Armored Brigade II News

[p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Hi everyone,

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]
alongside the release of the Scandinavia DLC, we released two updates for the game. You can find the changelog below:[/p][p][/p][p]Changelog v1.601 & v1.602[/p]

• [p]Fix: Gepard SPAAG had a wrong model scale.[/p]
• [p]Fix: If a missile or rocket exploded before it was rendered (usually because of zooming out) the last line in its trail was rendered back to the trail start.[/p]
• [p]\[campaigns] Add the 'Shadows Over Giessen' branching campaign.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Lowered M151 jeep acceleration to 1.8m/s.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Lowered Osa 9M33 missile perfomance and replaced East German Osa-AK for Osa-AKM SAM.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Aligned East German AA and AT vehicles with their Soviet equivalents.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Replaced East German BTR-40A anti-air vehicle with BTR-152E.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added SPG-9 on UAZ-469 (DDR) with driver.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added B-10 and B-11 RCL gunners for DDR and PL, added transports.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added East German Fallschirmjäger (dismounted and motorized) and air assault (Luftsturmkompanie) units.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften motorised and mechanised units, adjusted Grenztruppen and KdA company formations with historical structures.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added East German Flamethrower Platoon.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added East German Pionier troops.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Added DDR UAZ-469 textures.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Adjusted DDR helicopters and added running fire flights.[/p]
• [p]\[database] Adjusted DDR aircraft and added loft bombing flights (no textures yet).[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Implement the initial version of SOP stances: Defensive, Neutral, and Aggressive. Currently it affects the Defend command behavior.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Implement the branching campaign system.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Implement exit objectives (use the Lua console CreateExit).[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Implement the objective activation time start and custom victory value.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Adjust anti-air missile accuracy to take the guidance type, counter-measures, and RWR into account.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] The Defend command can make vehicles reverse if the position is behind them.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Adjust helicopter pathfinding so they do not take as long detours because of high terrain elevation.[/p]
• [p]\[maps] Revision of the Giessen map; the changes are VERY significant, now it fully corresponds to the beginning of the 1980's.[/p]
• [p]\[ui] Implement the new 'standard' camera controls.[/p]
• [p]\[ui] Show more on-map graphics when selecting or moving objectives in the Mission Editor.[/p]
• [p]Fix: If both sides had one independent 'acting HQ' and no other formations, then the AI side used the player HQ formation as the receiver, causing the AI side information sharing not working properly and the player side spotting wrong units.[/p]
• [p]Fix: The AI side mixed recon company mech/armor sub-formations were sorted differently in the Mission Editor compared to playing a mission, causing wrong plans being used in scenario scripting.[/p]
• [p]Fix: In the Battle Replay, unidentified enemies showed a wrong text label because the replay used a wrong unidentified state.[/p]
• [p]Fix: Changing the month in the Battle Generator did not update the time of day, and resulted in faulty visibility ranges.[/p]
• [p]Fix: Zoomed out frozen bog, streams, and water had water reflections in them.[/p]
• [p]Fix: In the 'Shadows over Giessen' 3rd scenario a reinforcement formation had a wrong position.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Improve terrain shading.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Halve the voice communication maximum distance if the message sender or receiver is firing, instead of blocking all voice communication in such cases.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Bad ground condition does not lower road trafficability, but on streams and frozen water trafficability is now lowered.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Soldiers in squads and teams use a line formation when dug-in or engaging while stationary.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] The vehicle movement sound pitch changes with the exhaust smoke and acceleration rate.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Vehicle tracks fade in and out.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] The flying turret landing pattern is now more like a 'sphere' instead of a 'cube'.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Add TRACER_AUTOCANNON_TWIN tracer type.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Allow custom muzzle position names for weapon units.[/p]
• [p]\[engine] Implement the 'visible' map.xml boolean attribute.[/p]
• [p]\[ui] Make Battle Replay animations smoother and adjust playback speeds.[/p]
• [p]\[ui] Change hotkeys: Ctrl+Tab for 'Slow time on/off' and Ctrl+Shift+Tab for 'Custom fast compression'.[/p]
• [p]\[ui] Show a message when an exit objective becomes available.[/p]
• [p]\[ui] Improve text label positions in the UI.[/p]

[p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]Armored Brigade II: Scandinavia is available now on Steam for $19.99.[/p][p]The Northern Flank ignites as the Cold War turns hot. This expansion brings the conflict to the Nordic theatre, where control of the Baltic approaches and Arctic corridors can decide the fate of Europe. New armies, challenging terrain, and distinct national doctrines reshape the battlefield in decisive ways.
[/p][p]Key Features:[/p]

