Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 launches January 24, 2019, bringing all the chaos and destruction of Warhammer 40,000 fleet battles .

On top of skirmish and multiplayer, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 comes with three full grand campaigns letting you control humanity’s combined Imperial forces, the ancient re-awakening Necron empire, or the ravenous extra-galactic horde of the Tyranid Hive Fleets.

https://youtu.be/rnAEk0Kj8Y4
Our new campaign trailer breaks down every facet of the 100+ hours that can easily be spent in Armada 2’s single-player offerings. Every campaign is also playable in co-op, with two players controlling a split fleet in each battle.

Prepare for the second pre-order beta, running January 15 up until launch! This will be your first chance to go hands-on with the campaigns as the first sectors of the Imperial and Necron storylines will be available to play.



This second beta will also feature all the multiplayer and skirmish options, including :

• The 12 playable factions
  
• The 80+ subfactions
  
• Ranked play
  
• Updated custom map options with special environmental effects from the first beta

The team has worked hard on your feedback from the first Beta and this second Beta will bring a lot of balance tweaks and bug fixes. Expect more details on January 15, and join us for a Dev livestream on Focus Twitch channel to discuss the update and give us your opinion!

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 Campaign Pre-order Beta begins January 15, featuring the start of the Imperial and Necron campaigns. The game launches on January 24.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/

Greetings, Admirals!

Today, we'd like to thank you very much for playing Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2's first Pre-Order Beta!

In this first beta, you were able to play as any of the twelve factions in the game in both single and multiplayer battles, as well as the prologue of the campaign, which introduces you to the story, and shows players the Fall of Cadia for the first time.

Throughout the beta, you provided very valuable feedback about gameplay balance, lore inconsistencies, and other parts of the game. Now, it's our job to dig through this feedback. We can't promise that everything you suggest will be taken on board, but we'll be playing close attention to all suggestions and we will certainly be reading it all.



Please make sure that you post any feedback you still have on either Steam or on the Focus Home Interactive forums. We'll be looking at it whenever you post it, and it's all extremely valuable.

We'll be hard at work on this until the next Pre-Order beta, which currently launches in early January. We'll have more information on that soon!

Until next time!

The Focus Home and Tindalos Teams.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/

We're happy to announce that Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2's first Pre-Order Beta is live!

As announced earlier today in our Overview trailer Part 2, all players who have pre-ordered will now automatically receive access to a week-long beta ending on December 12.

This first open Beta will feature the skirmish mode in multiplayer and against AI, as well as the basics of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2’s epic battles with the campaign prologue.

Please keep in mind that this is an actual Beta and we'd love to hear your feedback about the game. Don't expect an entirely polished experience as we're still working on ironing out technical issues and balancing.

You can post your feedback about the game in the Steam Discussion or the official forum.



It's your first time playing the Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, and you're feeling a little overwhelmed? That's understandable, there's a lot for you to take in when you first launch the game.

We've written a handy little guide to help new players get to grips with what to do when they first launch the game, and introduce the basic key mechanics, as well as showing you the easier factions to play.



Firstly, you'll need to learn how to play the game. To do this, follow the steps below:

• Click New Campaign
  
• Click Launch Prologue

This launches a short series of missions set during the Fall of Cadia. Here, you'll learn how to move, select units, how stealth works and how to bring war upon your enemies.

Please note that you are unable to save during the prologue.

Once the prologue is completed, you'll be ready for battle! In the Pre-Order Beta, skirmishes are available vs AI players, as well as against other human players in 1v1 and 2v2 modes.


To start setting up a skirmish, you will need to select Battle on the main menu. From here, you'll be able to play any of the twelve factions featured in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2.

For players new to the game, we recommend playing one of the less micro-intensive factions, such as The Imperial Navy, Chaos, Necrons or T'au.



To complete the faction selection, you have access to sub-factions.
It only changes in most cases the fleet color. Few sub-factions also grant you access to new skills (see bellow).

