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.


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.

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.


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!
  
• ...

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

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.


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.




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.


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.

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.


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.

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

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.


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.


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.




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.

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.




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.

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).


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.

• 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.

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!

• 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.

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.


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.

• 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!).

• 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.

• 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!

Hello!

Today is the day! We have released the new “Tribute to D-Day” Pack for Steel Division 2 in celebration of the 76th anniversary of D-Day and the Allied invasion of France.

Like every year, we want to do something special commemorating the official start of Operation Overlord. This time, it’s a new DLC! With the “Tribute to D-Day” Pack you’ll find six original Steel Division: Normandy 44 divisions, two new Aces, and a host of new units brought over to Steel Division 2’s Eastern Front.

If you haven’t, check out the “Tribute to D-Day” Pack store page and get in on the action!

There is more! Drumroll maestro…

Outsmart and outfight a human opponent in Army General with the latest free Reinforcement Pack - available now! "RP # 9 Army General Versus" brings 1v1 online battles to the turn-based strategic campaign mode for Steel Division 2. Go head-to-head against the most cunning of foes, and see who rules the battlefields of the Eastern Front.




The new “Tribute to D-Day” Pack expands your Steel Division 2 experience by giving you the chance to command six new divisions, three for both the Axis and Allies. Each of the featured divisions has been updated to reflect the latest gameplay mechanics and features found in Steel Division 2. This includes the option to choose your own economy rate or deploy units such as Commanders, Artillery Observers, or Military Police.

Which divisions can you play with the new “Tribute to D-Day” Pack?

• The versatile 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division. The Americans bring units such as U.S. Rangers, fan-favorite M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, and the truck-based Xylophone multiple rocket-launcher.
  
• The unassuming but hard-hitting 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen.” This Axis formation fields a wide array of units, including do-or-die Italian SS-Legionari.
  
• The daring “Red Devils” of the 6th British Airborne Division. This Allied division sees the inclusion of the brand-new Belgian Brigade Piron and units such as the Grenadiers-Volt rifle squads, Glider Crews as combat-deployable troops and Tetrarch light tanks.
  
• The veteran “Green Devils” of the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division. This experienced formation deploys units such as Fs-Sturmjäger, LG 42 recoilless 105mm gun, Puppchen light AT rocket-launcher and the AB41 armored car.
  
• The brave Free Poles of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna (1st Polish Armored Division). This Allied formation brings units, including a variety of Cromwell tanks, the Crusader Mk.2B, and Firefly Ic.
  
• The fanatical Hitler Youth of 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”. This powerful formation fields a host of hard-hitting vehicles and units, such as the Panther G, Tiger E, the Mobelwagen, Wurfrahmen rocket artillery, “Beute” Firefly tanks and even a captured Dingo armored car.

As we mentioned above, you won’t only find several new units, but also two new Aces and some new unit mechanics and traits with the updated “Tribute to D-Day” divisions. Such as, you might ask?

• New units: The M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, Cromwell cruiser tank, Tetrarch light tank
  Xylophone rocket launcher, T30 HMC, M4A1 Rhino, Crusader AA Mk, Centaur IV,
  Panzer L6(i), BEF.SPW 202(e), “Beute” Firefly. Elite Infantry units, including Fallschirmjägers, U.S. Rangers, British Airborne, SS-Legionari.
  
• New unit trait: The indoctrinated soldiers of the 12. SS carry the “Fanatical” trait, meaning that these soldiers never surrender and fight to the death!
  
• Two new Aces: Francis “Gabby” Gabreski (P-47D-25 in fighter mode) found with the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division. Michael Wittman (Tiger E Führer) featured with the 12. SS-Panzer.

You want to know even more? Lucky you! We have spent some time in recent weeks to highlight each formation in detail. Be sure to check out the corresponding themed blog posts!

• Mechanized Warfare to the max! Read all about the 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division versus the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division in this post here.
  
• Death from above! The combat-hardened “devil paratroopers” of two airborne divisions are waiting for your command. Glean all the details of the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne versus the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division in this blog post here.
  
