





🌟 Special thanks to our amazing supporters:
✨ $10 Tier: [Geeks Love Detail]
🌈 $5 Tier: [Arch Toasty][Benedikt][David Martínez Martí]
A small patch has been released today: - This update fixes Tannenberg crashing whenever the Epic Online Services were experiencing outages
The weapons of the Great War were more than tools of conflict, they are symbols of an era that reshaped the world. We invite the collectors and enthusiasts of our community to participate in our WW1 Game Series Field Rations Pack Giveaway!
Today marks the 6 Year Anniversary of Tannenberg and some uninvited guests have arrived! They'll interrupt your regularly scheduled bloody battles and you'll have to figure out how to deal with them. Why not try working together with your usual enemy for once?
The fearsome wolves will be able to join the fray in any match. Once they're spotted, a ceasefire will be called. If you respect the ceasefire and everyone stops shooting at their human enemy until the wolves are defeated, everyone will obtain the special Wolf Truce medal! However, if even a single person disturbs the peace, you'll find yourself facing off against foes of both the two-legged and four-legged varieties at the same time.
The Wolf Truce event is available now until February 18th, 10AM CET!
This year was definitely one of the years of all time. For the WW1 Game Series, it was a great one! We released a ton of content that we feel really pushed the envelope in terms of quality. We really hope you've been enjoying everything this year and are looking forward to what's in store for 2025. For now, let's walk down a year's worth of memory lane, which includes:
Can you believe it has been over 10 years since the first game of the WW1 Game Series? As some may already know, we have briefly celebrated this occasion last year. This year however we wanted to put a spotlight on you, the community.
We want to thank all our soldiers who have joined the fronts over the years. From the Verdun Early Access veterans to the newly enlisted Italian recruits. We can wholeheartedly say that we couldn't have gotten to where we are today, without everyone's continued dedication, support and interest in the WW1 Games.
We're super excited to announce that, to celebrate 10+ years with our amazing community, were collaborating with Makeship to bring you special limited edition Anniversary Pins!
Makeship.com/products/WW1GameSeries
[url=https://www.makeship.com/products/ww1-game-series-10-year-anniversary-pins]
Were super excited to announce that Isonzo is free to play for everyone on Steam & PlayStation until Monday, November 18th! Whether youve been meaning to give the game a go or are looking to introduce your friends (or foes) to Isonzo, this is the perfect time! All non-DLC content is available, including everything in this update.
The wolves have returned in time for the season of scares, and what's more scary than a pack of quadruped sets of teeth coming to tear you apart? Well, your actual foe sure isn't.
[previewyoutube=5X20SeHBIUk;full][/previewyoutube]
When the wolves enter the fray, a ceasefire will be called in. If you respect the ceasefire and defeat the wolves, everyone will receive the special Wolf Truce medal! If someone breaks the ceasefire however, you'll suddenly find yourself needing to fend off both those with and without opposable thumbs at the same time.
The Wolf Truce event is available from October 29th (right now) until November 5th.
Last Monday, 110 years ago, the German order was given to attack the Russian forces, which would start one of the most decisive battles of World War I: The Battle Of Tannenberg. The following day, the battle officially commenced.
This battle is renowned for demonstrating the effectiveness of the German military strategies and highlighting the Russians weak command structures and poor logistics.
These differences in leadership and logistics became even more apparent after the battle had concluded. The Russians had suffered heavy losses, with up to 50,000 killed and 92,000 taken prisoner. The Germans in the meanwhile lost only about 20,000 men.
We made some improvements to the TAA Anti-Aliasing setting, making edges of objects (including foliage) look more smooth. The patch download size is expected to be around 17 mb.
This Sunday 110 years ago, the first World War had officially begun. At the time, no one could've predicted just how large and significant this conflict would become, how many lives would be lost or changed forever. Every year we commemorate this day, and as customary we've enabled the Film Memoir mode for free on PC. While normally exclusive to the owners of the Supporter Pack DLC, everyone on PC can now enable the Film Memoir mode in the popup window or by going to the Options, then Graphics. It'll be available until August 5th! [previewyoutube=U_tVvpUxUKw;full][/previewyoutube]
So ends another campaign. It was a closely fought battle, with 538,375 Central Powers casualties to 528,779 Entente losses - a difference of less than 10,000. The Entente came out on top again, but not by a huge margin. In the historical battle there were probably somewhat more losses for the Entente, but the overall outcome of the battle was complicated. Parts of the French army actually made some of the largest advances since trench warfare began in earnest, but nothing close to what General Nivelle described before the battle. He claimed that a breakthrough could be achieved within two days, which absolutely did not happen.
A village devastated by fighting during the Second Battle of the Aisne.
The morale impact of this failure, alongside heavy casualties, led to French mutinies and Nivelle's replacement. While the new commander-in-chief General Petain immediately established a more defensive posture and took time to restore morale among his troops, the British continued offensive action for the rest of 1917. Later in the year there were some limited French offensives such as the successful Battle of La Malmaison, which built on ground captured during the Second Battle of the Aisne.
This update should make your connection less prone to third party outages.
Its the 21st of February, 1916. The German 5th Army has commenced their assault on the fortifications in the region of Verdun, after a small delay due to bad weather conditions. They moved for Fort Douaumont, the largest and highest fort of the region. This attack kicked off the longest single battle of WW1, lasting 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days until December 18th. A true battle of attrition.
source: https://www.iwm.org.uk
In the end, the Battle of Verdun resulted in a combined total of an estimated 714,231-976,000 casualties, about 306,000 of which did not survive. It ultimately resulted in the victory of the French over a weakened and spread-thin German army. The French forces managed to retake much of the lost ground and key points during their counteroffensive in late 1916.
source: https://wereldoorlog1418.nl
Time sure does fly. Its already been five years since the official release of Tannenberg! The Maneuver game mode was a big departure from the gameplay we knew from Verdun, and the Early Access period really helped us nail that down. With several content updates during EA and after the full release including new maps like Dobrudja and new squads like the Latvian Riflemen plus all the feedback from you, Tannenberg has been the complete Eastern Front experience for the past 5 years.
To celebrate the occasion, we invited some very special guests. Just a word of warning though: they always get a bit grumpy when theyre hungry, and were all out of cake.
As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at everything that's happened this year! From the special Christmas Truce and Wolf Truce events in Verdun and Tannenberg, plentiful free updates for Isonzo, all the way to Verdun appearing in a French museum exhibit, it's been a busy year. We also celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the WW1 Game Series - Verdun entered Early Access all the way back in 2013! Our Italian Front title Isonzo has received several free expansions adding maps and weapons, alongside a number of paid cosmetic DLC packs. Thanks to support from the community, it also won the IndieDB Indie of the Year 2022 award! Let's take a look at everything that's been added to the game this year... - 4 Huge New Maps! - 8 New Weapons! - 2 Cosmetic DLC Packs! - Mac Support! - Much more! If you haven't yet felt the crunch of Alpine snow beneath your boots, Isonzo iscurrently 67% off with DLC up to 30% off until January 4th. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Hello everyone, The Christmas Truce has returned to Verdun! For the 11th time, you can participate in this historical event on Western Front. Starting today (Dec 21) until January 7th, you can join by simply choosing the Christmas Truce option from the Play menu in the game. [previewyoutube=LqSbWDa-RyU;full][/previewyoutube]
Hello Soldiers,
Autumn has arrived onto the Steam store and you know what that means, it's time for sales! You can now get Tannenberg with 70% off!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/
Hello Soldiers!
We hope many of you enjoyed Isonzo's Free Weekend & overall content over the +year of free content we've added since its release. We would like to kindly ask you to nominate Isonzo for the Labour of Love Steam Awards
-isonzo announcement link-
Additionally, we have sales going for the WW1 Game Series as well during the Autumn Sale here on Steam.
You can find Isonzo still discounted with 67% off & Verdun with a 70% discount.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
Today is November 11th - Armistice Day. Also known as Poppy Day, Remembrance Day and Veterans Day. A special memorial day dedicated to remember those who gave their life during WW1. Held by several countries, moments of silence fall over several areas all over the world.
As more countries follow this tradition of remembering those whove fallen in their line of duty, November 11th is known under many names, but all with the same idea in mind. This tradition grew out of Armistice Day, which marks the signing of the armistice between the Allies and Germany. In the USA, it is also known as Veterans Day.
Soldiers at the Eastern Front!
You can get transferred to the Italian Front for free! Yes thats right, until November 13th (7PM CET), you can play Isonzo for FREE! Which means you try our newly released map, Marmolada, as well try out the new weapons! Fight on the beautiful white snowy Marmolada mountain and fight in the ice tunnels of the Ice City.
[previewyoutube=0Bhh96UcM8s;full][/previewyoutube]
If you would like to continue your service at the Isonzo Front (after your free period has ended),, you can now purchase Isonzo at the 67% discount
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
If you want to know more about the map, be sure to read the latest devblog.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3791528713024015694?l=english
If youre interested in getting cosmetic DLC for your game, some are currently discounted as well! Heres an overview of what is included in each edition of the game and DLC waves. One those is the newely released Glacial Units! This pack contains over 40 items, surely to keep your soldiers warm as they fight the White War in the Ice City.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/
Hi wintery soldiers from the Eastern Front!
A new cold battlefield has arrived. The snowy Marmolada and ice trenches of the Ice City awaits you!
[previewyoutube=0Bhh96UcM8s;full][/previewyoutube]
The new Marmolada map is now available for free! This expansion also includes 3 new weapons and a new cosmetic DLC unit as well; the Glacial Units! Havent played Isonzo yet, make sure to keep reading for some exciting news...
To give you some information, For Marmolada in Isonzo, the Italians will be the attacking side, which means the Austro-Hungarians will be defending the mountain and their Ice City. Starting off, the Italians will be placed on the mountain side in the open, surrounded by snow. Fighting for objectives outside on the snowy mountain top, making your way through the tunnels of the Ice City to eventually make your way to the final objective; This map is unlike any other in the game.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about this map, you can find it in our latest devblog.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3791528713024015694
Hello soldiers at the Eastern Front!
Ready for more fighting in the snow? Isonzos upcoming map will be Marmolada!
