Two more months gone, which means another devlog—and more of me yapping.
But hey, I like sharing my take on how the mod’s going, so... tough luck.

A lot’s happened since the last update, hasn’t it? We’ve got a (hopefully) engaging Tour of Duty, some new enemies (bet you didn’t see those PMCs coming), updated looks for some familiar faces, new guns, new voices—including enemy ones!—and some fresh sounds too...
All in all, not too bad, right? Nothing to complain about; unless you really feel like it.

Let’s go over some of the highlights, and stick around for an important announcement at the end!


Definitely the biggest addition in this patch cycle: a brand-new adventure set in the African country of Norobo, featuring completely new enemies that are (hopefully) challenging but not unfair.

Unfortunately, since it’s a Tour, there’s not much narrative to hold your hand. You’re dropped off on the Norobbian coast and sent straight into the action: fighting pirates, mercs, private contractors, the Norobbian army, and a so-called 2ème Commando, who seem like a big deal, but no one really knows what the hell is going on.
Well, that’s what we’re here for, right? Let’s break down this whole mess of factions, enemies, and why everyone’s speaking a weird kind of French.


Norobo is a fictional country (in case your geography is a bit rusty) located in the Sahel region—the African countries just south of the Sahara. It was colonized by Germany during the 19th century and handed over to France after Germany’s defeat in World War I.

From 1919 until 1974, it remained a French colony. However, the Norobbian locals kept German as a spoken language (or so they believe). After independence, French became the official language, although many German expressions had worked their way into everyday speech.

Not much to report during those years, just the usual post-colonial chaos: civil wars, coups, constant power shifts, and fragmentation of the country. Finally, by the mid-90s, things seemed to stabilize and a somewhat democratic government emerged.

But, because this is Africa, nothing could go smoothly. Between 2009 and 2013, the Forbidden Tree West, a branch of the Forbidden Tree operating in Nowheraki that every player should know about—began operations in Norobo. They took control of rural areas with a mostly Muslim population and declared jihad against Christians and converts, mostly city dwellers with European influence.

The Norobbian army was crushed and barely held onto the main cities, so in 2013, France was called in for help. Despite ups and downs, Norobo and France maintained a decent relationship. In March 2013, French troops landed, and after a lightning-fast operation, the FTW was wiped out within two months.

This triggered a coup led by General Trémen Dathùlá, who saw the deep corruption and how the French and Europeans were dividing the country right under his nose. So, in November 2013, the coup ended Norobo’s democratic government and installed a military junta.

In June 2015, France and Spain launched a military intervention under the UN banner after the Norobbian secret service (DNSE) violated the Spanish consulate in Norobo. The Spanish consul was illegally detained, a GEO agent was killed in the attack, and two more were injured while protecting the fleeing Norobbian president.

The Tour drops you right after this intervention, so you’ll be facing Dathùlá’s loyalists as well as new forces eager to get their slice of the pie.


The Tour adds a huge amount of factions and new enemies, almost as many as the base game itself—so let’s break them down a bit, learn their stories, and if we have time, some design details or fun facts about them.


They’re the most basic enemies and really shouldn’t pose much of a problem for any of the units deployed in the region, whether canonically (i.e., Spain and France) or from any mod or base game faction.

As you can imagine, they’re locals pushed to a life outside the law. Although they haven’t had formal training, that doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Most focus on robbery and kidnapping, funding their activities through ransoms, but they won’t hesitate for a second to butcher hostages with machetes if they spot your rescue team, so watch out.

Although their equipment isn’t particularly remarkable: they mostly use AK variants like Chinese Type 56 or 81, Romanian md.63s, PK machine guns, CETME C rifles, Mdle 1950 pistols, and even melee weapons like machetes—if you let your guard down, you’re in for a really bad time. Special mention goes to Molotov cocktails as well.


As you might guess, they’re the country’s internal security force. They’re pretty poorly equipped—pirates often have more firepower—and they’re easy to spot thanks to their blue uniforms and black berets.

Their equipment is as basic as it gets: Italian-made PX4 Storm pistols and old MAT-49 submachine guns left over from the colonial days. But hey, they still work, and they don’t get much use anyway, so they’ve stuck around.

