- Empires 2.39.4 Released! - 21 February 2026
We're happy to announce version 2.39.4 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:BugfixesFixed a server crash caused by players repairing tanks that have been parented to other entities.Script/Game BalanceInfantryWeaponsNorthern Faction’s .50cal RifleIncreased Cycle Time from 0.25 to 0.3Brenodi Empires’ Burst RifleReduced Cycle Time from 0.5 to 0.4VehiclesArmorTransferred Absorbant Heat Dissipation property to AblativeIncreased Absorbant’s Damage to Heat Absorbed from -0.15 to 0.01Reduced Ablative’s Damage to Heat Absorbed from 0.01 to -0.15Increased Ablative’s Regeneration from 1 hp/s to 2 hp/sChassisArtilleryReduced Cost from 775 to 650Increased available Weight from 255 to 270EngineChanged Engine Heat Zones to have better defin…
- Empires 2.39.3 Released! - 25 January 2026
We're happy to announce version 2.39.3 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:BugfixesMinor optimizations to the visibility system.Minor fixes to the layout of the vehicle weapon HUD.Vehicle weapon reload is now properly telegraphed via the vehicle HUD. Previously, no progress bar would display if reloading a weapon.Fixed an issue with prop_static entities not blocking explosion damage as intended.Fixed a regression that allowed players using hide to be spotted by other players.Fixed a bug where players could detect enemy commanders in the command interface using the scout’s enhanced senses skill.Improved mine defusal while inside buildings.The player camera angles are now snapped to the vehicle turret position when entering th…
- Empires Shitmaps 2026 - 24 January 2026
🚨 Get Ready for Shitmaps 9! 🚨 It’s that special time of year again when we all cozy up, grab some cocoa, and load into Empires Mod to experience the best of the worst. Welcome to Shitmaps #9, the annual holiday tradition where mapmakers crawl out of their Hammer dungeons to unleash questionable masterpieces upon the community. Expect some great ideas and many not so, and maybe even a few good maps. This year’s Shitmaps hopes to be even better than ever, with some new shitastic ideas. Mark your calendars: Saturday, January 31st, 2026 at 19:00 CET / 18:00 GMT / 13:00 EST / 12:00 CST / 10:00 PST / 21:00 MSK! 🔥 Hype Yourself Up Check out the official Shitmaps 9 trailer here: Watch the Trailer Want even more chaos? Relive the madness from previous Shitmaps: Watch Shitmaps 2025 Playlist (Bill Nye) 🎉 Embrace the Disaster Show up with low expectations and high spirits. Bring a friend, bring…
- Empires 2.39.2 Released! - 13 December 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.39.2 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:FeaturesFurther adjustments to the visibility system introduced in 2.39.0:Optimized functionality of the visibility manager game system.Implemented a console variable on the server to control the update rate of the visibility manager processing. emp_sv_vis_manager_update_interval - This is in seconds and the default value is 0.01 (update per frame if running at 100 tickrate).Various improvements to speed of processing, reducing the processing of detectable components where possible.Remaining vehicle carcass recycle amounts are now shown on the full screen mini-map (default key bind = M).This may be subject to change or be removed but this has been add…
- Empires 2.39.1 Released! - 6 December 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.39.1 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:FeaturesFurther adjustments to the visibility system introduced in 2.39.0:Commander visibility tweak: Commanders can now see entities within 5000 units of any friendly player, regardless of spotting status. (Also fixes an issue that caused some entities to be hidden from the commander.)Dead player visibility restored: Visibility for dead players has been reverted to the previous behavior, allowing them to see nearby entities. Entities that are visible only to the dead player are not shared to teammates.The mini-map is now disabled for the unassigned team.BugfixesFixed vehicle damage hit-ticks not displaying.Script/Game BalanceInfantryDamage resistance…
- Empires 2.39.0 Released! - 30 November 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.39.0 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:FeaturesMajor overhaul to the visibility system that drives the networked information used by the mini-map (and in-game visibility of entities).For more information see the detailed write-up here. https://www.empiresmod.com/posts/visibility-system-overhaul/Updated the resource income display on the HUD and mini-map:Resource delta and income values now show up to two decimal places when appropriate (e.g. a refinery output of 1.75 will now display as-is, instead of rounding to 1.8).Decimal places are hidden entirely if the value is a whole number.Slightly increased the width of the top-right HUD panel to accommodate the extra digits.Resource delta now u…
