Strategy and Wargaming

Italian Themed “By Blood Alone” Set for Late September

Explore new alternate histories of humanity’s most titanic struggle in By Blood Alone, a new expansion for Hearts of Iron IV, Paradox Interactive’s grand strategy wargame about World War II. Adding three new major National Focus Trees, By Blood Alone offers a series of tantalizing what-if stories, where the player writes new histories of ideological and military struggle.

Now scheduled for a 27 September release, By Blood Alone centers the political and military fortunes of Italy. The historical path, as always, is open to those who want to relive the dramatic years before and during the war. Alternatively, players can engineer the end of Mussolini’s rule through a socialist revolution or a strong monarchy.

Watch the Pre-Order Trailer for Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone

Other features of Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone include:

New Ethiopian Focus Tree: Defy the odds to defeat the Italian invader or resist the conqueror from abroad using unique Government in Exile abilities.
New Swiss Focus Tree: Surrounded by France, Germany and Italy, the mountain nation of Switzerland finds strength in its neutrality, balancing competing factions and overtures from the great powers.
New Peace Conference Options: Demilitarize zones of the map or entire nations, bid on the capital ships of defeated powers, or claim control of enemy resources or factories as reparations.
Aircraft Designer: Design and build your own planes, from nimble interceptors that prioritize speed to durable bombers crafted to unload tons of destruction from high above.
Unit Medals: A log of each division’s accomplishments lets you track their performance, and even allow you to award medals to those that have performed well.
Embargo Interaction: Embargo your enemies with a new diplomatic interaction, preventing them from trading with you if they have generated enough world tension.
New Unit Models: More than 20 new pieces of unit art for Italian, Ethiopian and Swiss armies.
New Plane Models: 67 new plane models.
12 New Music Tracks

As usual, the release of By Blood Alone will be accompanied by a major update to Hearts of Iron IV, available for free for everyone who owns the game.

Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone will be available on 27 September 2022 for a suggested retail price of $19.99/£15.49/€19.99.

For more game information please visit the official Hearts of Iron IV website.

North African Operation Revealed, Play it Now for Free via CompanyOfHeroes.com

Relic Entertainment, Inc and SEGA® Europe Limited are excited to announce that Company of Heroes™ 3, the next instalment in the beloved RTS franchise, releases on PC via Steam on November 17th, 2022. Company of Heroes 3 will bring fans and newcomers to the series with the biggest and deepest single player experience in the franchise’s history. CoH3 will offer four playable factions at launch and two unique single-player experiences, with the Italian Dynamic Campaign and the North African Operation.

Those eager to get their hands on Company of Heroes 3 won’t have to wait until November to play it. Head over to CompanyOfHeroes.com now and sign up for Relic’s community feedback program, COH-Development, to gain access to one mission from the newly revealed North African Operation. Players can try out the Mission Alpha and take command of the infamous Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) as they attempt to repel the British from their entrenched positions. The Mission Alpha is free to play on Steam for one week from Tuesday July 12 to July 19.

While the previously announced Italian Dynamic Campaign offers a branching, open-ended experience, the North African Operation is a more classically designed, narrative-led single-player experience. A wealth of new mechanics has drastically changed the battlefield in North Africa, where tank-riding enables coordinated rapid-strike assaults that overwhelm the enemy. Powerful Italian units can be called upon in Mission Alpha, such as the Guastatori combat engineers and the L6/40 Light Tank. Players can also enjoy new core gameplay innovations like side armour, enemy vehicle recovery and vehicle-towing, which lets you reposition your hard-hitting artillery like the German Flak 36 and British 17-Pounder.

Pre-order offer
Players can pre-order Company of Heroes™ 3 at CompanyOfHeroes.com and receive some awesome bonus items at launch. The Digital Premium Edition comes with the Devil’s Brigade DLC Pack, containing cosmetics based on the first elite commando units of World War II. The Physical Premium Edition includes the Devil’s Brigade DLC Pack, Service Medal, Pocket Compass, Collector’s Book and much more. Both the physical and digital Premium editions will give players access to CoH3’s first expansion – coming to Steam in 2023. A full breakdown of all available pre-order content can be found on CompanyOfHeroes.com.

