Strategy and Wargaming

The Market Garden expansion introduces a new British campaign with eight meticulously crafted battles, focusing on the events of Operation Market Garden.

The first DLC expansion for Headquarters: World War II deployed on Steam today. The Market Garden DLC continues the story from the base game following the Normandy landings of 1944 and covers the daring and massive offensive from Allied forces that was Operation Market Garden.

Watch the Headquarters: World War II – Market Garden Trailer HERE.

In this new campaign, players command British land forces tasked with reaching and relieving Allied paratrooper units that have landed in the Netherlands and are holding key bridges in the area of operation. However, due to stubborn German resistance and a series of setbacks, players find themselves fighting to save the paratroopers.

In addition to an all-new British campaign, which is made of eight meticulously crafted battles, the Market Garden DLC also introduces new units for every playable country – 5 British units, 2 US units, and 3 German units. For the first time, players can deploy the UK’s Staghound Tulip and the US’s Sherman Calliope rocket launcher, ensuring that all three factions now have their own powerful rocket units. All new units in the DLC are available in Skirmish and Multiplayer modes.

You can find out more details about Headquarters: World War II HERE.

A new update is out for War in the East 2. This is planned to be the Final Feature update for WITE2. You can download the update here.

We still intend to fix bugs as they are reported. If you do find a bug please report it on the Matrix Forum or the Gary Grigsby Discord. We would like to thank our fans for their steadfast support over the last three years as WITE2 has grown with the Steel Inferno DLC and numerous major updates.

We have added many new gameplay options to allow the player to customize morale by nation as well as combat delay effects, campaign end conditions, repair rates, leader casualties, and more. All of this is aimed at allowing players to tailor WITE2 to suit their preferred playstyle and historical balance.

We’ve also added the option to allow for production for the Axis side as an optional feature, which will require support from modders to provide the necessary data, but makes possible a system for both sides similar to what the Soviet side has had from release.

There are many other smaller fixes and improvements all with the goal that this will be the final, stable update for WITE2 for the long term.

The full changelog is available to read here.

We hope you enjoy playing War in the East II in the years to come. We are very excited to see what the modding community will implement with this framework.

Major Expansion for Crusader Kings III Available Today

Explore a richer and deeper medieval world in Roads to Power, the highly anticipated expansion of Crusader Kings III, Paradox Interactive’s best-selling strategy role-playing game about the Middle Ages. Travel a world of danger and opportunity as your character seeks wealth and adventure, or navigate the perilous waters of imperial politics – a setting where brute force often bows to diplomacy and intrigue.

Watch the Roads to Power Release Trailer HERE.

Roads to Power is the newest Major Expansion of Crusader Kings III, focusing on two significant changes to the core game experience. First, Landless Adventurer characters start with a camp and a few followers but can gain great power and influence by offering their skills to neighboring rules. Second, the Administrative Government playstyle comes to the Byzantine Empire, in a more historically appropriate representation of the political system of one of the great Mediterranean powers. An associated comic book about the rise of Basil I, “Many Roads to Power”, was published in August, free for everyone to read and enjoy.

Features of Crusader Kings III: Roads to Power include:

Crusader Kings III: Roads to Power is now available for the suggested retail price of $29.99/£24.99/€29.99. It is also available as part of Crusader Kings III: Chapter III – which includes the Core Expansion ‘Legends of the Dead’, the Major Expansion ‘Roads to Power’ and the Event Pack ‘Wandering Nobles’.

More game information is available on the official Crusader Kings III website.

Slitherine Games have announced that the major update to the Scramble demo is out now! Grab the demo on the games official Steam page!

Here’s a list of the new features included in this version:

Aircraft

Missions

Gameplay options

UI

In-game

Match replay

Too many bugfixes, balancing tweaks and performance improvements to mention!

Prepare to navigate new depths of strategic warfare with the latest update to Victory At Sea Atlantic! This highly anticipated update introduces historical scenarios, offering players the opportunity to relive iconic World War II naval engagements in real-time. Players have eagerly requested this feature since our Early Access launch, and we are excited to deliver it, expanding the strategic experience even further.

With these four new playable historical scenarios, players can immerse themselves in the intense naval conflicts that defined the Atlantic Theatre. Whether commanding Allied or Axis forces, these missions offer thrilling challenges that blend historical accuracy with the fast-paced strategy that fans of the series know and love.

You can check out the intro to one of the Historical scenarios here!

What’s New in This Update:

Additional Gameplay Enhancements:

Find out more about Victory At Sea Atlantic on Steam.

Slitherine Games has released the Scramble: Battle of Britain – Flight School, Episode #8 video.

