Hello commander,

Good news! We finally have a release date for the long-awaited Nemesis: Raid on Drvar. Muster your troops as the newest DLC for Steel Division 2 is going to be hitting the Steam store page next week, Thursday, the 16th of June.

Keep reading to find out more!

A mea culpa

First off: we want to share with you our apologies for the delay in getting Nemesis: Raid on Drvar in your hands. Next to continued developmental issues, the DLC took much longer than expected.



This is also one reason we didn’t publish anything last week. We wanted to make sure that the Nemesis: Raid on Drvar was ready to go when we would share something with you!

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar

So, what can you expect from Nemesis: Raid on Drvar? The newest Steel Division 2 DLC features two brand-new battlegroups, taking the player into one of World War II's most unusual airborne operations: the ambitious Axis air assault to neutralize Yugoslav partisan leader Tito in the spring of 1944.



Unternehmen Rösselsprung - Operation Knight’s Move - was Nazi Germany’s daring paratroop raid, deep inside the partisan-controlled territory, to deliver a stunning coup de main strike. Instead of a checkmate, Tito and his guerilla forces successfully resisted the elite SS paratroopers, mountain soldiers and Croatian ground troops.

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar gives you the command of two unique battlegroups in skirmish or online multiplayer: the Axis airborne troops of Unternehmen Rösselsprung and the partisan forces of the Yugoslav NOV. New units include fanatical SS-Fs-Jäger and SS Gebirgsjäger, Croatian Domobran, partisan Snajper, or British SOE special forces.



Command unique units such as the homemade Yugoslav Partop infantry heavy mortar, M.28 heavy AA gun, Aufk. Panzer II F or the L35 tankette. The sky is filled with Croatian-controlled BH-33E-SHS biplane, pre-war Yugoslav IK-2 fighter, the Ca.310bis Libeccio bomber, or Allied-flown tank killer Hurricane Mk IV Vickers and South African Ventura GR.V bomber.

Some additional reading

It’s been a while since we last let the spotlight shine on Nemesis: Raid on Drvar. If you want to read up on all the juicy details, from history to the new toys you get to play with in Steel Division 2, look no further!

• A preview of the Axis battlegroup Unternehmen Rosselsprung in this blog post here.
  
• The Allied partisan army of NOV gets highlighted in a blog post, which you can read here.
  
• We ran a detailed breakdown of the Air Forces featured in the Nemesis: Raid on Drvar in this dedicated blog post here.

Until next week

Get ready for Nemesis: Raid on Drvar’s launch next week Thursday. Until then, take care and keep calm, cool, and collected, commander!

Don’t forget to cast an eye on our Steam forums and Instagram if you want to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 has to offer. Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield.

Hello commander!

We hope you are well. It will only be a very small update, as Eugen’s offices are still officially closed for the day.

But we can’t leave without a short message to you!

Rest and Recuperation

May is the month with the most bank holidays in France, from Worker’s Day to the end of World War II, and religious celebrations. Hence the team is getting some much-needed rest and recuperation.

However, not to worry, development on Steel Division 2 continues at pace. We are still hard at work on Steel Division 2: Battle of Turda, and Nemesis: Raid on Drvar is coming soon too.

Until next week

We will be back with a regular update next week. Thanks for your understanding!

Don’t forget to cast an eye on our Steam forums and Instagram if you want to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 has to offer. Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you soon, commander!

Hello commander!

Let’s dive right in with today’s final Battle of Turda DLC division preview. We will take a good look at the varied composition of the Allied Romanian Corpul 6 Teritorial.

A short Nemesis update

Before we press on, a brief message regarding our Nemesis: Raid on Drvar DLC. Yes, we are working on it, and yes, it will come soon. However, we are still ironing out some final touches which we hope to accomplish in the very near future.

With that out of the way, let’s continue with our new Romanian friends of the Corpul 6 Teritorial. We’d like to thank our Strike Team member and big Romanian fan Charlie TZR (aka the former Steppewolf) for additional details and background info!

A corps for training

After the crushing defeats of Stalingrad, the Romanian High Command hurriedly formed additional training divisions in the home country to process the new recruits and reservists. Made up of a handful of instructors and regulars, these training formations funneled fresh manpower to active divisions at the front. The Corpul 6 Teritorial came into existence in 1943, consisted of a corps of three training divisions, and deployed in Transylvania, south of Cluj-Napoca, at the new frontier with Hungary. The divisions were the 18th, the 20th, and the 6th.

Much like other Romanian training formations, the divisions within Corpul 6 Teritorial featured only six battalions (compared to nine for frontline divisions) and had access to fewer heavier weapons. Each individual division was closer to an infantry brigade. Elements in the corps included the Regimentul 6 Pionieri, providing the bulk of the combat power, and the Regimentul 10 Calarasi, with its recon and motorized troops, ideal for a mobile reserve force. Artillery units allocated to the formation were decent, with a wide range of gun pieces, from relatively modern 105mm Schneiders to 150mm Skoda guns and 155mm heavy WWI French models.

A new war

After Romania’s switch from Axis to Allies in August 1944, hostilities broke out with the former allies, Germany and Hungary. The Hungarians began their offensive into Transylvania to reach the Carpathian mountain passes within days. Being situated nearby, the role of Corpul 6 Teritorial changed overnight, becoming the first critical line of defense. They took the brunt of the offensive, critically delaying the Hungarians and Germans, and buying enough time for additional reinforcements to arrive, including Soviet troops.

The first combat mission of the formation, which was commanded by Brigadier General Georghe Stavrescu, was to stop and slow down the enemy’s advance. The infantry brigades took the first hit of the Hungarian attack but held on, being reinforced by other Romanian combat elements in the area.

First combat encounters

The left flank of the offensive was covered by two battalions of the 3rd Mountain Division, veterans of the Kuban and Crimea campaigns. These troops were the first in combat, and lacking much heavy weaponry, worked together with the border guards to repel the Hungarian attackers. They even used explosives from nearby mines for some additional firepower.