Mission Alpha Access
Players that have installed any of the previous two Pre-Alpha builds will see the Mission Alpha automatically appear in their Steam Library. New players can sign up to CoH-Development and follow the instructions on the website to gain access to Mission Alpha and provide important feedback about CoH3 to the Relic development team. To find out more about Company of Heroes™ 3, head over to CompanyOfHeroes.com.

For the first time in the series’ history, Strategic Command will be taking you to the 19th century battlefields of the American Civil War. In this turn-based strategy game, you will control the armies, research, production and diplomatic policy of either the Union or the Confederacy during a time of great innovation and dramatic battles.

Thousands of volunteers are enlisting, and you will need to organize them into Brigades, Divisions and eventually Corps.

Research will have to be undertaken to improve their weaponry and fighting skills, and you will be able to choose from a variety of famous Generals to lead them, including Lee, Jackson, Grant, McClellan, Beauregard and Sherman.

Watch the Strategic Command: American Civil War in 2 minutes trailer HERE.

FEATURES
6 campaigns covering the Civil War from first shot to last:

• 1861 Blue and Gray
• 1861 Manassas to Appomattox
• 1862 Scott’s Great Snake
• 1862 Trent War (Alternate History: What if the UK recognized the Confederacy?)
• 1863 Lee Rides North
• 1864 Make Georgia Howl

- New unit types, including Balloons, Rangers, Monitors, River Gunboats and many more!
- New technologies, including Naval Engines, Ironclads, Skirmishers and the Field Telegraph.
- Riverine warfare is now possible, with waterways that can be navigated by 3 types of river vessel.
- Coastal and inland fortress defenses play a much greater role in Civil War strategy, guarding many key ports and waterways. Built before the war, their locations are known to both sides.
- Deactivating Partisan scripts, historical event popups and the European intervention mechanic now requires only a single event to be disabled.
- Official mods have been included with the game, allowing players to choose between two brand new map styles and the “classic” style used in our previous games.
- PBEM++ and Hotseat Multiplayer

Strategic Command: American Civil War is now available to be downloaded on our store, don’t miss the opportunity to buy it with a -10% discount until Monday 4th July.

Get ready for an entirely new level of destruction in Company of Heroes 3. In our latest look at the explosive RTS, Relic explores its brand-new destruction system, which allows players to topple bell towers, shatter buildings, and dramatically alter the landscape of war on a scale never before seen in the genre.

“I have a feeling there will be many people who will end up playing, and they will press tactical pause just to turn the screen a little bit to take advantage of seeing all the destruction and all of its glory in that one frame,” says Jason Brackman, Principal Technical Artist at Relic.

Just how deep does environmental destruction go in Company of Heroes 3? Falling debris and collapsing buildings can now actually spell doom for nearby units. However, toppled buildings can also provide new tactical advantages, allowing players to carve out a new piece of cover. Players can even pre-destroy a map with tactical bombing runs, further altering your strategy and options on the battlefield.

Watch the Company of Heroes 3 Destruction Developer Diary HERE.

Company of Heroes 3 is the ultimate package of action, tactics, and strategy. Take charge in the heat of real-time battle, then command as a General, guiding the overall campaign where every decision matters. Overwhelm your opponents with new and familiar factions, units, and international Battlegroups. Command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines to crush enemy advances on the new Dynamic Campaign Map – no two playthroughs are ever alike!

For more information about Company of Heroes 3 head to www.companyofheroes.com.

Publisher Kalypso Media and developer ­­­Raylight Games today announce the anticipated HD remaster of the pioneering strategy title, Commandos 3. Experience the relentless battlefields of World War II Europe in Commandos 3 – HD Remaster, which features a full high-definition revamp of the third instalment in the acclaimed real-time tactics series. Players can put their strategies to the test in September 2022, when the classic real-time tactics title will be charging its way on day one with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.

In Commandos 3 – HD Remaster, lead a notorious special forces unit deep behind enemy lines during World War II and utilise the improved controls and user interface to help the Allies to victory in high definition. Reworked 3D models and textures have been incorporated into the unforgiving battles as players fight their way through the deadly trenches of Stalingrad, defeat the enemy in the fanatical heart of the Third Reich in Berlin, and deploy tactical know-how to survive the storming of Normandy on D-Day.

