Month: August 2025

83Blue Dot Games has just unveiled the latest in their Developer Tapes series showcasing different aspects of ‘83, their upcoming 40v40 squad-based tactical first-person shooter set in an alternate 1983 where the Cold War escalated into an all-out warzone. This latest video highlights the two factions in this conflict: The United States Army and the Soviet Ground Forces.

‘83 Developer Tapes #2 – Factions

Each faction is based on years of research, utilising military archives, historical photographs, re-enactment groups, Cold War museums, and direct consultation with military history forums.

The US Army is built for structure, coordination, and precision. Utilising period appropriate weapons like M16A1, The M60 LMG, and the MP5SD, this army is designed for accurate fire and tactical versatility. US Special Forces bring even more specialisation, like shotguns tuned for close quarters combat. Their uniforms are standardised, with machined components, and plastics and polymers commonly utilised in weapons and gear; equipment that can be efficiently mass produced to adapt to the everturning tide of war. Adopt the strategies of fire discipline, coordination, and role-based tactics to emerge victorious.

Soviet forces are designed for relentless forward pressure, implementing iconic weaponry like the AK074, RPK-74, and the RPG-7. Deploy Soviet tactics in ‘83 using movement in numbers, with waves of infantry supported by armored vehicles, and overwhelming firepower. Donning repurposed uniforms of canvas and leather, the soviet battle fatigues reflects the resourcefulness of the Eastern Bloc and their reliance on repurposed stock from earlier decades. Blitz through your opponents’ defenses with offensive pressure and volume of fire.

‘83 was built on the idea of “accessible realism”, with an aim to make everything as realistic as possible, until the point where it stops being fun, then it gets ratcheted back one notch. Taking you to the action fast, matches average around 30-40 minutes, and whilst dying only takes you out of the match for a short while, before allowing you to respawn, don’t underestimate this seemingly low-stakes penalty, as that time-out is enough to turn the tide of battle since ‘83 requires thorough communication and teamwork, with Team Commanders guiding their faction through strategic organisation and nail-biting calls.

Players can choose from a variety of roles: from frontline riflemen to vehicle operators and support units – each with their own loadouts and strategic value. ‘83 features era-authentic weapons and equipment with realistic handling and lethality, with each armament meticulously designed and animated according to its real life counterpart. Every weapon behaves in a realistic way, with barrels and suppressors overheating when rapid firing, machineguns require a stable surface for accuracy, and bullets don’t magically teleport in between magazines when you reload a half-empty one. ‘83’s focus on realism, coordination and large-scale immersion offers players a gritty, boots-on-the-ground experience in a world teetering on the edge of nuclear war!

’83 is coming to Steam Early Access later this year.

'83 First-Person Shooters | Donster | |

scramble-battle-of-britainBack in December last year, we launched our Squadron Leader Game Mode, which lets players step into the shoes of a WWII leader and manage a squadron through a 30-day single-player campaign, learning how to combine different pilot traits, when to send people on leave, and how to rebuild a balanced crew after casualties.

Squadron Leader quickly became one of the most played and appreciated parts of our Early Access journey, and ever since, we’ve been thinking about how to take it to the next level.

Today, with the Pilots & Squadron Update, we’re expanding on that foundation, adding deeper improvements to both the squadron and pilot layers.

What’s New in the Pilots & Squadron Update?

We’ve introduced a number of systems and mechanics that shape how pilots behave, grow, and impact your squadron:

  • Newly created squadrons will be populated with pilots of varying experience levels and sortie counts.
  • Pilot traits improve and worsen according to each pilot’s experience, readiness, and morale.
  • Every pilot now has experience, readiness, and morale states that adjust according to individual and squadron performance.
  • Veteran pilots will see improved leadership abilities, while inexperienced pilots will struggle in leadership roles.
  • Pilots will become rusty without regular combat sorties.
  • Pilot and squadron morale will fluctuate in coordination with success and failure.
  • Pilot wellness states (like Rusty or Veteran) generate positive or negative modifier traits.
  • Traits influence base performance and can be improved or worsened over time.
  • A “Sortie History” interactive calendar tracks the results of every mission flown with detailed statistics and match replay files.
  • The Pilots & Squadron update deepens strategic decision making in the Squadron Leader game mode, and the new mechanics will help players tell a more rich and emotional story of each squadron. Pilot Trait modifications are another important building block for our in-development Channel Defense Campaign. We will continue adding new pilot traits and trait modifications in each update on our road to leaving Early Access. In addition to Squadron Leader mechanics, this update is packed with improvements to Scramble VFX and bug fixes.

