Veilbreak: Dead Signal

ShooterofIO ONLINE
Developer(s)	SOI Studios
Publisher(s)	Mob Productions
Series	ShooterofIO
Platform(s)	Web browser
Release	July 2, 2026
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, Survival game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

ShooterofIO ONLINE is an online Zombies-focused first-person survival game in the ShooterofIO series. The current playable build presents the game as a Zombies-only experience. The game is launched through ShooterofIO: Online HQ.

The current build contains one playable Zombies map, Hollow Pines, and three available playlists: Standard, Cursed, and Surge.

The game was released on July 2, 2026 for any Web Browser on PC.

Gameplay

ShooterofIO ONLINE is structured around round-based Zombies survival. Players enter a Zombies lobby, choose a profile and starting weapon, and launch into one of the available playlists. The main Zombies menu contains tabs for Play, Weapons, Perks, Augments, Barracks, Challenges, and Store. Player progression is stored through a shared profile system that tracks level, prestige, Scraps, weapon progression, GobbleGums, calling cards, emblems, operator unlocks, daily and weekly challenges, and Zombies-specific statistics.

The current live map, Hollow Pines, is described in-game as a "Full Quest Survival" map with an evolving threat level. It includes doors, power, perk machines, a Choose-a-Perk machine, the Mystery Box, Arsenal Machine, Pack-a-Punch, Cursed Relics, a TAB Quest Items display, Wonder Weapon crafting, and the full main quest, "The Echo Beneath the Pines".

The gameplay of ShooterofIO ONLINE follows a round-based Zombies format. Players fight waves of undead enemies while earning Essence, Scraps, weapon experience, profile experience, and Battle Pass progress. Essence is used for doors, perks, Pack-a-Punch, ammo purchases, Mystery Box spins, and other in-match systems, while Scraps are used across the wider progression and store economy.

Players begin a match with a selected starting weapon and can improve their power through several map systems. Weapons can be upgraded through Pack-a-Punch, enhanced by rarity upgrades at the Arsenal Machine, replaced through the Mystery Box, or crafted into a Wonder Weapon through the map's quest route. The player can also buy perk drinks, use GobbleGums, equip lethals and tacticals, and charge Aether Shroud as a field upgrade.

The current build includes one-to-four player lobby presentation, although the live web package is primarily structured around a single local player profile. The Zombies menu displays "1 / 4 survivors in lobby" and "Squad / 4 Max", while the right-side player card lists "Players (1 / 4)" and includes a split-screen prompt.

HUD and controls

During a match, the player HUD tracks health, armor, ammunition, round progress, Essence, equipment, scorestreak-style support, active quest information, and player status. The game also includes a Quest Items display for important quest components collected during the main quest.

Aether Shroud functions as the main field upgrade. In the current build, it charges through combat and can be used as a defensive escape option during pressure, boss encounters, and Cursed objectives.

Economy

The main in-match currency is Essence. It is earned mainly by killing Zombies and completing gameplay objectives. Essence is spent on doors, perks, Mystery Box rolls, Pack-a-Punch, ammo, and other survival systems. Cursed mode can reduce Essence income depending on the active Cursed Relics and Cursed Meter state.

Scraps are a profile-level currency used outside the match. They are earned through progression, challenges, event-style milestones, and reward tracks. Scraps are used for profile progression purchases, GobbleGum packs, cosmetics, and other account-level rewards.

Zombies

File:Zombies Icon.png

Zombies is the only playable mode in the current build of ShooterofIO ONLINE. It is accessed from the main ShooterofIO: Online menu through a single Zombies button. The mode contains three playlists: Standard, Cursed, and Surge.

Playlists

Playlist	Tagline	Description
Standard	Main Quest Survival	The complete Hollow Pines survival experience, including doors, power, perks, Arsenal, Pack-a-Punch, Mystery Box, GobbleGums, TAB Quest Items, Wonder Weapon crafting, and "The Echo Beneath the Pines" main quest.
Cursed	Relic Hunt	A harder Hollow Pines variant with faster pressure, reduced Essence income unless the Cursed Meter is high enough, a four-perk cap until Tier I, and hidden Relic quests that allow players to equip curses for increased reward potential.
Surge	Containment Run	A faster round-based variant built around compact combat zones, objective clears, reward choices, and escalating arena pressure. Classic full-map systems are disabled inside Surge.

