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{{Short description|2020 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}{{Infobox video game
{{Infobox video game
| title = Squad
| title = Squad
| image = Squad (videogame) 2016 frontcover.png
| image = Squad (videogame) 2016 frontcover.png
Line 14: Line 13:
| engine = [[Unreal Engine 4]]
| engine = [[Unreal Engine 4]]
| platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]]<ref name="joinsquad-forum-squadlinux">{{cite web|url=http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/896-linuxsteamos/?p=20153|title=Squad for Linux?|accessdate=2015-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416220759/http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/896-linuxsteamos/?p=20153|archive-date=2015-04-16|url-status=live}}</ref>
| platforms = [[Microsoft Windows]]<ref name="joinsquad-forum-squadlinux">{{cite web|url=http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/896-linuxsteamos/?p=20153|title=Squad for Linux?|accessdate=2015-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416220759/http://forums.joinsquad.com/topic/896-linuxsteamos/?p=20153|archive-date=2015-04-16|url-status=live}}</ref>
| release = 23 September 2020
| release = September 23, 2020
| genre = [[First-person shooter]], [[tactical shooter]]
| genre = [[First-person shooter]], [[tactical shooter]]
| modes = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
| modes = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
}}
}}


'''''Squad''''' is a [[Tactical shooter|tactical]] [[first-person shooter]] video game [[Video game development|developed]] by the Canadian game development studio Offworld Industries. [[Indie game|Self-published]] through [[Steam (service)|Steam]], it is a [[spiritual successor]] to the ''[[Project Reality]]'' [[Mod (video gaming)|modification]] for ''[[Battlefield 2]]''. Set in the modern day, the game features a mix of real and semi-fictional content, with most of the game taking place in realistic conflicts, such as insurgencies in the [[Middle East]] and conflict in [[Eastern Europe]]. ''Squad'' became available on [[Steam Early Access]] on December 15, 2015,<ref name="joinsquad-release-date">{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=402654862|title=Squad Greenlight Page|access-date=2015-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409051454/http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=402654862|archive-date=2015-04-09|url-status=live}}</ref> and was officially released on Steam on September 23, 2020.<ref name="squad-final-release">{{cite web|url=https://joinsquad.com/2020/09/23/squad-v1-0-released/|title=Squad v1.0 release notes|accessdate=September 23, 2020}}</ref>
'''''Squad''''' is a [[MilSim|realism-based military]] [[Tactical shooter|tactical]] [[first-person shooter]] [[video game]] developed and published by Canadian [[Indie game|indie]] developer Offworld Industries exclusively through the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] distribution platform. It is a [[spiritual successor]] to the ''[[Project Reality]]'' [[Video game modding|modification]] for ''[[Battlefield 2]]''. The game depicts realistic [[modern warfare]] between [[military]] and [[paramilitary]] factions in large and expansive [[Battlefield|battlefields]]. ''Squad'' became available on [[Steam Early Access]] in December 2015,<ref name="joinsquad-release-date">{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=402654862|title=Squad Greenlight Page|access-date=2015-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409051454/http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=402654862|archive-date=2015-04-09|url-status=live}}</ref> and was officially released on Steam in September 2020.<ref name="squad-final-release">{{cite web|url=https://joinsquad.com/2020/09/23/squad-v1-0-released/|title=Squad v1.0 release notes|accessdate=September 23, 2020}}</ref>


