Steel Division 2 News

Hello commanders,

Apologies for the radio silence! We know it’s been a while since our last DevBlog, but we have run into some last-minute blocking issues regarding Steel Division 2’s new expansion Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass.

Read on!

[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass’ Slight Delay[/h2]
We have detected a problem with the Slovak acknowledgment and dialogue lines, which forced us to postpone the release to a later date. We are working our darndest to get this fixed as soon as possible. When we do, we’ll return with a new release date.



What we can share with you in today’s DevBlog is some of the major balance changes coming to Steel Division 2 at the expansion’s launch. A patch, available to all owners of Steel Division 2, will be made available at release.

What are some of the things you can expect?

• New New Valentine X, BT-5 and Yak-9K models for a series of existing Allied Soviet divisions, free of charge thanks to the Reinforcement Pack #17 War Reserves.
  
• As we had a bit more time, we modeled a new unit for the expansion’s 208. Infanterie-Division: the late war (and quite rare in our timeframe) IG 37 infantry gun. This is a combination of the PaK 36’s anti-tank gun’s towed carriage and the IG 42’s infantry gun’s barrel, with a muzzle break. Equipped with a more efficient HEAT round compared to its IG 17 predecessor, the IG 37 is an infantry gun more capable in an AT role. For the same division, we also created the new FUSILIER (MP-44) squad, which, unlike the SKI. STURMFÜSILIER, exchanged only the Kar. 98 rifles for MP-44, retaining the original SMG and LMG loadout.
  
• While we are mentioning this iconic weapon, the MP-44 has been reworked to deal more suppression, but less damage. All concerned squads equipped with this weapon, across the board, will have been updated with price and availability adjustments.

Additional, more specific changes:

• The P-51 and APACHE fighter-bomber roles have received a price buff.
  
• The CHURCHILL IV (the one with a 57mm tank gun) has received a hefty armor buff (plus price adjustment).
  
• We have introduced some existing Soviet equipment to more divisions: ZiS-2 towed guns for the 7-y Mechanizi. Korpus (Steel Division 2: Black Sunday plus the SU-57 to the 3-ya Gvard. Tankovy Korpus and the 19-y Tank Korpus (Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics).
  
• The German PIONIER squad got a price bump across the board, while the STURMPIONIER receiving an update on its availability.
  
• STUG and PANZER IV received a price buff, while the MARDER (all types) and the PaK 43 got an availability update.
  
• Lastly, the Finnish Rhymä Raappana's divisional AT capabilities have been reinforced.

With regards to the above updates, especially the Axis buffs, we wanted to make underperforming infantry divisions a little bit more viable on the Steel Division 2 battlefield.

[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass Expansion[/h2]
If you want to do some background reading, check out the Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass expansion previews.

• The expansion features 1 massive Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Dukla Pass. Read more about the historical context and in-game battlefield here.
  
• Plus 6 new Divisions, playable in both single-player and multiplayer. These include the Allied 1. Československý Armádní Sbor, the Soviet 242-ya Gornostrelkovaya, and Slovak National Uprising, while the Axis deploy the 208. Infanterie-Division, the Hungarian 13. Gyaloghadosztály, and the 18. SS-Fr.-Panzergrenadier "Horst Wessel".
  

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
That’s it for this DevBlog. We hope to be back very shortly!

Make sure to 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.

Hello commanders,

We return with another update on Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass’s progress.

Quite a few things to show off, so let’s dive in.

[h2]Getting Close to the Finish Line[/h2]
The Eugen team is putting the finishing touches on the next Steel Division 2 expansion. One of the big-ticket items recently finished are the 3D models. Check some of them out below.





We’ve also put some hard work into re-skinning existing models. All are now done. See for yourself.





What remains are the infantry units’ portraits, and the final tweaks and adjustments to the Army General’s campaign.

Beyond the art, we are also happy to report that we now have an official 10vs10 server playing the Dukla Pass map (the last Steel Division 2 battlefield released)!

[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass Intro Video[/h2]
And last, but not least, let us share with you the official Battle of Dukla Pass intro video. Drumroll please, maestro…!

[previewyoutube](insérer la vidéo M10_Dukla_Pass_Intro_Master: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2GJpbt998isOUJ4ZVhCQWRCM0U?resourcekey=0-MzEszYsoJ9Fcw9cxhOTT4Q)[/previewyoutube]

While the Steel Division 2 DevBlogs have been a bit more irregular lately, whenever the next one comes (and that might not be next week), it should inform all of you of Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass’ release date!

