Winds of War, the second major update for Gray Zone Warfare, is now live.
This update builds on community feedback and introduces significant new features, systems, and improvements across the game. From immersive weather and PvP enhancements to new gear, locations, and mechanics, Update 0.3 marks a major step forward in gameplay experience.
The development team has also made key adjustments following the early preview period. Patches, hotfixes, and future updates are planned to keep improving the game in the weeks ahead.
To report issues, please use the in-game feedback system or contact Customer Care. Join the community on Discord to share feedback and discuss changes with the development team.
Important Notice for NVIDIA Users
Players using driver version 576.40 (especially with 50-series cards) may experience startup crashes. Until a fix is released, please revert to driver 576.28 for stability. A resolution is in progress in collaboration with NVIDIA.
New Features
Realistic Dynamic Weather
- Weather now includes rain, storms, wind, and fog across day and night cycles.
- Rice fields fill with water during heavy rain.
- Weather is based on real-world data and displayed in both the main menu and map.
- Player hydration and energy levels are affected by heat and humidity.
- Weather impacts NPC perception rain and wind reduce hearing, while fog affects visibility.
Conflict Zones (PvP)
- PvP engagements between factions create visible Conflict Zones on the map.
- These zones persist for a limited time and alert players to ongoing fights.
- Zones disappear shortly after combat ends.
Friend-or-Foe Identification
- Players in the same faction now wear visible armbands to reduce friendly fire.
- Opposing PMC players will not display armbands.
- A system voice will alert you when friendly players are nearby.
Tracking Tags
- Players can attach tracking tags to gear, allowing it to be tracked on the map.
- If tagged gear is looted, the thief’s movements will be traceable until the tag expires.
- Tags cannot be removed once attached looters beware.
Body Dragging
- Squad members can now drag incapacitated teammates to safety before reviving them.
Mortars Return
- Mortar strikes are available again and can be used offensively.
- Mortar rounds are expensive and must be looted or purchased.
- Players can call strikes within a set range, but not near friendly FOBs.
- Strike timing is based on distance from target.
- Strikes are restricted near friendly units.
New Vendor: Vulture
- Appears at two random major outposts for the faction currently in control.
- Offers despawned player items and gear not available at other vendors.
New Weapons Added
- SVD
- MP7
- SIG MCX
- Beretta M9A1
- Colt Combat Commander
Experimental Features (Feedback Requested)
These features are in early form. Community input is encouraged to help refine them further.
Combat Outposts (COPs)
New map objectives offering tactical advantages to the faction that controls them.PvP Implementation:
- Factions can capture COPs.
- Once captured, the outpost is defended by faction NPC guards.
- Outposts can be recaptured by enemy factions.
- Only one faction may control a COP at a time.
PvE Implementation:
- All factions can engage neutral guards to claim a COP.
- Once cleared, COPs are shared across factions.
Types of COPs:
- Minor COPs:
- Serve as respawn locations (alternative to base camps).
- Allow access to lockers and vendors.
- Major COPs:
- Heavily defended and harder to capture.
- Grant access to the Vulture vendor at two random locations.
Squad Strike Missions
- Procedurally generated missions appearing randomly across the map.
- Require a full squad to initiate and complete.
- Missions are timed and separate from campaign progression.
Localization Support
Gray Zone Warfare now supports the following languages:- German
- French
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Spanish
- Italian
- Polish
- Czech
- Turkish
- Simplified Chinese
- Korean
- Japanese
Localization feedback is welcome. Report any translation errors or text alignment issues via the in-game feedback form or Discord.
Major Gameplay Overhauls
Repair System Redesign
- No durability loss from coma or death.
- Durability is now only reduced through use and incoming damage.
- Two repair options:
- Slow Repair: Inexpensive but the item becomes temporarily unusable.
- Instant Repair (Repair Kits): Immediate, but costly.
Destructible Light Sources
- Light fixtures can now be shot out to gain a tactical edge in nighttime engagements.
Health System Improvements
- New organ: Guts — Damage to this organ causes a coma.
- Expanded symptoms: Includes cramps, tremors, vomiting, fainting, and more.
- Detailed health reports: Now show injury type, source (bullet, knife, etc.), shot direction, armor penetration, and more.
- Visual bleeding effects: Blood trails appear when a character is wounded.
- Fatal hit marker: Highlights the shot that caused death.
Tasks and Progression
Task System Improvements
- Tasks can now be accepted and completed anywhere on the map (not just FOB).
- Task rewards can be claimed remotely.
- Kill objectives now share progress across the entire squad.
- Many tasks have been reworked or expanded.
- Updated tasks are marked to indicate changes.
