Armored Brigade II news & patch notes

Greetings, Commanders!

With Update 1.609, we continue expanding the battlefield experience in Armored Brigade II with new content and gameplay features. This update will introduce our fifth scripted campaign, “Comrades in Arms,” consisting of eight highly diverse missions told from the perspective of the Warsaw Pact underdogs: East Germany and Poland.

The new campaign is largely based on German (both West and East) and Polish planning documents from the era. It also makes extensive use of the newly added scripted artillery missions, allowing fire support to play a more structured role in mission design. These missions enable us to create a more carefully crafted battlefield, where artillery support is integrated into the larger battleplan rather than simply being an available asset.

More AI Stances

A key addition in this build is a set of new AI stances, this time focused on Scout and Contact orders. These behaviors further diversify how units react to battlefield situations, and how formations maintain momentum under fire.

Under Aggressive + Contact, only the element that identifies the threat will halt, while the rest of the formation continues operating. When defensive units come under contact, they will attempt to break enemy observation by reversing out of sight, similar to Scout behavior. Aggressive + Scout emphasizes reconnaissance in-force, avoiding smoke deployment and reversing movements.

As we approach the completion of the AI stances system, we will also release a separate detailed guide explaining how each interaction works, along with a dedicated tutorial mission.

Amphibious Capability

Build 1.609 also introduces the amphibious parameter for vehicles. However, hold your horses: this does not mean that such a vehicle can freely cross water whenever it wants. Instead, the amphibious trait is intended to better represent the differences in swimming capabilities between individual vehicle types. Some platforms are designed for water crossings and will perform significantly better, while others remain vulnerable and may suffer greater losses when attempting the same crossing.

Crossing a river is not as simple as driving a vehicle into the water. Depth, width, bank conditions, and current velocity all influence whether a unit can successfully cross by fording or swimming, even when using amphibious vehicles (and many of them are, in the best case, only theoretically amphibious).

In real-world doctrine, reconnaissance of the near shore and suitable crossing sites is required before attempting a river crossing. This task is usually handled by engineer reconnaissance teams, often operating at echelons as high as the division, which identify crossing points early and help position the resources needed for a successful operation. Such suitable crossing locations are surprisingly rare when compared to the total length of waterways.

Because organic crossing assets are limited, additional support from higher echelons is required in the vast majority of cases. However, this support is only available if higher headquarters has planned ahead, positioned the necessary assets, and coordinated them with the maneuvering force. River crossings are operations that must be prepared well before the first vehicle enters the water.

This is a complex process, both doctrinally and from a gameplay perspective. Currently, designated fording areas represent this preparation, assuming that the necessary planning and reconnaissance have already taken place.

For now, vehicles with stronger amphibious capabilities will cross deep water more effectively, with reduced mobility losses compared to less suitable vehicles. This adds another tactical consideration when planning missions and maneuvers across waterways.

Looking Ahead

With the “Comrades in Arms” campaign, new AI stances, and more detailed amphibious mechanics, update 1.609 continues our goal of making Armored Brigade II a deeper and richer tactical experience. We look forward to seeing how you put these new tools to use on the battlefield!

A new update for Armored Brigade II is now available. This update focuses on the Polish Rework, Audio Overhaul, AI improvements and more. We previously shared detailed information on these topics in our latest Dev Diary, which you can find here below: Here is the changelog:

v1.608

• Fix: The ammunition selection algorithm sometimes iterated through invalid elements, potentially causing various issues.

• \ Reworked Polish mechanized and motorised squads.

• \ Added SKOT APC sub-variant models.

• \ Added SKOT-2AM as AT vehicle.

• \ Added Polish ZPU-4.

• \ Added truck mounted ZPU-2 and ZU-23-2 (Hibernyt).

• \ Updated Polish support vehicle and teams values and added motorised equivalents.

• \ Added 4th tank to most Polish tank platoons (except T-72 and T-55AM Merida).

• \ Updated Polish tanks and added T-54AM1 and T-72A (Polish designation for late-production T-72M).

