In a 2016 update, Octopus Deploy introduced enhancements to its variable substitution library, Octostache, allowing for more complex and flexible management of JSON data within deployments. The new features include support for JSON parsing, enabling users to easily access and manipulate JSON-formatted data using dot-notation or index notation. Additionally, improvements were made to index replacement and conditional statements, allowing dynamic resolution and more versatile comparisons beyond simple truthy evaluations. A new formatting function was also added, enabling users to format dates and numbers according to custom specifications, with the ability to use the machine's current culture for conversions. These updates aim to facilitate more sophisticated interactions between variables and scopes, enhancing the deployment process.