Greetings, Commanders!

The previously announced Modding Update for Men of War II will go live tomorrow, May 23rd at 8:00 AM CEST (May 22nd at 23:00 PT). This patch will unlock all the resources you need to create any modification you wish; including maps, models, sound effects and more!

This significantly alters most of the game's files, requiring us to turn off multiplayer servers for about an hour to properly adjust them. However, this will only affect multiplayer and you will be able to play all the single-player campaigns during this time.

The team at Best Way is already working on even more improvements and new features for the modding tools in Men of War II - for example, you can look forward to the implementation of full 3ds Max support, and the addition of various handy shortcuts into the Editor, which will be introduced in an update next week!

We are also working on introductory tutorial videos for those looking to create their first custom map or mission; and if you want to discuss any modding-related topics, or even show off your creations, we have a section dedicated just for that on the Men of War II Official Discord Server[discord.com], come say hi!

And if you would like to see what fan-made content and modifications are already available, check out the Steam Workshop page of Men of War II. For example, the first fan-made story campaign is already available - Lost Eagles, in which you will experience the fate of the few survivors of failed ‘Operation Overlord’.

In the next few days, we will announce our plans for future updates, including features such as the offline mode for single-player, adjustable game speed for single-player, improvements to UI, smarter vehicle pathfinding, and much more – stay tuned!

These updates and improvements are only possible thanks to your feedback; please keep it coming either here in the Steam Discussions, or join the Men of War II Official Discord Server[discord.com]. And if you already enjoy the game and want to support it, consider leaving Men of War II a review here on Steam.
We will see you on the battlefield soon, Commanders!


[discord.com]

Greetings, Commanders!

The first major update for Men of War II that we have promised is coming tomorrow, May 21st at 8:00 AM CEST (23:00 PT). We ask for your patience while it's being deployed, as it will require turning off multiplayer servers for about an hour. However, this will only affect multiplayer and you will be able to play all the single-player campaigns during this time.

• Reduced server wait times
  
• Fixes to several crashes reported by users
  
• Increased AFK timeout limit
  
• Fixes to the flow of several missions
  
• Additional button slot in the central hotbar
  
• Improved visuals for various maps in the game
  
• Design and animation improvements for various unit and weapon models
  
• Localization fixes

We also have big news for our modding community – the Team at Best Way is preparing a major update of the modding tools in Men of War II, which we plan to release in the coming days. We can’t wait to share all the details with you!

Even more updates and patches are already in the works, introducing various bug fixes and technical improvements we will announce soon; as well as the offline mode for single-player and other highly requested features.

All this is only possible thanks to you, our awesome community, and the excellent feedback you provide to us - please continue doing so either here in Steam Discussions, or better yet, join the conversation on the Official Men of War II Discord Server[discord.com]. And if you are enjoying the game, please, support it by leaving a review here on Steam.

• Reduced player connection time on login.
  
• Increased AFK timeout duration by one minute before kicking the player from the match.

• Fixed a crash during mission loading.
  
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur after playing for an extended period (1 hour or more).
  
• Fixed the issue where the main.pak package wouldn't load due to modifications.
  
• Engineers would not dig if there was a shell crater in a destroyed trench.
  
• Sometimes tractors could move with deployed guns.
  
• Correctly set the position of objects immediately after they appear in multiplayer.
  
• Restored inventory viewing for destroyed vehicles.

• Reduced the probability of ammo explosion in the realism package.
  
• Increased shooting range in the mod example if the realism package is enabled.
  
• Fixed point scoring in "Tanks Only" mode on the Marle map.
  
• Fixed shooting range of the M1 Carbine.
  
• Adjusted bot behavior in flag capture mode.

• Fixed the flag issue in the "Rur Bastion" mission.
  
• Improved soldier behavior in the "Safe Route" mission.
  
• Fixed mission failure when destroying a Sherman in the "Safe Route" mission.
  
• Corrected sapper hint texts.
  
• Fixed triggering of the KV-1 story in the mission.
  
• Fixed incorrect setting of the enemy tankers' and artillerymen's nation in Conquest mode.
  
• Mortars in the training mission "Counter-Battery Fire" fired too frequently.
  
• Fixed errors found on the Falaise Pocket map.
  
• Corrected training maps.
  
• Fixed issues on the Crossroad map.

• Bobruisk
  
• Minsk
  
• Vitebsk
  
• Vanguard
  
• Bunker
  
• Bridgehead
  
• Before the Storm
  
• Storm Fel
  
• Dagger Strike
  
• Outpost

• Suburb
  
• Chepel
  
• Town
  
• Airfield
  
• Winter Crossroad

• The 'map' debug in the editor now shows terrain height.
  
