Verdun News

A Truce Between Giants
Inspired by the true events of the Christmas Truce in 1914, the annual Verdun Christmas Truce event, which has been going on for 7 years already, is live again! Players will be able to experience this unexpected moment of peace and common humanity amidst the horror and chaos of the First World War.

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Players are 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. There’s a lot more to do and explore, so enjoy your time with your fellow players and do not fear any bayonet or artillery shell... though a snowball to the face is to be expected!



As 2019 comes to a close we’re excited to see the revamped version of Verdun released on consoles, and Tannenberg releasing on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2020.

Truce Timeline 2013-2019
The Christmas Truce has quite the storied history by now. It all began back in 2013…

2013
Things started on a quiet note, with a short update announcing an in-game truce between Frontline matches. Exchanging seasonal greetings, snowball fights, and football were the first features!

2014
In 2014 there was a longer announcement with some exciting competitions for the first time, and the first appearance of Scottish soldiers in Verdun – at the time, only for the Christmas Truce!

2015
For 2015 a new official trailer was released, and the ability to send Christmas cards to friends and family was implemented. As well as that, a brand new Christmas Truce map was added, full of delightful Christmas details. During the event, over 12,000 Christmas cards were sent from the frontlines!



2016
In 2016 we released a special temporary Christmas Truce DLC, with all proceeds going to the War Child charity. Everyone who donated this way got unlimited access to the Christmas Truce over this Christmas.

2017
The War Child donation DLC returned for 2017, with more money raised for charity. We also gave away some WW1 Game Series swag including trench whistles, game keys, and even a thermos or two!

2018
A new feature arrived in 2018 as part of a personal charity effort by M2H – tree planting! A new forest of 2,500 trees was donated by M2H as part of Trees for All, to be planted in the Netherlands and Uganda. Soldiers in the trenches of WW1 would prop up trees to serve as Christmas trees, so we added the ability to plant a tree and challenged the community to match our 2,500 trees, with one tree per player. In fact, more 6,000 trees were planted in-game!

2019
Which brings us to today, the seventh year of the Christmas Truce in Verdun. Some of you have been there every year since the beginning, and some will be joining for the first time this year. You can once again earn an annual special medal by participating in a Christmas Truce from the main menu, and staying until the end of the round! We wish everyone a merry Christmas and thank you all for your support!

Exciting news for Xbox fans; Verdun has been remastered bringing all kinds of new content and updates for the players, as well as a completely new look and feel.

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The graphics have been updated; with more detail on character models as well as other smaller improvements. In addition, a brand new audio system and soundscape has been developed, with improved weapon sounds recorded from real WW1 weapons made available by collectors.
AI controlled soldiers have also been added to the game to ensure battles are always filled. As a cherry on top of the cake, we’ve also added the latest St. Mihiel map, as well as the Tirailleurs Senegalese and ANZAC squad types to the game. There are numerous other improvements not mentioned, including various improvements in the gameplay, controls and interface.



You can check out the full changelog on Reddit.

Verdun is 60% off in the Steam Autumn sale!
Let your history minded friends know, or if you're feeling generous you could get it for them (nothing like a friend signing you up for service on the Western Front...)


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Tannenberg is 60% off right now as well, and there is a special event running in-game...
The Wolf Truce is based off newspaper reports at the time which described masses of hungry wolves attacking soldiers in the face of machine gun fire, gas and grenades! This report from a US newspaper is likely to have been just a little exaggerated, but more sober Russian sources do describe the danger wolves could pose to injured men or stragglers.



In the game a wolf attack gives players the choice to hold a ceasefire and work together to fight off the wolves, or go for complete chaos and continue the battle while also being harried by the pack. A medal can be earned if players manage to defeat the wolves while sticking to the ceasefire - it's harder than it sounds!

This screenshot was taken by a player during the first Wolf Truce event earlier this year.

We'd firstly like to express our appreciation for everyone who responded to our Armistice activities here and on social media with thoughtful comments. It’s great that after so many years, people are still showing their respect and commemorating the World War One.

This is an impromptu in-game Armistice captured by player bucklington.

Another Armistice screenshot by player Stephen Dedalus.


Next Sunday 24th November, player Ranjid is organising another great community re-enactment event.

You are invited to join a ferocious battle between the French and Germans at Saint Mihiel. Poilus and Senegalese Tirailleurs will face German Landser squads backed up by Stosstruppen and Pioneers. Since it's a battle in 1918, you can expect some less common weapons like the MP 18s and flamethrowers to be present.

