• Volumetric fog is disabled in all levels for now; it will return as a separate setting.
• Shadow quality tiers were retuned in Hotfix 3 so lower settings run better.
• Controller support was added in Hotfix 1, but mouse and keyboard remain the natural fit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overpacking. Carrying every gadget makes you slow and shaky. Trim the kit.
• Trusting soft armor against rifles. It's mostly a pistol solution.
• Shooting over cover with the muzzle still behind it. Watch height over bore.
• Running into rooms. Sway spikes when you sprint, and AI react fast on higher difficulties.
• Loud shots near groups. Since Hotfix 2, one shot can alert several AI.
• Leaving IR gear on in the wrong conditions. IR lasers are invisible without NVGs but help anyone else who has them.
• Picking Veteran first. Build up from lower difficulty to learn the AI.

Advanced Tips

• Use moon phases tactically. Full moon for learning a map; new moon plus NVGs for stealth play.
• Shoot the handle. A quicker breach than setting a charge when speed matters and you're confident.
• Offset your optic carefully. Too far forward shrinks the sight picture; find the spot that keeps your field of view.
• Stagger team weights. Give the support gunner the heaviest kit and keep entry players light.
• Keep the HUD minimal. The HUD is deliberately sparse, with optional elements you can switch on. Add only what you really need (the Check Watch action is part of this in-world approach).
• Practise in the killhouse. Its multiple floor plans are perfect for rehearsing entries as a team.
• Clean shots win. Limb hits were made less lethal; aim centre-mass and follow up.

FAQ

Is GROUND BRANCH finished? V1.0 launched on 16 July 2026. More campaign chapters (V1.1.x) and a multiplayer update with a mod kit (V1.2.0) are on the roadmap.

Can I play it solo? Yes. Operations, Quick Missions and PvE modes work solo against AI, and the training areas are fully featured.

How many players are supported? Up to 8-player co-op and 8v8 adversarial matches.

How big is the install now? Hotfix 1 cut it from nearly 100 GB to about 39.4 GB.

How do I enable DX12? Add -dx12 to the Steam launch options. The developers warn it may crash.

Are there unlocks or microtransactions? No. Everything is available from the start.

What are the Prologue missions? 01. Onyx Flame and 02. Gilded Arrow, set in Northwest Pakistan.

Sources

• Steam store page: GROUND BRANCH
• Steam news: V1.0 Now Available, Intel Report #032, Hotfixes 1-3
• Steam news API feed for app 16900