• Added 'include_inactive_linked' option for the 'all' selector.
  
• Fixed mission logic in "mod_example."
  
• Updated maps in the "mod_example" package.

• Menu UI: Fixed overlapping elements in the battle list.
  
• Combat UI: Disabled boarding icons above vehicles that cannot be boarded according to the scenario.
  
• Combat UI: Added one more slot to the central button block.

• Redesigned the flare gun ammo model.
  
• Fixed seating positions and animations on some vehicles.
  
• Corrected path obstacles on the mounts of some guns.
  
• Improved textures of some slopes.
  
• Added desert camouflages for the T34 flamethrower tank, M1 anti-aircraft gun, and Soviet captured Pz3f.
  
• Fixed the deployment animation of the Browning M2 and MG34.
  
• Corrected the destruction of the Windmill.

• Improved the main theme track of the game.
  
• Removed placeholder Russian voiceover in the "Counter-Battery Fire" training mission.

• The Self-Destruct button has been renamed to prevent soldiers from being disembarked by mistake.
  
• Minor fixes in Polish localization.

That is all for now - we will see you on the battlefield soon, Commanders!

[discord.com]

Greetings, Commanders!

It has been almost two days since Men of War II launched and it is amazing to see how many of you are playing the game! We have just published a hotfix that solves a critical issue. This issue was preventing some users from playing single-player missions, as they would get stuck on the "local server requested" screen. The hotfix also adds a maps package to the Editor. We are already working on a major patch that we hope to release early next week. Here is a preliminary list of fixes that we're aiming to include in the next week's update:

• Reduced server wait times
  
• Fixes to several crashes reported by users
  
• Increased AFK timeout limit
  
• Fixes to the flow of several missions
  
• Additional button slot in the central hotbar
  
• Improved visuals for various maps in the game
  
• Design and animation improvements for various unit and weapon models
  
• Localization fixes

And while we are working on these fixes, we are also preparing a more long-term development roadmap, which is based on your feedback. Honestly, we can't wait to share more with you!

In the past year, we have organised 4 public playtests, each implementing new features and changes based on your feedback from the previous one; we hope this proves our dedication to working with our fans and making Men of War II the best game it can be for everyone. After the first Multiplayer Tech Test in March of last year, the new Battalion system was met with mixed reactions. A significant part of the player base was criticising it and demanding it be reworked, but there were many of you who enjoyed it. From that point on, we formed the philosophy of adding features and game modes that those unhappy with the original state of the game could enjoy, rather than removing features another part of the community liked.

We have added the Combined Arms and Classic Modes, and eventually the Realism setting as well; and we truly believe that much of the frustration we see in some reviews stems from the fact that players may not realise how much they can change their gameplay experience simply by playing on different-than-default settings. We do accept that as our fault - we are working on improving the in-game presentation of the different options to make it much clearer for everyone. But for now, if you are one of the players who already enjoys Men of War II, we ask a simple favor of you; help us and support us by posting a review. On the other hand, if you are unhappy with the game and would like it to be improved, join our community, share your feedback, and we will continue listening to you and working hard on making Men of War II even better.

Don't get us wrong - in no way do we dismiss criticism, and negative reviews are an absolutely legitimate way to voice your opinion. We only ask you to give the game a fair chance; Men of War II was specifically designed to include as much content and variety of gameplay as possible for both casual and hardcore RTS players, for both single-player and multiplayer enthusiasts:

• In single-player, the 3 narrative campaigns work differently than the 2 historical campaigns, which are different from the dynamic Conquest campaign mode; we have posted all the details here.
  
• In multi-player, Battalions, Combined Arms and Classic Mode offer vastly different experience, as you can learn here.

And since we whole-heartedly believe in giving players the choice to enjoy the game as they see fit, we made sure that whatever content you choose to play, you can do so in two very different ways:

• Competitive Setting (default for all single-player, and for Battalions and Combined Arms multiplayer match-making) if you prefer faster-paced, more action-oriented and accessible gameplay
  
• Realism Setting (default for Classic Mode multi-player match-making and accessible through custom lobbies for all other multi-player modes) if you are a fan of more hard-core RTS gameplay, reminiscent more closely of Men of War: Assault Squad 2.

You can easily switch the two settings for single-player by turning Realism Mode on or off in Settings => Packages. Full details of all the changes Realism Setting entails can be found here.

With that in mind, if you are still considering whether or not to purchase Men of War II and try it out for yourself, when browsing the reviews section, consider how long some reviewers have spent in the game; and whether an opinion formed after 0.5 hours can be fair and fully informed, since that is just about the length of a single battle out of all the content and features we mentioned.