This is re-enactment event, so you'll be expected to follow some basic instructions. Your reward is the chance to participate in coordinated 'over the top' mass charges following artillery barrages, bayonet attacks, and simply a more organized battle experience. There's nothing quite like it!

Sign up by shooting Ranjid a message - read all about the event here!

This was taken during a Saint-Mihiel battle event held earlier this year!

A screenshot from a previous re-enactment event.


We'd like to say thank you to Ranjid for his many wonderful events over the years. He has announced that he will retire from these events in 2020, and we wish him all the best.

Ranjid's favorite GIF from an event (check out the full quality version!)

Of course, you don't need any special permissions to arrange an event. In the x64 group we have seen some great matches planned on the EU and US servers, more info here. We love community events, and it'd be great to see others take the initiative and host some events of their own.

After agreeing the terms of the armistice at the Forest of Compiègne.

One hundred and one years ago today, the Armistice was signed between the allied powers and Germany. Earlier armistices had already been signed with German allies, and the Armistice of November 11th, 1918 finally ended fighting for good. It would be extended three times before the Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war.

In Verdun (and our Eastern Front WW1 game Tannenberg) 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.


Today we celebrate the end of World War One which lasted more than four years. But we also commemorate the 15-19 million who died, and the over 20 million wounded that survived the war - although with a cost. Wounds could be physical or mental; shell shock being perhaps the most well known mental effect of the war.

Shell shock encompassed a wide range of mental reactions to the horror of combat, which were poorly understood at the time. What soldiers in WW1 were experiencing would likely be classified as either combat stress reaction (for temporary effects), or if it was a longer term effect, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A soldier captured by the Germans in 1918, who was diagnosed with shell shock.

The term shell shock was coined because early analysis suggested that mental disorders might be caused by shockwaves from shells. Of course, this was not the case - physically uninjured soldiers could still suffer posttraumatic stress disorder. War correspondent Philip Gibbs wrote of soldiers suffering from ‘shell shock’:

Originally posted by Gibbs

Something was wrong. They put on civilian clothes again and looked to their mothers and wives very much like the young men who had gone to business in the peaceful days before August 1914. But they had not come back the same men. Something had altered in them. They were subject to sudden moods, and queer tempers, fits of profound depression alternating with a restless desire for pleasure. Many were easily moved to passion where they lost control of themselves, many were bitter in their speech, violent in opinion, frightening.

The breakdowns which could be caused by experience of war were often conflated with cowardice or a 'lack of bravery'. During the First World War, this was encouraged by some leaders due to an increasing shortage of manpower and also the unforeseen costs of disability payments to all those suffering mental injuries. After all, if a man was 'only suffering from a momentary loss of heart' he could be sent back into battle. A dismissive attitude towards shell shock could also be caused by simple ignorance. Royal Fusilier William Holbrook said:

Originally posted by Holbrook

I was reading some time ago where some general said, ‘There’s no such thing as shell shock.’ He ought to have, he should have been there. I mean it’s ridiculous to say things like that. You get a man, even if he was a strong man, you get a terrific burst from a shell within say three or four yards of you, you know. It does, it does upset them. Shell shock, oh my god yes.

Some doctors advocated the use of cruel 'treatments' like electric shocks to attempt to bring shell shock victims back to fighting condition.

The Cambridge History of the First World War estimates that 20% of soldiers may have
been affected by shell shock - but these numbers are uncertain, in part because the doctors at the frontlines may have avoided labelling injured men with psychological conditions that would not be considered worthy of a disability pension. One man who did receive a pension was Thomas Olive:

Originally posted by Olive

I used to have little breakdowns now and then and my wife used to be very frightened. It more or less used to happen at night, when I was in bed. I used to spring up off the bed, you know; it used to frighten her. My daughter, incidentally, is terribly nervous, she’s terribly nervous. My wife says it’s all my fault. Well I had shell shock, you see. I got blown up, you see, and it affected my whole system. I got a pension for about oh, what was it, about 9 shillings a week.

It’s worth noting that the 9 shillings a week was roughly equivalent to about 26 pounds / 30 euros / 33 dollars today. As mentioned before, many of those who suffered mental disorders as a result of their wartime experiences wouldn’t even get that.

When you pause to remember the Armistice today and think back of all those who fell during the war, also remember those who survived but were still scarred by their experiences, whether physically or mentally.