    For more information about Scramble: Battle of Britain, visit the games official webpage or on the games Steam page.

    crusader-kings-3Show Off Your Power in Coronations

    It is one thing to inherit a crown, but another thing to own it. Demonstrate your command of pomp and circumstance in Coronations, a new event pack for Crusader Kings III, Paradox Interactive’s celebrated grand strategy role playing game about dynastic rivalry in the Medieval era, coming on September 09, 2025.

    This event pack adds Coronations as a new in-game Activity. Gather your vassals in a grand ceremony so they can bear witness to your ascension to the throne, or use the cover of this majestic event to undermine or eliminate rivals at court. Use this sacred royal event to chart the course for your rule and set the tone for how you will govern.

    Key Features:

  • New Activity: Coronations
  • Legitimize your rule through grand coronations that will impress your vassals and neighboring rulers
  • Maneuver around faction members and detractors, hopefully forging a magnificent coronation from dangerous circumstances
  • Bring together your vassals for a grand ceremony to celebrate your new rule of the realm
  • Oaths: Take an oath after your coronation and declare an objective for your rule
  • Access new decisions with unique rewards to suit every playstyle
  • Crusader Kings III: Coronations will be available on 09 September 2025 for the suggested retail price of $4.99/£4.29/€4.99. It is also available as part of the Crusader Kings III: Chapter IV pack. More information about Crusader Kings III is available on the official Crusader Kings III website.

    europa-universalis-vOne of the most celebrated series in PC strategy gaming will get a complete reimagining this fall. Europa Universalis V, the next iteration of Paradox Interactive’s flagship historical title, will be available on 04 November 2025.

    Developed by the Barcelona-based Paradox Tinto under the direction of Paradox co-founder Johan Andersson, Europa Universalis V is a continuation of the series’ record of deep, quality strategy gaming, but also a major departure from the previous titles. The new game moves further from the game’s boardgame roots, and embraces population simulator models that have been explored in other Paradox games.

    The result is Europa Universalis V, one of the most complex and deep strategy games on the market – a game that can tell deeper and more realistic historical tales, rooted in a deeply researched interpretation of the late medieval world as the era of castles and knights prepares to yield to a time of explorers and Renaissance.

    Watch the Europa Universalis V: Pre-Purchase Trailer HERE.

    Key features of Europa Universalis V include:

  • New “pop” based system: A region’s population is reflected by pop units, varying in culture, religion, and social position. A prosperous society will see the population grow, while plague and war can prove costly to the core of your game.
  • Earliest Starting Date in Europa Universalis history, beginning with the world of 1337. The French and English are about to start the Hundred Years’ War, the Yuan dynasty thrives in China, and the Black Death has yet to happen. Guide a nation through 500 years of history, written by your decisions.
  • The Biggest Paradox Map ever uses a more accurate projection of the globe and small province units. This means greater fidelity to the historical world that Europa Universalis V represents and more variety in the strategies available to the player.
  • Deeper Economic System including multiple goods and resources in each province. Resources can be fed into a production system, creating key goods for your society or for trade in regional and global markets.
  • Expanded Research Game: Unlock new technologies and ideas across diplomatic, administrative and military realms. Progress along each research branch will allow new weapons, new industries, and new ways to organize your realm.
  • Detailed Government System: Give tasks to your cabinet advisors to ease your rule, adopt new laws and national characteristics, and keep the factions of your nation in line by doling out privileges to various Estates.
  • New Military System that draws soldiers from your population. Raise the levies and watch commerce grind to a halt, or hire mercenaries to fill your ranks. Slowly develop a professional standing army and organize your battlefield posture as you fight for territory and glory.
  • And more: Historical situations to immerse you in real world events, multiple religions and government types, greater importance of characters and dynastic relationships, and dramatic world changing events.
  • If you pre-order Europa Universalis V, you will receive an MP3 collection of the original soundtrack for Europa Universalis IV, including songs composed for almost every expansion and immersion pack through the life of the game. (This bonus does not include any Sabaton compilations or compositions.)

