Steel Division 2 News

Hello, commanders!

We recently laid out a Roadmap of what’s coming to Steel Division 2. One of the major reveals was a new Army General expansion, the details of which - the Battle of Dukla Pass (working title) - were revealed last week.

Instead of detailing the other new DLC, a Tribute-style expansion, we decided to make a quick detour and focus on some balance changes coming to several in-game divisions.

Keep reading to find out more!

[h2]A bit of balancing work[/h2]

You might wonder where this rebalancing of several divisions is coming from. With the launch of Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, our most recent expansion, we set ourselves to work on a long-planned, but yet unrealized, rework of two existing “Normandy” divisions: the 3. Fallschirm-Division and the 21. Panzerdivision.

One thing led to another, and we realized more fine-tuning could be done on other divisions. At the root of it all was an inaccuracy we ported from the original Steel Division: Normandy 44. As you know, we introduced some battlegroups in Steel Division 2 through several expansions, including Steel Division 2: Back to War and Steel Division 2: Tribute to D-Day.

Artistic License versus History

Steel Division: Normandy 44 featured some artistic license, while Steel Division 2 veered towards following more accurately the historical Tables of Organisation & Equipment and Order of Battles. For instance, originally, we gave the 3. Fallschirm-Division some Luftwaffe-Jäger attachment “because they were both Luftwaffe.” In real life, when the 16. Lw-Felddivision was disbanded, its personnel were used to reinforce… the 21. Panzerdivision and other infantry divisions. Meanwhile, the 3. Fallschirm was, in turn, reinforced by a regiment from the green 5. Fallschirm-Division, which we treated as regular paratroopers.



Long story short: after MadMat punished himself severely by putting himself in the coal shed for a self-imposed “reflective” time-out, we got ready to fix some of these inconsistencies and historical errors that had snaked their way from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to Steel Division 2.

[h2]Fallschirm-Jäger Rework[/h2]
While the 3. Fallschirm is the main focus of the upcoming rebalancing, we have extended the changes to all in-game Fallschirm-Jäger divisions. This lets us make each of the battlegroups a bit more special. What can you expect?



3. Fallschirm-Division

• The division will lose all its Lw-JÄGER units (passed on to 21. Panzer).
  
• Existing Fs.-JÄGER will be renamed to Fs.-JÄGER (FG-42) to differentiate them from new Fallschirm-Jäger loadouts.
  
• The G-43 and FG-42 small arms were not that common. We have created several new loadouts to reflect better the diversity found in Fallschirm-Jäger armaments.
  
  • Fs.-JÄGER (ZF) squad with MP-40, Kar. 98, and two l.MG-42 plus one sniper rifle. The 3. Fallschirm-Division was rather well-equipped with these scoped rifles.
    
  • Fs.-JÄGER (MG-34), as above but retaining the l.MG-34 and featuring a Panzerfaust instead of a sniper rifle.
    
  • Fs.-JÄGER featuring MP-40, Kar. 98, and one l.MG-42, plus PzFaust. More soldiers in a squad, but less experienced, representing 5. Fallschirm-Division reinforcements.
    
• While the 3. Fallschirm had eight cards of the FG-42 variant, they will now only have two. The other six will be either Fs.-JÄGER (ZF) and Fs.-JÄGER (MG-34), with additional green Fs-JÄGER replacing Lw-Truppen in latter phases.

The above changes will also affect other Fallschirm-Jäger divisions.

• The 1. Fallschirm-Division will replace one of its three Fs.-JÄGER (FG-42) with one of Fs.-JÄGER (ZF).
  
• And historically, the 4. Fallschirm-Division never received its consignment of FG-42. This means that the current six cards of Fs.-JÄGER (FG-42) will be replaced by four Fs.-JÄGER (MG-34) and two Fs.-JÄGER (ZF).

[h2]Some love for the 21. Panzer[/h2]
As you can expect, one of the main changes coming to the 21. Panzer is getting hold of the 3. Fallschirm’s Lw-JÄGER and Lw-FÜHRER infantry as late-game reinforcements. But that’s not all.



The 21. Panzer didn’t use GRILLE fire support guns. It used its own specific SDKFZ. 135/1 instead. The same vehicle was also used to replace the HUMMEL in artillery battalions, as we already depict in-game. This is why:

• We have reworked the SDKFZ. 135/1 as a fire support gun, replacing the GRILLE, which has been removed from the division.
  
