Steel Division: Normandy 44

steel-division-normandy-44Eugen Systems announced today that ‘First Blood’, the free anniversary update for Steel Division: Normandy 44, will be available on May 17th and will feature 2 new FREE divisions and unlock 2 ace models.

Let’s focus today on the most famous and dreaded division of the Waffen-SS, 1. SS-Panzerdivision “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler“.

ORIGINS

LSSAH traces its origin back to Hitler’s Stabswache (staff guard), his small group of bodyguards, back in 1923 when the Nazi party was still in its infancy and mostly involved in brawls with communists. It was their leader, Julius Schreck, who resurrected for them the old Totenkopf (Death Head) symbol & black uniform of the elite Totenkopfhusaren from Frederik the Great & Napoleon’s wars. Disbanded in 1923 after Hitler’s failed coup in Bavaria, it was recreated in 1925, expanded and reorganized several times that same year, until finally being known as Schutzstaffel (roughly “Protection Squadron”), more commonly referred to as SS.

Among the new members of that reformed SS was Heinrich Himmler, who in under two years was to rise as deputy-commander of the SS, and two more years later as its supreme commander. From a battalion-size unit when he took command, Himmler was to build an organization of a bit under a million men by the end of the war, with control over the army, the entire State security apparatus (from intelligence services to police and concentration camps) and a large part of the economy, etc.

But prior to the beginning of WW2, the SS was still a modest force. Membership started to rise in the early 30’s, concurrently with the Nazi party’s political successes. In 1933, when Hitler rose as Germany’s chancellor, his bodyguard had expanded to a regiment, 1. SS-Standarde, which provided the nucleus of the new chancellor’s guard. This new elite unit went on by several names before being finally named Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler in April 1934, under the command of Josef “Sepp” Dietrich for most of the war, throughout its expansion.

Read the rest of this blog post HERE.

steel-division-normandy-44By Charles Ellis @ The Wargamer

Eugen and Paradox have released their second piece of premium DLC for Steel Division: Normandy ‘44. This time rather alarmingly titled: Back to Hell. We’ve been a tad tardy with our coverage on this one, but in this humble writer’s opinion, if you’re in the market for buying just one Steel Division add-on (out of the two available), this is the one you want.

Read on…

steel-division-normandy-44Cooperative Play, Historical Missions and Four New Divisions Debut

Paradox Interactive and Eugen Systems are making history today, with the release of Back to Hell for Steel Division: Normandy 44. Now available on Steam for Windows PC, the game’s second expansion features first-ever cooperative play, seven new historical missions, four new divisions, two new exclusive ace models and 58 new units. Don’t be a saint, get Back to Hell now for $14.99 MSRP.

In Back to Hell, players will lead 11 never-before-seen divisions into seven historically accurate battles (including five in co-op and multiplayer), based on real world operations. For each historical mission, divisions are set, and players have to choose the pre-made battlegroups they want to command. Battlegroups must fit into a greater plan to achieve common goals, which means players will have to fight and accomplish objectives with what they are given, not always what they would have chosen.

In addition to historical missions, Back to Hell features four new divisions: Allied (Demi-Brigade SAS and the 7th Armoured Division “Desert Rats”) and Axis (Festung Gross-Paris and 2. Panzerdivision), with 58 new units, like the Staghound, Wasp Mk.IIC, FFI Jagdpanzer IV, Jeep SAS, Maultier Mun and Panhard MG.

Back to Hell arrives alongside a free content update, Bulls on Parade, which adds a long-awaited random map option to the lobby, and features the free historical mission Operation Atlantic in solo, co-op and multiplayer. The 11th Armoured Division “Black Bull” is playable for the first time, and only available in this mission. It will team up with the 3rd Armored and face off against the 16 Luftwaffe and the 21 Panzer divisions.