• Heavy-weight armored brawlers! These divisions don’t hold back their punches. Discover the power of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna versus the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend” in this blog post here.

There you have it: all the juicy bits of why you should get going and start playing Steel Division 2 today!

We’d love to hear what you think of the “Tribute to D-Day” Pack. Don’t hesitate to check out 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.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

An early summer Steel Division 2 Roadmap ahead of Tribute to D-Day Launch this Saturday, 6th of June!”

Good day to you, commander!

We hope you are doing well. Today, we are taking a short break to give you some details on several Steel Division 2 updates and features we are working on. From improvements to the Army General mode to an upgrade to infantry combat - you might find some interesting tidbits in this early summer roadmap if you keep on reading!

We are hard at work at launching the newest Steel Division 2 Pack: Tribute to D-Day this coming Saturday, the 6th of June. This expansion brings 6 fan-favorite divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to Steel Division 2, and will include several original units, such as the M18 Hellcat and “Beute” Firefly. Read all about the divisions, new Aces, and units in the following posts: the Elite Airborne Divisions, the Mechanized Infantry Divisions, the Armored Divisions.



Before we continue: we are rolling out a small update for a release tomorrow, Friday. Due to popular demand, we have changed two of our 10v10 servers to run Destruction mode. We have also created an “Eastern Front-only” 10v10 server. On a later date, we’ll also introduce new 10v10 Tactical servers on 3v3 maps.

We always check the forums or Discord to see how we can improve Steel Division 2 based on your feedback and suggestions. The following features reflect this.

Please note that we don’t have a precise date for when we will be able to implement many of the ideas into the game. Consider them all to be very much work in progress!


One of the major projects currently in the pipeline is to improve Steel Division 2’s infantry combat. We want to find a way to make this type of fighting more accessible and clearer to understand. One way to do this is to overhaul how infantry weapons work. The goal here is to make individual weapons, such as a soldier’s rifle or SMG, more deadly and have the squad weapons such as machine guns or automatic rifles inflict more stress on the battlefield.

We are still trying to fit all the pieces together - more later!


We are not entirely satisfied with the current tank-on-tank combat or AT versus tank actions. We want to step away from inconclusive engagements between tanks at extreme ranges, each unit exchanging fire with one another without any discernible results. We know that we can improve this, making it less sterile and more fun.

That’s why we are also thinking about introducing (reintroducing for you Wargame veterans out there) a wider array of gun ranges. This means that certain gun pieces will have less range. Sure, you might think decreasing the ranges would be a nerf, but the upshot would be that a gun’s performance will become more efficient.

You would have to get closer to engage the enemy, but by doing so, your chances to destroy an enemy unit will significantly increase.


Our single-player strategic Army General campaigns are set to receive some modifications in the near future. You might have noticed this already with our DLC campaigns, but we have gradually switched from a “generic battalion strength” depiction of each counter to a more realistic, asymmetrical representation of each pawn. Each battalion on the map will reflect better their historical counterpart; for Axis units this means “battalion strength” and for the Allied units it means “regimental strength.”

In direct comparison, a Soviet pawn will contain more troops and units than its German counterpart. This allows us to deploy more powerful Soviet armies directly on the map and not rely on overstretched lists of reinforcements. This allows for more interesting tactical battle resolutions. To obtain the same results for Axis formations, we decided to merge independent field artillery with combat battalions, giving these latter formations their own organic artillery support and reducing the number of stray artillery guns represented on the strategic map.

We are hard at work updating each side’s composition in the base game’s Army General mode: expect the Berezina, Orsha, Bobruisk, and Baranovichi campaigns to be upgraded soon!


Continuing with Army General, we are thinking about improving the Army General combat experience by allowing, in some instances, the ability to fight with more than three battalions on each side.

There is more. We are also studying if we should give some battalion types a more dedicated, pronounced role on the battlefield. We are looking at how best to do this, but imagine that a Wehrmacht Pioneer battalion in combat might be able to remove an opposing unit’s entrenchment buff. We feel that it would set battalions apart from each other, granting a player more viable choices when selecting a formation for combat.

We can’t promise all units getting a special ability, but we are curious to hear what you think.