== Gameplay ==
== Gameplay ==
Squad is a tactical shooter based around [[squad]] gameplay designed to encourage teamwork and communication. A match is played between two belligerent teams, with each team being made up of squads that cap at nine players. Players in squads select from various soldier [[Character class|classes]] which play distinct roles in combat, such as [[suppressive fire]] from an automatic rifleman, [[Anti-tank warfare|anti-tank]] support from a [[MANPATS]] gunner, or [[combat medicine|medical support]] from a [[combat medic]]. A squad of players is led by a squad leader, who can communicate with other allied squad leaders and construct structures such as [[Forward operating base|forward operating bases]] and defensive emplacements.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/squad-has-grown-into-a-deep-military-shooter/|title=Squad has grown into a deep military shooter|magazine=pcgamer.com|date=20 October 2016|accessdate=November 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122011339/http://www.pcgamer.com/squad-has-grown-into-a-deep-military-shooter/|archive-date=November 22, 2017|url-status=live|last1=Birnbaum|first1=Ian}}</ref> Any squad leader can additionally nominate himself for the position of [[Commanding officer|commander]], who, once voted into position, can coordinate his team's battle plan and call in additional support such as [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]] recon and [[artillery]].
''Squad'' is a tactical shooter based around [[squad]] gameplay designed to encourage teamwork and communication. A match is played between two belligerent teams, with each team being made up of squads that cap at nine players. Players in squads select from various soldier [[Character class|classes]] which play distinct roles in combat, such as [[suppressive fire]] from an automatic rifleman, [[Anti-tank warfare|anti-tank]] support from a [[MANPATS]] gunner, or [[combat medicine|medical support]] from a [[combat medic]]. A squad of players is led by a squad leader, who can communicate with other allied squad leaders and construct structures such as [[Forward operating base|forward operating bases]] and defensive emplacements.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/squad-has-grown-into-a-deep-military-shooter/|title=Squad has grown into a deep military shooter|magazine=pcgamer.com|date=20 October 2016|accessdate=November 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122011339/http://www.pcgamer.com/squad-has-grown-into-a-deep-military-shooter/|archive-date=November 22, 2017|url-status=live|last1=Birnbaum|first1=Ian}}</ref> Any squad leader can additionally nominate himself for the position of [[Commanding officer|commander]], who, once voted into position, can coordinate his team's battle plan and call in additional support such as [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]] recon and [[artillery]].


Squad borrows many of its gameplay aspects from its predecessor, ''[[Project Reality]]'', with its [[game mode|game modes]] placing heavy emphasis on team coordination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://games.tiscali.cz/oznameni/tvurci-modu-project-reality-predstavili-svou-vlastni-online-strilecku-squad-249665|title=Tvůrci modu Project Reality představili svou vlastní online střílečku Squad|author=Tiscali|work=Games.cz|accessdate=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222164436/http://games.tiscali.cz/oznameni/tvurci-modu-project-reality-predstavili-svou-vlastni-online-strilecku-squad-249665|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Matches take place on extremely large realistic battlefields up to {{cvt|36|km2}} in size, facilitating the use of a wide variety of vehicles such as [[Main battle tank|main-battle tanks]], [[armored personnel carriers]], [[Truck|transport trucks]] and [[helicopters]]. The two teams, utilizing vehicle and infantry warfare, compete over various objectives, such as strategic locations to hold or weapon caches to destroy.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/squad-is-a-team-fps-from-the-makers-of-battlefield-2-mod-project-reality/ |title=Squad is a team FPS from the makers of Battlefield 2 mod Project Reality |website=[[PC Gamer]] |date=7 April 2015 |access-date=2018-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223030134/https://www.pcgamer.com/squad-is-a-team-fps-from-the-makers-of-battlefield-2-mod-project-reality/ |archive-date=2018-12-23 |url-status=live |last1=Savage |first1=Phil }}</ref> To facilitate [[maneuver warfare]], squad leaders can construct forward operating bases around the map, which provide a team-wide location for soldiers to [[respawn]] and must be kept supplied by a logistics network. Both teams are kept in check by the "ticket" system, which simulates [[combat effectiveness]]. The loss of strategic locations, destruction of forward operating bases or vehicles and soldier deaths all remove tickets from a team's pool, and a match ends once a team's ticket pool has been reduced to zero. A team that fails at defending too many of its strategic objectives will begin to lose tickets rapidly, starting at a loss of one per minute and capping out at a maximum of ten per minute. As such, teams have the ability to achieve victory in multiple ways, such as exhausting the enemy's ability to fight or by completing all of their tactical objectives.
''Squad'' borrows many of its gameplay aspects from its predecessor, ''[[Project Reality]]'', with its [[game mode|game modes]] placing heavy emphasis on team coordination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://games.tiscali.cz/oznameni/tvurci-modu-project-reality-predstavili-svou-vlastni-online-strilecku-squad-249665|title=Tvůrci modu Project Reality představili svou vlastní online střílečku Squad|author=Tiscali|work=Games.cz|accessdate=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222164436/http://games.tiscali.cz/oznameni/tvurci-modu-project-reality-predstavili-svou-vlastni-online-strilecku-squad-249665|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Matches take place on extremely large realistic battlefields up to {{cvt|36|km2}} in size, facilitating the use of a wide variety of vehicles such as [[Main battle tank|main battle tanks]], [[Armoured personnel carrier|armored personnel carriers]], [[Truck|transport trucks]], and [[Military helicopter|helicopters]]. The two teams, utilizing vehicle and infantry warfare, compete over various objectives, such as strategic locations to hold or weapon caches to destroy.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/squad-is-a-team-fps-from-the-makers-of-battlefield-2-mod-project-reality/ |title=Squad is a team FPS from the makers of Battlefield 2 mod Project Reality |website=[[PC Gamer]] |date=7 April 2015 |access-date=2018-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223030134/https://www.pcgamer.com/squad-is-a-team-fps-from-the-makers-of-battlefield-2-mod-project-reality/ |archive-date=2018-12-23 |url-status=live |last1=Savage |first1=Phil }}</ref> To facilitate [[maneuver warfare]], squad leaders can construct forward operating bases around the map, which provide a team-wide location for soldiers to [[respawn]] and must be kept supplied by a logistics network.