• The same SDKFZ. 135/1 has been duplicated under the LORRAINE(f) 150mm name (to match the smaller counterpart, the LORRAINE(f) 105mm) and given the very same stats. It replaces the SDKFZ. 135/1 in the ART tab.
  
• Another defining feature of the 21. Panzer was that it contained two entire companies of PAK 43 88mmAT guns (not just one, which, besides, was already unusual). Therefore, we doubled the number of cards for this unit.
  
• REIHENWERFER and U304(f) FLAK cards were also increased to better match historical numbers.
  

Another rework concerns the attached s.Panzer-Abteilung 503, which was made up of two companies of regular TIGER E and only one of the mighty KÖNIGSTIGER. This heavy tank battalion only arrived in the Normandy theatre in July, a good month after the battle had started. This means the heavy armor will arrive later in-game, not from the beginning.

• The four cards of 1/2/- KÖNIGSTIGER will be reworked to one single card with -/2/4 availability.
  
• Two additional cards of TIGER E with -/4/6 availability have been added.
  

[h2]1. Pancerna[/h2]
Not all the changes are related to Axis divisions. The Allied Polish 1. Pancerna will also make its way through the workshop. Though not initially planned for a rebalance, it got swept up as happenstance collateral damage.

• The 1. Pancerna landed in Normandy with a shortage of personnel (meaning it couldn’t man as many tanks as other commonwealth divisions). However, the formation was (together with the French 2e Division Blindée) the only division for which the replacement issue improved during the course of the battle, with volunteers flocking in. These came from two sources: German POWs of Polish origins having been pressed into the Heer and a large community of local Polish miners in Normandy willing to join Maczek’s division. As a result, we have added a large, veterancy-locked Combat Phase B & C-card only of REKRUCI infantry, on par with the 2e DB’s VOLONTAIRES.
  
• As we were made aware, the 1. Pancerna’s tank destroyers, although generically labelled as “M10”, underneath were historically two variants deployed, the ACHILLES and WOLVERINES. To better reflect this, we removed two cards of the former and added one of the latter unit.
  
• We added a single Combat Phase A-only card of vetted STAGHOUND. Two were found at HQ, and we hadn’t considered adding them before due to their low number (not enough to make an unvetted card). This oversight has now been addressed.
  

A reminder! When this next patch is released, make sure to check your decks, especially if you have any Fallschirm-Jäger or 21. Panzer. Units will have been moved from category to category, while some might have disappeared altogether to be replaced (manually) by new ones!

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
Other changes on top of the ones detailed will come, but these three updated divisions will be the main feature of Steel Division 2’s upcoming patch.

That’s all for this DevBlog. Join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.

Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello, commanders!

In last week’s Steel Division 2’s Roadmap, we revealed not one but two upcoming expansions being in the works. One of the expansions would focus on delivering a new Army General campaign. In today’s DevBlog, let's detail this expansion further.

Please remember that everything is still a work in progress, including the title. Any new Army General campaign takes a considerable amount of time and resources to make. This also means this particular expansion might not be the first ready or to be delivered to Steel Division 2!

[h2]A bit of a disclaimer[/h2]
Let’s take a closer look at the Battle of Dukla Pass, a military campaign on the Polish-Slovak border lasting from early September to late October 1944. This series of battles featured the Axis Army Group Heinrici (made up of the 1st Panzer Army and the 1st Hungarian Army) opposed by the Soviet Marshal Konev, commanding elements of the 1st and 4th Ukrainian Front, as well as the 1st Czechoslovakian Army Corps (composed of former Czech soldiers exiled in the Soviet Union, refugees, Slovak POWs, etc.).



As some of you Steel Division 2 veterans might have noticed, the Battle of Dukla Pass is intimately tied to Nemesis: Slovak Uprising. This particular Nemesis option didn’t make the vote, even though we delivered Panzerdivision Tatra as a free division in the Reinforcement Pack #13 - Lucky 13. The roots of the campaign to be depicted in the Battle of Dukla Pass can be found in the uprising of Slovak forces in the summer of 1944.



