If you recently purchased the highly anticipated submarine simulator published by Slitherine and developed by Wave Ops, you likely have one burning question: why won't the enemy shoot back? In the current Early Access build, the OPFOR (Opposing Force) lacks offensive combat capabilities and will not fire torpedoes or anti-ship missiles at your SSN-774 Virginia-class submarine. This controversial design choice has split the community, but the narrative that the game is completely broken misses a crucial technical reality. While the enemy won't proactively hunt you, the simulation features a highly sophisticated defensive logic that actively evades your attacks using realistic countermeasures, thermal layer exploitation, and kinematic evasion. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the exact state of the enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare players are currently experiencing, how to defeat its defensive maneuvers, and why this hardcore simulator is much more than a passive shooting gallery.
The Controversy of the Enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare Shipped With
When Modern Naval Warfare launched into Steam Early Access in May 2026 with a $60 price tag, the community was shocked by a last-minute revelation. Community manager Qanniqtuq confirmed on the official Discord that the game would release without full enemy combat AI, stating that offensive capabilities would be enabled "very very soon after" launch. For a game predicated on high-stakes modern undersea combat, launching without an enemy that shoots back resulted in an immediate wave of "Mixed" Steam reviews.
However, the reason for this missing feature lies in the game's underlying architecture. Wave Ops built the engine not just as a commercial video game, but as a professional military training tool. In real-world naval training simulators, automated offensive AI is often considered a secondary feature because a human instructor typically operates the OPFOR. The instructor orchestrates the threat environment manually, triggering events, spawning helicopters, and launching simulated weapons to test the crew's reactions.
Analysis report poster detailing the May 2026 OPFOR threat matrix and early access AI limitations.
Because the developers prioritized a 1:1 scale, fully functional Virginia-class control room where every single station is modeled, the complex calculus required for an autonomous offensive AI was pushed down the roadmap. Writing an AI that can calculate acoustic propagation, convergence zones, and multi-domain missile strikes while realistically managing its own submarine systems is an enormous technical hurdle. The lack of offensive enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare shipped with is a direct byproduct of prioritizing absolute systems fidelity over arcade-style engagement.
How the Defensive Enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare Features Counters Your Attacks
Just because the enemy won't launch a preemptive strike doesn't mean they are sitting ducks. The game's physics engine accounts for mass, volume, inertia, and complex calculus equations for hydrodynamics. The moment you flood the tubes and launch a Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo, the OPFOR AI instantly transitions into a highly capable defensive posture.
If you assume you can simply point and shoot at a defenseless target, the defensive AI will quickly deplete your torpedo reserves. The evasion tactics are broken down into three distinct phases:
- Acoustic Decoy Deployment: The moment the enemy detects your launch transient or the active seeker head of your torpedo, the AI deploys sophisticated noisemakers. These decoys are designed to spoof the Mk-48's active sonar, creating false acoustic signatures that can easily seduce your weapon away from the actual target.
- Thermal Layer Evasion: The AI understands the oceanography simulated in the game. It will immediately attempt to dive below the thermal layer, utilizing the deep sound channel to break your sonar lock. Because sound waves bend as they pass through different water temperatures and densities, the AI actively uses the environment to mask its acoustic signature.
- Kinematic Maneuvering: Enemy vessels will immediately flank speed and alter depth to force your torpedo to bleed kinetic energy. The realistic physics of underwater drag mean that a torpedo traveling at 50 knots loses energy rapidly when forced to turn and chase a maneuvering target.
Infographic showing the defensive AI evasion sequence against a Mk-48 ADCAP torpedo.
To secure a kill, your firing solutions must be flawless. You must wire-guide your torpedo past the deployed decoys, manually steer it through the thermal layers, and only activate its onboard active sonar when it is within terminal range. The defensive AI ensures that every engagement remains a tense, intellectual exercise in Target Motion Analysis (TMA).
Surviving the Silent Service: The UI, TMA, and Procedural Overload
There is a silver lining to the lack of offensive AI during this Early Access period: procedural overload. Operating the SSN-774 Virginia-class submarine is not for the faint of heart. Unlike more accessible titles like Cold Waters, this simulator requires you to manually operate the Fire Control interface, interpret raw waterfall displays on the sonar screens, and manually input data into the TMA to calculate the enemy's kinematic vector.
