Dagger_Directive

[Asid]

Update 0.8.00 - Custom Weapons
Tue, 17 March 2026



Hi Everyone!

Update 0.8.00 is here!  With it you'll find the custom weapons and magazine, multiple front attachment support, exporting and importing of loadouts, two new third person camera views, along with various other small improvements and bug fixes.  Below you can read about the new features and at the bottom you'll find the full change log.



Custom Weapons and Magazines

You can now create, share, and play with custom weapons and magazines through the Steam Workshop.  We've created templates and guides to help get you started creating weapons and magazines.  You'll also find the M1928 Thompson and a 20 round magazine on the Workshop.



Workshop:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2437670/workshop/

Custom Content Guide:

https://www.daggerdirective.com/custom-content

There's a local testing system so you can make sure everything works before uploading it to the Workshop. Local testing is only available in single player. You'll find two items listed in the Workshop named "Local - <the name of your local test item>".



We're looking forward to seeing what you all create!  In the Discord you can find new channels to discuss and share what you are working on and report any issues with the tools.

Custom weapons work in multiplayer and we've added a new toggle when creating a server to say if they are allowed or not, just like the cheat toggle. Anyone using a custom weapon in multiplayer causes the other players to also download that weapon. You can see which servers allow custom weapons by looking for this icon.



Multiple Front Attachments

Since the demo, weapons have only supported one front attachment. Today you can finally have more than one!  You no longer need to choose between a PEQ-15 and an M203, you can have both.  The only restriction is that the M203 and Masterkey must still go into the bottom slot.



The inventory layout has changed to make room for all of the new slots.  The front attachments are off to the left of the weapons with the muzzle attachment slot in the center and the four rail slots in a ring around it.  You may see on some weapons that the under barrel slot is on the left or right instead of the bottom.  This is due to how we've chosen to implement the attachment system for custom weapons.  To keep it simple, instead of having to list every attachment that is compatible with a weapon we instead base compatibility on the rail type.  Bottom Rails accept everything while the other three block the M203 and Masterkey. 

We've loosened some of the other restrictions too. This was to reduce the complexity of the modding tools. Our old system required us to specify which attachments can slot to which weapons and which attachment slots. Now compatibility is based on rail types for scopes, suppressors are only restricted by weapon types, and magazines now use a tag based system. You may be able to attach things in an unrealistic way, however we think it's better to leave the choice up to you rather than create rigid and limiting restrictions.



The key bindings have changed slightly too.  With the last update we added a new key 'J' as a way to toggle the top flashlight attachment.  This was not a great solution and has been replaced with a new system.  Tapping the attachment toggle, 'X' by default, will now toggle attachments in a priority order.  Under barrel weapons first, then sight lights, then lasers and flashlights. 

To toggle other attachments you need to hold 'X' to open the new attachment toggle menu.  From there you can set the attachment states on any of the weapons attachments.



Exporting and importing loadouts

You can now export any of your loadouts, send them to a friend, and they can import the loadout into to be saved and used any time. To export simply click the "Export" button on the selected loadout. This will copy it to your clipboard to be pasted into a chat message or into a text file to be saved.



To import, just click the new "Import" button and paste the loadout text into the text box and click "Ok". You will now see the new loadout in the list with the others.



Third Person Cameras

The third person cameras are no longer half broken debug console commands.  We've cleaned them up and added a proper setting to the options menu.  At any time you can open the settings and change between; First Person, Third Person - Over the Shoulder, or Third Person - Centered.



Thanks for taking a look at the update! You can find the full change log below.  We'll have more info on upcoming content later this month in the Dev Blog Post!

- Dan

Change Log

March 17, 2026 - V0.8.00 Weapon Mods

Notes:

