Developer Blog #153

Community members! It’s time to tell you about the next big free game update that will be released this year. This update will add a good deal of content and some improvements, too.
It will be published in 2 parts, with the second part coming early in 2025. So what’s in part 1? Keep reading!

[h2]Free update[/h2]
This one's for you!
The 10th big free game update (besides the 42 minor game updates since release in June 2021) is coming. As most community members will know, we add several updates containing free content to Call to Arms - Gates of Hell every year. This year will be no exception; Community Update 3 was completed in May, and the first part of Community Update 4 will also be ready before the year ends.

[h2]Content[/h2]
As far as the base game goes, this additional content increases “Ostfront” to roughly double the content it had when it was initially released. All in all, a lot of new content is coming your way.

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[h2]New Game Mode[/h2]
Earlier this year, we stated that we planned to add another new game mode in 2024. That is going to happen, indeed.
During the sale that followed the release of the “Airborne” DLC, we also stated that “a legend will return.” The legend we are talking about is that new game mode; it is a heavily reworked version of the classic one you know, with some important improvements that will make it more fun. The new game mode we’re talking about is “Frontlines.”
This mode has been requested by many in the community, so this is the legend we mentioned will make a return!

[h2]How it works[/h2]
Let’s start with a short explanation for those unfamiliar with this game mode.
“Frontlines” is an asymmetrical battle; the attacker has more resources than the defender, whereas the defender has an advantage because of the terrain the map offers.
At the start of the match, there is some preparation time, allowing the defender to augment the characteristics of the map with minefields, obstacles, clever positioning of weaponry, etc.
During this preparation phase, the attacker buys all the weapons of choice used in the attack. The amount of MP and CP is higher for the attacker than for the defender, so the attacker has a broader range of options and a lot of resources to play with.


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Then, when the preparation phase is over, it’s up to the attacker to take two “Frontlines,” each line consists of 3 smaller capture zones followed by one large capture zone. In a 2v2 frontlines match, for instance, if both attackers accomplish this, the first frontline is considered “taken,” and the defender must retreat and defend the second frontline.
While the battle is raging, a timer counts down the total match duration set by the host. This means there is limited time to take the frontlines; the more time in the match, the likelier it is for the attacker to capture both frontlines.
A round ends when the timer runs out, or all flags are captured.

In previous games with Frontlines, this is when round 2 would start. The map would reload, and teams would switch sides. The Defender would become the Attacker. However, at this point, it was common for players to quit and leave the game early, and it was rare for players to complete both rounds of frontlines with all players.
We wanted to remove this frustration while still capturing the essence of this game mode. We think the result is an improved version of this legendary game mode.

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[h2]Frontlines in Gates of Hell[/h2]
How it works in Call to Arms - Gates of Hell will be slightly different.
To introduce this gameplay style with a much lower chance of players quitting, we have made an important change; the battle will consist of 1 round, during which both defender and attacker have an equal chance of winning! If you want to trade places after the battle, you can still return to the lobby and play again. However, the balance should be such that both sides can win if they have the same ability or experience.

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[h2]Maps for Frontlines[/h2]
We intend to initially release 5 maps for this mode, ranging from 1 v 1 to 4 v 4. These will automatically scale down to the number of players in the lobby if the number is lower than the number of available slots. However, in this version of Frontlines, you can use bots! That means you will have a way to even out the number of occupied slots, and you’ll even be able to fight with human players on just one side.

In due course, we will produce Frontlines maps for Ostfront, Talvisota, and Liberation; the first set will be 5 maps, and over time, this number will go up to 12 and include maps for the Talvisota and Liberation DLCs as well.

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[h2]Destructibility[/h2]
We have also worked on the destructibility of several assets; several buildings will be made destructible with Community Update 4. Work on this will continue, and we will keep bringing more asset destructibility in the future. When Community Update 4 goes live, we will list the upgraded assets in our change log.
Destructibility, especially of “Ostfront” assets, has been on many players’ lists of wishes for changes in Call to Arms - Gates of Hell, so we’re glad we finally got around to upgrading this as well.

[h2]Open Beta[/h2]
We intend to start an open beta on Monday the 16th, so everyone will have a chance to try the new content for themselves. The open beta will run for several days; if nothing unexpected happens, Community Update 4 - part one - will go live just in time for the Steam winter sale, which will be our 3rd sale in 2 months!

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[h2]What’s next[/h2]
The first thing is the open beta for part one of Community Update 4. Part 2 is due in 2025, and it will be released as soon as it’s ready. We will be detailing the contents for part one when it goes live; part 2 deserves a separate blog, which we’ll produce as soon as possible.

[h2]Anything else?[/h2]

• We will feature in the Steam Real-Time Strategy Fest starting January 20th, 2025.
  
• During this fest, we will probably introduce reworked Soviet uniforms. Stay tuned!
  
• The official announcement of the British faction will be made in 2025