Once you've selected your faction and sub-faction, you'll need to also select two skills and upgrades. The locked skills you see here unlock when you play multiplayer matchmaking.



Then, select your fleet. For new players, we recommend using one of the premade fleets, to get a feeling for how that faction plays.
You will also be able to create you own custom fleet. But let's do this later, when you will be at ease with the game.



You also have opportunities to tweak the match to your liking before starting.
To open the Skirmish map settings, click on the wheel button on the down-left corner of the screen.

• You can disable victory by Domination or change the amount of points required for victory.
  
• You can add environmental effects such as Space Titans, should you want to discover them in your skirmish.

When playing against an opposing AI, you are able to choose against which faction to play.
To do so, click on the Launch button (the big one, you can't miss it). A pop-up will allow you to choose the enemy faction as well as its difficulty.
Indeed, you can reduce (or increase) the difficulty of your opponent by changing the fleet points they have available.

"I have some friends on Steam playing the Beta too, can I play with them?"

Yes, of course! To do this, you'll need to invite them to your battle. From the Battle menu, you'll simply click "Invite Player" on the right side of the screen. After inviting them, you can play against them, or with them in a 2vAI mode. In 2VAI, each player will have 600 fleet points available to them.

If you're looking for a more detailed guide on Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, please read the How To Start Guide on our forums.

Thank you, and good luck out there!
Focus Home Interactive and Tindalos Interactive

After the release of the first Battle Overview Trailer last week, we are proud to present our hotly-anticipated follow-up, releasing alongside the start of the first beta later today for all players who pre-ordered the game on Steam.

We currently aim at 6pm CET for the release of the Beta.

In this new gameplay video, you’ll learn more about the specific skills and tactics that make up the epic space naval combat of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, from battle-turning abilities, to alternate ways to destroy your enemies, and new battlefield complications that make every fight unique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRJav-VN3Pk
If you pre-order Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 on Steam, you will also receive access to a week-long beta ending on December 12.

This is the perfect opportunity for you to get an early look at Warhammer 40,000’s spectacular battleships and experience all of the original tabletop’s 12 factions and their playstyles.



The first open Beta will feature the skirmish mode in multiplayer and against AI, as well as the basics of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2’s epic battles with the campaign prologue. Our second pre-order beta will start in early January, running up to the launch of the game on January 24 - we'll have more details on that are coming soon.

At release, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 will feature three fully-fledged campaigns playable in both solo and co-op that will thrust players into the heart of the 13th Black Crusade as the Imperium, Necrons and Tyranids, alongside 1v1 and 2v2 skirmish and ranked multiplayer.

For a longer look at battles in Armada 2, check out our developer livestream and Q&A broadcast from last week.

Pre-Order now to receive access today to a week-long beta ending on December 12.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/

Greetings, Admirals, and welcome back to the devblogs for Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2. Today we’re talking customisation - how your fleet is your own, both in gameplay terms and the aesthetics of your ships. Significant changes have been made since the first game, so read on!

The first and clearest way to customise your fleet is, of course, to change which ships are in it. There are six classes of vessel in total, with multiple configurations of each hull usually available. However, not every faction has access to every class - the Adeptus Mechanicus have lighter ships plus the massive Ark Mechanicus Battleship, while the Imperial Navy can field vessels of any weight category. Your custom fleet is only limited by the points allowed in the match you’re going to play - the composition, weapon choices, abilities, admiral skills, and more are all yours to choose.

Each faction has eight Admiral Skills and ten Fleet Upgrades to choose from. Admiral Skills are special abilities given to your flagship only, making them limited but extremely powerful, able to flip a battle on its head with the correct timing. Fleet Upgrades affect all or a sub-section of your ships, changing weapons, engines, stealth, or some other element to let you play your way. The difference in building a fleet around the correct upgrades and skills can be significant.


Tyranid Fleet Creation

Faction selection also governs your admiral portrait, of which there are hundreds in the game, unlocked through victories. You can pick from those you’ve unlocked for a faction and it will be displayed in multiplayer matches. You must also pick a subfaction to assign to your fleet.



