Developer Diaries

2026-02-02T16:25:02Z

76561197989091409: Correct spelling of Syama Pedersen's name

[[Developer Diaries]] provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the development process and philosophy for MENACE, and provide tidbits and previews of the game systems to tide over the fans as we await the release of the full game. Usually posted on Fridays except for holidays and bank holidays in Germany.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/524203331331031065?l=english Dev Diary #1: Breaking the Silence]: Imitating the community-beloved dev diaries from Battle Brothers, the first Dev Diary describes MENACE as a game, gives a rough release date for Early Access in Fall 2025 (subsequently changed), and describes their (Overhype Studios') intent in creating a new game in a different genre.

[https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/515196772511907867 Dev Diary #2 - Strategic Part Overview]: The second dev diary and first real one, this describes the [[starmap]] in which the player will select destinations for missions, etc., the [[OCI]] system to upgrade the [[TCRN Impetus]] (the player's ship and base of operations), and the armory, wherein the player can examine troops, change loadouts, promote squad leaders or pilots, etc.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515196931452961301?l=english Dev Diary #3 - Tactical Combat Overview]: Describes the tactical missions: How maps are designed, how Action Points and Turn Order works, differences between [[vehicles]] and infantry, and cover/LOS mechanics.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/535464414104519507 Dev Diary #4 - Weapon Types and Stats]: Describes the difference between squad and leader [[weapons]], the ammo system, and details the specific statistics such as range, armor penetration, HP damage, etc. each [[Weapons|weapon]] will have.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/512947503265480934 Dev Diary #5 - Squad Leaders and Stats]: Describes the rationale behind having pre-written [[Characters]], which are divided between Squad Leaders and Pilots, as well as their statistics such as action points, HP per element, move range, etc.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/535466136352850184 Dev Diary #6 - Supplies and Equipment]: Describes the supply system and the limits on how much men and materiel a player can bring on a mission, as well as how the [[armor]] system works in battle and [[accessories]] players can attach to their squads for extra benefits.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/535466136352851019 Dev Diary #7 - Combat Mechanics and Suppression]: Describes what suppression is in real life and how MENACE incorporates it into tactical battles, the three-stage system used to model it, and how it can be worked around or defeated.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/535466769966436074 Dev Diary #8 - OCIs (Operational Capability Improvements) and Off-Map Abilities]: Describes the [[OCI]] upgrade system in more detail, explaining the three types of upgrades and that they can provide both strategic and tactical benefits.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/512950040394727467 Dev Diary #9 - Perks and Promotions]: Describes how squad leaders/pilots can grow stronger over time through the promotion system, wherein the player can distribute "experience" (so to speak) and decide which characters can be promoted for new skills, or even demoted if necessary (if you're willing to pay the costs both in wasted experience and the hit to morale).

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/534342772300185778 Dev Diary #10 - Pirate Faction Preview]: Explores the background, tactics, units, and weaponry of the [[pirates]], one of the [[factions]] the player will have to deal with (either as a friend or foe) in the Wayback system.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515203109058773565 Dev Diary #11 - Action Points and Attack Calculation]: Describes how AP can be used, as in classic games like XCOM, to move and fire, how it can be reduced by suppression and other factors, and provides the detailed damage calculation for attacks based on the weapon's statistics, ideal range, etc. versus the target's armor, etc.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/500567043120038945 Dev Diary #12 - Mission Types in MENACE]: Describes individual mission types that can make up a full operation and what their characteristics and victory/defeat conditions are.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/577128955243397809 Dev Diary #13 - Discipline and Morale]: Describes the morale system, how the discipline stat affects morale and suppression, what effects high and low morale have on units, and how to damage or recover morale to make use of the system.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515205641165341678 Dev Diary #14 - Lighting and Weather]: Describes the various weather conditions and day/night environments the player can encounter in tactical battles and how they affect gameplay.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515206275424846334 Dev Diary #15 - Rogue Army Faction Preview]: Explores the background, tactics, units, and weaponry of the Rogue Army, one of the [[factions]] the player will have to deal with (either as a friend or foe) in the [[Wayback system]]. These are also a disorganized "faction" that collectively represents nonaligned elements in the system, so they can be encountered on different planets for different reasons.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/642433677808108043 Dev Diary #16 - Deployment and Mission Preparation]: Explains how to choose your units and their loadouts and set their starting positions at the beginning of a battle.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515207543396499581 Dev Diary #17 - Making Menace- Behind the Scenes]: A look at the development process from concept art to UI to 3D art that went into designing the game.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515208181997109523 Dev Diary #18 - Operations in MENACE]: Explains how individual tactical battles are linked together in operations, and how the player can choose between different missions in an operation for different benefits, like gaining an advantage or removing one from the enemy.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515209445812209258 Dev Diary #19 - Concealment, Detection, and Lines of Sight]: Describes the stealth and fog of war systems in tactical battles, and how to conceal units from the enemy or ensure you can detect the enemy to avoid being ambushed.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/541105873081073858 Dev Diary #20 - Work in Progress]: Shows off some more UI, concept art, and 3D art.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515210714689831539 Dev Diary #21 - Frequently Asked Questions by the Community]: FAQ for the most common questions as of May 23, 2025.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515211974718521922 Dev Diary #22 - Off-Map Abilities]: Describes in greater detail some of the special actions the [[TCRN Impetus]] can provide during a tactical battle if it has the right [[OCI]]s, such as rocket strikes, orbital laser blasts, or supply drops. These can also be acquired as tactical assets if won in a previous mission in an operation.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/578263105990033547 Dev Diary #23 - Special Weapons]: Describes the operation and usage of special weapons used by the squad leader of an infantry unit in particular in tactical battles. These special weapons, one per squad, include things like LMGs or sniper rifles, or can also be foregone to provide another regular squad weapon or another accessory.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515213251425861913 Dev Diary #24 - Accessories in MENACE]: Describes the assist items squads can equip in tactical battles, such as extra ammo, extra armor, explosives, etc.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515213885413786216 Dev Diary #25 - Mission Walkthrough]: This diary outlines how a typical tactical battle will play out as the game systems are closer to being finalized.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/518593034576723975 Dev Diary #26 - Vehicle Defects]: Explains the vehicular damage system in MENACE and how vehicles can be disabled without being destroyed.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515215878272319678 Dev Diary #27 - Squaddie System]: After receiving a profusion of player requests, this diary explains how each element of a squad can now be given their own individual name (though, of course, not a full portrait, backstory, etc. the pre-writen characters have). It also describes how the manpower system works and how squad size can be edited.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515216422280888584 Dev Diary #28 - Vehicle Weapon System]: Explains how vehicles can be customized with different weapons (and different combinations of those weapons) before being deployed in tactical battles, as well as how those weapons can affect different parameters (such as crew carrying capacity).

