Beta Update: two divisions, two maps & more!

It’s been one month now since our exclusive pre-order Beta was launched, and we wanted to thank all the players for their involvement and for their useful feedbacks. Patches are still regularly coming up to fix bugs and crashes, and they will keep coming until the full release of the game on May 23rd (three weeks to go!).

And this week, we have some very cool new content for you! Indeed, the update we are releasing today adds two maps and two divisions for you to play with… as well as the eagerly awaited MATCHMAKING SYSTEM. We also added some in-game changes to balance the Beta.

THE NEW MAPS: MONT ORMEL & COLLEVILLE

Colleville (nowadays Colleville-Montgomery) was one of the first villages on the path of the British troops landing on Sword Beach on D-Day.

Colleville is not a complete unknown to 10v10 players, for it is visible on the 10v10 Sword map. Colleville encourages urban warfare, with two towns effectively cutting the map over its entire length. In 1v1, it’s a tactical choice between fighting in an open-field area or a denser battlefield. In 2v2 or more, depending on your strategy, you may decide to bypass the towns by the edges of the map.

Mont Ormel, also known as Hill 262 or Maczuga, was the theater of one of the fiercest battle between the Polish armored division and two retreating German armies in the final stages of the Normandy Campaign.

This map is interesting because of its landform. Securing the hill in the center, and taking a position on its ridges is a strategic advantage. With the elevation and the new lines of sight, you can even shoot over the bocage.

THE NEW DIVISIONS: 2e DB & 21-PANZER

You can now lead the famous 2e Division Blindée & 21. Panzerdivision: our last twitch staged a fight between these two exclusive divisions on Coleville, make sure to take a look at it!

The 2e Division Blindée is theoretically organized as a US armored division with some “personal changes”: it can count on an organic Wolverine battalion and lots of light tanks and armored cars. It gives everything it has in Phase A but gets winded in Phase B and C, due to a lack of high-end equipment.

AM-M8 light armored car

The 21.Panzerdivision was formed from Afrika Korps veterans and reserve units, and equipped mostly with modified French armored vehicles. It is very strong in Phase A with its cavalry tanks and custom-made vehicles but also runs out of steam as the game progresses.

PzH Lorraine SPG

The 2e DB and 21. Panzer are largely described in their dedicated blog articles, you can check them to get a better overview.

MATCHMAKING !

Creating a complete matchmaking system for Steel Division: Normandy 44 was in our mind since your VIP feedbacks … and even before. We heard you, and we are pleased to announce that the waiting time in the lobbies is officially over. As Arthur Foltz, Lead Developer at Eugen Systems, puts it “Our new matchmaking system had only one goal: being able to easily find a ranked or casual game, whatever the number of players.” Indeed, with this “Quick Play” mode, you will be able to easily find teammates with the same level for every type of battle, from 1v1 to 4v4, in ranked or casual. You also will have the possibility to invite your friends.

For the 10v10 games, you will have to go in the lobby. And of course, custom games still exist.

The possibility to replace a quitter by an AI should be available soon in the Pre-Order Beta as well.

ICING ON THE CAKE

Eager to improve your gaming experience, this update will also bring balance changes for the already playable Allies & Axis divisions. Follow this link to know more about it.