Commandos 3 – HD Remaster will be released with Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One consoles, and PC Game Pass in September 2022. The title will also be available on other platforms.

Features

• Remastered in high definition: includes reworked 3D models and textures built from the ground up, improved controls, refined UI and beginner-friendly tutorials and hints
• Lead 6 daredevil commandos: the special units under your command, from the Green Beret, Sapper, Sniper, Diver, Spy and Thief, are experts in their field and crucial to the success of your mission
• Relive iconic WWII campaigns: from training camp to 12 daring missions, experience history across 3 major frontlines including Stalingrad, Central Europe and Normandy
• Story and action-driven missions: follow a crack team of commandos in a time of great peril, Commandos 3 HD – Remaster includes even more detail and action than its predecessors
• Rally your troops for multiplayer: compete in ‘Deathmatch’ or ‘Collect the Flag’ modes for 2-8 players, all with distinct victory conditions

More information and a intro video can be found on the Commandos 3 – HD Remastered Steam page.

Strategic Command American Civil War, will be available on June 30th, 2022 – Live Stream Preview on June 14th

For the first time in the series’ history, Strategic Command will be taking you to the 19th century battlefields of the American Civil War. In this turn-based strategy game, you will control the armies, research, production and diplomatic policy of either the Union or the Confederacy during a time of great innovation and dramatic battles. Your decisions will determine whether the United States leaves this conflict as one nation or two.

Out on June 30th – Wishlist now on Matrix Games

Features:

• 6 campaigns covering the Civil War from first shot to last:
• 1861 Blue and Gray
• 1861 Manassas to Appomattox
• 1862 Scott’s Great Snake
• 1862 Trent War (Alternate History: What if the UK recognized the Confederacy?)
• 1863 Lee Rides North
• 1864 Make Georgia Howl
• New unit types, including Balloons, Rangers, Monitors, River Gunboats and many more!
• New technologies, including Naval Engines, Ironclads, Skirmishers and the Field Telegraph.
• Riverine warfare is now possible, with waterways that can be navigated by 3 types of river vessel.
• Coastal and inland fortress defences play a much greater role in Civil War strategy, guarding many key ports and waterways. Built before the war, their locations are known to both sides.
• Deactivating Partisan scripts, historical event popups and the European intervention mechanic now requires only a single event to be disabled.
• Official mods have been included with the game, allowing players to choose between two brand new map styles and the “classic” style used in our previous games.
• PBEM++ and Hotseat Multiplayer

On June 14th there will be a stream preview on Slitherine Twitch Channel where we will have the chance to see the gameplay of Strategic Command: American Civil War for the first time, in addition we will be in connection with the developer who will give us many details about this new title.

By Blood Alone Writes New Histories and Adds Plane Designer

Hearts of Iron IV is getting another expansion, one that adds new paths and potential for some of the defining conflicts of the wartime era. Explore new alternate histories for Italy and Ethiopia, as well as one of the leading neutral powers, Switzerland, in Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone.

This expansion to Paradox Interactive’s grand strategy wargame about the Second World War continues the tradition of offering players a range of new stories and possibilities, allowing new histories of the war to be written in every session.

View the Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone Official Announcement Trailer HERE.

Features of Hearts of Iron IV: By Blood Alone include:

• New Italian Focus Tree: Follow the historical path of Mussolini’s Italy or rewrite history by restoring power to the monarchy, leading a Communist revolution or promoting democracy.
• New Ethiopian Focus Tree: Defy the odds to defeat the Italian invader or resist the conqueror from abroad using unique Government in Exile abilities.
• New Swiss Focus Tree: Surrounded by France, Germany and Italy, the mountain nation of Switzerland finds strength in its neutrality, balancing competing factions and overtures from the great powers.
• New Peace Conference Options: Demilitarize zones of the map or entire nations, bid on the capital ships of defeated powers, or claim control of enemy resources or factories as reparations.
• Aircraft Designer: Design and build your own planes, from nimble interceptors that prioritize speed to durable bombers crafted to unload tons of destruction from high above.
• Unit Medals: A log of each division’s accomplishments lets you track their performance, and even allow you to award medals to those that have performed well.
• Embargo Interaction: Embargo your enemies with a new diplomatic interaction, preventing them from trading with you if they have generated enough world tension.
• New Unit Models: More than 20 new pieces of unit art for Italian, Ethiopian and Swiss armies.
• New Plane Models: 67 new plane models.
• 12 New Music Tracks

This expansion for Hearts of Iron IV will be available later this year. It will be accompanied by a major update, free for all Hearts of Iron IV players.