•     [Attachments] Added support for multiple front attachments.
•     [Attachments] Tapping 'X' or the attachment toggle will toggle based on priority, holding the button will open a quick select menu to select individual items.
•     [Attachments] Removed the "Toggle Secondary Attachment" key for the sight light as it's handled by the new attachment toggle menu and shortcut.
•     [Attachments] Suppressors have been made more generic.  They now attach based on types of firearms instead of specific weapons.  This was done to make custom weapon compatibility easier.  You can still play realistically if you want to or have a little more freedom, it's up to you.
•     [General] Added Proper third person cameras.  Settings can be found in the General Settings tab.  "First Person" is the default, "Third Person - Centered" Places the camera above and behind the character.  It leans slightly when you lean.  "Third Person - Over Shoulder" is a closer camera and will look over the shoulder of the hand you select and swaps sides when leaning.
•     [General] Added Loadout Import/Export so you can share your loadouts with your friends
•     [Maps] Militia Mountain - increased the exfil helicopter speed
•     [Modding] Added custom weapon and magazine support. More info can be found here (https://www.daggerdirective.com/custom-content) (https://steamcommunity.com/app/2437670/workshop/)
•     [Networking] Added a toggle to allow or block custom weapons when creating a server.
•     [Networking] the default listen Port can be edited in the direct connect menu. This applies to all network games.  You can also change it in the console with the "net-port <port>" command.
•     [UI] The text input field popup now automatically selects the text field upon opening
•     [UI] Reworked the Inventory menu to account for the new attachment slots.
• Bug Fixes:
•     [AI] Fixed AI not spawning with RPGs when they should.
•     [General] Fixed duplicate loadout names appending the next index instead of replacing
•     [Maps] Fixed minor visual issues with Poseidon in the hub
•     [Equipment] Dropped magazines from reloads now appear to come from the weapon instead of floating in the air in front of the character.
•     [Equipment] Fixed drone weights showing 1kg.
•     [Equipment] Destroying drones in the Armory no longer stops them from respawning.
•     [Equipment] Fixed networking with dropped drones not appearing for other players.
•     [Networking] Added checks to help avoid the issue where you can get into a broken state at the end of a mission and the "Mission Accomplished" menu is stuck.
•     [Networking] fixed IP and port not saving and loading properly in the Direct Connect menu.
•     [Networking] Fixed the clients seeing the wrong mission selected when returning to the hub.
•     [Networking] Fixed the wrong map displayed in the hub and having the ability to break the game by firing mortars in the hub.
•     [Networking] Fixed a connection issue resulting from mission transitions.
•     [Save/Load] Parachute now loads its state properly.
•     [UI] Fixed text input placeholder text not being localized
•     [UI] Fixed highlighting for ammo in multi round weapons.
•     [UI] Fixed compass not displaying full 360 degrees. 
•     [UI] Fixed the SMAW spotting rifle showing up incorrectly in the inventory.
•     [UI] Fixed text overlapping in the binocular menu's strike call in buttons
•     [Vehicles] Fixed mixed up destruction states on vehicles
•     [Weapons] Fixed SMAW Spotting round having slightly different ballistics vs the rocket, they are now the same.
•     [Weapons] Fixed missing localization and mislabeled death messages from secondary effects such as shrapnel or explosions.

Known Issues:

•     [Workshop] Rarely, when joining a multiplayer game with custom weapons, the weapon mesh may take some time to load in. The offsets may be off until the player swaps weapons.
•     [Workshop] If the Workshop is down, icons may not load properly even from a local cache. We'll improve error handling in the future.

[Asid]

Hotfix 0.8.01 Released
Wed, March 25, 2026



We appreciate everyone continuing to dive in and put the new custom weapons to work. The creations coming in from the community have been outstanding, and we're looking forward to seeing what you forge next as the arsenal grows.

Thank you to all players who reported the issues you encountered. Your quick intel allowed us to respond fast and lock down fixes. Some key highlights are as follows:

•     Fixed bug where the creator name was not showing or showing as "Unknown"

•     New UI Menu to let you set the Title, Description, Preview image, and workshop visibility when uploading or updating a weapon

*Please note: When updating you can set everything except the description. It won't overwrite the existing description.

 
The full list of changes made are in the change log listed below.

Change Log:

•     [Modding] Swapped the vertex limit to a triangle limit check when uploading models.  Increased the limit to 3,500.  It now properly checks the FBX file.
•     [UI] Updated the "Custom Weapons" disabled server browser icon to match the "Cheats" off icon.
•     [Workshop] Added a new upload menu to allow creators to edit the title, preview image, and visibility settings when updating a workshop item.  It allows you to customize the des

Bug Fixes:

•     [AI] AI were spawning multiple flashlights in some cases as they attempted to randomly select attachments.  This led to drops in performance on night maps once the AI were alerted.
•     [Attachments] Fixed attachments not always going into the preferred front slots when dragged and dropped into place in the inventory UI.
•     [Attachments] Fixed swapping front attachments allowing the M203 and Masterkey to slot into invalid slots.
•     [Attachments] Fixed inventory highlighting for sights with multiple attachment types such as the C79 that can attach to carry handles and rails.
•     [Attachments] Fixed AWM top rail attachpoint rotation.
•     [Attachments] Disabled the second, wider, spotlight on the AI's flashlights to further improve flashlight performance.
•     [Equipment] Fixed the character's head missing in the drone camera when the player camera setting is set to First Person.
•     [Missions] Fixed Mission Accomplished pop up if all players die outside of the evac helicopter.
•     [Networking] Fixed direct connect error caused by the addition of the listen port setting.
•     [Workshop] Improved performance of magazines with a mass of zero which were causing physics performance issues when dropped.

