Strategy and Wargaming

Back 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:

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.

Show 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:

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.

One 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:

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.

Slitherine 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

Game 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 –

Matrix 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.

Well met, Sire! Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition has charged into the breach and emerged from its launch victorious! The response of fans and critics to Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition has been nothing short of stellar.

In just two weeks since release, Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition has:

Delighted and spurred on by the torrent of positive player reception and feedback, Firefly Studios is keeping this momentum going by revealing some of the details of new gameplay content that fans can look forward to in the weeks to come.

Watch the new Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition – First Major Update Reveal Trailer HERE.

The first major ‘Autumn’ update will arrive in two parts – a free content update as well as an optional paid DLC. The free content will introduce The Crocodile, a brand new computer-controlled opponent with his own tactics, castle design, army and of course, snappy personality!

The wizened lord of the marshes, The Crocodile is a bitter cruel fellow, driven beyond sanity by envy of his rival lords. Players will encounter The Crocodile across a new five mission economic campaign, in addition to being playable in skirmish mode (and in case you’re wondering – yes, the game has actual crocodiles, too.) While there will be some degree of combat to contend with in the economic campaigns, the ultimate goal and thus victory will be decided by mastery of the game’s various economic industries and castle-life mechanics.

The free component of the Autumn Update will be capped off by the inclusion of three new maps, one for Skirmish, Freebuild and Multiplayer.

The paid DLC will feature two new CPU commanders in the form of The Canary and The Trader, and a new 9 mission ‘Sands of Time’ skirmish trail – complete with target completion times and leaderboards. Players can expect military scenarios will test their strategic prowess and skills of siegecraft, as they wage war against these new tricky CPU characters.More about these new adversaries and their attributes will be revealed in due time!

After Stronghold Crusader: DE’s fantastic launch, Firefly is highly determined to keep pushing further, through the likes of additional content updates and gameplay improvements, to truly make this definitive edition the completely elevated tribute of a strategy classic.

Get Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition now on Steam! The desert is a cruel place to fight. Are you sure you have the heart for it?

Matrix Games today officially announced WEGO World War II: Overlord, the upcoming operational-level wargame that recreates the iconic Allied invasion of Normandy and the campaign that followed.

Built on the proven Desert War/Stalingrad engine, this hex-based wargame challenges you to plan meticulously, anticipate enemy moves, and adapt under pressure in a WEGO simultaneous execution system that captures the true chaos of war.

What is included:

Unlike traditional turn-based (IGOUGO) games, WEGO introduces simultaneous planning and resolution. Issue your orders, anticipate enemy moves under fog of war, and watch as your plans unfold and sometimes with unexpected results! Every decision counts, and only the most cunning strategists will prevail.

Stay tuned, WEGO World War II: Overlord is coming in September.

Slitherine today announced that on September 9th, they will be releasing a completely free update for Headquarters: World War II, “Urban Warfare”, which includes 6 expertly designed urban battlegrounds maps.

Whether you prefer flanking maneuvers, long-range duels, or brutal close-quarters engagements, Urban Warfare offers fresh tactical challenges that will test your command skills like never before.

What’s Included:

Flankpoint
Fight for control in a small city center filled with pocket parks and flanking routes. Elevated positions provide key advantages for defenders holding critical objectives.

Riverpoint
A strategic city split by a meandering river and dominated by two opposing hills. Expect tough battles across chokepoints and shifting control over the central urban sprawl.

Greenline
Tight urban alleys and narrow lanes explode into sudden skirmishes. A wide park at the heart of the map opens up unique opportunities for infantry to shine—and vehicles to struggle.

Operation Deepline
Forests, streets, and waterways combine for layered tactical depth. Use natural defenses to plan stealthy approaches or to fortify against enemy advances.

Ridgeline Conflict
Prepare for a brutal mix of verticality and urban warfare. This map blends long sightlines with cramped interiors, perfect for commanders who think on their feet Navigate the broken streets of a devastated metropolis. Alleyways, open intersections, and contested control points make this a map where positioning is everything.

Shattered City
Players must navigate the shattered streets of a sprawling city. Narrow alleyways and open spaces create constant challenges for capturing and holding key control points, demanding tactical precision.

Whether you’re jumping into Skirmish or Multiplayer, Urban Warfare is designed to shake up your strategy and keep you guessing at every turn.

Find out more about Headquarters: World War II at the games official website or via Steam.

Best Way and Fulqrum Publishing has revealed that it is continuing to provide quality of life updates for Soldiers: Heroes of World War II, the beloved World War II strategy game and the first installment of what would later become the critically-acclaimed Men of War series.

In Soldiers: Heroes of World War II, players can take control of American, British, Soviet, or German forces to fight in battles set in World War II. While Soldiers: Heroes of World War II is primarily a strategy game, the player can also directly control their forces with a keyboard and mouse.

The new content and quality-of-life updates have brought the decade-spanning fan-favorite strategy game into the modern era of gaming, developed and funded by Best Way as a sincere gesture of gratitude to its dedicated fans, and released in collaboration with Fulqrum Publishing.

Watch the Soldiers: Heroes of World War II Enhanced Edition Trailer HERE.

Update Key Features

About Soldiers: Heroes of World War II

Soldiers: Heroes of World War II is currently available on Steam.