Standard

Standard is the primary Hollow Pines playlist. The player starts at Ranger Checkpoint and opens the map by buying doors with Essence. Standard contains the full map route, perk machines, power, Pack-a-Punch, Mystery Box, Arsenal Machine, Wonder Weapon crafting, and the full main quest.

The mode is designed around a traditional Zombies loop of opening the map, restoring power, improving weapons, surviving higher rounds, and either completing the main quest or continuing for higher-round survival.

Cursed

Cursed is a harder version of Standard. It keeps the same Hollow Pines map and broad survival structure but adds Cursed Relics and hidden Relic quests. Players can equip unlocked Relics before starting a Cursed run. Each Relic adds a negative modifier to the match, such as reduced Essence income, faster enemy pacing, stronger Special Zombies, rarer power-up drops, or higher enemy health.

Relics also contribute points to the Cursed Meter. Grim Relics add one point, Sinister Relics add two points, and Wicked Relics add three points. Higher meter tiers unlock stronger in-match benefits, making Cursed mode a risk-and-reward variant rather than a simple difficulty toggle.

Cursed Meter tier	Requirement	Reward
Tier I	3 points	Removes the normal four-perk limit.
Tier II	6 points	Restores normal base Essence earning and grants +50% ammo capacity.
Tier III	9 points	Unlocks Ultra rarity at the Arsenal Machine.

Surge

Surge is a compact containment-zone variant of Zombies. Instead of progressing through the full map normally, players fight inside rotating combat zones based on areas from Hollow Pines. Each Surge requires players to survive and clear enemies inside the active zone before moving to the next phase.

After each Surge, players are offered reward choices. The mode tracks best Surge and total Surge clears separately from standard round-based survival. After enough progression, a boss portal can open and allow the player to begin a multi-phase Surge boss encounter.

Maps

Hollow Pines

"Hollow Pines" is the only playable Zombies map in the current build of ShooterofIO ONLINE. It is a forest-town survival map set across a rural checkpoint, abandoned town road, market lot, electrical substation, chapel grounds, saw mill, rail yard, bunker lab, mine, and underground temple.

The map begins at Ranger Checkpoint. From there, players open Ashwood Main Street and branch into multiple routes leading toward the West Cabin Loop, East Market Lot, Power Substation, Memorial Grounds, Rift Chapel, Moonlit Saw Mill, Old Rail Yard, Bunker Lab, Blackroot Mine, and Subsurface Temple.

Area	Status	Notable features
Ranger Checkpoint	Starting area	Ammo Cache, Quick Revive, starting spawn
Ashwood Main Street	Door area	Choose-a-Perk Machine, hidden Bell Tower Key mechanism
West Cabin Loop	Door area	Juggernog
East Market Lot	Door area	Mystery Box, Arsenal Machine, Station Fuse step
Power Substation	Door area	Power Switch, Speed Cola
Memorial Grounds	Door area	Pack-a-Punch, Blood Well step
Rift Chapel	Door area	Deadshot Brew, boss portal, Bell Tower mechanism
Moonlit Saw Mill	Door area	Vanta Canister machine, Saw Chain step
Old Rail Yard	Door area	Stamin-Up, Observation Telescope, Rail Signal step
Bunker Lab	Door area	Vulture Aid, Weapon Workbench
Blackroot Mine	Door area	Vanta Canister and Root Crown Cursed objectives
Subsurface Temple	Door area	Temple Obelisk step, Root Crown Cursed objectives

Main quest

The Echo Beneath the Pines

"The Echo Beneath the Pines" is the main quest of Hollow Pines. The quest is fully playable in Standard and is built around restoring power, collecting a series of quest items, building the Wonder Weapon, opening the boss portal, and defeating the final boss, The Jailor.

Enemies

The current enemy pool includes regular Zombies and several round-scaling enemy variants. Standard Zombies form the base enemy type, while faster, armored, ranged, and phase-based threats appear as rounds progress.

Hollow Pines

Enemy	First appears	Description
Zombie	Round 1	The standard enemy type and the core of the round-based horde.
Sprinter	Round 3	A faster, lower-health enemy that pressures movement and positioning.
Armored Husk	Round 5	A slower, tougher enemy with increased health and damage.
Bile Spitter	Round 6	A ranged threat that attacks from distance and disrupts safe routes.
Phase Wraith	Round 9	A later-round special enemy with increased pressure and mobility.
The Jailor	Main quest boss	The final boss of Hollow Pines.