[h2]Some history[/h2]
So let's go back several months in time. In March 1944, dissidents within the Axis Slovak Army, in league with the Allied Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London, started planning for a military uprising. The signs were on the wall. The Third Reich was faltering, and the fortunes of the German Army on the Eastern Front were, if not breaking clearly, under a lot of pressure. Operation Bagration hadn’t begun yet, but the Red Army steadily advanced towards the Slovakian border. It was only a matter of time.



The rebellion envisioned the Axis being kicked out as the Soviets were getting close to support the rebels. Key to the entire operation was the Carpathian bottleneck, connecting Slovakia to Poland, known as the Dukla Pass. It would have been secured from German hands and held long enough for the Red Army to pass through and advance straight into Slovakia.



When the uprising was executed on August 29th, the Slovak Army’s chief of staff fled by plane to the safety of the Soviet Army, leaving the rebels with no strategic direction. The Dukla Pass was not occupied, as soon after, secured instead by Axis-German and Hungarian forces. When the Red Army finally arrived, they faced a series of well-defended strong points centered on the mountain pass.



[h2]The Battle of Dukla Pass[/h2] The Battle of Dukla Pass campaign was fought in the second half of 1944. The Soviets, with their Czechoslovakian Corps, slogged through a Thermopylae-like battlefield to join up with Slovak Uprising rebels on the plains beyond. Time was of the essence; everything needed to be done to reach the insurrection before it would be crushed. But what was envisioned to take days turned into a grueling and highly contested battle that would last two months - and ultimately turn into a failure for the Allies.



Even when the Soviets forced the Dukla Pass, it didn’t result in a breakthrough into Slovakia proper. The Germans had prepared their defenses in-depth, turning the terrain into a verifiable “Valley of Death.” Countless Soviet tank wrecks could be counted after the campaign’s conclusion.



As we know, the Slovak Uprising was crushed on October 28th, 1944, mainly through the efforts of Panzerdivision Tatra. The Battle of Dukla Pass officially concluded with the failure of the insurrection.

[h2]Steel Division 2: Men of Steel[/h2]
Before we forget: Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, the latest expansion to be released for our World War II battle simulator, has hit the digital Steam shelves!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2499890/Steel_Division_2__Men_of_Steel/

Steel Division 2: Men of Steel brings 8 new divisions, as well as new nations, including Bulgaria. There is much more, from a host of new and unusual units to expanded Unit Traits and 2 new Aces. A wide range of new infantry and combat soldiers await your command, from the fearsome French Goumiers mountain warriors, Canadian-American Forcemen to elite Decima Mas Italian naval troops.

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s all for today’s DevBlog. We’ll return next week with fresh details of the new content coming to Steel Division 2!

Join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.

Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commanders!

It’s good to be back. Last week’s release of our newest expansion, Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, was an excellent way for us to hit the ground running! However, before we steam ahead, it is best to let you, our community, know which course we are taking.

Today’s DevBlog is a sneak peek into Steel Division 2’s roadmap. What does the future hold?

[h2]Steel Division 2’s Future[/h2]
First things first: with Steel Division 2: Men of Steel’s launch, we are nowhere near close to being finished with our World War II battle simulator. As we speak, new content and features are being planned for Steel Division 2. Of course, with our latest expansion out in the wild, we’ll closely monitor the current gameplay meta and see if any tweaks, changes, or updates are needed. Keep us informed of anything untoward!

With that out of the way, what things can you look forward to in Steel Division 2?

New Maps
You want maps? You got maps! We are planning two new free maps for Steel Division 2. Our resident map builders extraordinaires were quite busy with WARNO but, in recent times, have found some space to get cracking with Steel Division 2 again. The two maps will probably come as two separate, free Reinforcement Packs.



New Aces
Another free Reinforcement Pack is currently in the works to provide several new Aces to some existing divisions in Steel Division 2 lacking them. In case you have forgotten, Aces don’t provide any gameplay bonus but do come with their own unique camouflage or vehicle paint jobs, markings, and personal histories (and a lovely shiny golden-banded in-game portrait).



A New “Tribute” Expansion
One major (meaning big) expansion in the pipeline is a “Tribute” style (so think Steel Division 2: Tribute to the Liberation of Italy or Steel Division 2: Tribute to D-Day Pack). More details to come. To make it super clear: this will be a divisions-only expansion, so no maps (handled above in free Reinforcement Packs) nor Army General (detailed below, in its own, separate new expansion).



