Whether you're a cautious rookie or a hardened squad leader, Ready or Not just gave you more control than ever with its July 2025 "End of Watch" update. For the first time, players can officially adjust difficulty levels without relying on mods or unofficial tweaks.
This update isn’t just a simple Easy–Medium–Hard toggle. It’s a thoughtfully designed system that reshapes how you play, react, and survive in high-stakes scenarios.
🔧 What’s New in the Difficulty System?
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🟢 Casual – A forgiving setup where suspects are less aggressive and more likely to surrender.
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🔵 Standard – The core experience most players are familiar with, now refined with smarter AI behavior.
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🔴 Hard – Brutal, realistic, and best tackled with tight communication and tactical discipline.
Each mode doesn’t just adjust health or damage—it alters AI decision-making, reaction times, morale, trap density, and more.
🧠 Fun fact: This update also enables mission-specific difficulty tuning—you can run a hostage rescue on Casual and crank up a meth lab raid to Hard if you want variety.
🧠 How Difficulty Settings Affect Gameplay
Ready or Not is known for its grounded, methodical gameplay—and these new options deepen that.
| Feature Affected | Casual | Standard | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enemy Reaction Time | Slower | Balanced | Fast and punishing |
| Suspect Surrender Likelihood | Very High | Normal | Low – expect resistance |
| Trap Density | Low | Moderate | High (doors, bombs, traps) |
| Squadmate AI Awareness | Forgiving of mistakes | Responsive | Requires careful coordination |
| Civilian Behavior | Predictable | Mixed | Panic and unpredictability |
| Mission Timer (if enabled) | Extended or none | Standard | Shorter time to complete objectives |
“Enemies flank more often and punish poor positioning—especially on Hard mode.” – community feedback on Reddit
🎮 How to Change Difficulty in Ready or Not
It’s easy to customize your experience:
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Enter the mission planning screen before deployment.
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Choose from Casual, Standard, or Hard under the difficulty tab.
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Apply modifiers (if supported) for things like time limits or limited loadouts.
On PC, advanced users can layer difficulty mods on top of these presets—changing suspect count, damage multipliers, or squad behavior even further.
🗣 Community Response: A Tactical Win
Players have welcomed this update, especially console users who previously couldn’t mod their experience.
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New players love Casual mode for learning without constant failure.
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Veterans say Hard mode forces realistic SWAT coordination and punishes solo rushing.
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Some PC players still prefer mods for ultra-hard realism, but many agree that this new system is a strong foundation.
“It’s nice to finally have built-in options instead of relying on NexusMods every time I want a challenge.” – u/SWATSimGod
🧩 Which Difficulty Should You Choose?
🟢 Casual Mode Is Best For:
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First-time players
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Gamers new to tactical FPS
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Those who want to focus on roleplay or squad coordination without pressure
🔵 Standard Mode Is Best For:
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Returning players from Early Access
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Co-op groups with mixed experience levels
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Balanced challenge and immersion
🔴 Hard Mode Is Best For:
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Realism purists
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Teams using voice chat and advanced tactics
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Players chasing 3-star mission ratings and clean runs
💡 Pro tip: Even if you're skilled, don’t underestimate Hard mode—suspects are smarter, more aggressive, and less predictable than ever before.
🧭 Final Thoughts: Tactical Freedom for Everyone
With the new adjustable difficulty system, Ready or Not finally offers a scalable experience for all kinds of players. Whether you're easing into the world of tactical shooters or pushing for authentic SWAT simulation, there's a mode that fits your needs.
And the best part? You can now scale difficulty per mission—making every deployment feel tailored and fresh.
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