[Asid]

March Dev Blog
Fri, 27 March 2026


Hey Everyone,
We hope you are enjoying the new weapons coming in from the community.

Here are some examples of the new items Community members have made:


Great work Nvsble & SabinyAK!

If you want to get involved in making weapons check out the guide here.


What's Next

The energy rolling out of 0.8.0 didn't slow us down for a second. The team jumped straight into Hotfix 0.8.01, tightening up UI issues around Custom Weapons and clearing out a handful of bugs players had been bumping into. That patch was just the warm‑up.

Work on 0.9.0 kicked off immediately after, and there's a ton of exciting content in development. New systems, new toys, new surprises—enough that I officially joined the crew at Arcane Alpacas to help bring all of it to life with you. I'm here to make sure you get clear, timely, player‑first updates on everything happening inside Dagger Directive. Whether it's patch notes, feature previews, or behind‑the‑scenes insights, I've got you covered.

There's a lot coming, and I can't wait to share it with you. So let's get started!


UGC Maps

The next update delivers a feature the community has been buzzing about for months. The UGC wave continues, and this time it's all about Custom Maps. Players will be able to build and submit their own environments and missions, opening the door to entirely new ways to play and experiment inside Dagger Directive. Check out these screenshots of the mission editor and the mission working in the main game.





A full step‑by‑step guide—similar to what we released for Custom Weapons—will go live on the website so creators can jump in with confidence. The Discord will be the first place to hear when those resources drop, along with early clarifications, examples, and dev notes.

While the guide is being finalized, the UGC channels in Discord are already active. They're a great place to meet other builders, swap ideas, and start shaping the kinds of missions and environments you want to bring into the game.


Something Completely New

Stepping into the next update means stepping into an entirely different perspective on combat. Free Play Mode flips the script on traditional tactical gameplay. Instead of reacting to enemy waves, you can take command from the other side—deciding when, where, and how to deploy units against other players. It's a chance to test your strategic instincts in a role you've never had before.

This mode also opens the door to completely unpredictable encounters. If you've ever wondered how you'd perform when dropped into a random battle with no prep time, Free Play Mode is built for exactly that. Every match becomes a fresh challenge shaped by the host's decisions and the chaos of the moment.

This mode will give the server host the ability to control the battle and play in a whole new way. We will be dropping more details on this as time goes on.


Community Beta Sessions

Several of the upcoming features are big, experimental, and shaped directly by how they feel in players' hands. To make sure they land the way they should, we'll be inviting the community to help us test them. Your feedback will play a major role in tuning these systems so they're fun, intuitive, and worth the wait.

Community Beta sessions will be announced across our social channels, along with details on how to join and what each test focuses on. Following our socials is the easiest way to stay in the loop and catch every update tied to Dagger Directive.

Be on the look out for more!

~ Agent Paca‑Tunity

[Asid]

Patch 0.8.03 Released
Thu, April 23, 2026



Patch 0.8.03 is a small update to the game. The majority of the work is not visible since it is prep work for the release of the custom map feature. However, we have released some pending changes we had completed related to the custom weapons workshop. A list of those changes are listed below in the change log.



Change Log:

- Back End Updates for Custom Maps

- [Workshop] Added Tag filtering to the workshop menu.

- [Workshop] Added Equipment tag to items uploaded through the Workshop menu.

- [Workshop] Updated existing Workshop content to include the "Equipment" tag.

[Asid]

Custom Map Makers — Your Tools Are Ready
Wed, 29 April 2026



The Custom Map & Missions Guides are now available, and we're gathering a set of creator-made maps to help us test the upcoming Beta. This phase is all about validating the workflow and ensuring the tools support you the way they should.

Guideline:
Custom Maps Guide — Dagger Directive

Maps don't need to be large or highly detailed. What matters most is helping us confirm the creation pipeline is smooth and reliable.

If you're able to begin work on a map for the Beta, or if you have any questions about the process, please comment below. Your feedback is essential.

[Asid]

Patch 0.9.0 is Live - 🗺� Custom Maps 🎮 Controller support 🤖 AI Updates
Wed, May 20, 2026



In this patch we are continuing to follow the roadmap and launch the Custom Maps feature. This allows players to submit their own environments and missions.