- Empires 2.38.3 Released! - 26 July 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.38.3 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:BugfixesAdded a number of safety measures in the game’s codebase to try to resolve a server crash introduced in 2.38.1Changed emp_sv_player_refinery_multiplier to allow input values of 0 to disable this functionality entirely.Script/Game BalanceInfantry WeaponsNF Heavy CarbineIncreased spread for all player stances. This was too accurate overall, but mostly when proneVehicle ArmorsPykrete Armor has been renamed to Ablative ArmorAblative ArmorReduced Regeneration at low heat from 2/s to 1/sReduced Regeneration at medium heat from 1/s to 0Increased Melting (negative regeneration) at high heat from 0 to -0.5/sVehicle EnginesFission ReactorReduced Cooling…
- Empires 2.38.2 Released! - 13 July 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.38.2 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check our Discord events to see the date and time of when games are played. Changelog:BugfixesFixed a number of bugs introduced in 2.38.1:Fixed some issues with visibility of entities when using the commander interface. Most notably, buildings that were not fully built and vehicles were not visible when they should have been.Fixed a bug that prevented team participation score being processed correctly. The following were not working correctly:Commander score bonus.Squad participation bonus.Squad leader bonus.Fixed an issue causing vehicle carcasses to be displayed on the mini-map.Fixed an issue where Brenodi reinforcements weren’t being set correctly by map inputs on emp_info_params. (It was using the NF setting for both teams.)Fixed a…
- Empires 2.38.1 Released! - 5 July 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.38.1 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. Changelog: BugfixesFixed a bug causing mini-map icons to appear as the wrong building / vehicle type.Fixed a regression, where the mini-map wouldn't reveal both team's units at the end of the game.Fixed a bug where revived players would occasionally be teleported to the map origin.Fixed a bug where recycling a radar caused the emp_info_params entity to miscount the number of radars a team currently has. This was due to the counter decrementing twice, requiring teams to build two radars to compensate. The logic has been rewritten to eliminate reliance on manual increment/decrement operations.Optimized some of the heavily used functions in the game code. While functi…
- Empires 2.38.0 Released! - 20 June 2025
We're happy to announce version 2.38.0 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. Changelog: FeaturesReplaced vehicle shell particle effects with the new particle systems. Each cannon can (and now does) have a different trail of particles.This may make it easier to identify the locations of artillery tanks, and notice incoming artillery shells.Large rework of the vehicle heat mechanicsAdded a fourth “Overheat” heat region.Now there is “Low” (Green), “Medium” (Yellow), “High” (Orange), and “Overheat” (Red)The portion of the heat bar that is not filled will still be displayed, but in a way more muted color.The positions of the various heat regions can be defined per-engine.When a weapon cannot fire due to overheating, the ammo indicator for that w…
- Empires Shitmaps 2025 - 3 January 2025
🚨 Get Ready for Shitmaps 8! 🚨 Mark your calendars: Saturday, January 18th, 2025 at 20:00 CET / 19:00 GMT / 2:00 PM EST! The time has come for another EPIC Shitmaps event—bigger, wilder, and more chaotic than ever before! 🎭 What to Expect Prepare for fresh creations, absurd ideas, and more laughs than ever as we dive into the most ridiculous, creative maps our community can deliver. It’s the one day a year where the madness takes over, and even the most serious faces crack a smile! Get ready for a day of community chaos and unforgettable fun. 🔥 Hype Yourself Up Check out the official Shitmaps 8 trailer here: Watch the Trailer Want even more chaos? Relive the madness from previous Shitmaps event: Watch Shitmaps 2024 Playlist (Bill Nye) 🎉 Join the Chaos Whether you’re a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Let’s make Shitmaps 8 the most un…
- Empires 2.37.4 Released! - 19 October 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.37.4 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: BugfixesFixed a problem where upgradable buildings were not precaching their models correctly, resulting in invisible models when placing the building for the first time.Script/Game BalanceResearchAdvanced ChassisIncreased Cost from 750 to 900Increased Time from 250 to 300Heavy Tank ChassisIncreased Cost from 750 to 1000Increased Time from 150 to 200Infantry ResistancesScoutReduced Explosion Bonus Resistance from 10% to 5%.Reduced Bullet Bonus Resistance from 10% to 5%.RiflemanReduced Bullet Bonus Resistance from 20% to 10%.GrenadierReduc…
- Empires 2.37.3 Released! - 8 September 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.37.3 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: BugfixesFixed a bug preventing explosion damage from being blocked correctly.Fixed a bug that would allow one too many players to join a team before being classed as unbalanced when using mp_teams_unbalance_limit.Script/Game BalanceResearchCapacitive ArmorIncreased the research cost from 240 to 360Increased the research time from 60 to 90Reduced Cost of APC Chassis research from 360 to 240Reduced Time of APC Chassis research from 90 to 60Vehicle ArmorsCapacitive ArmorIncreased the weight from 13 to 15ReactiveReduced Health from 120 to 110…