• [p]Three new playable armies: Sweden, Norway, and Denmark[/p]
• [p]500+ new ground units and aircraft[/p]
• [p]Brand-new 30x30 km Swedish and Danish maps[/p]
• [p]A Swedish branching campaign[/p]
• [p]A Danish linear campaign[/p]
• [p]3 standalone single missions[/p]

[p]Take command on the Northern Front and test your tactics in one of the Cold War’s most strategically critical theatres.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink]The Armored Brigade II Complete Bundle is now available, combining the base game and Scandinavia in one package. Discounts are also available across the franchise for a limited time, this is the perfect opportunity to expand your Cold War arsenal.[/p]

[p]Hi everyone,

we are glad to announce that the Scandinavia DLC launches on February 26th.[/p][p]Ahead of release, one of the developers joined Shermanator on YouTube for a detailed interview discussing the new nations, units, and design decisions behind the expansion.[/p][p]You can watch the full interview here:[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]and just below you’ll also find a summary of the conversation.[/p][p][/p][h2]INTERVIEW[/h2][p]SHERMAN:
Nikola, please feel free to introduce yourself.
[/p][p]NIKOLA:
Good afternoon and thank you for having me. I’m Nikola, one of the Armored Brigade 2 developers. I mainly work on the database and on some of the game content.
[/p][p]SHERMAN:
Awesome. Thank you for sitting down and having a little chat with me. Let’s jump right into the questions. First: what made the team decide to go specifically with a Scandinavian DLC?
[/p][p]NIKOLA:
Well, first of all we wanted to complete Europe in terms of the Cold War setting. Sweden was basically the last fully unique army left to cover. We actually had Sweden many years ago when Armored Brigade was freeware, and we decided to reintroduce it now across the full time span.[/p][p]Adding Sweden naturally led to including Norway and Denmark as well. Each of them is interesting in its own right and fits very well into a Cold War context.[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
So basically, once you were doing Sweden, it made sense to include Norway and Denmark and complete the trio?
[/p][p]NIKOLA:
Exactly. In the past we usually released two countries at a time, but this format felt more appropriate. Norway and Denmark have relatively small armies, so combining them works well.[/p][p]We already had Finland, since Juha Kellokoski — the creator of the game — is Finnish, so now we basically have the whole of Northern Europe.[/p][p]They also bring very different climates, terrain, and especially doctrines. Sweden in particular had a completely different approach to warfare compared to typical NATO or Warsaw Pact armies. And their equipment is extremely unique.[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
Perfect, let’s talk about equipment.[/p][p]The DLC includes three new armies — Sweden, Denmark, and Norway — and over 500 new air and ground units. Could you pick one favorite unit from each nation and explain why you like it?
[/p][p]NIKOLA:
For Sweden it’s hard to pick just one because they have so many unique systems, but the obvious choice is the S-Tank, the Strv 103 turretless tank. It wasn’t a tank destroyer; it was a proper tank, even without a turret, which is an endless debate in the armor community.[/p][p]Sweden also modernized many vehicles with roots going back to World War II and kept them viable almost until the end of the Cold War. Their equipment is almost entirely domestic, aside from the Centurion, which they heavily modified.[/p][p]They were also among the first Western users of explosive reactive armor. Norway and Denmark, on the other hand, relied more on mixed foreign equipment — German, American, British, sometimes Swedish — which makes their forces interesting in a different way.[/p][p]For example, Denmark used the M41 light tank all the way to the end of the Cold War, upgrading it and using it as both tank destroyer and reconnaissance vehicle. Norway used the even older M24 Chaffee into the mid-1970s and kept some in the Home Guard until the end of the Cold War — modernized with a new French gun and fire-control system.[/p][p]And something very characteristic of Norway (also used by Sweden) is the Bandvagn, basically a tracked transport vehicle, extremely important for mobility in the far north.[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
The store page mentions a Swedish branching campaign, a Danish linear campaign, and three standalone missions. Are all of these played from the new nations’ perspectives?[/p][p][/p][p]NIKOLA:
Mostly yes. There are over 15 missions total, though the branching campaign makes counting difficult. Some missions are from the Soviet and East German perspective. Poland was historically intended for Baltic landing operations, but since we plan to rework the Polish faction, we avoided including it in the campaign to prevent future compatibility issues.[/p][p]So overall the focus is the DLC nations, with some additional flavor from Warsaw Pact forces.
[/p][p]SHERMAN:
You mentioned 500+ new units, are those only for the three Scandinavian nations, or will other factions also receive additions?
[/p][p]NIKOLA:
These are purely Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian units.[/p][p]However, base-game countries are periodically updated with free patches. The next one will likely include Poland, since that faction needs a rework based on new documentation.[/p][p]Eventually we aim to complete everything.
[/p][p]SHERMAN:
The DLC page talks about unique doctrines and tactical challenges.
Can you give an example of how that affects gameplay?
[/p][p]NIKOLA:
Mostly in campaigns and scenarios.[/p][p]Norway, for example, historically relied heavily on infantry and wasn’t suited for balanced dynamic battles, so missions are designed accordingly.[/p][p]Their platoons include heavy machine guns at a lower level, giving strong base firepower. Sweden, meanwhile, equips infantry with large amounts of anti-tank weapons, including HE rounds for recoilless rifles, far more extensively than other countries.[/p][p]Large-scale doctrinal differences — battalion-level tactics — are best represented through scenario design rather than purely mechanical rules.[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
You previously mentioned possibly expanding beyond the Cold War.
Any plans for other eras? Maybe World War II?[/p][p][/p][p]NIKOLA:
For now, we’re focusing on Europe. We plan to re-release original Armored Brigade countries like France and Yugoslavia using the improved engine features.[/p][p]Some upcoming features — like first-person drones — are primarily intended for modders. We’re adding flexibility so other time periods can be represented better, though I can’t disclose specific projects yet.[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
And finally, the question everyone wants answered: when does the DLC release?[/p][p][/p][p]NIKOLA:
February 26th. We’re currently beta testing to ensure stability. Players will be able to try the campaigns and units next week.[/p][p]This DLC is also significantly larger than previous ones — more than double — partly because Sweden turned out to be almost as large as the US Army in terms of formations once I accessed Swedish military archives. I was expecting something much more…[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
Compact…?[/p][p][/p][p]NIKOLA:
Yeah exactly. I expected around 300 units, it became 500.[/p][p]Research for Denmark and especially Norway was harder, but also fascinating, sometimes relying on records from former servicemen because archives were destroyed.[/p][p][/p][p]SHERMAN:
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I really appreciate you coming on.[/p][p]The DLC releases in late February 2026, so make sure to check it out.

