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WW2 RTS Steel Division 2 has a new Liberation of Italy DLC

French developer Eugen Systems has been busy with the Early Access launch of its new Cold War-era RTS Warno lately, but that doesn't mean it's moved on from its most recent WW2 game, Steel Division 2. A new historical expansion pack is out today that pays tribute to the Italian Campaign, and it includes eight new divisions and more than 300 new individual units.


Tribute to the Liberation of Italy includes historical units that were involved in the Italian Campaign, specifically in the areas north of Rome in 1944. Axis forces in the pack include 5. Gebirgsjäger mountain troops, the 4. Fallschirmjäger, the 26. Panzerdivision, and the Italian nationalist 4a Divisione Alpini "Monterosa".


On the Allied side, the pack adds the 6th South African Armoured Division, the Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, the 8th Indian (Infantry) Division, and Task Force 45 - a singular and short-lived formation made up of Japanese-American and Brazilian anti-aircraft artillery soldiers who were reassigned as infantry while in theatre and used their AA guns as improvised patrol and close support weapons.


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Steel Division 2 delayed into June

Tribute to the Liberation of Italy Out Now

It’s been in the works for quite some time, commander!

Today marks the day that we are releasing our latest Steel Division 2 expansion, the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1640470/Steel_Division_2__Tribute_to_the_Liberation_of_Italy/

Get it while it’s hot!

Keep reading to find out what you can encounter in our newest expansion.

[h2]What does Tribute to Liberation of Italy bring?[/h2]
Are you ready for a whole slew of new features, units, battlegroups, and other goodies with the latest expansion?



  • Command 8 new meticulously researched divisions and access four fully voiced new nations: South Africa, Brazil, and the competing Repubblica Sociale Italiana and the Allied-aligned Kingdom of Italy.
  • 4 new Axis battegroups: the 5. Gebirgsjäger, the Italian-German mixed 4. Fallschirmjäger, the 26. Panzerdivision or the Mussolini-loyal 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”.
  • 4 new Allied battlegroups: the 6th South African Armoured Division, the Italian Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, the 8th Indian (Infantry) Division, or the diverse Task Force 45.
  • Over 300 new units, including infantry squads, with 22 brand-new vehicle models, 4 new plane models, as well as many new variants. This includes a wide variety of Italian equipment, from the P-26/40 tank, to the ubiquitous Semovente 47/32, the rare Semovente M41 90/53 and other versions, AS.42 heavy recon jeep and MotoGuzzi side-cars. Other new units include the uncommon German FAMO 88mm, Indian ACV-IP Mk.2 APCs, South African Bedford QL 6pdr Portee, American M2 90mm AA guns, British BL 4,5-inch howitzer, and many more. Take to the skies with the C.202 serie VIII Folgore, G.55 serie I Centauro, Re.2002 Ariete fighters, or Z. 1007bis serie VI Alcione bomber.
  • New infantry model sets, such as South African, Brazilian, Indian including Sikh and Gurkhas, German Gebirgsjäger, and many different types of Italian soldiers in both Axis and Allied divisions.




[h2]Some background reading[/h2]
If you are waiting to download or want to catch up on some history, look no further! Follow the links below to access all the Versus posts, detailing each new battlegroup.



  • Read more about the Armored battlegroups: the 26. Panzerdivision with its special AA forces and the supersized 6th South African Armoured Division in the first Versus blogpost here.
  • Check out the two Mountain formations, the German 5. Gebirgs-Division and the specialised 8th (Indian) Infantry Division in the second Versus blogpost here.
  • Discover more of the two unique Infantry battlegroups, the Axis 4. Fallschirmjäger and the US-led international Task Force 45, in the third Versus post here.
  • Last but not least, the Italians! You can find more about the opposing Italian battlegroups, the Axis 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” and the Allied Corpo Italiano di Liberazione in the fourth Versus blog post here.
  • Read all about the Italian Air Forces, both Axis and Allied, and the unique planes they fielded in this in-depth blog post.