The Scramble engine is built from the ground up to make capturing content from your matches as easy as possible. Every moment of each Scramble match can be scrubbed through with our rewind system, and the action of every Scramble match can be saved to a small replay file that players can share with friends.

Watch Flight School, Episode #8 “Cinematic Tools” video HERE.

Full Match Replays

Scramble matches save as a small text file composed of a scenario definition and the control inputs for every aircraft. After loading a replay file, Scramble will re-simulate its match turn-by-turn with the ability for players to interrupt and take control of any turn. The turn-by-turn simulation and interrupt features are useful for post-match analysis and for exploring alternate tactics. And players have access to the same cinematic toolset and turn/match rewind features during a replay as they normally have in a live dogfight. The Scramble replay system lets players come back to any match at any time and find the perfect screenshot, gif, or video.

Sharing Replays

Match replay files are lightweight and easy to share over the internet; demo players have been sharing match replays in our Discord server since June. If you download a friend’s match replay file you can relive their favorite matches in the Scramble engine from your own PC, you can act as a film director and capture footage of their successes and failures, and you can interrupt and control their aircraft yourself on any turn to fix their errors or challenge their scores.

Cinematic Toolset

The rewind and scrubbable nature of Scramble gameplay makes it perfect for staging screenshots, gifs, and video. Our already robust cinematic toolset will continue expanding throughout the life of the Scramble engine, and below is a list of some of the features that will be available at launch.

Scramble currently features a free camera for movement around the sky, a dolly camera that will travel at an offset relative to the selected airplane, and a hardpoint camera with a list of preset camera positions for each aircraft. Scramble gameplay can also be viewed from our tactical mode, where the action unfolds in isometric perspective like a diorama and the player can move a cursor around the sky to investigate detailed information about different airplanes.

The Scramble camera allows positional and orientation control both in world space and in reference to a selected object, and camera orientation can be defined relative to the horizon or relative to the roll angle of the selected airplane. The camera allows players to smoothly adjust field of view for zoom and the camera can remember preferred zoom levels in different camera modes.

The Scramble camera can be commanded to track a selected airplane or a target aircraft in any of its major modes. And players can toggle UI layers on and off including both the 2D HUD and the 3D worldspace UI.

Thank you for sticking with us! For now, Flight School stops here. We’ve truly enjoyed training our pilots by sharing the features and development phases of Scramble, and we encourage you to continue giving your feedback on the demo to help us implement enhancements in the game.

Click here for more game information.

Players can now relive one of the most pivotal battles of World War II like never before as Panzer Corps 2: War Stories – Fall of Poland is now out on Steam. Taking place from the perspective of Polish forces, the story-driven DLC immerses players in the Invasion of Poland in 1939, which marked the start of a global conflict that would reshape history.

Watch the Panzer Corps 2: War Stories – Fall of Poland in 2 minutes trailer HERE.

Fall of Poland marks the debut of a new key characters system, which will see players track the fate of unique individuals across the campaign. Key characters are a key part of the game and players will unlock specific extras such as weapon prototypes by saving them or completing the objective attached to them. Fortunately, it’s not game over and you can still progress with the story if you are unable to save them.

Fall of Poland also features 14 new scenarios that were pivotal to the Invasion of Poland, including the Battle of Westerplatte, Battle of Mława, and Escape from Warsaw. The DLC additionally sees the arrival of 21 new units for Poland and Germany. These range from modifications of existing vehicles such as the Panzer IID and TKS 20mm to unique Polish equipment of Uhlan Cavalry and even some ultra rare prototype aircraft.

New gameplay features contained within the DLC are:

The Fall of Poland DLC is the first installment in Panzer Corp 2’s all-new War Stories chapter. Expansions included within the chapter focus more on storytelling with them aiming to tell specific stories through varied and engaging scenarios. It follows after the launch of the turn-based strategy title’s Frontlines chapter in March this year. The Bulge DLC kicked off the chapter, which centers on short, but intense, scenarios that showcase some of World War II’s most pivotal battles in greater detail.

Slitherine, a leader in the development and publishing of wargames, proudly announces the acquisition of Battlefront, the renowned developers of the Combat Mission series. This strategic move underscores Slitherine’s commitment to expanding the wargaming market in a meaningful and sustainable manner while honoring the legacy of a franchise that has captivated thousands of fans worldwide for over two decades.

Watch the Combat Mission Celebration Video HERE.

A Landmark Franchise in Wargaming

Combat Mission is a name synonymous with excellence in tactical wargaming. Since its inception 25 years ago, the franchise has released over 20 products, selling over 1 million copies globally. These figures are a testament to the game’s enduring popularity and the community’s loyalty. Combat Mission has not only set the standard for realism and tactical depth but has also fostered a dedicated following around the globe.