[previewyoutube=2CSDteHZjlg;full][/previewyoutube]
The map will be released next week on November 9th for free alongside new weapons and a paid cosmetic DLC pack.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2214670/Isonzo__Glacial_Units_Pack/
You can read more about the maps history in our announcement.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3737484245038187268
Want to be sure youre ready for the battle in The Ice City? You can now get Isonzos Deluxe Edition with a 55% discount!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Soldiers! Its time to put your strengths together and fight a shared enemy. On this cold front, the icy and winter weather has made it hard to survive, but not only for you. The wolves are hungry, and you all seem like the perfect meal [previewyoutube=5X20SeHBIUk;full][/previewyoutube]
Today marks the anniversary of the WW1GameSeries, as today Verdun went into Early Access 10 years ago! We want to thank all our soldiers who have joined the fronts over the years. Did you make your way from the Western Front, towards the Eastern one and ended up high in the mountains in Isonzo? Or are you a new recruit who recently joined any of the fronts? No matter what, we thank you for playing our games! Here are some fun facts for each games, that you might not know.
Hello soldiers!
Hi soldiers!
The new, free map; Monte Piana is releasing next week on September 7th!
If you would like to read more about the map and the battle its based on, be sure to read our two latest devblogs about it.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3667672110007215602?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3668799277521916727?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
August 26, 1914; the start of The Battle Of Tannenberg. The battle took place in Allenstein, Prussia, which is located in current day Poland. Here, the German army and Russian army fought each other for 5 days (until August 30th), which led to the almost full destruction of the Russian Second Army. Its commanding general, Alexander Samsonov, took his own life.
Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.
The German success was brought to them by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, along with his staff-officer Erich Ludendorff.
The battle got his suggested name to avenge the Teutonic Knights defeat, who fought the first Battle of Tannenberg 500 years prior. The Teutonic Knights were part of a Christian military order, who aided Christians on their pilgrimages on the way to the Holy Land, Jerusalem.
Hello soldiers,
You might all be aware of what today is. On this day in 1914, the first World War had officially begun. What many initially thought as a 'short' conflict, turned into an international battlefield for 4 years and changed the world forever.
To commemorate this, we've enabled the Film Memoir mode for you all to experience for free, even if you don't own a Supporter Pack DLC. This provides a new experience in the game, so be sure to check it out! You can use this feature for free until August 4th. You can enable the feature by going to Options > Graphics.
[previewyoutube=U_tVvpUxUKw;full][/previewyoutube]
You can share your screenshots and video clips with us in our Discord or on our social media when using the filter!
Hello everyone! The latest Offensive in both Verdun & Tannenberg has come to an end. The final results are Central: 896650 Entente: 860533 We thank you all for participating. Perhaps the tides will turn next time!
Hello everyone!
Tannenberg is now on sale as part of the Steam Summer Sale! You can now get the game with 75% discount!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/633460/Tannenberg/
On 24 June, the Russian Tsar Nicholas II met with his senior leaders in Baranovichi, where it was agreed to no longer defend the Polish salient. The new Russian line would run from Riga, Kovno, Grodno, Brest-Litovsk, along the upper Bug, and then along the Dniester into Romania. The Third and Fourth Armies were also placed under the control of Mikhail Alekseyev's Northwest Front, consisting of the Second, First, Twelfth, Tenth and Fifth Armies, deployed south to north. Alekseyev then planned a slow withdrawal from the salient.
Following the German success with their GorliceTarnw offensive, Hans von Seeckt proposed that August von Mackensen's Eleventh Army should advance north towards Brest-Litovsk, with their flanks shielded by the rivers Vistula and Bug.
This would be the start of The Great Retreat, strategic retreat and evacuation on the Eastern Front. The Russians gave up the salient in Galicia and the Polish Congress Kingdom (called the Vistula Land by the Russian occupiers).
Hello soldiers!
The long anticipated Monte Grappa map is now live for everyone in Isonzo!
[previewyoutube=QKW15_J7ENQ;full][/previewyoutube]
This is the third map of the overall Caporetto Expansion, as part of the German Empire in the game.
You can now find Isonzo & some cosmetic DLC packs with a nice discount in celebration of the maps release!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Hello soldiers!
Were happy to announce that the Monte Grappa map will be released for Isonzo next week on May 17th!
[previewyoutube=WgX_ECJolLU;full][/previewyoutube]
Alongside the Grappa map, we will also introduce new weapons & new cosmetic DLC to the game.
If youre looking to get Isonzo, be sure to keep an eye open on the store next week.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
See you at the Italian Front next week!
Hello soldiers!
Today marks the release anniversary of Verdun! You can now find the game with a 70% discount, the soundtrack with 50% off & the Film Memoir mode is available for all for a timely period.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
Be sure to share your screenshots and footage in Discord or on Twitter with the #Verdunversary hashtag.
You can also find a special Verdun Bingo card in the Verdun announcement.
See you at the Western Front!
The morning of March 18, 1916. Russian artillery bombardment commenced at the northern and southern areas of Lake Naroch. The Lake Naroch offensive has begun by the Russians. Requested by Marshal Joseph Joffre, it was intended to relieve some of the pressure on French forces that was given by the Germans.
The Lake Naroch offensive was unsuccessful due to a lack of adequate reconnaissance. This resulted in the Russian artillery's failure to destroy the well fortified German positions, which in return led to direct infantry attacks against the German line that had minimal chance of success.
Hello soldiers !
The Piave map is now available for you to play for free in Isonzo ! Fight on this continuous battle after the Caporetto battle !
[previewyoutube=mqy6Jeu6CiI;full][/previewyoutube]
Additionally, you can now find Isonzo with a 40% discount.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Later today, February 28 at 8PM CET/11AM PST/4AM JST (Wed), a few dev members will be live, playing and talking about Isonzo !
See you at the Italian Front !
Hello soldiers,
A new free map update is coming to Isonzo!
On February 28 , your battle at the Piave river begins! An exciting new battlefield for the Germans and Italians to fight on this beautiful landscape.
You can read more about the battle in the latest Isonzo Intel
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/3632752093411262805?l=english
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
The Christmas Truce has returned to Verdun ! For the 10th time, you can participate in this historical event on Western Front. Starting today (Dec 22) until January 5th, you can join by simply choosing the Christmas Truce option from the Play menu in the game. [previewyoutube=LqSbWDa-RyU;full][/previewyoutube]
Hello soldiers !
The FREE Caporetto expansion for Isonzo is now available for all! To celebrate this release, you can get Isonzo with a 20% discount and the DLC packs for the Italians & Austro-Hungarians with 10% off at 7pm CET. Or if you need a soldier on the eastern front with you, Tannenberg will be available with a 70% discount!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
With this expansion comes the German Empire as a new playable faction, alongside the Caporetto map and much more!
[previewyoutube=s2V38TymG34;full][/previewyoutube]
Additionally with the German Empire comes their own cosmetic pack. The Royal Units Pack is available for $9.99 and holds over 40 cosmetic items for you to customise your soldiers with
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2197970/Isonzo__Royal_Units_Pack/
Hello soldiers !
The big Caporetto Expansion update is coming to Isonzo on December 5! This update will bring the new Caporetto map, the addition of the German Empire faction, new weapons & the Prestige levelling for our veteran soldiers! and the Prestige levelling for our veteran soldiers!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Additionally, there will be cosmetic DLC available for the Germans! The Royal Units Pack will be available on the same day and includes a diverse set of items; the distinctive uniforms of 2 major states within the Deutsches Reich: Bavaria and Wrttemberg. It contains 2 sets of uniforms for all classes, plus a special officer uniform. Overall, the DLC will include 40 items!
Hello soldiers, It has gotten cold on the Eastern Front. The winter and snow have made it a difficult terrain to battle on, the soldiers are struggling to survive, let alone fight their enemies. But theyre not the only ones being affected by the cold season and the war. Like a soldier, the wolf awaits his moment to attack his prey in the woods... [previewyoutube=5X20SeHBIUk;full][/previewyoutube]
Today is November 11th - Remembrance Day. Also known as Poppy Day, this memorial day is observed by Commonwealth members since the end of World War One. A special day to remember those who have fallen in their line of duty. Other non-Commonwealth countries started to follow this tradition and have their Remembrance Day on November 11th.
This tradition grew out of Armistice Day, which marks the signing of the armistice being signed between the Allies and Germany.
In the United States, this day is better known as Veterans Day.
The common British, Canadian, South African, and ANZAC tradition includes a one- or two-minute silence at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (11:00 am, 11 November), as that marks the time when the armistice took effect (EU time).
The signing of the Armistice
As stated previously, this day is also known as Poppy Day. The poppy flower is a common symbol of Remembrance Day. It became the symbol of the Royal British Legion, a veterans organisation. They sell paper Poppy flowers which one can wear on their clothing, in memory of those whove fallen. The proceeds will go towards supporting war victims and families whove lost a family member during war.
Hi soldiers! Your service at the Italian Front has begun, Isonzo is OUT NOW! The game is now available with a 10% discount! [previewyoutube=LYmuhQmRb4M;full][/previewyoutube] https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Hello soldiers! This week we're full of surprises!! We hope you are enjoying the Free to Try Week! Tannenberg is on sale just a few more days with a 80% discount, so be sure to get it on time. And if that's not all, we just released a WW1 collab video with some familiar faces for you all to see! Be sure to watch it! [previewyoutube=cZKegBMBWCA;full][/previewyoutube] For this special occasion, were joined with our friends from the famous metal band Sabaton and World Wars historical Indy Neidell! With our shared passion and interest for the First World War, this was a super fun experience!
Hello soldiers!
The release of Isonzo is two weeks away! To get you all more excited to fight on the Italian front, were releasing some new Isonzo footage soon; on August 30th!
But were not going to do this alone. Our friends from the metal band Sabaton and historical expert Indy Neidell are taking a look at Isonzo together with us! This video will be released on our YouTube channel so be sure to follow if you havent already!
Check out our previous collab video with Indy when we've talked about Verdun and visited some important locations!
[previewyoutube=hnou6szKDEc;full][/previewyoutube]
Hello soldiers!
Queue up and be ready to fight on the Eastern Front for free this week! Starting today, August 26, people are able to play Tannenberg for an entire week (until September 2nd).
If you want to continue fighting on the Eastern Front after the free week, make sure to get the game straight away with a 80% discount!
Hello soldiers,
As the anniversary of the start of the Great War nears, combined with release anniversaries for our game series, we've enabled the Film Memoir mode for you all for free starting today, July 21st until the 28th! This option is normally included in the supporter edition, but now you can all experience the Eastern Front in a different setting!
[previewyoutube=U_tVvpUxUKw;full][/previewyoutube]
On top of that, Verdun and Tannenberg are both on sale, so if you haven't fought on the Western Front yet, now's a great time to try it out:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
Be sure to play the game and share your screenshots/videos with us! We would love to see them. Tag us on Twitter or share them in our Discord .