• \ Added TOSU-76 APC.

• \ Added D-44 field gun and M-30 howitzer sections to Polish faction, with motorised variants and motorised mortars.

• \ Added FASTA 4 and ZPU-4 anti-air units to East Germany.

• \ Changed BM-8 APDS to special penetrating to reflect its priority in Warsaw Pact loadouts.

• \ Added Polish flamethrower platoon.

• \ Added Polish Sappers (dismounted and mounted).

• \ Added HMG platoon to Polish Territorial Defence companies.

• \ Polish aircraft and helicopters updated.

• \ Added Polish MiG-21MF and MiG-23MF.

• \ The aggressive stance causes idle units move to engage enemies, when reported by a platoon member via a communications network.

• \ Improve flare particles.

• \ Improve vehicle stop animations by taking velocity into account in deceleration.

• \ Secondary explosions can scorch the ground.

• \ Cannon shell ricochets can leave marks on the ground.

• \ ABII Map Editor is included in the game's installation folder.

• \ Improve 'Special Delivery' and 'Elastic Defence'.

• \ Audio overhaul; almost all sounds in the game have been updated.

• \ Add unique sound effects for illumination flare bursts, incoming light shells, flying turrets hitting the ground, and autocannon ammunition supersonic cracks.

Greetings Commanders,

After the successful launch of the first DLC for Armored Brigade II, Scandinavia, we are once again turning our attention to the base game and the improvements currently in development. We begin today with one of the most important parts of battlefield immersion: sound.

Audio is often one of the most overlooked aspects of game development, yet it has an enormous influence on how a game feels to play. It shapes the atmosphere, conveys impact, and gives weight to every engagement. A shell landing in the distance, the burst of an autocannon, the thunder of advancing armor: these moments are remembered as much through sound as through visuals.

The history of our game has never been that of a massive studio production assembled by dozens of specialists or supported by a proper budget. For long stretches of its existence, it was closer to a passion project, built through persistence and determination to create the kind of wargame we ourselves wanted to play. Over the years, talented people joined that journey one by one, each bringing something valuable, each helping shape the project into more than it was before.

The latest addition to the team belongs to that same tradition. Juan Antonio Camara Tuason, also known as MusicalCat, approaches sound design in a highly distinctive way, favoring original recordings and deep transformation work rather than relying on expensive stock sample libraries. He draws inspiration from the more expressive traditions of sound design associated with creators such as Ben Burtt, and from the films and games many of us grew up with in the 1990s and early 2000s.

A major part of his work relies on a proprietary method he calls "Outverb," refined over several years. This technique allows detailed control over the character of gunfire: rate of fire, tonal shape, echo, distance, and report, all built from relatively small recorded source material. Without access to weapon ranges or large recording budgets, it became an innovative and cost-effective way to produce convincing and distinctive battlefield audio at scale. The result is a substantial sound rework that strengthens the atmosphere of every engagement. And there is still much more to come.

Some of the new models and units added, including the East German FASTA-4.

Another major area of work in the incoming update has been a near-complete rework of the Polish forces, drawing on updated archival research. Throughout the existence of the Warsaw Pact, the Polish Army was the second most powerful military force in the alliance after the Soviet Army. In terms of personnel, conventional armaments, and the number of tactical formations fielded, it represented a major presence on the European continent. At higher command levels, the Polish Army broadly followed Soviet models, but at lower tactical levels, the Poles pursued their own approach, producing several distinct differences in organization, equipment, and battlefield practice.

Those differences are now modelled much more accurately in the game. Polish tank platoons, for instance, operate with four vehicles rather than the Soviet standard of three, a seemingly small distinction that has real implications for how armored formations fight and absorb casualties. The rifle platoon structure likewise followed its own logic, and the Polish order of battle included formations with no direct Soviet input: an airborne arm with its own organizational character, and a naval infantry branch shaped by Poland's Baltic responsibilities. Revisions have touched virtually every formation, and further work on the Territorial Army is expected to follow, with some extra content.

