Eagle Dynamics has announced the release of DCS: World Afghanistan and Flaming Cliffs 2024. DCS: Afghanistan is now available in the DCS Shop and Steam for $55.99. Flaming Cliffs 2024 is now available in the DCS Shop and Steam for $59.99.

Watch the DCS: Afghanistan Early Access Release Trailer HERE.

Afghanistan has been one of the most important and interesting combat theatres of the 40 years or so. From the decade long war following the Soviet invasion in December 1979 though the “War on Terror” that lasted twenty years from 2001 to 2021. Few war zones have seen more continuous combat with such a wide variety of aircraft and equipment from so many nations. Afghanistan offers a highly varied landscape with not just deserts but also rolling hills, towering mountains and lush river valleys. The initial release is focused on the southwest region of the country and includes regions around Kandahar and Herat. DCS: Afghanistan is now available, don’t miss our biggest and most detailed map to date. Watch the trailer and enjoy!

Flaming Cliffs (FC) 2024 will expand the series with the inclusion of three new aircraft: F-5E, F-86F and MiG-15bis. These aircraft are designed to be less complex and easier-to-learn than their full-fidelity sisters, making them ideal for players who prefer a more straightforward flight simulation experience. The new models come with DCS Professional Flight Models that ensure a high level of realism.

Slitherine Games has released the Scramble: Battle of Britain – Flight School, Episode #6 video.

Watch Flight School, Episode #6 “Dogfighting and damage modeling” HERE.

Welcome back to Flight School, our dev diary series unveiling the most important elements of Scramble: Battle of Britain step by step. Today, we are introducing an advanced topic to help our demo pilots train their skills as the game takes its best shape.

Dogfighting and Damage Modeling
Aerial gunnery is a challenging skill to master in real-time, even with a pilot’s ability to constantly adjust their orientation to maintain a target within their gunsight. The turn-based design of Scramble further complicates this problem by locking aircraft controls for seconds at a time, limiting player authority to minimize targeting errors. Consequently, the Scramble Engine makes some simplifying assumptions to abstract gunnery in a way that rewards traditional dogfighting tactics while still leveraging the analog simulation pillar of Scramble’s design.

Projectiles & Damage
Scramble represents projectiles as clusters: each cluster simulates along a ballistic trajectory and has a base damage value that adjusts according to impact velocity and distance traveled. While aircraft guns in the real world are tuned to converge at a point in space in front of the airplane, yielding a very narrow 3D hit box hundreds of meters along their trajectories, Scramble simulates a more generous damage region that universally expands as projectiles fly farther along their ballistic paths. This expanded hit region allows Scramble to both maintain its simulation foundation while rewarding tactical foresight.

Every projectile in Scramble carries a structure of data representing the active pilot traits at its time of firing, so upon impact the base bullet damage can be increased or reduced according to the pilot traits.

Scramble aircraft are modeled down to the subsystem level, with the entire body of an aircraft split into small hit spheres that are assigned to the subsystem who most closely shares their position. Subsystems can be marked as dense or penetrable, so the skin of a wing or fuselage will allow a projectile to continue its trajectory, possibly impacting a more dense subsystem in an ensuing simulation frame.

Subsystem Damage & Failure
Every subsystem on a Scramble aircraft has a total health value, critical damage threshold, performance impact while critically damaged and while failed, and a potential list of other subsystem components that either feed it or rely on its functioning for their own performance.

As an example of coupled subsystems, engines require fuel to run and radiators to remain healthy. A failed radiator will immediately move engine damage status to critical. A critically damaged engine has reduced thrust output and can only continue to survive at a reduced throttle state.

Control surfaces and structural subsystems will degrade aerodynamic stability and performance when critically damaged or failed. Damaged ailerons impact aircraft roll performance, and damaged elevators will limit pitch authority and may induce roll and yaw biases. Critically damaged control surfaces may fail completely when commanded during high-G maneuvers, so players should be careful to minimize maneuvering along damaged control axes while at high speeds.