Perks

ShooterofIO ONLINE includes perk machines that grant passive bonuses after purchase. Some perks are placed directly on Hollow Pines, while the Choose-a-Perk Machine allows broader perk access once power is active.

Perk	Cost	Unlock level	Effect
Juggernog	2500	1	Adds a strong max-health boost and slightly softens heavy hits.
Speed Cola	3000	4	Improves reload speed, weapon handling, and weapon cadence.
Stamin-Up	2500	7	Increases sprint speed, stamina capacity, and stamina recovery.
Deadshot Brew	2750	10	Improves critical chance and critical damage.
Quick Revive	2000	14	Causes health regeneration to start sooner and recover faster.
Vulture Aid	3500	18	Improves ammo drops and gives small bonus point and Scrap chances.
Voltaic Vigor	4000	22	Builds static charge through movement and weapon fire, allowing a shockwave discharge at full charge.
Undertow Tonic	3750	24	Improves movement through water, mud, swamp terrain, and slowing corruption.
Widow's Wine	4000	26	Grants web charges that stun and damage nearby undead when the player takes contact damage.

Augments

Perks have Augments that allow players to strengthen or specialize their effects over time. Each perk contains Major and Minor Augments that unlock through level, kills, round milestones, or other progression conditions.

Juggernog augments focus on survivability, damage reduction, emergency protection, and low-health recovery. Speed Cola augments focus on reload speed, weapon swap speed, empty-magazine reloads, weapon cadence, and post-sprint readiness. Stamin-Up augments improve sprinting, stamina recovery, movement bursts, and emergency mobility. Deadshot Brew augments improve critical damage, critical chance, precision weapon performance, and Aether Shroud charge from critical kills. Quick Revive augments focus on health regeneration, emergency invulnerability, and recovery after dangerous moments. Vulture Aid augments improve ammo drops, Scrap gains, bonus points, and Mystery Box luck. Voltaic Vigor augments strengthen shockwave discharge effects and reduce Mimic-style electrical pressure. Undertow Tonic augments improve movement across hazardous terrain and add defensive movement bursts. Widow's Wine augments improve web burst damage, web duration, charge recovery, and emergency web activation.

Weapons

The game includes a broad weapon roster across Assault Rifles, SMGs, Shotguns, LMGs, Marksman Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Pistols, Launchers, and Melee weapons. Weapons are unlocked by player level, prestige, or purchase state, and can be used as starting loadout weapons once available.

Weapon balance in the current Zombies build uses a single live tuning profile across Standard, Cursed, and Surge. Fast-fire SMGs and auto pistols are tuned with lower raw damage so they do not dominate every playlist, while semi-auto, burst, marksman, sniper, pump shotgun, and launcher weapons receive stronger per-shot value in Zombies.

Weapon classes

Class	Examples	Zombies balance identity
Assault Rifle	XM4, AK-74, AMES 85, GPR 91, Model L, Goblin Mk2, AS VAL, Kilo 141, VXR-7	Balanced mid-round reliability.
SMG	C9, Jackal PDW, Tanto .22, PP-919, Kompakt 92, Striker, WSP Swarm, Rival-9, HUSH-9	Fast mobility with lower high-round damage.
Shotgun	Marine SP, ASG-89, Lockwood 680, Bryson 800, Haymaker, BREACH-12	High burst damage with stricter ammo discipline.
LMG	PU-21, XMG, GPMG-7, Bruen Mk9, Holger 26	Lane control and heavy sustain.
Marksman Rifle	DM-10, Tsarkov 7.62, AEK-973, MCW 6.8, Tempus Torrent	Precision high-round killing potential.
Sniper Rifle	LW3A1 Frostline, SVD, LR 7.62, Longbow	Slow handling but very high per-shot damage.
Pistol	9mm PM, Grekhova, GS45, Stryder .22, Renetti	Emergency sidearms with skill-based critical potential.
Launcher	HE-1, Cigma 2B	Crowd control with scarce ammo.
Melee	Knife, Breach Hammer	Risk-reward close-range combat.

