Wanted to know since I couldn't find a clear answer on Steam forums and on Reddit, a lot of bantering on personal experiences but no input from an official source.
Do gas masks reduce sounds?
I think posting on a forum like this, you won't get an official response, but yet some more personal experiences. That said, yes the gas masks dampen incoming sound
Yes, in real life they do with mop suits, make life very interesting. The voice diaphragm is suppose to help improve your voice in theory, but in practice.
@imonmyway There is nobody roaming Focus forums (or Steam for that matter) from NWI side ever since I left that company.
As for gas masks, the only sound they muffle is your own VO (automatic VO when reloading, suppressed, etc. as well as manual through command wheel).
I'm not aware of it muffling VoIP (did not test) and it should not muffle incoming sounds as neither Sec or Ins masks cover ears and I am not aware of any design changes (though i'm off the project so who knows).