Mil-Sim Shooter ‘Onward’ Unveils First Significant Update After a Year-long Hiatus

Onward, the popular tactical military simulation shooter from Downpour Interactive—now part of Meta—is gearing up for a milestone update with version 2.0 on the horizon. Fans of the game have been eager for this announcement, as it’s been nearly a year since Onward’s last significant refresh.

Despite what some may think, Onward hasn’t fallen by the wayside. It’s true that updates have been sparse since the release of the major ‘Mercenary’ update back in February 2024, which introduced players to a Player Versus Environment (PVE) mode along with some graphical enhancements.

However, Downpour Interactive is making strides forward yet again. They have announced an impending 2.0 update, which Meta has described in a recent blog as “the game’s biggest update ever.” This exciting update promises a wealth of new content aimed at elevating the game to new heights.

Among the highlights, players can look forward to a significant visual overhaul of weapons and utilities. Additionally, the game is set to introduce a brand-new Operator system, featuring 20 fresh characters, along with fresh map content. There’s a promise that more details will be shared “very soon,” keeping enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.

The update comes after a challenging year for the gaming industry broadly, during which Downpour Interactive experienced significant layoffs in 2023. This shake-up also saw the departure of the studio’s founder and CEO, Dante Buckley, who parted ways with the company just a month before these organizational changes occurred.

Onward first made its entrance on the gaming stage through Steam Early Access back in 2016, and it later reached audiences on the original Oculus Quest in 2020. Known for its commitment to realism, Onward excels in delivering immersive squad-based gameplay and authentic replication of real-world firearms.

For those interested, more information about Onward is available on the Horizon Store for Quest 2 and above, as well as on Steam for PC VR headsets, with the game typically priced at $25.