Leaks, Fires & Explosions
Most aircraft in Scramble have both oil and coolant radiators. Damaged oil and coolant systems will leak black and white smoke, respectively, at a rate proportional to the damage they have accrued. Fully failed radiator systems will damage the engines they feed, so subsystem failures tend to cascade into engine failures as dogfights drag on.

Fuel tanks are positioned and sized according to historical references, and punctured fuel tanks will leak for the duration of a dogfight. Fuel leaks can catch on fire, and empty fuel tanks receiving additional damage will result in a catastrophic explosion.

Debris
Every component that falls off an airplane in Scramble contains unique aerodynamics and damage definitions, and will continue simulating until impacting the sea. Aircraft can collide with visual debris and will receive damage proportional to the debris size and closing velocity.

An aircraft that loses its right wing will begin to roll aggressively to the right side while its heavy wing flutters behind on its own simulated trajectory. If this same aircraft then loses its left wing, the rightward roll will dampen, and the body will continue on a mostly ballistic trajectory until impact.

Close-range shots are the most sure method of inflicting damage in Scramble, but heavily damaged aircraft tend to leave a wake littered with dangerous debris. Pilots attacking at close-range should plan ahead to ensure they exit the engagement clear of any resulting debris field.

Live to Fight Again
Scramble aircraft degrade and fail bit by bit, with coupled subcomponents and plenty of feedback to help players manage the risk of keeping their pilots in the fight for additional turns. The most valuable resource in Scramble is a pool of healthy, experienced pilots, and players will find that leaving combat to fight another day is a far higher rewarded strategy than maximizing kills. Our goal in developing this richly simulated combat engine is to facilitate player stories that mirror the emotional and tactical richness of pilot memoirs from the Battle of Britain.

Click here for more game information.

FREE EXPANSION-SIZED ADDITION WELCOMES NEW MAP REGIONS, CULTURES, UNITS AND MORE

SEGA® Europe, Ltd. and The Creative Assembly™ Limited. have today announced that Total War: PHARAOH’s DYNASTIES will release on July 25th. This free expansion-sized addition provides a host of new features to the campaign experience including new map regions, cultures, units, gameplay mechanics, and sweeping quality of life improvements.

Watch the new gameplay overview trailer HERE.

Lead New Cultures

Four of the ancient world’s most iconic cultures join the fight to hold back the cataclysmic events of the Bronze-Age Collapse: Babylon, Assyria, Mycenae and Troy. Each offers a unique campaign experience whilst featuring iconic historical leaders, diverse armies to command, gods to worship and much more. Beyond this, an additional 25 minor factions are available to play, such as the Aeolians led by the fabled Achilles, or Napata led by the warrior-king Memnon.

Expand Your Empire

Spanning much of the ancient world from the Aegean to Mesopotamia and down to Ancient Egypt, DYNASTIES almost doubles the size of PHARAOH’s original campaign map by adding 168 new settlements, new historical landmarks, new victory objectives and more. To traverse this vastly expanded sandbox new Sea Travel Lanes have been added that speed up the fleets carrying your armies, enabling you to raid and invade further and faster. ​

Establish Your Dynasty

Start a family tree to ensure your empire stands the test of time with the new Dynasty system. Reign over the tides of mortality and succession, navigating strategic marriages, heroic deaths on the battlefield, assassinations, and the looming mortality of old age to leave behind a legacy that will last the ages.

Dominate The Battlefield

Wage war with over 150 new and reworked units including cavalry, camel riders and faction specific units such as the elite Guards of Troy. Challenge yourself with new battle mechanics such as the optional Lethality modifier which makes battles more realistic by making combat much more deadly.

A Message From The Developers

“From the outset of our design journey on Total War: PHARAOH, our vision has always been to deliver a grand-scale recreation of the turbulent Bronze Age Collapse; one brimming with historical intrigue, authentic representations of iconic civilisation, and a sandbox theatre that allows you to rewrite the course of human history,” said Game Director, Todor Nikolov. “We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved and whilst this will be our final content addition, we hope it serves as a love letter that encapsulates our continued passion for this wonderful age. Thanks for your support.”