The other formations of Corpul 6 Teritorial also played their part, with the 18th being deployed around Alba Iulia and cleaning up the area of German troops, capturing a few tanks. Later on, it moved north towards Turda to assist the Soviet-Romanian attack. The 20th Division was the least-equipped formation. Regardless, it fought hard against superior forces, repelling frequent counterattacks and even pushing back the opponent across the river Mures. This division later linked up with the Corpul Motomecanizat. The 6th was located in Turda and was mauled in the first days of battle before moving off the line for rest and recuperation. Later on, it rejoined the fight, together with the first Soviet reinforcements. An additional Romanian formation, the 7th, was added to the corps, as it played a part in blocking areas when the enemy was advancing south.

Additional forces

The Corpul 6 Teritorial groups together an array of forces, not only the previously mentioned divisions, but also other troops. These include Regimentul 7 Graniceri, border guards, as well as local garrisons in Cluj and Aries, made up of reservists. However, a key turning point was the arrival of Soviet forces. The Corpul 6 Teritorial was capable of counter-attacking in the latter stages of the campaign, thanks to the influx of Red Army troops.

What can you expect in-game?

Corpul 6 Teritorial will have a tough time on the attack, but will receive more mobile troops and offensive options over time. To better reflect its historical conduct during the campaign, this division is phase-locked. A large variety of light Romanian units are available in Phase A, while the Soviets provide heavier reinforcements from Phase B onward.

• With a respectable amount of slots and options, the formation’s Recon units are pretty decent. Romanian scouts can only be deployed on foot or in side-cars, but later down the line, Soviet reinforcements bring units such as half-tracks and T-70 recon tanks.
  
• Lots of cheap slots are available in the Infantry category. This includes the usual Infanteristi (Pzf), Recruti, Pionieri and Pionieri Asalt. In later Phases, you also have access to Soviet Strelki and Strelki (DP, as well as Avtomatchiki including Leader variants.
  
• A number of new Romanian infantry squads are also available. Deploy the Graniceri and Graniceri Calari border guards, Rezervisti units carrying the Disheartened trait and equipped with the old French WWI Chauchat automatic rifle, or the Calarasi Moto with 2x MG-42, and Moti units. The latter squads resemble Vanatori Munte but lack AT weapons and instead use locally sourced TNT stocks for some hand-held explosive demolition charges.
  
  
  
  
• Tank is one of the weakest categories with a (real-life) grand total of zero tanks for the Corpul 6 Teritorial. However, the Soviets brought some of their own machinery later in the campaign. This means the division has to fend for itself without armored support in Phase A, while receiving some T-34/85 in Phase B.
  
• In Support, you will have access to quite a few HMGs, including Schwarloze, ZB-53 and heavy Hotchkiss guns. There are some Jandarmi (military police to keep those of Disheartened trait in line), as well as 47mm Breda support guns. Romanian commanders come either on foot or in a classy and speedy Ford V8 Sedan. Soviets provide an armored M2 Kombat from Phase B.
  
• Quite a bit of choice in the Anti-Tank category, though some with a limited availability of one card. This represents the motley assortment of guns used by the Romanian training divisions. As such you receive Panzerschreck, M32 AC 45mm, Schneider 47mm, PaK 38 50mm and Resita 75mm. From Phase B, Soviets bring their ZiS-2 and ZiS-3 towed guns.
  
• Anti-Aircraft is below average, with some good choices but expensive slots. Commanders get to choose from the ubiquitous twin Hotchkiss on trucks, German 20mm, French twin 25mm and German 88mm Flak guns.
  
• Artillery forces range from Romanian guns in the 75mm to 155mm caliber, but most of them are light or old. The Soviets feature some self-propelled SU-76M from Phase B.
  
• Airforces include a few French Potez 63.11 A3 recon bombers and the Potez 633 B2 bomber variant. These planes are supported by a few Me-109 G-2 fighters until the Red Air Force can bring the better Yak-1, Yak-9, Il-2 and Il-4 aircraft.

A brief summary

In case you missed it, the latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda will contain the following.

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie, the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata and the Corpul 6 Teritorial.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division). The Germans are represented with the Sperrverband von Kessel.
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One new map.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Until soon (but not next week)

That’s it for now. The Eugen staff will take some much-needed holidays on May 19th and 20th. This means that the offices will be closed and no blog post will be published during those days. Not to worry, we’ll be back soon after!

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

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

Another day, another deep dive into our new Steel Division 2 DLC: The Battle of Turda. Let’s look at the final Axis division of this upcoming Army General expansion: the “blocking detachment” task force of Sperrverband Kessel.

Keep on reading!

A personal connection

Sperrverband Kessel is a German task force formation comprising a motley collection of independent German and Hungarian units grouped temporarily under one command. Fighting near Turda, the division was known as a “blocking detachment.” As such, it received the name of its commander: German General Mortimer von Kessel.



Before we continue, let’s talk a bit more about this officer, which is present in more of our Army General campaigns than anyone else. Born into nobility, Mortimer von Kessel joined the German Imperial Army in 1914 at age 21. He survived World War I, having pocketed not only an Iron Cross First Class but also the rank of lieutenant. During the interwar period, von Kessel remained in the army, rising to the station of lieutenant colonel. At the start of World War II, during the Poland Campaign, he was at the forefront, commanding a reconnaissance regiment and becoming a full colonel in the process. He kept climbing the ranks, as he ultimately was appointed commander of the 20. Panzer in 1943.

In more ways than one

And now we make our connections: the 20. Panzer has been featured in Steel Division 2 in multiple ways:

• In the Army General Bobruisk campaign, the 20. Panzer is one of the divisions trapped in the city. The division, together with von Kessel, spearheaded the garrison’s breakout.

• In the Army General Baranovichi campaign, the 20. Panzer - reduced to Kampfgruppe von Kessel - tried to fight its way towards the defenders in the city from the north.
  
• In the Army General Iasi campaign, there is a Divisions-Gruppe Kessel. This battlegroup represents the 20. Panzer sent to Romania… for rest and refit! Instead, another Soviet offensive had to be faced again. The few combat-ready elements were formed into a single mixed battalion (playable in the campaign).

After Iasi, what was left of the 20. Panzer was utterly worn out. Our general, with barely anything to command, was ordered to Hungary.

Service in Hungaria

In Hungary, von Kessel was to command all independent German armored forces sent to support the Hungarian offensive in Transylvania. In the process, the German commander also ended up taking charge of several infantry formations, including Hungarian soldiers.