This bring a new wave of content coming in to the game. We suggest continuing to check back in the game to see what your fellow players have been cooking up. However, that's not all that is included in this update. We have two other features we have included that came as a direct result from your feedback. Controller Support and improvements to the AI. We will go into detail about each feature included in this update and you can get the detailed change log at the bottom.


Custom Maps

We want to start by thanking everyone again for your help with the custom map beta. We were able to identify several areas of improvement and squash some bugs in the process.

Custom Maps will allows players to get new content from other players. New Maps with new unique missions. To access these missions, head over to the main mission board and look to the right, this is where the Workshop missions will be located. If you want to try a mission, click on it and press the subscribe button. Once you are subscribed the Missions will show up in the main mission board.

Thanks to community members Joules and CommodoreShawn there are already 3 new missions available. Make sure to check them out.


Controller Support - Beta

We know how important it is to be able to play your way, so we made controller accessibility a top priority. Dagger Directive now supports controllers like Xbox and PlayStation and also handheld systems like Steam Deck and ROG Ally.

When you launch the game, it'll automatically detect your controller and load a default gamepad layout so you can jump right in to play. Also, just like with keyboard and mouse, actions are fully remappable in the settings menu. Set things up exactly how you like and play on the device that feels best for you.

For a feature as detailed as this, we want to make sure we are addressing your needs. Which is why we are considering this first release as a Beta. We are planning to continue working on the controller accessibility (for example: adding a radial menu for weapon attachments), so we want your input. Please post any suggestions or feedback in our Discord.

To add some additional support for hand held devices (like a Steam Deck) we have also included a new setting in the Settings Menu (in the General tab). You can now find a "UI Menu Scaling" option. This can increase/decrease the size of the UI throughout the game*.

*Note: This UI setting is tied to your cloud save data so the setting will carry over if you change to a different device.

Default controls are setup as followed



AI Improvements

We hear your feedback loud and clear especially around the AI, so we took action. During this development cycle, we carved out dedicated time to address the most common concerns players have been raising. Alongside several design and functionality updates, we also resolved a number of bugs that were impacting AI behavior.

You should now see the AI reacting more realistically in combat scenarios. Key improvements include:

•     Suppressors have a much greater effect. Using a suppressor now decreases the suppressed alerts and even prevents the alert depending on the weapon type and range.
•     To offset the suppressors a bit we added a nearby impact alert. If you miss your shot and the round impacts the wall behind the AI then it still alerts them. If it passes by without impacting anything then there won't be a reaction. The range scales based on weapon type.
•     We changed the way they respond to fire. Instead of firing in the direction of the incoming fire they will narrow in on you over time. This is randomized so they may get lucky and fire near you or they may get unlucky and fire 50-100m away from you.
•     The AI's accuracy now decreases over time. Originally it would increase to provide more of an opportunity to return fire but it never decreased again. Breaking contact and re-engaging them would mean they started with very high accuracy. Now it falls off again if they are not actively shooting so they have to build up to higher accuracy again.
•     Adjusted the fire delay based on the last time they had a target. This causes the AI to start with heavy fire and have it fall off over time. It resets if they see a target again.
•     Lowered their night time vision a bit more to make it easier to sneak around at night and break contact if needed. Their flashlights still improve their vision as long as the target is in the flashlights cone.

This is another incremental step in our effort to improve the AI to account for various play styles. They were a bit too difficult now and hopefully we haven't gone too far in the other direction. We'd love to hear your feedback and we'll use it to make more improvements!


Host Unable to Revive Bug

We've been tracking reports where the host couldn't revive other players. This one was tricky to reproduce, so it took some digging, but we're confident we found the culprit. The issue should now be resolved. If you still run into this during gameplay, please let us know so we can keep hammering on it.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to play the game, reach out with feedback, or just took a moment to let us know you are having fun. With 0.9.0 out the door, we're already moving into Patch 0.9.1, focusing on more AI improvements, performance, controller polish, and the fixes that keep the game feeling better with every update. We take your feedback seriously, and we're committed to making thoughtful, meaningful changes that elevate your gameplay experience.