Both teams are kept in check by the "ticket" system, which simulates [[combat effectiveness]]. The loss of strategic locations, destruction of forward operating bases or vehicles and soldier deaths all remove tickets from a team's pool. A match ends once a team's ticket pool has been reduced to zero. A team that fails at defending too many of its strategic objectives will begin to lose tickets rapidly, starting at a loss of one per minute and capping out at a maximum of ten per minute. As such, teams have the ability to achieve victory in multiple ways, such as exhausting the enemy's ability to fight or by completing all of their tactical objectives.
⚫
There are nine playable factions in ''Squad'', which change based on the map and game mode being played. The real-life militaries featured include the [[United States Army]], [[Russian Ground Forces]], [[Canadian Army]], [[Australian Army]], [[British Army]] and most recently added the [[United States Marine Corps]]. Three generic [[Stock character|stock]] factions are also included: the Insurgents, modeled after various [[Middle East|Middle Eastern]] insurgent groups, the Irregular Militia, modeled after the paramilitaries of [[Eastern Europe]] and the [[Balkans]], and the Middle East Alliance, a fictional [[military alliance]] amalgamation of the armed forces of various [[Middle East|Middle Eastern]] and [[Central Asia|Central Asian]] countries.

⚫
There are currently thirteen playable factions in ''Squad,'' which are divided into three categories; BLUFOR, REDFOR, and INDFOR, and change based on the map and game mode being played. The real-life militaries featured include the [[United States Army]], [[United States Marine Corps]], [[British Army]], [[Canadian Army]], [[Australian Army]] and [[Turkish Land Forces]] for the BLUFOR side, as well as the [[Russian Ground Forces]], [[Russian Airborne Forces]], [[People's Liberation Army]] and [[People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps]] for the REDFOR. Three unconventional [[Stock character|stock]] factions are included as part of INDFOR: the Insurgents, modeled after various [[Middle East|Middle Eastern]] insurgent groups; the Irregular Militia, modeled after paramilitary forces in [[Eastern Europe]] and the [[Balkans]]; and the Middle Eastern Alliance, a fictional [[military alliance]] amalgamation of the armed forces of various [[Middle East|Middle Eastern]] and [[Central Asia|Central Asian]] countries.


== Development ==
== Development ==
Development of ''Squad'' was announced in October 2014 when ''Project Reality'' developer Sniperdog (a.k.a. Will Stahl<ref>{{cite web|title=Sniperdog's forum profile|url=https://www.realitymod.com/forum/member.php?s=5cb4a4f9d6b906440a66d6e6dbda41b4&u=29778|website=Project Reality Forums|accessdate=29 July 2019|format=Website}}</ref>) made a post on the ''Project Reality'' forums.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Merlin / Sniperdog|title=Squad: A commercial game made by developers of and inspired by PR:BF2|url=http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f11-off-topic-discussion/131654-squad-commercial-game-made-developers-inspired-pr-bf2.html|website=Project Reality Forums|accessdate=9 April 2015|format=Website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419092038/http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f11-off-topic-discussion/131654-squad-commercial-game-made-developers-inspired-pr-bf2.html|archive-date=19 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The announcement carried the news that the team of fifteen was making a spiritual successor to ''Project Reality'' on [[Epic Games]]' [[Unreal Engine 4]].
Development of ''Squad'' was announced in October 2014 when ''Project Reality'' developer Sniperdog (a.k.a. Will Stahl<ref>{{cite web|title=Sniperdog's forum profile|url=https://www.realitymod.com/forum/member.php?s=5cb4a4f9d6b906440a66d6e6dbda41b4&u=29778|website=Project Reality Forums|accessdate=29 July 2019|format=Website}}</ref>) made a post on the ''Project Reality'' forums.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Merlin / Sniperdog|title=Squad: A commercial game made by developers of and inspired by PR:BF2|url=http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f11-off-topic-discussion/131654-squad-commercial-game-made-developers-inspired-pr-bf2.html|website=Project Reality Forums|accessdate=9 April 2015|format=Website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419092038/http://www.realitymod.com/forum/f11-off-topic-discussion/131654-squad-commercial-game-made-developers-inspired-pr-bf2.html|archive-date=19 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The announcement carried the news that the team of fifteen was making a spiritual successor to ''Project Reality'' on [[Epic Games]]' [[Unreal Engine 4]].


