Steel Division 2 News

Hello commander!

We hope you are doing well. As you should know, our latest History DLC is Steel Division 2: Black Sunday. Here at Eugen, we are still busy dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s for this new expansion. We don’t have a release date for you - yet. We promise that “Black Sunday” is coming soon, though!

In the meantime, we’d like to take the opportunity to look at a variety of new features coming with “Black Sunday”, including the new Camouflage Skins, two new Aces, and lift the tip of the veil of several new units and models featured in the expansion.

[h3]New Camouflage Skins[/h3]

Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will deliver the last 15 of the 30 promised alternative Camouflage Skins. Much like the Aces detailed further below, you can select these new, historically accurate Camouflage Skin for a variety of vehicles, from fighter planes to tank destroyers. Which units will sport a fresh paint job?



Axis

• Germany: a 1943 Kursk camouflage for the Panther D.
  
• Germany: a new camouflage pattern for the StuG III G.
  
• Germany: a Fw-190 F-8 with a II/Schlachtgeschwader 4’s Italian theater camouflage and markings.
  
• Germany: a Hs-129 B-2/R-2 with a II/Schlachtgeschwader 2’s Tunisia/Sicily camouflage and markings.
  
• Germany: a Panzer II Luchs with a special camouflage as found with a surviving example in the French Saumur Musée des Blindés tank museum.
  
• Germany: a new skin for the Me-109 G-6/R-6 from III/Jagdgeschwader 3, as flown by the ace Alfred Surau (killed in February 1943).
  
• Romania: a R-2(Czech Panzer 35(t)) with dedicated winter camouflage, as used by Romanian troops positioned near the Don river in November 1942 (the Battle of Stalingrad).
  
• Romania: a R-35 featuring an official French army camouflage pattern as used by Romania at the beginning of World War II.
  
• Romania: a camouflage pattern for the JRS-79B (an Italian SM.79 Sparviero built under license by Romania).
  

Allied

• Soviet Union: a Spitfire Mk.VB in a Moscow air defense 1942 camouflage pattern.
  
• Soviet Union: a Pe-2 featuring a 125th Guards Bomber Regiment’s camouflage skin and markings as encountered in 1943.
  
• Soviet Union: a camouflage for the Yak-9T.
  
• Soviet Union: a Matilda II with a two-tone 1942 camouflage.
  
• Soviet Union: a SU-76i with a two-tone 1943 camouflage pattern.
  
• Soviet Union: a SU-76M with a special camouflage as found with a surviving example in the British Bovington tank museum.
  

[h3]Two new Aces[/h3]

As with our previous History DLCs, ”Black Sunday” will also feature two new Aces, one for each side. These special gold-rimmed units are commanded by real-life war heroes and carry their own unique camouflage patterns. They don’t offer any gameplay advantage over their Steel Division 2’s vanilla versions, however. The new Aces are:

Lazar Munteanu, a Romanian tank buster ace, flying a Hs-129 B-2/R-2. This Ace can be found with the History DLC’s Romanian Div. 4 Munte. Munteanu was the commander of the Romanian Air Force’s 8th Assault Group, which was nicknamed “Asfalt” for the daring way its pilots would fly as close to the deck as possible in their attack runs. He completed over 160 combat missions, including against his former comrades-in-arms in the latter part of World War II after Romania joined the Allies in fighting Nazi-Germany. Munteanu survived the war.

Konstantin Dmitrievich Denisov, a fighter ace and Hero of the Soviet Union, Denisov was the commander of the Black Sea Fleet’s 7th Naval Fighter Regiment. Found with the 7-y Mekh. Korpus, this Ace’s warplane is a P-40N Kittyhawk. Denisov’s combat experience stretched all the way back to fighting against the Japanese in 1938 before becoming famous during the Crimea campaign and the Siege of Sevastopol in 1941-1942. He flew 536 missions, shooting down 13 planes with an additional 6 shared. Denisov likewise survived the war.

[h3]New units and models[/h3]

We mentioned this before, but our new DLC will feature several new infantry models, mostly found with the Romanian divisions. These models can be encountered as new regular infantry, cavalrymen (Rosiori), motorized infantry (Vanatori Moto), and the elite mountaineers (Vanatori de Munte). The Soviets get to play around with new elite VDV infantry models.

There are also several new units in the new expansion not found in the six new divisions but instead in the two Army General campaigns.

