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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!
Main features and available modes:
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.
3 Match Setup Modes, each with its own matchmaking and rating
"Battalions"
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.
"Combined Arms"
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.
"Classic" Mode
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).
"Tanks Only" Mode
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!
"Competitive" and "Realistic" Game Settings
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!
Multithreading and 64-bit support
First and foremost, let's reiterate something we've mentioned before: thanks to GEM RTS, we've transitioned from single-threaded technology to full-fledged multithreading and 64-bit processing. The game engine’s multithreaded architecture allows us to utilize the capabilities of all modern CPUs to the fullest, increasing the overall frame rate and easing the load on your computers. Implementing both wasn't easy, but our team pulled it off.
Native 4K and DirectX 11 support
We've successfully incorporated support for high-resolution textures - up to 4K into the engine - as well as implementing and testing ultra-wide resolution support (up to 21:9), rebuilding all available game interface elements and the built-in mod editor. We've also added full DirectX 11 support. Thanks to that, the game now supports various smoothing models (SSAO, etc.), PBR, HDR, and much more, as discussed in previous devlogs. The series' hallmark of being able to destroy any building, object, and much more to its foundation of course remains in the game - and looks better than ever!
Material Editor
The Men of War II built-in editor now includes dedicated tools for the creation and customization of materials, taking visual content creation to a whole new level. The updated and improved toolkit allows modders to prepare any new materials they can think of, and directly integrate them into the game, with their visual quality depending only on your PC’s technical capabilities and the modders’ use of the built-in lighting models (Phong and PBR).
Now, you can work in real-time with both old materials with their limited capabilities as well as the new, more advanced ones, and change them as needed. For example, in the screenshot below, you can see one layer already working with PBR while the other layer still uses the old material (diffuse + bump + specular).
Linux and Steam Deck Support
Men of War II will receive full Linux support through cross-platform libraries (SDL2, OpenAL Soft, etc.), simplifying the game's operation across different system shells. This has also allowed us to fully adapt the game for the Steam Deck portable console. Now, you can continue the battle even while commuting to work or traveling anywhere else.
Server Architecture Support and Persistent Reconnect
Over the course of Men of War II’s development, our team has completely transitioned the game to new server architecture, making multiplayer matches a much more convenient experience for players. Now, you won't be impeded by players with weaker computers or unstable internet connections; the game will choose the best host for the match - and automatically reconnect to the server in case of any issues, allowing you to return to battle immediately without losing control of your troops. Also, if a player disconnects and is not able to come back, that doesn’t necessarily ruin the match for others; their units will simply become controlled by AI. And that's not to mention the support for dedicated servers, built-in tournaments and leagues, fully customizable lobbies, personal ratings, and separate statistics for all past battles.
Updated Sound Engine and Unit Voices
After conducting the last open beta test and receiving numerous user requests, we decided to record various new “shouts” for all available units in the game - now all commanders will have a truly new, unique experience playing Men of War II. Each of the available nations will now sound new and fresh, not to mention many other improvements we've managed to implement into the GEM RTS’ audio engine. For example, support for panoramic 3D sound has been added, for a more immersive experience and overall richer, more realistic and pleasant sounds. Modders can fine-tune many features in their creations too, including ambient nature sounds, stun effects from nearby detonating shells, and much more.
Steam Workshop and Mod Support
As mentioned, the game will fully support various modifications through the new and improved built-in editor, and Men of War II’s full integration into the Steam Workshop. Create, experiment, upload, and share your mods with thousands of other users without problems or hurdles!
Mission Editor Enhancements
To implement more complex multiplayer tasks in terms of content, we've added unique technology to GEM RTS that can divide all components into particular layers, making it easier to combine multiple files with units and triggers when launched in the editor. These layers can be reused between your missions, and if you edit the layer, it will change for all missions where it is used - this now makes the editor much more convenient to work with and allows a modular approach to building missions and campaigns. For example, you can embed custom music as a separate file and connect it as a separate layer in the desired mission, creating individual soundtracks for your missions. This is not to mention other improvements, including a significant expansion of the overall functionality of built-in commands, which will help build more complex relationships between different actions of specific units. Any mod creator can now further animate their units, connecting the same patrol or enemy search mode without hassle.
However, we don't plan to stop here and will continue to tell you about further improvements in gameplay and other aspects of Men of War II in future articles. Speaking of which, we have mentioned an enticing new opportunity for you in the intro to this article. So here it is!
Join the Champions Program for Closed Beta!
Since preparing and maintaining full public playtests is a very time and labor intensive endeavor, we are not planning any more open betas at this point. However, we will be running a long-term closed test! If you want to take part and help us with final polishing and bug fixing of the game, contact champions@fulqrumpublishing.com or enquire on the Discord server to join Fulqrum Publishing’s Champions program!
And don’t forget to add the game to your wishlist to stay updated with the latest project news - we'll see you on the battlefield, commanders!
Good point :)