We left the best for last. Yes, that’s right, we are talking about the new History DLC! We see the rumors swirling around, some of them true, some of them decisively… not. Without giving away too much: while we had promised just one, the new DLC will actually feature two full Army General campaigns, a new nation with three new divisions, including a complete voice-over set, and three new Soviet divisions.

We are also working on a way to allow you to mod DLC units. It is one of the most recurring requests from the community, and we are happy to oblige!

That’s it, you won’t be able to twist our arms for anything more. Just keep an eye out and who knows, maybe in next week’s post, you’ll get to know even more!


One last little bit before we leave you to digest all the news: we are still working on the new Urban Maps (as we talked about in this blog post here). Right now, there is not much more news to report. When we have some more, we’ll keep you informed!

Don’t hesitate to check out 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.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello!

We will be looking at some true divisional firepower today with the last two divisions of Steel Division 2’s upcoming “Tribute to D-Day” Pack: the 1 Dywizja Pancerna (or 1st Polish Armoured Division) versus the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”.

The launch of the Tribute to D-Day Pack is nearly upon us. On Saturday June 6th, in Steel Division 2, you’ll be able to play with six fan-favorite divisions brought from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to the brutal battlefields of the Eastern Front. With these new divisions, you’ll get your hands on original units such as the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, Cromwell and Tetrarch tanks, “Beute” Firefly tank, and more!

In today’s themed “Tribute to D-Day” Versus post, we detail two hard-hitting armored divisions: the Free Poles of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna will lock horns with the indoctrinated young soldiers of the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”.

But first, let’s unveil some new units, a new unit trait, and two new Aces!


A new unit will be available for the 1 Dywizja Pancerna: the Spitfire Mk.IXc, which featured the older 2x20mm plus 4x7.62mm armament loadout instead of the 2x20mm and 2x12.7mm machine gun array encountered in the more common IXe variant.

The “Tribute to D-Day” Pack will also feature a new unit trait found with the 12. SS-Panzerdivision to highlight their ferociousness on the battlefield: “Fanatical.” A unit with this trait will never surrender!

We have made sure that each division featured in the upcoming pack will take full advantage of the latest game mechanics, units, and features found in Steel Division 2. The six divisions contain the latest unit types such as the artillery observers, military police, and commander units. Also, each formation uses Steel Division 2’s economy templates instead of the fixed rate. There is more: new units will also carry special traits including Raiders (operate without a morale penalty behind enemy lines), Disheartened (these units lose morale quicker under fire) or the new Fanatical trait.


The “Tribute to D-Day” Pack features two new Aces - you know, those fancy looking units with their own custom paint job (but not gameplay advantage) which highlight a particularly illustrious individual from a division’s combat history. We’ve had snipers, pilots, tank commanders; in the new pack you’ll be able to play with:

• Francis “Gabby” Gabreski (P-47D-25 in fighter mode) found with the US 2nd Infantry Division.
  
• Michael Wittman (Tiger E Führer) found with the 12. SS-Panzer.

The latest two divisions in the “Tribute to D-Day” will revive some classic units from Normandy 44. These include:

• ”Beute” captured Firefly
  
• Cromwell tanks (half a dozen variants)
  
• Crusader Mk.2B
  
• Firefly Ic

Now, let’s take a look at the divisions in detail!

The Free Poles of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna, the 1st Polish Armored Division, only started landing in France at the end of July and beginning of August. Under Canadian command, the Winged Hussars joined combat during Operation Totalize, which broke the Axis defensive lines south of Caen, and paved the way for the Polish tanks and soldiers to advance to the town of Falaise.

The 1 Pancerna took on a crucial role in closing the subsequent encirclement that trapped thousands of Axis soldiers. It bore the brunt of the German attempts to escape the Falaise Pocket and, despite repeated attacks, held the line. Later during World War 2, the Winged Hussars drove up the French coast and played an essential part in the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Some of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna’s defining features:

• Fast Cromwell cavalry tanks (as well as light Stuart tanks) allow the Free Poles to be very fast and aggressive in the opening attacks.
  