• TACAM R-2 with the Div. 8 Cav. Mot., deployable as reinforcements during the Jassy campaign.
  
• Tatra OA vz.30 with the Divizia de Garda, also found in the Jassy campaign.
  
• T-80 found with 5th Guards Cavalry Corps, Jassy campaign. Not some kind of time travel trick, as this DLC’s T-80 is not the mighty Cold War version but a designation for an improved variant of the T-70. Phew… we dodged that bullet!
  
• ...
  

[h3]More about Black Sunday[/h3]

In case you’ve forgotten: our new History DLC will feature two Army General campaigns, two new Aces, 15 new Camouflage skins, 150 new units, and much more exciting new stuff. Check out the previous articles where we talk about each new division in detail.

• Armored Warfare Versus: Div. 1 Blindata "România Mare" VS 7-y Mekh. Korpus
• Mixed “hybrid” Versus: Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata up against Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina
• Elite Infantry Versus: Romanian Div. 4 Munte VS the Soviet 3-ya VDV

[h3]Steel Division 2’s History Pass[/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/988171/Steel_Division_2__History_Pass/

The best way to get the “Black Sunday” expansion is to get your hands on the Steel Division 2’s History Pass. Getting it grants you access to all three History DLCs for Steel Division 2. The History Pass includes the new “Black Sunday” expansion, as well as the The Fate of Finland expansion and The Death on the Vistula expansion.

[h3]Let us know what you think![/h3]

We’d love to hear from you! Do this on our
Steam forums and Eugen forums, or reach out through our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello there!

We hope you are doing well. Elite light infantry is the name of the game in today’s Steel Division 2: Black Sunday Versus post as we will be highlighting two hardened divisions, tempered by years of brutal Eastern Front warfare.

Keep on reading to find out more about how the Romanian mountaineers of Div. 4 Munte hold up against the Red Army’s airborne troops of the 3-ya VDV.

As both new Black Sunday divisions feature some seriously hardass soldiers, numerous squads of each battlegroup’s infantry forces will be able to count on the “Raider” trait. This allows them to fight behind enemy lines without suffering suppression penalties like regular troops.



[h3]Div. 4 Munte[/h3]

On the Romanian side, we have the expert mountaineers of the Div. 4 Munte (4th Mountain Division). As with many other armies during World War II, mountain troops were considered elite - even though this formation was the most junior of the four mountain divisions in the Romanian Army. Still better than your regular Romanian foot soldier, the Div. 4 Munte fought many battles on the Eastern Front, including the Crimean campaign, the Siege of Sevastopol, and in the Kuban bridgehead.

During the Jassy-Kishinev offensive, Div. 4 Munte was deployed in front of the Soviet foothold across the Dniester. Despite suffering heavy losses, the division was one of the few formations which held their ground, only retreating when ordered to do so. It didn’t get very far, though. Soon after, the mountaineers tried to break the encirclement of the German 306. Infanterie-Division, counter-attacking alongside an armored battlegroup of 13. Panzer against overwhelming odds. In the process, the Div. 4 Munte was annihilated by the advancing Red Army.

[h3]Div. 4 Munte’s main features[/h3]

With excellent infantry and good air support, the Div. 4 Munte is only able to deploy very light support in phase A. German reinforcements from 13. Panzerdivision beef up the selection of units from B onwards, giving the mountaineers a fighting chance to counter-attack the enemy.

• The bulk of the division’s infantry is made up of a new unit, the specialized Vanatori de Munte mountaineers, featuring the Raider trait where possible. Regular infantry and even penal troops can also be fielded.
  
• French R-35 light tanks can be deployed, while another new unit, the Vanatorul de Care R-35 tank destroyer variant, is also available. The latter is an indigenous design, mounting a 45mm Soviet AT gun in a redesigned turret on an R-35 chassis.
  
• German armored units from 13. Panzer provide additional firepower but are only available from phase B. This includes Panzer IV and even the uncommon Flammpanzer B2(f) found in the Support tab.
  
• Anti-tank forces are potent and can more than hold their own, with the division’s arsenal counting on PaK 97/38, PaK 38, and PaK 40, alongside the Vanatorul de Care R-35.
  
• The Div. 4 Munte also fields a large variety of artillery, mostly light guns (75mm to 120mm). The self-propelled German Hummel and Wespe can be deployed in phase B.
  
