Digital Combat Simulator
Digital Combat Simulator World (DCS World) is a free-to-play digital battlefield simulation game developed and published by Eagle Dynamics SA, focusing on highly realistic depictions of modern military aircraft, ground vehicles, tanks, and ships.[1][2] It employs detailed physics modeling, authentic avionics systems, and dynamic environments to replicate combat operations across vast terrains, including the Caucasus and Black Sea regions in its base content.[3] Evolving from Eagle Dynamics' earlier Lock On: Modern Air Combat released in 2003, DCS World emerged as a modular platform enabling the integration of specialized simulation modules for individual aircraft and campaigns, with initial stand-alone titles like DCS: Black Shark launching in 2008.[4] The platform's free core allows access to basic aircraft such as the Su-25T and TF-51D, while paid expansions provide study-level fidelity for advanced jets like the F/A-18C Hornet and AH-64D Apache, supporting both single-player missions and large-scale multiplayer engagements.[5] Its commitment to realism has cultivated a dedicated community, evidenced by over 21,000 positive reviews on Steam averaging 9/10, though it demands significant hardware and user expertise due to complex controls and procedural depth.[2] DCS World distinguishes itself through features like a robust mission editor, AI-driven ground and naval forces, and compatibility with virtual reality headsets, fostering emergent gameplay in scenarios ranging from close air support to carrier operations.[5] Notable achievements include the release of over 24 flyable aircraft modules and multiple high-resolution maps, with ongoing updates such as version 2.9 enhancing graphical fidelity via the Eagle Dynamics Graphics Engine (EDGE).[1] While praised for advancing simulation authenticity, the series has faced scrutiny over protracted development cycles for modules and disputes with third-party contributors, exemplified by the 2024-2025 tensions with developer Razbam leading to temporary module withdrawals from official stores.[6][7] These issues highlight challenges in balancing expansion with quality assurance in a free-to-play ecosystem reliant on paid content.[8]Development History
Origins in Lock On and Early Iterations
Eagle Dynamics released Lock On: Modern Air Combat on November 20, 2003, establishing the core simulation engine and design philosophy that preceded the Digital Combat Simulator framework.[9][10] The title featured eight flyable aircraft, including the Su-27 Flanker, Su-33 Flanker-D, MiG-29 Fulcrum, F-15C Eagle, and A-10A Thunderbolt II, with over 40 AI-controlled variants supporting dynamic campaigns and missions over a Caucasus theater map.[11] The simulator prioritized realistic flight models and weapon systems over arcade approximations, modeling aspects such as aerodynamic behaviors, engine performance, and sensor limitations with high fidelity derived from real-world data.[12][13] This approach enabled distinct handling characteristics for each aircraft, such as the Su-27's supermaneuverability versus the A-10's low-speed stability, while incorporating procedural elements like carrier operations and aerial refueling.[13] In 2005, Eagle Dynamics issued the Flaming Cliffs expansion, enhancing the base game with additional aircraft like the Su-25 Frogfoot and improved AI behaviors, alongside a new graphical interface and mission editor.[14][15] This add-on balanced simulation depth with accessibility by offering simplified cockpit modes for select aircraft, allowing novice players quicker entry into dogfighting while preserving full-systems simulation for experts.[16] Early versions emphasized multiplayer capabilities, supporting up to eight players in networked sessions focused on air-to-air combat with Cold War-era jets, which introduced concepts of modular upgrades influencing later content delivery.[11]Transition to Modular DCS Framework
The transition to the modular DCS framework commenced with the early access release of DCS World on August 2, 2013, establishing a free-to-play base platform that included the Caucasus terrain map and basic aircraft like the Su-25T frogfoot. This architecture diverged from the standalone, boxed-product model of predecessors such as Lock On: Modern Air Combat (2003) and its expansions, enabling Eagle Dynamics to distribute a core simulator at no cost while monetizing through optional paid modules for advanced content. The shift facilitated broader accessibility and long-term sustainability by decoupling the foundational engine from specific assets, allowing incremental updates and third-party contributions without requiring full repurchases.[3][17] A cornerstone of this framework was the integration of the DCS: A-10C Warthog module, initially developed in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard as part of a Desktop Training System (DTS) for A-10 pilot procedural training. Released as a standalone title in July 2011, the module was adapted into the DCS ecosystem, incorporating military-grade data for its flight model, weapons systems, and close air support procedures, which highlighted the framework's capacity for high-credibility simulations derived from real-world operational tools. This early module exemplified the platform's emphasis on fidelity, with its detailed HOTAS interactions and terrain-following radar modeling setting a benchmark for subsequent expansions.