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515217056009814339 Dev Diary #29 - How to Kill a Tank]: Walkthrough of actually destroying a vehicle the player might encounter during a tactical battle, taking into account different armor values vehicles possess in different directions, disabilities, etc.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515217690428702978 Dev Diary #30 - Strategic Assets and Enemy Assets]: Describes in more detail the benefits the player or the enemy can accrue in missions during an operation. Player [[strategic assets]] include extra squads or increased deployment area size for the rest of the operation if gained, among other things, while enemy strategic assets include better armor or increased discipline during a mission if not chosen for elimination.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/581646514275746037 Dev Diary #31 - Infantry Armor]: This diary provides detailed concept art for the various tiers of infantry armor available to the player over the course of a campaign, and how the sci-fi armor compares to real-life ballistic armor protection levels.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515219593395962367 Dev Diary #32 - Development Update]: Describes the importance of thoroughly bug-testing the demo before its release in 2025, the prodigious features and play possibilities the demo will have, and some of the new polishes the players will enjoy, such as special idle animation for the [[pirates]], new units for the [[Alien Wildlife]], and voice acting from Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk alumni.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/515220226701264632 Dev Diary #33: Development Update and Media Recap]: This diary summarizes a week spent finalizing the Menace public demo, and shares several articles and previews published.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542243094205039705 Dev Diary #34: Real Loot System]: Details changes made to the loot system.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542243728060842405 Dev Diary #35: MENACE Demo Launches September 29, 2025]: Reveals the release date for the public demo by the developers and showcases what features will be present in the demo for players.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542244996316659949 Dev Diary #36: Demo Recap and Next Fest Update Plans]: As of October 10, 2025, the MENACE demo has received over 100,000 downloads, 600 reviews, and a Very Positive status on Steam! The next step is the addition of a new mission type and new weapons.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/655961606822297826?l=english Dev Diary #37: Enemy Army Lists]: Explains how the generation system for enemy forces was changed and improved since an initial Battle Brothers-inspired system to provide more flexibility.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/686362177252098780 Dev Diary #38: A New Threat Emerges...]: Shows off Syama Pedersen's full MENACE trailer!

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/686362177252098784?l=english Dev Diary #39: Rating Rework and Secondary Objectives]: Explanation of the mission rating rework and new secondary objectives.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/603047407120286649?l=english Dev Diary #40: Perk Overhaul]: Explains that dev diaries will now be bi-weekly from this point forward, and then explains how the perk system has been completely revamped following player feedback on the demo: Squad leaders are now much more unique.

[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/490458677934818592?l=english Dev Diary #41: Stats And Attributes]: Explanation of the new Attribute Squad Leaders will have in Early Access.

News

2026-02-02T16:24:19Z

76561197989091409: Correct spelling of Syama Pedersen's name

2025-09-29: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542243728060842405 The MENACE demo is released!]

2025-09-29: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542243728060842638 Official Early Access is announced as February 5, 2026.]

2025-09-30: [https://steamcommunity.com/games/2432860/announcements/detail/542243728060843225 MENACE demo update #1 (v0.5.5) released!]

2025-10-01: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542243728060843387? Menace Demo Update #2 (v0.5.6.) released!]

2025-10-02: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/542243728060843547 Menace Demo Update #3 (v0.5.7.) released!]

2025-10-09: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860?emclan=103582791474051294&emgid=542244996316659876 MENACE Demo Update #4 (v0.5.8) released!]

2025-10-13: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860?emclan=103582791474051294&emgid=542244996316660201 MENACE Demo Update #5 (v0.5.9) released!]

2025-10-15: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KcdJck74d8 MENACE cinematic trailer scheduled for October 31!]

2025-10-21: [https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2432860/view/655961606822299810 MENACE Demo update #6 (v0.5.10) released!]

2025-10-31: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KcdJck74d8 MENACE full cinematic trailer by Syama Pedersen and Hoplite VFX officially released!]

2026-01-15: [https://discord.com/channels/935517491126468659/936594440909385748/1461408050127704134 Applications opened up for MENACE early closed beta!]

MENACE Official Wiki - User contributions [en]

Developer Diaries

News