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]Greetings, Commanders![/p][p]Before proceeding with the Dev Diary, Scandinavia is getting close to release and we need your help testing the upcoming content.

Join the beta here and let us know what you think.

Enjoy the Dev Diary below.
[/p][p]While in the last two diaries we concentrated mostly on Denmark and Sweden, today we turn our attention to Norway, as well as to other elements of the DLC, including operational realities and maps. Norway formed NATO’s exposed northern anchor and remained a constant factor in alliance planning for Scandinavia. In this DLC, however, Norway is treated primarily as a strategic frame of reference rather than a main operational focus. Our playable content therefore concentrates further south, where we now have three distinct map areas: the existing Lübeck map together with two new maps, Bornholm Island and Trelleborg on Sweden’s southern coast. Together, they allow for a broader range of scenarios and a more flexible operational environment across a coherent area of over 2,700 square kilometres.
[/p][p]Following the Soviet departure from Bornholm in April 1946, the island assumed an important strategic role. Moscow maintained that the stationing of any foreign troops on the island would constitute an act of war, a position that led to several diplomatic incidents, including a dispute after a U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing at Svaneke. As a result, Bornholm was defended by a Danish independent battle group centred on a light infantry battalion, augmented by local reservists and a limited number of armoured vehicles. Isolated, exposed, and close to Warsaw Pact bases, the island was a natural objective for early amphibious operations, while its loss would deny NATO a forward outpost in the Baltic.
[/p][h3]Norway as Strategic Constraint[/h3][p]Norway’s role in the Cold War was distinctive rather than secondary. Its long coastline, proximity to the Soviet Northern Fleet, and position astride the North Atlantic sea lines of communication made it strategically indispensable. At the same time, ground warfare was severely constrained. Much of the terrain available for land operations consist either of barren, undulating terrain, swampy in places, or of mountainous regions with extremely limited road infrastructure, all of which significantly hampered large-scale, decisive manoeuvre warfare.[/p][p]The Norwegian Army reflected this reality. It was a light force by necessity, dominated by infantry-oriented leadership, and shaped by mountainous terrain, Arctic conditions, and severe logistical constraints. This structure was reinforced by procurement and mobilisation realities. The acquisition of the F-16, for example, absorbed much of Norway’s defence budget during the 1980s, severely restricting ground force modernisation efforts to mechanised Type 90 brigades. The result was an army designed to delay and survive rather than to meet a mechanised assault head-on. Crucially, Norway was never expected to fight alone. Its task was to hold long enough.[/p][p]
Armoured forces existed, but in limited numbers. By the late 1980s, Norway fielded just over one hundred main battle tanks, fewer than a single Soviet division, primarily Leopard 1s supplemented by older M48 variants, along with a number of lightly armoured tank destroyers. Greater emphasis was placed on mobility, infantry, and specialised vehicles, including over-snow carriers such as the Bv 202 and Bv 206, which were far better suited to the environment.
[/p][h3]Why Trelleborg?[/h3][p]Conventional wisdom long held that the Soviet Union would avoid attacking Sweden directly. Such an invasion was considered costly, time-consuming, and politically risky, offering limited immediate gains. Most analysts therefore assumed that Swedish neutrality would hold, at least in the opening phase of a conflict.[/p][p]Yet this assumption was never entirely comfortable. Soviet interest in Sweden remained consistently high. Declassified contingency planning from earlier periods shows that Soviet strategists had already identified southern Scandinavia as a potential key operational axis, extending from Stockholm and Malmö toward Oslo, Trondheim, and Bergen. This direction offered far more favourable terrain than northern Scandinavia, and it is no coincidence that the bulk of Sweden’s armoured and mechanised forces were concentrated in this region.[/p][p]

