Red Orchestra 2 free content pack adding "Action" and "Classic" modes, new map, laundry list of improvements

"One of the things we learned from the fans after the release was that many of them thought the game was too hardcore, not hardcore enough, or just not enough like the original game," Tripwire President John Gibson says in the video above. Most developers absorb an array of contradictory feedback after a game launches, and observing that strange soup of commingled praise and hatred while you decide how to react to it isn't something I envy about game development.

Red Orchestra 2 's GOTY Edition Free Content Pack represents Tripwire's response to player feedback, and it seems like a truly comprehensive update to a game we already love. To kick off the roll-out of the update later this week, Red Orchestra 2 will also be free to play on Steam this weekend, beginning on Thursday.

What's in the update?

• Mamayev Kurgan, a new multiplayer map lined with bunkers and trenches
• "'Action' mode - Featuring a crosshair, easier aiming and toned down recoil, reduced damage and open access to a wide range of weaponry Action mode is the perfect first step for players into the world of Red Orchestra."
• "'Classic' mode blends the gameplay innovations of the new game with the tactical and edgy gameplay of the original giving the fans of the first game exactly what they want."
• Vehicle improvements, including a toning-down of AI tank accuracy
• Machineguns are now "easier to use," according to Tripwire
• Performance improvements, including revamp of dynamic shadows, changes to UI rendering, map optimizations, and more
• Optional client-side hit detection
• Refinement of spawn-on-squad leader, spawn protection, overtime, and Lockdown

• Red Orchestra 2 will be free to play on Steam beginning at 10 AM PST on Thursday, May 24 until Sunday, May 27.