#PS5 Visual Regression and Console Update Concerns

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

sterile plinth
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Hi @half rivet and everyone.

I am writing as a long time PS5 player who genuinely loves Hell Let Loose. I have around 800 hours in the game and still believe it is some of the best value for money I have ever had from a game. That is exactly why the current PS5 visual regression is so upsetting.

This is not a balance issue or a niche bug. It breaks the core gameplay loop. Long range visibility and visual clarity are fundamental to HLL. Right now on PS5 the game is effectively unplayable.

What makes this more concerning is the context. The previous update introduced a game breaking crash bug that required an apology and emergency fix. We were told this update was delayed to ensure quality, and an experimental branch was released to prevent this happening again. Despite that, a platform wide rendering regression shipped, and the hotfix released this week has not resolved it.

This is already impacting the PS5 playerbase, with many servers now half full. Casual players may not return if this persists.

I want to be clear that this does not feel like a lack of care. It feels like a breakdown in the console release and QA process. From a player perspective it looks like PS5 specific rendering paths are not being adequately validated on retail hardware, and visual regressions are not being caught before release.

I am not asking for anyone to be blamed. I am asking for the following.

Acknowledgement that this is a critical PS5 rendering issue.
Transparency on whether a proper fix is in progress rather than another surface level tweak.
Reassurance that the console QA and release process will change to prevent this happening again.

Smolensk looks like a great map and it is frustrating that the work behind it is being overshadowed by a technical failure outside the control of the content team.

I am posting this because I want the game to succeed and because HLL has been an important part of my relaxation and social life for years.

Thank you for reading.

karmic wraith
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Have around 3300 hrs in this game on PS5 and agree completely, just some transparent communication if this rendering “bug” was an intentional release would be nice, I can only assume that Smolensk was causing them performance issues with PS5, so they pushed a quick fix to reduce the impact of this, I assume this wasn’t tested thoroughly and a global rendering effect was implemented by accident ? Or was overly aggressive, After feedback from players over the last week a patch was pushed to rain those settings in but again was not enough, Again I’m assuming the testing was maybe done on small gaming monitors in studio, which may have looked fine but scaled up to peoples in home set ups 50”+ TV’s the aggressive scaling was magnified to an extent not seen by the Devs ? A message to the Devs , after thousands of hrs we noticed ! Just put it back to how it was, Pull Smolensk if you have to ! And take a bit more time with the optimising of that map so it doesn’t have to effect every other map !

sterile plinth
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@karmic wraith Yeah, that really gets to the heart of it for me as well.

We have all lived with plenty of disruptive or frustrating bugs over the years, things like vehicle physics issues or odd gameplay glitches. They are annoying, but they do not usually stop people playing because the core experience still works.

This feels different because it directly affects the number one reason most people play HLL, which is long range gunfights and target identification across large World War 2 battlefields. When visual clarity goes, the core loop collapses.

That is why the impact on player numbers is so noticeable already. Many casual players will not stick around long enough to wait for a fix if the game feels unreadable.

Hopefully that helps underline why restoring the previous PS5 visual clarity feels so urgent, even if that means temporarily rolling back or isolating whatever change caused this.

night sable
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If the game stays in this state i think it’s time to move on. Remember the good times and hope at some day capable development company buys the franchise.

cedar imp
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Unfortunately there's no other game that compares, or compared, before the update.
I have a 3 year plus community of friends that I play with regularly, there's literally no other game I play and there's nothing I want fixed more than HLL right now. I'm 40 years old with 3 kids and this is my release, my time, to have fun with my mates playing a game we loved.
I've also recently got a disc edition for my son for Christmas and I know he's going to be so excited to open it and play with his dad. Yet his dad won't be on, because it's completely unplayable.
FIX IT NOW

sterile plinth
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@cedar imp Exactly this. I think a lot of us are in a very similar position.

Many of the people posting here are not trolls or people looking to rage online. We are 30 to 50 year old professionals, a lot of us with kids, who have built friendships and routines around this game over years. For many of us it is our main way to relax and stay connected with friends.

That is why the reaction is so strong. It is not about one annoying bug. It is that the core experience that made us all stick with HLL has suddenly been compromised.

I really hope this thread can be used to make that case to the developers in a rational but honest way. Most of us want the game to succeed long term and want to keep supporting Team17 going forward. The frustration comes from feeling that these recent updates pose a genuine risk to that future if they are not addressed quickly and properly.

Restoring visual clarity feels like the single most important step toward rebuilding trust right now.

half rivet
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I appreciate the message @sterile plinth and co. As a team we want this resolved ASAP. From my latest understanding the devs have identified the issue and are working hard to get a fix put in that does not impact performance or other aspects of the game. I am hopeful that early next week we will have a fix for you as we don't want this going on longer if we can help it. I know this isn't a specific answer as to what is happening however as and when I get more information I will let you all know. Thank you for sticking with us. It means a lot 🫡

sterile plinth
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@half rivet Thanks for the update Ben, really appreciate you coming back to us on this.

Totally understand that you cannot share full technical details yet. It is reassuring to hear the issue has been identified and that a proper fix is being worked on with care for performance.

Fingers crossed for early next week. Thanks again for engaging with the community on this.

half rivet
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Appreciate the support Doom. We want this fixed as much as you guys so are working as hard as possible to get this resolved ico_HLLSalute

karmic wraith
candid jackal
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Just love and support for this thread. That's exactly why this matters.

Over the last 10 years, there were like 3 or 5 games I've really played. And HLL is the only online one among those limited titles. Let alone, the only one to be a 900 hours investment

It's no joke that it's heartbreaking to see this all happening

frank dawn