Alpha 4.3: Onyx — Dynamic Snow, Stealth & the L21 Wolf

Patch Overview

Alpha 4.3 “Onyx” went LIVE on August 16, 2025, continuing the environmental systems expansion that began with Storm Breaker. Dynamic snow, stealth gameplay additions, and a new light fighter headline the patch — alongside a significant Squadron 42 announcement.

Dynamic Snow

Following dynamic rain in 4.2, dynamic snow completes the second major weather type:

• Accumulation: Snow builds up on surfaces over time, creating evolving landscapes
• Visibility: Blizzard conditions severely reduce visual range
• Ground vehicle impact: Snow affects traction and handling for ground vehicles
• Footprints and tracks: Players and vehicles leave tracks in fresh snow that persist temporarily

The visual quality is impressive. microTech’s snow-covered biomes now feel genuinely dynamic rather than static.

Stealth Armor

New stealth armor sets reduce your electromagnetic and infrared signatures:

• Reduced detection range on enemy scanners
• Lower thermal signature, making you harder to spot visually at range
• Trade-off: reduced protection compared to standard combat armor

Stealth armor opens up new tactical options for infiltration, scouting, and ambush gameplay. Our Exploration and Security divisions should take note.

L21 Wolf Light Fighter

The L21 Wolf is a new light fighter with a stealth-oriented design:

• Low signature profile complements the new stealth mechanics
• Reduced weapon loadout compared to traditional light fighters
• Emphasizes first-strike advantage and disengagement over sustained dogfighting

It’s a niche ship for a niche role. Not everyone’s playstyle, but for pilots who prefer ambush tactics, the Wolf is interesting.

Personal Hangar Respawning

A quality-of-life improvement that’s been requested for years: personal hangar respawning. You can now set your personal hangar as a spawn point, meaning you wake up next to your ships rather than in a hab unit across the station.

Zenith Sniper Rifle

The Zenith is a new long-range sniper rifle with excellent accuracy and range. It fills a gap in the FPS weapon lineup for players who want precision at distance.

Light Fighter Rebalancing

CIG adjusted SCM and NAV speeds across the light fighter class:

• Overall speed reduction in SCM to encourage more deliberate combat
• NAV speed adjustments to balance transit times
• These changes affect the Arrow, Gladius, Meteor, and other light fighters

Squadron 42: 2026 Release Target

Chris Roberts announced that Squadron 42 is aiming for a 2026 release. The single-player campaign is described as feature-complete with over 40 hours of content. This is the most concrete release window CIG has given for SQ42, and the community response has been cautiously optimistic.

CDYN Impact

Exploration: Stealth armor is a game-changer for scouting operations. Our Exploration division should integrate stealth loadouts into standard kit.

Security: The L21 Wolf and stealth mechanics open up new tactical approaches. Consider ambush and overwatch roles for pilots who specialize in first-strike engagement.

All divisions: Personal hangar respawning is a major QoL improvement. Set it up.

Onyx is a feature-rich patch that expands both the environmental and tactical depth of the game. Well done, CIG.