Hello soldiers, Today ends the Marines at War campaign which was available for Verdun & Tannenberg. Thank you all for participating ! The final results of the campaign are here:
Hello soldiers!
Be ready for your dispatch to the Italian Front this Summer Our 3rd game Isonzo will be released on September 13 ! This summer, youll be able to fight up in the mountains, alongside the Isonzo river, rural areas & more!
[previewyoutube=JYv8KyNRFQM;full][/previewyoutube]
Of course, well continue to provide you with Isonzo Intel as well! The upcoming devblog will focus on the new Dolimites map! Be sure to keep an eye out for it!
Ooh and be sure to wishlist Isonzo if you haven't already!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1556790/Isonzo/
Hello everyone! We would like to let you know that we have a patch addressing the most recent issues with loss of save game data. In case you've lost some of your data since the update in March where we made changes to the save system, please update and let us know if your data is restored. Please inform us in our Discord #techsupport channel if this update has fixed the issue, and of course, if you run into any problems. Thank you for patience and playing our game!
Hello soldiers!
Today marks the 8 year anniversary of Verdun! The first game in the WW1 Game Series. To celebrate this, we have multiple things going on!
To start of with, Verdun is playable for free starting today until May 2nd! Join the Verdun battlefield once more and bring in that fresh new recruit! We can always use more soldiers!
Furthermore, Verdun is on sale with an 80% discount! Alongside the 4-pack 75% and the soundtrack also has an 80% off!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
We have a new patch for Verdun and Tannenberg for you today! This will improve the save system and additional connection improvements. You might have heard of the patch to the "opentesting" branch that we did earlier this month. This required all players who wanted to test our changes to the save system, as well as improvements for the connection issues, to opt-in by switching branches. We really wanted to be sure that there would be no longer term issues, so we are very happy that many of you switched. We received positive feedback, so today we are rolling out the changes to the main versions of Verdun and Tannenberg.
Hello soldiers! The Dual Spring Offensive has ended yesterday! At first, the Entente were ahead with almost 40.000 casualties, and this is the end results..
Hi everyone! I'm Thomas, the producer of the WW1 Game Series team. We have a patch for you all that hopefully fixes the progression issues (removed/inflated XP) for Verdun and Tannenberg, as well as a high chance of helping with the disconnect issues. For further investigation we added more logging to provide us with more details on the issue going forward. These changes are experimental so please read the following instructions carefully!
This patch has new measures to alleviate disconnect issues. Let us know if you experience changes after updating the game. Menu version 318.33151
This patch should help with a certain type of disconnect issues that has been reported frequently. Let us know if you experience changes after updating the game. Menu version 318.33004
[previewyoutube=LqSbWDa-RyU;full][/previewyoutube] The Christmas Truce is live in Verdun! From today until January 5, you can call a truce and enter No Mans Land by choosing the Christmas Truce option from the Play menu. The event was inspired by the real Christmas Truces of 1914 on the Western Front. You can read more about the history and process of building the Christmas Truce in this article.
Tannenberg has been nominated for an Indie of the Year award over on IndieDB, in the Released Games: FPS category. It would be amazing if you could vote for our game there are three days left.
Today is Remembrance day. A memorial day observed by Commonwealth member states and often marked by many other countries it grew out of Armistice Day, which was a tradition until during the Second World War, when the name was changed. The Commonwealth of Nations chose Remembrance Day, while the United States chose Veterans Day.
Armistice Day was so named for the Armistice of Compigne which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month November 11, 1918. For many, this marked the end of World War One.
The signing of the Armistice.
Of course, on the Eastern Front the fighting had ended earlier that year. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed by the Bolshevik government following the devastating Operation Faustschlag, where Central Powers forces captured huge swathes of territory to little or no resistance. The Russian Revolution and civil war in Russia had left the country unable to muster any serious defence.
German General Max Hoffmann wrote in his diary on 22 February: "It is the most comical war I have ever known. We put a handful of infantrymen with machine guns and one gun onto a train and rush them off to the next station; they take it, make prisoners of the Bolsheviks, pick up few more troops, and so on. This proceeding has, at any rate, the charm of novelty."
Following this, the Russians had little choice but to sign a treaty and end the fighting on the Eastern Front. In the end, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk would be annulled by the Armistice of November 11th, and Germany's surrender.
The signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
The Poppy is a common symbol of Remembrance Day, hence why its sometimes also referred to as Poppy Day. It became the symbol of the Royal British Legion, a veterans organization. They sell paper Poppy flowers which one can wear on their clothing, in memory of those whove fallen. The proceeds will go towards supporting war victims and families whove lost a family member during war.
In Verdun & Tannenberg, youll be able to commemorate the Armistice as well. There will be 2 minutes of silence when you start up the game, rewarding you with a special Remembrance medal afterwards if you choose to participate.
Furthermore, we have a special poppy emote in our Discord especially for this day. Feel free to share in our Discord if youre remembering anyone special and how youre planning to do so.
For the Facebook users, theres a special Poppy filter that you can use for your profile picture. You can click here to be directed to the filter.
On the Eastern Front in October, in the fortress of Przemyl the Austro-Hungarian defenders were enjoying a temporary respite after a brutal period of siege and assault from Russian forces. Earlier in the month, troops from the Austro-Hungarian Third Army had forced the Russians to withdraw. But this would only be a brief respite.
By November 10, a second siege would begin following the withdrawal of both German and Austro-Hungarian armies. That winter would be a grim one for the Austro-Hungarians. The fortress would be bombarded ceaselessly and conditions would steadily worsen. Outside the fort, almost a million soldiers would be killed and wounded trying to force a way through the Carpathian mountains to relieve Przemyl many from hideous weather conditions and disease.
Part of Przemyl today.
The last relief effort was in February, and after that failure the commander at Przemyl was told that there would be no help coming. The garrison maintained their resistance until March 22, first destroying anything of value within the city. When there was nothing more they could do, more than 110,000 men surrendered, including nine generals. The loss of Przemyl and the disastrous attempts to save it might have broken the back of the Austro-Hungarian army barely 8 months after the war had begun and it would be more than three years before it ended.
On the Western Front, Belgian forces are putting up a stiff fight against the German Fourth Army in the Battle of the Yser. Here on the Eastern Front, the first Siege of Przemyl has been broken by an advancing Austro-Hungarian army but it wont last. By November 10, 1914, a second siege will begin following the withdrawal of both German and Austro-Hungarian armies. By March 1915 the fortress will have surrendered.
The ruins of Przemyl after the siege.
We just released a new dev blog for Isonzo! This time it's all about our new class system, which will allow you more freedom in how you equip yourself. Read the basics below, or get all the juicy details in the full blog: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1556790/view/2967296416598907677
The First World War began 107 years ago today, with Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia on July 28th, 1914. By that time, Serbia, Russia and Austria-Hungary had all already begun mobilizing their military forces, in response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip. It was a turbulent affair, and only a series of wild chances led to the death of the Archduke. Gavrilo Princip was a Bosnian Serb, and Austria-Hungary quickly capitalized on the assassination as an excusefor war, presenting Serbia with a series of intentionally unreasonable demands. Things spiralled from there.
The Russian Tsar Nicholas II holds an icon and blesses troops about to depart for the frontlines in 1914.
Following the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war, Germany mobilized and declared war on Russia. On the Western Front, Luxembourg was occupied by German troops on August 2nd, and they declared war on France the day after. The invasion of Belgium began on August 4th, and Britain sent a demand to Germany to cease their attack under threat of war - predictably there was no response, and so Britain was at war with Germany by midnight of the 4th. The First World War had begun in earnest.
Soldiers on the Eastern Front!
Greetings soldiers of the Eastern Front! This weekend, June 17-20-, Verdun & Tannenberg will be part of a free weekend! Were celebrating the release of Verdun & Tannenberg on the latest current gen consoles. [previewyoutube=uJyWIapNe_w;full][/previewyoutube]
The Entente wins again with 22,754 less casualties than the Central Powers, although with almost 1,000,000 casualties it would be a horrifically expensive victory.
Even the highly successful GorliceTarnw offensive by the Central Powers only resulted in around 300,000-400,000 Russians captured, killed or missing in action - a vast number, but not even half of what we've seen from about nine days of frontline combat in Verdun and Tannenberg. On the Western Front, the French and British attackers in the Second Battle of Artois suffered around 50,000 more casualties than the defending Germans.
Following the initial military disaster of the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914, the Russian Army had been doing better, particularly against the Austro-Hungarians. A Russian counter-attack routed their opponents in the south and allowed them to besiege the fortress city of Przemyl. The Germans launched a number of attacks to try and distract the Russians, but despite some minor successes they were unable to deal serious damage.
Central Powers troops on the march.
This would change in May 1915. A combined German and Austro-Hungarian force was assembled with more than 700 artillery pieces, including 159 heavy guns and 96 mortars such as the 305 mm Skoda siege howitzers. They were attacking Russian defenders with only 145 artillery pieces, of which a mere 4 were heavy guns. It did not go well for the outgunned Russians, and what was intended as a distraction quickly became a huge offensive, with the Russians unable to organize a meaningful resistance. What counter-attacks there were only added to the Allied losses. The offensive would continue until June 22, and triggered the Russian withdrawal known as the Great Retreat.
Austro-Hungarian 305 mm heavy mortars the Central Powers advantage in artillery numbers gave them a significant advantage. Image from Imperial War Museum.
Which side will suffer less casualties in this months campaign? West to East is named after two major offensives that began in May 1915: the Gorlice-Tarnw offensive and the Second Battle of Artois. Both aimed eastward, but only one was a real success.
The Germans intended the Gorlice-Tarnw offensive to be a relatively minor operation to take some pressure off their Austro-Hungarian allies, but it would turn into a major assault that collapsed Russian lines. The Second Battle of Artois had the goal of capturing Vimy Ridge, and while the French would take the heights, they would not be able to hold them.
Artwork depicting fighting during the Gorlice-Tarnw offensive.
How do campaigns work? Its fairly simple: all Entente and Central Powers casualties in the Frontlines and Maneuver game modes in Verdun and Tannenberg will be tallied up, and the victors will be the ones with least losses. The Central Powers have not won a campaign in a while. That doesnt mean they cant do so this time.
Read the Campaign FAQ here!