Wonder Weapons

Wonder Weapons are high-power special weapons that can be obtained through crafting or the Mystery Box. In "Hollow Pines," the Wonder Weapon is required to open the boss portal after the player restores the major quest items. The Ray Gun is also available as an Ultra Wonder Weapon option and received significant balance improvements in a later update.

GobbleGums

GobbleGums are consumable power items used during Zombies runs. They are divided into Rare, Epic, Legendary, Ultra, and Mythic tiers. Players can own and equip GobbleGums through profile progression and GobbleGum packs.

Tier	GobbleGums
Rare	Second Wind, Cashback, Lucky Find, Dead Silence, Last Magazine
Epic	Shopping Free, Perks Up, Anything But Time, Bullet Storm, Emergency Exit
Legendary	Contractor, Golden Touch, Ammo Lottery, Crowd Control, Recycle Bin, Last Stand
Ultra	Bank Heist, Mythic Roll, Time Freeze, Jackpot, Ultimate Upgrade, Guardian Angel
Mythic	Reality Rewrite, Divine Intervention, Artifact Hunter, Apocalypse Cancelled

GobbleGum packs

Pack	Cost	Contents
Rare GobbleGum Pack	450 Scraps	Three GobbleGums, weighted toward Rare items.
Epic GobbleGum Pack	1100 Scraps	Four GobbleGums with a strong chance at Epic effects.
Legendary GobbleGum Pack	2500 Scraps	Five GobbleGums with Legendary and Ultra chase odds.
Ultra GobbleGum Pack	4200 Scraps	Five high-end GobbleGums with Ultra and Mythic odds.
Mythic GobbleGum Pack	6200 Scraps	Six premium GobbleGums with a Mythic chance.

Cursed Relics

Cursed Relics are unlockable gameplay modifiers used in the Cursed playlist. Each Relic is tied to a hidden Cursed quest in Hollow Pines. Relics do not directly make the player stronger; instead, they make the run harder and contribute to the Cursed Meter, which unlocks tiered rewards for the match.

The current live build contains six Hollow Pines Cursed Relics.

Relic	Tier	Curse effect	Unlock hint
Pilgrim's Bell	Grim	Power-up drops are rarer and every seventh spawn wave can include an extra Special Zombie.	Find ten stuffed watchers around Hollow Pines while veiled, then answer the bell at the checkpoint garage.
Hollow Matchbook	Grim	Weapon reloads are slower and Essence from kills is reduced.	The burned lanterns of Ashwood only react to Pack-a-Punched shots.
Widow's Antler	Sinister	Sprinters and Specials move faster, and normal Zombies gain a small health increase.	The deer totems in the woods begin to listen only during Cursed runs.
Ashen Compass	Sinister	The minimap flickers more often and zombie spawn pacing rises.	Four compass needles point through the mine, rail yard, chapel, and market.
Grave Choir	Wicked	Special Zombies spawn far more often and all enemies hit harder.	Dead radios in the churchyard carry the choir once power is restored.
Root Crown	Wicked	Enemy health rises sharply and Essence income is heavily reduced.	Only a Wonder Weapon can crack the root hearts beneath Hollow Pines.

Progression

ShooterofIO ONLINE uses profile-level progression across Zombies. The profile tracks level, prestige, profile experience, weapon levels, weapon kills, critical kills, best round, total kills, Cursed statistics, Surge statistics, main quest completions, GobbleGums, Scraps, cosmetics, operator unlocks, calling cards, emblems, and Battle Pass progress.

The account card in the Zombies menu displays the selected operator, level, prestige icon, Scraps, and experience progress. Players can also change their profile/operator through the Barracks menu.

Career Rank

Career Rank progression rewards players with level-based unlocks. Some weapons, perks, operators, cosmetics, and seasonal rewards require specific level thresholds. The launch-season career reward structure includes Scraps, calling cards, emblems, charms, and weapon blueprints, ending with a VXR-7 Career Line blueprint at level 55.

Prestige

Prestige progression is included through profile storage and visual prestige icons. The current build contains prestige icon assets from Prestige 0 through Prestige 10. The profile system supports Prestige Master state after reaching higher prestige progression.

Challenges

The Challenges menu contains Zombies challenges, Daily Challenges, and Weekly Challenges. V80 fixed challenge tracking so Daily and Weekly Challenges now update when Zombies run progress is saved, even if the Challenges screen was not opened before the match.