Probably never seen in any game before: the highly obscure TOSU-76. Based on obsolete SU-76 hulls, with more than 100 produced initially for the Internal Security Corps and later operated mostly by the Internal Defense Forces, it formed the early core of Polish mechanised forces. Recreating it was a challenge in itself, as only a handful of reference photographs are known to exist.

The main reason Poland's forces developed along these lines was economic reality. Warsaw Pact obligations required Poland to maintain armed forces whose size often exceeded what the national economy could comfortably sustain. This placed limits on modernization and frequently forced difficult compromises in procurement, readiness, and equipment development. This is part of what makes the Polish Army such a compelling subject: a force burdened by demands beyond national resources, yet sustained by capable personnel who treated service as a genuine duty.

We are also continuing to improve battlefield behavior through new AI stance logic. Units set to Aggressive will now move to engage enemy contacts spotted by other elements of their formation, not just targets they can see themselves. In practice, this means that when a lead element makes contact with an enemy unit, other units in the formation will begin moving to engage rather than holding position and waiting in their own line of sight. A flanking platoon mate that spots a tank company pressing through a tree line can now draw the attention of friendly units further back, allowing the formation to respond with coherence rather than in isolation. This is an ongoing but meaningful step toward cooperative tactical behavior, and it works alongside the improved ammunition selection logic introduced in the previous patch, which already gave AI units a better foundation for choosing the right response once they start engaging. 

These changes are another step toward a more dynamic and authentic battlefield experience, and we look forward to showing you more as development continues. Now, back to the front!

This Armored Brigade II update introduces an improved ammunition selection algorithm. The new system chooses ammunition based on both target type and the level of identification available. When a target has not been fully identified, ammunition selection is guided by broad vehicle characteristics such as whether it is wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Once the target is positively identified (for example as an MBT, medium tank, light tank, or APC) the system prioritizes suitable anti-armor rounds, including penetrating, special penetrating and shaped-charge ammunition. High-explosive and fragmentation rounds are preferred against non-vehicle targets.

Permanent Game Mode

We heard your feedback: the Drone game mode, originally created as a fun addition for April 1st, has now been permanently added to the game. Read the news here to learn more about the game mode and the previous update (v1.605).

Update v1.606

• \ Reworked Polish Naval Infantry.

• \ Reworked Polish Airborne Assault infantry; added motorised jeep variant and support platoon to airborne companies.

• \ Reworked Polish infantry squads.

• \ Implement an improved ammunition selection algorithm.

• \ Improve SSAO.

• \ Improve Gaussian blur.

• \ Implement ground object (grass etc.) shadows.

• \ Shadows are more stable as the camera moves.

• \ Make road and stream texture masks wider to remove grass from them.

• \ The Drone Defence scenarios that were originally created as an April 1st special are now included as extra content.

As a fun addition for April 1st, for about 1 week you'll be able to access a new temporary game mode featuring drones by joining a beta branch. But that's not all, this beta also includes several changes and improvements that need your help to be tested.

Take direct control of experimental FPV kamikaze drones and strike enemy vehicles from a first-person perspective. Use the crosshair to guide your attack, adjust throttle with the mouse wheel, and switch to thermal imaging to acquire targets—then crash into them with a HEAT warhead for maximum effect.

Here are the standard steps to join a beta branch on Steam:

Hi everyone, alongside the release of the Scandinavia DLC, we released two updates for the game. You can find the changelog below:

Changelog v1.601 & v1.602

• Fix: Gepard SPAAG had a wrong model scale.

• Fix: If a missile or rocket exploded before it was rendered (usually because of zooming out) the last line in its trail was rendered back to the trail start.

• \ Add the 'Shadows Over Giessen' branching campaign.

• \ Lowered M151 jeep acceleration to 1.8m/s.

• \ Lowered Osa 9M33 missile perfomance and replaced East German Osa-AK for Osa-AKM SAM.

