Author - Jerry Paxton

Reissad Studio is excited to announce the immediate release of a first major update for its hyper-realistic multiplayer FPS, Bodycam on Steam. This patch, which launches the game on Unreal Engine 5.5, delivers the most substantial improvements to stability, performance, and gameplay since the start of Early Access, demonstrating the studio’s commitment to building a competitive, polished, and authentic experience.

This first major update since the launch of Early Access last year focuses heavily on community feedback, tackling performance bottlenecks, persistent bugs, and a complete overhaul of key systems, all while injecting fresh content and two brand new maps into the game. While you’ll find all the details below regarding this update, there are way more things coming to Bodycam as teased in the first Devlog. Reissad Studio is committed to keep improving the game and players should stay tuned for more information about the roadmap going forward.

Version 0.2 New Content

Players have two new environments to explore, alongside a powerful new weapon:

• New Maps: Two brand new environments are introduced: a massive CQB Power Gun map, which is the largest close-quarters environment to date and also the most realistic one thanks to intense scanning of a real location. And a new Village map designed for the enhanced Zombie mode. Finally, the interior of the existing Wornhouse map has also been completely reworked.
• New Weapon: The Crossbow enters the arsenal – a powerful, silent, and deadly weapon, which will first be featured prominently in the updated Zombie map.
• Zombie Mode Overhaul: The Zombie mode receives a rework, featuring more immersive enemy behavior, refined wave pacing, and new enemy types.

Optimization and Performance

The most critical upgrade is the migration to Unreal Engine 5.5, unlocking advanced rendering features like Lumen (dynamic global illumination) and Virtual Shadow Maps. This engine upgrade, coupled with dedicated optimization work, drastically improves the game’s efficiency:

• Lighter on Hardware: All existing maps were reviewed to reduce GPU and CPU usage through optimized lighting, shaders, shadow complexities, and mesh merging.
• Faster, More Stable: The game is now quicker, significantly more stable, and more realistic, providing a lighter load on players’ systems. Optimization remains a core priority for all future updates.

Stability and Internal Quality Assurance

Addressing a common source of frustration, this patch resolves the most frequent crash scenarios, including the major lobby crash that occurred when hosting or loading a game after a friend invitation was received.

A dedicated effort has fixed a significant number of recent reports, including spawn bugs, incorrect score displays, the misleading “Defeat” UI in GunGame, and issues with the server list and friend visibility. Furthermore, client stability has been reinforced, ensuring players always safely return to the lobby after disconnection. To maintain this new standard, the development team has implemented a new internal QA process with a dedicated team to prevent regressions and ensure consistent quality with every release.

Immersive Overhauls: Audio, VFX, UI, and Networking

To deepen the realism and competitive integrity of Bodycam, several foundational systems have been updated:

• Networking & Multiplayer: Crucial performance issues related to player updates and “full lobby” lag spikes have been eliminated. The matchmaking flow now features proper state synchronization, and a community-requested map voting system has been added to the end-of-match sequence, making multiplayer faster and simpler.
• Audio & VFX: The tactical experience is sharper with new footsteps, impact, and melee sound effects, along with the removal of ambient noise clutter like birds. Visual effects for muzzle flashes, impacts, and debris have been updated, and the blood decal system has been reworked with the return of some of the old, favored blood effects. Lighting reflections are also significantly improved.
• UI & UX: The User Interface is now more accessible and intuitive, supporting full aspect ratio scaling across all screens. The input rebinding interface has also been redesigned to align with the new Unreal Engine 5.5 framework.

A Commitment to Continuous Development

“We know that optimization and stability were non-negotiable for our community, and this update represents the first major fulfillment of that promise,” said Luca Dassier, Studio Director at Reissad Studio. “By migrating to Unreal Engine 5.5 and establishing a dedicated internal QA team, we have fundamentally strengthened our development foundation. This structural growth, supported by additional staffing, ensures we can consistently deliver high-quality, game-changing updates throughout the Early Access period. We are actively listening and committed to making Bodycam the ultimate visceral FPS experience.”