A small note: in German, “Kessel” means “cauldron”. This is also the word used in German military language to describe pockets of troops surrounded by the enemy. Now, which commander had found itself in cauldron after cauldron on the Eastern Front? From Brobruisk, cut-off north of Baranovichi, almost surrounded at Iasi; luckily, Mortimer von Kessel avoided the distinction of forming a “Kessel’s Kessel” by always being able to break out.

Into Romania

In our DLC The Battle of Turda, Sperrverband von Kessel exists from the starts, although historically was only officialy formed in the last days of our timeframe. Yet, all the sub-units it involves were already there and engaged.
As mentioned before, this task force groups a whole array of forces under one banner. These include:

• StuG-Brigade 905 - StuG III G and StuH 42
  
• StuG-Abteilung 1015 and 1176 - StuG III G and IV
  
• Panzerjäger-Abteilung 721 - PaK 40 and StuG III F
  
• III./Brand. Jäger-Rgt. 4 - Brandenburger
  
• II,/241. Flak-Abteilung - Flak 88mm and Flakvierling
  
• 92. Panzer-Pionier-Abteilung - Armored Engineers
  
• KG Fessner - remains of infantry regiment
  
• KG Abraham - Ersatztruppen
  
• KG Gradl - 13. Panzer remains, mixed battlegroups, survivors that fought at Iasi.
  
• KG Eder - 10. Panzergrenadier’s remains, mixed battlegroups, survivors that fought at Iasi.
  
• 1st Mtn.Repl. Brigade - Hungarian mountain troops with Raider trait, but veterancy locked. The same as those troops embedded with the Hungarian 25th Infantry.
  
• various smaller units, such as Hungarian Csendőr (=Royal Hungarian Gendarmerie).

What can you expect in-game?

Sperrverband Kessell is roughly a Panzergrenadier-Division, with fewer tanks but more, and more diverse, infantry.

• Recon is nothing to write home about. Most of the options in this category are infantry, with only a few slots open. It does include some elite Brandenburger recon squads though.
  
• Infantry forces are potent, with many cheap slots and a large array of choice, from Erzatstruppen to elite Brandenburg commandos, Hungarian mountain troops, combat engineers, and Panzergrenadier (some of them deployable in half-tracks).
  
• There are only a few armored slots open. Most of the cards available are StuG III G, rounded out by a handful Panzer IV and StuG IV.
  
• Support forces are pretty decent, with more options than normal. You will find Hungarian and German MG squads, including Brandenburg versions, as well as SdKfz. 251/16 flamethrower and StuH 42. You will also be able to deploy large Hungarian gendarmerie squads, the Csendőr, being Disciplined and Fanatical, the gendarmes being the most hardcore nazi within the Hungarian regime. Csendőr can also be deployed as the old CV.33 tankettes, which is a Military Police tank (yup) coming with the Disciple trait ... but not Fanatical: nobody could be riding in such a tankette in 1944!
  
• The Anti-Tank category features towed Hungarian 40mm and German PaK 40 guns at its core, and a few lighter s.PzB 41, Marder tank destroyer and StuG III F/8.
  
• You can’t call much, but you can rely on the efficient 88mm AA gun, the Flakvierling or the SdKfz. 7/1.
  
• The division is seriously lacking in artillery, with an average number of slots, but very restricted in choice. You only get mortars and the Hungarian 75mm howitzer, a few self-propelled mortars or the Wespe.
  
• Airforces overhead are a mix of Hungarian and German planes, including the Ju-87, Ju-88, Me-109 and Fw-190.

A brief summary

In case you missed it, the latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda will contain the following.

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie and the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division). The Germans are represented with the Sperrverband von Kessel.
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One new map.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Until next week!

That’s all! Keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

We are back at it again with a new preview of the upcoming Steel Division 2 DLC, The Battle of Turda. This time, we highlight the Romanian Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata, or in English, the 8th Motorized Cavalry Division.

Keep reading to find out all the juicy details.

Getting the fighting spirit

The Romanian Army had no less than 26 cavalry regiments at the start of World War II. By 1941, several of these regiments were regrouped into six brigades, while the remaining regiments were attached to infantry divisions where they would act as reconnaissance elements.



Having watched from the sidelines for the first two years of war, the Romanians thought it was high time to motorize their cavalry brigades. Due to a lack of vehicles, only three brigades managed to convert one of their regiments into a motorized regiment. The 8th Cavalry Brigade was formed on June 12th, 1941, with two horse cavalry regiments, one motorized regiment, and one horse artillery battery.

Changes on the Eastern Front

This brigade served from October 1941 to May 1942 in the Romanian Mountain Corps on the Eastern Front, itself subordinated to the German 11. Armee. After a while, the Romanian forces were then transferred to the German XXX. Korps. Originally set to be converted to a motorized cavalry division in 1942, the disaster of Stalingrad prevented this reorganization of the 8th Cavalry Brigade.



After the defeat of the Romanian troops in the winter of 1942, several divisions were destroyed and needed to be recreated, as well as rearmed and trained. As such, the 8th Cavalry Brigade’s upgrade into the 8th Cavalry Division was limited to the expansion of its horse-drawn artillery battery into a full regiment. After yet another transfer, the newly formed division would once again find itself under Romanian command, this time as part of the VII. Corps.

In a fresh round of reorganization on July 1943, three Romanian cavalry divisions - the 1st, 5th, and the 8th Cavalry Division - were earmarked for conversion into armored divisions. Tanks and armored vehicles were to be delivered by Germany, and personnel trained by German instructors. Four regiments would be motorized, including service units, armored vehicles, etc.



Nazi Germany, however, had different priorities by late 1943, and the delivery of the equipment was insufficient and frequently delayed. As a result, only the 8th Cavalry was converted and received the lion’s share of the equipment. By this time, 1944, the Soviet Iasi offensive prevented any further conversion from happening.

In Romania

The 8th Cavalry Division found itself near Bucharest in training and was thus spared the fate of many Romanian divisions when they were shattered by the advancing Soviets. The German instructors did not sit by idly when the Red Army broke through the Axis lines. They commandeered all the armored vehicles, forming Kampfgruppe Braun, and headed straight to the front with most of the division’s heavy equipment. This German task force is featured in our Iasi campaign from Steel Division 2: Black Sunday.

