Hostile Skies v3.6 Roadmap

v3.6 is the next confirmed patch on the Hostile Skies roadmap. This page summarises the official developer announcement, the headlining features, the expected release window, and the preparation steps most pilots should take in the week before launch.

Confirmed headlining features

The developer Discord has confirmed the following items for v3.6:

• New event: Sky Kings Invitational — a one-weekend 1v1 duel bracket with a permanent banner for the top 16 finishers.
• Two new skins — one Allied night-fighter camouflage, one Axis carrier-based livery.
• No new planes — the v3.5.1 M22 and Phantom remain the apex picks.
• Carrier map rework — the Allied carrier map is being reworked for better flight paths and clearer spawn points. This was originally scheduled for v3.7 but moved up.
• Matchmaking QoL — faster queue times for low-population regions and a stricter squad balance check to prevent stacked premades.

The patch is roughly 70% the size of v3.5.1 in terms of new content. It is balanced around the assumption that most pilots are still grinding the Phantom Pursuit event rotation.

Hostile Skies Gameplay with Phantom

Expected release window

v3.6 is targeted for a release roughly three weeks after v3.5.1 went live. That puts the patch in the late February to early March 2026 window. The developer has not pinned an exact date because they tend to hold patches until the QA build is clean for two consecutive days.

The day-of-release pattern is consistent across the last three patches:

• Patch drops on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon, US time.
• The patch lands with a 2x credit bonus on every match for the first 48 hours.
• A new code drops within the first 24 hours. Watch the Active codes page.

If you are planning a grind session around the v3.6 launch, target the first 48 hours after the patch goes live.

What to save credits for

v3.6 does not introduce new plane unlocks, so most of the credit pressure from previous patches eases. The recommended preparation pattern is:

1. Save 50,000 credits before launch day so you have a float for the launch-weekend grind.
2. Redeem every active code on the Thursday before launch — some codes expire on patch day.
3. Spend any cosmetic credits on the new skins the day they drop. Skins have launch-week scarcity pricing.
4. Bank the rest of your credits. The next big credit sink is the v3.7 carrier rework, which is expected to add one new plane.

If you have already unlocked the M22 or Phantom, v3.6 is a relatively low-pressure patch. If you have not, this is a good window to catch up because the meta will not shift away from your current picks.

What to expect from the Sky Kings Invitational

The Sky Kings Invitational is a one-weekend 1v1 duel bracket. Each round is best of nine. The top 16 finishers win a permanent banner. The rest of the lobby gets a participation badge that disappears after 30 days.

The brackets work like a single-elimination tournament. Win your first match, advance. Lose, go to the loser’s bracket. The loser’s bracket has two rounds before elimination. Most pilots who queue for the bracket will play at least three matches.

The duels use the same flight model as standard dogfights but with one change: every duel is at 1,500 m altitude over a small, fixed map. The setup is designed to reward energy fighting rather than turn fighting. Bring a P-51 Mustang, a Gloster Meteor, or an M22 if you are Allied; bring an FW 190 D-13, a Me 262, or a Phantom if you are Axis.

How to prepare for the matchmaking changes

The matchmaking changes are the lowest-risk part of the patch. They do not change gameplay; they only affect how long you wait in the lobby and how balanced the match is. If you currently wait long for matches in your region, you should see shorter queue times after v3.6.

The squad balance check is more impactful. The developer has confirmed that v3.6 enforces a tighter skill balance on squad lobbies, so you cannot queue a six-pilot premade of level-50 pilots against a mix of new pilots. If you main squad play, expect slightly longer queue times but more balanced matches.

After v3.6: what’s next

The roadmap beyond v3.6 includes v3.7 (which adds one new plane and the carrier rework), the anniversary update in September, and the holiday patch in December. The full roadmap lives on the Upcoming content page.

For the patch that introduced the current rotation, see the Latest patch page. For the active event rotation, see the Event schedule page.