Subfactions govern the colour scheme of your ships, with plenty to choose from for each faction, picked from recognisable Warhammer 40,000, chapters, traitor legions, septs, craftworlds, and so on. Over 80 subfactions are available in total, with at least six per faction, so some are brand new to the universe, added to help flesh out our single-player campaigns.

Each is different, not only in the colour schemes of your ships, but some also bestow new admiral skills to choose from as well. This is not true of every subfaction - the balancing and complexity of more than 80 new admiral skills would be impossible - but allows for a light sprinkling of additional flavour where it seemed most appropriate. Every subfaction is available from the start of the game, so you’re free to match your tabletop army or try something new.


Fleet selection menu

We hope you enjoy all the cool ways to customise your fleet in Armada 2, alongside the 12 factions and the unique elements of the three massive campaigns that make designing and fielding your fleets there totally different.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 releases on Steam 24 January 2019. You can already pre-order for Beta Access December 5 to 12, and a 10% discount!

Returning Battlefleet Gothic: Armada players on Steam instead benefit from a 25% loyalty discount on their preorder of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/

Space-naval combat returns in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, improving on every facet of the first game to make a bigger, better experience for admirals everywhere, and an even greater adaptation of the original board game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Today’s Battle Overview trailer is the first in a three-part series that will teach you the huge number of options at your disposal in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2. Get everything you need to know ahead of the first beta phase, scheduled from December 5 to December 12.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGQ439zS2Ik
With more factions and more ships come bigger battles, with larger fleets clashing to control the Eye of Terror and the surrounding region of space dubbed the Aegis Occularis. All twelve factions from the tabletop game are now represented, and each has unique ships, new mechanics, and much more to show off.

Be it unique ways of moving through space or weird, alien weaponry and ships, each faction feels distinct from its peers. Even those that share similarities such as the Aeldari Corsairs and Asuryani Craftworlds or the Tau Protectorate Fleet and Merchant Fleet have differences in what they can field. This makes your faction selection, and choice of ships, armaments, admiral skills, and fleet upgrades totally customisable and massively impactful.



In the trailer you’ll see how all this combines with the layout of maps, capture points, the enemy fleet, and the various phases of battle to create a challenging and spectacular simulation of space combat. Prioritise targeting weapons or engines, kill crews with boarding actions to turn enemy ships into floating hulks, or go all out on ramming enemy ships and committing to close-quarters battles.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 releases January 24, 2019, on PC. Pre-orders receive a 10% discount ahead of launch, 20% if they own the original Battlefleet Gothic: Armada. Beta testing begins in early December for all pre-orders.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/

Greetings Admirals, and welcome back to the devblogs for Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2. Today’s topic is multiplayer and skirmish modes, giving you a look into the non-campaign offerings you’ll have access to not only come release, but as part of the first pre-order beta starting early December.

This includes ranked play, 2v2, as well as standard versus AI, across a massive variety of possible matchups, battlefields, and environments.



The base skirmish and multiplayer game is a randomly generated map with five capture points and a number of possible environmental effects. These range from those familiar to players of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, such as gas clouds and asteroid fields, as well as weirder phenomenon new to the sequel - a fleet of space titans migrating through the area that cause heavy damage to any ship they come into contact with, or pulsing solar radiation that render shields useless.

All of these settings can be customised before a skirmish game, letting you pick the point totals of fleets, which environmental effects will appear, whether to use the capture point Domination ruleset or the simpler Deathmatch mode, and so on.



In Ranked play, fleets are set to the new maximum of 1200 points, increased from the original game for larger, more action-packed battles, and environmental effects are turned off. Capture points are on, with randomised locations to make every battle different, and internal logic to ensure battles will never be unfair, but will require dynamic tactics. The same is true for 2v2 ranked, only each player fields a fleet of 600 points of their chosen faction.

For those that want to get right into the action we have pre-defined fleets across a broad spectrum of playstyles, while more advanced players can customise their own faction fleet with any combination of ships they like.

