July Update: Massive Performance Overhaul

Zeroes, Teardrop just got rebuilt under your feet.

This is our biggest single update since Early Access began, bringing a new PC performance baseline, a full Weapon Rework, and a major Cyberlimb rebalance that changes how every loadout plays. FPS is up significantly across NVIDIA hardware, weapons now kick, spread, handle and specialize with much clearer identity, and cyberlimbs have been reworked so rarity, role and build choices matter more than ever.

Every weapon feels different. Every limb builds different. Whatever you thought you knew about the Grid, drop it at the door.

The Headlines

A quick read on everything in this update. Full details in each section below.

• Performance Baseline. A new FPS floor on Steam PC. 3x uplift on RTX 20 series PCs, 30 to 60% uplift on RTX 30 series, and 30%+ uplift on RTX 40 series and above. Fewer FPS drops and a more consistent frame rate. This is the baseline, not the finish line.
• Weapons. A total overhaul of every weapon: fire-modes, RPM, recoil, spread, range, velocity and weight. New Dynamic Recoil shares the kick between camera and crosshair, attachments move to a points budget, and lower rarity weapons carry handling penalties that vanish at Epic. Existing setups are reset, so rebuild your loadouts.
• Cyberlimbs. Every limb rebalanced so rarity actually matters, with quality-of-life fixes and role redesigns across the board. The Legendary Ghost leaves the loot-pool pending a redesign.
• Character. The new Limb Toughness system grants up to +50 bonus HP per limb plus more per rarity, making limb loss far less likely. Jetpack Dash moves to 1 charge on a 3 second cooldown, and wall-jumps are roughly 3x stronger.
• Gameplay & NPCs. The zone shrinks more aggressively, HEX extraction is simplified with Generators removed, high rarity loot is drastically rarer, and NPC senses and target acquisition are sharper.
• World. Look up. The sky and lighting across Teardrop have been completely overhauled, bringing a warmer, brighter, and more realistic look to the world.
• HUD UI. Significantly sharper HUD above 1080p, a new dynamic crosshair that reflects your actual point of impact, and updated loading screens.

Performance

PC (NVIDIA)

• RTX 20 series: 3x performance uplift on Medium settings
• RTX 30 series: 30 to 60% performance uplift on High settings
• RTX 40 series and above: expect 30%+ uplift on Ultra settings

Mac

• M4 Macs: up to 2x FPS uplift
• M3 and earlier: improvements in this patch, with a further patch coming to continue improving performance

Stability

Beyond the raw numbers, we have significantly reduced the amount of FPS drops and made frame rates far more consistent on top of the average gains. The result is a smoother, more stable experience in the moments that matter most, like mid-fight.

Weapons

Weapons have undergone a total overhaul in every regard, from fire-modes and rates of fire to recoil, spread, camera shakes and camera framing.

The intent behind these changes is to add more character to the weapons and to reinforce the visuals the weapons have to ensure that the weapon you pick up and fire does what you'd expect it to do, sound like you'd expect it to sound like and feel like you'd want it to feel and be different enough from the next weapon that you see and feel a reason to try everything.

NEW SYSTEM - Dynamic Recoil

This patch sees the introduction of an improved Recoil system we are calling "Dynamic Recoil". Recoil is now shared between the Camera and Crosshair where it was purely Camera-based before. When firing your weapons your crosshair will have minor movement within a tolerance radius in the centre of the screen, allowing the recoil to be strong without the camera having to recoil so much which caused a lot of difficulties and accessibility issues for some players. We feel this change not only feels really visceral and powerful, but it also allows us to have more interesting recoil on weapons and also reinforces the feeling that the crosshair is part of the weapon and not just a marker bolted to the middle of your screen. This system affects both third person and first person and is subject to further polishing and adjustments based on feedback.

RPMs

All weapon classes in the past were a bit of a mishmash of RPMs that ultimately resulted in a lot of weapons feeling the same. We wanted to do something about this, so weapon RPMs have been separated much more between Weapon Classes than in previous iterations of Off The Grid to better reinforce these intended playstyles and feelings. SMGs are now the kings of RPM, while Assault Rifles are more moderately balanced with slower fire-rates but higher accuracy and range.

