Blitzkrieg 3

Nival releases Blitzkrieg 3, an online World War II real-time strategy made for true admirers of tactical mastery.

Blitzkrieg 3 features the world’s first Neural Network AI for RTS. Ruthless machine named Boris plays at the top player’s level while not using any hidden information about the enemy. General Boris regularly analyzes the gaming session and makes Neural Network-based predictions of the enemy behavior. This approach allows him to think up sophisticated counter-strategies and bring them to life. That makes Boris tough and unpredictable, so he can amaze players over and over again.

Game covers the main period of World War II: from the invasion of Poland in 1939 to the triumphant capture of Berlin in 1945. Each of three atmospheric campaigns provides a unique blend of PvE, PvP and PvAI missions. In total, game features 60+ historical missions with 200+ authentic combat units. Each unit has performance characteristics reconstructed in detail, such as fire rate, armored capture, field of vision, and others that let players feel like real generals.

In addition to classic Skirmish 1×1, 2×2, and 3×3 modes Blitzkrieg 3 features the unique asymmetric Assault mode, where one player attacks and the other defends his fortifications. 20+ historical commanders with their own specialization and favorite combat tactics combined with dynamic weather system make every PvP and/or PvAI game even more diverse.

“Blitzkrieg 3 was created with the active participation of the player community.”, – commented Pavel Naumenko, head of Blitzkrieg studio. – “We strongly believe that players’ contributions are invaluable and we will continue to develop the game according to their feedback”.

You can get more information and purchase a digital copy of the game on the official website, or via the games Steam Store Page.

Nival reported on solving one of the most ambitious problems for artificial intelligence specialists. Company’s engineers created the world’s first neural network AI for the real-time strategy. This challenging task was chased by a large number of leading companies, including the Deep Mind, IBM, etc. AI, named Boris, is capable of playing at the top player’s level while not using any hidden information about the enemy.

Every few seconds general Boris analyzes the gaming session and makes neural network-based predictions of the enemy future behavior. This approach allows him to think up sophisticated counter-strategies and bring them to life.
The video of AI ​​playing against one of the studio staff was published on the the official Blitzkrieg 3 channel on YouTube and on the game’s page on Steam. It stresses the AI’s unusual behavior: Boris constantly scouts the map, actively relocates his units, and changes his tactics depending on the situation. For instance, in one of the episodes Boris started by landing his paratroopers to attack a single enemy tank. But when reinforcements tanks came, his troops immediately took the defensive positions in the buildings and tried to utilize the artillery. The video also states that playing with general Boris will be available for general public at the upcoming March update.

“Despite the fact that the leading companies of the world are working on this problem, we have managed to create the first neural network AI for RTS”, – says Sergey Orlovskiy, founder and CEO of Nival. “It is worth noting that Boris plays fairly. He does not use the information under the fog of war, as well as any other hidden information about the enemy. We gave him only the basic tactical moves, but during his training he invented a variety of strategies. He makes decisions just like a talented military leader. It has become difficult to predict his actions now, and, most importantly, to distinguish them from human behavior.”

Company’s speakers also state that such an AI approximates the not-so-distant future. Sooner or later AI-based generals will surpass their human counterparts and AI-controlled armies will defend the national borders.

You can get more information and purchase a digital copy of the game on the official website and on the game’s Steam page.

About Blitzkrieg 3

Blitzkrieg 3 is the first true online RTS. It is primarily based on online battles with one side attacking and the other defending, just like in a real war. This third game is a continuation of the successful Blitzkrieg franchise, which has earned over 40 Game of the Year and Editors’ Choice awards around the world. As with previous installments, the game is being developed by Nival, which has been creating top strategy games for the past 18 years.

Nival, an independent game developer renowned for their strategy games, have announced the largest update so far for Blitzkrieg 3 in the form of the new and much requested PvP mode: Active Defense.

Blitzkrieg 3′s multiplayer is a simulated front line, in which one player attacks the key points of an opponent’s fortified garrison while the other player defends them. Up until now, the multiplayer mode in Blitzkrieg 3 was always “asynchronous” where the defending side was chosen from players currently offline. After feedback from its community, Nival has now introduced real time PvP to Blitzkrieg 3, where both players – attacking and defending – are directly controlling their units in real time.

“We were looking for some really fresh ideas for the continuation of the Blitzkrieg 3 series, and the “attack-defense” tactical scheme as the basis for online battles seemed to be an interesting solution”, commented Sergey Orlovskiy, founder and CEO of Nival. Orlovskiy continued, “While in a real war sides are never put in symmetrical conditions, the PvP modes in games invariably present abstract duels in which opponents fight in equal conditions. The only wide-known exception to this so far has been CounterStrike and we thought that implementing this tactical scheme as the basis for online battles not in a shooter but in a strategy genre might be that fresh idea that will breath new life in to the RTS genre.”

In this sizeable update the in-game matchmaker will look for players online initially. If players are not able to directly control the defense of their garrison the AI will do it for you, exactly as it was before.

Blitzkrieg 3 is currently in Steam Early Access and the playing community continues to provide valuable input and feedback in to the development of the game.

The Early Access launch trailer can be viewed here.

For more information on Blitzkrieg 3 head to the games official website.

Nival, an independent game developer renowned for their strategy games, have today announced that Blitzkrieg 3, the long awaited next installment to one of their most beloved franchises, is out now on Steam in two editions. Nival have also released details of a limited time offer for anyone purchasing the game up until May 12th.