Change Log

•     [AI] Reduced shot passed by alert distance for all weapons.
•     [AI] Using suppressors further reduces the shot pass by alert distance.
•     [AI] Reduced range for the AI under attack distance to help prevent too many AI from responding at once.
•     [AI] Each bullet now has a max distance for pass-by alerts.  Shots that are too far or moving too slowly will no longer alert AI.  Ranges between 75m-600m depending on the round. Suppressors further reduce this range.  This further helps to reduce the number of AI alerted by one shot flying by.
•     [AI] AI reacts to bullet impacts now.  If your suppressed shot misses, and you fire from far enough to not trigger the suppression alert, impacting a wall close to the AI character will trigger a nearby impact alert.  This offsets the previous change a bit.
•     [AI] Accuracy now falls off over time instead of just going to the max and staying there.  So if you break contact and then attack again they will have the lower starting accuracy.
•     [AI] Increased fire delay based on the last time the AI saw a target or received a combat alert.  This causes their suppressing/blind fire to reduce over time if they no longer see a target.
•     [AI] Added a shot delay reset if the AI sees a player after not seeing them.  Improves reaction time when seeing a target while searching for them.
•     [AI] Reduced volume of fire against helicopters.
•     [Art] Improved post processing effects, mainly around color correction.  Scenes shouldn't be quite as dark during the day as they had been before.
•     [General] Added the friendly fire indicator to the binoculars.
•     [General] Reviving is now radius based instead of needing to look directly at the interactable.  This should make it easier to start reviving.
•     [Graphics] The game will now detect if it's running on the steam deck and set the proper graphics settings for you.  It will only do this the first time it's launched on the Steam Deck.
•     [Input] Added improved controller support that includes default button mapping, button icons are displayed in the menu, and added more input options to allow taps or holds to activate actions.  Tap and hold times can be adjusted in the General Settings tab.
•     [Input] Input mapper now displays what was mapped.
•     [Input] Multi-axis keybindings now properly show all inputs and are locked.
•     [Input] Unassigned keys now display as "Unassigned" instead of a blank area.
•     [Missions] Fixed the incorrect dialogue playing when the intel is collected on Dock Disruption
•     [Missions] Fixed found drug dialogue occurring twice on Dock Disruption. Previous saves will still have the issue.
•     [Weapons] Magazines now update their weight based on the ammo remaining
•     [UI] Added a clock to the map menu that displays the current mission time.
•     [UI] Steam keyboard will open when using a Steam Deck or Big Picture Mode when selecting a text field.
•     [UI] Added UI scale options for 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, and 1.25x.  The Steam Deck will default to 1.25x.  This can be changed at any time from the General Settings menu.
•     [Workshop] Added custom map support (https://www.daggerdirective.com/custom-maps-guide)

Bug Fixes

•     [AI] Fixed AI side stepping back and forth too often..
•     [Attachments] The PGO-7 description now has the proper magnification listed.
•     [Attachments] Fixed 1x scopes showing as 2x in the UI.
•     [General] Cleaned up shaders to improve performance and batching.
•     [General] Fixed Move Left and Move Right being reversed in the Settings UI.
•     [General] Fixed controller support count.  It was limited to 1 controller.  You can now have up to 100 connected.
•     [General] Potential fix for Host not being able to revive other players.
•     [General] Fixed death cam not working in multiplayer when dying from fall damage.
•     [Graphics] Fixed impact effects rendering only on one side.
•     [Graphics] Improved performance in and around the armory by ~15%.
•     [Input] Fixed input name displaying incorrectly when adding an additional mapping.
•     [Input] Fixed left and right movement controls displaying the opposite description.
•     [Input] Fixed not being able to remap one direction of movement and look axis input.
•     [Missions] Fixed the environment post processing not matching in the ship when you select a mission. It had been slightly different.
•     [Networking] Improved Players IK.  You should not see floating weapons on players anymore.
•     [Networking] Fixed a few issues around networked objects not cleaning themselves up and ending up floating in the ship scene.
•     [Networking] Fixed an error in mission loading where the clients could start loading before the host has finished sending all mission info causing the clients and host to get stuck in a black screen.
•     [Save/Load] Fixed drone orientation not saving.  Affects new saves going forward.
•     [Save/Load] Magazines in the players inventory now save and load ammo counts correctly.  Affects new saves going forward.
•     [Save/Load] Fixed mortar strikes not resuming when loading from a save.
•     [UI] Controllers names are now plain text to make them easier to read.
•     [UI] Fixed the crouch input mapping dialogue not displaying correctly in the training.
•     [Weapons] Fixed floating suppressor on AK74.
•     [Weapons] Fixed missing suppressor slot on SVD.
•     [Workshop] Fixed custom weapon pistols not slotting into pistol slots.

Known Issues

•     [Networking] Swapping an attachment can cause it to show as floating for other players.  Detaching or dropping the old one and then slotting in the new one avoids this.
•     [Networking] Rare issue of rejoining a game failing and sitting on a black screen.
•     [Workshop] Custom maps briefing audio starts playing if you have the briefing muted.  Turing the mute off and on again fixes it.
•     [Workshop] Completion stars on the mission selected for custom maps will sometimes display too many levels.