Spread

Spread is now more of a factor with all weapons, increasing gradually as the weapon fires until spread reaches its peak at the latter stages of a magazine's capacity. Just spamming shots and aiming at someone will have some effect, but you'll eventually begin to miss shots and will need to space your shots occasionally to maintain accuracy. Spread modifications on weapon attachments will help with this for players who find it difficult. Spread has also been adjusted per Weapon Class to ensure that the feeling of using the wrong weapon at the wrong engagement distance becomes immediately obvious to the player.

Range

All weapon classes have had a full rebalancing to damage ranges and bullet velocities relative to their intended usage. SMGs have had their ranges slightly reduced, Assault Rifles have stayed in a similar spot as before, LMGs have had slight increases and all classes fit into their own ranges to provide a more balanced spread of engagement ranges for each weapon.

Bullet Velocity

All weapons have undergone changes to their bullet velocities to better represent the intended ranges they should be used at. Once again, some weapon attachments can increase or decrease this depending on how you spec your weapons out.

Sway

Sway is a little more aggressive now, providing more of a swing with longer range weapons than before. Weapon Attachments can compensate for this and all sights above 3x magnification come with built-in Sway reduction that scales with their magnification amounts.

Weapon Weight

Weapons have had adjustment to their penalties/bonuses when moving with them. Heavier weapons like LMGs and Sniper Rifles now slow the player down more than before, whereas lighter weapons such as Pistols and SMGs now speed the player up more than before. Additionally, movement penalties associated with weapons have been adjusted based on Spread changes and weapon intent. These penalties to movement speed and accuracy can naturally be countered with various weapon attachments.

Third Person Mid-Range Camera

Assault Rifles, Marksman Rifles and LMGs now have a more zoomed-in third person camera more suitable for the intended ranges they should be used for. This difference is marginal, but noticeable to the keen-eyed, and should help with picking off targets at longer ranges in third person with these weapons.

Semi-Automatic Fire-Mode

Semi-Auto is once again per-click rather than press-and-hold. We felt that while Semi-Auto was easier to use with a press-and-hold mechanic, it detracted from the feeling of what a semi-automatic weapon should be, as well as making several weapons too easy to use and harder to balance and as a result have returned it to its original state. The Hold-To-Shoot option is still available in the Gameplay Settings, however, now only correlates to Burst-Fire weapons.

First Person ADS Improvements

In addition to the Dynamic Recoil listed above, First Person has been improved to better represent the stats on your weapon. ADS Time properly scales with attachments into First Person and the system has been improved to have the weapon approach your line of sight from below rather than from the side.

Weapon Attachments

NEW SYSTEM - Point-Based Weapon Attachment System

Weapons now use a points-based system for equipping attachments rather than the previous set limits of the number of attachments being based on the Rarity of the weapon. Weapon Attachments have been rebalanced with updated stats and values and now have costs to equip them which is based around their rarity and effective power levels. A lot of attachment rarities have changed to better represent their cost to equip them, so in light of these changes any existing weapon setups have been reset and you will need to rebuild your loadouts.

As mentioned, each Rarity of weapon has a different limit to the points available to it. Currently this stands at:

• Common - 50 points
• Uncommon - 60 points
• Rare - 80 points
• Epic - 100 points

This frees up the player to use more attachments of lower rarity at the expense of fewer but more powerful rarer attachments should they choose to and should provide more variance to loadouts for players to tune their weapons the way they need to for their own personal playstyle. Our aim was always to make your attachment choices matter and to be based on your own personal preferences and skill limitations, so we hope that there is no "one true build" for every weapon, and more a selection of builds based on what you want to achieve.

NEW SYSTEM - Weapon Rarity Scaling

Weapons at rarities lower now have penalties associated with them that make them a bit more difficult to use, and these penalties differ between Weapon Classes:

• Assault Rifles: More Recoil, Longer Reload Time
• LMGs: More Spread, Longer ADS Time
• Marksman Rifles: Stronger Sway, Longer ADS Time
• Pistols: Longer Reload Time, More Spread
• Shotguns: More Spread, More Recoil
• SMGs: More Recoil, Longer Reload Time
• Sniper Rifles: More Sway, More Recoil

As each weapon progresses from Common to Epic, these penalties are weakened, with Epic being without penalties entirely. This is to provide a form of progression with the weapons as you obtain higher rarity versions, in addition to any progression you feel by equipping different attachments or simply getting more skilled as a player with the weapons you use as you get used to using and modifying them.