On the morning of January 31st, 1915, a German soldier on the Eastern Front might have looked towards the town of Bolimw hoping to see an experimental German weapon in action for the first time. The weapon in question was a number of 15cm artillery shells loaded with tear gas. Once the shells met a charge of TNT, they would be blasted open and the canisters would transform into a large cloud of xylyl bromide tear gas. Russian soldiers would suffer extreme irritation to their eyes, noses and ears. Once blinded and suffering, they would be unable to prevent a German attack breaking through their lines.
That German soldier would have been terribly disappointed - the contents of thousands of gas shells blew back towards German lines instead of towards the Russians. Ultimately, an even greater debacle was only avoided because the gas froze due to the cold temperatures on the battlefield, which minimized German casualties.
Sturmtruppe geht vor unter Gas - etching and aquatint by Otto Dix.
(Stormtroopers Advance Under a Gas Attack)
Although the attempt went poorly (to say the least), the new German innovation in their usage of poison gas did not go unnoticed by the Russians. But the failure did mean that the news was not widely spread to Russias allies in the west, which set the stage for a more effective gas attack the following year at the Second Battle of Ypres. Read about that here!
The Entente and Central Powers clash again in our latest campaign event: the Poison Prince campaign. Casualties from both Verdun and Tannenberg on PC will be tallied up until April 30, and the side which loses the least men will emerge victorious.
Poison gas was first used on the Eastern Front at the Battle of Bolimw in Russia, by the Germans. It failed (badly) but poison gas would be used again on the Western Front during the Second Battle of Ypres. It would be far more successful there well share more about these two moments in history during the course of the campaign!
Russian soldiers wearing gas masks.
The Poison Prince campaign is named after the German commander for the second, more effective gas attack. Albrecht, Duke of Wrttemberg was the crown-prince of the Kingdom of Wrttemberg, part of Germany which would cease to exist in 1918.
Read the Campaign FAQ here!
Good luck out there
Our new game Isonzo is coming later this year! The Great War had many battlefields with a vast variety of landscapes and warring nations - and later this year you will be able to fight on the Italian Front. Although youre used to fighting in the cold in Tannenberg, high up in the mountains of Isonzo will be a new experience! The rivers and charming Italian towns create an entirely new environment for you to conquer! [previewyoutube=aMNh0_Q7Nss;full][/previewyoutube]
And so the latest campaign comes to a close, with 945,395 casualties for the Entente and 982,641 for the Central Powers. That's 37,246 more losses for the Central Powers. So far the Entente have generally come out on top in the campaigns - albeit by a small margin. Perhaps people prefer playing for the Allies?
The first Austro-Hungarian counter-offensive aimed at relieving the Prsmsl Fortress consisted of 175,000 men in total, so these losses are vastly greater than any week long battle during the war. As you'd expect, considering that Verdun and Tannenberg are about frontline combat at an intensity that could never be maintained for long in real life.
Thanks to everyone who took part. We hope you had fun and found the history interesting!
The Winter War 1915 campaign continues for a couple more days - have you earned a gold medal yet? On the Eastern Front there were Austro-Hungarian troops trying to break through to relieve Przemyl Fortress, meanwhile on the Western Front an important observation point was being contested.
Photograph from the summit of Hartmanswillerkopf in 1915.
January 1915 saw mountain warfare centered on the Hartmanswillerkopf peak in the Vosges mountains. German and French troops fought intermittently from 1914-1916 to control the heights, which offered both sides potential observation of strategic railways. The operations were costly (though nowhere near as brutally harsh as in the Carpathians) and troops were often pulled from the Hartmanswillerkopf conflict to reinforce other areas of the front. Ultimately both sides would go on to accept a stalemate in early 1916, and the situation became stable until 1918.
Hartmanswillerkopf memorial.
The campaign will end on February 4th. So far the Entente are ahead with almost 30,000 less casualties than the Central Powers. Will things change before the 4th?
[previewyoutube=5X20SeHBIUk;full][/previewyoutube]
Today in 1914, the Battle of Tannenberg began. This is the battle we named the game after, and had huge consequences for the war as a whole. It ended with the destruction of not one but two Russian armies, almost 100,000 prisoners captured, and hundreds of artillery pieces taken. It also inspired our Maneuver game mode and the ability to encircle enemy positions. However, the Battle of Tannenberg was actually fought 30km away from Tannenberg, near what is today the town of Olszytn in Poland. So why the name? We'll give you a clue... it has something to do with Teutonic Knights.
These fellows are re-enactors, of course.
Basically, it was the choice of general and statesman (and arguably, celebrity) Paul von Hindenburg or to give him his full name, Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg. When the First World War broke out, Hindenburg was retired from the military, but a faster than expected mobilization and initial Russian advances led to hasty calls for his return to service. Hindenburg obliged, and was sent east.
Although the German victory at Tannenberg wasnt entirely his work, his presence was highly significant, and as a public figure he got almost all the credit. He wanted to name the battle Tannenberg to link it to a battle 500 years earlier, where Teutonic Knights were defeated by a Polish-Lithuanian coalition. His idea was that his Battle of Tannenberg was vengeance served for the defeated Teutonic Knights. After the war, Hindenburg would go on to become President of the Weimar Republic.
For anyone who takes issue with me describing Hindenburg as a celebrity, I present to you this silver memorial medallion, featuring naked Hindenburg swinging a sword at the Russian bear.
Presented without comment.
At the time of writing, Central Powers casualties are 2,437,263 while Entente casualties are at 2,403,869. That's a difference of 33,000 in favor of the Entente. But there are more than six days to go, and things can change quickly.
Our new in-game campaign begins part way through the real offensives that inspired it. The Brusilov Offensive began more than two and a half months before this date in 1916, and had another month left to go. The main successes of the Brusilov Offensive were seen early in the battle, following General Aleksei Brusilov's initial attack on June 4th.
Innovative tactics led to a major breakthrough, and the Austro-Hungarian defenders were forced into a hasty retreat. Unfortunately Brusilov's attack was only meant to be a diversion from a separate main attack, which was to be led by General Evert. This main attack was not nearly as well prepared as Brusilov's effort, and Evert was a naturally cautious leader. His part of the offensive began too late and quickly became bogged down as the Germans rushed reinforcements to the Eastern Front to support their beleaguered Austro-Hungarian allies.
Worse still, after the battle ended the Russians failed to learn the lessons of Brusilov's success. While German, French and British commanders would independently develop and improve the kind of breakthrough tactics Brusilov employed, Russian commanders never did so.
The summer can be a good time for launching an offensive. Dryer weather and less harsh conditions make supplying your forces and maintaining morale easier. Which is not to say that summer in the trenches was by any means pleasant. The summer of 1916 saw an Entente effort to relieve pressure on the French at Verdun with two major offensives, and we will be running our own campaign event this summer as well...
The battle for Przemyl begins today! This intimidating brick fortress boasted numerous gun emplacements, bunkers and barracks. Austro-Hungarian defenders held the fort in the face of Russian assaults and siege for 133 days. They were forced to surrender, but German troops recaptured it later with the aid of super-heavy artillery pieces that left the fortress a broken ruin with minimal strategic significance.
Surrounding the town of the same name, the Przemyl fortress was a series of defenses originally planned to include 41 distinct fortifications. However, construction proceeded in stops and starts depending on the diplomatic relationship between Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire from 1854 until the start of the First World War.
Nonetheless it was still a formidable position, as the Russians found when they tried a direct assault on October 7, 1914. Ten thousand of the attackers became casualties, with around 3,500 killed. The Russian siege held until March 22, 1915, when the remaining defenders chose to surrender. As food ran out and morale plummeted, 119,000 men were taken prisoner after a failed breakout attempt - though not before destroying the remaining artillery.
Now you can explore some parts of this famous fortress yourself, as you fight for control of two key forts along with their surrounding trenches and gun pits!
Theres more
Although the highlight of this update is the free new Przemyl map, there is more. Read the full changelog on the Steam Hub. A few things of particular note:
The new map is almost here! We're really looking forward to seeing what you think of this one. It's been fun watching everyone's guesses as well. Some of you guessed it, as always!
It was this day 105 years ago that Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip fired two shots that would be the spark to ignite the First World War. His first shot hit the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in the neck, his second hit the Archduke's wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, in the abdomen. Both died.
It was June 28th, 1914. A month later, the Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia on July 28th would mark the start of the First World War.
Painting of the assassination.
Princip only had the chance to attack the Archduke because of a series of unlikely coincidences. He was one of six assassins organized by a secret society called the Black Hand. They were posted along the route of Franz Ferdinand's drive, which was published beforehand, and armed with pistols or bombs. The first two assassins that the motorcade passed chose not to try an attack. The third assassin was Nedeljko abrinovi, who threw a bomb. It bounced off the roof of the Archduke's car, disabling a car behind and injuring about 20 people. The Archduke disembarked to examine the damage before the motorcade continued. abrinovi took a cyanide pill and jumped into the Miljacka river, but the cyanide was expired and the river was shallow - he was apprehended by police shortly afterwards.
Colorized photograph of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
From this point the speed of the car prevented any further attempts, including from Princip as the motorcade passed him. Even with blood from the injured still on his clothes, the Archduke proceeded to give a speech as planned at the city hall, but then decided to visit those injured by the attack in hospital. His driver was not properly informed however, and took a wrong turn leading down a street where Princip was still standing. Even this might not have been fatal, but on being informed of his mistake the driver stopped the car, then stalled it while trying to reverse... practically in front of Princip, who drew his pistol and opened fire. His third shot was intended to kill himself, but he never had a chance to pull the trigger before being captured.
Both Princip and abrinovi suffered from tuberculosis, and had already known they didn't have long to live before joining the assassination attempt. After his capture, Princip said: "I am a Yugoslav nationalist, aiming for the unification of all Yugoslavs, and I do not care what form of state, but it must be freed from Austria."
Gavrilo Princip in prison.
They were both were sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, their tuberculosis along with harsh prison conditions meant that abrinovi died in 1916, and Princip in 1918. Four of their co-conspirators were hanged, and others imprisoned.
It seems likely that even without the assassination of the Archduke, something would have triggered the First World War. Tensions were high in Europe, and although the assassination served as a reason for Austria-Hungary to issue the July Ultimatum - a series of demands, some outrageous - to Serbia, no doubt they would have found another reason in time. The Serbian response to the ultimatum, which accepted many points but not all, led to the recall of the Austro-Hungarian ambassador, and ultimately war.
The Film Memoir event has finished, and there has been some amazing stuff made -thanks to everyone who took part and especially those who shared what they made. If you really enjoyed playing with Film Memoir mode and want to give us some extra support, the aptly named Supporter Edition DLC includes permanent access to Film Memoir, along with some other nice extras from wallpapers and artwork to the game soundtrack. Now to the competition - first off, thank you all for participating! There were lots of great moments captured on camera, but some stood out. A drumroll please as we announce our three competition winners! Congratulations to...