Progression & Economy Updates
- XP is now awarded for killing enemy PMCs inside Conflict Zones.
- Restocking systems and loot distribution have been balanced.
- New loot methods:
- Locked containers require keypads, padlocks, access cards, or safes.
- Starter Town progression streamlined to speed up access to additional POIs.
AI Improvements
- Enhanced NPC behavior and readability.
- New animations for wounding, bleeding, and alertness.
- NPCs now react to flashbangs and can be stunned.
- Headshot ricochet animations signal armor deflection.
- Critically injured NPCs may limp or verbally warn players before firing.
Quality of Life Improvements
Graphics & Performance
- Lower graphical presets optimized for PCs meeting minimum specs.
- Scope zoom now features smooth adjustment.
- Shadows, lighting, and rendering improved across biomes and objects.
- Performance improved for terrain, vegetation, and light rendering.
Locker & Inventory Enhancements
- Locker Sorting:
- Users can now sort or pack items by category.
- Custom sort order can be set by dragging category tabs.
- New Containers:
- Added dedicated containers for grenades, mortar rounds, and weapon parts.
- Container sizes rebalanced for better item management.
Key Bindings Overhaul
- Double-press support: Enables more control scheme options.
- Duplicate keybind detection improved.
- Double-press functionality now works with press/hold bindings.
Matchmaking & Balance
- Matchmaking system optimized for better server performance.
- Faction balancing incentive:
- Players who join the least populated faction receive bonus rewards.
Reporting & Feedback
- New in-game feedback tool:
- Open with Shift + F12 or from the menu.
- Can include a screenshot automatically.
- No need to visit a website.
Steam Integration
- Steam friends now show up directly in-game for easier squad formation and communication.
Sound & Audio
- Volume reduced for fauna and environmental audio (e.g., waterfalls).
- New sound profiles for biomes like meadows and rocky zones.
- Improved audio feedback for movement, vegetation, and gear handling.
Stuck Player Recovery
- Manual Respawn:
- Players stuck in terrain can force a respawn using Ctrl + F11.
Weapon Detail Improvements
- New stats displayed in the weapon panel:
- Muzzle device efficiency
- Muzzle velocity
Error Handling & Notifications
- Online error messages now provide specific detail.
- Reverting settings now affects only the active menu (not all settings globally).
- Error feedback for online status is more informative and user-friendly.
Gameplay Polish
- Adjusted scope-to-eye distance for improved realism.
- Items cannot be dropped while in flight (e.g., inside a helicopter).
- Reconnect timer (20s) added after crash or disconnect to reduce spawn-kill risk.
- Aggressor status can now also be triggered by stun grenade use.
- Twitch Drops support: Earn in-game items by watching partnered streams.
Bug Fixes
Task System Fixes
- Resolved missing texture on gold bars in the “No Questions Asked” task.
- Fixed subobjectives not completing after picking up required items.
- Corrected timing issue with the spawn window for “The More the Merrier.”
- Task rewards updated to align with current vendor inventories.
- Fixed cases where previously collected items were not recognized for task progression.
- Addressed greyed-out buttons and disappearing “Complete Task” options under specific conditions.
- Improved UI refresh behavior for tasks when auto-accepting or switching vendors.
AI Behavior Fixes
- Fixed FOB guards getting stuck due to pathing conflicts.
- Resolved missing voice lines during AI death events.
- AI now resumes patrolling correctly without extended pauses.
- Fixed AI walking through doors before animations complete.
- Addressed AI reload interruptions that caused combat inaction.
- Prevented AI from spinning while navigating tight spaces.
- AI no longer spawns in unreachable map locations.
- Fixed NPCs spinning in doorways or during engagement in narrow areas.
- Improved NPCs’ ability to detect and respond to threats with appropriate timing.
- Resolved excessive AI alert or idle loops near doors and chokepoints.
Technical & Stability Fixes
- 99 crash scenarios resolved, including startup and disconnection cases.
- Updated Intel XeSS to version 2.0.8.1.
- DLSS upgraded for DLSS 4 support.
- Fixed loading screen hang after startup.
- Resolved online persistence errors after character wipes.
- Fixed VRAM leak affecting texture streaming and load.
- Squads no longer disband after a crash or disconnect.
- Prevented squad desync and random disconnections.
- Resolved server matchmaking logic that failed during mid-session departures.
- Fixed revive desync issues after player revival under rare conditions.
- Prevented fridge door desync between clients.
- Fixed rare item container corruption caused by simultaneous access.
- Corrected helicopter seat reservation logic for squad roles.
- Addressed memory leak issues tied to reconnecting players.