Insurgency: Sandstorm adds new mode and guns in first update

New World Interactive is bringing the heat in the first major Insurgency: Sandstorm content update, adding the Arcade mode and a few new guns.

New World Interactive has released the first major content update for its critically-acclaimed shooter and its a well-rounded collection aimed at new and existing players. The Insurgency: Sandstorm update welcomes a new Arcade mode, five new weapons, a firing range, and quality-of-life improvements.

The new Arcade playlist is laying the foundation for modes with looser, special rules. The first new mode is the 24-player Team Deathmatch. The Arcade playlist will evolve over time and welcome fresh modes into Insurgency: Sandstorm that cycle in regularly. Any modes featured will be available for hosting on community servers as well.

New World's shooter rounded out 2018 as one of the highest rated games of the year, earning a 9 out of 10 in our full Insurgency: Sandstorm review. One key high point is how the weapons handle and sound, so current players will be glad to know that they're getting some fresh weaponry with this update as well. There are two new variations of the MP5, the MP5A2 and MP5A5, coming in to spice up close-quarters combat. The M240B and MG3 heavy machine guns are here for anyone that just adores an absurdly high rate of fire. Lastly, the new PF940 security handgun gives players a sweet new secondary to switch to when things get really hairy. You can take these new weapons into the new firing range that is introduced in this update so you can test them out and just generally work on your shooting.

In addition to these new weapons, flash grenades have been reworked to be more effective. For instance, an issue where some players weren't blinded has been fixed and player movement will also slow down if affected by one. There are also a bunch of bug fixes and optimizations that can be read via the Insurgency: Sandstorm Steam page.

Insurgency Sandstorm arcade mode new guns shooting range
We previously reported that New World Interactive was opening a new studio called New World North after the success of Insurgency: Sandstorm's PC launch and now we have an even clearer picture of how the game performed. The studio sold over 500,000 copies of Insurgency: Sandstorm, "making back the budget of development, marketing, and then some."

Insurgency: Sandstorm is a tough game to master, but the addition of the Arcade mode and a shooting range for training could be a bridge to players that may have been intimidated by the FPS up until this point. There's a 20% discount on Steam for those hoping to give a shot, as well. Stay tuned to Shacknews for additional updates.