• New units can also be found guarding the skies above: Romanian-made IAR-81C fighter and fighter-bombers and the originally Polish PZL P.37 bombers. Players also have the ability to deploy JRS-79 bombers and recon Blenheims.
  

[h3]3-ya VDV[/h3]

Ah yes, the glorious Soviet paratroopers of the 3-ya VDV (3rd Guards Airborne Division) will strike fear in any enemy foolhardy enough to oppose them! These elite troops were never actually used in their intended airborne role, instead operating as light foot soldiers during the many battles of the Eastern Front, chiefly on the southern flank. Experiencing almost continuous combat since its inception in 1942, the 3-ya VDV fought in the Battle of the Demyansk Pocket, the Battle of Kursk, Battle of Kiev and in western Ukraine before participating in the Jassy-Kishinev operation.

During the offensive into Romania, the 3-ya VDV assaulted some of the most heavily defended Axis positions on the western flank. Reinforced with a tank brigade and a substantial amount of artillery and assault engineers, the earthbound paratroopers broke through the German-held lines, keeping up the advance and reaching as far as Ploiești before the end of the month. Later on, the formation took part in the Siege of Budapest and the Vienna Offensive, finally meeting British troops in central Austria at the close of World War II.

[h3]The 3-ya VDV’s main features[/h3]

Thanks to its do-or-die background, the 3-ya VDV has a very strong focus on close combat, while still counting on some decent artillery and air support.

• In the same vein as the Romanian mountaineers, the bulk of the Soviet paratrooper infantry found in the 3-ya VDV receive the “Raider” trait. They feature lots of SMGs, some squads equipped in their entirety with the infamous PPSh, making them ideal units to get close up and “personal” with the enemy.
  
• Its reconnaissance force is not one of the division’s strongest suits, with only light infantry and T-70 tanks deployable.
  
• The Support, Tank, and Anti-Tank tabs are pretty standard. In the latter, SU-76M PT tank destroyers, as well as VZOD PTR tank hunter squads can be found.
  
• A new unit is the WC.52 off-map artillery strike with 132mm smoke rockets. A massive curtain of smoke can be called in by this artillery observer, allowing the paratroopers to advance obscured and strike hard when the smokescreen lifts. It is the first off-map smoke loadout featured in Steel Division 2.
  
• The artillery forces are pretty solid, with regular 76,2mm and 122mm howitzers, reinforced with B-4 203mm super-heavy guns and Katyusha rocket launchers.
  
• While not cheap to deploy, IL-2 planes (in all varieties, including tank buster, rocket or napalm loadout) can be found in the Air tab, as well as IL-4 heavy bombers.
  

[h3]What to expect from Black Sunday[/h3]

The Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will feature six new divisions, two Army General campaigns, two new Aces, 15 new Camouflage skins, 150 new units, and much more exciting new stuff.

Today’s Versus post is the last in line for the new Steel Division 2: Black Sunday History DLC. If you haven’t, check out the previous articles where we take a good look at all the divisions featured in the new expansion.

• Armored Warfare Versus: Div. 1 Blindata "România Mare" VS 7-y Mekh. Korpus
• Mixed “hybrid” Versus: Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata up against Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina
  

[h3]Steel Division 2’s History Pass[/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/988171/Steel_Division_2__History_Pass/

Check out the seriously cool Steel Division 2’s History Pass. Getting it grants you access to all three History DLCs for Steel Division 2. The History Pass includes the new “Black Sunday” expansion, as well as the The Fate of Finland expansion and The Death on the Vistula expansion.

Do let us know what you think. You can do this on our
Steam forums and Eugen forums, or reach out through our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

In today’s Steel Division 2: Black Sunday Versus post, we’ll be shining a spotlight on two new “mixed” divisions launching with our upcoming third History DLC: the Romanian Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata goes up against the Red Army’s Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina.



Let’s see what makes these two “hybrid” battlegroups unique.

If you haven’t, be sure to check out last week’s Versus post taking a deep dive into two new armored divisions releasing with Steel Division 2: Black Sunday.

The Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will feature six new divisions, two Army General campaigns, two new Aces, 15 Camouflage skins, 150 new units, and much more exciting new stuff.

[h3]Steel Division 2’s History Pass[/h3]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/988171/Steel_Division_2__History_Pass/

Don’t forget, getting the awesome Steel Division 2’s History Pass grants you access to all three History DLCs for Steel Division 2. The History Pass includes the “Black Sunday” expansion, as well as the The Fate of Finland expansion and The Death on the Vistula expansion.

