Strategy and Wargaming

Achtung, Panzer Generals!

Special announcement today! The Panzer Corps 2: Elite DLC continues with its second installment: a Soviet campaign titled 1st Guards!

As with the Ghost Division before, the focus once again falls on following the battles of the very best a nation involved in the Second World War had to offer, and for the Motherland, this means the Soviet Guards!

With the glowing reception and success of Elite – Ghost Division, and while larger mega campaigns continue their production, we’re eager to fulfill the ideal of the Elite series to bring each major nation its own Panzer Corps 2 campaign. And who better to represent the soldiers of the USSR in their debut campaign than the 1st Guards?

As before, the Elite series is also resolved to its commitment to fight against rising inflation, and will once again release at the 4.99 USD price point. We were extremely pleased with the player reception from Ghost Division, and see no good reason to arbitrarily raise this series’s price point.

Because in the end, that is what really matters, that we’re making great content that our players are excited to enjoy at fair exchange.

To uphold those values, we’ve got a great campaign lined up, filled with awesome battles of epic size. Elite – 1st Guards is stuffed full of key battles ranging from 1937 all the way to 1945, and you’ll be deploying almost twice as many CORE units to battle over the previous Ghost Division campaign.

The 1st Guards
When Operation Barbarossa was launched in June of 1941, there was no such thing as a ‘Guards’ unit. By the time World War II ended in 1945, over 200 formations carried the venerated title of ‘Guards’; from Guards Rifle Divisions to Guards Tank or Guards Mechanized Divisions to even Aviation Regiments and entire Guards Armies.

We’ll reveal a more information about this new campaign in an upcoming Developer Diary, but for now you can check out the store page for some more details and screenshots.

Slitherine Software has announced today that Field of Glory: Kingdoms expands with Burghers and Bombards, a new DLC introducing two grand campaigns and powerful new mechanics that mark the dawn of the Renaissance.

Lead the Mongols in the 1223 campaign or shape centuries of history in the Mega Campaign (1054–1470). Master the Advanced Economy, rise with the Guilds, and command the battlefield in the Age of Gunpowder, where bombards, handgunners, and cannon-armed galleys change warfare forever.

Join the Closed Beta now.

Write New Histories of East Asia in All Under Heaven, Coming This Month

From the Great Wall to the great temple cities of Indochina, from the foothills of Mount Fuji to the river valleys of China, an infinite array of new adventures and stories awaits you in All Under Heaven, the largest expansion for Crusader Kings III to date. The newly expanded map presents a rich and colorful setting for imperial ambition, sacred duties and shadowy scheming with detailed representations of medieval China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Coming on 28 October, All Under Heaven takes Paradox’s celebrated grand strategy role-playing series to entirely new settings, unseen in any previous Crusader Kings game. Keep a steady hand on the regional hegemon or manage the tumult of dynastic change in China. Revere the Yamato emperor and his regent in Japan, or pursue the path of the samurai warlord. Build a monumental temple facility in the jungles of Southeast Asia and compel weaker kingdoms to pay tribute to your greatness.

All Under Heaven also introduces Japanese as a supported language for Crusader Kings III, further expanding the international audience that has grown to support this royal game.

Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven Announcement Trailer

Features of Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven include:

China: The Mandate of Heaven

Japan: Rise of the Shogunate

Southeast Asia: God-Kings and Temple Empires

Explore the Silk Road, new Starting Bookmarks and Historical Flavor

And much more

Crusader Kings III: All Under Heaven will be available on 28 October 2025 for the suggested retail price of $29.99/£24.99/€29.99. It is also available as a part of the Crusader Kings III: Chapter IV expansion pass.

More information about Crusader Kings III is available on the official Crusader Kings III website or on the games Steam page.

New Asia-Pacific Themed Expansion Leads of Hearts of Iron IV Expansion Pass

Before the war exploded in Europe, Asia had been fighting aggression for two years. Japan’s efforts to build an empire in China and the neighboring countries led to a prolonged war of attrition that would topple regimes across the region. In No Compromise, No Surrender, Hearts of Iron IV players will face new challenges as they rewrite the history of humanity’s greatest conflict.