Annotated diagram of the Target Motion Analysis and Fire Control interface in the submarine simulator.
Currently, the game suffers from a few early access quirks, most notably the "silent sonar bug"—a known issue where passive sonar data occasionally drops out, requiring players to execute a specific workaround at the fire control station to restore telemetry. If the AI were aggressively firing back with hyper-accurate, 50-knot torpedoes while players were still fumbling with the TMA screens and wrestling with early-access bugs, the game would be entirely unplayable for newcomers.
The current state of the game allows players to treat it as a high-fidelity procedural trainer. You have the breathing room to learn how to properly establish a passive sonar track, calculate an intercept course, and manage your nuclear reactor without the immediate threat of instantaneous death.
Multiplayer OPFOR: The Human AI Alternative
Until Wave Ops patches in the autonomous offensive logic, the true OPFOR in Modern Naval Warfare is other players. The game features robust multi-station co-op and VS modes, which essentially serve as the stopgap for the missing AI.
A human crew operating an enemy Kilo-class submarine (or future platforms like the Akula) completely replaces the need for automated logic. This is where the simulation truly shines. Engaging in a slow, multi-hour game of cat-and-mouse against a human opponent who is actively trying to mask their own acoustic signature while hunting you demonstrates the raw potential of the Wave Ops engine. In a multiplayer setting, the lack of PvE combat AI becomes entirely irrelevant, as the psychological warfare of human vs. human submarine combat takes center stage.
Comic grid illustrating a multi-station co-op engagement against a human-controlled Kilo-class submarine.
The Future of Enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare: Roadmaps and Updates
The developers are acutely aware of the community's frustration regarding the $60 price tag for an incomplete combat experience. According to the official Early Access roadmap and communications on the Matrix Games forums, full dynamic combat AI is the studio's highest priority.
The current Early Access period is being used to gather vast amounts of telemetry data from player engagements. By analyzing how human players utilize the Virginia-class systems to hunt and evade, the developers can train the AI's offensive logic to react realistically. The goal is not to create an omniscient AI that instantly knows your location, but an OPFOR that must go through the same rigorous Target Motion Analysis and sonar tracking procedures that the player does. When the offensive enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare promises is finally implemented, it will fundamentally transform the game from a procedural trainer into a terrifying combat simulator.
FAQ: Enemy AI Modern Naval Warfare
Why doesn't the enemy shoot back in Modern Naval Warfare? In the current Early Access build, the developers disabled the offensive combat AI. Because the game doubles as a professional military trainer where an instructor typically controls the OPFOR, the autonomous offensive logic was not finalized for the commercial release. Enemies will not fire torpedoes or missiles at you.
How does the defensive AI work in the game? While the enemy won't attack, they will aggressively defend themselves. The defensive AI utilizes acoustic decoys to spoof your torpedoes, dives below thermal layers to break sonar locks, and executes high-speed kinematic evasions to force your weapons to bleed energy.
When will offensive enemy AI be added to the game? Developer Wave Ops and publisher Slitherine have stated that enabling full combat AI is their top priority for the Early Access roadmap. Community managers have indicated it will be added "very soon," using player telemetry to fine-tune the AI's targeting logic.
Is there a way to play against hostile enemies right now? Yes. The best way to experience hostile engagements is through the game's multiplayer VS mode. Human players can control OPFOR submarines, completely replacing the need for AI and providing a highly lethal, unpredictable threat.
Does the lack of AI ruin the simulation? For players looking for an arcade-style shooter, the lack of AI is a dealbreaker. However, for hardcore simulation fans, the current build acts as a deep procedural trainer, allowing players to learn the highly complex Fire Control and TMA systems of the SSN-774 Virginia-class without being constantly destroyed by enemy fire.
Modern Naval Warfare is currently a masterpiece of systems modeling wrapped in an incomplete game loop. The frustration surrounding the missing offensive OPFOR is entirely justified for a premium-priced title. Yet, the sheer depth of the defensive AI, the unforgiving physics of the deep sound channel, and the 1:1 fidelity of the Virginia-class control room prove that Wave Ops is building something unprecedented. Until the enemy learns how to shoot back, use this time to master your boat—because when the AI finally floods its own tubes, the silent service will become very loud, very quickly.