2025-10-08

1.51.0 patch notes

Update 1.51.0 is now LIVE and available on both Android and iOS.

Table of contents:

ANNIVERSARY 2025

1.51.0 release marks the 10th anniversary of Critical Ops. To celebrate, we are launching an Anniversary 2025 event with new content, alongside new features, a new game mode, and much more!

ANNIVERSARY 2025 CASE

The Anniversary 2025 case features new and exciting content, as well as old fan-favorite items.

The Anniversary 2025 case will be available for direct purchase with Credits and as part of bundles throughout the 1.51 update. All items from the case can be sold in the marketplace immediately.

ANNIVERSARY LUCKY SPIN

The Star Lucky Spin is making a comeback, this time for the anniversary event! Come back every day, complete 3 daily missions, and grab your rewards for a limited time.

This time, you will be able to grab 3 anniversary emblems of the game icon throughout the years, a set of the Green Tech utility and weapon skins, a Standard, and an Anniversary 2025 case.

FFA GRIDLOCK

  • Added “FFA Gridlock” game mode.

Free-for-all Gridlock is a fun, fast-paced game mode, crafted to give players a safe environment to test the changes and updates introduced to certain weapons and utilities in this release.

  • Free-for-all: 6 individual players.
    • 100 HP, 50 Kevlar.
    • Unlimited respawns.
  • Equipment: Any SMG of choice + 8 Firebomb grenades.
  • Map: Uplink.
    • Randomized spawn points.
  • Duration: 4 minutes.
  • Win condition: Have the most kills by the match end.

UTILITY UPDATES

In this update, the utilities are receiving an upgrade.

GRENADE TRAJECTORY INDICATOR

  • Added a grenade trajectory indicator.
  • Added grenade trajectory indicator-related settings.

You can now see the trajectory the utility will take after you initiate the throw until the first collision point or the explosion, whichever comes first.



The indicator is enabled by default, and you can change the trajectory opacity, delay before the indicator appears, and toggle the indicator entirely in the gameplay settings.

UNDERHAND THROW

  • Added an underhand throw action for grenades.


The underhand throw has a shorter, lower trajectory. This can allow you to flash behind a corner quickly, send a smoke close to yourself without having to bounce it off walls, etc. Your creativity is the limit!

JUMP-THROW CONSISTENCY

  • Made the added jump-throw force consistent.
  • Added a fall grace period.

Previously, when jump-throwing a grenade, the game would add extra force to the grenade, making it travel further and higher. This force was based on the character’s upward jump speed and would change throughout the character’s jump trajectory. This caused jump-throws to be inconsistent, as even the smallest difference in your grenade throw could cause it to land outside the expected area.

Now, the force added to the grenade will be consistent throughout the jump until the character starts falling. This will minimize the importance of perfectly timed throws, making them more predictable and easier to reproduce.

Note: These changes do not affect the force added to grenades thrown during forward or backward movement.

GAMEPLAY BALANCE

ALL SUBMACHINE GUNS

  • Reduced spread while stationary, moving, and in the air.
  • Altered recoil patterns.

MPX

  • Slightly increased move speed.
  • Change damage drop-off ranges from 10-20m to 7-12m.

MP5

  • Removed silencer.
  • Changed damage drop-off ranges from 10-20m to 7-12m.

MP7

  • Changed damage drop-off ranges from 10-20m to 9-13m.

VECTOR

  • Changed damage drop-off ranges from 10-25m to 9-13m.

P90

  • Changed damage drop-off end from 25m to 15m.

M4

  • Removed silencer.

M14

  • Removed silencer.

FLASHBANG GRENADE

  • Reduced max flash effect duration from 6s to 5s.
  • Reduced min flash effect duration from 1.75s to 1s.
  • Reduced flash angle factor from 180 to 120 degrees.

Your sprays with SMGs will now be more accurate when moving and standing still, allowing you to pose a mobile threat when rushing and be a concern for anyone attempting to push into the objective. The damage drop-off range changes are designed to counter the reduced spread, keeping SMGs viable for close and mid-range engagements.

Silencers are an effective way to conceal your position on the minimap when taking fire. This time, we are removing silencers from certain weapons. Now, if you want to have the advantages of a silenced weapon, you will need to consider the available options and how well you can handle them.