[h3]Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata[/h3]

Here’s a fun one! The Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata (the 5th Motorized Cavalry Division) was a horse cavalry division earmarked to be converted into an armored cavalry division by Romanian high command. However, due to the lack of equipment, the reorganization was stopped halfway. This means that this formation has a surprising amount of light armor, armored personnel carriers and armored cars, especially with its reconnaissance units, though its infantry are SMG-equipped cavalry troops (minus the horses) and its tanks forces are meager.

The Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata deployed on the western flank of the Romanian defensive lines, near Jassy. Here, the division stood in the path of the 2nd Ukrainian Front’s main assault. The 5 Cavalerie Motorizata, including a German StuG detachment, tried to stem the Soviet onslaught but was unsuccessful in its attempts. They were forced to withdraw to avoid being outflanked. After the 23rd of August coup, remnants of the formation were disbanded, with some of its soldiers fighting for the Soviets until the end of the war.



[h3]The Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata’s main features[/h3]

While the Division 5 Cavalerie Motorizata might lack strong tank forces, it makes up with a high variety of reconnaissance units, anti-tank guns, and air support.

• Its reconnaissance forces rely on a large variety of lightly armored vehicles: R-1 (Czech AH-IV tankette), R-2 (Czech Panzer 38), AB Usor (Italian AB41 Autoblinda) and AB Horch (SdKfz. 222), and a few SdKfz. 247 wheeled armored personnel carriers.
  
• The division’s infantry is mostly Rosiori (cavalry troops) using Beretta SMGs instead of the MP-40s or indigenous Orita M1941.
  
• The 5 Cavalerie Motorizata was supported in the field by a German StuG-Brigade, which brings its own set of units including StuG III G, Panzer II Luchs and Begleit-Grenadier rifle squads.
  
• The Breda AC 47mm, a Swiss-Italian anti-tank gun, can also be used in a fire support role.
  
• Further anti-tank forces are formed of Panzerschreck squads and heavy-duty Solothurn anti-tank rifles, captured Soviet 45mm AT guns and even the excellent Resita AC 75mm gun.
  
• Next to a complement of French 25mm and twin 13,2mm, an attached AA battalion provides heavier-hitting guns, including 40mm Bofors and 75mm dual-purpose Vickers guns.
  
• The 5 Cavalerie Motorizata is entirely equipped with Soviet artillery captured during the Crimean campaign. This means that, alongside mortars, F-22 76,2mm and M30 122mm gun-howitzers can be deployed.
  
• The Air tab features Romanian IAR-37 biplane bombers and IAR-80M fighters and fighter-bombers. Other planes include Ju-87D-3 and Hs-129 tank busters, as well as He-111 and Ju-88 bombers.
  

[h3]Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina[/h3]

Another unusual formation was the ad-hoc Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina (Naval Group Bakhtina) named after its commanding general. A mission-focused battlegroup, this division’s principal task was to perform an amphibious assault across the Dniester estuary on the eastern flank of the Soviet operation into Romania. Here, the Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina had to neutralize the medieval Akkerman fortress harboring modern coastal guns controlling the river’s exit into the Black Sea. This historical castle prevented the nearby Soviet fleet from supporting the offensive.

Think of this attack as the Soviet version of D-Day meets “The Guns of Navarone”. Made up of naval brigades, the Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina was earmarked to perform the daring deed. It could count on special forces naval infantry (OSNAZ) and off-map MLRS rocket-launcher barges for fire support. The subsequent assault waves featured engineers, recon units with a few armored vehicles, and regular infantry from the 259th Rifle Division. The battlegroup was disbanded quickly after successfully capturing the fortress.



[h3]The Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina’s main features[/h3]

The Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina fields very strong infantry, and can count on decent recon troops and sizable air support. While weak in armor, anti-tank, and AA defenses, it reigns supreme in close combat.

• To represent the various assault waves, only naval troops and OSNAZ special forces are available in phase A (and, of course, in B and C). Other units become available in later phases, such as regular troops in B, tanks from B onwards, etc.
  
• All naval infantry units have access to a sizable amount of GPA and DUKW amphibious vehicles.
  
• Reconnaissance units are made up of naval combat scouts and the kick-ass OSNAZ recon and Navy OSNAZ units (new unit).
  