    Europa Universalis V will be available for PC on 04 November 2025 for the suggested retail price of $59.99/£49.99/€59.99. The Premium Edition, including two upcoming chronicle packs and one upcoming immersion pack as well as an instant cosmetic reward, is being sold for the suggested retail price of $84.99/£70.99/€84.99.

    More game information is available on the Europa Universalis V website.

    panzer-corps-2-frontlines-westwallSlitherine has announced that Panzer Corps 2 – Frontlines: Westwall is available now for $9.99 on the games official website or on Steam.

    Command US forces in the assault against Germany’s Siegfried Line in Panzer Corps 2 – Frontlines: Westwall. This new DLC covers the campaign from September to December 1944, taking you from the fortified city of Aachen to the deadly Huertgen Forest and the southern drive through Metz.

    Featuring new scenarios, units, and iconic Westwall defenses, this is one of the toughest challenges yet in the Frontlines series.

    Commanding the American side, players get to fight in the Low Countries, France, and in Germany, across vastly different settings and conditions ranging from rather open areas with towns and villages in between to heavy terrain covered by dense forest or larger swamps that restrict movement.

    The campaign spans from the summer of 1944, after the liberation of Paris, to December of the same year, covering scenarios from the Schnee Eifel, to Saarlouis, passing through the Stolberg Corridor, North Brabant, Metz and much more, for a total of 14 missions.

    Watch the Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines – Westwall Gameplay Trailer HERE.

    Key Features

  • Command historic battles never before featured in official Panzer Corps content
  • Experience a dynamic difficulty curve: early victories give way to fierce resistance
  • Engage in a wide variety of mission types, from open-armored assaults to tight urban and forest combat
  • Confront heavily fortified areas that demand tactical precision and patience
  • Enjoy new visuals including custom officer portraits, briefings, and campaign maps
  • gallipoliGallipoli drops players deep into the Middle Eastern campaigns of World War 1

    BlackMill Games, the studio behind the highly regarded WW1 Game Series, is proud to reveal Gallipoli, the next major game in its historically authentic FPS saga. Launching on PC (Steam, Microsoft store and Epic Games), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Gallipoli takes players to one of the most overlooked but dramatic theaters of the First World War, the Middle Eastern Front.

    Watch the new trailer now!

    From the windswept beaches of the Dardanelles to the scorching deserts of Lower Mesopotamia, Gallipoli delivers the series’ most immersive and intense depiction of WW1 combat yet. Players can battle from the beaches, clash through ruined cities and sandstorms, or engage in desert warfare to hold and reclaim strategic ground as either British Empire or Ottoman forces.

    With Gallipoli, we’re highlighting a front that’s often overlooked, despite its importance,” said Jos Hoebe, founder of BlackMill Games. “Others have explored it before, but this game lets us go deeper, offering a more accurate and complete portrayal in line with the rest of the WW1 Game Series.

    A New Front in the Great War
    Gallipoli expands the scope of the WW1 Game Series, offering a dramatic shift in setting, tactics, and terrain. Inspired by the expeditionary warfare of real historical Gallipoli and Mesopotamia campaigns, this is the most diverse battlefield yet in the series.

    Key features:

  • Authentic WW1 battles: fight through history with accurate maps, weapons, music and uniforms as a soldier of the British or Ottoman Empire.
  • Varied Middle Eastern theatre: engage in expeditionary warfare across coastal dunes to dry deserts, urban areas & more.
  • Realistic combat: get to grips with highly detailed weaponry & equipment and survive through suppressive fire and dust.
  • Squad-based multiplayer FPS: join a squad as one of many classes with distinct specializations and work as a team across PC and Consoles with crossplay.
  • Never fight alone: AI bots will join the fight over the future of the Middle Eastern Front in public matches, and optionally in custom matches.
  • More than a battle, it’s a campaign
    Gallipoli is the fourth standalone entry in the WW1 Game Series, following Verdun, Tannenberg, and Isonzo. Each title focuses on a different front of the war, offering grounded and historically inspired FPS gameplay that fosters tactical cooperation and authenticity.

