Strategy and Wargaming

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.

Matrix Games announced today the release of Update 2.31 for Campaign Series: Middle East. The update comes with numerous bug fixes and graphical improvements. This update even incorporates several optional mods that you can activate to further tailor your experience. The full changelog is available HERE. You can download the update HERE.

Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 is a turn-based, tactical wargame that focuses on conflicts in the Middle East. The series portrays battles spanning from 1948 to 1982. Each scenario is played on a unique, historical map with seven view modes. Scenario maps are based on topographic maps of from the period created on a hex grid; hexes are 250 metres across.

Campaign Series: Vietnam’s latest update is a substantial one. It has added six new scenarios and new orders of battle, alongside numerous bugfixes and improvements. You can download the update directly from this link.

Starting off with new missions. The game now features six entirely new scenarios that cover the Tet Offensive. Tet was a major north Vietnamese offensive in 1968 that caught the south Vietnamese government and their U.S. allies by surprise. While it failed to produce a mass uprising like the north Vietnamese wanted, the shock of it’s scale and complexity stunned the western world. The battles during Tet were some of the most bloody and brutal of the war, and now you can war game out six of them.

To modders and scenario designers we have also expanded the orders of battle. Unit OOB’s have been extended to 1967-1985. If you want to create custom scenarios about the 1972 Easter Offensive or the final decisive 1975 Spring Offensive, those tools are now at your disposal.

The full changelog is posted HERE.

Get more information about Campaign Series: Vietnam from its official product page.

Slitherine today announced the upcoming release of the next DLC for Headquarters: World War II – Market Garden.

Headquarters: World War II – Market Garden introduces a new British campaign with eight meticulously crafted battles covering the events of Operation Market Garden. Your force must reach the paratroopers holding the key bridges as soon as possible. However, nothing goes according to plan, and your troops have to deal with the ensuing chaos.

An 8-mission campaign with storytelling elements that will challenge your tactical skills. 10 new units to use in both campaign and skirmish/multiplayer modes. 3 new British heroes. Numerous new visual assets creating mesmerising locations of the WWII-period Netherlands.

Get ready to command, conquer, and liberate with the Headquarters: World War II – Market Garden DLC!

Headquarters: World War II is a fast paced turn-based strategy covering the Battle of Normandy in the three plot-driven campaigns and a number of skirmishes. Choose your side, form your force, assign heroes, level up your units, and use Headquarters skills to overcome the enemy.

Source: Blue’s News

Croteam and 2×2 Games announce new Berlin DLC is expected in Q4 of this year to add new content to Unity of Command II, the World War II strategy sequel. There’s no trailer for this yet, but its Steam Listing is live with screenshots and details. This promises 32 scenarios, including a Soviet Victory in the East campaign and a seven scenario Axis mini-campaign depicting the last-ditch offensive in Hungary and Romania in 1945 with an alt-history branch. Here’s more:

The summer of 1944 saw the massive Operation Bagration, a surprise attack that shattered German Army Group Center. By the fall, Soviet forces were on the offensive all along the Eastern Front, setting the stage for the final push into Germany in 1945. By February, the Soviets stood on the Oder River, just east of Berlin.

The final assault on Berlin began in mid-April. Soviet troops encircled the city, battling their way through the streets in fierce close-quarters combat. Hitler committed suicide on April 30th, and Berlin fell on May 2nd, marking the fall of Nazi Germany.

Total War: PHARAOH DYNASTIES is out now. This free expansion-sized addition provides a host of new features to the campaign experience including new map regions, cultures, units, gameplay mechanics, and sweeping quality of life improvements.

Lead New Cultures

Four of the ancient world’s most iconic cultures join the fight to hold back the cataclysmic events of the Bronze-Age Collapse: Babylon, Assyria, Mycenae and Troy. Each offers a unique campaign experience whilst featuring iconic historical leaders, diverse armies to command, gods to worship and much more. Beyond this, an additional 25 minor factions are available to play, such as the Aeolians led by the fabled Achilles, or Napata led by the warrior-king Memnon.

Expand Your Empire

Spanning much of the ancient world from the Aegean to Mesopotamia and down to Ancient Egypt, DYNASTIES almost doubles the size of PHARAOH’s original campaign map by adding 168 new settlements, new historical landmarks, new victory objectives and more. To traverse this vastly expanded sandbox new Sea Travel Lanes have been added that speed up the fleets carrying your armies, enabling you to raid and invade further and faster. ​

Establish Your Dynasty

Start a family tree to ensure your empire stands the test of time with the new Dynasty system. Reign over the tides of mortality and succession, navigating strategic marriages, heroic deaths on the battlefield, assassinations, and the looming mortality of old age to leave behind a legacy that will last the ages.

Dominate The Battlefield

Wage war with over 150 new and reworked units including cavalry, camel riders and faction specific units such as the elite Guards of Troy. Challenge yourself with new battle mechanics such as the optional Lethality modifier which makes battles more realistic by making combat much more deadly.

For more information about Total War: PHARAOH and the other Total War games in development, visit the Total War, Total War: PHARAOH website or visit the expansions Steam page.

Slitherine Games has released the Scramble: Battle of Britain – Flight School, Episode #7 video.

Flight school is back with another advanced topic today, designed to help Scramble pilots master their skills and excel in dogfighting.

Watch Flight School, Episode #7 “Energy Fighting” video HERE.

Airspeed and Aerodynamic Control

Since the middle of the First World War, fighter aircraft have employed guns fixed to their airframes, and a pilot must orient their entire aircraft to bring these guns to bear on a target. Aircraft generally orient themselves through aerodynamic control – the manipulation of the surfaces or shape of a body as air moves around it to inspire forces and moments to act on that body. We define the rate and quality of this air moving around a body as “airspeed” and, regardless of the aerodynamic design of an aircraft or the qualities of the air moving around it, the laws of physics demand that some energy be transferred between aircraft and air, that the energy differential between them be lessened, and thus that every instance of aerodynamic control and every resulting maneuver incur a cost in energy that is mostly paid through airspeed.

Read more HERE.

Strategic Command WWII: War in the Pacific is finally out now.

Watch the latest trailer HERE.

The game features a vast 36,000 hex map, covering regions from India to North America at an 80km/50mi scale. The main campaign starts with the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, leading to Japan’s rapid expansion in Asia and the Pacific.

Players command forces from seven major powers, engaging in land and sea battles with immersive 3-D graphics or NATO counters. Five mini-campaigns include historical battles like Khalkhin Gol, Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.

New gameplay elements feature airfields, naval supply rules, and iconic events such as the Doolittle Raid.

Don’t miss the opportunity to take advantage of the release offer to complete your Strategic Command collection, grab your copy now with a 60% discount on our store for a few days.