The new Front Line mechanic is the bedrock of exciting dynamic encounters, where the push-and-pull of each skirmish directly affects territory borders. Manage attritional battles and break through undefended lines to advance the areas of maps under control, digging trenches and supporting troops in newly won territory.

Assume greater command of the battlefield with the enhanced Direct Vision feature to focus solely on one unit at any time and upgrade, change, or repair equipment on the fly. Level the theater of war with powerful armor and artillery capable of destroying buildings and weapon emplacements, while choosing from an arsenal including 45 battalions and more than 300 vehicles, all painstakingly designed with complete historical accuracy.

Two story campaigns – playable in single-player or up to five-player online co-op – let commanders engage in battle on both the Western and Eastern Fronts. Take control of the courageous Allied Forces pushing their way through a devastated France, and the steadfast Soviets defending their lands from the menacing Third Reich army. In returning to World War II, Best Way shines a spotlight on battles and scenarios never-before-seen in the series, with conflicts such as the Battle of the Falaise pocket and Operation Bagration.

Fulqrum Publishing and Best Way released an extended single player gameplay video from Men of War II.

The 20-minute video spotlights Battle of Coisson, a mission from the game’s Falaise Pocket story campaign which takes place from the US perspective. It is just one of three single-player missions that will be playable in the upcoming Men of War II open beta, which will be available via Steam on May 11 through to May 15.

The mission takes place near the village of Coisson, Normandy, 1944, and sees The 68th Motorized Infantry Battalion - led by Lieutenant Carl Young - on a rescue operation to make contact with artillery gunners of Company H, who recently ceased communication with command.

The 68th Motorized Infantry Battalion is formed from what remained of two other battalions which took heavy losses during the Normandy landings. One used to be an infantry battalion, but the merged unit was reclassified as mechanised.

In addition to Battle of Coisson, players can also experience two new additional, non-campaign, single-player missions during the open beta.

The first of which, Towards Freedom, sees players command a squad of scouts and NKVD Special Forces on a mission to destroy a German camp and liberate the POWs held captive within. The opposition has superior numbers and ample reserves, meaning the player must utilise superior tactics - or else perish in an unequal battle.

The final single-player mission available in the upcoming beta is Ambush, which takes place from the German perspective in Normandy, 1944. The 30th Panzergrenadier Regiment is taking heavy losses, and the decision has been made to ambush fresh US reinforcements while the regiment's main force is off fighting at the front line. The new enemy units must not reach that front line and must be stopped at all costs.

During the beta Battle of Coisson, Towards Freedom, and Ambush can all be played in both single-player and cooperative multiplayer modes. Players looking to get hands-on with these missions and additional multiplayer content, can now enlist for the  Men of War II Open Beta which will begin next month on May 11 and run until May 15.

Signing up is simple: players just need to head over to the Men of War II Steam page where they will have the option to ‘Request Access’ for a Men of War II Playtest - doing so will guarantee access to the playtest. Everyone that signs up ahead of time will receive an email notification once the beta goes live.

The open beta will feature a varied selection of multiplayer maps and modes, but will also introduce never-before-seen single-player content, and implement a number of gameplay changes based on community feedback from March’s multiplayer tech test.

Prepare to face enemy armies in intense bouts of all-out war in the series’ most advanced online multiplayer mode yet. Select the Allies, Soviets, or Germans and engage against other commanders’ armies. Choose from a wide range of skirmish and challenge maps, each created with strict attention to detail, making each arena authentic to the time period. Commanders can also join forces with other armies in online co-op, sending combined units against the new-and-improved AI in bloody mass combat.

The ravaged battlefields of Europe are enhanced with realistic physics and fully destructible objects, letting generals shape the warzone to their liking. Immersive sound design captures the guttural, terse, and chaotic cacophonies with lifelike explosions, the chattering of machine guns, and the treads of German Panzers. Full mod support gives commanders endless opportunities in creating new battle scenarios with a special level design and modding toolset.

Men Of War II will be available for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store and other stores) in 2023.