Strategy and Wargaming

New game world launched featuring warfare across a European world map, adds capacity for tens of thousands of extra active players

Firefly Studios has opened a ‘Europe’ game world to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of active players who log in every month to their castle MMO. Accurately based on the current day map of Europe, this new world is a direct response to requests from the community for more game worlds on a grander scale than those based on single countries. Since launch more than 3.5 million players have signed up to play Stronghold Kingdoms, two years since launch it remains one of the most actively played games on Steam.

Expanding Kingdoms with the addition of a new ‘Europe’ world provides both new and experienced players with the opportunity make their mark on an untouched landscape. ‘Europe’ promises extraordinary riches to those who take control of the 33 different countries in this persistent game world, stretching from the warm and inviting coasts of Portugal to the cooler and unforgiving trenches of Eastern Ukraine. As one of the most popular free-to-play games on Steam, Kingdoms will continue to grow through releases of new map types, community-driven updates and larger expansion-style feature updates coming in 2015, working with players to remain the leader in its genre.

With monthly active players in the hundreds of thousands, Stronghold Kingdoms continues to be enjoyed by fans and Firefly as a small independent developer. Although Kingdoms already has players from over 100 different countries, Firefly plans to expand into further territories and release new types of game world in 2015. Players enjoy the ability to build a castle near their real life home town and engage in local and country-wide politics, something Firefly is keenly aware of. New worlds will continue this trend by allowing players to expand their empire, dominate nearby regions and eventually rule over entire continents. Currently the largest game world on offer, ‘Europe’ features 33 different medieval countries and a fully persistent game world to be claimed by players, in an often brutal fight for domination and glory.

Stronghold Kingdoms can be downloaded and played for free at the Stronghold Kingdoms website.

New Expansion Brings More Role-playing Options to Rulers Everywhere

Paradox Interactive and Paradox Development Studio today announced that Crusader Kings II: Way of Life, the next expansion for the award winning strategy franchise, will be released on December 16th via digital storefronts worldwide. Way of Life will be available on PC, Mac, and Linux for $7.99.

Way of Life delves into the role-playing aspects of Crusader Kings II, giving players the ability to fine-tune their methods of seduction and break ups, and also the ability to set a Focus for your character that will influence the types of events that befall your character during their lifetime. Featuring hundreds of new events as well as over 20 new event pictures, Way of Life will give players control over their characters in ways never before available—for better, for worse, or for entertainment.

PRESS RELEASE

The new definitive wargame of the Western Front is out now!

“The enemy must be annihilated before he reaches our main battlefield…We must stop him in the water…destroying all his equipment while it is still afloat.” (Erwin Rommel – German Field Marshal)

4 years after the release of War in the East, Gary Grigsby is moving the action to the Western Front with his new grand operational/strategy masterpiece: War in the West! In this monster wargame, players will take command of both Allied and Axis forces and relive the biggest operations in Italy, France, The Netherlands, and the other main battlefields that took the Allies to the gates of Berlin.

Renowned developer 2by3 Games has used all its talent and experience to create a deep historical simulation with an incredible level of realism. Order of Battle, logistics, air war, weather, terrain features… all of the ingredients that made this front unique are included in this wargame, and players can dig into all the details to make their plans come together. To help you get up to speed, five video tutorials and a Player’s Handbook along with introductory scenarios complement the full game manual and grand campaigns. Defeating the German army or defending the Atlantic Wall is a very challenging task, and both players and AI have multiple assets and possibilities to rewrite history… forever!

The game features 3 main campaigns and 7 smaller scenarios for a comprehensive coverage of combat in Western Europe between July 1943 and mid 1945.

Today we are very excited to announced that the game is finally available on the Matrix Games Online Store! Such a game deserved a special treatment in terms of packaging so connoisseurs of beautiful objects will be pleased to know that the physical edition of the game comes with an impressive hardbound color printed manual of more than 300 pages!

For holiday shoppers, please note that we expect the physical copies to start shipping out on December 16th.

Get more information on Gary Grigsby’s War in the West from its launch trailer and its official product page as well as the many after action reports in the official forum.

Set in 432 BC at the outset of the Peloponnesian War, Wrath of Sparta is an entirely new campaign expansion for Total War: Rome II and the earliest period that Total War has ever attempted.

As the legendary warriors of Sparta are called into open conflict against an arrogant Athens by scheming Korinthos and Boiotia, Wrath of Sparta challenges you to dominate the Hellenic world. However, while the City States vie for control of their homelands, across the Aegean sea the vengeful Persian Empire watches its old foe closely…

Across a bespoke campaign map focussing on a highly-detailed ancient Greece, the Greek Islands and the Ionian Coast, this campaign pack features all new tech-trees, battlefield and naval units, great wonders and famous Greek heroes. In addition, a flavour-packed focus on ancient Greek culture is delivered through many iconic athletic competitions and festivals.

Wrath of Sparta is a campaign pack like no other, and brings this desperate conflict to life in thrilling detail across hundreds of hours of gameplay.

For more information, catch the latest episode of community show Rally Point or the store page HERE.

War in the West is coming in just two days! We have already shared with you a wealth of information on the game, as the guys from 2by3 Games have been answering your questions on the forums and we have also released to AARs to show you some of the gameplay. But there is more!

Tomorrow on 20:00 CET/ 14:00 EST, we will be playing a scenario live for all to watch! This will be the ultimate possibility to get familiar with the game and see some actual gameplay in progress! During the stream, we will cover the basics of the gameplay, as well as some of the new major features in the game.

To get you in the mood, we have also prepared a trailer, made of authentic World War II footage! Watch it here to get a taste of the war on the Western Front!

The live stream will be live here.

Click here for more information on War in the West.

