Strategy and Wargaming

Matrix Games have announced that Brian Kelly’s WEGO World War II: Desert War, will be out on Steam June 22nd. WEGO World War II: Desert War is an operational level, ground-centric wargame which captures the drama of North Africa during WW2. The game allows the players to recreate the epic tank battles between the Allies and Axis powers for the control of Libya and Egypt.

The game centers on real historical scenarios as well as ‘What If’ scenarios allowing players to feel the ebb and flow of battle. Command air, land and naval forces in 12 scenarios that explore the action from the Italian Invasion of Egypt in 1940 to Rommel’s defeat at El Alamein in late 1942.

Matrix Games has released a new set of screenshots for Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator, its tactical wargame about intent, action, and reaction. Players issue NATO-standard, intent-based orders using authentic AAP-6C terminology, marking clear objectives and operational guidance directly onto real-world terrain maps. Subordinate units interpret and execute these plans autonomously in real time, adapting dynamically to terrain, threats, and evolving battlefield conditions.

Check out the screenshots on the Matrix Games news site. More game information is available on Steam. Decision Point: Battlegroup Operational Simulator is scheduled for release in 2026.

Kraken Studios, known for its WarPlan series and Kingdom Dungeon and Hero, is excited to announce that the updated demo for Total Victory: World Conflict 1939-1945 is now available on Steam. In this new preview, play as Germany’s Afrika Korps in the Operation Sonnenblume Scenario and experience your first taste of naval combat.

Command Key Players of WWII from 1939 to 1945
Pulling inspiration from classic wargames, such as ADG’s World in Flames, SPI’s ETO, and others, Total Victory is a grand strategy wargame that allows players the chance to experience the entirety of World War II in a variety of different ways. It combines moderate complexity and divisional-level strategy with historically inspired units and production. Play as any major nation from the Axis, Allies, or Comintern. Manage production, military units, and prominent historical commanders. Lead land, naval, and air forces against rival nations.

Realistic World Map and Tile-Based System
In Total Victory, a modified Mercator map with NATO symbols or, colorful silhouettes icons, highlights military units unique to each nation. Manage the deployment of a wide range of period-based military units used throughout the war, each with unique attributes. Use land units such as infantry, armor, paratroopers and marines to engage the enemy from the front lines, and select from a wide variety of aircraft models to attack from above. Command carriers, battleships, cruiser, destroyer, and submarine groups in land, air, and sea operations. Monitor your nation’s overall manpower and oil, as they could be crucial to the war’s outcome. Ore fuels the industry that produces war materials for steel, tanks, aircraft, and support units. Through continued research, explore over twenty technological advances that unlock new units, combat enhancements, and intelligence to enhance your nation’s military power.

Strategy-First Gameplay
Total Victory replaces the pain of endless menu-clicking, often found in other popular RTS games, with an easy-to-use interface. With an automatic reinforcement and supply mechanic, players can now focus more on making strategic decisions rather than unit upkeep. Players can also enjoy multiple ways to play. Battle against an AI opponent and enable add-on bonuses for rival alliances in readiness, production, and more for an increased challenge. Exchange your latest moves through PBEM or play pass-and-play on a single PC against a friend in Hotseat mode.

New Scenario Available for Steam Next Fest
Command the Afrika Korp in “Operation Sonnenblume,” the new North Africa 1941 scenario launching in the Total Victory Steam Next Fest demo. Taking charge of German and Italian forces against a formidable British defense, you must master a grueling operational campaign that tests your strategic endurance, patience, and timing of attack with limited forces. The scenario begins with Rommel on the move in March of 1941 and ends in December of 1941. This scenario introduces naval assets for naval support and critical resupply for units on the coast.

Try the updated preview of Total Victory: World Conflict 1939-1945, now available on Steam.

New Theater Pack for Hearts of Iron IV Highlights Australia, Siam and Indonesia

Japanese expansion into the southwest Pacific would be a crippling blow to the Allied powers of World War II. Control of the seaways and regional resources will determine the fate of Asia and perhaps the world. In Thunder At Our Gates, you can take on the challenge of directing regional opposition to the advancing Empire with new focus trees and historical flavor for three nations.

Hearts of Iron IV: Thunder At Our Gates Official Release Trailer

Available today, Thunder At Our Gates is a new Theater Pack for Hearts of Iron IV, Paradox Interactive’s grand strategy wargame about the years around the Second World War. In this pack, you can explore new ways to either resist or submit to imperial aggression, playing as Australia, Siam or the Dutch East Indies/Indonesia.