[18][19] The modular design introduced architectural enhancements supporting "study-level" fidelity, where aircraft modules feature fully interactive cockpits, scripted avionics logic, and physics-driven systems modeling—contrasting the abstracted, external-view-focused representations in prior Flaming Cliffs iterations. This allowed for scalable complexity, with modules varying from simplified "game-like" controls to comprehensive procedural checklists and failure modes, fostering expansive content growth through Eagle Dynamics' internal development and licensed third-party modules sold via their e-shop since 2013. The framework's Lua-based scripting and API openness further promoted interoperability, ensuring seamless integration of vehicles, weapons, and environments across the ecosystem.[20][21]Key Milestones and Updates Through 2025
In 2016, DCS World 2.0 laid foundational enhancements to the modular framework, improving multithreading and terrain rendering for greater simulation fidelity across expanded environments.[22] Version 2.5, released in 2019, introduced naval units including carriers and surface combatants, enabling sea-based operations with realistic deck handling and catapult launches that adhered to hydrodynamic and aerodynamic constraints.[23] The 2.9 open beta, launched in late 2023, integrated NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling for superior anti-aliasing and performance on high-end hardware, while upgrading voice communications with realistic radio filters, multipath interference effects, and transmission artifacts to simulate propagation physics more accurately.[24] These changes addressed multiplayer synchronization issues in netcode for TACAN navigation, datalinks, and AI targeting, reducing desyncs in large-scale engagements.[25] Throughout 2024, Eagle Dynamics implemented over 500 core engine fixes documented in official changelogs, alongside module releases such as the F-4E Phantom II and F-5E Tiger II, which featured refined avionics modeling grounded in declassified flight data. The Iraq terrain map expanded operational theaters with period-accurate urban and desert features, while dynamic respawn mechanics allowed aircraft persistence post-damage, simulating maintenance logistics without narrative bias.[26] The F-16C Block 50 Viper advanced beyond early access, incorporating Block 50-specific upgrades like conformal fuel tanks and precision-guided munitions with trajectory computations validated against empirical launch parameters.[27] By October 2025, update 2.9.21 integrated the early F-14A Tomcat variant with improved variable-sweep wing dynamics, winter foliage for the Normandy 2 map reflecting seasonal optical realism, and the Kola Peninsula terrain for Arctic vectoring scenarios.[28] Dynamic campaign development progressed with AI-driven persistent fronts and resource allocation, prioritizing causal chains in unit attrition and supply lines over scripted events.[29] Roadmap disclosures through mid-2025 outlined the F-35A's development, motivated by requirements for stealth RCS modeling and sensor fusion derived from open-source aerodynamic studies rather than speculative features. The F/A-18E Super Hornet and WWII modules, including Spitfire variants and B-17 Flying Fortress, were slated with emphases on ballistic trajectory fidelity and radar cross-section calculations rooted in wave propagation principles, ensuring deviations from physical laws were minimized via iterative validation against historical test data.[30][31]Gameplay Mechanics
Flight and Combat Simulation
The flight dynamics in Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) are grounded in six-degrees-of-freedom rigid body physics, calculating aerodynamic forces through non-dimensional lift (CL) and drag (CD) coefficients as functions of angle of attack, Mach number, flap position, and other parameters.[32] These coefficients derive from empirical sources including physical wind tunnel data, declassified experimental flight test results, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, with models validated against reference performance charts for true airspeed, climb rates, and turn radii.[32] Stall behaviors exhibit variability, such as asymmetric departures influenced by control inputs and airflow disruptions, prioritizing causal aerodynamic interactions over simplified gameplay abstractions.[33] Weapon employment incorporates ballistic trajectories governed by gravity, drag, and initial conditions, integrated with flight physics for realistic release envelopes and dispersion patterns under dynamic maneuvers.[20] Combat systems model radar performance with probabilistic detection ranges that fluctuate due to signal-to-noise ratios, aspect angles, and electronic clutter, replicating empirical limitations like beam angular errors in older pulse-Doppler units.