- Empires 2.37.2 Released! - 18 August 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.37.2 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: BugfixesFixed a few bugs caused by a large refactor of the game’s codebase:Fixed a bug with ML turret targeting.Fixed a bug with wall preview models not being visible.Removed a left over debug statement from vehicle code. (Console would spam “WL_WAIST” if vehicle was partially submerged in water)Script/Game BalanceResearchAFV and LT are now set to be researched at the start of the game (Start_Researched 1).Map creators can still set disable AFV/LT by using emp_sv_unresearch_item in the map’s cfg file.Increased Upgraded Chassis time from 1…
- Empires 2.37.1 Released! - 14 August 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.37.1 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: FeaturesAdded the recycleGivesRefund (“Give Refund on Recycle?” in Hammer) parameter for building entities.If set to 1 (the default), then when the building is recycled the resources are refunded.If set to 0, then when the building is recycled, no resources are given to the team.The commander will get feedback for what the refund cost will be when triggering a recycle on a building.This change allows level designers to strategically place buildings without worrying about commanders using them to gain additional resources through recycling…
- Empires 2.37.0 Released! - 26 May 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.37.0 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. (It's not dead yet) Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: FeaturesGrenades and mines make sounds when they bounce against surfaces.Added armor impact sounds.Distinct sounds play when a vehicle’s armor is damaged, a vehicle’s hull is damaged, and when a sticky grenade latches to a tank hull.Different armors can have different sounds, though most armors currently do not.Enabled several unused NF taunts.Updated the commander view’s zoom functionality.Added zoom-to-cursor functionality. The camera will zoom towards the cursor position when enabled. An option will be added to the…
- Empires 2.36.3 Released! - 20 April 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.36.3 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. (It's not dead yet) Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: Bug fixesPotential fix for the player collision issues introduced in 2.36.0Script/Game BalanceVehicle ChassisNorthern Faction Heavy TankIncreased available weight by 60Brenodi Empire Heavy TankIncreased available weight by 60Vehicle WeaponsBiological CannonReduced Weight from 120 to 100Homing MissileReduced Lock On Time from 0.5 to 0.4Reduced Lock On Range Modifier from 0.5s/1000u to 0.4s/1000uLocking on is now 25% faster, it takes between 0.4s to 3.2s from 0.5s to 4sBiological MissileIncreased Total Ammo Clips from 3…
- Empires 2.36.2 Released! - 24 February 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.36.2 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. (It's not dead yet) Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: Bug fixesFixed a few issues caused by changes in 2.36.0Fixed player round stats not restoring if the player reconnected to the server.Fixed issues with collision of projectiles/players.Fixed an issue causing soundscape entities to not play any sounds.Script/Game BalanceResearchBiological CannonIncreased Cost from 360 to 480Increased Time from 90 to 120Vehicle WeaponsBiological MissileReduced Cycle time from 3 to 1.5Reduced Heat from 12 to 10Guided MissileIncreased Clip Size from 5 to 6Reduced Reload Time from 5 to 4
- Empires 2.36.1 Released! - 18 February 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.36.1 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. (It's not dead yet) Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: Bug fixes Fixed commander vote issues introduced in the last update. Fixed a client crash. Other changes Changed the colour of the border indicating empty armour plates on the vehicle HUD. These are now dark red instead of grey. Modified soft flesh impact sounds slightly.
- Empires 2.36.0 Released! - 17 February 2024
We're happy to announce version 2.36.0 which is live on Steam right now. Changelog below and also on our Website Come join us on Discord! Don't forget to check Discord events to see the date and time of when Games are played. (It's not dead yet) Did you know we are porting this mod to Unreal Engine 5? You can follow its development on our Website and/or Discord Changelog: FeaturesAdded angle snapping to commander building placement. This shares a key bind with multi-unit selection. (Default key is shift.)Added firing sounds to MG turrets.The vehicle health HUD has been improved:The health of each armor plate and hull are overlaid as a number. This feature can be enabled in the advanced options section. (Default is off)Each armor plate is no longer drawn as a sequence of overlapping lines. They’re now drawn correctly as polygons.The corners of armor plates no longer have large gaps. Armo…