• Sherman and Firefly tanks provide the bulk of the armored forces in the second wave.
  
• The division can also field two older Firefly Ic (slower, less armored compared to the more common Vc variant) but only phase A. A neat trick: this division provides the only opportunity to deploy two vetted Firefly tanks in phase A.
  
• Strong AA weapons, including mobile, armored twin and triple 20mm, Bofors portee, etc.
  
• A drawback is the limited amount of infantry and the lack of strong artillery.
  
• The Polish air force is compelled to use older variants of various capable planes, encompassing Spitfire Mk. IXc, Hurricane, Mosquito, and P-51 Mustang (the old Mk. III variant).

Arguably one of the best fighting divisions of the Third Reich in the early summer 1944, the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend” became renowned for its fanatical conduct on the battlefield. The bulk of the division’s soldiers were spirited and indoctrinated, recruited from the Hitler Youth, backed up by a cadre of experienced and battle-hardened NCOs and officers. The 12. SS-Panzerdivision lacked for (almost) nothing, being able to field a large number of tanks and other armored vehicles such as Tigers, Panthers, supported by self-propelled AA guns and rocket artillery.

Being one of the closest Axis armored divisions in Normandy during Allied landings, the 12. SS-Panzerdivision was immediately sent to the front. The formation proved to be a tough and ferocious opponent to the British-Canadian forces arrayed against it. Time and time again, the German soldiers counter-attacked, inflicting many casualties. However, harried by constant air attacks, naval and artillery bombardment, the 12. SS was almost completely destroyed after weeks of hard fighting. Only a small part of its soldiers escaped the disastrous Falaise Pocket.

Some of the 12. SS-Panzerdivision strengths and weaknesses:

• Lots of tanks, although only the Panzer IV H and “older” Panther D are available from the start. Wittman’s Tiger E and brand-new Panther G tanks can only be fielded from phase B onward.
  
• The iconic “Beute” Firefly, available vetted in phase A.
  
• The commander unit in phase A can deploy in a captured Dingo armored car (named as Bef.SPW 202(e)).
  
• All combat infantry comes with the new “Fanatical” trait. Better watch out, these guys fight to the death!
  
• Lots of powerful AA and FlaK units including two special SPAAG vehicles: the Mobelwagen (37mm) and Wirbelwind (4x20mm), as well as regular towed 20mm, 37mm and 88mm guns.
  
• Regular artillery units backed-up by Wurfrahmen rocket artillery.
  
• A drawback is the lack of powerful anti-tank units (which reflects their absence for most of the Normandy campaign).
  
• Air support is very light.
  
  
  
  
  Historical Battlefield Evolution
  
  We wanted to update each division’s unit pool depending on the actual combat history of the formation. A unit’s deployment should reflect when they were used in reality.
  
  For the Winged Hussars, this means that up-armored Cromwell VII tanks are only available in Phase C. The Axis get the Tiger E (including Wittman’s Ace variant) in phase B and C. The same goes for the Panther G and Jagdpanzer IV. These were sent as reinforcements in the middle of the Normandy campaign - hence their limited availability in the later combat phases.
  
  
  Coming up next
  
  That is it! Next week, on Saturday June 6th, we will launch the Tribute to D-Day. The pack will be made available for $16,99 / €16,99.
  
  If you haven’t, check out the Mechanized Infantry blog post where we look at the U.S. 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division and the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen”. If that whets your appetite, take a look at some airborne action in the Infantry blog post where we detail the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne squaring off against the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division.
  
  
  
  Let us know what you think! Don’t hesitate to check out 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.
  
  See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

We hope you are doing well. In today’s post, we’re going to shine a light on two “devilishly good” divisions which will be part of our upcoming new Steel Division 2 “Tribute to D-Day” DLC launching the 6th of June.

That’s right, it’s paratrooper action with the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne Division squaring off against the “Green Devils” 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division. As elite infantry formations, they both feature tough and battle-hardened soldiers, favoring the fight up close and personal.

Don’t forget to read the previous Mechanized Infantry blog post where we look at the U.S. 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division on the Allied side and the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen” for the Axis.