No Compromise, No Surrender is a new expansion pack for Hearts of Iron IV, Paradox Interactive’s best-selling grand strategy wargame set in the years around World War II. With a focus on the Asian nations, No Compromise, No Surrender adds new game mechanics, deeper strategy and added historical flavor to Nationalist China, Communist China, Japan and more. It will reinforce your army on 20 November 2025.

Hearts of Iron IV: Expansion Pass 2 Official Announcement Trailer

Highlights of Hearts of Iron IV: No Compromise, No Surrender include:

Additional supporting features and quality-of-life updates, such as new Naval Special Projects and updates to Naval Combat with improved carrier mechanics.

Hearts of Iron IV: No Compromise, No Surrender will be available on 20 November 2025 for the suggested retail price of $29.99/￡24.99/€29.99 or as part of the Hearts of Iron IV: Expansion Pass 2.

The components of the Hearts of Iron IV: Expansion Pass 2 are:

The Hearts of Iron IV: Expansion Pass 2 is available now for the suggested retail price of $48.77/￡40.99/€48.77.

For more information please visit the official Hearts of Iron IV website, or via the games Steam page.

The wargame is set to be released on January 22nd, 2026

During Wargamers annual celebration, Home of Wargamers 2025, Matrix Games presented War in Spain 1936–39. This release marks the debut of a new wargame engine, designed to preserve the depth and authenticity cherished by the grognard community, while introducing significant improvements in realism, playability, and scope. The first title in this new series, War in Spain 1936–39, captures the intensity of the Spanish Civil War with a deep attention to detail. Developed by an international team of experts, the game has been meticulously researched to the highest standards of historical accuracy, encompassing logistics, land, sea, and air units.

Players will be able to engage with nine campaigns of varying length and scope, playable against the computer opponent, in hot-seat mode, or via play-by-email. The game’s map scale of 5 nautical miles per hex delivers an immersive operational and strategic experience. With orders of battle and combat resolution modeled down to the individual vehicle, aircraft, gun, and squad level, the game covers the conflict in extraordinary depth.

From division-level operations down to brigades, regiments, battalions, and even company-level engagements, the game offers an authentic recreation of one of history’s hardest-fought conflicts. Players will command forces and equipment from Spain, the Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, and other nations that shaped the course of the war on land, at sea, and in the air.

Find out more about War in Spain 1936-39 on its official webpage.

Matrix Games is thrilled to announce a major addition to the Combat Mission: Cold War franchise. During Home of Wargamers 2025—the annual event highlighting the most anticipated wargames of the coming months and years—the company unveiled its brand-new DLC. Excitingly, fans won’t have to wait: the DLC is available immediately, bringing fresh content and new tactical challenges to players worldwide.

The newly announced and just released British Army of the Rhine DLC expands the acclaimed tactical simulator with additional vehicles, units, and armies, building on the base game’s focus on the Fulda Gap and the hypothetical clashes between the US Army and the Warsaw Pact.

Combat Mission Cold War – British Army of the Rhine Gameplay Trailer

Starting today, Cold War enthusiasts can take command of three new armies.

The BAOR DLC also features three full campaigns—one for each new faction (UK, Canadian, and Soviet Airborne “Lost Company”)—as well as dozens of standalone scenarios that let players experience the full spectrum of Cold War tactical warfare. In addition, it introduces a brand-new region: the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada, offering challenging terrain perfect for custom battles and even “Blue on Blue” engagements.

Whether players prefer armored assaults, infantry maneuvers, or combined-arms operations, Combat Mission: British Army of the Rhine delivers an authentic, deeply tactical wargaming experience.

Combat Mission: British Army of the Rhine is available now on the DLC’s official webpage.

Matrix Games has released WEGO World War II: Overlord, the operational-level wargame that recreates the iconic Allied invasion of Normandy and the campaign that followed. Step onto the beaches of Normandy and lead your forces through one of history’s most decisive campaigns.

With 14 scenarios ranging from D-Day landings to the breakout from Normandy, dynamic weather, and authentic airborne and seaborne operations, Overlord delivers the most immersive WEGO experience yet.