As an added thank-you to everyone who purchases Blitzkrieg 3 on Steam from May 6th to May 12th, digital copies of the first and second part of the Blitzkrieg Anthology will also be included. Blitzkrieg Anthologies includes the first two games in the series along with all the official add-ons.

The brand new launch trailer can be viewed here.

For more information on Blitzkrieg 3 and to pre-order the game head to the games official website.

Nival, an independent game developer renowned for their strategy games, have today revealed that Blitzkrieg 3, the long awaited next installment to one of their most beloved franchises, will be launching on Steam Early Access on May 6th, along with details of the various game editions.

“The best way to get the game that you want is to take part in the development process” said Sergey Orlowskiy, the CEO and founder of Nival. “Steam Early Access is the perfect portal for players to become involved, to play the game and provide us with invaluable feedback on how and where they would like to see Blitzkrieg 3 go.”

From May 6th there will be two editions of Blitzkrieg 3 available on Steam Early Access: the Standard Edition and the Special Edition.

Blitzkrieg 3 can be found at the Steam Store.

For more information on Blitzkrieg 3 and to pre-order the game head to the games official website.

Nival, an independent game developer renowned for their strategy games, have today announced changes to the business model for Blitzkrieg 3, the long awaited next installment to one of their most beloved franchises, as well as details of the launch of the Closed Alpha Test for the game.

Rejecting the current market trend for so called ‘free-to-play’ with in-game micro transactions, Blitzkrieg 3 will instead require players to only make a one-time payment for the game. Commenting on the business model, Sergey Orlovsky, CEO and founder of Nival said, “The pendulum is swinging once again when it comes to how consumers want to pay for their games. The market is shifting back towards a cleaner, simpler and more transparent model of one-time payments. This trend inspired us to return to the classic distribution model of the series, thus honoring the series’ traditions.”

The digital pre-sale of the full version of Blitzkrieg 3, which includes three single player campaigns, has now launched. Anyone that pre-orders the game will be eligible to join the Closed Alpha Test that begins today. Blitzkrieg 3 will be free from micro-transactions, in-game currency and any other form of in-game payments. In future, players will, however, be able to buy optional additional campaigns as DLC. The premium account system previously announced has also been removed from the game.

The brand new Alpha trailer can be viewed HERE.

The second walkthrough video looking at the defensive side of the asynchronous multiplayer mode can be viewed HERE.

For more information on Blitzkrieg 3 CAT and to pre-order the game head to the games official website.

Players who pre-order will gain access to the upcoming Closed Beta

Nival, an independent game developer renowned for their strategy games, have today launched a highly enticing pre-order campaign for Blitzkrieg 3. This long-awaited next installment to one of their most beloved franchises is set to innovate and elevate the strategy genre on PC.

Players who pre-order Blitzkrieg 3 will not only receive either a 10% discount on the Tactical Edition or 30% discount on the Strategic Editions of the game, they will also be automatically eligible to be among the first to get their hands on the game itself when the Closed Beta Testing launches this winter.

“We have high expectations for Blitzkrieg 3, for the game overall and particularly for its asynchronous multiplayer. We are striving to restore the interest in the RTS genre in general” commented Timur Suzi, Head of the Nival Studio in St. Petersburg.

Suzi continued, “The pre-order campaign is not only an opportunity for players to acquire exclusive in game content, but it’s also the chance to take part in the closed beta test which will start this winter. This means that it is also an opportunity to take part in developing Blitzkrieg 3, since we will be finalizing the game based on the opinions and feedback of the closed-beta participants.”

Blitzkrieg 3 is set to release in the first half of 2015. You can view the new pre-order trailer HERE.

For more information on Blitzkrieg 3 and to pre-order the game head to the games official website.

Nival announces Blitzkrieg 3, the long-awaited return of the World War II real-time strategy series.

A decade ago, Nival cemented itself as a leader in strategy gaming with the launch of its now-classic Blitzkrieg series, which has won more than forty awards, including numerous Game of the Year and Editor’s Choice accolades. Today, Nival unveils Blitzkrieg 3, the next title in the acclaimed series, coming to PC and Mac in early 2015. Blitzkrieg 3 paints a realistic picture of World War II – away from the realm of politics or ideology, focused on the battles that ultimately shaped the world we live in today.

Players will become commanders of the era as they experience an interactive story of the second World War, blending single-player and innovative multiplayer gameplay. Classic single-player campaigns will be available for each party involved in the conflict – the USSR, the Axis and the Allies. Multiplayer is asynchronous, allowing players to make their way through the enemy defenses without needing to be online for hours on end.

“Since its establishment 17 years ago, Nival has been focused on the strategy genre – often mixing it with other elements to create new game experiences,” says Sergey Orlovskiy, CEO of Nival. “We feel that today’s rather rapid pace of life has caused the RTS genre to fall by the wayside. Blitzkrieg 3 is designed to re-invent RTS for modern gamers, using all of our experience to deliver something new and exciting.”

More information about Blitzkrieg 3 will be released in the coming months, but for now prospective strategists can take a look at the official website www.blitzkrieg.com, complete with gameplay footage, developer insight, screenshots and more.

Further, to commemorate the announcement of Blitzkrieg 3, the original titles with all the official add-ons are on sale on Steam for just $4.99/€4.99/£3.99. Get out there, commander!