[h2]What’s next?[/h2]
Before we let you get to it, commander, just a quick note on the upcoming goodies currently in the pipeline. We are hard at work on the next DLC, Nemesis: Raid on Drvar. You will receive more details and news in next week’s post. Also, we will hopefully be able to reveal more about our new Army General campaign DLC in the not-to-distant future!



We have also made recuts of the 10v10 Tannenbeg maps in order to provide two new 1v1 & 2v2 maps, which are being tested as we speak. It will be released soon.

[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
We’d love to know what you think. Leave your feedback and your comments.

Keep a close watch on our Steam forums to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Tribute to the Liberation of Italy Recap

Hello commander!

We hope you are well. Not too long now, for a massive new drop of content for Steel Division 2. We are very close to the release of our next expansion, Tribute to the Liberation of Italy, coming on February 3rd.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1640470/Steel_Division_2__Tribute_to_the_Liberation_of_Italy/

The new Italian-based expansion has seen quite a gestation period. By the by, you might have lost track of what to expect.

In today’s blog post, we’ll do a quick recap of all the good things that came to pass for Tribute to the Liberation of Italy.

[h2]A Brief History[/h2]
Initially revealed in April last year, we took pains to detail each new feature, unit, and battlegroup in Tribute to the Liberation of Italy. This includes the typical Versus posts, highlighting a pair of new battlegroups.



In case you’ve forgotten, each of these Versus brings a whole load of information, including division histories, strengths and weaknesses, and (of course) all the new units specific to each battlegroup. Check them out below!

  • Read more about the Armored battlegroups: the 26. Panzerdivision with its special AA forces and the supersized 6th South African Armoured Division in the first Versus blogpost here.
  • Check out the two Mountain formations, the German 5. Gebirgs-Division and the specialised 8th (Indian) Infantry Division in the second Versus blogpost here.
  • Discover more of two unique Infantry battlegroups, the Axis 4. Fallschirmjäger and the US-led international Task Force 45, in the third Versus post here.
  • Last but not least, the Italians! You can find more about the opposing Italian battlegroups, the Axis 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa” and the Allied Corpo Italiano di Liberazione in the fourth Versus blog post.
  • Read all about the Italian Air Forces, both Axis and Allied, and the unique planes they fielded in this in-depth blog post.
  • Our two new Aces, both Italian but from opposing armed forces, can be studied in this dedicated blog post.


[h2]Take a good look[/h2]
We also took time to highlight a range of new models and skins for both the Axis and Allied units to be shipped in our upcoming expansion:





[h2]What can you expect?[/h2]
Our new expansion brings a ton of juicy stuff. See below what you can expect.



  • Command 8 new meticulously researched divisions and access four fully voiced new nations: South Africa, Brazil, and the competing Repubblica Sociale Italiana and the Allied-aligned Kingdom of Italy.
  • Four new Axis battegroups: the 5. Gebirgsjäger, the Italian-German mixed 4. Fallschirmjäger, the 26. Panzerdivisionor the Mussolini-loyal 4a Divisione Alpini “Monterosa”.
  • Four new Allied battlegroups: the 6th South African Armoured Division, the Italian Corpo Italiano di Liberazione, the 8th Indian (Infantry) Division, or the diverse Task Force 45.
  • Over 300 new units, including infantry squads, with 22 brand-new vehicle models, 4 new plane models, as well as many new variants. This includes a wide variety of Italian equipment, from the P-26/40 tank, to the ubiquitous Semovente 47/32, the rare Semovente M41 90/53 and other versions, AS.42 heavy recon jeep and MotoGuzzi side-cars. Other new units include the uncommon German FAMO 88mm, Indian ACV-IP Mk.2 APCs, South African Bedford QL 6pdr Portee, American M2 90mm AA guns, British BL 4,5-inch howitzer, and many more. Take to the skies with the C.202 serie VIII Folgore, G.55 serie I Centauro, Re.2002 Ariete fighters, or Z. 1007bis serie VI Alcione bomber.
  • New infantry model sets, such as South African, Brazilian, Indian including Sikh and Gurkhas, German Gebirgsjäger, and many different types of Italian soldiers in both Axis and Allied divisions.