• Infantry is where Morskaya Gruppa Bakhtina truly shines, with special naval infantry available from phase A (including amphibious vehicles) and regular Strelki rifle squads deployable from phase B.
  
• Armored support is rather limited, with only a single card of T-34/76 tanks available in phase B.
  
• While the on-map artillery availability is very light, the battlegroup can count on many heavy off-map artillery units, including MLRS volley from BKA river boats and even 180mm coastal guns.
  
• The Soviet Black Fleet Navy’s Air Force provides some unique planes, including rather interesting reconnaissance fighters, such as the Spitfire Mk. VB or the old MiG-3-34. Quite a few planes can be used as tank busters or are equipped for carpet bombing or napalm runs.
  

[h3]Next Week[/h3]

We are very curious to hear what you think of these new divisions. Don’t forget to take a peek at our
Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

The last two new divisions of Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will be showcased next week!

Until then!

Good day to you!

Welcome back to another Steel Division 2 Versus blog post. Today’s focus will be Steel Division 2: Black Sunday, the new History DLC set to release in the not-too-distant future!

If you missed our announcement last week, don’t hesitate to read all the juicy bits of our reveal here. The “Black Sunday” History DLC transports the action to the southern flank of the Eastern Front, where at the tail-end of August 1944, the Soviets are ready to launch their strategic Jassy-Kichinev operation into Romania.

We will look at each of the six divisions shipping with the latest History DLC, with this new expansion bringing over 150 new units. In today’s Versus post, two mechanized divisions from both sides take center stage: the Romanian “Greater Romania” 1 Blindata (1st Armored Division) goes up against the Red Army’s 7-y Mekh. Korpus (7th Mechanized Corps).

[h3]The “Greater Romania” 1 Blindata[/h3]

All three Axis divisions in Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will be Romanian, and as such, feature unique weapons and vehicles that were historically used by this Eastern European Axis ally, including indigenous designs. Not only that, but all Romanian troops will also feature a full voice-over. Who knows: maybe you’ll get fluent in typical Romanian curses at the end of it!

The “Greater Romania” 1 Blindata was arguably the premier fighting force of Romania, but in direct comparison with the best the Third Reich had to offer, the Romanian Army’s sole armored division was closer in line with a Panzergrenadier division. By the summer of 1944, the 1 Blindata had already been destroyed and reconstituted several times over while fighting on the Eastern Front. In the latest reorganization, this division found itself fielding mostly German armored vehicles, including the venerable Panzer IV and StuG III. Locally produced materiel such as the TACAM T-60 tank destroyer and the outstanding Resita 75mm AT gun can also be found with the 1 Blindata.




The 1 Blindata was the armored reserve of the Romanian 4th Army, finding itself on the western “Jassy” pincer of the Soviet operation. When the Red Army began its offensive in earnest, the 1 Blindata bravely counter-attacked the Soviet forces with the German Kampfgruppe Brausch (from the 20. Panzer) under its command, but to little avail. Despite suffering substantial losses, Romania’s armored division didn’t break, instead engaging into a fighting retreat for the next couple of confusing days, trying to cover as many friendly units as possible. The division surrendered to the Red Army later in August. Afterward, part of the 1 Blindata was interned in POW camps, while a number of its soldiers were used to form an armored detachment, fighting under Soviet command until the end of the war.

[h3]The 1 Blindata’s main features[/h3]

• The bulk of the division’s armored forces is made up of German vehicles, including the T.4 (Panzer IV H) and T.A. (StuG III G). A few elite German-commanded Panzer IV, survivors of the Bobruisk escape sent south to recover, can be deployed.
  
• Several light armored vehicles can also be found in its arsenal, such as the AB Horch (SdKfz. 222) and SdKfz. 250 and 251 half-tracks.
  
• An indigenous Romanian design is the small and cheap TACAM T-60 tank destroyer made of two separately captured Soviet pieces of equipment: an F-22 howitzer mated with a T-60 light tank.
  
• The Resita AC 75mm is an anti-tank gun combining all the best features of the German PaK 40 with the Soviet ZiS-3. Devastating penetration, accurate and is capable of delivering indirect fire.
  
• Both German and older French AA guns provide air defense, mostly smaller calibers such as the FAMO F3 half-track with 37mm gun, 25mm Hotchkiss gun or truck-mounted twin 13,2mm Hotchkiss .
  