[34] Electronic countermeasures (ECM) simulate noise jamming and deception techniques that degrade lock quality and reduce effective engagement envelopes, with effects quantified through reduced burn-through distances in developer tests, though absolute fidelity is constrained by classified real-world parameters.[35] DCS distinguishes fidelity levels across flight and systems modeling, with Professional Flight Models (PFM) employing detailed data packs for full procedural realism in avionics and hydraulics, contrasted against Standard Flight Models (SFM) that use scripted approximations for broader accessibility.[20] "Study" configurations demand comprehensive switch interactions and system depth, aligning with military-grade simulation principles, while "simple" variants abstract inputs like automatic target designation to lower barriers for novices, without altering the underlying physics engine's empirical basis.[20] This modular approach maintains core causal accuracy, as validated by subject matter expert feedback and iterative CFD refinements, even as simplified modes introduce concessions to procedural complexity.[33]Mission Design and Multiplayer
The Mission Editor facilitates the design of intricate scenarios replicating operational environments, allowing placement of air, ground, and naval groups—up to 99 units per group—with customizable waypoints, formations, and tasks such as Combat Air Patrol (CAP), Close Air Support (CAS), and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD).[36] Joint operations integrate these domains through triggers and advanced actions, enabling coordinated strikes where air units support ground advances or naval engagements, with rules of engagement (ROE) options like Weapons Free or Hold dictating responses.[36] AI behaviors are tuned via skill levels from Average to Excellent, influencing detection ranges, reaction times, and accuracy, while trigger systems use conditions (e.g., UNIT IN ZONE, GROUP DEAD, or flag states) to activate dynamic events without reliance on linear scripting.[36] Weather integration adds realism, with static settings for seasons, cloud bases (300–5,000 m), precipitation types (rain to snowstorm), multi-altitude wind (up to 8,000 m), turbulence, fog visibility, and dust; dynamic systems incorporate baric fronts for evolving conditions that impact sensor efficacy and unit maneuvers across air, land, and sea.[36] This setup emphasizes causal outcomes from physical interactions—e.g., weather degrading radar locks or AI pathing—rather than probabilistic exploits, fostering scenarios where mission success hinges on tactical decisions amid unscripted chaos.[36] Multiplayer mode supports coalition-based servers for large-scale engagements, with roles like Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) or Observer enabling oversight of persistent campaigns involving air-ground-sea coordination and resource management at airbases (e.g., aircraft quotas, fuel limits).[36] Servers accommodate dynamic battles with late-activated units and hidden groups, often scaling to hundreds of entities across maps like the Caucasus or Black Sea.[1] Integrated voice chat, overhauled in the October 2023 2.9 update, simulates real-world radio physics—including distortions, signal loss, interference, and static noise—for immersive comms, alongside microphone normalization and updated interfaces rolled out across all modules.[37] Persistent desynchronization plagues high-entity-count sessions, manifesting as unit warping, position mismatches, and server instability, even in optimized setups; these issues, reported since at least 2020, arise from network latency and simulation load, disrupting large coalitions despite client-side mitigations like IPv6 checks or firewall adjustments.[38] Mission results prioritize skill-driven causality, with physics-modeled ballistics and avionics determining hits over random variance, though desync can introduce artificial unreliability in multiplayer.[36]Customization and Control Systems
Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) World accommodates a wide array of input devices to replicate authentic cockpit operations, including hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) systems, rudder pedals, and joysticks from manufacturers such as Thrustmaster and Logitech.[39][40] These peripherals enable precise control over flight dynamics, weapon systems, and avionics, with rudder pedals providing differential braking and yaw authority essential for ground handling and carrier operations.[41] Customization occurs primarily through the game's input binding interface, which supports extensive key and axis mappings, supplemented by Lua scripting in device profile files for advanced users to define custom behaviors without altering core simulation parameters.[42] These scripts facilitate integration of additional hardware features, such as rotary encoders on throttles, but DCS enforces restrictions on modifiable variables to maintain physical fidelity and prevent exploits that could undermine multiplayer realism, such as unauthorized axis scaling beyond hardware limits.