A New Army General Expansion
Sure to satiate your hunger for more Army General, a new expansion featuring this strategic mode is in the works. Yah! This one is separate from the “Tribute” style DLC. Once again, more info will be brought to you in the future!



And a gentle reminder to your over-eager beavers who post if you like multiplayer or single-player best and don’t care about the other every time we release a DLC: we are not ignoring any of our players. Our policy is to alternate a multiplayer-focused expansion with a single-player one. Hope this clears things up. Stay cool, calm, and collected, commander!

[h2]Steel Division 2: Men of Steel[/h2]
You couldn’t have missed it, but in case you did, Steel Division 2 has a new expansion!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2499890/Steel_Division_2__Men_of_Steel/

Steel Division 2: Men of Steel brings 8 new divisions, as well as new nations, including Bulgaria. There is much more, from a host of new and unusual units to expanded Unit Traits and 2 new Aces. A wide range of new infantry and combat soldiers await your command, from the fearsome French Goumiers mountain warriors, Canadian-American Forcemen to elite Decima Mas Italian naval troops.

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s it for this Steel Division 2 roadmap. Let us know what you think. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.

Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

As always, see you on the battlefield, commander!

And don't forget, today is Rugby World Cup's opening day, with France vs. New-Zealand!

FIXES:

• fixed both RSI & ITA's BERSAGLIERI's AT icons: the one with an AT weapon didn't have it, the other the opposite. Display bug only
  
• fixed MONT. MITR. 7,62mm's weapon model which displayed a mortar. Display bug only.
  
• fixed HELLCAT I's 6x.50 cal's display stats issue. Now they are similar to HELLCAT II.
  
• fixed CENTAUR IV's aim tim from 6s to 20s, on par with other similar gun.
  
• fixed PANZER IV H's veterancy ratios for PzD "GD", 5.SS, Dünkirchen & 4. Munte, on par with other divisions.
  
• fixed PZ.GREN. (SCHRECK)'s NATO icon from AT team to Infantry
  
• fixed DECIMA's displayed weapon models (display issue only)
  
• fixed NISEI LDR.'s displayed weapon models (display issue only)
  
• fixed 72-K 25mm's picture
  
• fixed (US) ENGINEER LEADER's displayed hand grenades
  
• fixed (US) CMDT SAPEURS' displayed hand grenades
  
• add the KANGAROO RIFLES their missing AT icon (display issue only)
  
• removed all leaders & commanders the Raider icon when they had it: command traits already have their own rules regarding frontline, overuling Raider
• changed VALENTINE KOMROTI's coaxial MG from Besa to Browning, as historical for a Valentine VII variant
  

ALLIES:

• standardized all M16/M17 AA halftracks' price from 80 to 60
  
• standardized all M16/M17 AA halftracks' base availability from 2/4/8 to 3/6/9
  
• decreased SHERMAN CALLIOPE's price from 140 to 130 (announced previously but forgotten)
  
• increased FORCEMEN's price from 30 to 35
  
• changed AB PARAS' availability from 6/12/24 to 6/12/18 + standardized vet ratios with AB PARAS (PIAT)
  
• increased TANKODESANTNIKI (and foreign equivalents)' price from 20 to 25, since PPSh 41's buff
  
• (Tyurin) unlocked HE rocket PE-3BIS from A, on par with AT ones
  
• (126LGK) added a card of VZVOD UPR. (= artillery leader)
  
• (SSB) added WYLLIS as transport option for FIELD ENGINEERS
  

AXIS:

• reclassified DECIMA MAS from "Commando Squad" to "Assault Command Squad"
  
• removed SS-GEB.-PIONIER's Shock trait, restricted to assault pioniers only
  
• (GD) added a A-phase only card of STUH 42
  
• (PsD) added KOMSOMOLETS as transport option for 75 K/40 75mm
  
• (Raappana) added KOMSOMOLETS as transport option for 75 PstK/97-38 75mm
  
• (Raappana) added KOMSOMOLETS as transport option for 81 Krh/36 81mm
  
• (Raappana) added RSO HUOLTO as transport option for 155 K/17 155mm
  
• (17D) added KOMSOMOLETS as transport option for 81 Krh/36 81mm (both variant)
  
• (17D) added RSO HUOLTO as transport option for 152 H/37 152mm
  

Commanders, get ready to deploy!

