<s>
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
is	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
tactical	O
first-person	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
New	O
World	O
Interactive	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Focus	O
Home	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
2014	O
video	O
game	O
Insurgency	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
an	O
unnamed	O
fictional	O
Middle	O
Eastern	O
region	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
depicts	O
a	O
conflict	O
between	O
two	O
factions	O
:	O
"	O
Security	O
"	O
,	O
loosely	O
based	O
on	O
various	O
militaries	O
(	O
namely	O
NATO	O
forces	O
;	O
United	O
States	O
SOCOM	O
;	O
the	O
armed	O
forces	O
of	O
Iraq	O
,	O
Afghanistan	O
,	O
and	O
Syria	O
;	O
Kurdish	O
YPG	O
and	O
YPJ	O
;	O
and	O
Western	O
private	O
military	O
companies	O
)	O
;	O
and	O
"	O
Insurgents	B-Application
"	O
,	O
loosely	O
based	O
on	O
various	O
paramilitary	O
and	O
terrorist	O
groups	O
(	O
namely	O
the	O
Islamic	O
State	O
,	O
the	O
Taliban	O
,	O
al-Qaeda	O
,	O
Security	O
defectors	O
,	O
and	O
implied	O
Russian	O
mercenaries	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
announced	O
in	O
February	O
2016	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
12	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
for	O
Windows	O
;	O
the	O
previously	O
announced	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
macOS	B-Application
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
cancelled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
versions	O
went	O
through	O
numerous	O
delays	O
and	O
were	O
released	O
alongside	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
versions	O
on	O
September	O
29	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
for	O
its	O
realistic	O
gameplay	O
,	O
level	O
design	O
,	O
sound	O
design	O
,	O
atmosphere	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
fluid	O
animations	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
its	O
technical	O
issues	O
and	O
optimization	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
lamenting	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
the	O
planned	O
story	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
Insurgency	B-Application
and	O
Day	B-Application
of	I-Application
Infamy	I-Application
,	O
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
features	O
a	O
minimal	O
HUD	O
,	O
lacking	O
a	O
health	O
bar	O
,	O
ammunition	O
count	O
,	O
or	O
minimap	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Insurgency	B-Application
series	O
has	O
tactical	O
,	O
realistic	O
gameplay	O
,	O
with	O
moments	O
of	O
intensity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Improvements	O
from	O
Insurgency	B-Application
include	O
updated	O
visuals	O
,	O
character	O
customization	O
,	O
cosmetics	O
,	O
weapon	O
skins	O
,	O
a	O
player	O
progression	O
system	O
,	O
larger	O
maps	O
,	O
and	O
drivable	O
technicals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
are	O
divided	O
into	O
two	O
opposing	O
teams	O
:	O
Security	O
and	O
Insurgents	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
M4A1	O
,	O
L85A2	O
,	O
MP7	O
,	O
M1100	O
SASS	O
,	O
M45A1	O
)	O
,	O
while	O
Insurgents	B-Application
use	O
a	O
diverse	O
mixture	O
of	O
weaponry	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
Russian	O
and	O
Chinese	O
weapons	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
faction	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
asymmetric	O
,	O
and	O
while	O
most	O
weapons	O
have	O
a	O
loose	O
"	O
equivalent	O
"	O
,	O
they	O
typically	O
do	O
not	O
perform	O
similarly	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
though	O
Security	O
's	O
MR	O
73	O
is	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
their	O
"	O
high-powered	O
secondary	O
"	O
equivalent	O
to	O
the	O
Insurgents	B-Application
 '	O
Desert	O
Eagle	O
,	O
both	O
weapons	O
are	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
handguns	O
(	O
a	O
revolver	O
and	O
a	O
pistol	O
,	O
respectively	O
)	O
and	O
are	O
very	O
different	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
gameplay	O
style	O
,	O
situational	O
effectiveness	O
,	O
and	O
attachments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Returning	O
from	O
Day	B-Application
of	I-Application
Infamy	I-Application
is	O
the	O
fire	O
support	O
system	O
,	O
using	O
which	O
fire	O
support	O
may	O
be	O
requested	O
by	O
a	O
Commander	O
if	O
a	O
friendly	O
Observer	O
is	O
within	O
10	O
meters	O
of	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Insurgents	B-Application
can	O
call	O
for	O
an	O
improvised	O
drone	O
strike	O
,	O
rocket	O
artillery	B-Application
,	O
an	O
IED	O
drone	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
chemical	O
gas	O
strike	O
that	O
kills	O
anyone	O
in	O
its	O
radius	O
without	O
a	O
gas	O
mask	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
teams	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
explosive	O
and	O
smoke	O
artillery	B-Application
(	O
mortars	O
for	O
Insurgents	B-Application
)	O
;	O
Security	O
fires	O
few	O
rounds	O
with	O
greater	O
precision	O
,	O
while	O
Insurgents	B-Application
fire	O
more	O
rounds	O
with	O
less	O
