Comrades, greetings!

In the Dev Blog, we discussed upcoming changes and our overall work plans. Today, we’ve decided to delve a little deeper into one of the topics we touched on and talk about the environment in more detail. A colossal amount of work has already been done on the environment.

This begins with the Korea map being the largest in the IL-2 series and more detailed than ever, and ends with a vast array of new technological solutions that deliver an incredibly realistic sense of atmosphere and detail, along with a completely revised artistic approach. You can see all of this firsthand by pre-ordering on our website, gaining early access to the project.

We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has already pre-ordered: you’re amazing! Seeing how much you love the result lets us know we’re on the right track.

So, all this work is not finished yet and continues full steam ahead.

Let’s start with something players have already asked us about: flooded fields. Rice is the main agricultural crop in Korea. Most of the fields on our map have the characteristic shapes and colors of this type of vegetation. But another characteristic of rice cultivation is that the rice paddies are flooded with water—a layer of about 10−15 cm above the soil. And you rightly noted that these flooded fields create a unique image, characteristic of the places we recreate in our project.

This type of field is uncommon in European countries, so it was out of the question for Great Battles, but here it’s quite important. When players asked us about this detail, we weren’t yet sure we could implement such fields. But now the time has come to announce that Korea at release will be even closer to what you saw when you flew over these parts in the 1950s.

We’ve successfully implemented this type of field, and now, especially in the evening, you can catch the sun’s rays reflected in the flooded cells of the vast Korean expanses.

In some areas, there are more of these fields, while in others, there are fewer. This type of field not only recreates Korea’s unique look but also adds visual and seasonal diversity.

In summer, the ground surface is much more monotonous than in other seasons. It’s almost entirely covered in greenery, with only occasional patches of color visible as soil is being prepared. These patches add additional, natural variety to this view.

The presence of flooded fields also depends on the season. In spring and summer, the fields are flooded; in autumn, they are drained for harvest; and in winter, the fields remain dry. This is reflected in our example: you will only see this field type in spring and summer. In other seasons, the fields will remain dry.

Work continues to flesh out the map and refine historical locations. Various additional objects, such as cars and various boats, that weren’t present at the start of Early Access have been added. Now, points of interest will be even more vibrant and realistic. You’ll now be able to see vehicles unloading bombs, refueling trucks, jeeps, and various fishing boats opposite coastal villages, piers, and ports.

Various cities and landmarks are also being improved. For example, improvements are planned for Mount Paldal near Suwon and the area around the Chosin Reservoir.

In addition, training ranges are being prepared where you can hone your ground targeting skills. There will be a range for both the red and blue sides. They will contain all kinds of targets—from model airplanes to tanks, other ground vehicles, and artillery.

There will be separate areas with barrels laid out for simplified bombing. Each target type will have its own designated area within the range, clearly visible from above. These ranges will have their own distinctive appearance, significantly different from that of airfields and various industrial zones.

Work is underway to increase the diversity of natural environments. The variability of river banks is increasing, with the appearance of overgrown, rockier, and sandier banks. This creates an even more natural appearance.

We’re constantly working to optimize and improve the project’s performance. For the most part, the Early Access launch has gone quite smoothly. We’ve seen a lot of positive feedback regarding the project’s performance. However, there’s still room for improvement and optimization across certain hardware types and gameplay scenarios.

For example, one of the places where performance drops noticeably, in terms of environments, is airfields, and generally when on the ground. The reason lies in grass rendering. New technologies are currently being developed that will not only expand grass rendering capabilities but also perform much faster than the current implementation.

We have also fixed the issue of "jumping" trees. Many players have reported that certain trees behave strangely, periodically jumping and sinking into the ground. This has particularly affected low-altitude flight experiences over the beautiful Korean landscape. We have identified and resolved the underlying causes of this issue, and this change will be included in an upcoming patch. As a result, players will soon be able to fully enjoy the thrill of flying over river mouths.

There are a few more things about the environment we’re not ready to share yet, but we think you’ll learn about them soon. To be the first to know, subscribe to our channels. Each channel is designed to convey the appropriate level of information: in some, you can discuss topics with the community; in others, you can leave us your feedback. Subscribe if you haven’t already — YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, X, Discord and follow us on social media.


See you in the sky and happy hunting, pilots!