Experience WW1 like in the movie reels made in those times, or try your hand at producing your own First World War film! Partly inspired by Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old, where historical footage of the Great War was colorized, we're excited to introduce the reverse: a black and white movie reel like experience as a visual filter in both Tannenberg and Verdun. Film Memoir will be available for all players until April 26, and after the event ends it will still be available for everyone who owns a Supporter Edition. [previewyoutube=U_tVvpUxUKw;full][/previewyoutube]
We have a small update for you today, with various improvements and adjustments. Plus, new options for custom Maneuver matches, a tweak to the Carpathians church, and an achievement fix:
The First World War was one of the first major conflicts where photography and film were highly significant, due among other things to smaller and improved cameras. The nations involved also began to realize the value of photography and film for propaganda purposes. We thought it would be interesting to give players a chance to experience some of the challenges faced by early filmmakers, working with black and white on top of other technical limitations.
Florence Farmborough, a British nurse who went to the Eastern Front in 1914. She carried a large camera with her and took photographs of the Eastern Front.
Amateur photographers were able to take cameras with them to the front (sometimes smuggling them against regulations), and press outlets sometimes put out calls for photos from these amateurs when the officially released images didn't satisfy their desire for images from the front.
Soon you'll be able to try recording your own black and white war footage, with our upcoming 'Film Memoir' mode! If they say a picture paints a thousand words, a video must be even more... so check this out:
[previewyoutube=PVdQxrnFHxA;leftthumb]LINK TO VIDEO[/previewyoutube]
The wolves are on the prowl, and they are more hungry than ever! The thrilling Wolf Truce event is back, and this is your chance to take part of this ten day event until March 29th!
Wolves! Wolves
When a battle starts, there is a chance that a number of wolf packs join the fray, attacking any who stand in their way. In the face of this canine threat, players will have the option to call on a temporary truce in order to deal with this new hungry foe.
There are many historical reports and stories about the danger wolves posed on the Eastern Front. Driven from their habitats due to the war, they attacked civilians and soldiers alike! Soldiers often took precautions, trying to drive them off with machinegun fire and even poison gas.
The Wolf Truce event has been inspired on these accounts and gives players a unique dilemma on the battlefield; do you call on a truce to face this new foe, or do you use the chaos to press on?
[previewyoutube=5X20SeHBIUk;full][/previewyoutube]
Whats new?
For the third iteration of this event, weve made a number of improvements on the UI pertaining the grace period and the truce timer. In addition, the wolves are more aggressive than ever, killing you in 2 bites instead of 3 and you cant outrun them that easily anymore...
Thats not all, aside from the truce we also made several fixes and improvements such as a more lenient AFK time in private and public matches. For a full overview of all changes and fixes be sure to check out the changelog here.
How to earn The Wolf Truce medal
When the wolves attack, players can enact a Wolf Truce in order to deal with this threat. If they manage to fend off this attack without killing or injuring anyone on the opposing team, they all earn the Wolf Truce medal! But earning this medal is harder than it sounds as the game will not enforce any truce.
When the wolves attack, there will be a minute warning before the truce period starts. A timer shows how long the wolves will continue to attack both sides. The game will notify players if the truce has been broken by someone who injured or killed anyone of the opposite side during this period. If players maintain this truce until the timer ends, they will all earn a Wolf Truce medal!
Want to join in on the fray? Tannenberg is now at a 55% discount!
Good luck and be wary of the eyes in the forest!
We've been hard at work this year on Tannenberg for consoles. The Verdun remaster for consoles went great, and we are channeling that same energy for the Tannenberg release. More on that hopefully soon!
We might not have a lot of game news to share, but we had some interesting film discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages, plus a couple of nice screenshots from players!
Tannenberg player Panzerjger II P (which made us think of this cute vehicle, though it's probably a reference to the rather chunkier Elefant) took this moody screenshot of an artillery position surrounded by smoke clouds.
Tannenberg coming to consoles
Next year will see Tannenberg released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which were hugely excited about. We also just released the Verdun remastered update on PlayStation 4 as a nice early Christmas present!
The Christmas Truce turns seven
Its the seventh year that were running the Verdun Christmas Truce, which is inspired by the true events of the Christmas Truce in 1914. Players will be able to experience this unexpected moment of peace and common humanity amidst the horror and chaos of the First World War. In-between normal matches, players will find themselves on a special Christmas Truce map where they can play football matches, have snowball fights and send Christmas cards from the trenches by email or social media.
There were not such widespread truces on the Eastern Front, but the Christmas spirit was present in places nonetheless. In Galicia, Austrian troops were even ordered not to fire unless forced to. Their Russian adversaries also held their fire. At the fortress of Przemyl, some Russian troops left Christmas trees in No Mans Land along with a complimentary note for the defenders. This led to a meeting between the sides, with men reportedly exchanging tobacco and schnapps for bread and meat.
Winter Sale deals
Tannenberg is 60% off during the Steam Winter Sale, and Verdun has an even larger 80% discount! Its a great opportunity to complete your WW1 Game Series collection, or embrace the spirit of giving and introduce a friend the to the series. Also check out our new logos and promo banners were very pleased with how theyve turned out!
Merry Christmas
We'd like to thank you all for a great year! We released Tannenberg from Early Access, launched several updates with new content, and another map is on the way! 2019 also saw Tannenberg start its journey towards console release.
Next year will see Tannenberg released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which were hugely excited about. It will also see the release of Verdun remastered on PlayStation 4.
The Christmas Truce on the Western Front
Its the seventh year that were running the Verdun Christmas Truce, which is inspired by the true events of the Christmas Truce in 1914. Players will be able to experience this unexpected moment of peace and common humanity amidst the horror and chaos of the First World War. Players will be able to visit a special Christmas Truce map where they can play football matches, have snowball fights and send Christmas cards from the trenches by email or social media.
[previewyoutube=LqSbWDa-RyU;full][/previewyoutube]
There were no such widespread truces on the Eastern Front, but the Christmas spirit was present in places nonetheless. In Galicia, Austrian troops were even ordered not to fire unless forced to. Their Russian adversaries also held their fire. At the fortress of Przemyl, some Russian troops left Christmas trees in no mans land along with a complimentary note for the defenders. This led to a meeting between the sides, with men reportedly exchanging tobacco and schnapps for bread and meat.
After agreeing the terms of the armistice at the Forest of Compigne.
One hundred and one years ago today, the Armistice was signed between the allied powers and Germany. At this point, the war on the Eastern Front had been effectively over for some time since the Russian Revolution and the Russian-German armistice of 1917, although there were still moments of fighting (see Operation Faustschlag). The Armistice of November 11th, 1918 finally ended all major fighting in WW1 for good. It would be extended three times before the Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war.
In Tannenberg (and our Western Front WW1 game Verdun) there is an optional two minute silence to commemorate this important day in history. Those who observe it will earn a medal in-game. For those of you on Facebook, we have created an overlay which you can apply to your profile picture. Just follow this link.
Halloween is creeping up on us like a serial killer, which means it's time for a sale! Don't question the logic, just go with it. Tannenberg is 50% off for a limited time - don't delay!
Here are some *haunting* screenshots by players.
See what we did there?
A drunken vampire, by Cpt.DoeJohnson?
A letter never sent, by 42nd|LostPyro.
Death stalks this dark forest... but in the form of man or beast?
Our Western Front game Verdun is also on sale over Halloween! There's even a creepy conversion of the main menu... check it out:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/242860/Verdun/
The new Ukraine map is out now!
[previewyoutube=d-EY1Jib1kA;full][/previewyoutube]
In short, it's relatively open ground with good sight lines for HMGs. Fortunately there are more extensive trench networks which will offer you some cover: smoke and trenches are your friends! If you want to read more about it, check out the 'making of' post we released yesterday:
https://steamcommunity.com/gid/103582791458421449/announcements/detail/3031411293978850698
Our latest free update to WW1 FPS Tannenberg adds a new Ukraine map to the game. As always its the result of extensive research and design, with the goal of establishing an authentic environment that also creates exciting gameplay. We focused specifically on the trench maps from the Battle of Zborov, with the goal of immersing players in the perspective of soldiers who fought on the vast plains and endless steppes on the edge of the continent. At first glance, those wide plains of Ukraine might seem like they lack distinctive details to build a map around, but once you dig a little deeper theres a wealth of inspiring information.. Lets start with a little history.
During the years of the First World War, Ukraine was not an independent nation - the term referred to territory Western Ukrainian land had been split between Austria and the Russian Empire since the 1700s. Known as the breadbasket of the Empire the area had a troubled history, with uprisings, religious conflict between Ukrainian peasantry and Polish or Lithuainian land owners, and suppression of the Ukrainian language by Russia.
Ukrainians fought on both sides in the conflict, with 3,500,000 fighting for Russia and 250,000 for Austria-Hungary. A great cost was paid by the civilian population, who were distrusted by both Russia and Austria-Hungary. They often became victims of harsh reprisals for opposition real or imagined. There was heavy fighting in the Ukraine during the Brusilov and Kerensky offensives, and major counter-attacks by the Central Powers. Conflict in the area didnt end with the collapse of the Russian Empire, either.
After the 1917 Russian Revolution several factions fought for control of Ukraine. A number of Ukrainian states were established, but most collapsed quickly. The Polish army invaded and captured much of Western Ukraine, but Bolshevik forces defeated a drive on Kiev. An anarchist group called the Black Army held the southern regions from 1918 against the tsarist White Army, but were defeated by the Red Army in 1921. In December 1922, Ukraine became a founding member of the Soviet Union.
When building the Ukraine map for Tannenberg, one of the key elements was (surprise surprise) trenches! You might think that we would get bored of researching and modelling trenches, but in fact the variety of trenches used during the First World War is something most people dont fully understand. You can see typical trenches of the type most people would imagine in our Western Front game Verdun. On the Eastern Front though, there were several different styles of wooden trenches - in the Ukraine, these wattle trenches (seen in the images above and below) were common.
As you can see from the next comparison shot, the landscape is largely flat except for the trenches and dugouts prepared by the opposing armies. This gives heavy machine guns good sight lines across large areas of the map. Of course when its your boots on the ground youll be able to find small slopes and depressions to gain some cover while advancing, but it would be highly recommended to encourage your NCOs to make use of the smoke shell call-ins!
