Set during Operation Bagration, the gigantic Soviet offensive in the summer of 1944, players in Steel Division II will not only enjoy massive and frenetic 10v10 multiplayer battles and hundreds of new historically authentic units, but also experience the brand new, turn-based, single-player ‘Dynamic Strategic Campaigns’.

Steel Division II significantly expands on the real-time tactical battles featured in its predecessor, transporting the player to the massive battlefields of the Eastern Front and offering them a chance to command over 600 units fielded by the Red Army and the Axis powers. Wield the destructive force of the Katyusha rockets or charge ahead with the T-34 tank, players will be able to choose from up to 18 new divisions. Substantial changes to the Deck building mechanics and combat, together with a more realistic art direction, will deliver a much more refined player experience in Steel Division II.

One of the major additions to Steel Division II are the new, turn-based Dynamic Strategic Campaigns, which will offer players a highly replayable experience where they relive history thanks to every detail being realized on a 1:1-scale - from the order of battle to the units, the maps and the combat . Each turn equals half a day, allowing players to form their strategy and plan their next encounter, while carefully managing their units and supply lines. Prospective commanders will be able to control entire army corps and subordinate battalions consisting of thousands of men.

The offerings for Steel Division II continues to grow with today’s announcement from self-publishing independent developer Eugen Systems. In addition to an epic single-player campaign set during Operation Bagration, Steel Division II players can also look forward to six brand-new Historical Battles with the core game.

With Steel Division II, players can look forward to a total of six extensive Historical Battles spanning a variety of significant campaigns across the frontlines. Playable solo, co-op against AI enemies, and multiplayer, including 2v1 and 3v3 scenarios, the six new Historical Battles for Steel Division 2 make the already huge real-time strategy title even bigger with this tremendous amount of content that will take players across the frontlines of war, including the Battle for Orsha, Bobr, Krupki, Pleshchenitsy, Lenina, and Naratch Lake.

As the name discloses, Historical Battles are real-life battles that were fought on the Eastern Front in the timeframe that we are depicting in Steel Division II. They won’t be for the fainthearted, as these scenarios will focus on some of the toughest engagements during the most crucial days of Operation Bagration, spread across a number of important dates and locations.

They will all be playable either in single player, cooperatively and multiplayer, with varying team sizes, from 2v1 to 3v3 players, for instance. The Battlegroups and Divisions for each battle will come fixed, meaning premade. However, some of the battles will allow you to select among several available Battlegroups.

We brought over the Historical Battles from Steel Division: Normandy 44, but as you might remember, these battles were not part of the base game, only coming later in the Back to Hell DLC. We can’t emphasize enough that these Historical Battles will provide an enormous amount of gameplay and will be playable both solo or in cooperative mode from day one.

Let’s get down into the trenches and check out each Historical Battle in detail.

• Autobahn zur Hölle (June 23rd, 1944)
  This Historical Battle will depict the opening Soviet move against Orsha, one of the most heavily defended strong points on the German front. The scenario pits the well-entrenched Sturm-Regiment 195 from the elite German 78. Sturmdivision against heavy assault elements from the 26th and 84th Guards Rifle Divisions. The Soviet troops will bring assault engineers, super-heavy artillery, and special breakthrough armors such as KV heavy tanks, OT-34 flame tanks, and even the mighty ISU-152 assault guns.
  
• Bobr (June 26th, 1944)
  Even before the fall of Orsha, Soviet armored forces had already bypassed the town and were racing through the German rear almost unopposed. One of the few regular units available in the area was the French collaborationist LVF (also known as the Grenadier-Regiment 638). This Historical Battle sees elements from this unit, supported by a handful of elite German Tiger tanks and a few PaK 40 anti-tank guns, fight against the Soviet vanguard of the Sherman-equipped 18th Guards Tank Brigade.

• Krupki (June 28th, 1944)
  The delaying action fought at Bobr gave just enough time for s.Panzer Abteilung 505, acting as lead element for the incoming 5. Panzerdivision, to detrain at the Krupki railhead. However, a Soviet battlegroup managed to attack them almost still on the freight cars, thanks to local partisans, and the Red Army managed to gain a foothold in Krupki. This Historical Battle will see Tiger tanks from s.Panzer Abteilung 505 and some security forces engage the Soviet 2nd Guards Motorized Brigade supported by partisans.

• Pleshchenitsy (July 1st, 1944)
  Further north, Soviet cavalry and mechanized units were driving down on Minsk, and a battlegroup of the 5th Panzerdivision was ordered to counter-attack the key crossroads at Pleshchenitsy. In this Historical Battle, 5. Panzer tanks, including Panthers as well as the few remaining Tigers, are supported by Panzergrenadiers and will go head-to-head with the Soviet 35th Guards Tank Brigade and 8th Guards Mechanized Brigade, which brings partisan support. The scenario will also see the Luftwaffe offering as much air cover as they can, matching the Red Air Force temporarily.

• Lenina (July 1st, 1944)
  On the same day as Pleshchenitsy, Soviet forces further South pushed further west to encircle and isolate Army Group Center. In this Historical Battle the recently arrived 4. Panzerdivision is fighting a desperate action to save the weary 4. Kavallerie-Brigade from being overrun by elements from 9th Guards Cavalry Division supported by the 219th Tank Brigade.
  
• Naratch Lake (July 4th, 1944)
  Pursuing the German forces in the north, the Soviets got too bold and overextended themselves gravely. Quick to grasp the opportunity, the retreating Germans reminded the Red Army they are not to be underestimated, even in defeat. This Historical Battle will see Gruppe Hoppe, a small mechanized battlegroup made up of Nashorn tank destroyers, StuG’s and a few tanks, with pioneer and infantry support, clash against the 388th Rifle Division which brings a motley assortment of tanks from 39th Guards Tank Brigade including T-34/76’s, T-70’s, Valentine’s, and even some Lee’s and Matilda’s.

The six extra Historical Battles for Steel Division II also follows recently announced news that Steam users who already own Steel Division: Normandy 44 can also expect eight exclusive divisions with over 350 extra units from the original title when Steel Division II launches later this year, including the Sherman Jumbo tank from the United States of America, the Churchill IV heavy infantry tank from the United Kingdom, the lend-lease Spitfire and Sherman M4A2 for France and Canada, and many more.

Key Features:

• Brand-new turn-based Dynamic Strategic Campaigns
• New setting, the Eastern Front, with the mighty Red Army and Axis powers
• Over 600 historically accurate units across 18 new divisions
• Realistic battlefields spread across 25 different maps
• Substantial changes to the Deck building mechanics
• New, realistic art direction to deliver a more immersive visual style
• Revamped combat offering a more refined tactical experience
• Host of game modes, offline and online, including co-op and massive 10v10 multiplayer battles

Featuring the painstaking attention to detail developer Eugen Systems is famous for, Steel Division II features the updated IrisZoom engine, allowing players to seamlessly zoom in and out of the ever-changing frontline, drinking in the glorious details of each battlefield from afar with bird’s eye view one moment and examining individual units up close the next. In a first for the Paris-based company, Steel Division II is self-published by Eugen Systems. 

Steel Division II will be available for PC (Steam) on April 4, 2019.