• Air cover is provided by a wide variety of different planes, including “home-grown” IAR-81 fighters, German Stuka dive bombers, Me-109, Hs-129, the veteran Bf-110 and even Italian SM.79 bombers (built under license in Romania as the JRS-79B).
  
• The 1 Blindata might not be a flashy show-off division, but it has few real drawbacks, allowing it to be a balanced choice on the battlefield.
  

[h3]7-y Mekh. Korpus[/h3]

On the Allied side, we find the 7-y Mekh. Korpus (7th Mechanized Corps), one of the main mobile Red Army formations in the eastern pincer of the offensive (the Tiraspol sector). This corps broke through the Romanian defensive lines and contributed significantly to closing the encirclement around the German 6th Army which occupied the central part of the Romanian defensive lines.




Made up of a mix of recruits and Stalingrad veterans, this formation supported the main attack of the 3rd Ukrainian Front on the west bank of the Dniester. After continuing through Romania, the 7-y Mekh. Korpus kept fighting until the end of the war, taking part in the Budapest Offensive and the liberation of Prague, before being ordered east where it fought Japanese forces during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Talk about a journey!

[h3]The 7-y Mekh. Korpus’ fighting strengths[/h3]

• While similar to the 3-y Gv. Mekh. Korpus in the infantry it fields, this new formation doesn’t feature any partisan troops.
  
• The corps’ armored component is mostly made-up of T-34/76s tanks.
  
• The last surviving SU-76i in service with the Red Army can be found with this division. One of the few cases of captured German vehicles (in this case either StuG III or Panzer III mounting a Soviet 76,2mm gun casemate-style) which was actually loved by the Soviet soldiers.
  
• The few remaining British lend-lease Matildas in the southern part of the Eastern Front are attached to this formation.
  
• Lots of heavy support, in the form of SU-122, SU-152, and ISU-122S self-propelled guns.
  
• The Air tab is mostly made up of twin-engined Pe-2 variants, with P-40N fighters providing top cover.
  
• 7-y Mekh. Korpus features a balanced mix of medium tanks and regular infantry, but it can count on heavy support vehicles to bring some massive firepower to bear.
  

[h3]Steel Division 2’s History Pass[/h3]

To recap: Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will feature six new divisions, two Army General campaigns, two new Aces, new Camouflage skins, and 150 new units, and much more exciting new stuff.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/988171/Steel_Division_2__History_Pass/

As you might know, getting the awesome Steel Division 2’s History Pass grants you access to all three History DLCs for Steel Division 2. The History Pass includes the “Black Sunday” expansion, as well as the The Fate of Finland expansion and The Death on the Vistula expansion.

[h3]Next Week[/h3]

Let us know what you think! You can do this on our
Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page. Discord especially is a great place to find other Steel Division 2 players to kick off an online or coop match!

Next week, we’ll keep on exploring a new set of divisions, which will appear with Steel Division 2: Black Sunday.


Until then, see you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello Commanders!

Hot on the heels of the popular Tribute to D-Day Pack and the new online Army General Versus mode we have prepared another big day for you.

After last week’s tease, we can finally unveil all the juicy details of our next History DLC. We couldn’t fool you for much longer. Some of you already shrewdly guessed that Steel Division 2’s new battlefields would be on the southern flank of the Eastern Front.

That’s right: the new Steel Division 2 History DLC is named Black Sunday and will focus on the chaotic battles on Romania’s frontiers in the summer of 1944.




[h3]Steel Division 2: Black Sunday features [/h3]

• 6 new divisions, three on each side (all Axis divisions will be Romanian),
  
• 2 Army General campaigns,
  
• 2 new Aces,
  
• 15 new Camouflage skins,
  
• 150 new units,
  
• new infantry and weapon models,
  
• full voice-over
  
• and much more exciting new stuff.
  

Keep on reading to find out more!



Steel Division 2: Black Sunday transports the action to Romania, with the new expansion taking place at the start of the strategic Soviet Jassy-Kichinev operation in late August 1944. Let’s talk history for a bit.





While the Third Reich was pulling out formations all along the Eastern Front to reinforce its forces primed for battle near the Vistula river (one of the last, yet short-lived, local Axis victories at the gates of Warsaw) the Soviet Stavka was already planning its next move.

The new strategic offensive would take advantage of the weakened southern Romanian front, where once-powerful armored reserves had been steadily siphoned off to join the fight up north. Here, poised on the borders of one of Hitler’s remaining Axis allies, the Soviets were plotting a rerun of the Stalingrad campaign.