That said, within the Gendarmerie is the AIA (Aile d'Intervention Antiterroriste), a counter-terrorism unit specialized in urban ops. You’ll recognize them instantly—grey flame-resistant overalls and helmets with ballistic visors. They carry AUG A1 rifles, 9mm AUG Para SMGs, PX4 pistols, and ballistic shields.
For your own good, make sure at least one of your guys is packing AP ammo.


These are the government forces—the army. They’re easy to identify thanks to their yellow berets and locally-made camouflage uniforms. Most of them are armed with Israeli-made Galil rifles or the South African R4 variant, thanks to good relations with both countries. Since the coup, ties with Israel have cooled off, but there’s still plenty of surplus gear to go around.

As for the rest of their equipment, there’s a bit of everything: AA52 general-purpose machine guns in 7.5mm French, MAS-36 rifles—completely outdated by today’s standards, but still issued to conscripts and second-line units, mostly to limit the damage in case of desertion or attempted mutiny—and MSG90 rifles for their designated marksmen.

However, the 10th Airborne Brigade sets the tone for what the Norobbian Army wants to become: they wear tiger stripe camo uniforms, magenta berets, and are fully equipped with body armor—many also sport high-cut helmets.

These paratroopers are mostly armed with Chinese QBZ-97 rifles and KBU-97 designated marksman variants in 5.56x45mm, along with HK21A1 machine guns in 7.62mm, and the occasional G3A3 when extra stopping power is needed.


A classic—you can’t have a war without foreign contractors and soldiers of fortune, right? And of course, Norobo is no exception.

On one side, you’ve got your standard mercenaries: volunteers from all over making a living guarding checkpoints, refineries, mines, and other facilities—or getting subcontracted by actual PMCs.

Most of them are of Filipino, Brazilian, or British origin, and they’re usually armed with pretty typical stuff: Uzi submachine guns, R4 rifles, and FNCs, all relatively common. That said, these guys are experienced—so even if their loadout is a bit lacking, they’ll still ruin your day if you underestimate them.

Then there’s Pangolin Security Provider (PSP), the (fictional) South African giant of the private military industry. Their contractors have a reputation for being brutal—perhaps due to the Rwandan and Rhodesian connections of their founder, Alexander Van Housen.

PSP handles security for rare earth and diamond mines, oil refineries, and government assets... though it’s widely believed they also take care of all kinds of dirty work for the regime.

You’ll see them kitted out with all kinds of gucci gear—from SIG M400s and SA-58 OSWs to rare Steyr Scouts, and even CZ Scorpion EVO 3s in the hands of their escort personnel.


The crème de la crème of the Norobbian Army. Trained by NATO forces in counter-terrorism operations, they’re heavily armed and highly motivated.

They sport their distinctive Zebra Stripe camo, along with Airframe-style helmets and Chinese-made plate carriers. Their arsenal is no joke: Israeli C-TAR and M-TAR 21 rifles (although they’re currently looking for replacements due to cooling relations), Negev and M60E6 machine guns, plus Chinese night vision scopes and plenty—plenty—of grenades, which they won’t hesitate to use against you.

They all have optics, so they’re fully on par with you. Give them the slightest opening, and they can completely turn the tables and make you their prey.


In some missions, you’ll encounter a group called the “Groupe Éole” — troops you can’t control. They represent the French contingent, naturally joining the fray with the typical gear you’d expect: Spectra helmets, CIRAS-style vests, Daguet and CCE uniforms, FAMAS F1 rifles, Minimi and F1 machine guns, and the classic FR-F2 designated marksman rifle.

While you can’t control them, they’re expendable units, meaning you won’t have to babysit them or worry about keeping them alive—so they can either pull you out of tight spots or get you into even more trouble.


Well, that’s the end of our little rundown of Norobo’s factions. If you think you’ve got what it takes to face them, lace up your boots, slap on some sunscreen, and come on down, Norobo is waiting.


Ah! Right! I almost forgot. Task Force Toro is going on pause for a while…
I’m going on vacation! And unless you lot start paying me, I’m not staying in my room roasting like a lobster.

See you when I’m back! Enjoy the summer — and enjoy Norobo!

Yours truly,
Levan, lead dev of TF Toro.