precision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
may	O
be	O
significant	O
changes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Team	O
Deathmatch	O
"	O
(	O
both	O
teams	O
fight	O
to	O
gain	O
a	O
certain	O
amount	O
of	O
kills	O
with	O
wider	O
loadouts	O
and	O
instant	O
respawns	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Hot	O
Potato	O
"	O
(	O
live	O
fragmentation	O
grenades	O
are	O
dropped	O
upon	O
death	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Task	O
Force	O
666	O
"	O
(	O
Frenzy	O
on	O
night	O
maps	O
only	O
;	O
players	O
heal	O
by	O
killing	O
enemies	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Running	O
in	O
the	O
90s	O
"	O
(	O
Checkpoint	O
with	O
sights	O
disabled	O
and	O
weapons	O
always	O
pointing	O
forward	O
,	O
plus	O
additional	O
gameplay	O
modifications	O
,	O
mimicking	O
classic	O
shooters	O
such	O
as	O
Counter-Strike	B-Application
and	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Tournament	I-Operating_System
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
on	O
February	O
23	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
on	O
New	O
World	O
Interactive	O
's	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
confirmed	O
to	O
be	O
on	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Engine	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
instead	O
of	O
Source	B-Application
like	O
Insurgency	B-Application
and	O
Day	B-Application
of	I-Application
Infamy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fire	O
support	O
system	O
from	O
Day	B-Application
of	I-Application
Infamy	I-Application
was	O
confirmed	O
to	O
return	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lead	O
designer	O
Michael	O
Tsarouhas	O
aimed	O
to	O
"	O
find	O
a	O
balance	O
"	O
between	O
military	O
simulator	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Arma	O
and	O
Squad	B-Application
,	O
and	O
action	B-Application
games	I-Application
such	O
as	O
Call	B-Application
of	I-Application
Duty	I-Application
,	O
to	O
provide	O
both	O
action	O
and	O
realism	O
in	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
Sandstorm	O
had	O
a	O
planned	O
singleplayer	O
and	O
cooperative	O
story	O
campaign	O
,	O
described	O
as	O
focusing	O
on	O
"	O
a	O
squad	B-Application
of	O
characters	O
as	O
they	O
face	O
increasingly	O
challenging	O
chapters	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
invasion	O
of	O
Iraq	O
in	O
2003	O
through	O
the	O
insurrection	O
period	O
and	O
leading	O
to	O
the	O
present	O
day.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Windows	O
on	O
December	O
12	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
through	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Linux	B-Application
and	O
macOS	B-Application
releases	O
were	O
planned	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
were	O
both	O
cancelled	O
in	O
December	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
releases	O
of	O
Sandstorm	O
were	O
announced	O
and	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
with	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
,	O
their	O
release	O
was	O
repeatedly	O
delayed	O
due	O
to	O
development	O
issues	O
,	O
first	O
to	O
2019	O
,	O
then	O
early	O
2020	O
,	O
then	O
August	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
versions	O
were	O
eventually	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
29	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
had	O
several	O
updates	O
adding	O
new	O
maps	O
,	O
game	O
modes	O
,	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
,	O
weapons	O
,	O
and	O
equipment	O
,	O
including	O
returning	O
content	O
from	O
Insurgency	B-Application
and	O
Day	B-Application
of	I-Application
Infamy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
update	O
1.7	O
,	O
"	O
Operation	O
:	O
Nightfall	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
June	O
2020	O
,	O
major	O
content	O
updates	O
have	O
been	O
called	O
"	O
operations	O
"	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
other	O
tactical	O
shooters	O
such	O
as	O
Tom	B-Application
Clancy	I-Application
's	I-Application
Rainbow	I-Application
Six	I-Application
Siege	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Operation	O
:	O
Nightfall	O
"	O
included	O
paid	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
and	O
weapon	O
skins	O
as	O
optional	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
first	O
for	O
the	O
Insurgency	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Insurgency	B-Application
:	I-Application
Sandstorm	I-Application
received	O
acclaim	O
from	O
critics	O
for	O
its	O
realistic	O
gameplay	O
and	O
atmospheric	O
sound	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
community	O
response	O
to	O
this	O
change	O
was	O
very	O
negative	O
,	O
leading	O
New	O
World	O
Interactive	O
to	O
undo	O
the	O
change	O
and	O
release	O
an	O
apology	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Update	O
1.9.1	O
,	O
"	O
Lunar	O
New	O
Year	O
Updat''e	O
"	O
,	O
included	O
two	O
Chinese	O
rifles	O
(	O
QBZ-97	O
and	O
QTS-11	O
)	O
and	O
Chinese-themed	O
DLC	B-Protocol
cosmetic	O
sets	O
for	O
Security	O
and	O
Insurgents	B-Application
,	O
the	O
latter	O
being	O
a	O
bright	O
red	O
changshan	O
.	O
</s>