Flashbang grenade changes aim to balance the utility while providing more room for skill expression. The reduced flash angle factor will allow you to dodge the flash effect more effectively by looking away, whether you are trying to hold a position or flash yourself into an objective. And if you fail in dodging the effect altogether, the applied flash effect will be noticeably shorter due to the reduced max and min flash effect duration.

RANKED LEADERBOARD

  • Added ranked leaderboard menu.
    • The leaderboard will become available with the launch of Ranked Season 16.
  • Added a leaderboard position showcase to the player profile menu.
  • Added a button to follow the player on the leaderboard to the player profile menu.

Have you ever wondered how your ranked season performance compares to other players or your friends? Wonder no more! The ranked leaderboard allows you to do just that!

*Mock data used

AUDIO UPDATES

This time around, we will be improving the audio experience and adding more “ear candy”.

NEW AUDIO EVENTS

  • Added sounds for making a headshot.
  • Added sounds for inflicting damage that results in an armor piece breaking.
  • Added a sound for a kill being made.
  • Added a volume slider for new audio events, known as “local” sounds.
  • Added audio ducking (also known as side chain) for the new audio events as well as hitmarkers.

New sounds have been added to emphasize certain events you are performing in-game. These sounds are only audible to you, or when you are spectating someone else in first person. When these sounds are played, they will very shortly reduce the volume of other sounds (audio ducking). You can toggle this in settings, and it is enabled by default.

We hope this will improve game feedback, audio-wise. We would love to hear your feedback, no pun intended.

AUDIO CHANGES

  • Changed weapon inspect sound only to be audible to self.
  • Retimed sounds in all weapon animations.
    • All sounds should match their respective animations better.
  • Changed weapon animations (reload, inspect, etc) to use their respective designated sounds for handling the weapon.
    • For example: MP7 Appraisal animation used MP5 handling sounds, and now it correctly uses MP7’s.
  • Changed Super 90’s deploy sound to be unique instead of being similar to that of AK47.
  • Changed MPX handling sounds to be unique instead of being similar to those of MP5.
  • Added new and unique scoping sounds for assault rifles with a scope.
    • AR-15 and SCAR-H use the new scoping sounds. This will make it easier to distinguish which type of weapon is being used, a sniper rifle or an assault rifle.
  • Fixed deploy sound not being canceled/interrupted when switching weapons.
  • Removed audio spread.
    • Before this change, any sound that would be closer to you would be spread to both left and right channels, regardless of whether the origin of the sound was directly to your left/right.
    • Now you will have to actually face the origin of the sound for the spread to happen naturally. With this change, you will be able to pinpoint the origin of any sound much better.
  • Added muffling to distant sounds.
    • This change is especially noticeable for weapon shoot sounds.

MARKETPLACE UPDATES

  • Made the following content available on the Marketplace:
    • Amber collection.
    • Paint Patrol collection.
    • Biker collection.
    • Ranked season 15 Blaze skins and Gold Plated Vector.

MAP UPDATES

CANALS

  • Fixed unintentional wallbangs.

PORT

  • Fixed bomb stuck spots.

RAID

  • Fixed bomb stuck spots.

GOOGLE PLAY GAMES PC

We’re excited to confirm that we’re developing a Google Play Games PC version of the game, officially bringing Critical Ops to the PC platform. The PC version is currently being tested internally, and issues that prevent its public beta release are being addressed. We will provide more information as soon as it becomes available. Stay tuned!

MISC

  • Changed tutorial match format from Brewery 3v7 to Warehouse 3v3.
  • Changed the reload button to restart the inspect animation instead of stopping it.
  • Changed case purchasing to show previews of case contents.
  • Adjusted automatic graphics settings logic.
  • Adjusted maximum rating difference between two teams to address matchmaking issues for Master 3 and higher.
  • Reduced volatility for rating changes during placement matches.
  • Changed default crosshair.
  • Renamed Tanto Default to Pristine, changed rarity from Epic to Legendary.

BUG FIXES

  • Fixed a bug allowing players to trigger the ping marker wheel when spectating with KBM and Gamepad input methods.
  • Fixed a crash when defusing the bomb in the tutorial at the edge of the defuse range.
  • Fixed bot practice rooms closing immediately after multitasking.