We would also like to take this opportunity to openly address a few points that are brought up often, even as we continue responding to everyone individually:

• The game is always on-line - That is true for now. Repeated connection to game servers is necessary to ensure all progression rewards (including for single-player actions) are being awarded, and that no-one can cheat in multi-player matches. However, we have heard your concerns, and we have started developing an off-line mode for single-player even before the release, but it will take some time to implement. We have been open about this, the "always on-line" requirement is clearly stated in the system requirements and elsewhere; we absolutely understand it might be an insurmountable obstacle for some players and if you are in such a situation, we humbly ask for your patience to wait and buy the game once we have implemented it.
  
• I keep getting disconnected or experience other technical issues - We are sorry you are experiencing such difficulties. We are working on patches to fix all the bugs and are constantly working on the server infrastructure to improve stability - but in order to achieve this, we need your help. Whenever you run into any problems, report them on the Men of War II Discord server or here in Steam Discussions, but to give us the most information to work with, please upload your game logs to a file-sharing service of your choice and share the link with us. These files can be found in: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Men of War II
  
• The game is too different, it should resemble another game more - It is of course perfectly fair to compare Men of War II to different RTS games. However, it is its own game; we feel like developing a clone of already existing games perhaps with just a few more units, maps or even game modes, would do the community a huge disservice. We hope that other titles in the genre continue being successful, doing their own thing and releasing more content - the more variety of games there is, the more choice, the better!
  
• The game has health-bars on tanks - All games made in some version of the GEM engine use a HP system to determine when a vehicle is completely destroyed + damage system for individual parts. The only difference is in the fact that in the Competitive setting, Men of War II displays this information, to be accessible to more casual players. If you do not like this feature, the Realism setting might suit you better, or you can turn off this part of the UI in Settings, the choice is completely up to you!
  
• The graphics are outdated, they look like old Men of War games - The engine powering the game (GEM RTS) has been significantly upgraded since the first time we’ve shown you Men of War II, features such as improved lighting using Physically Based Rendering and improved aquatic spaces have been implemented; if you are interested in details, you can read up on the topic in our devlogs here and here!

If you truly want to help improve the game, it is best to also join the conversation in our community - on the official Men of War II Discord server[discord.com] or in the Steam discussions, not just post a negative review. It was thanks to player feedback that Best Way have been able to develop the Classic Mode, Realism Setting, improve the overall balance of units, and much more - the team is absolutely committed to continue working on the game and on fixing the issues that you find most pressing, and we hope that with all the improvements and additions that were implemented after our multiple public playtests, we have the track record to prove it. We read every suggestion, every criticism, every negative review, to make sure your voices are heard; and we will soon inform you about the fixes and updates we are working on.

We don't want you to get the impression that the Men of War II community is just about reporting bugs and other unpleasant stuff. The point of a game is to have fun - and the ever-growing group of commanders on the Official Men of War II Discord server[discord.com] is welcoming and friendly; whether you want to just chat to someone, find new team-mates or share your videos, screenshots or live-streams, there is a channel for you. But we are extremely happy to say that the community already formed around Men of War II offer so much more than that!
The Simulated Divisions League is organising a Men of War 2 Launch Tournament, for everyone who wants to test their skill in friendly competition this Saturday, May 18! It will be played in the 5v5 Battalion game mode - All Information and Sign ups can be found here[playsdl.com]!
The first mod for Men of War II has released already, and more are on the way! If you would like to embark on a trip to alternate history, where Operation Overlord failed, definitely check out Lost Eagles on the Steam Workshop!

That is all for now, but expect much more to come soon. In the meantime, if you enjoy the game, please leave Men of War II a review here on Steam, and we will see you on the battlefield soon, Commanders!
[discord.com]

Greetings, commanders!

The day has finally arrived, and Men of War II is available for all RTS enthusiasts to enjoy! We have prepared a new trailer to celebrate the occasion and get everyone hyped up to jump into action:

We would also like to use this moment to repeat a few crucial pieces of information about the launch:

The game currently requires you to be always online, but that is only temporary. We have heard your feedback, and we are working on an offline mode that will allow you to enjoy the single-player content of Men of War II even without a persistent internet connection. We will announce the details soon!

We believe in working closely with our community and fully intend to keep listening to your suggestions, as we have done throughout the development process. We strongly recommend joining the official Men of War II Discord Server[discord.com], but you can of course also leave your feedback in the form of a Steam Review, or post in the Discussions. We have a lot of plans and activities with our community, and we will be announcing them soon - but even today, at 20:00 CEST / 11:00 PT, we will be live-streaming a few 5v5 multi-player matches between a team from Fulqrum Publishing and a team of Content Creators, composed of Bokoen, GoldenSpatulas, ThatGuyFromCollege, Dinklebean and DigbyTathamWarter. Come and show your support either on their respective Twitch channels, or on Fulqrum Publishing's own Discord server, Youtube and Twitch!