Thunder At Our Gates also includes new ways to organize the leadership of your armies and navies.

This Theater Pack is accompanied by a free update that includes many game changes, including the Regimental Support feature, introducing new ways to attach support units to your divisions, including several new regimental support companies.

Hearts of Iron IV: Thunder At Our Gates is available now on Steam for the suggested retail price of $19.99/£16.75/€19.99.

Understanding terrain is crucial for a commander, and the ability to read a map is crucial for tactical operations.

Terrain influences movement and combat. To gain this knowledge, a commander must utilize the tools at their disposal. Knowledge of terrain will allow units to maneuver and fight.

What types of terrain are there in the game and where can they find information?

First, look at the colors.

Map Colors.

Maps are colored. These colors allow you to determine whether the terrain is forest, open ground, road, or water/river. They also indicate whether the terrain is high (the darker the brown, the higher the terrain) or deep (the darker the blue, the deeper the terrain).

Terrain Types:

Road

A military saying goes: “War is fought along roads.” Roads are the easiest to traverse for both infantry and tanks. But they are also usually the strongly defended. Units move quickly along the road, but they can also fall into ambushes.

Forest

Forests slow down infantry movement and prevent tanks from operating. They limit visibility, but also make your own units less visible. This allows you to approach closer to your target. In forests, it’s easier for the enemy to conceal units from aerial observation.

Ground

Ground means open terrain, you can see far away, but your own units are also visible from a distance.

Built-Up Area

Built-up areas in the game refer to several or a dozen buildings clustered together in one place. They can also refer to towns or cities. Fighting in urban areas is difficult. Tanks are particularly vulnerable to fire, so they require infantry cover.

Steep Slope

The slopes of some hills are so steep that it is very hard for infantry climb them. Climbing exposes troops on observation and fire from hilltop. Climbing troops fire accuracy drops. Steep slopes are unvailable for tanks. To push tanks on tophill the road must be used.

Water

Water is the part of the map that belongs to the sea. Water represents shallow water. This has tactical significance because a support ship/destroyer cannot enter this part of the map; it is inaccessible to them. Water surrounds islands and can vary in width.

Deep Water

Deep water is the part of the map that a fire support ship/destroyer can navigate.

There are several tools for working on the map and gaining knowledge of the terrain.

River

A river is an obstacle for both tanks and infantry. Some rivers won’t be traversable for your units and a bridge will be required to cross it. Pay attention to the intel. A seemingly small stream can block your troops.

There are several tools for working on the map and gaining knowledge of the terrain.

Colors

Looking at the colors allows you to roughly understand the type of terrain on the map and at a given point.

Ruler

This allows you to measure distances. Take a ruler and place it on a spot on the map.

Elevation Measurement

In the MAP TOOLS/TOOLS tab, select the tool for obtaining information about the terrain and its elevation. After turning it on, moving the cursor will display terrain and elevation information.

Displayed coordinate system

You can use the highlighted coordinate system to help you orient yourself on the map. In the MAP TOOLS/TOOLS tab, select the coordinate system icon.

Wishlist the game on Steam.

Today we are excited to share that Veterans: Napoleonic Wars will take part in Steam Next Fest, running from June 15 to June 22. During the festival, players will be able to try a free demo of the game directly on Steam and get their first hands-on experience with the Italian Campaign of 1796–1797.

To mark the occasion, we have also released a brand new trailer for Veterans: Napoleonic Wars.

Brandish your bayonet and step into the boots of a frontline general. No base building, no idle time. Just thousands of soldiers, tens of battalions on screen at once, and the smell of gunpowder in the air.

What’s in the Next Fest demo:

• Real-time combat focused entirely on battlefield tactics, inspired by the first Italian Napoleonic campaigns
• Historically accurate line, column, and square formations
• Unit morale, fatigue, and line of sight that directly shape every engagement
• Dynamic weather, drifting smoke, and fog of war that alter visibility round by round
• Cavalry breakthroughs, flanking maneuvers, and desperate melee charges when the ammo runs dry

Steam Next Fest is the best moment so far to try the game, share feedback with the team, and help shape the experience ahead of Early Access. We hope you will join us on the battlefield.

Wishlist the game on Steam now.

Firefly Studios has announced Stronghold 4, the latest installment of its Stronghold ‘castle sim’ series. A demo is to be released on June 23rd, and the game is now available to Wishlist on Steam.

