Bohemia Recap – May 2023
Things are heating up as summer kicks in and Bohemia Interactive is certainly no different. We released a new game called Silica, kicked off a photo contest for Someday You’ll Return, and took our survivors in DayZ all the way back to medieval times. We also released a new season of Vigor, continued to shore up our amazing Ylands, showcased some killer community content for Reforger, and celebrated the anniversaries of two official Arma 3 DLCs. So get yourself comfortable as we dive right into the latest headlines and happenings!
Vigor
We wished our Outlanders a happy Star Wars Day and encouraged players to find a hidden fork in the Shelter. We also shared some interesting Vigor data, revealed our new season in a cinematic trailer and one of our Dev Streams, and put our community into the spotlight with a new article on our website.
Vigor Chronicles: Salvation was released on May 17th. We wanted to give everybody a quick start into the season, so we held a Double XP Weekend right after the update dropped. There were a couple of issues at the start of the new season but we released an apology and made everything right. If you’d like to learn more about Vigor Chronicles: Salvation, make sure you check out our Dev Diary, blog, and Dev Stream.
Wrapping up the month, we remembered the brave and honored the fallen on Memorial Day, and ended May on a strong note with another Booster Apocalypse that offered Boosters for up to 50% off.
Ylands
We’ve continued to work hard since unleashing massive Update 2.0. So far we’ve released three patches, improved the Tutorial and Elmwood’s Outpost yland, provided balance optimization, and performed dozens of big and small fixes.
We’re happy to report that our following on Discord continues to grow. The community is really active there thanks to regular giveaways, sharing screenshots from the game, and creating nonstop gif stories for an entire week.
Also lively in May was our community on YouTube. That’s where you can find our newest Ylands Crew member, 0utsiDer2522!
And finally, our most recent Steam reviews have reached an overall positive rating of 77%. We’re happy and grateful that our community is always ready to reach out with their feedback. It’s this kind of constructive support that continues to drive us forward.
We've put together the first episodes of the Ylands tutorials to help you get into the game quickly.
Ylands tutorial: Basic controls
Ylands tutorial: Resources
DayZ
Our most important highlight in May was the release of DayZ update 1.21! We’ve cooked up something unique for you this time around because we’re traveling back to medieval times! Check out our teaser below.
Our social media game was strong last month. We kicked off May by celebrating International Workers Day and continued on with other notable days like #MayThe4th, #InternationalNursesDay, #CelebrateNurses, #MothersDay, #DayZCommunity, #VictoriaDay, and #memorialday.
Martin Palaugari is one of DayZ’s trusty game designers. Watch him showcase his killer Crossbow skills while fielding questions from the community via stream host Matěj Smrček.
Every gamer enjoys a good Easter Egg. That’s why we want to congratulate the resourceful survivor who found our Egg hidden inside the M1025. The Arma Reforger Steam key has been waiting patiently to be found since the release of DayZ update 1.19 and is part of the celebrations commemorating Arma Reforger’s First Anniversary.
We held a contest inviting survivors to design their HoodieZ and the response was tremendous. There were tons of great designs vying for the top three spots but we finally decided on our three lucky winners!
Last but not least, we offered our latest wallpaper for the month of June, and highlighted the finest community made content in our Community Spotlight.
Arma Reforger
May was an important month for Arma Reforger. We released Major Update 0.9.8.53, which included numerous game changes and fixes. Check out the video below for details on mines.
Upgrading to version 0.9.8 and higher may have caused mod compatibility issues. We released a Modding Update to address this, as well as to provide guidance and solutions.
We also celebrated Arma Reforger's 1st anniversary with an anniversary video that features our CEO, Creative Director, and Project Lead discussing our journey so far.
In addition to the anniversary video, we also shared a mini documentary about the creation of our artwork, along with an interview with photographer Stanislav Petera.
We covered the anniversary, mines, increased player limits for community servers, and planned server configuration changes in Dev Report 17. We also released Experimental Update 0.9.8.54, as well as regular updates 0.9.8.64 and 0.9.8.73.
Lastly, don't miss COMRAD #9 which showcases the community’s amazing creative work!
Arma 3
We celebrated the anniversaries of two official Arma 3 DLCs: the Jets DLC and the Karts DLC. Keep an eye on our socials for further anniversaries and content regarding Arma 3’s 10th Anniversary.
In other news, we released Issue #38 of Arma 3 Community Radar (COMRAD) which features the best community content from the past month.
Two contractors from ION Services keep a vigilant watch over their assigned post in this Arma 3 Creator DLC: Western Sahara image by Hazer_AL (As featured in COMRAD #38).
Silica
Silica was released on May 3 to much anticipation and excitement. We want to thank everyone who’s supported us so far, including the amazing community that’s already forming around the game. We love the feedback so keep it coming, and remember that #WeAreAllJohn.
We released our Official Gameplay Trailer along with the game, as well as a Silica Release Stream that featured Dram, Anjanette, Tony, and our CEO himself - Marek Španěl.
Silica got plenty of media coverage, including from giants like PC Gamer and IGN. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who covered Silica, as well as to every content creator and Steam curator who dove into our Early Access and shared their honest opinions. For more on that, you should definitely check out this great video from jackfrags. If you’ve really got time, you could also enjoy this 7.5 hour interview with Dram done by TheDeadWizard.
While everything has gone as well as we could have hoped, the bugs on Baltarus never sleep. That’s why we’re releasing weekly patches and will do our best to continue doing so. You can stay informed of the game, our patch notes, and enjoy our handy summaries by heading over to our website.
Photo Mode Contest
Join the Someday You'll Return: Director's Cut Photo Mode Contest and win amazing prizes!
All you have to do is log in to the game and create a photo of your favorite place or moment using the in-game Photo Mode feature.
Head on over to our Facebook or Twitter when you’re done and add your photo in the comments section below our post announcing the contest. Once you’re done, you’ll be automatically entered in the competition and eligible to win multiple prizes!
Bohemia Store
The Silica shirts are now in stock!
You can now order this navy blue t-shirt with the Silica logo on the front, along with awesome-looking aliens and military vehicles on the back, at our Bohemia Store! It’s stylish and comfortable and the perfect uniform to have on while you battle for control of Baltarus.
Become a Bohemian
We’re always looking for more fun and creative people who are passionate about games. Check out the career board below and get in touch if you think you’re the right fit.
Don't see anything that speaks to you? Then head on over to our careers page to see all the positions that are currently open at Bohemia.
What Else?
If you’d like to learn more about Bohemia Interactive, or want to stay updated on all the latest happenings, make sure to subscribe to our Newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Until next time, stay safe and game on!