Bringing Combat Mission to the Next Generation

Slitherine’s acquisition of Battlefront signals an exciting new chapter for Combat Mission. With Slitherine’s resources and expertise, the franchise is poised to evolve, embracing cutting-edge technology and innovative gameplay mechanics to captivate a new generation of wargamers. This partnership aims to enhance the gaming experience while maintaining the core principles that have made Combat Mission a beloved series.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Battlefront team into the Slitherine family,” said Iain McNeil, CEO of Slitherine. “Their expertise and passion for wargaming are unparalleled, and together, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in this genre. Our goal is to not only preserve the legacy of Combat Mission but to elevate it to new heights.”

An Essential Tool for Defence Organizations

Combat Mission’s impact extends beyond the realm of entertainment. The software is widely used by numerous Defence Organizations around the world as a planning and wargaming tool. Its realistic simulations and detailed scenarios provide invaluable insights for military training and operational planning. This unique application underscores the game’s sophistication and its relevance in real-world scenarios.

Continuity and Expansion

All Battlefront staff, including co-founders Stephen Grammont and Charles Moylan, will be fully absorbed within Slitherine. This integration ensures continuity and preserves the invaluable knowledge and experience that the Battlefront team brings. Fans of Combat Mission can rest assured that the franchise is in good hands, with the original creators continuing to play a pivotal role in its development.

“We are excited to join forces with Slitherine,” said Stephen Grammont, co-founder of Battlefront. “Their vision for the future of wargaming aligns perfectly with ours, and we are confident that together we can achieve great things. We look forward to bringing new and exciting content to our dedicated fanbase.”

Availability and Distribution

Slitherine is committed to maintaining the availability of Combat Mission games through existing channels. All titles will continue to be sold through Matrix Games, Steam, and various other outlets. This ensures that fans can easily access and enjoy their favorite games, and new players can discover the series with ease. If you want to know more about how to redeem and/or get access to your games, please visit the FAQ or the “how to download my Games” sections.

Looking Forward

The acquisition of Battlefront by Slitherine represents a significant milestone in the evolution of wargaming. This partnership is poised to deliver new and exciting experiences for fans of the genre, while expanding the reach and impact of Combat Mission. Together, Slitherine and Battlefront are dedicated to growing the wargaming market in a meaningful and sustainable way, ensuring that this beloved genre continues to thrive for years to come.

Slitherine’s strategic acquisition of Battlefront, emphasizing the significance of Combat Mission in the wargaming community and the broader Defence sector. It assures continuity, celebrates the franchise’s legacy, and outlines the future vision for the series under Slitherine’s stewardship

We are thrilled to announce a significant update to Victory At Sea Atlantic, the latest installment in our renowned World War II naval strategy series. Following the feedback from our passionate community, we are introducing a feature that has been highly requested since our Early Access launch: the Single Fleet Campaign.

In this new mode, players who prefer a more focused command experience can now take control of a single fleet, navigating the treacherous waters of the Atlantic during World War II. This mode is a heartfelt tribute to the original Victory At Sea game, offering a streamlined yet deeply engaging strategic experience. We hope this addition will resonate with both veteran admirals and newcomers alike.

But that’s not all! We are also proud to announce that Victory At Sea Atlantic is now fully localized, allowing players to enjoy the game in German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese. This expansion of language support underscores our commitment to making the game accessible to a global audience.

Key Gameplay Enhancements:

This update also includes various other improvements, from visual engine upgrades to updated tutorial videos, all designed to refine the overall gameplay experience.

With this update, Victory At Sea Atlantic continues to evolve, offering players more ways to engage with the epic battles of World War II. Whether you’re leading a single fleet to victory or navigating the complexities of full Atlantic command, this update brings new challenges and excitement to your naval warfare strategies.

For more information, or to join the battle, visit Victory At Sea Atlantic and join the fight today!

Slitherine Software is thrilled to announce that Headquarters: World War II will be participating in the Ukrainian Games Festival 2024, running from August 19th to 25th. To celebrate this exciting event, we’re unveiling the official release date for the new DLC, Headquarters: World War II – Market Garden — mark your calendars for September 24th.

The Ukrainian Games Festival is a fantastic opportunity to explore the vibrant world of Ukrainian game development, showcasing an incredible array of titles from large AAA studios to indie developers. Among these is Headquarters: World War II, crafted by the talented Starni Games team based in Kyiv, Ukraine. The team has poured their passion into creating a wargame that is both tactically challenging and visually stunning.

To celebrate this occasion, Headquarters: World War II is now on sale. Get ready to show your support for Ukrainian game developers and let your desktop shine with the spirit of Headquarters: World War II – Market Garden. Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we can’t wait for you to experience the game on September 24th.