Added

• Bounded mission-level model escalation: at most one escalation step to a distinct policy-allowed model, with a full audit trail in mission activity and the rejected attempt preserved instead of discarded.
• Grounding recovery for cited workspace files: when a department cites files that exist in the workspace but were not supplied, one bounded retry supplies exactly those files and re-verifies the objective.
• War Room live department indicator strip, derived and presentation-only.
• Interface zoom controls: Ctrl/Cmd +, −, 0, plus a −/%/+ cluster in the header.

Changed

• Evidence-id normalization applied consistently across evidence, verified facts, and handoff validation.
• Prerequisite-ledger resolution credits bare file names and concept discovery before a mission blocks on missing evidence.
• The context planner trims a small prompt overage at coherent line boundaries instead of failing the mission.
• Superseded prerequisite blockers are cleared when a mission reaches a terminal state, failure or cancellation.
• Provider form alignment polished in Settings.

Fixed

• Git repository-probe timeouts are reported truthfully with one bounded retry, instead of being misreported as no repository.
• Release Center and release gates accept prerelease version formats (x.y.z-rc.n).

Installation and limits

• Windows x64 only.
• Unsigned installer; SmartScreen or Unknown Publisher warnings are expected.
• No auto-update; upgrades are manual.
• Uninstall retains %APPDATA%\anxcortex-hq until it is removed manually.
• No project license has been selected yet; all rights are reserved by default. See Legal.