View the Steel Division: Normandy 44 – Back to Hell release trailer HERE.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! Paradox introduced a new bundle today, Steel Division: Normandy 44 Locked & Loaded, which contains the base game, deluxe edition content, Second Wave and Back to Hell. Available exclusively on Steam, Locked & Loaded gets players up-to-date on content and 10% off the cost.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, please visit the games official website.

steel-division-normandy-44Second Expansion Coming February 13th from Eugen Systems and Paradox

Paradox Interactive today announced the second DLC for Steel Division: Normandy 44. Back to Hell will be available February 13 on Steam for Windows PC. Featuring first-ever cooperative play and seven new historical missions (including five in co-op and multiplayer) based on real world operations, in Back to Hell, players take on the role of 11 never before seen divisions in new historically accurate battles like Operation Windsor and Operation Bluecoat. The DLC also adds four new divisions, 58 new units and two new exclusive Aces. Back to Hell is bringing a whole new realm of gameplay to one of 2017’s biggest RTS titles.

Click here to view the Steel Division: Normandy 44 – Back To Hell Announcement Trailer!

Back to Hell will arrive together with a free update available for everyone who owns the base game. The free update will add one historical mission available in cooperative play.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, visit the games official website.

steel-division-normandy-44By Ian Boudreau @ The Wargamer

We’re coming up on six months since the launch of Steel Division: Normandy ’44, and in that time, we’ve seen a host of changes, large and small, to Eugen Systems and Paradox’s engaging World War II RTS. So what’s the state of the game now? If you hesitated on picking it up back at launch, is now a good time to jump in? Let’s break down what’s changed, what’s yet to come, and what the game still needs.

Read on…

steel-division-normandy-44Second Wave and Closer Combat Now Available from Eugen Systems and Paradox

Paradox Interactive today launched the first DLC for Steel Division: Normandy 44. Second Wave, the first DLC since the tactical RTS game’s release in May 2017, is now available on Windows PCs for $7.99. Today’s update also features a new free game mode, “Closer Combat”, the first of several free updates coming this year, as announced in the content roadmap.

Check out the Steel Division: Normandy 44 – Second Wave release trailer HERE.

The Second Wave DLC rolls out four new divisions, including two Allied: the 4th Armored Division (US) and 1st Special Service Brigade (UK), and two Axis: 9. Panzer (DE) and 16. Luftwaffen (DE). Second Wave also includes an exclusive ace – Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams and his famous thunderbolt M4 tank, along with 35 new units, including the legendary M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer!

Closer Combat, based on the Conquest Mode aims to make the beginning of battle more authentic by restricting the vehicle rush to the center of the map. This gives players more time to define strategy and more control on unit placement. In Closer Combat mode:

  • All transported units can be purchased and deployed without a vehicle.
  • Deployment zones are closer to each other than in other modes.
  • Players earn points once they control 52% of the battlefield (instead of 51%).

Other new features in today’s update include a remastered, more accessible first campaign mission, a new shortcut to toggle “slow-mo” in single player mode, and official servers for 4v4 games, to help reduce lags induced by the peer-to-peer mode, along with more balancing and more bug fixing.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, visit the games official website.

steel-division-normandy-44Second Wave Coming September 21, Free Updates Coming All Through 2017

Paradox Interactive, a publisher known for shooting from the hip, today announced Steel Division: Normandy 44 Second Wave, the first DLC since the tactical RTS game’s release in May 2017, will be available September 21 on Windows PCs for $7.99.

The Second Wave DLC rolls out four new divisions, including two Allied: the 4th Armored Division (US) and 1st Special Service Brigade (UK), and two Axis: 9. Panzer (DE) and 16. Luftwaffen (DE). Second Wave also includes an exclusive ace – Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams and his famous thunderbolt M4 tank, along with 35 new units, including the legendary M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer!

This means Steel Division: Normandy 44 – Second Wave players will have an arsenal of new star units at their disposal, both on land and in air, as the game’s already giant list of historically accurate weaponry, tanks and troops expands even further.

In addition to the DLC announcement, a roadmap of all the free content that will be added continuously to the base game for the coming year, with a possible spill into early 2018, has also been released.