Stronghold 4 Announcement Trailer

Immerse yourself in a cinematic campaign, hone your siegecraft with new mechanics in skirmish mode and customise your castles with a wide selection of castle pieces and cosmetics.

Follow the tale of Penryn of Wethel as his simple shepherd’s life is upended and he is forced through trial by fire to become the leader he sees within himself.

Feel the impact of a living medieval world on your castle economy and siegecraft, as you battle against hostile outlaws, rival lords and the elements themselves, with the bloody sieges and grand warfare of Stronghold feeling more epic than ever before!

New Features

• DISCOVER THE ORIGINS of Stronghold and live the tale of Penryn of Wethel, in this narrative prequel with new music from Robert L. Euvino.
• ASCEND TO GREATNESS in a cinematic 22-mission campaign, featuring original larger-than-life characters alongside familiar favourites.
• CUSTOMISE YOUR CASTLE with cosmetics and feudal details. Balance honour, taxes, food and more to keep peace amongst the peasantry!
• SHARPEN YOUR SIEGECRAFT with unique tactical military structures and units as well as popular classics like moats and tunnelers.
• CONQUER THE BATTLEFRONT using enhanced medieval war mechanics, forcing you to consider weather, army composition and more.
• MARCH WITHOUT FEAR into a fully-featured skirmish mode with 8 fearsome CPU opponents at launch!
• CARVE YOUR OWN LEGEND through additional solo modes and content including a full skirmish trail, free build and custom skirmish modes.

Relic Entertainment announces Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition, a comprehensive modernization of the landmark 2006 real-time strategy game that redefined the genre. Launching Fall 2026, the Definitive Edition brings one of the highest-rated strategy games of all time into the modern era, fully enhanced for Today’s hardware while staying true to the gritty atmosphere, squad-level tactics, and immersive WWII battlefields that made the original a classic.

Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition Announcement Trailer

The Definitive Edition includes all content in the base game and Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions, delivering three cinematic campaigns, four unique armies, and more than 50 multiplayer & skirmish maps.

At the heart of the Definitive Edition is a commitment to preserving what made Company of Heroes iconic. The game has been fully upgraded to a 64-bit platform to support modern systems, with faithfully enhanced visuals — including improved lighting, shadows, water, and reflections — while maintaining the original art direction and tone. Improved rendering features and increased draw distance bring greater battlefield immersion without compromising the look and feel players remember.

The iconic squad-based gameplay, destructible environments, and cinematic WWII storytelling remain intact.

Modernized for Today’s Players

The Definitive Edition introduces a range of quality-of-life and technical improvements for both new players and returning veterans:

• Enhanced A.I. delivers a more dynamic and challenging experience, with a new Ruthless difficulty option for the most hardened strategists
• Modernized User Interface and controls, including grid key support and fully customizable hotkeys
• Gameplay improvements such as vehicle reversing and automatic unit reinforcement at HQ
• Widescreen and ultrawide support with an optimized HUD and screen layout
• Full mod compatibility, supporting a 20-year catalogue of community-created content

Celebrating 20 Years of Company of Heroes

The Definitive Edition serves as the centerpiece of a franchise-wide 20th Anniversary celebration. As part of the 20th Anniversary, Relic will also be introducing exciting new modes and content for Company of Heroes 3, as well as a series of community initiatives honoring two decades of strategic innovation.

Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition is set to release Fall 2026 on PC. Release date and pricing details will be announced at a later date.

Check out the Steam Listing HERE.

The Cold War turns hot.

Command the forces of the USSR in Headquarters: Cold War – Operation Pacify, the first DLC for Headquarters: Cold War on June 18th.

Set in Northern Germany near Hamburg, Operation Pacify places you at the center of a rapidly escalating conflict. Soviet intelligence has uncovered the existence of a secret NATO nuclear missile launch facility, and what begins as a suppression mission quickly evolves into a desperate race to locate, secure, and control a weapon capable of shifting the global balance of power.

Fight through five challenging missions featuring evolving objectives, diverse battlefields, and the constant threat of escalation.

New USSR Campaign: Operation Pacify
Take command of Soviet forces in a new 5-mission narrative campaign featuring:

• Hunting down classified NATO intelligence
• Assaulting heavily defended research facilities
• Holding the line against relentless counterattacks
• Breaking through fortified defenses to seize a nuclear missile silo

Every mission introduces new tactical challenges, including urban warfare, river crossings, defensive operations, and large-scale assaults against entrenched enemy positions.

