Said Michael Bell, Encore's CEO, "Soldner has the potential to dethrone the reigning FPS champs by changing the way tactical online games are played. With JoWooD's support, we look forward to delivering a spectacular game that lives up to the hype."

Added Andreas Tobler, CEO of JoWooD Productions Software AG, "Soldner is one of our most anticipated games for 2004. With exciting team gameplay and deep strategy elements, Soldner promises the thrilling multiplayer experience that gamers have been demanding."

Modern, Unconventional Warfare

The year is 2010. After half a century of costly military interventions, countries around the world are choosing unconventional warfare via the use of secret forces. Military success is no longer made by major countries, but by small and highly specialized mercenary units. In Soldner, the player is an integral member of a special forces team, a high-tech military force comprised of elite gunmen, armored vehicles, helicopters and jet aircraft commissioned to execute pre-defined and fan base modded military missions.

During these missions, players can shoot down and take cover in trees while keeping an eye out for an enemy UH60 chopper about to drop a 60 ton A1-Abrams tank on their heads. The building nearby appears safe, but an enemy grenade can turn it into rubble in seconds. Gone are the old days of static environments and clichéd strategies - players must adjust and innovate or become a relic of the past.

Key features that make Soldner unique include:

• A fully-destructible environment where players can destroy everything they see
• Over 60 personal weapons, including the Desert Eagle, M4 Carbine, and AK 47
• Over 70 vehicles, helicopters, and jets -- including the BJ212A Jeep, Humvee, T-80 tank, Ka-50 "Black Shark" helicopter, and F/A-18C Hornet fighter plane
• Dynamically-generated world using digital satellite data featuring a day/night cycle and changing weather and seasons
• Five high-tech specializations that include fully customizable characters
• Each team is led by an elected commander who uses realistic satellite data to give laser guidance to the team
• 32 players per game battle online over Internet and LAN
• Includes well-known combat modes such as Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Hostage Rescue. Players can also mod their own missions.
• New and unique unit customization system for players to customize their characters -- change textures or create new ones, affix decals, even add faces. This is in addition to the 60,000 different combinations already in the game.
• Tactical game elements such as stamina, heartbeat, different hit zones, commander mode, stealth and precision meter
• First- and third-person perspectives
• Dynamic single player campaign featuring a complex diplomatic system and random missions