For more information on the Content Roadmap, click here.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, visit the games official website.

steel-division-normandy-44By Ian Boudreau @ The Wargamer

Steel Division: Normandy ‘44 is a game about combined arms warfighting, but it’s very easy to over-focus on the movie stars of the Second World War, infantry and armor. These are the branches that have provided the basis for the war’s human dramas, and it’s not hard to see why. Thousands of troopers storming the French beaches, paratroopers dropping in over the countryside, and the rumble and terror of the Tiger all are immediately recognizable as moments of human valor and fear.

Artillery in Steel Division is divided into four types, and using each effectively means the difference between smashing the enemy to pieces and getting stranded on the wrong side of the front without fire support. Being that there are 400 unique units and vehicles in the game, we’ll talk broadly about the four types of artillery and where they’re most effective in the fight.

Read on…

steel-division-normandy-44Eugen Systems and Paradox are Locked and Loaded with their Newest Bombshell 

Paradox Interactive, a publisher known for shooting from the hip, today released Steel Division: Normandy 44, a tactical real-time strategy (RTS) game from Eugen Systems, for Windows PCs. Steel Division: Normandy 44, made by the creators of Wargame and R.U.S.E, welcomes players to the world of 1944 World War II-era warfare with detailed and historically accurate weapons, tanks and troops. Players must use their tactical know-how to outmaneuver and outgun the enemy in big multiplayer battles, or go it alone in a hardcore single-player campaign.

Steel yourself for war with a new trailer, available here.

Lead legendary divisions from six different countries, such as the American 101st Airborne, the German Armored 21st Panzer, or the 3rd Canadian Division, all based on their actions and capabilities during the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Take command of over 400 units armed to the teeth with historically accurate weaponry. Maneuver your troops and push the front line against the enemy in multiplayer battles that feature ranked matches of up to 10-vs-10. Coordinate your selections of infantry, tanks and aircraft to create the ultimate military force and counter the enemy’s units.

Your war chest of features include:

  • Real-world Tactics: Battles accurately reflect the movement of real-world armies with different units that unlock over time. A dynamic front line illustrates the ebb and flow of the conflict as you strategically corner your opponent’s infantry to gain the advantage and force a retreat, or fall back to regroup.
  • Deep Strategy: Players have control over everything from battlegroups to troop positioning and maneuvering — winning battles will call for more than just brute force, requiring real cunning and strategy. Each lost unit presents a growing tactical advantage for your opponent, and players will need to fight to gain — and keep — the upper hand.
  • Real-world Setting: Seamlessly control a tactical aerial view to monitor your armies down to a single unit using the latest version of Eugen’s IRISZOOM engine. With 400 different real-world vehicles and units designed with careful detail, Steel Division boasts textbook-ready historical accuracy including maps based on actual aerial reconnaissance photos of Normandy in 1944.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, visit the games official website.

steel-division-normandy-44Paradox Interactive and Eugen Systems Bring Historical Weight to WWII Tactical RTS

Two giants of historical strategy put their love of the past on display in Steel Division: Normandy 44. The World War II themed real-time strategy game from Paradox Interactive and Eugen Systems is rooted in a deep appreciation of history and an understanding of the limits and possibilities of games.

In a new behind-the-scenes video from Eugen Systems, Creative Director Alexis Le Dressay and his team expand on the research that went into the development of Steel Division: Normandy 44. Division battlegroups, unit design and map choice are all based on attention to period detail and historical accuracy.

Players can now pre-order Steel Division: Normandy 44 for $39.99/£34,99/€39,99, or the Deluxe Edition for $59.99/£49,99/€59,99. Both versions include two historical aces as a pre-order bonus, giving division leaders new cosmetic faces to put in command of their vehicles.

Pre-ordering Steel Division: Normandy 44 also gives players access to the multiplayer beta, which allows players to face off on the battlefields of Normandy with Steel Division’s unique battlegroups in advance of launch. Steel Division: Normandy 44 will receive its final pre-launch beta update this afternoon, which will add two new divisions (the British 6th Airborne and German 352.Infanterie Division) and maps of Odon and Carpiquet for players to master!

Steel Division: Normandy 44 will be available on Steam and the Paradox store on May 23, 2017.

For more information on Steel Division: Normandy 44, and to pre-order the game, please visit the official Steel Division: Normandy 44 website.