On April 5, 2015, ''Squad'' appeared in Steam's [[Steam (service)#Steam Greenlight|Greenlight]] service and was announced in an update called "Vote For Us".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Developer|title=Vote For Us|url=http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=12|website=joinsquad.com|accessdate=9 April 2015|format=Website|date=5 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408174323/http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=12|archive-date=8 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> It was officially greenlit eight days later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/402654862/1428955649|title=Steam Community :: Discussions|work=steamcommunity.com|accessdate=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002121444/http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/402654862/1428955649|archive-date=October 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.pl/articles/2015-04-06-squad-od-tworcow-moda-project-reality-trafilo-na-steam-greenlight|title=Squad od twórców moda Project Reality trafiło do Steam Greenlight|date=6 April 2015|work=Eurogamer.pl|accessdate=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924003548/http://www.eurogamer.pl/articles/2015-04-06-squad-od-tworcow-moda-project-reality-trafilo-na-steam-greenlight|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
The game's [[Kickstarter]] campaign started in May 2015. It featured six backer levels with various rewards such as merchandise, in-game rewards, and pre-alpha testing access.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Developer |date=21 May 2015 |title=Kickstarter Announcement |url=http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521182449/http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=24 |archive-date=21 May 2015 |accessdate=May 21, 2015 |website=joinsquad.com |format=Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Squad – Communicate. Coordinate. Conquer |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/offworldindustries/squad |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228082822/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/offworldindustries/squad |archive-date=2018-12-28 |access-date=2018-12-27 |website=Kickstarter |language=en}}</ref> Five days after the Kickstarter launch, the game had raised over $200,000.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Holtmann |first1=Matthias |date=June 2015 |title=Squad - »Project Reality«-Nachfolger erfolgreich auf Kickstarter &#91;Update&#93; |url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/squad-project-reality-nachfolger-erfolgreich-auf-kickstarter-update,3086118.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223073530/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/squad-project-reality-nachfolger-erfolgreich-auf-kickstarter-update,3086118.html |archive-date=2018-12-23 |access-date=2018-12-22 |website=Gamestar}}</ref>

On April 5, 2015, ''Squad'' appeared in Steam's [[Steam (service)#Steam Greenlight|Greenlight]] service and was announced in an update called "Vote For Us".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Developer|title=Vote For Us|url=http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=12|website=joinsquad.com|accessdate=9 April 2015|format=Website|date=5 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408174323/http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=12|archive-date=8 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> It was officially greenlit eight days later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/402654862/1428955649|title=Steam Community :: Discussions|work=steamcommunity.com|accessdate=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002121444/http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/updates/402654862/1428955649|archive-date=October 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eurogamer.pl/articles/2015-04-06-squad-od-tworcow-moda-project-reality-trafilo-na-steam-greenlight|title=Squad od twórców moda Project Reality trafiło do Steam Greenlight|date=6 April 2015|work=Eurogamer.pl|accessdate=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924003548/http://www.eurogamer.pl/articles/2015-04-06-squad-od-tworcow-moda-project-reality-trafilo-na-steam-greenlight|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

⚫
''Squad'' was released on [[Steam Early Access]] on December 15, 2015,<ref name="joinsquad-release-date" /> and officially released on Steam on September 23, 2020.<ref name="squad-final-release" />


⚫
''Squad'' is currently at version 8.0 as of the 13th of June, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SQUAD 7.3 RELEASE NOTES |url=https://www.joinsquad.com/updates/squad-7-3-release-notes |access-date=2024-04-17 |website=joinsquad.com}}</ref>
⚫
Squad was released on [[Steam Early Access]] on December 15, 2015,<ref name="joinsquad-release-date" /> and officially released on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] on September 23, 2020.<ref name="squad-final-release" />