New Units for NATO and USSR
Expand your arsenal with 16 new units — 8 for NATO and 8 for the USSR — introducing new tactical opportunities and battlefield strategies.

NATO Forces

• FIM-92 Stinger – Anti-air infantry
• M202A1 FLASH – Long-range incendiary infantry
• LAV-25 – Recon vehicle
• Challenger 1 – Main battle tank
• M270 MLRS – Rocket artillery
• MIM-104 Patriot – Advanced AA system
• M3 Bradley (ITOW) – Infantry fighting vehicle
• Sikorsky MH-53 – Heavy helicopter

USSR Forces

• 9K34 Strela-3 – Anti-air infantry
• RPO Rys – Long-range incendiary infantry
• BRM-1K – Recon vehicle
• T-80B – Main battle tank
• BM-27 Uragan – Rocket artillery
• Buk missile system – Advanced AA system
• BMP-2 (ATGM) – Infantry fighting vehicle
• Mil Mi-26 – Heavy helicopter

New Infantry Classes

Anti-Air Infantry
Portable missile-equipped infantry squads capable of ambushing enemy helicopters from forests and urban terrain, bringing mobile anti-air tactics directly to the frontline.

Long-Range Incendiary Infantry
Armed with devastating multi-shot incendiary rocket launchers, these units excel at area denial and close infantry engagements.

Key Features

• New 5-mission USSR campaign
• 16 new NATO and USSR units
• 2 new infantry classes
• New environments and mission-specific assets
• Expanded strategic depth and replayability

Coming June 18th on Steam.

Player Units

Infantry/Marines

Infantry is the basic branch of the military. It is the most flexible and versatile. It can attack, defend, assault, or retreat. All of these options should be used according to the situation. Infantry under heavy fire (airstrike or artillery) will have a debuff (less accuracy, worse sight and movement speed) applied for a period of time. Marines are better infantry overall. They are faster, have better sight, more hp, stamina and firepower.

Infantry/Marines can have one of specializations: reconnaissance, flamethrower, or anti-tank. A recon unit can detect enemies from further away, they are faster and harder to detect. On the other hand they are also weaker (less hp and firepower). A unit equipped with flamethrowers is great at close distances, especially vs infantry in fortifications, but its slower and have less hp. A unit equipped with anti-tank guns is able to do serious damage to enemy tanks (standard infantry will do a lot less damage to tanks). They are slower than standard infantry.

Tanks

Tanks are very powerful. They have great durability, firepower, range and speed. They can place a small smoke screen at their locations. They are a great boost in every encounter, but they have their limitations. They have limited fuel and ammo. Run out of any of it and they will be rendered almost useless.

Tanks are maneuverable, but the terrain has its own challenges. Tanks cannot pass through dense forests or jungles. They must use roads there. Armor provides cover and a gun provides firepower. However, tanks are are not invincible. Therefore, it is important to ensure cover by infantry.

Destroyer/Artillery Support

Artillery support is provided by the Navy. A destroyer will be available for some missions. Artillery support has saved troops from trouble more than once in history. It’s worth using this support, but there are a few things to watch out for. After a salvo, the guns must be cooled. This takes time. The ship’s ammunition supply is not infinite. The enemy may have coastal guns. They pose a threat to your ship, as do naval mines.

Destroyer has 3 types of shells: standard, smoke, and agitation. Standard shells deal damage to everyone within the area of attack. Smoke shells create a smoke large smoke-screen at the target location, allowing ground units to advance or retreat more safely. Agitation shells constantly lower morale of every enemy in range for a period of time. Destroyer can also place a smaller smoke-screen at their location.

Oh… the artillery officer’s callsign is “Argument.” It seems appropriate.

Aviation

There is aviation in the game. Bomber and reconnaissance aircraft are available in some scenarios. Aircraft take off from an aircraft carrier. You are assigned several aircraft for the mission. Their number is not infinite.

It takes some time to prepare the planes to take off. Planes cannot fly at night. Reconnaissance aircraft will circle the battlefield, and you can redirect them to another area. This is a very powerful scouting tool. Enemies detected by recon planes will be more visible to our ground units. The flight will continue until the fuel reaches critical level and the planes will have to return to the carrier. You will be assigned bombers to carry out airstrikes. After dropping their bombs, they return to the aircraft carrier to rearm. Planes are very vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire. The enemy may have such guns.

Wishlist the game on Steam and the Slitherine website.