WEGO World War II: Overlord Gameplay Trailer

Following in the footsteps of Stalingrad and Desert War, this new chapter in the WEGO series brings enhanced tactical depth, historical accuracy, and the unique simultaneous turn-based gameplay that sets the series apart.

You can is now available to purchase on the WEGO World War II: Overlord webpage.

June 2025 saw the launch of Broken Arrow, and with thousands of copies sold, this is just the beginning for developer Steel Balalaika Studio and publisher Slitherine, who have both been hard at work perfecting the ‘Everyone Fights!’ Update 1.0.10, available now for Broken Arrow via Steam.

Watch the Broken Arrow Update 1.0.10 – “Everyone Fights!” Trailer HERE.

What is coming with Update 1.0.10?

Player feedback continues to be crucial and is meticulously monitored by Steel Balalaika and Slitherine teams. The point of players leaving matches with no consequence is one that is flagged most notably, and will no longer be an issue with this latest game patch.

In the standard matchmaking mode, a system of progressive penalties is in place, meaning that if a player quits a match with no reconnection, a temporary ban will be in place from joining new matches. Each repeated violation will increase the penalty duration, ranging from 2 minutes for the first offence up to 3 hours for systematic leavers.

With this new system, Broken Arrow aims to reduce the number of matches where teams are left at obvious disadvantages, ultimately making the battles a more enjoyable gameplay experience for everyone involved.

This isn’t the only upgrade in 1.0.10, far from it. Alongside deserter penalties, Broken Arrow will also see the implementation of the surrender option mode. When victory is long past the horizon and only defeat remains, players can look to end matches early with this option, allowing them to move on to the next match and put their focus into new battles.

The surrender option also grants players greater control over the flow of a match and the time spent in each foray. This mode will be available in all current game mode inclusions and allows teams to end a battle on their own terms, without the additional penalties. The match is simply recorded as a loss for one side and a victory for the other.

Other 1.0.10 changes:

On top of the aforementioned improvements, Broken Arrow will also receive an abundance of amendments, bug fixes, brand new dynamic battle music, new and improved models for certain units, several new customisation options, and improved controls. Other highlights include:

Balance Improvement

· New tools to analyse player habits

· Factions’ win rates rebalance

· US Specialisations interoperability improvements

New Models

· Improved models for BMD-4 family of vehicles

· Upgraded armor customisation

· M4A1 URG-I Rifle

The battle pushes on, and so does Broken Arrow. Future updates will see further performance enhancements based on player feedback, and the developers will continue to iron out issues and improve overall factors of the game.

For more game information please visit the games website or its official Steam page.

Today, SNEG, Ltd., curator and publisher of treasured classic PC games, is distributing Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord, Combat Mission II: Barbarossa to Berlin, and Combat Mission 3: Afrika Korps on Steam for PC for $5.39 USD after a limited-time 10% discount. A bundle of all three games is available for an extra 20% discount.

YouTube Trailers: Beyond Overlord | Barbarossa to Berlin | Afrika Korps

The iconic Combat Mission franchise was created by Battlefront and is now being developed and published by wargames specialists Matrix Games. Featuring turn-based “WeGo” gameplay, all players deploy their units, issue commands, and then watch as the results unfold in real-time, with outcomes determined by realistic elements such as behavioral logic and physics.

All three games feature various community-created mods and scenarios (see each game’s features for the included content.

For fans of the entire series, a Combat Mission bundle is now available on Steam This bundle includes, but is not limited to, these three new SNEG titles.

Urban Warfare update is now live and delivers six new maps, each designed to push your tactical decision making to the limit:

Whether in Skirmish or Multiplayer, these maps bring fast-paced, high-stakes urban combat that will challenge even veteran commanders.

AI Improvement

One of the most requested improvements from the community was to make the AI more challenging and lifelike. With this update, we’ve completely reworked how the Skirmish AI makes decisions:

These improvements make the AI more unpredictable and lifelike, ensuring every encounter feels fresh.

Find out more about Headquarters: World War II at the games official website or via Steam. A new Urban Warfare tournament has been announced and you can get more details and sign up HERE.