Weapon Variant Normalization

Weapon Variants (such as the Proton Drifter, Vulture CyberGoth, Tacoma Pioneer and so on) have had their unique modifiers removed to bring their performances in line with the baseline weapons of each Weapon Family. These weapons now act simply as standard versions with custom skins/geometry where applicable. Any weapon attachments attached to these weapons by default will still modify the behaviour of the weapon.

Weapon Balancing

Once again, due to the massive number of changes to weapon stats, we can't cover every little thing in excruciating detail in these patch notes (otherwise it would literally be 80 pages long) and instead we will cover the major changes and intent of each weapon.

Assault Rifles

Kasper

• Fire-Mode: Burst-Fire (2 round burst)
• RPM: 850
• Recoil: Moderate, Stable
• Damage: 75
• Headshot Multiplier: 2x

Kasper has had its burst fire reduced from 3 shots to 2 and has been given a place as a hybrid AR/Marksman Rifle, rewarding precise headshots at the expense of pure DPS to the body. Burst-fire recoil patterns received overhauls to make their shots closer together between the larger swings between bursts to make them easier to handle.

M4 Commodore

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 720
• Recoil: Moderate, Erratic
• Damage: 42
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.4x

The M4 Commodore has seen a reduction in RPM but still maintains its spot as a rapid-fire AR with serious impact.

Mavinga

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 630
• Recoil: Low, Stable
• Damage: 40
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.3x

Mavinga is now finally putting those fancy flaps on the front to good use as recoil stabilizers, being positioned as a low-recoil AR that suffers slightly for its ease of use with lower damage.

Partisan

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto Dual-Shot
• RPM: 500
• Recoil: Strong, Balanced
• Damage: 27(x2) +20% Armour Damage
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.5x

The Partisan now fires 2 rounds per trigger-pull, spraying its default 40-round magazine 2 shots at a time, and deals an additional 20% damage to Armour.

Terikon

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 570
• Recoil: Strong, Erratic
• Damage: 47
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.2x

Terikon has been given more kick and aggressive behaviour to more accurately represent how we envisioned it from the start. Intended primarily for body-shots, the Terikon is a monster to handle, but will absolutely rip your opponents a new one.

Vulture

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 450
• Recoil: Strong, Stable
• Damage: 65
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.5x

The Vulture is one of the Assault Rifles that has seen the biggest adjustment, being reframed as the heavy Assault Rifle intended for mid-range domination and longer-range area suppression. A hybrid of an Assault Rifle and LMG, the Vulture hits like a truck but is tricky to master.

LMGs

Boomslang

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 350
• Recoil: Moderate, Balanced
• Damage: 70
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.75x

The Boomslang is still the thunderous beast it used to be but now has a bit more spread to offset its high damage, ensuring it also plays a role in area suppression while being more than capable of long-range pot-shots with a good scope.

Hawk

• Fire-Mode: Dynamic Full-Auto
• RPM: 350 to 750
• Recoil: Strong, Stable
• Damage: 48
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.6x

The Hawk now features a new Fire-Mode which increases its rate of fire the longer you hold down the trigger. This begins at 350 RPM and increases to 750 RPM over a short duration. Intended more as an area suppression weapon, it'll still shred your opponents if you're able to handle the kick and the ever-increasing spread.

Marksman Rifles

Ichnya

• Fire-Mode: Semi-Auto
• RPM: 80
• Recoil: Very Strong, Balanced
• Damage: 200
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.4x

The Ichnya is now the powerhouse Marksman Rifle intended for longer range engagements with a focus on landing headshots. Kicks like a mule, hits like a freight-train.

Proton

• Fire-Mode: Semi-Auto
• RPM: 200
• Recoil: Moderate, Balanced
• Damage: 120
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.3x

The Proton is now a rapid-fire Marksman Rifle intended for quicker skirmishes. With less aggressive recoil, the Proton can be used on the move more effectively than the Ichnya but requires more dedication to sight in your target due to its ADS Time.