[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass Expansion[/h2]
If you want to do some background reading, check out the Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass expansion previews.

• The expansion features 1 massive Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Dukla Pass. Read more about the historical context and in-game battlefield here.
  
• Plus 6 new Divisions, playable in both single-player and multiplayer. These include the Allied 1. Československý Armádní Sbor, the Soviet 242-ya Gornostrelkovaya, and Slovak National Uprising, while the Axis deploy the 208. Infanterie-Division, the Hungarian 13. Gyaloghadosztály, and the 18. SS-Fr.-Panzergrenadier "Horst Wessel".

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
We’ll return in the not-too-distant future!

Make sure to 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, commanders.

Hello commanders,

We’ve arrived at the final stretch of production for the upcoming Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass expansion. We’re getting closer and closer to release!

As the Eugen team is hard at work, it does mean that today’s DevBlog will be a short one.

[h2]What we are working on[/h2] Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass has had its fair time gestating, but we are putting the finishing touches on our latest Army General-focused expansion.

Such as?

We are translating and recording the latest batch of acknowledgments (for instance, the various Ukrainian SS units). i.e. 18. SS should sound like a Tower of Babel as below, with German, French, Hungarian and new Ukrainian acknows:

[previewyoutube][previewyoutube][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

At the same time, we are editing the intro videos and briefings, plus implementing the voice-acting of these videos.

We are polishing the last units in order to do a “photoshoot” of all the new units’ cards.



And of course, we are creating the infantry cards themselves, which have a different process.

All the while, the new divisions are being tested and tweaked by the Steel Division 2 Strike Team.

Don’t forget that the Eugen team is also hard at work delivering the missing updated units from Reinforcement Pack #17 - War Reserve.



[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass Expansion[/h2]
To tide you over the waiting period, be sure to check out the Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass expansion previews.

• The expansion features 1 massive Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Dukla Pass. Read more about the historical context and in-game battlefield here.
  
• Plus 6 new Divisions, playable in both single-player and multiplayer. These include the Allied 1. Československý Armádní Sbor, the Soviet 242-ya Gornostrelkovaya, and Slovak National Uprising, while the Axis deploy the 208. Infanterie-Division, the Hungarian 13. Gyaloghadosztály, and the 18. SS-Fr.-Panzergrenadier "Horst Wessel".
  

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
We’ll be back soon!

Make sure to 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, commanders.

Hello all!

In today’s DevBlog, we’ll take another look at the new Army General campaign to be featured in the upcoming Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass.

Let’s dive in!

[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass History[/h2]
So, we have already taken multiple opportunities to preview the historical context around the Battle of Dukla Pass. We’ll briefly sum it up, but some additional historical reading can be done here (in the very first Nemesis offering detailing the Slovak National Uprising, our first preview DevBlog, or our recap DevBlog here).

In brief, the Battle of Dukla Pass focuses on a heavily contested series of Eastern Front battles in September and October 1944, which saw the attacking Red Army force its way through a narrow valley in the Carpathian mountains. Their goal was to reach the rebelling Slovak Army, or the Slovak National Uprising, encircled and slowly being crushed by numerous Axis formations and security units.



The combat was especially bloody, as the German units had excellent defensive positions, even if their reserves were limited. As they held onto the flanks, the Soviets had no way but to assault frontally through the Dukla Pass; a particularly destructive campaign with the location quickly being dubbed “The Valley of Death” by the surviving Red Army foot soldier. Unable to make reasonable headway, and the SNP being destroyed in October, saw the cancellation of the Allied offensive in late 1944.

[h2]The Dukla Pass Army General Campaign[/h2]
The Army General campaign will kick off on September 8th, 1944, with the Allied Soviets playing first - being on the offensive, and all. The campaign is set to end on September 15th, 1944, covering the first week of the historical fighting. Although the Battle for the Dukla Pass officially lasted for about seven weeks, the Red Army quickly ran out of steam between September 10th and 20th, with the rest of the combat being a prolonged grind with mounting casualties leading nowhere, before the Soviets finally threw in the towel.



At our cut-off date, both sides’ armies changed drastically, with troops and units being switched from one side of the corridor to the other, some others being pulled out (such as the Allied Czechoslovakians). These actions we couldn’t represent accurately within the Army General campaign. And as such, if we would have continued after this date, the battle would not have looked anything remotely similar to the historical Battle of Dukla Pass.

