Squad jumps to Unreal Engine 5.5 — free to try as massive 9.0 update lands

Squad’s UE5.5 leap is the rare “feel” upgrade that actually matters

This caught my attention because engine overhauls are usually PR fluff-pretty screenshots, same old friction. Squad’s 9.0 move to Unreal Engine 5.5 looks different. Chaos Physics, MetaSounds, a new lighting system, and a fully remade, larger Al-Basrah aren’t bullet points; they’re the things you feel in your gut the moment you load in, push across a street, or bump a curb in an APC. And with a free Steam weekend live, it’s the best possible time to see if this once-niche milsim finally clicks for you.

Key Takeaways

• UE5.5 brings Chaos Physics and MetaSounds, meaning meatier vehicle handling and clearer positional audio.
• Al-Basrah is remade and bigger, which reshapes logistics, armor routes, and infantry choke points.
• A new commendation system could reward good squad play-if it avoids abuse and popularity contests.
• There are faction and weapon tweaks, vehicle and skirmish improvements, cosmetics, and optimizations-and yes, potential teething issues.

Breaking down the 9.0 upgrade: more than a coat of paint

Chaos Physics is the headline here. Squad has always lived and died by its vehicles—IFVs anchoring pushes, logistics trucks feeding FOBs, helis deciding momentum. UE5.5’s physics should make armor feel weighty and predictable instead of janky. Expect fewer clown-car flips, more believable suspension, and better collision behavior when you bang into rubble or cut a tight corner in a convoy. It won’t magically fix bad driving, but it should reward the teams that treat vehicles like assets rather than taxis.

MetaSounds is the other big win. Anyone who’s ever been wiped by a squad you never heard knows Unreal’s audio can be muddy. Cleaner distance falloff, punchier weapon reports, and smarter occlusion make callouts and footsteps more trustworthy. For a game that lives on comms, that upgrade alone could be transformative.

The new lighting system is a wildcard. Better illumination can help spot silhouettes and read cover, but it can also crush performance if you crank everything. Expect clearer interiors and more believable day/night transitions. Don’t be surprised if your usual “I can see everything at 200m” angles feel different—learn the new shade and glare.

Al-Basrah, supersized: strategy, not sightseeing

Al-Basrah being remade and larger has real meta implications. Wider avenues and new approach vectors will stretch defense lines and make logistics far more important. Longer supply routes raise the value of escorting logi trucks, and infantry will have to break habits—those old safe alleys might now be armor lanes. Urban fights should breathe more, giving maneuver squads chances to flank instead of feeding a single meat grinder. If you lead squads, start building layered FOBs and plan your fallback routes; the map’s scale now rewards patience and map knowledge over YOLO rushes.

Balance tweaks, vehicles, and skirmish: shaping the flow

Faction and weapon adjustments are the subtle glue that keep milsims honest. Small recoil or optic tweaks can decide who wins street-level trades, and that matters more now that sightlines and lighting have changed. Vehicle handling updates should pair well with Chaos Physics; if armor stops feeling like coin flips, teams can lean into proper combined-arms pushes instead of treating tanks as disposable spawn taxis. Skirmish mode getting love is smart, too—it’s the best on-ramp for the free weekend crowd, and a healthier skirmish experience means fewer new players bouncing off the steep curve.

Commendations and cosmetics: carrot vs. clown show

A commendation system in a game built on leadership and discipline sounds perfect on paper. If it champions SLs who set rally points, medics who clutch revives, and logi drivers who keep mortars fed, great. The risk is social abuse—friends spamming each other or players fishing for praise. The best systems reward objective play over popularity; we’ll see which side this falls on after a week of real use.

Cosmetics are always a tightrope in milsims. As long as they stay grounded—subtle camos, unit patches, restrained emotes—fine. If we creep toward neon nonsense, the immersion that makes Squad special takes a hit. Offworld’s track record skews sensible, but vigilance is warranted.

Performance and mods: expect turbulence, plan accordingly

Engine migrations rarely land without a bump. Offworld promises optimizations, but day-one stutter, shader compiles, and mod breakage are normal. Practical advice: run the tutorial first to let shaders build, cap your FPS to stabilize frametimes, and be ready to tweak shadows and effects if the new lighting tanks your GPU. Mod servers may lag behind; if your favorite overhaul isn’t updated, play vanilla for a bit and check server descriptions for compatibility notes.

Free weekend game plan: how to actually enjoy Squad

Join a squad with a mic, start as Rifleman, and tell your SL you’re new—good leaders love eager players. Stick to your fireteam, place ammo bags where asked, and don’t hoard bandages. Avoid piloting and complex vehicles until you’ve practiced. Try Skirmish first, then step into full 50v50 once comms and pacing click. If you want the “this is Squad” moment fast, jump in as medic on Al-Basrah and follow the point man—revives win matches.

TL;DR

Squad’s 9.0 update is a genuine upgrade, not just a graphical facelift. UE5.5 tech, a larger Al-Basrah, and smarter systems should improve feel, sound, and flow. With a free Steam weekend, this is the best time to see if Squad’s brand of teamwork-first chaos is your thing—just expect a little turbulence as the dust settles.