MENACE update 0.7.17 is a small hotfix that follows the big October 14 balancing update, version 0.7.16. It improves performance by turning off Screen Space Global Illumination for now, because the effect costs more on many GPUs than expected and may cause crashes. It also swaps one of Lim’s perks, which resets and refunds his promotions, and fixes some plants and translations. The update works with existing saves. However, the headline changes you may be searching for, like daylight cycles and the new mission selection, arrived earlier in 0.7.15.
Summary: MENACE update 0.7.17
- Type: hotfix after balancing update 0.7.16 (October 14, 2026).
- Performance: Screen Space Global Illumination (SSGI) is disabled for now.
- Lim: swaps Solid Grouping for Zig-Zag, and resets and refunds his promotions.
- Fixes: plants fading too early, and Chinese and Portuguese translation issues.
- Saves: compatible with existing save games.
- Earlier patch: 0.7.15 (October 1) added mission selection and daylight cycles.
MENACE Update 0.7.17 Patch Notes
The full official changelog for v0.7.17 is short:
| Type | Change |
|---|---|
| Performance | Disabled Screen Space Global Illumination for now |
| Perk change | Lim: Solid Grouping swapped for Zig-Zag, with his perks and promotions reset and refunded |
| Fix | Some plants faded out too quickly when the camera was zoomed out |
| Fix | Translation issues in Chinese and Portuguese |
The developers explain the performance change plainly. SSGI costs more on various GPUs than they expected, and it might even cause crashes. So they turned it off until they can improve it. As a result, the game may look slightly flatter, but it should run more smoothly.
The Lim change deserves attention too. In 0.7.16, Overhype replaced Zig-Zag on Lim with the new Sprint perk. DualShockers reports that 0.7.17 restores Zig-Zag, which fits the swap in the changelog. Because his perks reset, you must reassign his promotion points.
Release date
As of October 15, 2026, DualShockers describes 0.7.17 as a follow-up hotfix to the October 14 update. I did not see an exact timestamp for the hotfix itself, so check your Steam library for the build date.
How the Last Three MENACE Patches Fit Together
Searches for 0.7.17 often mix up three updates. This table separates them:
| Version | Date | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| 0.7.15 | October 1, 2026 | Mission Selection Overhaul, daylight cycles, enemy activities, Light Mortar model |
| 0.7.16 | October 14, 2026 | Big balancing update, Sprint perk, new accessories, updated Ironman |
| 0.7.17 | After October 14 | Performance hotfix and Lim perk swap |
New Mission Selection and Daylight Cycles (0.7.15)
Update 0.7.15 rebuilt how operations work. Now you can freely choose which missions you complete and in what order. The notes also add a light-condition-cycle display, so you can see the lighting of upcoming missions before you commit.
Other changes from that patch:
- Enemy activities. They replace enemy assets and start after a countdown. Enemies can use off-map abilities, and you can stop them by completing missions.
- New pirate missions. Four urban missions arrived: Barricaded Suspects, Restore Control, Hostage Situation and Reclaim Comm Center.
- Custom difficulty. You can set Enemy Activities Amount from None to Max, and Squaddie Rescue Mode to Normal, All or None.
- Vehicles. They can now pass through AI-controlled civilians and allied local forces.
- Rescued squaddies. They stay wounded until the end of the operation.
Because enemy activities can appear from the first operation, plan your mission order carefully.
Light Mortar Model and the EM Assault Rifle Question
The 0.7.15 notes add a 3D model and custom animations for the Light Mortar. The notes list no stat changes for it, as of the latest update.
I could not find a weapon called the EM Assault Rifle in the 0.7.15 or 0.7.16 notes, so I will not invent stats for it. The nearest matches are these:
| Item | Change in 0.7.16 |
|---|---|
| IAR Infantry Automatic Rifle | Damage 12 to 25, armor penetration 35 to 40, range 6/9 to 7/10, trade value 120 to 90 |
| Electromagnetic Armor (vehicle accessory) | Damage reduction 33% to 50%, supply cost 25 to 20 |
| E4A2 ELSA Plasma Rifle | Bug fix so it shows the correct uses while unequipped |
If you saw a different name somewhere, check it against the official notes.
Watchtower Ability Fixes and Morale Changes
Towers caused several ability bugs, and Overhype fixed many of them across two patches.
Watchtower fixes
- 0.7.15: the Signal Jammer off-map ability now works on units inside towers.
- 0.7.15: Linebreaker no longer works while a unit sits inside a watchtower.
- 0.7.15: First Aid now works inside a watchtower.
- 0.7.16: Taking Command can no longer target enemies inside towers.
- 0.7.15: Commando now counts units inside structures.