Deprived of most of its tanks, the formation was rebranded Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata. Much like the 9th Infantry Division, the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata was one of the few (largely) intact and battle-ready veteran divisions left by the newly Allied Romanian leadership. It was assigned, as the other mobile units, to the Corpul Motomecanizat (Motomechanized Corps).

Fighting in Turda

The fighting for Transylvania for the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata followed in the footsteps of the 9th Infantry Division. First, there was combat on the river Mures, before being sent to the Oarba de Mures battle. The Romanian soldiers took part in the bloody assaults on the slopes, fighting on the right flank of the 9th Infantry Division. Much like this partner division, after heavy losses, the combat eventually died down and moved over to Hungary proper.

What can you expect in-game?

The Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata has access to a host of different kinds of units across all categories. Such as?

• Recon is pretty good, with plenty of cheap slots and lots of availability. This includes snipers, large cavalry recon squads, light recon armored cars, and (some) recon half-tracks available as transports.
  
• Infantry forces are well-rounded, with the usual complement of Rosiori, Pionieri Calari and the new Calarasi Moto unit fielding two MG-42s. Another new unit is also featured: the Vânãtori de Garda. These soldiers were the original elite bodyguards of the recently deposed Axis Romanian ruler Antonescu. Following the Conducãtor’s demise, the bodyguards were reorganized into the two-battalion Regimentual 115 Infantrie. Regarded as unreliable in the new political context, this well-trained and equipped regiment was sent to the front, away from the capital. And so it came to pass. The formation was attached to the Corpul Motomecanizat and thrown into the meatgrinder that was Oarba de Mures in support of the 8th Motorized Cavalry Division. The Vânãtori de Garda squads are veteran troops equipped with 4x SMGs, 4x rifles, and 2x ZB-30 LMGs.

• Historically, no tanks were found with the division. However, the Corpul Motomecanizat managed to capture several Hungarian and German tanks, and used them to great effect against their former owners. We have regrouped them with the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata. You can field a few captured Turan II and Zrinyi II, as well as Hetzer tank destroyer (the latter in the AT tab).
  
• A classic Support category but with plentiful machine gun units, from Schwarloze to ZB-53 and even heavy French 13,2mm Hotchkiss.
  
• Anti-Tank features the Hetzer, as mentioned above. One of the few units the Germans didn’t commandeer and take off with was the new TACAM R-2 tank destroyer. Additionally, the efficient Resita, PaK 50mm and Soviet 45mm anti-tank guns are available. Slots are plentiful and cheap.
  
• The Anti-Aircraft category is pretty decent and features many choices. This includes older French 25mm guns and twin Hotchkiss on a flatbed truck, German Flak 37mm, Swedish Bofors 40mm and even the British Vickers 75mm.
  
• The division can count on some pretty strong artillery, which are numerous but light in caliber. This includes mortars, 75mm and 100mm howitzers.
  
• Air forces are powerful as well, with plenty of slots. This category features quite a lot of Romanian Ju-87 Stukas and Ju-88 bombers, as well as Bf-109 G2, G-4/R6 fighters and Hs-129 tank busters.

A brief summary

In case you missed it, the latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda will contain the following.

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie and the Divizia 8 Cavalerie Motorizata.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division).
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Until next week!

That’s all for this week! Keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello, hello, hello!

Advancing ever forward, today’s post will be another deep dive into our upcoming new Army General DLC, The Battle of Turda.

We’ll look at a new Axis Hungary division with today’s spotlight shining brightly on the Hungarian 25. Hadosztály (or in English, the 25th Infantry Division).

But first, some much-needed info on the other Steel Division 2 currently in the works: Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar

We know you have been waiting for an update on Nemesis: Raid on Drvar. We don’t have a definite date yet - but the DLC should come soon! What’s been keeping it so long?

• We divided the Yugoslav partisans’ acknows into three parts: Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian.
  
• Each language was translated separately and then recorded. Serbian and Croatian came back without issue, with some good acting in our opinion for the Serbian partisans and Chetnicks.
  
• With Bosnian, on the other hand, we had difficulties finding good actors. On top of that, we realized when it came to record the lines that our translation wasn’t good… not good at all actually.
  
• So, in short: we are translating everything again, getting it checked, and recorded once more.

A little bit of history

As a young formation of the Hungarian Army, the history of the 25. Hadosztály is closely intertwined with Transylvania. We already mentioned this before, but this region was the prime cause of the hostilities between Romania and Hungary at the tail-end of World War II. The northern part of Transylvania was awarded to Romania in 1920 with the Treaty of Trianon, the result of the dissolution of the Austrian-Hungarian empire after World War I. However, Hungary could lay claim on the same land through historical reasons and resented the decision.

In 1940, the dispute took a twist. Early in the war, Axis Hungary was part of Nazi Germany’s “winning team” alliance, while Romania found itself stranded alone. The Romanians had counted on the French and British as guarantors for their proclaimed neutrality, but after the defeat of the Allies in the Battle of France, the situation on the ground changed rapidly. Before the year was over, fascists had taken control of Romania. In the meantime, Hitler saw fit to force Romania to give up coveted Transylvania to Hungary.

Getting the fighting spirit

So what does this have to do with the 25. Hadosztály? Having only been formed in 1943, most of its recruits were from Transylvania, and therefore originally Romanian-born (and Romanian-speaking). Intended to be part of the IX. Corps, also known as the Székler Command, the formation was initially placed on the Romanian frontier, guarding against any hostile incursion from the “frenemy.” However, due to its composition, the 25. Hadosztály was regarded with suspicion by the Hungarian high command. Transferred to the First Army in March 1944, it was ordered into Galicia by the Germans a month later.

During its time on the frontline, the green soldiers of the 25. Hadosztály got ample opportunity to gain combat experience, including beating off multiple Soviet mechanized assaults and performing local counter-attacks. It was also here that the news of Romanian’s switch to the Allies became known. As a result, both the 25th Infantry Division and the 2nd Armored Divison were ordered to advance into Transylvania before the end of August 1944.

Destination: Turda

Arriving piecemeal by train meant that the 25. Hadosztály could only deploy individual detachments at the start of the Hungarian campaign. The formation followed the 2nd Armored Division’s offensive into Romania. The 25. Hadosztály took up defensive positions near Turda and on the Mures river, being aware of Romanian reinforcements and Soviet troops moving through the Carpathian mountain passes. Understrength, the 25. Hadosztály put up a spirited fight when it clashed with the advancing Allied units.