For more game information please visit the official Hearts of Iron IV website.

The land is divided by language, religion and culture, but those with the vision to understand it see a land rich in opportunity. What if the energy devoted to squabbling over towns and titles could be focused on unity or coexistence? But vision is not enough. A strong hand, a taste for intrigue and a deft touch with diplomacy are all required. This is a question for generations, a problem to be solved over time. Only the patient and prudent can settle the Fate of Iberia.

Watch the Crusader Kings III: Fate of Iberia Release Trailer HERE.

Fate of Iberia is the latest flavor pack for Crusader Kings III. Available today, this addition to Paradox Interactive’s award winning medieval grand strategy role-playing game gives you a new way to live out the history of Spain and Portugal through the middle ages. A centuries long Struggle will force you to rethink how to achieve your goals, as a variety of interested and competing parties fight to impose their will on the Iberian Peninsula.

Features of Crusader Kings III: Fate of Iberia include:

• Struggle system: Entirely new system for historic conflict, available to modders and other content creators.
• Decide the Fate of Iberia: Choose the path of conciliation or the path of conquest as you unite Spain or, alternately, agree to a peaceful division of spoils.
• New content: Two new Legacy tracks (Metropolitan and Coterie), new cultural traits emphasizing special historical characteristics of the Iberian peninsula, new friendship interactions and duels over the chessboard.
• New Events: Dynamic historical events related to the struggle for Iberia.
• New Art: New character art reflecting Iberian cultures of the medieval era, new unit designs, new 3D models of holdings and artifacts and a host of new art for backgrounds, events and loading.
• New Music: Additions to the Crusader Kings III soundtrack.

Fate of Iberia includes an update free for all Crusader Kings III owners that adds new options and features for all players. This update will add a new faction type to challenge your ruler, Heads of Faith that can be shared by different religions, vassal contracts for clans, and, of course, a new starting bookmark that highlights interesting Iberian characters for the 867 start date.

Crusader Kings III: Fate of Iberia can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $6.99/£5.19/€6.99. It is included with the Crusader Kings III expansion pass and Crusader Kings III: Royal Edition.

For more information about Crusader Kings III: Fate of Iberia, visit the flavor packs website.

Matrix Games have announced that Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1943 is out now, and with it comes the turning point in the most brutal part of the war.

Will you be able to change history and lead Germany to victory? Or will overcoming the Russian defences prove too problematic to attempt? Either way, this extensive DLC will offer hours of tactical depth and challenge to keep you engaged right up until the final moment.

As with other Axis Operations content, you’ll be able to jump right into this DLC with your existing core. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, as you can also play with our specially tuned premade core.

Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1943 is available now on the Slitherine store, Steam, Windows Store, Epic Games and GoG.

It is 1943. Between the brutal stalemates, brutal winter and armies of marauding tanks, the Germans find themselves pinned or retreating throughout Russia.

But, as spring of 1943 approaches, the wehrmacht perhaps has some cause for optimism. The lessons of the last few years have surely been learnt. The Russians have surely taken incalculable losses. Surely a well thought out strike now could see the end of the war.

Watch the launch trailer HERE.

Rise of the Swiss, the new Field of Glory II Medieval DLC, is now available on PC.

Showcasing one of the most revolutionary changes in battlefield tactics, Rise of the Swiss focuses on the introduction of the long pike. This long thrusting weapon became a dominant part of the Swiss’ weaponry back in the Fifteenth Century, due to its devastatingly long reach, and the DLC represents the first time players will be able to take advantage of its lethal range.

This fourth main DLC for Field of Glory II: Medieval also expands upon the intense turn-based action of the base game by adding four more historically-based campaigns, eight more historical scenarios, and many more features: 22 new units, 60 more army lists, 41 more historical matchups added to Quick Battle mode, increasing the total to 239, most playable from either side.

You can find more info on Rise of the Swiss’ Steam Page.