We would also like to reward our most dedicated fans - so if you are eager to start playing and purchase Men of War II before May 22, you will automatically receive the Frontline Hero Pack DLC absolutely for free - including profile avatars and badges, a set of beautiful wallpapers for your desktop and 4 collectible units that will get unlocked immediately:

Furthermore, we have made available the Deluxe Edition of Men of War II, which includes not only the game itself and the Frontline Hero Pack DLC, but also the Digital Artbook and Official Soundtrack for Men of War II - and until May 22, you can get this full package with a 10% discount!

If you wish to learn more about the game, we strongly encourage you to read our overview of all the single-player content in Men of War II, or if you are a team-based or competitive-minded player, perhaps you would be more interested in a deep dive into all the multi-player has to offer.


[discord.com]

Greetings, Commanders!

With the highly anticipated launch of Men of War II drawing ever closer, we have more details and good news to share with you. Let's dive right in!

We truly value all our fans who have supported us throughout the development process, and we want to express our appreciation of all of you who are anticipating the launch and are ready to jump into action right away. Therefore, everyone who purchases Men of War II in the first week from release (until May 22) will receive the Frontline Hero Pack DLC completely for free, getting the following perks:

• 2 exclusive profile badges and 6 exclusive avatars to show off your Hero status
  
• Immediately unlock 4 collectible tank units to intimidate your foes in multiplayer matches
  
• 10 wallpapers featuring beautiful art from the game, to spruce up your desktop

The Frontline Hero Pack instantly unlocks the following collectible units:

• M4A3E8 “Sherman” - A US Army medium tank, the latest modification of the M4A3E8 with a 75mm gun. It is a beautiful but deadly war machine adorned with a unique camouflage design, pin-up art, and other decorative exterior elements.
  
• Panther Ausf. A - A German medium tank, the latest modification of the Pz.Kpfw. V class with a 75mm gun. A formidable predator with excellent combat characteristics and unique camouflage pattern, capable of intimidating even the most experienced hunters on the battlefield.
  
• T-34-85 - A Soviet medium tank, a modification of the T-34 class with an 85mm gun. It can hold its own and emerge victorious from any battle; it features a unique camouflage system that distinguishes it from its brothers on the battlefield. In the right hands, it can become a deadly threat to any enemy.
  
• T-34-85M - A Soviet medium tank, the latest modification of the T-34 class armed with an 85mm gun. It features a modified camouflage design and spaced armor which reduces the destructive effect of enemy anti-tank rounds. This is an experienced fighter, ready for any surprises.

All four units remain unlockable by completing in-game actions as well; the DLC pack is meant as a reward for our most loyal fans, not a punishment for those entering the battlefield later.

The game will become available for everyone on May 15, at 19:00 CEST / 10:00 PT, and our most dedicated fans will also be able to purchase the Deluxe Edition, containing not just the game and the Frontline Hero Pack, but also the Digital Artbook and Official Soundtrack of Men of War II!


We can confirm that Men of War II will require you to be always online only at launch - an offline mode is in development. The game was developed as always online to allow us to maintain live leaderboards, properly synchronize rewards players receive (including for actions in single-player and co-op content) and prevent cheating at the same time; thanks to this, it is near to impossible to cheat in Men of War II multiplayer. But we have heard your concerns and are working on a solution that will allow you to play the single-player part of Men of War II, as well as mods, without requiring an always-online internet connection; and this will be implemented after release.


In regards to the always-online nature of Men of War II, some of you have expressed a worry that it will not be possible to mod the game because of it. Nothing is further from the truth - we have long ago given you a sneak peek into mods that are already in production, and we are happy to confirm that the Lost Eagles mod for Men of War II will launch at the same day as the game - May 15, 2024. In Lost Eagles, you will follow a story of the failure of Operation Overlord, from the perspective of Jason Baker of the 101st Airborne Division and his small squad of survivors deep behind enemy lines. Originally developed for Men of War: Assault Squad 2, this is not a mere port, but a complete remake with expanded plot, introducing new characters and with many technical issues of the original fixed, as the new version is built from scratch. If you'd like to learn more, check the mod's Discord server[discord.gg].

If you haven't yet, wishlist and follow the game so that you don't miss any of our future announcements - and we will see you on the battlefield on May 15!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings, commanders!

We hope you enjoyed our previous devlogs about multiplayer and the graphical and technical improvements made to Men of War II. Today, we want to share some detailed info about our approach to creating the single-player part of the game and our story campaigns — to provide you with the most varied, abundant and most epic single-player content possible. And whether you enjoy it alone, or in an exciting game with your brothers in arms, that’s completely up to you - all single-player content in Men of War II, without exception, is also playable in up to 5-player co-op. But now, make yourself comfortable and dive into this intriguing new brief!