Core Zombies challenges include reaching specific rounds, earning kills, earning critical kills, completing the Hollow Pines main quest, clearing Surge zones, reaching higher Cursed rounds, unlocking Cursed Relics, and earning Cursed kills.

Examples

Challenge	Requirement	Reward
Not Even Warm	Reach Round 10.	120 Scraps
Past Midnight	Reach Round 20.	260 Scraps
Town Cleaner	Earn 500 Zombies kills.	340 Scraps
Head Tax	Earn 250 critical kills.	300 Scraps
Seal the Hollow Rift	Complete the Hollow Pines main quest.	600 Scraps
Containment Runner	Clear Surge 5 in the Surge playlist.	240 Scraps
Circle Breaker	Clear 25 total Surge locations.	420 Scraps
First Curse	Reach Round 20 in Cursed.	260 Scraps
Relic Woken	Unlock any Cursed Relic.	420 Scraps
Harder Dead	Earn 500 kills in Cursed.	360 Scraps

Operators

Players can select different operators through the profile and Barracks systems. Four operators are unlocked by default: Noah Mad, Jessica Carver, Edward Richtofen, and William Peck. Additional operators unlock through level progression.

Operator	Unlock level	Faction	Role
Noah Mad	0	Hollow Pines Response	Survivor
Jessica Carver	0	Containment Bureau	Tactician
Edward Richtofen	0	Aether Science	Researcher
William Peck	0	Omega Defector	Engineer
Dominic Rourke	5	Task Force 616	Field Lead
Leila Navarro	8	Cognitive Warfare	Signal Analyst
Marcus Kane	12	Ridge Security	Heavy Gunner
Aya Voss	15	Spectre Unit	Scout
Vera Cross	18	Nighthawk	Marksman
Kade Mercer	21	Blackcell	Breacher
Elias Stone	25	Ash Patrol	Medic
Zane Hollow	29	Hollow Pines Native	Tracker
Mara Raines	33	Containment Bureau	Interrogator
Caleb Bishop	37	Church Watch	Ritualist
Hana Sato	41	Aether Science	Prototype Pilot
Nolan Graves	45	Rail Yard Union	Saboteur
Iris Keller	50	Bunker Lab	Weaponsmith
The Warden	55	Unknown	Dark Ops

Store

The Store contains cosmetic bundles and progression-related purchases. Bundles include operator skins, weapon blueprints, calling cards, emblems, charms, GobbleGum-related items, and Battle Pass access. Store purchases use Scraps as the listed currency.

Example bundles include Noah Rescue Team, Carver Warden, Richtofen Lab Coat, Peck Defector, Ray Gunner, Scrapper's Cut, Vanta-Rift Prototype, Deadshot Club, Runner's Brew, Vulture Aid Supply, Aether Shroud, and Battle Pass Reserve.

Development

Production on ONLINE began in March 2025 and was originally intended to be a incremental game before being delayed from its original October 2025 release to July 2026. The game was developed by SOI Studios alongside Mob Productions as publisher.

The current build is identified by internal release notes as a Zombies-only build. The V80 update removed deprecated non-Zombies playable directories from the package and changed the main menu so ShooterofIO: Online opens into a Zombies-only front menu. It also removed outdated non-Zombies labels from Challenges, Barracks, Profile, and HQ Store messaging.

Earlier package notes identify V79 as "Patch 1 - Boss Balance / Ray Gun Update", which focused on Hollow Pines boss pacing and Wonder Weapon tuning.

Updates and patches

Patch 1

Patch 1 focused on reducing the length and frustration of The Jailor boss fight. The update increased Ray Gun performance, reduced The Jailor's health scaling, improved Wonder Weapon damage opportunities, reduced add spam, reduced Brute and Armored overstacking, slowed repeated summon pressure, and improved weak-point windows.

The patch did not allow Nukes to damage The Jailor or other boss-class targets.

V80 Patch

The V80 build made the following release-level changes:

• ShooterofIO ONLINE now opens into a Zombies-only front menu.
• Deprecated non-Zombies playable directories were removed from the package.
• Daily and Weekly Challenges now track through shared profile progress when a Zombies run is saved.
• The main Zombies menu now reflects Boot Camp completion and live Daily Challenge progress instead of placeholder text.
• Deprecated non-Zombies labels were removed from Challenges, Barracks, Profile, and HQ Store messaging.

See also

• ShooterofIO