[43] Head and eye tracking via TrackIR devices enhances situational awareness by allowing natural head movements to shift the virtual viewpoint, requiring precise calibration to align with pilot muscle memory for effective scanning of instruments and threats.[44] Similarly, VoiceAttack software integration permits voice-activated commands for repetitive tasks like radio calls or switch toggles, reducing hand clutter during high-workload scenarios, though reliable setup demands phonetic tuning to minimize recognition errors.[45] Virtual reality (VR) headsets, including Oculus Rift series, HTC Vive, and HP Reverb models, receive native support for immersive 6-degrees-of-freedom head tracking and stereoscopic rendering, but demand rigorous hardware calibration and performance optimization to avoid latency that disrupts fine motor control equivalence to real flight.[46] The configuration process, involving iterative binding tests and profile tweaks, presents a steep initial hurdle that users on forums describe as chaotic and unforgiving, yet this complexity enforces disciplined replication of procedural realism rather than simplified abstractions, filtering for operators committed to systems-level proficiency over casual accessibility.[47][48]Content Modules
Aircraft, Vehicles, and Weapons
Aircraft modules in Digital Combat Simulator replicate real-world aircraft through detailed modeling of aerodynamics, propulsion, and avionics systems, drawing from declassified specifications and flight test data to achieve study-level simulation fidelity.[49] High-fidelity examples include the F/A-18C Hornet, which features a fully interactive cockpit with multi-mode radar, inertial navigation, and carrier launch/recovery procedures matching U.S. Navy operational manuals.[21] The AH-64D Apache helicopter module incorporates Longbow radar targeting, Hellfire missile guidance logic, and rotorcraft-specific failure states such as vibration-induced control limitations, verified against empirical performance metrics.[5] World War II-era modules, like the F4U-1D Corsair, simulate period-accurate supercharged engines, wing loading effects, and .50 caliber machine gun ballistics, including dispersion patterns from historical firing tests.[49] Other notable aircraft include the F-16C Viper with fly-by-wire flight controls and CCM management, the MiG-29A Fulcrum emphasizing supermaneuverability constrained by real structural limits, and the Yak-52 trainer for basic aerobatics with authentic stall behaviors.[21] These modules integrate unique avionics suites—such as datalink for the F-15E Strike Eagle—and progressive damage models that account for causal factors like bird strikes degrading lift or fuel leaks propagating fires, distinguishing them from lower-fidelity arcade simulations.[49] Ground and naval units expand combat scenarios with AI-controlled assets, including over 105 vehicles in the base game such as T-72 tanks, M1 Abrams variants, and artillery pieces, each with procedural damage simulating armor penetration depths and mobility kills based on kinetic energy transfer.[50] Naval modules feature the Supercarrier for dynamic deck operations with arresting gear and catapults modeled to real stress tolerances, alongside historical Essex-class carriers bundled with WWII aircraft packs, supporting fleet engagements with accurate ship maneuvers and anti-air defenses.[21] Weapons employment emphasizes realism through integrated ballistics engines, covering air-to-air missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM with no-escape zone calculations and air-to-ground munitions featuring cluster dispersal and penetration modeling.[50] Updates in 2025 refined missile trajectories to incorporate angular inaccuracies from legacy radars, adding empirical fluctuations in flight paths, and enhanced proximity fuse sensors for more precise detonation timing against maneuvering targets.[51] These enhancements, informed by physics-based corrections rather than simplified hit-scan mechanics, underscore the simulator's commitment to causal accuracy in ordnance performance.[52]Terrain Maps and Environments
Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) World features modular terrain maps that replicate specific geographic regions, enabling scenario-based simulations across diverse environments. These maps, developed by Eagle Dynamics and third-party partners, incorporate high-resolution satellite imagery and aerial photography to model landscapes, urban areas, and military installations with a focus on operational realism. Core maps include the Caucasus region, covering Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and parts of Russia and Turkey, which serves as the default free terrain spanning approximately 500 by 500 kilometers. Other established maps encompass the Persian Gulf, detailing the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding waters over 1,000 kilometers in extent, and the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), replicating U.S. Air Force training areas in the southwestern United States with precise airfield and range representations. In 2025, updates expanded map offerings, including enhancements to the DCS: Afghanistan map with improved textures and airfields for high-altitude operations in rugged terrain, and the DCS: Kola map covering northern Scandinavia and Russia's Murmansk Oblast, emphasizing Arctic conditions and naval bases.