Philosophy and General Approach

Over the years of the series' existence, players have seen a lot - from large battles with different sides of the conflict to sabotage operations and epic stories of sacrifice and loss during various historical conflicts. There may be nothing left to surprise you, but we've hidden a few aces up our sleeves specifically for Men of War II, which will give you new impressions of the highly acclaimed series.

Story Campaigns

Three sides of the conflict — three massive story campaigns about ordinary people and heroes who were unlucky enough to find themselves at the epicenter of World War II. The main philosophy of the entire series has always been this: every story is personal, and all of them are about people, not just battles. Our goal is to tell as much as possible while maintaining the authenticity of the events.

Soviet Campaign "Thwarted Blitzkrieg"

This is a story of the Third Reich's invasion of the USSR and the most challenging period for the defenders on the Eastern Front. We believe that this period is not widely covered in mass culture and video games, even though it was the site of the largest tank battle in history (the Battle of Dubno-Lutsk-Brody), considering that the Soviet army was utterly demoralized and disorganized. At the same time, the Wehrmacht had complete initiative on the battlefield. The front is unstable; there is no proper communication with commanders, but there are orders, and they must be executed.

American Campaign "The Falaise Pocket"

In this campaign, we tell the story of American forces encountering desperate resistance from the Third Reich during the "Falaise Pocket" operation. A seasoned soldier, Randy Howard, does not take the newly arrived young officer Karl Young seriously, but the more they fight side by side, the more their characters and true motives are revealed.

German Campaign "On Their Own Soil"

A campaign dedicated to the last year of the desperate, already lost war of the Third Reich against the whole world. Together with Feldwebel Ludwig Mueller and his comrades-in-arms, you will have to go through the difficult path of retreat, loss, and bitterness; and even though the character has no sympathy for the regime, he inadvertently delays the "death of the gods" - the defeat of the Nazis and the end of World War II.

Historical Campaigns
In addition to the primary three story campaigns, players will have access to two dynamic historical campaigns dedicated to actual historical operations of World War II:

• "Operation Bagration" is a historical Soviet campaign dedicated to the Belarusian offensive. Players will lead their battalions through forests and swamps, react to German counterattacks, defeat Army Group Center, and liberate Minsk.
  
• "Operation Overlord" is a historical American campaign about battles for control of northern France and the subsequent liberation of Paris. You will encounter classic sabotage missions with airborne troops and an exciting "detective" mission, "Hunting the Tiger."

Each of these campaigns has its own technology tree with units from the corresponding historical period and provides access to 7 missions and more than 6 battalions. Players will receive rewards for completing missions in the form of new battalions and units for this campaign. Obtained battalions can be equipped according to your preferences and used to complete the next mission. Each mission can be completed and replayed with any open battalions, equipping them to your liking, but within the authentic historical constraints.

Additional Missions

Our team has a tradition - alongside the primary narrative campaigns, to provide players with access to additional missions reflecting various gameplay concepts and classic images of World War II, but not directly related to the primary story campaigns. During the past beta tests, you may have explored missions such as "Ambush," "Through The Snow," and "Towards Freedom," but in the full version of the game, you will also encounter "Thwarted plans," "Scorched Earth," and "False Alarm."

PvE Modes

Previously, we discussed various multiplayer modes available during the project's release. Still, it's worth noting that each mode can be finely tuned to your liking, using AI bots instead of live players. Moreover, Men of War II has a separate mode consisting of a collection of 26 customizable PVE battles. To activate it, go to the lobby, in settings select the Match setup mode called “Battalions, PVE” and under Game Mode select the “Special Battle Mode”; you will see the list of available missions in the list of “Maps.”

"Raid"

We know many players enjoy battles with AI bots, but it's much more enjoyable when these battles occur within something larger, with their own goals and tasks. For such cases, we have prepared the "Raid" mode, an entirely generated dynamic campaign consisting of 16 battles with its technology tree with all available units and 21 battalions, as well as tasks and rewards for expanding the arsenal.

“Conquest”

The "Conquest" mode introduces a unique territory conquest and control campaign style, in which you use specific types of troops (available in two main formats: Western Front, where you can choose to play as either the USA or the Third Reich, and Eastern Front, with either USSR or Third Reich). “Conquest” takes place on a strategic map, where the player (or players, as even this campaign mode can be played in co-op) and AI take turns attacking and defending the marked regions. In this mode, you not only choose the following location for battle but also have to carefully move your divisions around the map, distributing them along the front line, as their position determines where they can strike or defend next. The enemy acts similarly, attacking or defending their territories within the allotted turn.