The newest Steel Division 2 expansion has just launched. Make way for Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, available now.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2499890/Steel_Division_2__Men_of_Steel/

Steel Division 2: Men of Steel brings 8 new divisions, as well as new nations, including Bulgaria. There is much more, from a host of new and unusual units to expanded Unit Traits and 2 new Aces. A wide range of new infantry and combat soldiers await your command, from the fearsome French Goumiers mountain warriors, Canadian-American Forcemen to elite Decima Mas Italian naval troops.



What does Steel Division 2: Men of Steel bring to the table?

[h2]Steel Division 2: Men of Steel launch[/h2]
The combat soldier of World War II takes center stage in Steel Division 2: Men of Steel.
From the elite to the weary, the historical fighting men from across the European front get their chance to shine in our latest expansion.

• Four new multinational Allied battlegroups and four Axis divisions await your command. From the legendary Allied Devil’s Brigade of the 1st Airborne Task Force to the staunch Finnish-Swedish defenders of the Axis 17. Divisioona, and the recently turned Allied Bulgaria with their armored Bronirana Brigada.
  
• Expand your arsenal with dozens of new units and soldier squads. These include Allied French Goumiers, a wide range of British Commandos, old and infirm Axis Grenadier, Dutch SS Landstorm, tank-accompanying Begeleittruppen, and many more. Other new units include the RM Centaur IV, wheeled armored C15TA, captured “heavy” Panzer P40 737 tanks, Schneider 220mm TR howitzers, while in the skies above the Spitfire Mk.XIV, P-61 “Black Widows”, and the heavy night fighter He 219 A-0 “Uhu” reign supreme.
  
• The Unit Trait system has enjoyed a major overhaul in Steel Division 2: Men of Steel. These include Tank Riders, infantry benefiting from staying close to armor to Shock troops, rear-line Security, and the new Commando trait.
  
• Two new Aces are included, providing a unique twist to existing units with personal backstories and new camouflage skins. You can deploy the Allied Sargeant Tommy Price deployable as a Forcemen Scout and the Hungarian tank commander Barnabás Kőszeghy in his Stug III G.
  

Note that Steel Division 2: Men of Steel comes with a balance update available to all non-owners of the expansion as well. Be sure to check out the patch notes for all the latest improvements and divisional updates, including the new Unit Traits being applied to a roster of existing units.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/919640/announcements/detail/3691316642328313280

[h2]Steel Division 2: Men of Steel Showcases[/h2]
Do you want to know the latest gameplay and unit insights of Steel Division 2: Men of Steel? Check them out below.

• In Showcase #1 we highlighted the arsenals of the 1st Special Force Brigade and Kampfgruppe von Tettau.
  
• In Showcase #2 it was time to put the spotlight on the 1st Airborne Task Force and 715. Infanterie-Division.
  
• In the third one, aptly named Showcase #3, the units of the Groupement Dody and the 17. Divisioona were detailed.
  
• And finally, in Showcase #4, we shared how the Bronirana Brigada and 1. Páncélos Hadosztály would look like in our new expansion.
  

[h2]Steel Division 2: Men of Steel Versus[/h2]
That’s not all. For more detailed historical backgrounds, read all about the new divisions (in pairs) in our Versus DevBlogs.



Versus

• The Wehrmacht reservist of the 715. Infanterie-Division and the paratroopers of the Allied 1st Airborne Task Force receive their highlight in our Versus #1 DevBlog.
  
• The Allied commandos of the 1st Special Force Brigade against the Market Garden-active Axis Kampfgruppe von Tettau in Versus #2 DevBlog.
  
• The Finish-Swedish Axis 17. Divisioona and the partisan-infused and mixed Allied Groupement Dody in the Versus #3 DevBlog.
  
• The Axis-Hungarian armored 1. Páncélos Hadosztály and the Soviet-allied Bulgarian Bronirana Brigada get their spotlight in Versus #4 DevBlog.
  

Aces
And if you want to read more about the two new Aces - Allied Sergeant Tommy Prince and Hungarian tank commander Barnabás Kőszeghy - you’ll encounter in Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, look no further and check out this dedicated DevBlog here.



[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
If you haven’t already gotten Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, grab it while it's still hot.

Join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.

Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!