Pistols

Kelowna

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 600
• Recoil: Low, Erratic
• Damage: 50
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.45x

The biggest change in the Pistol Class belongs to the Kelowna. No longer a Burst-fire Pistol, the Kelowna is now a full-auto sidearm with the magazine capacity and damage profile to match it. Has relatively low recoil compared to a lot of Full-Auto weapons but suffers from lower range to compensate.

Tap9

• Fire-Mode: Semi-Auto
• RPM: 220
• Recoil: Very Strong, Erratic
• Damage: 120
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.65x

The Tap9 is still the monster you all love and fear but now has more emphasis on its recoil. Range is more of a factor for all Pistol Class weapons now, so getting in close will be pivotal to success with the Tap9, although it still out-ranges its other Pistol Class companions.

Type 227

• Fire-Mode: Semi-Auto
• RPM: 330
• Recoil: Moderate, Stable
• Damage: 90
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.5x

The Type 227 is the all-rounder pistol, snappy to use but with not as much kick as the Tap 9 or the ferocity of the Kelowna. Now has a reduced magazine capacity to get away from the moniker "Type 227 Minigun".

Shotguns

Flenser

• Fire-Mode: Semi-Auto
• RPM: 60
• Recoil: Very Strong, Stable
• Damage: 38(x8)
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.5x

The Flenser is the ultimate close-range weapon, intended to violate anyone that is getting a little too close to your personal bubble. Recoil kicks hard and spread is huge, so close range is mandatory.

Influencer

• Fire-Mode: Semi-Auto
• RPM: 140
• Recoil: Moderate, Stable
• Damage: 162
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.5x

The Influencer is positioned as a hybrid Shotgun/Marksman Rifle, with a higher range than other shotguns but much less accuracy than a Marksman Rifle. Controllable, hits hard and still fires slug rounds but is prone to missing if you're not careful.

Squall

• Fire-Mode: Burst-Fire (3 round burst)
• RPM: 500
• Recoil: Strong, Erratic
• Damage: 25(x4)
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.25x

The Squall is now a 3-round Burst-Fire shotgun that is intended to scatter people the moment you draw it. Hits hard and fast, but not easy to control at ranges exceeding 20 meters. Barrel-stuff them and they'll regret getting close.

SMGs

AZV100

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 630
• Recoil: Moderate, Erratic
• Damage: 50
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.35x

The AZV100 is no longer a burst-fire SMG and is now the slowest-RPM SMG, but hits hard to compensate. Controllable and reliable, it'll still rip people apart.

Kite

• Fire-Mode: Burst-Fire (4 round burst)
• RPM: 1250
• Recoil: Moderate, Erratic
• Damage: 50
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.35x

The Kite is now a 4-round burst-fire SMG that matches precision with brute force in sub-30m ranges. Snappy, reactive and good for precise invasive surgery to remove heads from bodies.

Kochi

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto (Regenerative)
• RPM: 740
• Recoil: Strong, Erratic
• Damage: 45
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.4x

The Kochi now has tech built in that constantly 3D-prints ammunition directly within the Magazine as it fires, allowing ammo to regenerate without needing to pick it up or reload the weapon. Be warned though, overheating the weapon will shut it down for a few seconds until the heat dissipates and the ammo-printing can continue. It gets pretty hot. Be glad you've got metal hands.

Tacoma

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 820
• Recoil: Strong, Erratic
• Damage: 40
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.25x

The Tacoma has had a sizeable RPM increase, feels stronger and nimble in close ranges. Positioned as a good all-rounder baseline SMG.

Woodpecker

• Fire-Mode: Full-Auto
• RPM: 1150
• Recoil: Moderate, Erratic
• Damage: 38
• Headshot Multiplier: 1.25x

The Woodpecker is now the highest RPM weapon in the game, but with its low ammo-capacity is intended for the daredevils and professional hitmen who never miss. Two or three missed bullets will result in needing to reload to finish someone off, but precise shots and expert recoil control will see you through.

Sniper Rifles