You must capture control points, break through the front line, build defensive structures, crush enemy troops, and do everything possible to gain the upper hand in an unequal battle with the enemy. Each subordinate division (out of 16 available) is a battalion with versatile capabilities and a substantial specialization bonus. You can use all types of troops in any division, but there is also a specialization bonus for discounts and logistics (so a heavy tank division can field more heavy tanks, but fewer infantry than an infantry division, for example). The "Conquest" mode encourages playing with unfamiliar units due to its board game structure, where each cell is a new challenge. And specific units are better suited for each challenge.

Main Gameplay Enhancements and other improvements

However, all of this would be impossible without significantly improving the gameplay and graphics engine of Men of War II, which allowed us to address some critical issues in the series:

• Separate reinforcements in co-op: In Men of War II co-op multiplayer, each player has their own menu with their reinforcements, unlike the previous games in the series, where there was one menu for everyone with all the resulting consequences (for example, it will no longer happen that units summoned by one player fall under the control of someone else, a random player on the team).
  
• Enhanced AI: We have significantly improved the enemy's artificial intelligence, giving it the ability to think strategically on the battlefield, consider player behavior, and change its strategy depending on the situation. You can customize the AI’s difficulty in all PVE modes on multiplayer maps and story missions.
  
• Improved saving and loading: We have improved the game's save and load system — now you can quickly save or load your battles, even against an AI-controlled enemy in "Conquest" mode.
  
• Mission scaling: As we mentioned earlier, any single mission can be played cooperatively with up to four friends (meaning five players in total); and any available map will automatically adjust to the number of players in the session, scaling its size.

We hope you enjoyed the new devlog, but if you want to learn more about the "Conquest" mode, don't miss the stream with representatives of Fulqrum Publishing, which takes place today, at the usual time - 16:00 CEST (7:00 am PT). In the meantime, add the game to your wishlist to stay up to date with the latest project news, and we will see you on the battlefield on May 15, commanders!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings, Commanders!

It's been a big week for all Men of War II fans, as we've just made the announcement that the game will launch on May 15, but we intend to make it even bigger and continue the tradition of our regular gameplay and Q&A live-streams! And we do hope you join us again this time, because oh boy, do we have things to show you...

We will ease you in by playing a bit of the new Tanks Only mode, which lets you set up a custom lobby game in which all players will only be able to call in a single category of units, and you guessed it, that's infantry... Kidding, of course; it's nothing but tanks!

As for what comes next, well... We have previously hinted at the fact that Men of War II is a game that will have something for absolutely any RTS fan to enjoy: be it single-player or multiplayer, PvP or PvE, hardcore and realistic or more casual, and enough of each type of content to keep you satisfied for a long time. But commanders, generals, friends... Maybe you feel that is not enough. Maybe... Maybe you have different tastes and cravings. Dreams and desires that are not easily fulfilled. There's no need to be ashamed; that's what the innocently called Testing Mode is here for. It's also accessible through a custom lobby, and it will let you do things the regular modes just won't. It doesn't judge and won't snitch; you can just be yourself with it and let go.

As usual, the live-stream session will happen this Friday, April 26, from 16:00 CEST (8:00 PT). We hope you will all come and join us to make the wait for May 15 fly by just a little faster!

You will be able to watch the livestream on the following channels:

• Discord[discord.com]
  
• Steam
  
• Youtube
  
• Twitch[www.twitch.tv]
  
• X (better known as Twitter)
  
• Facebook[www.facebook.com]

You can ask any questions you wish during the live-stream on any of these platforms, but we strongly encourage you to come watch with us on Discord[discord.com], as we guarantee you will be heard there.

You can also watch the recording of our previous live-streams about the Combat Sectors & Area Control Modes or about the new feature called Raids.

We have also updated our live-stream schedule and added one more session, so what you still have to look forward to before launch is:

• May 3: Campaigning, but dynamically.
  
• May 10: Mods with friends.

See you on the battlefield soon, Commanders!

If you haven't yet, wishlist and follow the game so that you don't miss any of our future announcements:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings, commanders!

The day so many of you have been waiting for is here! After taking more time to further improve the technical state of Men of War II, we are ready to set the release date and announce that you will be able to take control of your armies on May 15, 2024! Fans of the franchise will notice this is the 10th anniversary of the full launch of Men of War: Assault Squad 2; we hope to make it a birthday party you will not soon forget. To that end, we have prepared a video invitation to whet your appetite:

We will also continue talking to you about all the content Men of War II has to offer; most recently, we released a deep dive into all the multiplayer modes you will be able to enjoy and you can expect a similar overview of all the facets of single-player coming your way soon.

