Strategy and Wargaming

Armored Brigade II is out now on the Matrix Store. Created by Veitikka studios, Armored Brigade II takes the leap to 3-D with their new custom game engine. Experience Cold War battles with fully rendered terrain and units on a massive scale.

For the month after launch we will also have a special 10% launch discount running.

Watch the Armored Brigade II Matrix Launch Trailer HERE.

Maps are generated from real world terrain maps. Fight on battlefields ranging from the North German plain and Fulda gap all the way to the Ardennes and southern Finland.

Experience the full breadth of the Cold War. Military formations, weapons, and vehicles from 1965-1991 are fully modeled. Fight in the early days of guided missiles with T-54’s and M48 Pattons, or play with all the high tech toys of the early 1990’s like the Abrams and T-80. Along with all your favorite Cold War vehicles like the Chieftan or Marder, more obscure vehicles like the 2P32 or M56 scorpion are at your disposal.

Play with a wide range of different vehicles and national armies. The United States, USSR, United Kingdom, Finland, Poland, and East and West Germany are fully modeled. National differences matter. Which country you choose to play will effect troop quality, fire support call-in times, formation composition, and more.

Götterdämmerung Adds New German Content, Research Options and more

The dramatic and dangerous years around the Second World War can take new directions in Götterdämmerung, a new expansion for Hearts of Iron IV, available now on Steam. New focus trees for Germany take center stage alongside more alternate historical paths for other nations, opening the door for new player directed stories of wars that never happened.

Götterdämmerung also adds new dimensions to scientific research to Paradox Interactive’s best-selling grand strategy wargame about the coming of war in the 1930s. Appoint scientists to direct specialized research in advanced weapons or electronics, adding more productivity and destructive power to your war machine.

Watch the Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung Official Release Trailer HERE.

Features of Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung include:

Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung is now available for the suggested retail price of $24.99/£21.99/€24.99. Götterdämmerung is also available through the Hearts of Iron IV Expansion Pass 1, which includes other game content, including a country pack to be released next year, at a 20% discount for included items.

For more game information please visit the official Hearts of Iron IV website, or via the games Steam page.

Slitherine has announced that the Multiplayer Open Beta for Broken Arrow is now available. Get ready to engage in exciting 5vs5 games with new specializations available, new maps and new functionalities, including custom lobbies, PvE coop scenarios, matchmaking and more. The Open Beta is only available through Steam. In order to download it, head to the Steam page of Broken Arrow.

Watch the Broken Arrow Multiplayer Open Beta Trailer HERE.

What is Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow is a large-scale real-time modern warfare tactics game. The base game features both the American and Russian factions, each containing 4 unique sub-factions like the marines, armored, airborne, and more.

Broken Arrow brings the genre to a whole new level by combining the complexity of a joint-forces wargame with the typical real-time tactics action-packed gameplay.

Click here for more game information.

Hello wargaming fans, we have some good news about Armored Brigade II. We can finally confirm Armored Brigade II will be out on the Matrix Store November 19th 2024.

Earlier this year during our Home of Wargamers event we reported November 15th as the release date. While we were initially aiming for the 15th (the six-year anniversary of the original Armored Brigade) we have decided to move the Matrix store release back a few days so we can launch on a Tuesday.

A Tuesday release also allows us to better support our players if they run into any problems.

Learn more about Armored Brigade II on its official webpage, or via Steam.

Get ready for the ultimate winter warfare experience with the second DLC for Headquarters: World War II – “Ardennes“. This exciting expansion takes players into the heart of one of WWII’s most intense and pivotal battles, offering new campaigns, fresh units, and enhanced tactical depth.

Experience two brand-new campaigns

Prepare for the clash of titans with two gripping new campaigns — one for Germany and one for the United States. Battle through 16 thrilling encounters set against the backdrop of the icy Ardennes forest, where every decision could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Play as both sides in a thrilling narrative

Take command of both German and US forces as the narrative switches perspectives, giving you the chance to experience the Battle of the Bulge from both sides. First, lead the German offensive through the harsh, snow-covered Ardennes, and then shift gears to orchestrate the Allied counteroffensive. Relive key historical moments in this dramatic retelling of one of WWII’s most brutal confrontations.

Prepare for an unforgettable winter campaign, where your battlefield tactics are just as important as your army management skills.

Wandering Nobles, a new Event Pack for Crusader Kings III, opens the door for adventures and explorations on the highways and byways of the medieval world. Available today, Wandering Nobles encourages your characters to set forth, out of the security of their castle walls and maybe pursue a new lifestyle to make the most of their roaming ways.

Features of Crusader Kings III: Wandering Nobles include:

New Wandering Lifestyle with three new branches:

New Activities designed for the new Lifestyle branches:

New Events connected to travel, the new lifestyles and the associated activities.

Crusader Kings III: Wandering Nobles is available now on Steam for the suggested retail price of $4.99/£4.29/€4.99. It is also a part of the Crusader Kings III Chapter III bundle.

Slitherine Software’s intense tactical dogfighting title Scramble: Battle of Britain has now soared into Steam Early Access. Set in the chaotic 1940 summer skies, this turn-based strategy game puts players in command of RAF and Luftwaffe squadrons, leading intense aerial battles in a dynamic 3D airspace. Through realistic physics simulations and detailed planning, players will manage pilot traits and plan tactical manoeuvres, with the Early Access version laying the groundwork for a full campaign in the final release.

Watch the Scramble: Battle of Britain Early Access Launch Trailer HERE.