The “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will celebrate the official start of Operation Overlord in 1944 and transports six divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to the Eastern Front, including several new units. Read all about it in the original announcement here.


Of the two airborne divisions, only one was actually used in its intended vertical paradrop role (the 6th Airborne). While the Axis formation did feature a large array of parachutist-friendly material (light, short-range guns), by this stage of the war, the 3.Fallschirmjäger was mostly related to slogging it out on foot. Still, the soldiers from both divisions were well trained and combat-ready.

One of the main new features of the “Tribute to D-Day” DLC is the Belgian Brigade Piron, found with the 6th Airborne. All the units attached to this Belgian brigade have been reskinned to match Piron’s camouflage and markings, with the soldiers having their own voice acting (and yes, that means French with Belgian accents and Flemish accents of Dutch). Its units can be also searched for under their own flag in Steel Division 2’s Armory.



The following selection of special units can be found in the Belgian Brigade Piron:

• Recon: Daimler Littlejohn, Eclaireurs (2-man team), Scouts (4-man team), Daimler Scout Car, MMG Carrier, Universal Carrier
  
• Infantry: Grenadiers-Volt. (8-man Motor Rifles-like), CMD Grenadiers-Volt. (4-man Leader squad with PIAT)
  
• Transport: CMP trucks, Willys MB
  
• Other: Dingo (Commander), CMP Polsten, 25-pdr artillery gun

Officially, the air landing commandos of the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne were the first to land on French soil just after midnight on the 6th of June during Operation Deadstick: the coup de main glider assault on two bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal. Shortly after, the bulk of the division’s paratroopers dropped in various landing zones located on the eastern flank of the invasion area.

Having consolidated their positions, and reinforced by British and Canadian divisions, the “Red Devils” occupied a vital bridgehead across the Orne for several weeks. Later on, the division was further augmented by the Belgium Brigade Piron, one of the various “other” Allied formations from nations contributing to the Normandy campaign (including the French, Polish, Dutch, Czech, etc.)

Later during the campaign, the 6th Airborne Division advanced along the French coast, reaching the River Seine by the end of August. The paratroopers were sent back to England and were used as reinforcements during the subsequent Battle of the Bulge before making their last combat drop into Germany during Operation Varsity in March 1945.



The 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division never performed an actual para drop but was still considered part of the fighting elite of the Third Reich. Formed of veteran soldiers, the division was listed as full strength and well-equipped with a large arsenal of MG 42s and the Fallschirmjägers-own FG 42s.

Having moved into the battlezone on June 10th, the German “Green Devils” wreaked havoc on the Allied formations, expertly using their numerous short-range automatic infantry weapons during deadly ambushes and transforming the many hedgerows of Normandy into natural fortresses. The lack of motorized transport hampered the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division, and later on, the formation was almost completely destroyed during heavy Allied bombing near Falaise.




First off, we have made quite a few under-the-hood changes to each of the divisions featured in the upcoming DLC. For instance, they will have full access to all the new unit types introduced in Steel Division 2, such as the artillery observers and commander units. Also, each formation uses Steel Division 2’s economy templates (instead of the fixed rate). There is more: new units will also feature traits such as Raiders (operate without any morale penalty behind enemy lines) or Disheartened (these units lose morale quicker under fire).

As we explained in our previous blogpost, we wanted to highlight the historic battlefield evolution of each division.

For the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division this means that some of their “lesser” comrade-in-arms (the reinforcements from the weaker, disbanded Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen) will become available in phase B.

There are some more noteworthy changes visible with the 6th Airborne. Here, the Ox & Bucks commandos (the troops the first to assault Pegasus Bridge) are available during phase A. The same for their infamous captured AB PaK 40. The Cromwell replacement tanks can be deployed from phase B, while Challenger tank reinforcements arrive in phase C. Lastly, one of the big new additions to the “Tribute to D-Day” DLC, the Belgian Brigade Piron, is available from phase C.