Another tradition we will be continuing are our live-streaming gameplay and Q&A sessions. This Friday, April 26, join us at the usual time (16:00 CEST / 8:00 PT) and on the usual channels - Discord[discord.com], Steam, Youtube, Twitch[www.twitch.tv], X (also known as Twitter), Facebook[www.facebook.com] - for a showcase of some of the more unorthodox (but definitely fun) gameplay options of Men of War II. In the meantime, you can rewatch our sessions on Combat Sectors & Area Control Modes and the new dynamic, skirmish-like mode called Raids.

As you can see, there is still a lot to look forward to before the release (and afterwards as well) - make sure you wishlist the game to not miss any new announcements; and of course, we cordially invite you to join the official Men of War II Discord server[discord.com], where you can meet and chat with other fans and members of the Best Way and Fulqrum Publishing teams!

We will see you on the battlefield soon, commanders!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II/

Greetings, commanders!

We hope you enjoyed our previous devlogs about the graphical and technical improvements made to Men of War II (if you haven't checked them out yet, you can find them here, here, and here). Today, we want to share detailed info about our approach to creating the multiplayer part of the game and our core philosophy — to provide our fans with as many possibilities and features as possible for an exciting game with their brothers in arms. But now, make yourself comfortable and dive into this intriguing new brief!

• 25 diverse maps with their terrains and biomes (snowy, desert, rural, and urban), as well as the ability to choose the time of day and weather in the lobby and much more. Each map will scale based on the number of players in one session.

Matchmaking and lobbies

• Matchmaking features automatic player matching, which balances team composition based on battalion type, player rating, and ping, making sure that you will get the best possible experience from each battle from both the technical standpoint (low lag) and team balance (playing with and against commanders of similar ranking and thus skill). The only game mode available for matchmaking is the “Front Line” (see below)
  
• In "Combined Arms" and "Classic" matchmaking, players have the option to set the preferred team size: 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3).
  
• In “Battalions” matchmaking, the algorithm always tries to create a 5v5 game, but only if enough eligible players can be found will it start a 4v4 or even a 3v3 match.
  
• In lobbies, players can fully customize the game to their liking, as in previous games in the series. Lobbies can be set as either private or public at the player's discretion.

We have also added many additional features for fine-tuning lobbies:

• Map selection and difficulty, team size, weather and time of day, the game mode ("Front Line," "Combat," "Incursion," and others), match setup mode (“Battalions” / “Combined Arms” / “Classic” / “Mission” / “Tanks only”), ability to set the amount of required victory points, max. match duration, maximum unit level, server location (automatic, local, dedicated), battalion visibility (whether opponents from different teams can see selected battalions in the lobby or not), army alignment ("none" allows any army mix in each team, "1 team - 1 army" makes it so that a team can only consist of players with the same nation’s army, "alliance alignment" sets the match so that the Third Reich can only be by itself, but USSR and USA can team up, as they are allies), and the choice between "realistic" or "competitive" game settings.

Other changes:

• Ability to check various statistics: rating points, win percentage, total number of battles, unit preferences, average performance metrics (damage/experience), and comparative rating table of all players.
  
• Automatic reconnection and selection of the optimal host among all players.
  
• Ability to view and share battle replays and add another player to friends or a team.
  
• A built-in system tracks any manipulations with the game client, excluding the possibility of using cheats during multiplayer games (if any changes are attempted, the user will be kicked out due to desynchronization with the server). But this will not affect the mods in any way.

When we first started developing the Men of War II multiplayer, we decided within the team to create something unique, capable of attracting a more comprehensive range of players while making each match different for any assembled team. Every battle is a complex scheme with multiple commanders of specific types of troops trying to coordinate as one whole to achieve a crushing victory over the enemy. Some prefer infantry frontal attacks, while others favor tanks and their crushing power or the thundering cannons of heavy artillery. Still, they all must interact closely, demonstrating their best skills in managing the units available to them.

Available game modes within "Battalions":

• "Front Line" is a new strategic mode in which both sides of the conflict constantly use infantry to advance their front lines and capture enemy territory. Expect tense matches akin to a constant tug-of-war, where teamwork is paramount.
  
• "Front Line" without defensive troops controlled by AI - the same mode as described above, but without defensive troops controlled by artificial intelligence on the edges of the map, which increases the risk of your troops being destroyed by the enemy.
  
• "Assault Zones": Opposing sides will face off, capturing and holding strategic points on the map, thereby earning victory points.
  
• "Combat Sectors" - the map is divided into various sectors that must be captured and defended from enemy attacks.
  
• "Area Control" is a hybrid mode where you must capture both points and territory on the map, utilizing the front line mechanic.
  
• "Combat" — the classic Men of War mode, showcasing a large-scale battle between two sides of the conflict. Victory goes to the team that can destroy more enemy troops while preserving its most valuable units.
  