==Reception==
⚫
Squad is currently at version 3.5 as of the 16th of November 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Offworld |first=Industries |date=Nov 16, 2022 |title=SQUAD V3.15 IS LIVE NOW |url=https://joinsquad.com/2022/11/09/squad-v3-4-is-live-now/ |url-status=live |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=joinsquad.com}}</ref>
⚫
As of 2022, the game has sold over 3 million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/131172/squad-offworld-industries-3-million-copies|title=Squad's 50v50 tactical FPS action has moved over 3 million copies|website=[[Shacknews]]|date=June 30, 2022|accessdate=August 5, 2022}}</ref>


== Kickstarter ==
== See also ==
The [[Kickstarter]] campaign started on May 26, 2015. It featured six backer levels with various rewards such as merchandise, in-game rewards, and pre-alpha testing access.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Developer|title=Kickstarter Announcement|url=http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=24|website=joinsquad.com|accessdate=May 21, 2015|format=Website|date=21 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521182449/http://joinsquad.com/readArticle?articleId=24|archive-date=21 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/offworldindustries/squad|title=Squad – Communicate. Coordinate. Conquer|website=Kickstarter|language=en|access-date=2018-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228082822/https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/offworldindustries/squad|archive-date=2018-12-28|url-status=live}}</ref> Five days after the Kickstarter launch, the game had raised over $200,000.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/squad-project-reality-nachfolger-erfolgreich-auf-kickstarter-update,3086118.html |title=Squad - »Project Reality«-Nachfolger erfolgreich auf Kickstarter &#91;Update&#93; |website=Gamestar |date=June 2015 |access-date=2018-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181223073530/https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/squad-project-reality-nachfolger-erfolgreich-auf-kickstarter-update,3086118.html |archive-date=2018-12-23 |url-status=live |last1=Holtmann |first1=Matthias }}</ref>


* [[Arma (series)|''Arma'' (series)]] – series with similar gameplay developed by [[Bohemia Interactive]]
==Sales==
* [[Post Scriptum (video game)|Post Scriptum]] – a World War II tactical shooter published by Offworld Industries; originally a mod for Squad
⚫
The game sold over 3 million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/131172/squad-offworld-industries-3-million-copies|title=Squad's 50v50 tactical FPS action has moved over 3 million copies|website=[[Shacknews]]|date=June 30, 2022|accessdate=August 5, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Project Reality]]


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:Multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Asymmetrical multiplayer video games]]
[[Category:Asymmetrical multiplayer video games]]
[[Category:Tactical shooter video games]]
[[Category:Tactical shooters]]
[[Category:Unreal Engine games]]
[[Category:Unreal Engine 4 games]]
[[Category:Indie games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Canada]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Canada]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
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[[Category:Video games set in Iraq]]
[[Category:Video games set in Iraq]]
[[Category:Video games set in Russia]]
[[Category:Video games set in Russia]]
[[Category:Offworld Industries games]]

Latest revision as of 02:49, 4 July 2024

Squad
Digital edition frontcover
Developer(s)Offworld Industries
Publisher(s)Offworld Industries
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows[1]
ReleaseSeptember 23, 2020
Genre(s)First-person shooter, tactical shooter
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Squad is a realism-based military tactical first-person shooter video game developed and published by Canadian indie developer Offworld Industries exclusively through the Steam distribution platform. It is a spiritual successor to the Project Reality modification for Battlefield 2. The game depicts realistic modern warfare between military and paramilitary factions in large and expansive battlefields. Squad became available on Steam Early Access in December 2015,[2] and was officially released on Steam in September 2020.[3]

Gameplay

[edit]

Squad is a tactical shooter based around squad gameplay designed to encourage teamwork and communication. A match is played between two belligerent teams, with each team being made up of squads that cap at nine players. Players in squads select from various soldier classes which play distinct roles in combat, such as suppressive fire from an automatic rifleman, anti-tank support from a MANPATS gunner, or medical support from a combat medic. A squad of players is led by a squad leader, who can communicate with other allied squad leaders and construct structures such as forward operating bases and defensive emplacements.[4] Any squad leader can additionally nominate himself for the position of commander, who, once voted into position, can coordinate his team's battle plan and call in additional support such as UAV recon and artillery.