From the first encounters on September 13th, the battles raged ahead against the Soviet armored vanguard, supported by Romanian infantry, which was trying to secure Turda. This took until September 15th, when the outskirts of Turda were reached before further advance was checked by 25. Hadosztály. Heavy fighting erupted across the hills and countryside, with frequent artillery duels and bloody counter-attacks. With fresh reinforcements, the 25. Hadosztály destroyed a large portion of Soviet troops north of the Mures river on September 19th but was unable to wipe out the Red Army’s bridgehead. The Soviets prepared for their own attack and, on September 22nd, after heavy fighting, reached Turda. The 25. Hadosztály repelled attack after attack, either alone or with support of the 10th Assault Gun Battalion or 2nd Armored Division. With a dire situation, the timely arrival of the 23. Panzer at night brought some much-needed reinforcements.



During the Battle of Turda, the 25. Hadosztály was almost wiped out, with several battalions suffering 50% to 80% casualty rates. In a specific battalion, the III/25th, which launched several counter-attacks to stop and repel Soviet assault troops from gaining control of Turda, the survivors were so few and so heroic that, in a rare decision, every single soldier was promoted by one rank in recognition of the formation’s outstanding defense. After the Turda campaign, the division avoided being trapped in the Budapest encirclement and fought alongside the Germans during the counter-offensive on Lake Balaton in March 1945. Fighting to the very end of the war, the Hungarian division surrendered in May 1945 in Croatia.

What can you expect in-game?

It might not come as a surprise, but the 25. Hadosztály is a very infantry-centric division, able in defense, but only with limited means of (armored) counter-attacks.

Although it’s missing two of its battalions during the events of the Battle of Turda, it received some replacement units, including the 10th Assault Guns Battalion, the 2nd Mountain Replacement Brigade, and the late German StuG-Abt. 1179 with its Hetzer light tank destroyer.

• The division’s Recon forces are pretty standard, save for the presence of Disheartened Határrendőrség (Border Police) squads. These are a motley assortment of customs officers or postmen pressed into service with the border guard battalions - supposedly because they knew the area well.
  
• Infantry slots are many and cheap, with the core made up of the usual Lövész troops. This includes a single card of these soldiers with the Fanatical trait, featuring extra machine guns and SMGs, representing the unbreakable III/25th Regiment. Additionally, some Határvadász (Border Guard) can be deployed. They are large squads, well trained and equipped, but even though featuring the Raider trait, they lack experience and are veterancy locked.
  
• There are not many tanks available, but you will be able to deploy the Zrinyi II assault gun, considered one of the best Hungarian armors of the war, comparable to the StuH 42 with a good HEAT round.

• A very standard Support category, but the division fields a large amount of machine-guns.
  
• Anti-Tank forces are considerable, including 40M 40mm and PaK 40 75mm guns. The 25. Hadosztály can also count on a single card of German Jagdpanzer 38(t).
  
• Anti-Air is average with only a few Bofors 40mm and one card of Hungarian 88mm towed guns. We are including the last existing models of a rather unusual unit, which were known to be last used in combat at this period, although at inknown location. As a matter of fact, it was one of the very first models of SPAAGs: the old World War I design of the Raba Vr self-propelled 76,5mm gun truck!
  
• A large variety of artillery pieces can be encountered, including mortars, 75mm, 105mm, and 149mm howitzers, as well as off-map 105mm with the new WM-21 Solyom biplane spotter.
  
• Air support is likewise strong, featuring the Fw-190F-8 and Me-210 CA-1 fighters, as well as several variants of the Ju-87 D-5 Stuka. This includes one with the German WB-81B pod totaling two 20mm guns and twelve(!) 7,62mm machine-guns. Another unique addition is the Hungarian Héja as recon fighter, which is a license-built Italian Re.2000.

A brief summary

The latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda, will contain:

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the Hungarian 2. Páncéloshadosztály (2nd Armored Division) and 25. Hadosztály (25th Infantry Division).
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Until next week!

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

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander,

Hope you are well! In last week’s Battle of Turda DLC post, we let the Hungarian 2. Páncélos, or the 2nd Armored Division, take center stage. This week, it's high time to preview an Allied formation of our upcoming new DLC: the Romanian Divizia 9 Infanterie (or 9th Infantry Division).

Keep reading to find out more!

The Romanian 9th Infantry Division

The Romanian Divizia 9 Infanterie was an old formation in the Romanian Army, almost as venerable as the modern Romanian state itself. It was formed in 1879, shortly after the independence of the Kingdom of Romania from the Ottoman Empire, as the “Divizia Activă Dobrogea” (or “Dobrogea’s Active Division”). The formation was headquartered in Constanța, where it was renamed the Divizia 9 Infanterie.

The formation experienced an illustrious career in combat, including World War I, where it won the honorific title “Mărășești” for the part it played in the last major battle between Germany and Romania in 1917. The outcome kept north-east Romanian free from Imperial German occupation until the end of the war.

On the Eastern Front

Fast forward to World War II. The Divizia 9 Infanterie took part in Operation Barbarossa fighting with the Romanian Third Army in Ukraine and southern Russia. Advancing toward Odessa and Sevastapol, it was among the formations covering the flanks of the German Sixth Army attempting to capture Stalingrad. As the Red Army sprung its trap with the brilliant counter-stroke in Operation Uranus, encircling the Axis troops in the city, the Soviets punched through the weakly held frontlines manned mostly by Romanian forces.



The Divizia 9 Infanterie was situated in the northern sector. By chance, the Romanian formation was lucky enough not to be in the direct path of the Soviet juggernaut. The neighboring Romanian 7th Cavalry Division was not as fortunate, being cut in two by the offensive, the survivors joining the Divizia 9 Infanterie soldiers in a headlong retreat west in freezing conditions. In brutal weather, the Romanian formation was decimated.

Fighting for home

Sent home to be refitted, the Divizia 9 Infanterie was posted on the Black Sea in 1943, in Dobrogea, as the Romanian military leadership feared a Soviet amphibious landing in the area. This would prove advantageous a year later. Once again, by chance, the formation was spared the same (almost in a rerun of Stalingrad) fate of the neighboring divisions, which were destroyed in the Iasi-Chișinău (Jassy-Kichinev) strategic offensive on the Romanian border.