On top of all this, a number of quality of life changes have been implemented to make multiplayer and skirmish games better than ever. Balance has been improved across the board, a process that will continue through our two pre-order beta phases. We’ve also made changes to menus and ergonomics to make it faster and easier than ever to get into a battle, and multiplayer progression is rewarding in terms of cosmetics and new options for skills and fleet upgrades.

Care was taken to ensure this never feels like a power reward for playing more, but simply new options and ways to play. This progression system is only available in ranked mode, as a way to further reward those who jump into multiplayer and experiment with different fleets and strategies.

In ranked play, every battle impacts your position on the global leaderboard, filterable by faction. Hone your skills to be the best admiral in your faction!



We believe we have a complete and exciting offering for multiplayer in Armada 2, which will delight new players and series veterans alike. We can’t wait to get it into your hands officially early next year, as well as take your feedback and make changes in the upcoming pre-order betas.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 releases on Steam in January 2019. You can already pre-order for Beta Access before the release of the game, and a 10% discount!

Returning Battlefleet Gothic: Armada players on Steam instead benefit from a 25% loyalty discount on their preorder of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/

Welcome back to the devblogs for Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2. Today we’re providing a brief descriptor of every faction in the game, as well as showcasing one of their ships in screenshot or video form, and an in-game portrait from that faction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVghX8opHJU
There are many more ships and portraits in the final game, of course, so this is just a quick taster of each faction’s lore and looks.






The Imperial Navy is the greatest space-going military force of the 41st Millennium - and perhaps in the whole of history. Only its need to safeguard the million worlds of the Imperium prevents it from dominating the entire galaxy.

The Imperial Navy boasts a vast array of ship classes and a great variety of tonnage, offering balance and a versatility to any fleet. Its ships are resilient, move at average speed and shoot at medium range.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5YKHQdw7Q8


The Adeptus Astartes - the Space Marines - are the foremost defenders of Mankind; the Emperor's spear thrust deep into the heart of his foes. These genetically-engineered warriors are implacable, unyielding, and know no fear.

Adeptus Astartes vessels are expensive and therefore few in number. However, they are swift, mobile and offer substantial firepower. Space Marines are renowned for dealing ferocious damage during boarding actions or by conducting surgical teleport strikes on critical sections of enemy ships. In addition, the Space Marines' training renders them entirely immune to morale effects.






The Adeptus Mechanicus are the guardians of the Imperium's fading technology, and custodians of secrets deemed too dangerous or corrupting for the eyes of lesser men. They are stewards of terrifying mechanical might.

The Adeptus Mechanicus field ships that are every iota as efficient as those of the Imperial Navy - further augmented by the most advanced technology at the Imperium's disposal. Their fleets are oftenly led by an Ark Mechanicus, a specialised battleship unique to the Adepts of Mars. The Adeptus Mechanicus prefer to engage the foe at a distance, and make extensive use of nova cannons and macro batteries.






Like their masters, the ships of the Chaos fleet were once loyal to the Emperor of Mankind. But the corrupting influence of the Dark Gods has warped them into something fouler, and more dangerous. Now, imbued with hellish energy, they come to take revenge on an Imperium they once served.

The Chaos fleet offers a wide variety of ships spread across a great range of tonnage, allowing it to muster a force suitable for any engagement. Its vessels favour swiftness and long-range engagement.






Aeldari craftworlds are cosmic lifeboats, the last remnant of a star-flung civilisation all-but consumed by its own hubris. Forever teetering on the brink of annihilation, the craftworlders fight to defend their existence with ancient technology and the power of prophecy.

Aeldari Craftworlders fight from swift vessels that favour hit-and-run strategies over sustained engagement, often using the cover of gas fields to shield their approach. Though more heavily armoured than other aeldari vessels, craftworlder ships are fragile compared to those of other races and demand careful manoeuvre to achieve victory.






