HLL Dev Brief #217 | Juno Beach & Armor Changes

Welcome back, folks, to our next Experimental Branch playtest. This time, we’re introducing our latest map: Juno Beach.

Set during the D-Day +1 push inland, this update also brings the Canadian Forces into the fight, alongside a fresh set of changes to armor.

The Experimental Branch will launch Friday 1 May and will run through the weekend, closing on Monday 4 May.

Here’s what you can expect from this weekend’s playtest:

Juno Beach

The History of Juno Beach

Juno Beach was one of five landing sectors that formed Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. Positioned between Gold and Sword beaches, it was the second landing area from the eastern flank.

The assault began in the early hours of the morning, led by units of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division. Facing strong German defences, the first waves suffered heavy casualties on landing. Despite this, Canadian forces pushed inland and, by the end of the day, had successfully secured the area.

D-Day Landings – Map created by the National Archives

The Hell Let Loose Juno Beach Map

Our depiction of Juno Beach is set on 7 June 1944, also known as D-Day +1.

By moving beyond the initial beach landings, we’ve been able to open up a wider variety of locations across the map. Players will fight across a diverse set of points of interest, including the marina, fish market, farmsteads, urban areas, rivers, and open fields.

The map flows from north to south, beginning at the coastline and pushing inland. Players will encounter a gradual incline along the coast, relatively flat terrain within built-up areas, and more varied elevation throughout the rural countryside.

As always, the map has been built with authenticity in mind, with capture points based on real-world locations. Some standout areas include:

Bunker R612

Part of the formidable fortress network defenses sat on the ‘Atlantic Wall’, Bunker R612 stands as a heavily fortified strongpoint overlooking the coastline.

Surrounded by barbed wire and difficult terrain, it presents a challenging objective for attacking forces. From this position, German defenders were able to command a clear and devastating view across the beach, making any advance a dangerous undertaking.

Le Suelles River

A traversable water network, the Le Suelles River opens up to allow players the freedom to navigate the rural areas.

Lined with dense hedgerows, it offers both opportunities for movement and natural cover, creating a more dynamic and unpredictable combat space.

Road to Bény-sur-Mer

This commune that contains a natural transition from built-up village spaces into the open rural countryside.

Surrounding wheat fields provide tall, soft cover for advancing players, whilst offering great views of Église Saint-Germain Church in the distance.

Weapons Factory

Serving as an industrial hub for German war production, the Weapons Factory stands as a dense and imposing stronghold.

Its sprawling layout and multiple access points allow it to be approached from all directions, creating intense close-quarters engagements and opportunities for coordinated assaults.

Juno Beach Tactical Map

To give you a glimpse of what’s to come, take a look at the tactical map for Juno Beach below.

Canadian Forces

As you may have already spotted from the map, the arrival of Juno Beach also marks the introduction of the Canadian Forces to Hell Let Loose.

We know this is something many in the community have been looking forward to, and the team has worked hard to ensure their inclusion reflects the accuracy and respect their role in World War II deserves.

Canadian Forces, Weapons and Vehicles

The Canadian Forces bring with them a range of unique weapons and vehicles, which we’re excited for you to experience during this Experimental Branch test.

The new weapons being added to the Canadian faction are:

• A Canadian variant Sten Mk II
• The FN-Inglis No.2 Mk I Handgun
• The Enfield No.2 Mk I Revolver
• The Lanchester SMG, re-entering the game with the Canadian Force

For more images of some of the upcoming Canadian equipment, be sure to follow us on your favourite social media platforms to catch all our community updates.

Alongside research carried out by our internal history team, we’ve also collaborated with Canadian military historian Alex Fitzgerald-Black to help bring this force to life. We look forward to sharing more about this collaboration in the future, and we’d like to thank Alex for his time and support throughout the process.

Work in Progress

Please note that the Canadian Force is still a work in progress, and there are a few things that are still being worked on before their full release in Update 20.

• Canadian Helmets/headwear (Note: they are currently using the pre existing helmets as a placeholder)
• Uniform icons
• Characters are not holding some of the new Canadian weapons in the Role Selection screen
• Canadian victory song (Note: this is currently a placeholder)
• Canadian Artillery unit uniforms and heads selection is placeholder
• Some of the new Canadian weapons have placeholder animations

Armor Changes

Armor Resistance System

All tanks now feature a new Armor Resistance system. Armor thickness now provides a percentage-based damage reduction depending on its thickness.

• The thickest armor now provides a 25% resistance
  • This is applied to the front of all Heavy tanks
• Mid-range armour now provides a 15% resistance
  • This is applied to the sides of Heavy tanks and the front of Medium tanks
• The lightest armor now provides a 5% resistance
  • This is applied to the rear of all tanks and most of the armor on Light tanks

This system is designed to emphasise vehicle positioning for tank crews and encourage targeting and strategy for attacking players. Alongside this system, we will be looking into updating current armor values on all tanks to better reflect their real-world counterparts, e.g. the turret cheeks on the Panther tank.

Panther Balance Changes

The Panther tank has been rebalanced to better reflect its historical role between Medium and Heavy Tanks. While still classed as a Heavy in Hell Let Loose, its capabilities have been adjusted; weaker than standard Heavy tanks but stronger than Medium tanks. Adjustments include:

• Reduced health in all components
• Reduced damage output
• Lower fuel cost
• Shorter cooldown time

Future plans include updating its armor values, with similar changes planned for the Sherman Jumbo 75.

Stuart Handling

We have seen the issues the Stuart has, and we have been working hard in fixing it. You can now experience the new Stuart and its improved handling in this playtest. Try it out and let us know.

Anti-Tank Balancing

All Anti-Tank launchers and buildable guns have been rebalanced after player feedback and to align with the new resistance system.

AT Launchers

• Ammo reduced back to 2
• Damage increased for higher impact shots due to the reduced ammo

AT Guns

• Damage increased to remain effective against the new resistance system

Tank Shell Unloading

All tanks now feature the option to unload a fully loaded shell. If you are in a situation where you have the wrong shell loaded, you can now simply unload it. No more firing the shell and revealing your location.

Known Issue: We’re aware of an issue where shell unloading currently has no audio. This will be resolved in Update 20.

Leg Collision System Prototype

We’ve been doing some work behind the scenes, and for this Experimental Branch test we’ve introduced a prototyped update to the leg collision system aimed at reducing clipping issues whilst prone.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on this change, so please share your feedback with us via the feedback form.