By the time of the Soviet operation, the Divizia 9 Infanterie had ballooned in size, thanks to the amalgamation of the training battalions into its regiments. Typically, each division left several training battalions at home; they served as bare-boned skeleton formations, training up recruits before sending them off as replacements for field duty. In Divizia 9 Infanterie’s case, these training elements were almost full strength and well-trained. And they were not just raw recruits, with the whole formation retaining a strong cadre of Stalingrad veterans.



A direct result was that during Romanian’s switch from Axis to Allies, the Divizia 9 Infanterie could be considered one of the best and most powerful Romanian infantry divisions able to fight.

Destination Transylvania

After the coup, the Divizia 9 Infanterie disarmed the local German troops. Having done this successfully, the division was entrained to Bucharest and in early September sent, along with the 8th Cavalry and Detasamentul Blindat "Gen. Niculescu" (Niculescu Armored Group), to Transylvania. This group of forces was known as the Corpul Motomecanizat (Motomechanized Corps).

The Detasamentul Blindat was the only armored unit the Romanian High Command could send to Transylvania. The core was made up of the Mechanized Training Center battalion, also known as the Armored Group “Jupiter,” hastily formed on August 24th. It contained recon groups equipped with German armored cars, a company of T-4 (Panzer IV), a company of Tas (StuG III G), and a force of the new TACAM R-2 tank destroyers. The ubiquitous (and excellent) Resita anti-tank guns were also featured. This group would fight the Hungarians until deep into November 1944.



The Corpul Motomecanizat met with the invading Hungarians north of Mediaş, stopping the assault in its tracks. After days of fighting, the Corps established a bridgehead across the Mureș river. Further combat saw the Divizia 9 Infanterie square up against German reinforcements, specifically the 8. SS-Kavalerie-Divison “Florian Geyer”.

Here, one of the bloodiest and most important battles of modern Romania occurred: the battle of Oarba de Mureș. Directed by their new Soviet “friends,” the Romanians were ordered to assault the well-entrenched Germans and Hungarians across clear terrain devoid of cover, up a steep hill in plain sight.



This bloody counter-offensive took over ten days, and despite the odds and lack of artillery or air support, the Romanians set a tentative foot on the crest, only to be repelled by immediate counter-attacks. Ultimately, it became a bloody stalemate, and the Divizia 9 Infanterie suffered the brunt of it. After pulling out the line at the end of September, it was rapidly brought back into the fighting in early October to support the second attempt at capturing Turda. Afterward, combat shifted to Hungary proper, and the Divizia 9 Infanterie was found fighting in Czechoslovakia when the war ended in 1945.

What to expect in-game?

What can you expect of the oversized and well-trained Romanian Divizia 9 Infanterie in Steel Division 2?

• Thanks to the “Jupiter” task force, the 9th Infantry Division has turned almost into a full-blown mechanized infantry division.
  
• Its Recon tab includes a variety of light armored vehicles and cars, including German-made SdKfz. 222 and SdKfz. 250/9, as well as cavalry scouts.
  
• There is a large amount of infantry on offer, with regular Infanterisiti and Vanatori Moto or the more basic Recruti squads.
  
• Although an infantry division, the Tank category can count on several slots of either Panzer IV or StuG III G armor.
  
• The Support tab is pretty standard, though Commanders can tour the battlefield with a classy Ford V8 Sedan, a Romanian license-built Traction-like command car.
  
• The division’s Anti-Tank forces are well-supplied, including the brand-new TACAM R-2 tank destroyer, which is an up-armored and up-gunned cousin of the TACAM R-60 sporting a ZiS-3 instead of an F-22 gun. The Resita towed anti-tank gun can also be found.
  
• A weak point is the formation’s AA, with only a few self-propelled twin Hotchkiss, German 20mm, and French 25mm pieces as its sole defense against enemy planes!
  
• Artillery forces are rather lackluster, with a basic complement of mortars, from 60mm, 81mm to 120mm units. Additionally, 75mm and 100mm howitzers are also available in decent numbers - but nothing heavier.
  
• Airforces are pretty strong and include the Romanian ace Dan Vizanti with his IAR-81C fighter plane.

A brief summary

The latest DLC for Steel Division 2, The Battle of Turda, will contain:

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda, Transylvania, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania.
  
• Six new divisions.
  
  • Of which three will be Romanian, including the Divizia 9 Infanterie.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German. This includes the 2. Páncéloshadosztály (Hungarian 2nd Armored Division).
• Mixed divisions, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces: the Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Au revoir and until next week!

That’s everything for this week. Next week, we’ll be back with another preview of the The Battle of Turda DLC.

Until then, keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you on the battlefield.

Hello there!

As you know, we are working on our next Steel Division 2 DLC. We are going to highlight an often overlooked part of the Eastern Front - and two combatants not typically put in the spotlight.

The Battle of Turda was a hard-fought campaign pitting Axis Hungary against freshly Allied Romania, which saw heavy fighting in the Northern Transylvania region in September 1944.

In last week’s blog post, we summarized what you can expect with this new DLC. You won’t only get to play in a massive new Army General strategic campaign, but also several new divisions and two new Aces will be featured.

Today we will take a long look at our first Battle of Turda division. It might not come as a complete surprise, but let’s welcome to the stage the Hungarian 2nd Armored Division.

The Hungarian 2nd Armored Division

The 2. Páncéloshadosztály (or in plain English, the 2nd Armored Division) was Axis Hungary’s best equipped and most powerful division by the summer of 1944. The formation was originally formed in October 1941 as part of the second stage (Huba II) of the Huba Army Expansion and Mobilization Plan. This plan was the main pre-war guideline for Hungary’s force expansion during World War II. The original structure - which was tweaked and influenced by events on the ground and the difficulty of equipping all units with heavy weaponry - foresaw a Hungarian Army in 1943 with 25 light infantry divisions, 2 armored divisions, 1 cavalry division, 2 mountain brigades, and more.

According to this plan, the 2nd Armored Division (or 2. Páncélos) was supposed to be combat-ready by early 1942. In reality, only the close cousin armored formation, the 1. Tábori Páncéloshadosztály (1st Field Armored Division), was deemed fit for the front (with obsolete tanks) by spring 1942. After the 1. Páncélos was shipped to the front, the 2. Páncélos receives its much-needed share of equipment and vehicles.