• "Clashing Armies" — a variant of the Front Line. The objective is the same: to capture enemy territory. However, instead of defensive AI, an endless stream of AI infantry rushes toward the front line, pushing into the other team’s territory. Whenever an AI soldier is killed, a new one spawns in the rear and rushes toward the front.
  
• "Incursion" is an asymmetric game mode using the "Frontline" mechanic in which one team must capture several designated zones held by the opposing team. Unlike “Area Control” or “Assault Zones,” once a zone is captured, it disappears, meaning Team A is always on the attack, while Team B is always tasked with defending their zones for as long as possible.

Additional lobby options:

• Ability to change the number of victory points needed to win the match.
  
• Ability to change the match duration limit.

This battle mode was developed based on "Battalions." Still, unlike it, each player here will have access to one much larger regiment without limitations associated with battalions and specializations, allowing you to customize it as you see fit, choosing all the necessary units available for the nation you have selected. The most important thing in this mode is to realize the full potential of the units, as the opponent has the same level of freedom in assembling the army. Players still assemble their armies before the match, and the planning stage plays an important role.

Available game modes within "Combined Arms":

• "Front Line"
  
• "Assault Zones"
  
• "Combat"

Additional lobby options:

• Ability to change the number of victory points needed to win the match.
  
• Ability to change the match duration limit.

After the first open beta test of Men of War II last year, we received numerous requests from fans of the previous games in the series asking us to bring back a more "classic" game mode, where you don't need to choose battalions, only the faction you want to play. This is similar to Combined Arms; however, there is nothing to customize before the match starts here. Once in the game, you will have all units from your nation's army available through a selection menu on the right-hand side of the screen (also, you can call in air strikes and recall troops to reserve). The "Classic" mode is our tribute to the rich heritage of the franchise, which will surely please the long-time Men of War veterans.

Available game modes within the "Classic" match setup:

• "Front Line"
  
• "Assault Zones" (with fixed unit spawn points)
  
• "Combat"

Additional lobby options:

• Ability to change the number of victory points needed to win the match.
  
• Ability to change the match duration limit.

Unique templates for personal compositions (determines the amount of resources and types of units available in the reinforcement menu):

• Battalion (100 CP, 2500 budget points).
  
• Regiment (125 CP, 2500 budget points).
  
• Division (150 CP, 2500 budget points).
  
• Battalions without timers (100 CP, 2500 budget points, and without starting timers for reinforcements).
  
• Infantry only (60 CP, 2500 budget points, and reduced unit respawn timers).
  
• Tanks only (75 CP, 500 budget points, 300 Special points - the other templates have 150, without unit respawn timers).
  
• No airstrikes.
  
• No artillery.
  
• Testing mode (no restrictions).

We always wanted to create the most dynamic mode focused on armored vehicle management, and that's how the new "Tanks Only" mode came about. You will fight for control points with other players, but all available vehicles will have modified visibility range parameters. Users can get a completely different tank experience from this mode if they launch it in "Realism" mode. More realism means more hardcore!


During the past open beta tests of Men of War II, we carefully monitored your feedback and wishes and decided that the multiplayer mode should appeal to both hardcore enthusiasts as well as a broader audience. That's why we introduced two Game Settings options available through the lobby:

• "Competitive" battle setup for a broader range of players with various informational icons in the combat interface and the display of vehicle health levels, while the overall characteristics of units are balanced regarding combat unit efficiency.
  
• "Realistic" battle setup for more hardcore players. Additional markers and other informational elements are absent in the combat interface, and the combat characteristics of units are closer to real ones. Vehicle health bars are not displayed. In addition, vehicle destruction is now more influenced by the hit location and caliber of the shell, and it is easier to disable vehicles (and capture them) instead of destroying them completely.
  
• We would also like to emphasize that the Competitive/Realistic game settings are completely independent from the match setup mode — meaning that in a lobby, you can play “Battalions” with Realistic settings or “Classic” with Competitive settings, for example—it is completely up to you. However, in matchmaking, “Classic” mode is paired with the Realistic setting, while “Battalions” and “Combined Arms” run with the Competitive rule set.

We truly believe that with the help of all the feedback from our awesome community during the past public playtests, we managed to create the most engaging and variable multiplayer experience in the Men of War series — and also the most accessible for any RTS fan.

However, it is worth noting that every multiplayer mode can be enjoyed without facing live players simply by choosing fully customizable bots as opponents in the lobby. We'll talk about this and other features of Men of War II in our next devlog, which will tackle the single-player experience you can look forward to in the game. For now, add the game to your wishlist to stay up to date with the latest project news, and see you on the battlefield, commanders!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1128860/Men_of_War_II