    With Gallipoli, the series moves beyond the trenches and Alpine warfare of Europe to spotlight the lesser-known Middle Eastern campaigns. This entry captures the strategic ambitions of both the Allied and Ottoman expeditionary missions, and the soldiers who fought far from home under extreme conditions.

    Add Gallipoli to your wishlist now on Steam to stay informed as we march toward launch. It’s also available on the Epic Games Store here.

    First-Person Shooters Gallipoli | Donster | |

    combat-mission-beyond-overlordGame preservationist and publisher bringing three classic WWII tactics games to Steam this September – multiple updates, bug fixes, and a war-chest packed with community-created content included.

    Today, SNEG, Ltd., curator and publisher of treasured classic PC games, is announcing the upcoming re-releases of three classic titles in the acclaimed “Combat Mission” series of WWII tactics wargames: Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord, Combat Mission II: Barbarossa to Berlin, and Combat Mission 3: Afrika Korps. The Combat Mission titles feature “We-Go” turn-based gameplay, where each turn is split into two parts: players first plan their moves at the same time, then watch as all actions unfold together on the battlefield, keeping the action intense while giving armchair commanders time to plan their next move between rounds. All three games feature a variety of bugfixes and feature updates, including support for non-4:3 resolutions!

    And as a bonus, the games include various community-created mods and scenarios (see each game’s features for which content they feature).

    — All three titles will be released via Steam on September 10, 2025, for $5.99 USD and will feature a limited-time 10% discount –

    strategic-command-american-civil-warMatrix Games have announced that a new DLC for Strategic Command: American Civil War is coming: Concert of Europe. Covering the transformative years from 1854 to 1877, it takes you into an age of nationalism, shifting alliances, and decisive wars that shaped modern Europe.

    Five campaigns will lead you from the Crimean War to the rise of Bismarck’s Germany, through Italy’s unification and the conflicts of the Balkans. Each brings new strategic challenges, maps, and leaders.

    Beta sign-ups are now open for those who want early access and the opportunity to provide feedback before release.

    Sign up for the beta HERE.

    Concert of Europe is the epic second expansion for Strategic Command: American Civil War, plunging you into a transformative era with five brand-new campaigns. From the frozen steppes of Crimea to the sun-baked hills of Italy, you will command armies, forge alliances, and test your strategic genius in an age where a single battle could change the fate of a continent.

    rule-the-waves-3Matrix Games has released the maintenance update for Rule the Waves 3, its simulation of naval ship design and construction, fleet management and naval warfare from 1890 to 1970. Its a a bug-fixing update, mostly focusing on the UI, which includes a small new feature where players can now rename their officers.

    You can download the update HERE.

    You can find the full changelog HERE.

    You can buy Rule the Waves 3 on Steam or the Matrix Games website.

    Naval Combat Rule the Waves 3 | Donster | |

    battlefield-6Source: Steam

    Get to the frontline. Battlefield’s biggest Open Beta ever is LIVE for two-weekends only, August 9-10 and 14-17. Jump in today and experience ultimate all-out warfare.

    Drop into intense urban combat on the streets of central Cairo, take to the skies in an aerial dogfight along Tajikistan’s glorious mountainside, and sprint through Gibraltar’s winding streets, stalk its alleyways, dodge heavily-armored tanks, and tear through buildings.

    Rally your squad for Weekend 1 modes.

  • Experience Battlefield’s signature all-out warfare in Conquest, where tanks, jets, and attack helicopters turn the tides of battle.
  • Push or hold the line in the intense, objective-driven Breakthrough. Capture and hold multiple control points to outpace the enemy, and don’t hold back, in Domination.
  • Battle to control a single capture point as the fighting gets fiercer the more time ticks down in King of the Hill.
  • Tackle 7 challenges during Weekend 1 and unlock rewards that are redeemable at game launch.
  • Watch the Battlefield 6 Open Beta Trailer HERE.

    Players can join the Beta on Steam or Epic Games Store.