The Early Access version of Scramble offers a Skirmish Generator, allowing players to rapidly create missions and fight as either the RAF or Luftwaffe. The game’s cinematic tools enable players to view the action from multiple angles and share game replays, while a comprehensive single-player mode puts them in the role of an RAF squadron leader to engage in strategic combat missions. Aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, and Messerschmitt 109 are available to pilot in detailed aerial battles.

Watch the Scramble: Battle of Britain Early Access Gameplay Trailer HERE.

Aircraft in Scramble are simulated down to the subcomponent level, allowing for realistic damage and strategic depth. Players can experience the impact of bullets tearing through fuel tanks, engines, and radiators, or face the challenge of handling fatigued and blacked-out pilots. Each mission offers intense, historically accurate combat, while the planning, simulation, and review phases give players full control to manage manoeuvres and analyse battle outcomes in detail.

As Scramble: Battle of Britain enters Early Access, player feedback will be key in shaping its development. The team is committed to open communication, encouraging players to share content, suggestions, and feedback through forums and Discord. Regular updates will incorporate player-driven improvements, with community playtests and livestreams planned to engage directly with players. This collaborative approach will ensure that the final game reflects the needs and desires of the community.

Slitherine Software plans to keep Scramble in Early Access for approximately one year, during which several major updates will be rolled out. These updates will include the full Battle of Britain campaign, additional aircraft, enhanced AI behaviours, and more player-driven features such as multiplayer mode. This will all ensure that the full release delivers a comprehensive and polished experience for all players.

Click here for more game information.

Fall in, Soldiers! Fulqrum Publishing and Ukrainian studio Best Way are delighted to announce that the latest update to their popular real-time strategy game Men of War II, the Steel Rain update, is finally available for all players!

This update includes a host of new units, new gameplay mechanics and general improvements – but perhaps most excitingly, the long-awaited Offline Mode is finally here, allowing players to experience Men of War II without an internet connection.

Watch the Men of War II Steel Rain Update Trailer HERE.

Thanks to the Steel Rain update, there’s more to enjoy in Men of War II than ever before! Here’s just a quick taster of the new features to join the game today…

Offline Mode

Men of War II’s Offline Mode is the flagship feature of this update and has been heavily requested by the game’s community since its launch. Players can now switch between playing the game online (default setting) and offline, and of course, if they start the game without an Internet connection, it will run in offline mode automatically. Just move the cursor to the cog wheel “Settings” icon in the upper-left corner, where players will find an indicator telling them which version they are playing at the moment – green for online, red for offline.

The Offline Mode features any single-player mission or campaign (including Conquest and Raid), and players can set up a “multiplayer” lobby to play custom matches with AI bots. Currently, progress made in a campaign while playing offline cannot carry over to the online mode (and vice versa). Players have voted in a community poll to release the update in this state, while the developers continue to work on enabling the progress to be shared.

New Content and Gameplay Mechanics

But that’s not all! A whole host of new content has been added to the game – including 8 new units, all focused on rockets and missile launchers. To make the best use of the new units, each nation has received a new battalion: the 3rd Mortar Regiment. These have zero logistic timers for mortars and Rocket artillery, and -50% Battle rank Modifier for Mortar units, and -25% for Rocket Artillery units.

Another addition to Men of War II is the ability to control the game’s speed in a single-player. This feature is available in any game where the player is alone. Including in Conquest, Raids, and even a custom lobby with bots.

There has also been the addition of a “turbo mode” in single-player games, in which the game world will be calculated as quickly as the computer’s performance allows, significantly improving the quality of simulation, especially on powerful PCs.

And, of course, that still isn’t all – with this update bringing a range of multiplayer and match-making improvements, visual and audio improvements, and more! For the full list of updates, check out the game’s news hub on Steam.

Men of War II, the new chapter in the evolution of the top-rated RTS franchise, brings you an unprecedented number of units with different specializations to command, unyielding attention to historical fidelity, new levels of visual and audio excellence, as well as advanced enemy AI. Lead your troops in intense real-time battles on the Western and Eastern Fronts and overwhelm your opponents in epic narrative single-player campaigns and skirmish modes before diving deep into the multiplayer action.

Men of War II is available to purchase via Steam and the Epic Games Store – at the special price of 25% off starting 10AM PT/5PM GMT/6PM CET October 28th.

Matrix Games today announced that update v1.07 for Command: Modern Operations is now live. In addition to a mountain of bugfixes, tweaks, and scenario updates – there are a few key new features to mention. First off is true altitude/pin-cushion view. Aerospace units can displayed at their true altitude on the map. This is by default off but can be turned on by going to “Game Options –> Map Display –> Draw units at true altitude”. This will hopefully help players visualize just where their aircraft are relative to one-another.

They have also revised the HTML-rendering backend using Microsoft’s new WebView2 rendering engine, added contrails and wakes to aircraft and submarines, and added new fuel flow rate restrictions in air-to-air refueling.

These features are covered in more detail in the changelog HERE, so give that a good read if any of these new options and game rules strike your fancy.

Source: Blue’s News

Unity of Command II – Berlin is now available on Steam, adding new content to Unity of Command II, the World War II strategy game for Windows and macOS. As the title suggests, this recreates the final assault on the German capital which preceded the end of the war in Europe. Here are some details on this chance to relive this bit of history:

In early 1944, the Soviets squeezed German forces in the Korsun Pocket, a brutal winter encirclement battle and a major victory that chipped away at German strength. They also finally lifted the long Siege of Leningrad in January.

The summer of 1944 saw the massive Operation Bagration, a surprise attack that shattered German Army Group Center. By the fall, Soviet forces were on the offensive all along the Eastern Front, setting the stage for the final push into Germany in 1945. By February, the Soviets stood on the Oder River, just east of Berlin.