On the Soviet side, the player takes command of the 1-y Ukrainskiy Front (1st Ukrainian Front) as Marshal Ivan Stepanovitch Konev. Aside from an artillery division and several smaller independent brigades and regiments, all units involved will come from the 38th Army.



The German counterpart will be Heeresgruppe Nordukraine (Army Group North Ukraine) with its commander, Generaloberst Joseph Harpe. Under his command will be two corps from two different armies (since the Soviet offensive strikes right at their junction): the 17. Armee's XI. SS-Korps and 1. Panzerarmee's XXIV. Panzerkorps. Some additional elements from the XXXXIX. Gebirgskorps (that’s number 49) as reinforcements.



The Location
The campaign is centred on a corridor (which we should be very familiar with), the Dukla Pass. For the Soviets, it's a race against time to reach the SNP insurgents before they are crushed. If the Red Army can secure the crossroads at Prešov, where the Carpathians open to the Slovakian hinterlands, they'll be in a position to lend a helping hand to the SNP-held position at Brezno.



Our campaign map’s dimensions in Steel Division 2 will cover, in length, from the Soviet starting line above Krosno in the north to Košice in the south, and in width, from Jaslo in the west to Sanok in the east.

The Objectives
As mentioned before, the map is a corridor based on a valley that the Soviets will have to cross all the way through. The campaign’s objectives will be to secure Jaslo, Krosno, and Sanok, representing the "cracking" of the bottleneck's defenses. However, the most important of all is to reach the ultimate objective: Prešov.

Opposing Forces
Although the German defenders are well-entrenched at the entrance of the pass, they number few, with significant gaps between the three major units (68., 208., and 545. Infanterie-Division). None of these infantry formations are at full strength. And even if they are, in the case of the green and untested 545. ID, they have a weaker TO&E.



Facing the Axis will be three Soviet rifle corps (57th, 101st, and 67th), each one larger than their opposing German division, and featuring more mobile troops to exploit a potential breakthrough. The 25th Tank Corps is immediately available to support the infantry, while the 4th Guards Tank Corps, the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps, and the 1st Czechoslovakian Corps will turn up as reinforcements.

Opposing Forces
The main challenge for the Soviets is to breach the Axis defenses as early as possible, but not waste too many of their exploitation units in doing so. Rushing Prešov is key, before the jaws of incoming German reinforcements close the trap.

The German reinforcements
The Germans need to hold the first defensive line long enough for fresh units to arrive from all sides of the corridor. These will come piecemeal, from Jaslo, with independent battalions or regiments thrown into battle as “fire brigades.” Throughout the campaign, stronger battlegroups from the 1. and 8. Panzerdivision, elements from 101. Jägerdivision and the whole 75. and 357. Infanterie-Division will enter the corridor from the east, west, and south!



The Battle for Dukla Pass Army General campaign is a race against time for both sides, with both the Axis and the Allies being able to turn from hunter to prey depending on the turn of events on the battlefield!

[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass Expansion[/h2]
If you are wondering what you can expect from the Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass, check out our detailed previews below.

• The expansion features 1 massive Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Dukla Pass.
  
• Plus 6 new Divisions, playable in both single-player and multiplayer. These include the Allied 1. Československý Armádní Sbor, the Soviet 242-ya Gornostrelkovaya, and Slovak National Uprising, while the Axis deploy the 208. Infanterie-Division, the Hungarian 13. Gyaloghadosztály, and the 18. SS-Fr.-Panzergrenadier "Horst Wessel".

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
We’ll be back with a new Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass DevBlog soon!

Make sure to 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, commanders.

Hello commanders,

We hope you are well. Today’s post will be a quick one: due to the upcoming long bank holiday weekend, this week’s Steel Division 2: Dukla Pass preview is now scheduled for next week!

This doesn’t mean that the rest of the team is not hard at work at getting the Steel Division 2: Dukla Pass expansion into your hands. In case you’ve missed one of our previews, check out the detailed division overviews below.



[h2]Battle of Dukla Pass Expansion[/h2]
If you are wondering what you can expect from the Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass, check out our detailed previews below.

• The expansion features 1 massive Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Dukla Pass.
  
• Plus 6 new Divisions, playable in both single-player and multiplayer. These include the Allied 1. Československý Armádní Sbor, the Soviet 242-ya Gornostrelkovaya, and Slovak National Uprising, while the Axis deploy the 208. Infanterie-Division, the Hungarian 13. Gyaloghadosztály, and the 18. SS-Fr.-Panzergrenadier "Horst Wessel".

[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
We’ll return next week with a new Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass preview!

Make sure to 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, commanders.