Greetings, comrades!

The game’s producer, Daniil Tuseev, gave an interview to the Virtual Pilot community, and in this article, we will provide a brief excerpt from the interview in QA format.

Korea. IL-2 Series is an evolution of the previous technological base, but with a very deep rework. The graphics core has been updated: transition to exclusive DirectX 12, new shader and material model, PBR, improved atmosphere, lighting, water, and terrain. The roots of the project come from the previous engine, but the graphics, aircraft physics, damage model, and detailing of aircraft systems have been significantly reworked.

The approach with assistants has existed since the days of Rise of Flight, but now we want to make it more open and understandable. The idea is not to divide the community into "hardcore" and "non-hardcore" players, because assistants do not give a real advantage to an experienced pilot, and sometimes even limit the aircraft’s capabilities. We want to lower the barrier of entering the multiplayer, so that beginners can play together with experienced users, controlling the same realistic aircraft, but through an assistant layer.

Mouse control will remain as in Great Battles: it helps to steer the aircraft and maintain zero slip, but does not allow performing complex and extreme maneuvers easily. A full setup will still give an advantage in combat, especially during abrupt maneuvers. In Korea, more attention is being paid to gamepads: the player will be able to start with assistants, then disable them as they master the controls. A control setup wizard is being developed to reduce the problem of complex device configuration.

A story-driven single-player campaign is planned, but not at release. First we want to release the game itself, and then start working on the campaigns. We are ready to cooperate with the authors of user-made campaigns, as was the case in Great Battles, provided the content is of high quality.

In scripted campaigns, which are planned after the release, the possibility of custom voiceover directly from text is planned: the mission author will be able to write radio exchanges, and it will be heard on the air without a need for a separate recording of actors. The feature of exiting the aircraft was conceived not just as a standalone capability, but as part of future scripted campaigns: briefing, leaving the tent, traveling to the aircraft, boarding, and takeoff. We want to implement this approach, but the timelines depend on resources.

The main innovation for competitions and scenarios is a mission scripted trigger that will be able to react to almost any player actions: button presses, shooting, control positions, and deviation from the flight path. Co-op will get a mode where an unoccupied aircraft simply does not spawn, which is convenient for competitions. It will also receive a new, more convenient interface. For PvP, team map markers will appear (fly here, enemy spotted marker, etc.), optimization of game objects especially regarding the fleet and ground objects, and later—simplified mass AI aircraft, which will allow creating larger-scale scenarios without the full physical load of each aircraft. For example, our record was set at 120 simplified B-29s and, in addition to these, it was possible to add another 20 full-fledged aircraft. At the moment, there will be a formation of 50 B-29s, and they will be escorted by just 20 Sabres, while you attack them leading 12 MiGs, because all fighters are fully realistic. When we implement this, which will be done closer to the end of the year, the armada will be able to be escorted by 100 Sabres.

The mission editor will not change much at its core, because it is already considered a powerful visual tool for complex scenarios, albeit with a high entry level. From the point of view of creating complex scenarios, for example if making something like Tactical Air War, it is definitely the most convenient tool compared to competitors. The main development concerns the map editor: now you can edit the height map, rivers, roads, cities, textures, and other elements directly in the tool. This should simplify map creation and potentially attract more creators from the community.

Standard cameras are preserved, but more cinematic options are being added to them. There will be a additional camera that will fly around the aircraft with physical lag and banking; the fly-by camera is being refined, a tracking option from a specified point is being added, GoPro cameras are being improved, and a gun camera appears right in the game. All of this should help create more spectacular broadcasts and video content.

Yes, a spectator or commentator will be able to use external cameras. However, a full view from the pilot’s cockpit for the spectator is not planned right away, because it greatly increases network traffic and requires transmitting the state of the instruments and cockpit.

At launch—no. Technically it is possible, but it will require a large network load, since it is necessary to transmit the entire state of the cockpit and instruments. For small competitions, such a mode could be made separately, and the team understands that there is a demand for it, but for now it is not a priority compared to the main gameplay.

Such a possibility has existed for a long time: in a mission, you can place a broadcasting operator camera. Moreover, the camera can be made to move along waypoints, so you can pre-build a trajectory for a broadcast or competition.

In Great Battles, Force Feedback worked via DirectX/DirectInput, but this approach is limited: the system actually supports only one FFB device with two axes. Now new FFB devices from Moza, Virpil Controls, WinWing, and others are appearing on the market again, but the old DirectInput is poorly suited for modern setups, especially when pedals and multiple devices are needed. Therefore, the team is making a new API for Force Feedback. The approach where the device simply takes the trimmer position into account is incorrect: on the ground, the stick should not react to trimmers in the same way as in flight, because the control surfaces are not affected by airflow. Correct Force Feedback should take from the game the real load on the control surfaces, including the change in load during stall and different flight modes. The new API is supposed to provide such data to device developers.

For marketing reasons, we are not disclosing detailed plans just yet. In 2026, the focus will be on the first DLC for Korea: five new aircraft and a new game mechanic, the details of which we plan to reveal shortly after release. Work on the next project should start next year, but support for Korea will continue: further DLCs and development will depend on sales and how the project performs at release.

We are not disclosing the direction of the next project yet, because any detail would immediately allow it to be guessed. It definitely will not be a move into the future. Vietnam is considered a problematic direction: without detailed aircraft with clickable cockpits, it loses its meaning, and this niche is already closer to the DCS approach. We want to stay in our niche of a combat flight simulator, without directly entering the territory of DCS, MSFS, or War Thunder.

The decision to develop gamepad support was made back in 2022. It helps not only beginners, but also VR players: the interface can be made controllable with a joystick or gamepad without the need to take off the headset and use a mouse. Thanks to this, the player can go through the path from login to mission selection and interface control without taking their hands off the device.

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Thank you. Stay tuned!