Even if the tanks arrived slowly, the motorization of its troops remained a serious problem for Hungary. Civilian trucks equipped the Hungarian Army in 1942-43, only to be lost during the Don retreat in 1943. The losses of Hungary’s motor pool during that time were over half of the total the country fielded. As a result, in early 1944, the 2. Páncélos much like other formations, was still missing the vital transports and trucks. Some units were even downgraded back to horses!

A fit fighting force

Interestingly enough, the number of tanks was not the issue in the early war years of 2. Páncélos. This gave its crew plenty of opportunities to train; so much so, that the armor started to break down after too intense training use.

The prospects of Nazi Germany losing became increasingly clearer after 1943. Hungary started to think seriously about war coming to its frontiers. As such, the army kept its best divisions (2. Páncélos and 1. Lovas) close to home. In early 1944, the Hungarian leadership began secret negotiations with the Allies to seek a separate peace. However, Germany got wind, and in Operation Margarethe in March 1944, Hungary was swiftly occupied with the Hungarian government replaced by a puppet regime.

After this bloodless coup, the Hungarian's fresh fighting forces were dispatched to stem the tide of the incoming Red Army. As you know, 1. Lovas ended up in Belarus, during the Baranovichi scenario of Operation Bagration, featured in our Steel Division 2 base Army General campaign.

2. Páncélos’s fate was nearer to home. First, the armored division was assigned to the Hungarian First Army, and ordered into Galicia. It repelled Soviet counter-attacks before being pulled back into reserve, covering the retreat of other Hungarian troops. In a month of fighting, the 2. Páncélos had proven itself well. Its equipment, however, was completely obsolete. The formation received some second-hand German tanks, including a handful of Panthers and Tigers. One (reduced) battalion came to be fully regrouped with German war machines, while another battalion was brought up to full strength with Hungarian vehicles.

End of the war

After the refit, and back in Hungary, the division, much like the rest of the country, prepared to defend their soil against the inevitable Soviet invasion. However, Romania’s change of sides changed the strategic calculation in one fell swoop. The Hungarian II. Corps was ordered into Romania, with 2. Páncélos spearheading the offensive. There were several objectives of the assault, but the offensive was in no small part fueled by Hungarian’s wish to (re)gain control over Romania’s Northern Transylvania region.

The 2. Páncélos division advanced deep into Romanian-held territory, but couldn’t break through the front completely. Failing to secure the Carpathian Mountains’ passes before the Red Army arrived, the Hungarian offensive stalled and turned into a drawn-out battle for the city of Turda on the Arieș river.



The 2. Páncélos battled and managed to stop a number of Romanian-Soviet counter-attacks. After several pauses in combat, the formation was relieved by the German 23. Panzer at the end of September. A mere shadow of its former self, the 2. Páncélos was decimated in the defensive actions near the Ipel River, in Hungary proper, in late December 1944, before ultimately surrendering to Soviet forces in Austria in April 1945.

What to expect in-game?

All right: history lesson over. What can you expect of our 2. Páncélos, aka 2nd Armored Division in Steel Division 2?

- The defining feature of the division will be its large choice of tanks: from Hungarian Toldi II, Turan I and II, but also Panzer IV H. You will also encounter a single card each of Panther A (as well as Ervin Tarczay featured in a single Panther commander tank) and Tiger E. There are going to be plenty of cheap slots and choices, with the pick of the litter being Hungarian armored vehicles (and Germans, but less so).



- The division’s infantry will be Mot. Lovesz infantry, organized much more like a typical German squad. All squads have a machine gun, in many cases an MG-42, while others retain the Solothurn 31M but also field the Hungarian Bazooka, a 44.M rocket launcher. This latter weapon is a crossover between a bazooka and a Panzerschreck; technologically, it's closer to the former, with more armor penetration.



- Anti-tank guns include a mix of 97/38M old pieces, as well as the more modern PaK 40. It will also feature the StuG III G, used in this division as a tank destroyer.



- Another feature of the 2. Páncélos is the huge (unmatched by any other division during the war) number of self-propelled anti-air guns (SPAAGS), amounting to 40x Nimrod vehicles, not including towed Bofors and 80mm AA guns. That’s a serious amount of AA!

More details will come in the future.

A brief summary

In case you missed it, The Battle of Turda DLC will feature:

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda.
  
• Six new divisions.
  
  • Of which three will be Romanian.
    
  • And two will be Hungarian, with one German.
• Many of the above divisions will be mixed, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One or two new maps.
  
• 2 Aces,Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay, and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Au revoir and until next week!

That’s all! We’ll be back next week with the first look at a new Allied division for the The Battle of Turda.

Until then, keep a close watch on our Steam forums and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest Steel Division 2 talk. Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!

See you!

Hello commander!

We already shared the first historical tidbits of our new Army General the Battle of Turda. Today we’ll lift the tip of the veil even further - on all the gameplay content you can expect in this new Steel Division 2 DLC, including a highlight on two new Aces.

Keep reading to find out more.

A brief summary

The Battle of Turda pits two nations at a cross-roads: Axis Hungary and Allied Romania. By the time of the events depicted in our Army General campaign, the two had been reluctant allies on the side of Nazi Germany for the duration of World War II. During the massive Red Army offensive into Romania proper, in August 1944, Romania under King Michael I switched teams. This created a period of chaos, with retreating Axis troops, Romanians fighting against former allies, and Soviets hurriedly gaining as much territory as possible.

Hungary and Romania had a complex relationship stemming from grievances over territory exchanges after World War I. In September 1944, Axis Hungary saw an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow, enter northwest Romania, gain valuable land, and establish a forward defensive line away from Hungary’s frontiers. When the armed forces of these two frenemies clashed near Turda, they were supported by their “big brothers,” Germany and the Soviet Union, but most of the fighting was done by the minor nations themselves.

What to expect?

At Eugen, we love to shine a spotlight on the battles, armies, events, and campaigns easily overlooked in the history books. The Battle of Turda is one of those. So what can you expect of our new DLC?

• One new Army General campaign centered on the Battle of Turda.
  
• A whopping 6 new divisions (more details in the future).
  