Representing artillery is essential to creating an authentic WW1 game. The artillery players use in combat (calling in barrages from field telephones) is a long way outside the battlefield - but that doesnt mean that you wont see any big guns up close. Gun pits like those shown in the next image illustrate the sort of defensive positions that might be established by artillery crews. In-game, the fighting has reached too close of a range for these guns to be fired. But the fortifications they are emplaced within provide invaluable cover, as can the guns themselves if it comes down to it.
We think the Ukraine map will offer players fresh challenges and the opportunity to develop new tactics as they battle across the trench lines and rolling plains. Dont forget to make use of those smoke barrages!
We're excited to announce that the new Ukraine map will be released next week on Thursday 17th! We've got a collection of screenshots and a GIF below for your viewing pleasure!
Eastern Front trenches on the Ukraine map.
Ukraine has many open stretches of ground between the distinctive wattle trenches, and there are heavy machine guns placed to cover many of these exposed areas. Luckily shell craters and hastily built battlefield emplacements will provide some cover - otherwise make sure your NCOs are making use of their smoke barrage ability!
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A gun battery in a real life reference photo, and how it looks in-game!
New battlefield announced! Tannenbergs next expansion will include a large new map set in Ukrainian territory!
The new Ukraine map is inspired by a key section of the Eastern Front which saw heavy fighting during the Brusilov Offensive, Kerensky Offensive, major counter-attacks by the Central Powers, and more. Often referred to as the breadbasket of the Empire, Ukraine was not an independent country when the First World War broke out. Instead the territory was partially owned by Russia, and partly by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nationalist sentiment was growing, but when the war began there were Ukrainians on both sides of the conflict. Some 250,000 Ukrainians fought for Austria-Hungary, but far more fought for the Russian Empire 3.5 million.
Have a look at one of our reference images and how it came out in-game.
In-game youll find Ukraine to be a largely open map, with the open plains broken up by the distinctive wattle trenches, a few bunkers, and shell craters.
Heavy machineguns are particularly well positioned with good lines of sight, so youll want to remember that all NCOs can call in smoke barrages, regardless of squad type.
Finally, dont forget Tannenberg is 65% off for just a few more hours, along with everything else in the M2H publisher sale!
That's right, its what many of you have been waiting for Tannenberg is free to try this weekend on Steam! Invite all your friends who haven't tried the game yet, or just hop online to join the action. Anyone who likes what they see can get the game for a 65% discount as part of the M2H publisher sale. Check out all the games available for 65% off here! In short:
Things have been fairly quiet on the Eastern Front, at least to the casual observer. Rest assured that we're busy behind the scenes! Today we bring you details about an upcoming community event, some of our favorite recent screenshots by players, and... a teaser image of the new map that's on the way!
Today brings another update for Tannenberg! We also have a nice new video to share with you...
Today's Deal: Save 60% on Tannenberg!*
Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!
*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time
We are very excited to announce plans for a new deadly weapon in Tannenberg! Check out the teaser below: https://youtu.be/yUFx1BBxUNk
We have recently put together a historical trailer, showing off the many battlefields featured in Tannenberg now that its released, along with the historical battles that inspired each map. Feast your eyes on it here:
https://youtu.be/lv1aKJrosU8
We have some cool things in the works and were also working out plans to get more players into the game! Well share more about that once we have something to show off. For now, here are a few nice screenshots from our community:
Assaulting a trench following a gas barrage by player M@sterMasco.
An offensive towards the church on the Carpathians, by player Anonim K.
Taking cover for a moment, by player Ssoldat.
We hope to have more to share with you all soon!
https://youtu.be/9RW4pfqNyeg
The first update of the year is here, and its a big one! We wanted to add more distinctiveness to both the squads and sectors in Tannenberg, and thats what this update is all about. But first, a teaser to get you hyped for the release on the 13th!
https://youtu.be/fhSr9ZMtk6kGet a closer look at the Bulgarians...
Welcome to the first Frontline News of the new year! Were going to start by taking a look back on everything which has happened over 2018, and then see whats coming up in 2019.
We have released a new update for Tannenberg bringing a number of improvements to the UI, along with some gameplay changes, bot improvements and a new feature!
Today is the 100 year anniversary of Armistice Day. In 1918, on the 11th of November at the 11th hour the fighting finally ended after 4 years, 3 months and 2 weeks as the armistice came into effect. Although the war would not be officially over until the Treaty of Versailles took effect on January 10th 1920, the armistice ended combat on land, sea and in the air between Germany and the Allies.
The war on the Eastern Front had already ended with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed on March 3rd, 1918 and the earlier Focani Armistice which ended fighting between Romania and the Central powers on December 9th of 1917. However, Russia would remain embroiled in civil war until October 1922.
To mark Armistice Day, we are allowing players to participate in a two minutes silence in Verdun and Tannenberg, have produced a Facebook frame, and we will be posting one hundred stories of people who died during the war or as a consequence of it. Over 40,000,000 soldiers and civilians were killed or injured, and countless more would have their lives changed by the war and the aftermath.
The community organised today two events as well to commemorate:
Both Tannenberg and Verdun enjoy an update today, including loads of fixes, improvements and sound tweaks but also a brand new prestige system! On top of that, Tannenberg also sees exciting changes to maps, call-ins, and spawn flow!
The three new guns we showed off in last week’s Frontline News are now in-game for you to play with!
The Austro-Hungarian Frommer Stop and Roth-Steyr M1907 are available for the K.u.K Trupp squad, while the Russian S&W No.3 is available for both Russian squads.
With a long bolt and integral magazine loaded from the top with 10 round stripper clips, the Roth-Steyr stands out on the battlefield. Despite the name, Steyr didn't contribute much to the produced design, instead primarily providing production facilities that Roth didn't have.
Firing a .44 cartridge, the Russian S&W No.3 revolver offers greater firepower and a faster reload (as you can see below), but the downside is that you need to manually work the hammer each time you want to fire.
The Frommer Stop is a Hungarian pistol, unusual in using a long-recoil operation more commonly found in shotguns. It also saw limited use by the Ottoman Empire.
Our work on the new user interface continues apace, but to tide you over until then we have several new guns for you to play with, to be released soon!
We recently pushed live our improved networking code, which should mean smoother movement for players suffering from bad ping or packet loss. Player positions are more accurate, and some networking lag has been removed. The exact effect will vary depending on your connection, location, and which servers you typically play on. Please let us know if you notice changes!
A laggy player seen through the old networking code.
The same level of lag under the new networking code.
We’ve been making good progress on the networking update, which should make the game smoother and reduce the amount of stuttering characters, especially for those with weak internet connections. Our data currently suggests that player positions are now twice as accurate compared to the old networking, which should reduce the chance of being shot while behind cover and ping advantages.
A laggy player seen through the old networking code.
The same level of lag under the new networking code.
There are also a range of other bug fixes on our open testing build, which you can help out by testing right now - of particular note:
We’ve been working hard over the last few weeks to focus on bug fixing, and today’s update with 60+ fixes is the result of that! Many of these will be familiar to those of you trying out our open testing branch.
A small Frontline News, but a big testing update today! Our current open testing branch already contained a substantial number of fixes and improvements, but we’ve just added another large batch. The open testing branch is open for all players to try out. Here’s some highlights from among the 79 changes and fixes currently on open testing:
Everyone’s had time to try out the new Roumanian map that recently arrived in Tannenberg, and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback about it. In particular, people liked that it’s quite different from the other maps in the game so far. Let’s talk a bit about our process for building new maps and where we get our inspiration and reference materials. But that’s not all - read on for topics from sounds to spelling!
The latest update brings the Roumanian Infantry squad and a brand new map! On the 100 year anniversary of Roumania signing the Treaty of Bucharest with the Central Powers in May 1918, their valiant efforts against the odds are now represented within Tannenberg. Download the new content now!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q7mzfUizDE&feature=youtu.be
The First World War was the original modern industrial war. It was also one of the earliest wars where cameras were small enough and quick enough to reliably capture unposed scenes of battle. But even with the very best equipment, actually capturing an outstanding image in the chaos of combat is very challenging.
Our question to you is: do you have what it takes to be a War Correspondent in Verdun and Tannenberg! After all, taking a screenshot is just one quick tap of F12 (after hiding the HUD with F8), and then adding an enticing 140 character description. So how hard could it be? ;)
Long story short, we’re starting a competition to see who can produce the best combat news report. Share your best story and screenshot from a battle and get featured in the official Steam Hubs and on our social media!
Want to join the competition?
Make sure to upload all images and info in our Steam Hub - Screenshots section. All content shared on other social media platforms won’t count as an entry.
To enter the competition please include:
Painting of Roumanian infantry.
Screenshot by player Thomas Friedrich Grump.
We ran a survey a few weeks ago to get community feedback on Tannenberg, and the results have been very interesting. One finding was that most of you want to see more squads in Tannenberg. Now that the full release is going to be delayed as we polish up the new UI and everything else, we’re going to offer you a choice...
The first tank battle in history took place in the Battle of the Avre, which began 100 years ago today. German troops successfully attacked Villers-Bretonneux, with their ultimate goal being to secure ground from which they could use artillery to devastate the town of Amiens and the strategic railway junction there. However, a surprise counterattack by Australian and British troops entirely recaptured Villers-Bretonneux - this also marked the end of the German March Offensive.
But what about that tank battle? Many of you probably know the details, but as a quick summary three British tanks met and engaged three German A7Vs. Two of the British tanks were only armed with machine guns, so weren’t able to decisively damage the A7Vs. They were damaged and had to fall back. The third British tank was armed with 6 pounder guns, which enabled it to knock out one of the A7Vs and then force the others to withdraw.
It's easy to imagine that a realistic video-game take on WW1 tanks might not be as thrilling as people would like. Interesting perhaps, but low speeds, limited sight lines, and sometimes mismatched weaponry would make it more of a curiosity than an enjoyable experience for many players. But perhaps you disagree?
At the WWI game series HQ we have been quite busy with wrapping up Tannenberg for its launch whenever the new UI system is finished (It will be better, we promise).
Of course, weve not been sitting still on other fronts! While watching the latest games industry trends weve spotted a relatively unexplored niche in the market. There are a few games appearing in the survival genre, but we have a most unique twist: Just like the movie Highlander there can only be one victor. Im sure youve never heard of such a game idea before, but we are sure its going to be popular. We even came up with a name for it:
We all know the bitter Northern Front is the ideal place for such a scenario.
Our concept would include a starting sequence in which players are parachuted out of a monoplane onto the vast Northern Front theater, where they will have to fight wolves, rats and other players for survival. All this will be set in a post-apocalyptic alt-right universe.