Even if a full-scale invasion of Sweden remained unlikely, more limited objectives were entirely plausible. One such option was the forcible creation of air corridors. Overflight routes across Sweden would have allowed Soviet aircraft to strike far deeper into the Norwegian Sea and central Norway, directly threatening NATO’s ability to reinforce and resupply the Northern Flank. Sweden, for its part, planned to deny such access. Its air force dispersed upon mobilisation, operating from road bases concealed in forested regions and designed to survive initial strikes. Neutralising this system would have required unconventional measures, including pre-emptive action against command structures and personnel, an aspect hinted at by several Cold War intelligence incidents that remain only partially understood.
[/p][h3]The Campaign Focus[/h3][p]In the Scandinavia DLC, these strategic uncertainties inform both the narrative and the scope of the campaign. By concentrating on the western Baltic rim, we aim to capture the character of Cold War combat as it would have been experienced on the ground, presenting players with situations where existing forces and escalation risks intersect most directly.This framing reflects the tactical level of command represented in Armored Brigade II, where players respond to events rather than direct them. This approach allows us to portray the conflict using forces that were permanently assigned to the region, without relying on ad hoc expeditionary formations, while preserving the flexibility to broaden the theatre as additional factions and scenarios are developed.
[/p][p]The strong reliance on infantry in both the Norwegian and Danish armies was evident in their organisation. Both forces could field heavy machine guns at platoon level, typically either .50 cal or MG3 weapons mounted on tripods, providing a substantial and readily available base of fire compared to many other contemporary armies.[/p][p]
Without spoiling too much about the campaign background, it is worth noting that Warsaw Pact amphibious planning for the southern Baltic is well documented, but the historical record also makes clear that these plans were highly conditional. For example, Polish forces lacked the means to conduct major landings independently and depended almost entirely on Soviet transport aviation, naval lift, and air cover. Even on paper, there was uncertainty over whether sufficient aircraft and vessels could be made available in time, as the Soviet Baltic Fleet faced competing priorities, including multiple planned landings across the Baltic. This uncertainty is reflected in our focus on those operations most consistently identified as feasible in the opening phase of a wider conflict, and in the limited margin for error faced by local commanders.
[/p][p]Until next time,[/p][p]The Armored Brigade II Team[/p]