  
  • Of which, 3 will be Romanian.
    
  • And 2 will be Hungarian, while 1 will be German.
• Note that some of the above divisions will be mixed, with units from various nations, such as Romanian-Soviet or Hungarian-German.
  
• One new map.
  
• 2 Aces (read more about them below).

As you know, Romania is already in the game (listed under the Axis). With the Battle of Turda, we will “double” the Romanians as an Allied nation as well.

The Aces

One thing we can do, is to provide more details on the two new Aces to be featured in the Battle of Turda DLC. Let’s welcome to the stage Hungarian tank commander Lieutenant Ervin Tarczay, and Romanian fighter ace, Captain Dan Vizanti.

Ervin Tarczay

Our Hungarian tank commander was part of the Hungarian 2nd Armored Division, becoming the nation’s most prolific tank ace. During World War II, Ervin Tarczay gained plentiful experience in a Turan II tank, fighting the Red Army in Ukraine and on the frontier of the Carpathian Mountains. After transitioning to Tiger 1 E heavy tanks, his company ended up being equipped with Panter tanks. Using these, Tarczay overcame the first Romanian resistance when advancing from the Hungarian border towards Turda in early September.



During the course of the Battle of Turda, our Ace was fighting against ever-stiffening resistance, including reinforcing Red Army armored formations. Tarczay’s unit claimed a host of tanks and other vehicles before being surrounded at the end of October. Pushing through, he continued to fight in Hungary and near Vienna until being mortally wounded in the middle of March, 1945.
In Steel Division 2, he will be featured in his "231" Panther A command tank (see screenshot above).

Dan Vizanti

The Romanian Dan Vizanti was the nation’s fourth top-scoring ace during World War II. He first distinguished himself on the Eastern Front, with multiple combat missions flown and kills confirmed from the very beginning of Operation Barbarossa. Having completed over 50 missions over the Soviet Union, Vizanti later defended Bucharest and the Ploesti oil fields against Allied strategic bombing attacks.



After the country’s switch, he continued flying, but this time against his former comrades-in-arms. At the end of World War II, he had accumulated 43 personal victories against Soviet, American & German pilots! Mostly ignored by his Romanian compatriots after the war, it took various decades before Vizanti was honored more prominently, including several French awards.
In Steel Division 2, we will feature him in a Romanian-made, Bambi-adorned IAR-81C fighter plane (see screenshot above).

Au revoir and until next week!

That’s it for this week.

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

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

After last week’s dive into history with our upcoming Army General campaign DLC, the Battle of Turda, pitting Axis Hungary versus Allied Romania, today we circle back to the soon-to-launch Nemesis: Raid on Drvar.

One of the final elements coming in hot in our new Nemesis DLC are the dialogue lines, or as we call them, acknows. We wanted to tell you more about how we handle this vital aspect of our sound design.

The first step: writing and translating

The devil is in the detail. The Steel Division 2 experience and authenticity extends beyond graphics or core game mechanics. Such as? The soundscape, including the all-important dialogue.

We take great efforts in having the sound, from music to the explosions and the spoken word, be top-notch, realistic and immersive. That includes acknows. These are the short dialogue lines said by the various units in their original language.

Every unit in Steel Division 2 has a set of dialogue linked to an action, order, or battlefield event. If you click a unit, we hear the acknow. The voice can differ from nation to nation, division to division, and type (armor, infantry, artillery, etc.) and sub-category (anti-tank teams, anti-tank guns, or tank destroyers, for instance).


The vast majority of the lines are similar across languages and unit types. Think of a unit mentioning to the player that they are under attack. However, close to 10% of dialogue for a nation are unique and personal (movie quotes, singing a song, etc.).

The lines are initially written in English and then translated by professional translators into the language required. Before moving to the actual recording step, we have members of our community proofread and double-check the military jargon for accuracy. Yes, a slight disclaimer, we have learned this vital part the hard way (Danish Wargame fans know what we are talking about).

Second step: recording

Now, the second stage: selecting the right actors. Voice acting is a tough job, make no mistake. It involves screaming (a lot), finding the “right” voice, emphasizing words and phrases in the perfect way. It’s one of those situations that when it works, it's the best thing ever and you never think twice, but if it doesn’t… the faults are rather obvious.



After the lines are written and translated, we look for freelance voice actors for our target nations. This involves a lot of “testing” of voice samples. Certain nations are much easier to check, as the pool of actors is larger (say American or British English, German, Russian). The more specialized the language or accent, the smaller the roster of actors, and more of a challenge it is to find the right one. Guess one? That’s right… Maori!

Putting some spirit into it

After finding the right fit, we devise a plan of attack, reach out to the actor, and have them record a couple of sample lines following our precise guidelines. It involves a lot of “I’m under fire” or “I’m hit, arghhh.” We are looking for actors to punch it up and deliver some guts, allowing us to make it even more credible and realistic.



Of course, a key aspect is that the acknows are being said by soldiers and pilots on the frontline, not in a comfy recording studio. It needs to feel and sound natural, not bland and uninspired. Lots of our dialogue lines feature specific directions (“Under fire” can be expressed panicked, cool, distraught, etc.).

Some less-than-inspired recordings:

Give Them Hell
Fire at will

And now some that speak volumes of the kind of voice acting we are looking for:

ITA
BRZ

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar was a new challenge for us, as we worked with no less than three different languages: Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian. There are even some Slovenian lines too!

Chetnik Mars (plain)
Chetnik Ne Pucajte! (plain)

The final step

After the successful cajoling of our voice actors, and having the audio lines in our sound files, we need to spruce them up. The finishing touch is some effect magic. This will make the actors sound like they are in the open, or inside a button-down vehicle, or in a plane speaking through a radio. For instance, some of the Chetnik lines above after the audio treatment:

Chetnik Mars
Chetnik Ne Pucajte!

Nemesis: Raid on Drvar coming soon

We are still chipping away at Nemesis: Raid on Drvar! As mentioned previously, the awesome Strike Team is busy testing and checking all the hard work for bugs, issues, and other technical hazards.

You might have noticed that they are already streaming the new DLC, meaning that after implementing the missing acknowledgments detailed above, and some touch-up brush strokes, we’ll be ready to roll!

Au revoir and until next week!

Once again, we have to leave you be. As always, it won’t be for too long.

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

See you!