After our last cooperation with EADICE() in 2016 on the crossover, vehicles are no problem for us! Well if you have the correct DLC that is.
Beside the innovative gameplay, we would also include community-requested features - one example being the ability to shoot,reload, or pretty much do anything while jumping as high as possible for maximum 1337-skill levels. All inspired by early 20th century Thunderbirds-style jetpack tech.
FAB looking Thunderbird l33t player, moments before recking your last loot crate!
Last but not least we have taken a look at the most successful features of similar games and came to the conclusion that additional bragging and gambling features are the way to forward, if we want [strike]that 4th house in Cabo for our shareholders[/strike] to ensure a sense of pride and accomplishment for players as they collect different mustaches.
WIP of our booty crate system.
That pretty much wraps it up for this April first. An exciting step forwards for the franchise, if not the entire industry. Have a great Easter!
At the WWI game series HQ we have been quite busy with wrapping up Tannenberg for its launch whenever the new UI system is finished (It will be better, we promise).
Of course, we’ve not been sitting still on other fronts! While watching the latest games industry trends we’ve spotted a relatively unexplored niche in the market. There are a few games appearing in the survival genre, but we have a most unique twist: Just like the movie Highlander “there can only be one victor”. I’m sure you’ve never heard of such a game idea before, but we are sure it’s going to be popular. We even came up with a name for it:
We all know the bitter Northern Front is the ideal place for such a scenario.
Our concept would include a starting sequence in which players are parachuted out of a monoplane onto the vast Northern Front theater, where they will have to fight wolves, rats and other players for survival. All this will be set in a post-apocalyptic alt-right universe.
After our last cooperation with EADICE(™) in 2016 on the crossover, vehicles are no problem for us! Well… if you have the correct DLC that is.
Beside the innovative gameplay, we would also include community-requested features - one example being the ability to shoot,reload, or pretty much do anything while jumping as high as possible for maximum 1337-skill levels. All inspired by early 20th century Thunderbirds-style jetpack tech.
FAB looking Thunderbird l33t player, moments before recking your last loot crate!
Last but not least we have taken a look at the most successful features of similar games and came to the conclusion that additional bragging and gambling features are the way to forward, if we want [strike]that 4th house in Cabo for our shareholders[/strike] to ensure a sense of pride and accomplishment for players as they collect different mustaches.
WIP of our booty crate system.
That pretty much wraps it up for this April first. An exciting step forwards for the franchise, if not the entire industry. Have a great Easter!
This week we have another new weapon, a survey for Verdun players, and a delay…
Big news this week is an update which should bring some notable performance improvements alongside other adjustments and fixes, but there’s also something new in the screenshots throughout the rest of this post...
We’ve been heavily focused on performance improvements lately, but of course our non-coding team members haven’t been idle, so we have some fun teasers for you today alongside the coding talk ;)
Hi everyone, it’s time for another Frontline News post! Today we’ll update you on what we’re working on after the big merge last month.
Greetings and welcome back to our first Frontline News of 2018. Happy New Year to everyone, and we hope you’re looking forward to it as much as we are! Let’s get started!
Tannenberg has been released! The launch is going great so far, and we know people are having a lot of fun with the game.
We’ve already got plenty of useful feedback, and combined with our plans from before the launch, here is a rough roadmap of what we are planning to work on next:
Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that we would get the support and success that we did with Verdun, and that on top of that we would get the opportunity to develop a second WW1 game. Today the unexpected happened… we just released our second entry in the WW1 Game Series into open beta, set on the Eastern Front: TANNENBERG!
https://youtu.be/IR6k2MagQbs
The game is available for $17.99, with a 20% discount for Verdun players until December 1 2017.
The open beta is feature complete, and we will be using the time until release in Q1 2018 to work on improving the performance sounds, and game balance, adding an in-game switch between the two fronts, and implementing a new user interface.
Sneak peak of the new UI
There will also be a special in-game medal for those playing the game in open beta, and some release celebration events on the Steam hub, Facebook and Twitter where a few lucky individuals will be able to win keys! Stay tuned...
Don’t forget that you can report bugs for Tannenberg (or Verdun) on our support website at support.1914-1918series.com. Again a huge thank you to all our Tannenberg alpha and closed beta testers, as well as the Verdun players who have already been submitting issues there!
We’re very excited to hear what you think about Tannenberg, so make sure to join us in the Steam Hub and/or Discord.
Stay warm!
Cheers, M2H & Blackmill Games
Interesting links:
Tannenberg is Now Available on Steam Early Access!
Experience authentic First World War action with 64 player battles of maneuver on the Eastern Front. Warfare between the Russian Empire and the Central Powers is a tense battle for dominance – stay close to your squad to survive!
Just one more day until the open beta of Tannenberg!
Before we hit this milestone we’d like to take a moment to thank all of the alpha and closed beta testers who have helped the game get there. All the helpful bits of feedback and reported bugs make a big difference to the final quality of the product, so we have a gift...
This medal has been issued to all alpha and closed beta testers today. Thank you all for your help!
Cheers,
The WW1 Game Series team
What a year we’ve had so far! Looking back at all the Frontline News editions we’ve posted shows just how much has happened. And now that we’re about to enter the next phase in the development of Tannenberg, we wanted to look back at some of the most noteworthy features and new elements we’ve revealed over the last few months.
Over the months we’ve shown you many new visuals, ranging from the new squads, maps and set pieces, to the new weather system en weapons. But developing Tannenberg, we didn’t just focus on the visuals, taking into account all the small details the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series is known for. We’re also quite proud of our sound and music. Responsible for the tunes is composer Bart Delissen, who shared some insights with us on the creative process.
In order to do justice to the different strategies employed on the Eastern Front we have created a brand new game mode for Tannenberg, which reflects the different terrain and movement. Read on for extra information on Maneuver!
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1150792774]
Positioning and movement are all important in Maneuver
Positioning obviously plays an extremely important part in military strategy. Enveloping and surrounding your enemy is a tried and tested tactic, cutting them off from their supply line and creating great tactical and strategic advantages. This is also known as Kesselschlacht, or Cauldron Battle for those less versed in German. The Western Front also had its fair share of encounters where this strategy played a role (the famous Von Schlieffen plan used this strategy at a large scale), but on the Eastern Front this was the bread and butter on nearly every occasion. The battle at Tannenberg itself is a prime example for the deployment of this strategy at the Eastern Front. That’s not to say there wasn’t any static fighting of course, but enveloping and surrounding was the backbone of military strategy during the war.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1150793843]
The Von Schlieffen plan, strategic movement at a grand-scale
With Maneuver we combine the strategic nature of the fighting on the Eastern Front that people are familiar with the operational and tactical nature of encounters in those environments. Based on the term Maneuver-warfare, we bring the mindset of trying to envelop your enemies in pockets of resistance to the (64-player) online battlefield.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1150794618]
Knowing the layout of the new maps will go a long way
Outflanking the enemy, capturing important tactical positions around the enemy will yield the players in-game benefits, and will lead to victory faster by cutting them off from their Headquarters. In addition, we wanted to give a more thematic context to capturing certain points, which is why we included signal stations and ammo dumps to further extend the focus on the logistical challenges of war, as one would expect in an RTS rather than FPS scenario.
Tannenberg Alpha
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1150795336]
No pressure, but we really want you!
And finally another reminder that the Tannenberg Alpha testing is still going strong. Signing up doesn’t guarantee an invite but we are doing our best, and we’re about to send out a new batch of invites.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIlKCIbNkW7fjrDv2eRWnbtCjP03hF5KEP7vk6XNMfmwXtIw/viewform
Have a good weekend!
As the winter draws closer, we’re happy to say it’s time for Frontline News once again. Yesterday saw the exciting announcement that Tannenberg will be launching on November 16th, and also revealed the new 64 player Maneuver game mode - check out the FAQ for more info, and expect a more detailed preview of the Maneuver mode soon.
Today though, we’ll be talking about weather variants for maps and focusing on the Russian Cossack squad. Enjoy!
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1135501239]
A fearsome adversary in close quarters.
New Squad: Russian Cossacks
The Cossacks are here! In Tannenberg they serve as the Russian assault squad, with a focus on close combat and taking ground. Although trenches are a rarer sight on the Eastern Front this doesn’t mean that melee weapons and grenades are less valuable. Of course a straight charge across an open field into machine guns isn’t going to end well no matter how sharp your sword is, but the maps in Tannenberg also feature thick forests, buildings and ruins. This is where the Cossack Shaska can give you the edge against opponents with bayonets or entrenching tools. Alternatively, a well placed grenade can take them out from a safer distance.
Before they get in that close, the Cossacks have several primary weapon options, but the most common will be the Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant M1891 rifle. Longer than the carbine version but shorter than the infantry rifle, the Dragoon variant would serve as the base for the later M1891/30 rifle which was the standard issue rifle from 1930 to 1945. Most of the Dragoon rifles would be retooled into M1891/30s.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1135502549]
The Dragoon variant of the Mosin-Nagant used by the Cossacks.
The Shashka, and other weapons
The Cossacks aren’t the only troops in Tannenberg to carry a blade - the image below also shows off the Austrian M61 Sabre (available in one of the loadouts for the K.u.K officer), the Russian M81, and the Shaska itself.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1135503759]
All elegant weapons, but it’s the soldier wielding it who really makes the difference.
Weather conditions may vary
One of the graphical improvements in Tannenberg is a wider range of more atmospheric weather conditions, from summer sunshine to winter snows. The weather won’t change during the playtime of a match, but the range of possibilities will provide variation and some subtle gameplay challenges - spotting enemy soldiers in dark forest undergrowth will be more challenging when there is fog hanging in the air and clouds overhead, while a blanket of snow will make targets stand out more than usual as they cross open fields. As with Verdun, the range of weather options for a map will be appropriate considering the conditions seen during historical battles in the area.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1135504759]
Don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself how much difference the weather makes!
Westie’s Youtube
If you’re looking for a summary of everything we’ve revealed so far, Youtuber Westie did a nice video on Tannenberg where he discusses the preview content we’ve released so far. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNTS2OPrkyY
That’s it for this edition of Frontline News, but we’re already looking forward to seeing your reactions to the next preview. Stay tuned!