[53][54] These terrains support dynamic weather systems, where atmospheric pressure gradients drive evolving cloud formations, precipitation, and wind patterns that persist across missions, alongside seasonal variations such as winter snow in Normandy 2.0 updates.[55][56] Map scales, often exceeding 800 by 1,000 kilometers, facilitate beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements, allowing long-range missile simulations up to 200 kilometers with realistic radar horizons influenced by elevation data.[57][58] Terrain modeling prioritizes empirical alignment with satellite-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) and orthoimagery for verifiable accuracy in key features like coastlines and infrastructure, though procedural generation remains limited to avoid computational overload.[59] Developers validate against public geospatial data, but simplifications—such as smoothed topography and reduced object density in remote areas—trade fidelity for frame rates on consumer hardware, as evidenced by comparisons showing DCS elevations deviating from high-resolution LiDAR in complex terrains.[60][61] This approach enables integration with aircraft, ground vehicle, and naval modules for combined arms operations, where terrain contours affect low-level flight, artillery spotting, and amphibious assaults without requiring spherical Earth rendering for most scenarios.[59]Third-Party Expansions
Third-party expansions in Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) World are developed through formal partnerships between Eagle Dynamics and external studios, enabling the addition of high-fidelity aircraft and assets that adhere to the simulator's standards for realism and integration. These collaborations allow Eagle Dynamics to leverage specialized expertise while maintaining oversight, ensuring modules align with verifiable historical data, accurate flight modeling, and compatibility with the core engine. Notable examples include Heatblur Simulations' F-14 Tomcat, released in early access on October 15, 2018, which features detailed avionics, variable-geometry wings, and multi-crew operations based on declassified U.S. Navy documentation. Similarly, Heatblur's ongoing F-4E Phantom II project, announced in 2020, incorporates over 6,389 simulation components for systems like radar and weapons integration, with development delays attributed to achieving required fidelity thresholds before submission to Eagle Dynamics.[62][63] Other partners, such as Magnitude 3 LLC, contribute era-specific modules like the F4U-1D Corsair, released in early access on June 19, 2025, which includes WWII-era carrier operations and Japanese ground units modeled from archival sources, enhancing Pacific theater scenarios without altering base game mechanics. These expansions operate under licensing agreements that require approval from Eagle Dynamics, including technical reviews for physics accuracy and data sourcing, distinguishing them from unofficial community modifications that lack such vetting and may introduce inconsistencies. Revenue from sales through the official DCS store is shared between Eagle Dynamics and developers, a model designed to incentivize rigorous development; for instance, Heatblur's F-14 has seen iterative updates post-release to refine multiplayer synchronization and weapon behaviors based on player feedback and real-world references.[64][65][66] This partnership framework has expanded DCS World's content library to over 20 official aircraft modules by 2025, prioritizing modules with strong empirical backing—such as pilot manuals and flight test data—over speculative features. Developers like Razbam Simulations and VEAO also participate, producing assets like the A-10C II Tank Killer upgrade and UH-1H Huey, respectively, but face scrutiny for delivery timelines; Razbam's projects have occasionally drawn criticism for incomplete features at launch, prompting Eagle Dynamics to enforce stricter integration standards. Unlike free mods hosted on external platforms, third-party expansions undergo proprietary data verification to prevent inaccuracies, such as erroneous aerodynamic coefficients, ensuring causal fidelity in combat simulations. This approach sustains ecosystem growth while safeguarding the simulator's reputation for professional-grade accuracy.[65]Technical Implementation
Physics and Avionics Modeling