[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
That’s it for this week. Not long now, commander!

Keep a close watch on our Steam forums to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield!

New Allied Expansion Skins

Hello commander!

With every day, we get a step closer to the launch of our next expansion for Steel Division 2, the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy. In last week’s post, we talked about the various updates you can expect to drop simultaneously. Read more about them here.

Today we wanted to show you some new Allied vehicle skins coming with the expansion. Please note: these are not new models, but are the paint jobs and camouflage patterns adapted by the new battlegroups for their operations in the Italian theater of war.

[h2]The South Africans[/h2]
South African tanks use the standard Commonwealth olive green paint, but its Fireflys were famous for altering the color of the tip of their gun. As a Firefly had a longer gun than the regular Sherman, it was a hot target for opposing Germans. To prevent their quick identification, the last half of the tank gun was camouflaged with a mix of green, black, and white. This made it look shorter. The trompe l’oeil made them pass for regular Shermans to distant observers.



South African recon vehicles also sport their own two-tone light camouflage pattern.



[h2]The Poles[/h2]
The Poles are represented in the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion with the 2 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna (the 2nd (Warsaw) Armoured Brigade). This independent formation was the armored reserve of the II. Polish Corps in Italy. In Steel Division 2 it is featured as tank support for the pro-Allied Italian Corpo Italiano di Liberazione battlegroup.



Although the brigade’s insignia was a winged arm holding a sword (see above), the formation is more often represented in media and scale modeling by the famous symbol of its 4th Armored Regiment: a black scorpion (see below).



[h2]The Brazilians[/h2]
The Brazilian FEB (Força Expedicionária Brasileira), as part of Task Force 45 didn’t use the Allied star, but its own “starry” insignia.



[h2]The Canadians[/h2]
While Canada isn’t featured in the expansion with a battlegroup of its own, its significant contribution to the Italian campaign isn’t forgotten. They are represented by the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, universally regarded as the best Allied armored formation on the Italian front. The Canadians will be found fighting alongside, and part of, the British 8th Indian Infantry Division battlegroup.



Don’t worry if you don’t see the ubiquitous maple leaf… it is there, at the back. ;)



[h2]The United States[/h2]
The handful of Hellcat tank destroyers featured with Task Force 45 were early production models. They were being field-tested by the 894th Tank Destroyer Battalion. At that time, they were designated T70, and weren’t very well-regarded as tank destroyers, deemed way under-armored. Instead, the battalion used them as armored recon, in which role their speed and low profile proved perfect. And the gun was a bonus.



[h2]The British[/h2]
Although not featured in any current Steel Division 2 division, some may recognize Steel Division: Normandy 44 Desert Rat’s SP Autocar M3. Used in a recon role by the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers, the 8th Indian Infantry Division’s recon regiment, it was given a fresh paint job and some Sikh crew.



[h2]The Lone Australian[/h2]
What? Australia is in the game! Indeed, consider this an Easter Egg, but we got our official first Australian unit debuting in the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion. After the North African campaign, all Australian ground troops had been sent back to take part in the Pacific theater. However, some Royal Australian Air Force squadrons remained on station in the Mediterranean until the end of the war. As part of the Desert Air Force, they will support Allied ground troops on the Adriatic shores, including the 6th South African Armoured Division in-game.



Being a solitary unit, we will display this Spitfire Mk. Vb/Trop variant under the British flag in the Armory. It is proudly Australian, however, with its own camouflage and markings.

[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
All right, commander, at ease. In case you have missed it, today is also the day we’ll be launching our new World War III battle simulator, WARNO. Be sure to check it out!

Keep a close watch on our Steam forums to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Tribute's Update Notes

Hello there!