Wild-hearted aeldari corsairs can be found wherever the galaxy offers adventure and experience to thrill their heightened senses. Reckless and mercurial, they owe no loyalty save for that they choose to give - only a fool would trust them without good cause.

Aeldari Corsairs fight from highly advanced spacecraft that are lighter and faster than comparable vessels, but are also much more delicate. As such, their vessels rely on the extreme speed offered by their solar sails to avoid incoming fire, rather than on the ability of armour to absorb it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icdcLpczedY


Striking from the dark depths of Commoragh, the drukhari enter the killing fields of realspace in search of captives to slake their abominable desires, and fuel their quest for immortality. Expect no mercy, for the drukhari have none to offer.

A drukhari fleet is a collection of swift, deadly raiders crammed with advanced technology that puts Imperial equipment to shame. Concealed by shadow fields, drukhari vessels ambush unsuspecting victims to unleash barrages of lethally sophisticated weaponry and launching remorseless boarding parties before their target has chance to react.






Orks live for the violence of war, for the ceaseless contest to prove themselves 'da strongest'. Once an ork Waaagh! gets underway, there can be no hope of peace until every last greenskin is slaughtered. Even then, they will soon return…

Ork ships are rusty, ramshackle, and assembled from whatever parts the mekboy had to hand rather than a grand design. Nonetheless, they are every bit as potent as any ships used by other races. Orks offer little threat at long range but are festooned with heavy guns and grow increasingly dangerous as they close the distance. Moreover, the "Big Red Button" offers the prospect of heavy ramming damage to anyone foolish enough to be caught in their path.






Ageless masters of the galaxy, the necrons emerge from stasis tombs to reclaim worlds lost to the ravages of time and the encroachment of lesser races. Coldly regal and slow to acknowledge outsiders as beings worthy of survival, the necrons will sweep aside all in their path in their quest to restore lost glories.

Necron warships are costly, and often outnumbered. However, their living metal hulls are heavily armoured and capable regenerating damage even in the heart of battle. Mastery of Gauss technology lends their weaponry extreme precision, allowing the necrons to inflict crippling damage on an unprepared foe.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khihnv-FWRs


Tyranids exist only to feed, to reduce living matter into thick, nutrient-rich gruel to sustain the hive fleet in its nomadic voyage across the stars. There is no common cause to be struck; no negotiation to be attempted. You either fight the Great Devourer until you can fight no more, or yield to its hunger.

Tyranid bio-ships are numerous, fast, and expendable. Few individual vessels pose a substantial threat, but when arrayed in overwhelming numbers they are almost impossible to defeat through conventional tactics. Tyranid vessels are at their most dangerous at close range, where they can devour enemy ships whole. The foe's only hope is to take advantage of their weak armour as they close, because once the feeding begins, nothing can stop them.






The Protection fleet, known as the Kor'or'vesh in the Tau language, was a purposeful extension and overhaul of the Tau Empire's merchant fleet. As the Tau Empire expanded, the increasing scope and scale of threats to the Greater Good demanded that dedicated warships be created, lest the Tau be overwhelmed, and their noble conquest throttled by selfish aliens.

The Protection Fleet is composed of well-equipped, high-efficiency ships capable of devastating long-range engagements. However, their relative fragility and lack of speed make these ships vulnerable to swifter, more resilient foes.






In the early days of their space-borne expansion, the Tau made little distinction between trade and conquest, for both offered opportunity. The heavily-armed and armoured trading vessels served them well in early conflicts, blazing a trail of expansion that has never since guttered.

The Tau Merchant Fleet is composed of very few, slow, and well-equipped vessels. Each is equally capable of destroying the foe at a variety of ranges, relying on their formidable shields to keep the vessel intact while barrages of ordnance and torpedoes reduce the enemy to ruin.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 releases on Steam 24 January 2019. You can already pre-order for Beta Access early December, and a 10% discount!

Returning Battlefleet Gothic: Armada players on Steam instead benefit from a 25% loyalty discount on their preorder of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/573100/Battlefleet_Gothic_Armada_2/