For both airborne divisions, most of their line infantry (Rifles, Assault, Pioneer) feature the Raiders trait. Some of their support units also gain this trait, including MGs, flamethrower squads, the British Tetrarch tank, 2-pdr mortar, 75mm howitzer, captured PaK 40, and 20mm Polsten gun, the German L6 light tank, LG 42 recoilless guns and 20mm Flak guns.


We have created a couple of new units for our paratrooper divisions:

• Fs-Sturmjäger - 3FJ: A very small number of Fallschirmjäger support squads were equipped with a combination of FG 42 and StG 44 automatic rifles. Not satisfied with the proposed massive hail of fire, MG 42 have been added on top for good measure.
  
• Glider Crew - 6AB: Large squads of pilots and glider crew who found themselves without a job once on the ground. Armed with Sten guns and rifles these ad-hoc soldiers are untrained in tactics, and as such carry the Disheartened trait.
  
• AB Paras (PIAT) - 6AB: A small number of “heavy” paratrooper squads can be found with two Bren machine guns and a PIAT.
  
• Grenadiers-Volt - 6AB: Belgian Motor Rifle soldiers, equipped with two Stens and 2 Bren machine guns.

The “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will also “revive” some classic units from Normandy 44 and allow for their deployment on the Eastern Front in Steel Division 2. In no particular order:

• All Airborne and Airlanding infantry for the 6th British Airborne Division.
  
• Tetrarch light tank - In three variants, including Littlejohn in the Recon tab.
  
• Daimler Littlejohn (Belgian version)
  
• AB M1 75mm - Light howitzer with the Raiders trait.
  
• British Tanks - Cromwell, Challenger, Centaur (support variant of the Cromwell).
  
• Fallschirmjäger and Luftwaffe infantry for the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division.
  
• AB41 - Armored car
  
• L6 - Light tank
  
• Puppchen light AT rocket-launcher.
  
• PaK 42 Gerlich light squeeze-bore AT gun.
  
• LG 42 recoilless 105mm gun found in the Support tab.

Next week’s blog post, we’ll take a good look at the remaining two divisions of the “Tribute to D-Day” DLC: The Free Poles of the 1 Pacerna versus the fanatical 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend.

The upcoming “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will release on June 6th and will be made available for $16,99 / €16,99.

Let us know what you think! Don’t hesitate to check out 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.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Good day to you!

In the lead-up to the launch of our new Steel Division 2 “Tribute to D-Day” DLC this 6th of June, we are going to explore each of the six new divisions in detail. In true versus format, we’ll focus a weekly post on two individual formations: one Allied and one Axis.

Today, the theme of our post is mechanized infantry. Please welcome the contenders to the ring: for the Allies, it’s the U.S. 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division; on the Axis side, we have the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen.”

For those of you who missed last week’s news: on the 6th of June, in celebration of Operation Overlord in 1944, we’ll be releasing a brand-new DLC for Steel Division 2: “Tribute to D-Day”. This expansion features 6 divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44, and will bring several new units to the battlefields of the Eastern Front.


A disclaimer: yes, we know, the 2nd ID “Indianhead” is technically not a full mechanized formation compared to the 17. SS in the strictest sense of the word. However, we are labeling the American battlegroup as such in our game. This is due to the real-life reinforcements of independent units which were added to the division late into the Normandy campaign. Keep on reading to find out more.


First off, the brave soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division “Indianhead” which came to shore on D+1. Locked into fierce combat around Saint-Lô with among others the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division, the American formation learned the hard way how to operate (and succeed) in dense bocage country, creating improvised weaponry and developing new tactics on the fly. At the end of July, the division managed to break out, and advanced onto the important port of Brest. Much later in the war, the Indianhead soldiers also fought during the Battle of the Bulge, before ending up at the conclusion of World War II all the way across Germany, in Czechoslovakia.



The mechanized 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen” couldn’t hold a candle to the Third Reich’s best: it was a far cry away from a well-supplied and armed division made up of battle-hardened, experienced soldiers. Instead, raw recruits and Volksdeutsche filled up its ranks, and the lack of motorized transports had only been slightly mitigated by using locally sourced French trucks and automobiles.