Morale changes
- Aliens and pirates now lose less morale the more enemies stand on the map (0.7.15).
- Heavy flame attacks now deal 30 morale damage, after a bug removed it (0.7.15).
- The Show of Force OCI now deals 55 morale damage, up from 30, and its suppression rises from 45 to 60 (0.7.16).
What Changed in the 0.7.16 Balancing Update
The studio says its goal is build variety. It does not want every item to be equal, but it wants to reduce pick rates for dominant builds. Here are the changes that affect most players:
- Sprint perk. For 40 AP, a unit sprints up to 5 tiles and becomes winded afterward. Darby, Sachin, Lim and Greifinger received it.
- Take Aim. Standby and Take Aim merged into one perk. It delays the unit’s turn and grants +10% accuracy and +30% critical hit chance.
- Critical hits. They gain 50% more armor penetration, and they now show a critical hit text and sound.
- Damage reduction cap. It now stops at 90%.
- Blind fire. Firing blindly onto a tile takes a -60% accuracy penalty.
- Hive Queen. Big enemies like the Hive Queen are now immune to stun.
- New gear. The MK18MOD1 NSF HPS silenced pistol, the Heat Sink vehicle accessory (+50% heat capacity) and the IFAK accessory (+25% rescue chance, with one squaddie always rescued) joined the game.
- Explosives. Grenades gained accuracy and other buffs. For example, the Thermite Grenade now deals 45% maximum hitpoint damage, up from 35%.
- Mortars. The 120mm Mortar now reaches 22 tiles, uses 40 AP and carries 14 shots.
- Ironman. Quitting during a mission aborts the mission, and you cannot reload to revive downed or killed squad leaders.
The update refunds all promotion points, so reassign them after you load a save. For another example of a patch that rebalances an entire game, see our Marvel Rivals Season 10.5 breakdown.
Known Issues Worth Knowing
The official notes list these problems:
- Antivirus. Some programs wrongly flag GameAssembly.dll as malware and delete it. Whitelist GameAssembly.dll and Menace.exe if that happens.
- HDD installs. Loading is slow and barks are delayed on hard drives.
- Fullscreen mode. It can misbehave after minimizing, so try Fullscreen Window.
- High refresh rates. Monitors with high refresh rates can cause crashes. Enable VSync or drop the refresh rate to 60 Hz or lower.
The last point pairs with the SSGI change, since both target crashes and performance.
MENACE System Requirements and Steam Deck Performance
The system requirements I found come from the Steam demo listing, so the full game page may differ slightly:
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| CPU | Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 2600X | Core i5-12400F or Ryzen 5 7600X |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| GPU | RTX 2060 Super (8 GB) or similar AMD card | RTX 3060 Ti (8 GB) or similar AMD card |
On Steam Deck, Valve rated MENACE Playable, and ProtonDB listed it as Gold, according to Steam Deck HQ’s Early Access review. That review notes the game is playable with upscaling and trackpad controls, but it calls this a compromise, and it says the interface still needs work. Because 0.7.17 lowers rendering cost, handheld players may notice a small improvement, but I found no tested numbers.
Tips After Updating
- Reassign promotions first. Every promotion point was refunded.
- Check Lim. He now has Sprint and Zig-Zag, but not Solid Grouping.
- Use VSync on high-refresh monitors. It helps prevent crashes.
- Install on an SSD. HDD loading is slow.
- Plan mission order. Enemy activities count down while you play.
Common Mistakes
- Searching 0.7.17 for the mission overhaul. That came in 0.7.15.
- Assuming a new EM Assault Rifle. No such item appears in the notes.
- Skipping the promotion reset. Units without promotions are weaker.
- Blaming the update for antivirus deletions. Whitelist the game files.
Conclusion
MENACE update 0.7.17 is a small but useful hotfix that trades some visual polish for better performance and fixes Lim’s perk list. Pair it with the October 14 balancing update, reassign your promotions and check the known issues before you play. Everything here is accurate as of October 15, 2026, and Overhype may patch again soon.
FAQs
What does MENACE update 0.7.17 do?
It disables SSGI for better performance, swaps Lim’s perk, and fixes plant and translation bugs.
Will my save work after 0.7.17?
Yes. The update is compatible with existing saves.
Why were my promotion points refunded?
Several perks changed, so the game refunded all promotion points. You must assign them again.
Which update added daylight cycles?
Update 0.7.15 on October 1 added daylight cycles and the new mission selection.
Is MENACE playable on Steam Deck?
Valve rates it Playable, and ProtonDB lists it as Gold, though performance involves compromises.
What are the MENACE PC requirements?
The demo listing shows a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 2600X, 8 GB of RAM and an RTX 2060 Super as the minimum.
For more updates visit: GAME SPEC
