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 are thrilled to announce that the open beta for Men of War II is now available via Steam until Monday, May 15. The beta features a barrage of playable content including never-before-seen single player missions and a whole host of PvP and PvE multiplayer modes.

Enlisting in the open beta is simple; players just need to head to the Men Of War II Steam page, where they can request access to the “Men of War II Playtest”. Doing so once it is live will grant them instant access; requesting access before the beta starts will ensure they receive an e-mail notification when it’s available. Once downloaded, they will be able to jump straight into three single player missions (also playable in co-op) or try their hand across seven varied maps in four competitive multiplayer modes, and one PvE mode.

In addition to delivering swathes of satisfyingly strategic action, the open beta implements a number of gameplay changes based on community feedback from the Multiplayer Tech Test, which took place in March. Fulqrum Publishing and Best Way remain committed to delivering a dynamic and engaging experience for both new players and franchise-fans alike, and will continue to listen to community feedback, with further additions planned for release and beyond.

The open beta is also already localised into the following languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Ukrainian, Korean, Polish, Brazillian Portuguese, Turkish, Russian.

The full list of content available in the open beta is as follows:

Men of War II - Open Beta Content

• 4x PvP Competitive Multiplayer Modes
  • Assault Zones
  • Combat
  • Front Line
  • Incursion
• 1x PvP Competitive Battle Mode
  • Combined Arms
• 1x PvE Mode
  • Line Defence
• 7x Maps
  • Airfield
  • Bazerville
  • Borovaya River
  • Carpathians
  • The Coast
  • Farmland
  • Winter March
• 3x Single Player / Co-op Missions
  • Ambush
  • Battle of Coisson
  • Towards Freedom

Men of War II - Changes & Fixes

Gameplay Changes:

• Improved vehicle physics - heavy vehicles no longer bounce on the roads and move/explode more realistically.
• Velocity of projectiles has been increased.
• Units will no longer use all available grenades, ammo, and certain types of ammunition at their discretion during combat without a player's command. Players can now prevent the AI from changing the type of ammunition simply by right-clicking on the desired type of ammunition.
• Units spawning to the map has been improved.
• Trench digging system has been improved.
• It is now possible to zoom out the camera farther.
• Each tutorial mission can now be played separately, not necessarily in sequence.

UI Improvements:

• More UI customization options - added a button to customize the minimap and much more.
• Added an option in “general settings” to disable/hide icons showing the health of units for better immersion.
• Added a separate button for dropping off passengers from vehicles.
• Added a Hotkey to activate Direct Control with a third-person view.
• Added a “Cancel Order” button to the Hotbar.
• The Hotbar buttons have been redesigned to appear more similar to previous games in the series

Miscellaneous:

• Fixed a bug related to target tracking in the Fog of War.
• Overall performance of the game has been improved.
• Increased responsiveness of the servers. Response time and connectivity to matches have decreased significantly.
• Lobbies are now more stable.
• Other small changes and improvements.

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.