[p]Greetings, Commanders![/p][p]Following our first look at Scandinavia through Sweden, we now turn our attention southwest and northwest along NATO’s Northern Flank, to Denmark and to Norway. Both countries were historically neutral until the German occupation during World War II demonstrated the fallacy of this policy. They therefore became founding members of NATO in 1949, and as front-line members of the Atlantic Alliance their defence strategies and force structures grew increasingly similar. Both developed small yet balanced, conscription-based mobilisation forces designed to contain a territorial invasion until allied reinforcements could arrive. These were armies shaped by geography, demography, and a sober understanding of their place in a much larger conflict.
[/p][p]Unlike many Cold War armies, Denmark and Norway never planned to fight alone. Their defence concepts were inseparable from alliance warfare, and their national strategies were written with the expectation that the opening phase of any conflict would be fought under severe pressure, with limited margins for error.[/p][p][/p][p]Denmark’s strategic problem during the Cold War was brutally clear. It controlled the gateways between the Baltic and the North Sea, making it operationally vital far beyond its size. At the same time, this geography offered little depth and few natural obstacles. Danish defence planning therefore could not be limited to national territory alone. In the event of war, key parts of the Danish Army, most notably the Jutland Division, were expected to move south and integrate with German and allied formations to form LANDJUT, defending Schleswig-Holstein as part of a multinational corps. This meant that Danish units were not only preparing for a national last stand, but also for rapid mobilisation, movement under threat, and combat as part of a larger coalition on unfamiliar terrain.
[/p][p]Denmark even operated the F-35 (Draken) decades before it was fashionable, although this version solved its problems without stealth. Unlike the original Swedish interceptor, which had only limited air-to-ground capability, Denmark opted for a dedicated strike platform with excellent close air support performance.
[/p][p]Norway faced the opposite challenge. Vast distances, a long and broken coastline, and some of the most restrictive terrain in Europe defined Norwegian defence planning. The aim was not a decisive defensive battle at a single line, but a sustained national effort, delaying and disrupting an attacker across mountains, fjords, and narrow approaches, and surviving long enough for allied reinforcements to arrive. Light and medium forces, closely tied to their local areas, were expected to impose continuous friction rather than seek immediate resolution. Both approaches reflected the same underlying logic, but expressed through very different landscapes and operational assumptions.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Conscription Reality[/h2][p]Both countries shared one unavoidable constraint: small populations. Neither Denmark nor Norway could field large standing armies without exhausting their societies. Conscription and reserve systems were therefore not ideological choices, but necessities. This reliance on conscripts and reservists was both a strength and a vulnerability. On paper, it allowed the mobilisation of substantial forces. In practice, it meant that the early phase of a conflict would be fought by units still coming together, with varying levels of readiness and cohesion.
[/p][p]Material procurement was limited by the same small country constraints. The result was a force where older platforms were not anomalies, but integrated tools, used creatively to compensate for limited mass. In gameplay terms, Scandinavian units reward players who think in terms of roles and combined-arms cooperation, rather than brute force or technological superiority.[/p][p][/p][p]One notable contrast with Sweden lies in the use of air power. While Swedish air doctrine emphasized air defence and naval strikes, its western neighbours, operating as part of NATO’s integrated air structure, placed greater weight on direct battlefield support. Air assets were expected to shape the ground fight through strikes and interdiction. This has clear tactical implications. Air support is a tangible asset that must be timed, coordinated, and protected. Used well, it can compensate for limited ground mass. Used poorly, it is simply unavailable when most needed.
[/p][p]Yes, you are seeing that correctly. The presence of the F-16A reflects a broader reality of smaller European air arms during the late Cold War: standardisation. This left us little alternative but to include it, even if our design philosophy assumes that most air power would have been absorbed by deeper battles. As noted by contemporary air officers, tactical CAS would have been quite constrained, typically relying on dedicated platforms or helicopters rather than fast jets. It is likely that the F-16 will eventually trickle down to the US Air Force as well, though hopefully with a surprise or two along the way.[/p][p][/p][p]Taken together, Denmark and Norway complete the picture of Scandinavia as a region defined by defensive realism. These are armies built to operate outnumbered, accept limitations, and extract maximum effect from limited means. They are not about dominance, but about control of time, terrain, and escalation. And for commanders willing to think ahead, adapt quickly, and fight with restraint as well as resolve, Denmark and Norway offer some of the most rewarding challenges Armored Brigade II has to offer.
[/p][p]Alongside this DevDiary, we are opening a new beta build for the base game. This marks the beginning of a longer testing phase, and your feedback and suggestions will be essential. The update introduces a new camera mode, reworked anti-aircraft missile behaviour, and an initial implementation of AI stances that influence how formations interpret orders, whether defensive, neutral, or aggressive. We are starting with the Defend order first, but these are early steps toward a broader set of tactical AI behaviours intended to better express commander intent and reduce unnecessary micromanagement over time. This is currently STEAM ONLY, and can be accessed by: In Steam Library List [/p]

• [p]Right Click Armored Brigade II (in list)[/p]
• [p]Select Properties[/p]
• [p]Select Betas[/p]
• [p]In Beta Participation list (top right) select "beta - beta branch" [/p]

[p]Until next time, and best wishes for the holidays and the New Year,[/p][p]The Armored Brigade II Team[/p]