We hope you are well! As you know, we are getting closer to the release of the next expansion, the Mediterranean-themed Tribute to the Liberation of Italy. The launch is on February 3rd!!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1640470/Steel_Division_2__Tribute_to_the_Liberation_of_Italy/

We will also push some general improvements and changes to Steel Division 2 with the new expansion. This update will be available to all.

Let’s check what you can expect.

[h2]A Set of Updates[/h2]
The following items are just a selection of the changes we intend to ship with the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion.

Vehicle Flamethrower Buff
Flamethrower vehicles in Steel Division 2 have a very short aim time, letting them shoot first but subsequently suffer from a wait in between shots. This leads to the second shot coming quite late; an enemy unit will likely have been able to shoot back once or twice in the intervening period. We have improved the rate of fire for flamethrower vehicles, allowing them to fire multiple shots in rapid succession.

Map Changes
We have replaced several flag objectives to balance the Ostrowno map. And, we have added the Destruction mode to our new Kostritza map, which came as part of the free Reinforcement Pack #12.




Tank MG Surpress Buff
Tank-mounted machine guns (except for larger caliber 12.7mm and 13.2mm) are not considered effective enough against infantry. We have slightly increased their suppression.

Obsolete and Light Tank Price Improvement
We have checked the prices of light tanks (such as the T-70, Toldi, BT-7, and so on) and other obsolete armored vehicles (French Beute tanks, Valentine 2-pdr, 7TP, etc.) to make them more appealing. Depending on the model, we have decreased the prices by 5 or 10 points.



Panzerfaust-armed Squads Availability Buff
The availability of Panzerfaust-armed infantry squads (Grenadier, Panzergrenadier, etc.) was deemed too low. To make them more appealing, these squads have been buffed from 6/12/18 to a 8/16/24 availability rate (or 8/16/- depending on Combat Phase). They are still less available compared to their counterparts not equipped with Panzerfausts.

Commonwealth Rifle Squads Availability Increase
British, Canadian, New Zealand, Polish (and soon, South African) infantry Rifle Squads have been hit too hard with the recent availability nerf. While previously they were too numerous per card - compared to other infantry - now they are too rare. We have increased their availability a bit from 6/12/18 to 8/16/24 (or 8/16/- depending on the Combat Phase).

AA Unit Change in Soviet Divisions
We will replace 1x card of 37mm AA units with 1x 25 mm AA units in various Allied Soviet divisions. This was teased with the 358 Strelki battlegroup, in which we replaced some 37mm AA guns with the less widespread (but still present within Steel Division 2’s timeframe) new 72-K 25mm AA gun.



17. SS and 352. Infanterie Change
Thanks to feedback from the community, we understand that the Volksdeutsche units of the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier “Götz von Berlichingen” (featured in the Tribute to D-Day DLC) should be equipped similarly to other Panzergrenadier squads of this division. This means they will feature two light machine guns while being Disheartened. This change would also affect the same type of Volksdeutsche unit of the 352. Infanterie (from the Back to War DLC). However, as there weren’t supposed to be any Volksdeutsche in this division, we changed them to Osttruppen to reflect the historical disposition of the formation’s forces.

Panzer Lehr Batlegroup Changes
The historical elite Panzer-Lehr division had a special feature that saw all of its Panzergrenadier battalions equipped with half-tracks, compared to the one out of four battalions in regular Panzerdivisions. These soldiers also carried a lot more Panzerschreck anti-tank weapons into battle.

We have decided to make the Panzer-Lehr more unique in-game by creating a new Panzergrenadier squad armed with Panzerschreck instead of Panzerfausts. This squad can only be deployed in half-tracks and will replace all existing cards of Panzergrenadier (Faust), as well as non-Faust squads in this division only. These changes are still being tested and are not confirmed yet.



Panther buff
We will change the number of Axis Panther tanks available in Combat Phase A from 1 to 2. This makes them more appealing to deploy at the beginning of a game. These changes are still being tested and are not confirmed yet.

[h2]Au revoir and until next week![/h2]
That’s all for this one. We’ll be back next week with more news on the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion.

Keep a close watch on our Steam forums to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!