For more information about Total War: PHARAOH and the other Total War games in development, visit the Total War or Total War: PHARAOH website.

Evil Twin Artworks is thrilled to announce the latest major update for Victory At Sea Atlantic, introducing the highly anticipated Axis Campaign. Starting from July 3rd, 2024, players can now take on the role of the Axis powers, striving to halt the vital resource convoys heading towards Great Britain. Victory At Sea Atlantic, is currently in Early Access, and is available on both Steam, Epic and GOG platforms.

Victory At Sea Atlantic has captivated players with its historically authentic naval warfare, and the Axis Campaign adds a whole new dimension of strategy and excitement. This campaign challenges players to master the tactics of the Axis forces, using submarines, aircraft, and surface vessels to intercept and disrupt Allied supply lines across the perilous Atlantic Ocean.

Watch the Trailer HERE.

Key Features of the Axis Campaign:

Find out more about Victory At Sea Atlantic on Steam.

The developers from Bohemia Interactive are proud to announce the 1.2 update of Arma Reforger. The Arma Reforger 1.2: Reinforcements update brings a host of new assets, features, and improvements that will assist you in your battlefield combat readiness. From AI commanding and driving to defensive helicopter weapons, flares, bayonets, and more, find out what’s new in the new 1.2 Major Update HERE.

Watch the Arma Reforger: Reinforcements trailer HERE.

MicroProse, the legendary game developer renowned for classics like Falcon and B-17 The Mighty Eighth, is thrilled to announce the development of the Heritage Valor Collection, a series of high-quality add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) 2020 and the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

The Heritage Valor Collection is meticulously crafted around a WWII theme, offering virtual pilots an immersive experience with historically accurate aircraft. The inaugural product in this exciting new collection will be the B-17 Flying Fortress – The Queen.

The B-17 Flying Fortress – The Queen will feature a late-1942 B-17G model, one of the most advanced iterations of the iconic Flying Fortress, which played a crucial role in the European theater. Enthusiasts and virtual aviators alike will have the opportunity to pilot this legendary aircraft across the virtual skies.

The B-17G is being developed by a committed team, focused on bringing this venerable aircraft to Microsoft Flight Simulator with exceptional detail and historical accuracy, offering virtual pilots a fully immersive experience.

“We are incredibly proud to bring the Heritage Valor Collection to the flight simulation community,” said David Lagettie, CEO of MicroProse. “Our goal is to deliver an unparalleled level of authenticity and detail, allowing users to experience the greatness and power of these historic aircraft.”

Watch the new trailer HERE.

Early list of features

The pursue for realism

“Developing these aircraft is a challenging endeavor due to the numerous variations, even within the same block or sub-version of the aircraft. Accurate references are often difficult to find, as even museum-preserved aircraft don’t fully capture their historical authenticity,” said Sérgio Costa, Project Development Manager at MicroProse and head of the Heritage Valor Collection line of products.

Sérgio added, “We have been collaborating closely with consultants to enhance visual realism and access various resources that aid in fine-tuning the flight model and systems.”

For more information about the Heritage Valor Collection and the B-17 Flying Fortress – The Queen, visit www.heritagevalorcollection.com.

New update brings a new missile class, dozens of vehicles and damage model upgrades

Gaijin Entertainment announces the release of the “Seek & Destroy” update for the online military shooter War Thunder. The update brings dozens of new military vehicles, including the British battlecruiser Queen Mary, the French VLT-2 torpedo boat, the German F-4F KWS LV (ICE) fighter jet and the Kuwaiti Desert Warrior infantry fighting vehicle. The central theme of “Seek & Destroy” is FOX-3 missiles, but there are numerous other updates, i.e. new models of modern aircraft pilots, detailed helicopter cockpits, improved damage mechanics for modern armored vehicles and much more.

Watch the Seek & Destroy Update Trailer HERE.