Squad borrows many of its gameplay aspects from its predecessor, Project Reality, with its game modes placing heavy emphasis on team coordination.[5] Matches take place on extremely large realistic battlefields up to 36 km2 (14 sq mi) in size, facilitating the use of a wide variety of vehicles such as main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, transport trucks, and helicopters. The two teams, utilizing vehicle and infantry warfare, compete over various objectives, such as strategic locations to hold or weapon caches to destroy.[6] To facilitate maneuver warfare, squad leaders can construct forward operating bases around the map, which provide a team-wide location for soldiers to respawn and must be kept supplied by a logistics network.

Both teams are kept in check by the "ticket" system, which simulates combat effectiveness. The loss of strategic locations, destruction of forward operating bases or vehicles and soldier deaths all remove tickets from a team's pool. A match ends once a team's ticket pool has been reduced to zero. A team that fails at defending too many of its strategic objectives will begin to lose tickets rapidly, starting at a loss of one per minute and capping out at a maximum of ten per minute. As such, teams have the ability to achieve victory in multiple ways, such as exhausting the enemy's ability to fight or by completing all of their tactical objectives.

There are currently thirteen playable factions in Squad, which are divided into three categories; BLUFOR, REDFOR, and INDFOR, and change based on the map and game mode being played. The real-life militaries featured include the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, British Army, Canadian Army, Australian Army and Turkish Land Forces for the BLUFOR side, as well as the Russian Ground Forces, Russian Airborne Forces, People's Liberation Army and People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps for the REDFOR. Three unconventional stock factions are included as part of INDFOR: the Insurgents, modeled after various Middle Eastern insurgent groups; the Irregular Militia, modeled after paramilitary forces in Eastern Europe and the Balkans; and the Middle Eastern Alliance, a fictional military alliance amalgamation of the armed forces of various Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries.

Development

[edit]

Development of Squad was announced in October 2014 when Project Reality developer Sniperdog (a.k.a. Will Stahl[7]) made a post on the Project Reality forums.[8] The announcement carried the news that the team of fifteen was making a spiritual successor to Project Reality on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4.

The game's Kickstarter campaign started in May 2015. It featured six backer levels with various rewards such as merchandise, in-game rewards, and pre-alpha testing access.[9][10] Five days after the Kickstarter launch, the game had raised over $200,000.[11]

On April 5, 2015, Squad appeared in Steam's Greenlight service and was announced in an update called "Vote For Us".[12] It was officially greenlit eight days later.[13][14]

Squad was released on Steam Early Access on December 15, 2015,[2] and officially released on Steam on September 23, 2020.[3]

Squad is currently at version 8.0 as of the 13th of June, 2024.[15]

Reception

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As of 2022, the game has sold over 3 million copies.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Squad for Linux?". Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Squad Greenlight Page". Archived from the original on April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Squad v1.0 release notes". Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  4. ^ Birnbaum, Ian (October 20, 2016). "Squad has grown into a deep military shooter". pcgamer.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  5. ^ Tiscali. "Tvůrci modu Project Reality představili svou vlastní online střílečku Squad". Games.cz. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  6. ^ Savage, Phil (April 7, 2015). "Squad is a team FPS from the makers of Battlefield 2 mod Project Reality". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Sniperdog's forum profile" (Website). Project Reality Forums. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  8. ^ Merlin / Sniperdog. "Squad: A commercial game made by developers of and inspired by PR:BF2" (Website). Project Reality Forums. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  9. ^ Developer (May 21, 2015). "Kickstarter Announcement" (Website). joinsquad.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  10. ^ "Squad – Communicate. Coordinate. Conquer". Kickstarter. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  11. ^ Holtmann, Matthias (June 2015). "Squad - »Project Reality«-Nachfolger erfolgreich auf Kickstarter [Update]". Gamestar. Archived from the original on December 23, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  12. ^ Developer (April 5, 2015). "Vote For Us" (Website). joinsquad.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  13. ^ "Steam Community :: Discussions". steamcommunity.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  14. ^ "Squad od twórców moda Project Reality trafiło do Steam Greenlight". Eurogamer.pl. April 6, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  15. ^ "SQUAD 7.3 RELEASE NOTES". joinsquad.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  16. ^ "Squad's 50v50 tactical FPS action has moved over 3 million copies". Shacknews. June 30, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
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