1C Company has partnered with developer 777 Studios, known for Rise of Flight: The First Great Air war, to form a joint venture and new studio named 1C Game Studios. This venture brings two of the world's leading combat flight-simulation franchises and development teams together under one banner to form a new, dynamic team led by 777 Studios management. Giving respect to the roots of the IL-2 Sturmovik series, the partnership will start with the development of Battle of Stalingrad which focuses on the Eastern Front air war during the titanic struggle over the industrial city of Stalingrad in 1942-43. The battle of Stalingrad was an important turning point for both the Soviet and German armies in WWII, with the air war playing an important role in the outcome. 

Initial client release is slated for early 2014 with add-on content and additional features and theatres to follow. IL-2 Sturmovik titles feature intense aerial combat and dozens of historically accurate warplanes and missions. Named in honor of the famous Soviet Ilyushin IL-2 ground-attack fighter, the Sturmovik series features all major theatres in WWII, from the freezing eastern front to carrier combat in the vast pacific theatre.  The IL-2 Sturmovik series of titles is widely regarded as the standard by which all other combat flight-simulators are measured and remains a top seller worldwide.

"Flight-simulation games are a product of the love and dedication of their development team, often it takes a lot more of both than people realize," said Jason Williams, executive producer of 1C Game Studios. "There is always more that can be done from new planes to better ground details.  We want to be able to add that extra care while also allowing our closest fans to become part of the beta team this summer, simply by placing a pre-order. Our fans get to help us craft the game they truly want and it allows us to reward people by beginning work sooner on additional features.  In the end, giving back when people show their faith in us just seems like the right thing to do."

Here's the breakdown of the pre-order bonuses:

Program Details:

Buyers of the Standard Edition ($49.99) will get early access in winter 2013 prior to public release, while buyers of Premium Edition ($89.99) will get the early access in autumn 2013.

Founder's Tag: Buyers of the Standard Edition will get a Silver IL-2 Sturmovik logo placed under their avatar in the community forum.Buyers of the Premium Edition will get a Gold IL-2 Sturmovik logo placed under their avatar on the forum.

Aircraft at Launch: Buyers of the Standard and Premium Editions will get the same base set of 6 aircraft (LaGG-3 s.29, Bf-109F-4, IL-2 AM38 (model 1942, single-seat), Ju-87 D-3, Pe-2 s.87/s.110  and He-111 H-6) with the possibility to earn 2 more aircrafts in the game (Yak-1 andBf-109G-2).

SpecialAircraft Set: Buyers of the Premium Edition will also get access to a couple more special aircraft (La-5 andFw-190 A3) which cannot be obtained in the game, but can be purchased in our store after launch.

Special Label: Buyers of the Premium Edition will get a special label inside the game interface next to their nickname which will stand out from the other players in multiplayer mode. You can turn it off or on as you wish.

Send a Gift to a Friend: We have also built a system to send gifts. Virtual pilots can activate one copy (digital key) on their account and send the others to friends, family or squadron mates. The gift system will be availablewith the opening of theearly accessperiod in autumn2013 to buyers of all versions.

Key Features:

• Brand new single-player campaign mode for combat flight-sims: server supported campaign generator where all missions are historical, dynamic and unique.
• Unprecedented level of details in physics, damage model and aerodynamics of the virtual aircrafts.
• True-to-life and complex AI system.
• The largest and most detailed recreation of the air war in Stalingrad (unique structures/buildings, you can only find recreated here).
• Legendary combat aircraft thoroughly re-created using the original drawings and blueprints.
• Historically correct reconstruction of all key operations of the Stalingrad battle.
• Quick fights and large-scale battles in single-player and multiplayer with dedicated servers.
• In-game achievement system, allowing players to unlock new airplane modifications/upgrades based on player's mission results.
• Global player statistics.