V1.16 Foundations Update
- alyssa3124
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Iron Rebellion Introduces a Major Step Forward With New Map, Upgraded AI, and Expanded Gameplay Launching December 19, 2025
Raleigh, NC — Iron Rebellion, the VR mech combat simulator, will release an exciting new update on December 19, the Foundations Update. The Foundations Update marks a meaningful step toward the next phase of the game’s development and introduces Abandoned Sector 9, an official new map built to represent the team’s updated visual direction.
Originally created by community Discord member, Kforce, Sector 9 quickly earned tons of positive feedback and playtime. The team’s lead artist fell in love with it as well, giving it a massive upgrade and transforming it into the highest-quality, highest-fidelity environment ever produced for the game. Flooded alleyways, fractured overpasses, and broken megastructures create a dense, atmospheric battleground; one that previews the future of the Iron Rebellion universe.
The update also includes a complete AI systems overhaul to serve as the foundation for Iron Rebellion’s expanding PvE direction. With new behavior profiles, adaptive threat response, and moment-to-moment context awareness, AI units now support more reactive, varied, and engaging encounters across every existing mode and all future cooperative experiences.
Two new gameplay modes, Death Match and Gun Game, introduce more accessible and low-pressure ways to play. While team-based PvP remains central to Iron Rebellion, these modes open the door to a much broader range of gameplay styles.
Supporting all of this is a full networking rewrite, separating the backend from its previous team-dependent structure. This gives the studio the technical room it needs to grow, experiment, and introduce new game types in upcoming releases. The game’s scope is expanding.
“This update moves us one step closer to the types of experiences we want to build,” said Justin Spice, Founder of Black Beach Studio. “The new AI opens up design space we didn’t have before, and Sector 9 shows where we’re taking the world visually. There’s a lot ahead, and this update is an important part of getting there.”