Prepare yourselves for a winter offensive! Tannenberg is going to be released November 16 on Steam Early Access. Watch the announcement trailer: https://youtu.be/zL7cEuh4nF8 This will be your chance to experience Tannenberg’s new Maneuver game mode, which sees up to 64 players engage in an unpredictable battle to outflank and encircle enemy positions. Bigger maps, more players and multiple objectives create deep and engaging matches where the tide of battle can turn quickly thanks to smart infiltrations, tenacious defenses, and the occasional last-ditch assault! Tannenberg is expected to be in Early Access from November 16 until sometime in Q1 2018, and the focus will be on polishing and balance. The price will be $17.99, with a discount for Verdun owners. Until then, watch this space for more previews and informative Frontline News posts! You can expect a more detailed post on the mechanics of the Maneuver game mode quite soon. If you have other questions, check out the FAQ. Grab your shashka, wrap up warm, and get ready for battle on November 16!
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1125243043]
Though not as dominant as on the Western Front, there are some trenches
We have a new edition of Frontline News for you, to keep you warm during your first encounters with the cold and harsh Eastern Front. This time we are looking more closely at another new map, located in Poland, so read on!
New Map: Poland
We have more up our sleeves when it comes to the new maps that Tannenberg will introduce to the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series. But for now we are focusing on the third map reveal, joining the ranks of East Prussia and Galicia. Poland will offer a harsh and gritty setting, with its open landscape, scorched earth and burned villages. It is set in the central Polish plain, an area of vast flatland around Warsaw, the capital of Russian Poland.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1125244230]
Another nice set piece, but you won’t be taking to the skies obviously
The Stage Is Set
The 64 player map features a rural farming hamlet set around a crossroads. The scenario depicts an overextended Russian Army, in the north-east corner, applying the principle of scorched earth. In the south-west corner, 400 meters down the road, we find the German Army stationed around an abandoned farmhouse. In this map you'll find destroyed buildings, war-battered chimneys in piles of rubble, an improvised Russian airstrip with Morane-Saulnier airplanes, Russo-Balt armored cars and much more!
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1125244938]
Finding your way through the fog using burning houses isn’t the best of times
Poland features a range of different combat locations, such as intense building-to-building fighting in entrenched and fortified wooden dwellings, creeping tactical gun fights along hedges and firewood stacks or long distance engagements over ploughed fields and fenced meadows. The wooden buildings are a first in the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1125245992]
The wooden houses look safe, but don’t forget there is bullet penetration now!
Eye For Detail
Much attention to detail was put in researching the different styles of fences, haystacks, wells and unadorned interiors. These cultural features really sell the feel of an early 20th century impoverished Polish village, while also providing abundant cover and movement options to keep the map fun! We hope you are ready for the fight in this barren and flat landscape. All the characteristics of the terrain and environment will require new strategies and insights, so you will need to bring your A game to be victorious.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1125247339]
Always, always, ALWAYS... bring your gasmask
Thanks for reading and keep a close eye on all our channels. We have more previews coming up this month!
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1114050531]
In the wrong place, at the wrong time
Welcome back to your (usually) bi-weekly dose of news from the front. This edition of Frontline News starts with some additional info on the Galicia map, which we have previewed in the recent weeks. We want to provide you with some backstory of the map, giving some weight to the region’s history. By popular demand we also have a more technical reveal for you, showing off the bullet penetration mechanic we are working on! To round things up we have a link for you, allowing you to register for Tannenberg alpha playtesting.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1114055198]
Nothing like a morning charge over a frozen field
Galicia, A Map With A Variety Of Challenges
The map Galicia is set in the historic and geographic region of Galicia, which includes parts of present day southern Poland and western Ukraine. It lies to the north and east of the Carpathian mountains. The map features cultivated land, and wild forests on sloping hills and rock faces. A small rural village with a monastery is set in stark contrast to a destroyed forest and improvised revetments. In the north east corner the K.u.K. troops have set up an improvised HQ. From here, following the adjacent meandering creek, lies a rigged railway with the Austro-Hungarian armored train pinned down between the woods and a large cliff. Uphill we find outflanked Russian field artillery, which leads us to an overrun Russian encampment. Arriving over the crest of the hill - in the south west corner - we meet The Tsarist troops at a deserted farmhouse.
Galicia offers the most variety of challenges in the line up of maps. The steep terrain promises interesting situations, and the dense disorienting forest provides the potential setting for a deadly ambush. There are revetments and trenches to navigate with saber drawn, and open fields to lead your squad through. We pay a lot of attention to detail in the maps. A lot of work has gone into new props that bring the history of this unique conflict to life. Keep an eye out for anything ranging from artillery carts and signal lights to tents, outhouses and boats. Another eye catcher here is of course the massive armored train, a prominent stationary set piece in Galicia. These ‘hero assets’ create an amazing atmosphere in the maps!
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1114083049]
The stationary armored train in all its glory (the smoke effect is still being worked on)
New Gunplay Mechanic: Bullet Penetration
Our Eastern expansion will introduce new maps - such as the recently shown region of Galicia - in which you’ll no longer be confined to the muddy trenches. Instead combat is moved to vast open plains, dense forests, abandoned villages and destroyed churches. To facilitate this new dynamic gameplay we are also introducing new gunplay mechanics. One of these new mechanics that we’re is including Bullet Penetration.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1114087667]
Duck and cover, works like a charm
When bullets hit soft objects, like wood, dirt or flesh, they will penetrate the object and continue to do damage beyond the initial impact. As you can imagine, this change has quite a substantial impact on the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series’ ecosystem. It adds another layer of strategy to the game and we feel it also adds to the realism of the gunfights.
Tannenberg Alpha Testing
To close things off we wanted to share a link with you, giving you the option to sign up for Tannenberg Alpha testing.This is a traditional test phase though, not just some PR stunt in disguise, or chance for you to play the game for free. We’re hard at work perfecting the game so we need testers who are willing to take an active role in testing and hunting for potential bugs, in order to make Tannenberg the game we all want it to be.
Signing up doesn’t guarantee an invite but if you’re interested we hope you’ll take the time to register.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIlKCIbNkW7fjrDv2eRWnbtCjP03hF5KEP7vk6XNMfmwXtIw/viewform
Thanks for reading and till the next Frontline News!
For this latest edition of Frontline News we wanted to give the stage to our recently revealed Austro-Hungarian soldier, and showcase some of the details of his equipment and weaponry we’ve been working on.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1090490803]
Early war officer and squad in Pike-Grey (Hechtgrau)
As is always the case during our development of both Verdun and Tannenberg, we greatly value realism. Not only when it comes to gameplay, but also in visual details of any size. Maps, characters, or gear, we want it all to look authentic. This also holds true in regards to the recently revealed K.u.K. Trooper. And now that our Austro-Hungarian cat is out of the bag, so to speak, we wanted to highlight some of the realistic weapons and gear we have fitted him with.
[url=http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1100122977]
Late-war squad in Field-Grey (Feldgrau)
Some troopers are wearing the Austrian M1917 helmet. This was a domestically made update to the well-known German M16 helmet, of which the Austro-Hungarian forces initially received 500.000 units. At the end of the war, another 500.000 local versions were added, which differed in colour, chinstrap, and placement of rivets.
Late-war KUK squad Equipment
The M1910 Entrenching tool’s main difference to its predecessor is the pointed tip. By the end of 1915 this model ruled them all, and replaced all previous models in the field. It was so sturdy, some were even reissued to the Wehrmacht in WWII. All shovels came with a carrier and were traditionally carried on the left hip, often strapped together with a bayonet (appropriately called the ‘German manner’). The most commonly encountered bayonet is the M1895 Mannlicher rifle version, which originally came with a black painted scabbard. Some scabbards were repainted however at a later stage of the war.
Close up of in-game backpack
The unofficially named M1888/15 canteen came from different manufacturers, which was only reflected in name and date stamps. When it comes to weapons, Many Steyr-Mannlicher rifles saw use. But as shown by our recent Facebook poll, the M95 is amongst the most popular.
In-game first-person view of inserting an en-bloc clip in the m95
So there you have it. The K.u.K. Trooper in all his glory. What do you think? No, seriously, what do you think? We are always looking for constructive feedback. Everything we have shown so far is work in progress, so we genuinely value your feedback if you feel a certain model could be improved. Thanks and we hope you enjoyed this edition of Frontline News!
And if you can’t get enough of the Steyr-Mannlicher rifles, check out the video’s from C&Rsenal, who helped us with getting the in-game audio sounding as realistic as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xeeE1E9Wwk
History of the M95
East Prussia Map - Extended Preview
More news from the Front! This latest edition of Frontline News focusses on the East Prussia map, giving you a closer look and inside information. For the occasion level designer Sjors Janssen takes to the stand, to share his experience in recreating this area for Tannenberg:
‘’East Prussia is the first map we developed with Tannenberg's new 32 vs 32 playstyle in mind. Its setting is inspired by the area of northern Poland. What really sets this map apart is the vast amount of forest. The forest offers a lot of variation, with its bordering managed woodlands, meadows, lakes, simple country roads and the odd farm. Following the frontline of the depicted scenario, there are heavily guarded and partially overrun positions of the Central Powers, heavily bombarded sectors with torn up trees, and collapsed trenches.
What's been really new to the development of this map within the 1914-1918 WW1 game series are the open ranges and the scale of the environment. We've spent a lot of time improving the look and feel of the natural environment with the creation of indigenous vegetation and new rendering tech.
We always look closely at the photo sources available from that time, to try and recreate the types of defensive structures that were designed during WW1. What has been really exciting to me personally is our stride to include recognisable elements of local culture close to the front line. We've been careful to select building styles, ways of harvesting grass, livestock, hedges and styles of fencing to provide a more authentic feel to what the cultural landscape would have been like historically.’’ - Sjors Janssen, Level Designer
We hope you enjoy these posts with our personal stories and experiences, from different members within our team. Frontline news will return early next month with a brand new extended preview, focussing on another aspect of our upcoming Tannenberg release.
Experience intense First World War infantry combat on the Eastern Front with the upcoming Tannenberg!
https://youtu.be/sE32n9kUddU
This is a standalone expansion to Verdun, the first realistic World War One FPS. As the second entry in the 1914-1918 WW1 Game Series, Tannenberg will be packed with the same historical accuracy, attention to detail and meticulously designed combat as Verdun, applied to a lesser known but no less intense theater of WW1.
Tannenberg features scenarios inspired by battles from throughout the war, in locations ranging from dark forests near the Russian border to snowy plains and burned villages. This is not the trench warfare of the Western Front! Expect to fight across open fields, and adjust your tactics accordingly. Choose your role from a variety of squads and weapon loadouts, and unlock more as you play!
More details will be released as we get closer to release. Make sure to add Tannenberg to your Steam wishlist now!
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