As the old power of Rome starts to crumble, there is opportunity in being the aggressor for those who seek it. In this latest cinematic trailer from Total War: Attila, we see the Sassanid Empire exploiting the confusion around it and striking out in war on its neighbours.

The game itself will contain a number of new features around army management and waging war to bring further depth to this key aspect of the Total War experience. Most notably, players will have to consider the very real risks of keeping their armies in line against mounting losses, disloyal generals and fragmented food supplies.

A rogue commander can entice other wavering characters to mutiny, one of the triggers at play in the rich, new civil war system. Dark times call for dark measures, and amongst a variety of tactics players can employ to reduce the risk of such division, the brutal Roman practice of ‘Decimation’ (the systematic slaughtering of a tenth of an army) will restore temporary order at a high price.

For more information about Total War: Attila, log on to www.totalwar.com.

Players who pre-order will gain access to the upcoming Closed Beta

Nival, an independent game developer renowned for their strategy games, have today launched a highly enticing pre-order campaign for Blitzkrieg 3. This long-awaited next installment to one of their most beloved franchises is set to innovate and elevate the strategy genre on PC.

Players who pre-order Blitzkrieg 3 will not only receive either a 10% discount on the Tactical Edition or 30% discount on the Strategic Editions of the game, they will also be automatically eligible to be among the first to get their hands on the game itself when the Closed Beta Testing launches this winter.

“We have high expectations for Blitzkrieg 3, for the game overall and particularly for its asynchronous multiplayer. We are striving to restore the interest in the RTS genre in general” commented Timur Suzi, Head of the Nival Studio in St. Petersburg.

Suzi continued, “The pre-order campaign is not only an opportunity for players to acquire exclusive in game content, but it’s also the chance to take part in the closed beta test which will start this winter. This means that it is also an opportunity to take part in developing Blitzkrieg 3, since we will be finalizing the game based on the opinions and feedback of the closed-beta participants.”

Blitzkrieg 3 is set to release in the first half of 2015. You can view the new pre-order trailer HERE.

For more information on Blitzkrieg 3 and to pre-order the game head to the games official website.

New missions, legacy features and AI characters all on their way for the ‘castle sim’ sequel

A new Q&A video has been released for Stronghold Crusader 2, answering questions on downloadable content and other post-release feature updates. Firefly answers questions put to them by players on new single player content, multiplayer modes, forthcoming updates and Steam Workshop:

The latest release in Firefly’s series of question and answer videos, made possible by the developer’s successful move to self-publishing on Steam and other indie-friendly platforms, aims to answer the biggest questions from fans on the future of Stronghold Crusader 2. Since its move to self-publishing Firefly has enjoyed an open and transparent relationship with players, from social media and forums to public game shows and community nights. These improved player-developer relations helped massively in the development of Stronghold Crusader 2 and continues to be a source of inspiration and fun for the Anglo-American developer.

What new game modes will be introduced post-release? Will these updates be free? When can players expect new AI characters? What features and characters will return from Crusader 1? Will there be new Crusader Trail missions? The freedom of self-publishing has allowed Firefly to be completely honest with fans of the franchise, answering these questions and revealing more detail about the future of the franchise.

Stronghold Crusader 2 is available now on Steam.

Armageddon must not be lost!

A massive Space Hulk is drifting towards Armageddon with a fearsome Ork army on board. Led by the infamous and megalomaniacal Ork Warlord of Waaagh!

Ghazghkull, the Orks are prepared to land on the planet and invade this precious Imperial Hive World. This colossal conflict for dominance of the planet is known as the Second War for Armageddon! In Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon, players have the opportunity to relive this epic fight between the Orks and Imperial forces including the troops of the Armageddon Steel Legion and three chapters of Spaces Marines: the Salamanders, Blood Angels and Ultramarines.

Today we are overjoyed to announce that the game is finally released and available on both our sites and Steam! In this hex-based, turn-based strategy game developed by Flashback Games and The Lordz Games Studio, players will fight alongside iconic characters such as Commander Yarrick and Lord Dante to repel the Ork invasion, protect the hives, and eventually liberate the planet from this perfidious alien attack. But the Orks are well equipped and hard-boiled soldiers, therefore only those commanders able to expertly combine their units, take advantage of their special traits and abilities, and understand the assets and dangers of their environment will have a chance to save Armageddon!

Thanks to its epic story-driven campaign with more than 30 scenarios, over 300 unit types, a multiplayer mode in which players can command both Ork and Imperial forces, and a powerful map editor, fans of Warhammer 40,000 should prepare themselves for a long and heroic journey across the surface of Armageddon!

We are offering a $10 discount to the early adopters during the week of the launch! We are also going to offer a free Steam key to anyone who bought a copy of the game from the Matrix Games or Slitherine store, once the game is available on this digital platform!

Get more information on Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon from its gripping trailer and its official Steam page.

Marking the 12th piece of additional free content released for Rome II since launch, players will find their game updated via Steam today with the new, free playable faction of Massilia. A wealthy trading-state of Greek colonists situated on the north-western coast of the Mediterranean, Massilia has embraced Gallic culture and military techniques to form a unique and fascinating independent faction.

Also available for purchase today on Steam, the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack brings three further hybrid factions to Rome II’s Grand Campaign, custom battles and multiplayer. Cimmeria, Colchis and Pergamom all claim Greek heritage, but their settlement away from their homelands has wrought subtle changes to their culture. Each faction enjoys unique traits, strengths and hybrid unit Rosters that reflect their culturally diverse civic and military aspects.

Additionally, the latest patch will drop at the same time, consisting of further balancing changes to unit strengths based on community feedback.

You can find full details of Massilia and the Black Sea Colonies Culture Pack here.