The damage model for modern tanks and anti-aircraft systems in War Thunder has become even more accurate. Now enemy shells can damage modules such as the autoloader, fire control system, driver controls and electronic equipment, immediately affecting relevant vehicle capabilities. Luckily, the crew can fix it all on site using the tools at hand to get the modules working again. In addition, a direct hit from shells or a near explosion of a bomb can now lead to damage to the chassis of wheeled vehicles with an animation of one or more wheels being torn off.

The game now features detailed cockpits for a dozen and a half helicopters. Models of crews of German armored vehicles from the WW2 era, tank crews of Soviet equipment of the post-war period and pilots of modern combat aviation such as A-10 attack aircraft, as well as fighters of the F-14, F-16, F-15, J-11, MiG-29, Su-27 and Yak-141 have also been updated for all gaming nations.

VLT-2 is a rare French torpedo boat that saw limited use at the end of World War II. In War Thunder, it has become the first representative of the French coastal fleet, which will be added to the game in one of the next major updates. Those who purchase the VLT-2 pack will be the first to have access to the CBT for the entire tech tree. The boat is armed with two 40-mm Bofors cannons and two quick-firing 20-mm Oerlikon autocannons, plus 550-mm torpedoes in two torpedo tubes will send even the largest ships to the bottom if successfully hit.

You can learn more about the new vehicles and other update content on the official War Thunder website.

MicroProse is proud to announce that it has secured a publishing partnership with Combat Air Patrol 2, the early access flight and surface combat simulator with a mission planner from Sim155.

For the occasion, a big patch has been released with a lot of improvements, together with a precise ROADMAP for the upcoming updates. Early access is available on the games Steam page.

Watch the MicroProse Announcement Trailer HERE.

Feel the power of flying the AV8B Harrier II. A flight and naval combat simulator with mission planner and fully dynamic open ended campaign. CAP2 is a middle ground simulator, you won’t need to read a 300 page manual to get off the ground, nor will you be carrying dozens of missiles when you fire it up.

New update brings visual updates, new weapons, gear and maps

Darkflow Software and Gaijin Entertainment announce the release of a major update “Rzhev” for the online military shooter Enlisted. It brings significantly improved graphics, new missions dedicated to the famous Battle of Rzhev, as well as new squads, weapons, and military vehicles.

The Battle of Rzhev is a series of operations in 1942-1943, during which the Red Army eliminated the Rzhev-Vyazma ledge, from which German troops threatened Moscow. Eyewitnesses recalled this battle as a crazy meat grinder, and in terms of the significance and fierceness of the battles it was comparable to Stalingrad. Players in Enlisted will visit several iconic points of Rzhev, i.e. the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, the city hall, the central market, the shopping area and steep cliffs to the left bank of the Volga river. On the approaches to the city, battles will take place in industrial zones with a grain elevator and in the ruins of the suburban village of Teterino, of which mostly only the outlines of houses remain.

The Rzhev update features dozens of brand new or improved weapons and military vehicles – for example, the American T20 rifle, the Japanese KE-7 machine gun, the Soviet KV-2 tank (1940) with a powerful 152-mm howitzer and the German 8.8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. tank destroyer that can shoot down aircraft and tear armored vehicles to shreds with equal ease. Squads of radio operators can now call in rocket artillery strikes – the first to receive this opportunity are the 26th Guards Signal Battalion of the USSR and the 332nd Infantry Regiment of Germany.

Finally, Enlisted has improved the operation of Global Illumination technology on PC and PlayStation 5, which has made the game much more beautiful without sacrificing performance. The propagation of light has become even more realistic, and the game is visually richer: the developers have added specular lighting, increased its display distance, and also added detailed reflections.

Watch the Rzhev Update trailer HERE.

You can read more about the contents of the Rzhev update on the official Enlisted website.

Black Ops Returns: Following the Xbox Games Showcase and Black Ops 6 Direct, learn all the initial details across all facets of the game, releasing on October 25. Gain insight into the signature Black Ops Campaign, the massive Multiplayer offering with the return of Classic Prestige, global innovations like Omnimovement, and the return of Round-Based Zombies.

Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 1990s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.

Watch the Black Ops 6 – Gameplay Reveal Trailer HERE.

Visit the Call of Duty Blog for more details.