Using a two-pronged attack against Romanian troops on each flank of the German 6th Army, the Soviets planned to trap the reformed Wehrmacht formation between the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Front. To achieve this, the Red Army needs to push through mainly Romanian divisions near the defensive strongpoints in the Jassy and Tiraspol sectors.

Stalin had an overarching aim to this strategic offensive as well: to knock Romania out of the war. This Eastern European country had been an Axis ally since 1941, and with popular support crumbling after many years of hard fighting on the Eastern Front, it was now on the cusp of switching sides to the Allies.

The date is August 20th, 1944, and the summer has been hot and long. Black Sunday, the worst day in terms of Wehrmacht casualties, is about to occur.



We promised the proud owners of Steel Division 2 General Deluxe and Total Conflict Edition’s three Army General campaigns, but we decided to go crazy and give you four instead!





Steel Division 2: Black Sunday will feature two Army General campaigns, one for each of the Soviet pincers of the Jassy-Kichinev offensive. As a matter of fact, the whole theatre would not fit on a single Army General map - not even our largest one. Instead of Historical Battles, we put more emphasis on Army General mode, splitting up the historical operation into two separate campaigns, which will show both strategic “arms” in northwestern Romania with the highest amount of detail.

The Jassy campaign will pit the 2nd Ukrainian Front against the Romanian 4th Army and part of the German 8th Army. This operation features some major formations such as the Soviet 5th Guards, the 18th and 23rd Tank Corps, the 5th Mechanized Corps and 5th Guards Cavalry Corps, versus the Romanian 1st Armored Division, 5th Motorized Cavalry Division, and remnants of the 20. Panzerdivision. Yes, the same one already featured and nearly destroyed in Bobruisk, was afterward sent to Romania for rest and refit.

The Tiraspol campaign features the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front versus the Romanian-German Armeegruppe Dumitrescu. The Soviet 4th Guards and 7th Mechanized Corps, a special-purpose Naval Group Bakhtin, square up against Romanian infantry and mountain divisions, supported by the Romanian 1st Motorized Cavalry Division and German 13. Panzerdivision.







The “Black Sunday” DLC will feature six new divisions in total: three on the Axis side, all of which will be Romanian, and three on the Allied side. This means that the promised total of 12 divisions will actually reach 16 with the new DLC’s divisions!

As mentioned, the new History DLC will bring over 150 new units, including 21 brand-new models and 22 major variants. Not only that, there will be 15 new alternative camouflage skins to select for a number of Steel Division 2, as well as two new Aces. Of course, you’ll also find new Romanian infantry models, new weapon models, with all soldiers fully voiced.





While the new Tribute to D-Day reintroduced airborne divisions to Steel Division 2, “Black Sunday” will also give you a taste of true Eastern Front paratroopers with the introduction of Soviet VDV (now you realize how much you missed this song!).

[h3]The Axis[/h3]

• 1 Blindata "România Mare" - Destroyed and reconstituted many times over, the 1st Romanian Armored division was the only one of its kind in the Romanian Armed Forces.
  
• 4 Munte - Elite soldiers, the 4th Mountain Division had been bloodied many times in the vicious fighting on the Eastern Front. The formation’s veteran infantry carries the “Raider” trait.
  
• 5 Cavalerie Mot. - halfway mechanized, this formation features a variety of light armored recon vehicles.
  

[h3]The Allies[/h3]

• Morsk. Gruppa Bakhtina - Formed out of Black Sea naval brigades and infantry troops from the 46th Army.
  
• 7-y Mekh. Korpus - A formation made up of a mix of green recruits and Stalingrad veterans.
  
• 3-ya VDV - This elite division is formed of battle-hardened paratroopers with the “Raider” trait, supported by assault pioneers and a tank brigade.
  

We are still hard at work on Steel Division 2: Black Sunday, so we are not ready (yet) to give you an exact launch date. Keep your ear to the ground!

As you might know, getting Steel Division 2’s History Pass grants you access to all three History DLCs for the game. The History Pass includes today’s “Black Sunday” expansion, as well as the The Fate of Finland expansion and The Death on the Vistula expansion.

Let us know what you think! You can do this on our
Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page. Discord especially is a great place to find other Steel Division 2 players to kick off an online or coop match!

We will look at some exciting new features of Steel Division 2: Black Sunday in more detail in the near future.

Until then, see you on the battlefield, commander!