Named after the Swabian 15th-century knight, with an iron prosthetic hand (yes, they had them in those days) which led to the black-and-white coat of arms, the 17. SS was also known as the “Lick my Ass Division” thanks to the famous saying of the namesake, Count von Berlichingen. Nonetheless, the 17. SS proved themselves well during the fighting in Normandy. Heavily mauled in constant battles, only the tattered remnants of this division managed to escape the Falaise Pocket.




The “Tribute to D-Day” divisions will have full access to all the new unit types introduced in Steel Division 2, such as the artillery observers and commander units, and the Feldgendarme for the 17. SS. Not only that, but we are also introducing some new units to these two formations:

• SS-Legionari - 17. SS. This unit is composed of die-hard Italian SS troops. They are veteran assault soldiers equipped with Beretta SMGs, G-43 semi-auto rifles, Molotov cocktails, and Panzerfausts.
  
• Basics - 2ID. Much as the name implies, these fresh recruits are armed with Garand rifles and gathered in large squads. As green replacements, they carry the Disheartened trait. We can’t save all the Private Ryans, can we?
  
• Assault Group - 2ID: A field-expedited full SMG squad (a mix of Thompsons and Grease Guns) formed after suffering one too many defeats in “hedgerow hell.” This unit is available from phase B onward.
  
• Demolition Group - 2ID: Urban combat specialists, created by the Indianhead during the street fighting in the port city of Brest. These soldiers are armed with a combination of flamethrowers, bazookas, rifles and experimental full-auto M2 carbines. These soldiers can only be deployed in phase C.
  
• Snipers - 2ID: This unit is introduced for the first time to the Indianhead. Does exactly what it says on the tin: shoots the enemy from afar with deadly accuracy!

The “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will also “revive” some classic units from Normandy 44 and allow for their deployment on the Eastern Front in Steel Division 2. These units can all be found in the 2nd Infantry Division.

• U.S. Rangers - The famous elite American soldiers will equip four different infantry squad variants and one support half-track unit.
  
• M3 105mm howitzer - A light artillery piece used by both airborne troops and regular infantry U.S. Army regiments.
  
• M18 Hellcat - Fan-favorite tank destroyer which sported paper-thin armor but resulted in it being the fastest tracked vehicle of the war.
  
• M4A1 Rhino - A Frankenstein of a Sherman, some tankers fitted out their tanks with scrap metal scoured from German beach obstacles. This scratch-built armor allowed the Rhinos to destroy the dense hedgerows and shrug off light anti-tank weapons.
  
• Xylophone - A beautifully named truck-mounted twin multiple rocket-launcher. The North American cousin of the Katyusha.

We have made some additional changes to these two divisions. One of the most important is also one of the most obvious: these divisions no longer feature fixed economies, following instead the various Steel Division 2 templates currently available (Vanguard, Balanced, etc.).

That said, to acknowledge each division’s history, we decided to represent the “evolution” these divisions saw during the Normandy campaign. This we did by unlocking each unit at a specific combat phase depending on when they were used during the battles in Northwest France.

For instance, the 17. SS will gain access to heavier Flak units (37mm and 88mm), most of the tank destroyers (Jagdpanzer IV) and assault Sturmpionier from phase B onwards. This reflects that these elements only joined the division relatively late into the campaign.

The “Indianhead” experiences this even more. Here we see the Ranger-associated units only available in phase A or B in low numbers. Improvisation in the field led to the deployment of Assault Groups and the M4A1 Rhino, which is reflected by these units becoming available from phase B onward. The Xylophone rocket launcher and the M18 Hellcat joined the division late in the campaign; as such they can only be deployed in phase B and C. Another new unit is the Demolition Group infantry squad. Together with the British flame-throwing Crocodile tank, they played a vital role in the liberation of Brest, much later on. That’s why they can only be deployed in phase C.




The upcoming “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will release on June 6th and will be made available for $16,99 / €16,99.

We’d love to know what you think! Don’t hesitate to check out 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.

Next week’s blog post will take a look at the kick-ass paratrooper Tribute to D-Day divisions and see some devil-versus-devil action: the 6th British Airborne squares up against the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

Until then, take care and see you on the battlefield, commander!