The physics modeling in Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) relies on empirical aerodynamic coefficients for lift (C_L) and drag (C_D), sourced from wind tunnel data, flight test measurements, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses, to compute forces via dynamic pressure q = (ρ × TAS²)/2, where ρ denotes air density and TAS true airspeed. These are integrated into a Newtonian framework that resolves six-degree-of-freedom motion for aircraft, incorporating real specifications for thrust vectors, moments of inertia, and control surface effectiveness without reliance on simplified lookup tables or visual approximations. Engine performance curves dictate thrust output as a function of altitude, speed, and throttle position, yielding causal outcomes like realistic stall departures and energy bleed during maneuvers.[67][33] Avionics replication draws from declassified aircraft manuals and operational doctrines, enabling unassisted execution of procedures such as carrier arrested landings, where pilots must maintain glideslope via the Optical Landing System (OLS), align with the deck using the Lineup Datum, and adjust power to achieve on-speed conditions (typically 130-140 knots for jets like the F/A-18C). This fidelity supports full procedural chains, including bolter patterns and wave-off responses, as detailed in module-specific guides that align with U.S. Navy protocols without forgiving inputs or auto-stabilization.[68] Refinements in 2025, such as patches in DCS version 2.9.13.6818, corrected multiple negative drag logging errors arising from payload interactions and aerodynamic edge cases, ensuring computed drag aligns with positive force expectations under all attitudes and configurations.[69] Perceptions of "unrealistic difficulty" in flight handling frequently reflect user unfamiliarity with empirical limits—such as high-drag penalties at high angles of attack or precise trim requirements—rather than modeling flaws, as corroborated by real pilots who rate DCS flight models highly for adherence to tested behaviors over arcade simplifications.[33][67]Graphics, Performance, and Optimization
DCS World utilizes a proprietary rendering engine that supports DirectX 11, with high-resolution textures for terrain and aircraft models, alongside particle systems for realistic effects such as weapon contrails, explosions, and atmospheric phenomena. This setup enables detailed visual rendering but often trades graphical polish for simulation depth, as computational resources are allocated preferentially to physics calculations over aesthetic flourishes like advanced lighting or post-processing shaders.[70] To address performance bottlenecks, the October 2023 release of version 2.9 integrated NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR upscaling technologies, which reconstruct higher-resolution images from lower internal renders to improve frame rates without sacrificing perceptible detail, particularly in complex multiplayer scenarios with numerous entities. Multithreading enhancements in the same update further distributed CPU workloads, reducing single-thread dependencies that previously hampered stability in high-fidelity simulations. Vulkan API integration, announced for 2024 implementation, aims to enhance efficiency and enable features like ray tracing, though as of mid-2025, it remains in development to minimize disruptions to core simulation reliability.[70][71][23] Performance challenges, including stuttering during dense engagements or texture streaming, arise from the engine's emphasis on real-time physics and AI pathing over optimized rendering pipelines, often manifesting as frame drops in CPU-intensive conditions like large-scale ground unit interactions. Eagle Dynamics has issued iterative patches throughout 2024 and 2025, incorporating fixes for such issues via refined asset loading and core optimizations, though persistent reports highlight trade-offs where visual fidelity—such as dynamic weather particles—can exacerbate instability on mid-range hardware.[72][23] Visual elements like contrails are generated from aircraft thermodynamic and altitude parameters rather than independent graphical models, ensuring alignment with flight physics but limiting variability compared to purely artistic simulations; this approach underscores the engine's causal prioritization of verifiable aerodynamics over immersive but computationally extravagant effects.[73][74]System Requirements and Hardware Demands
Digital Combat Simulator World (DCS World) specifies minimum system requirements suitable for low graphics settings and basic functionality, while recommended specifications target higher fidelity and smoother performance. The minimum setup includes a 64-bit Windows 10 operating system, DirectX 11 compatibility, an Intel Core i3 processor at 2.8 GHz or equivalent AMD FX series, 16 GB of RAM, and sufficient storage for the base installation plus modules, typically exceeding 100 GB with expansions.[75] Graphics processing demands a dedicated GPU such as NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 580 with at least 3 GB VRAM to handle rendering at reduced quality.[76]| Category | Minimum (Low Settings) | Recommended (High Settings) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | 64-bit Windows 10 | 64-bit Windows 10 or later |
| CPU | Intel Core i3 2.8 GHz or AMD FX | Intel/AMD 4.5 GHz+ with 6+ cores |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB or more |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1060 / AMD RX 580 (3 GB VRAM) | NVIDIA RTX 3070+ / AMD RX 6700+ (8 GB+ VRAM) |
| Storage | 120 GB HDD (base + essentials) | 500 GB+ SSD (full maps and modules) |
| DirectX | 11 | 12 |