• \ Aligned East German AA and AT vehicles with their Soviet equivalents.

• \ Replaced East German BTR-40A anti-air vehicle with BTR-152E.

• \ Added SPG-9 on UAZ-469 (DDR) with driver.

• \ Added B-10 and B-11 RCL gunners for DDR and PL, added transports.

• \ Added East German Fallschirmjäger (dismounted and motorized) and air assault (Luftsturmkompanie) units.

• \ Added Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften motorised and mechanised units, adjusted Grenztruppen and KdA company formations with historical structures.

• \ Added East German Flamethrower Platoon.

• \ Added East German Pionier troops.

• \ Added DDR UAZ-469 textures.

• \ Adjusted DDR helicopters and added running fire flights.

• \ Adjusted DDR aircraft and added loft bombing flights (no textures yet).

• \ Implement the initial version of SOP stances: Defensive, Neutral, and Aggressive. Currently it affects the Defend command behavior.

• \ Implement the branching campaign system.

• \ Implement exit objectives (use the Lua console CreateExit).

• \ Implement the objective activation time start and custom victory value.

• \ Adjust anti-air missile accuracy to take the guidance type, counter-measures, and RWR into account.

• \ The Defend command can make vehicles reverse if the position is behind them.

• \ Adjust helicopter pathfinding so they do not take as long detours because of high terrain elevation.

• \ Revision of the Giessen map; the changes are VERY significant, now it fully corresponds to the beginning of the 1980's.

• \ Implement the new 'standard' camera controls.

• \ Show more on-map graphics when selecting or moving objectives in the Mission Editor.

• Fix: If both sides had one independent 'acting HQ' and no other formations, then the AI side used the player HQ formation as the receiver, causing the AI side information sharing not working properly and the player side spotting wrong units.

• Fix: The AI side mixed recon company mech/armor sub-formations were sorted differently in the Mission Editor compared to playing a mission, causing wrong plans being used in scenario scripting.

• Fix: In the Battle Replay, unidentified enemies showed a wrong text label because the replay used a wrong unidentified state.

• Fix: Changing the month in the Battle Generator did not update the time of day, and resulted in faulty visibility ranges.

• Fix: Zoomed out frozen bog, streams, and water had water reflections in them.

• Fix: In the 'Shadows over Giessen' 3rd scenario a reinforcement formation had a wrong position.

• \ Improve terrain shading.

• \ Halve the voice communication maximum distance if the message sender or receiver is firing, instead of blocking all voice communication in such cases.

• \ Bad ground condition does not lower road trafficability, but on streams and frozen water trafficability is now lowered.

• \ Soldiers in squads and teams use a line formation when dug-in or engaging while stationary.

• \ The vehicle movement sound pitch changes with the exhaust smoke and acceleration rate.

• \ Vehicle tracks fade in and out.

• \ The flying turret landing pattern is now more like a 'sphere' instead of a 'cube'.

• \ Add TRACER_AUTOCANNON_TWIN tracer type.

• \ Allow custom muzzle position names for weapon units.

• \ Implement the 'visible' map.xml boolean attribute.

• \ Make Battle Replay animations smoother and adjust playback speeds.

• \ Change hotkeys: Ctrl+Tab for 'Slow time on/off' and Ctrl+Shift+Tab for 'Custom fast compression'.

• \ Show a message when an exit objective becomes available.

• \ Improve text label positions in the UI.

Armored Brigade II: Scandinavia is available now on Steam for $19.99.

The Northern Flank ignites as the Cold War turns hot. This expansion brings the conflict to the Nordic theatre, where control of the Baltic approaches and Arctic corridors can decide the fate of Europe. New armies, challenging terrain, and distinct national doctrines reshape the battlefield in decisive ways.

Key Features:

• Three new playable armies: Sweden, Norway, and Denmark

• 500+ new ground units and aircraft

• Brand-new 30x30 km Swedish and Danish maps

• A Swedish branching campaign

• A Danish linear campaign

• 3 standalone single missions

Take command on the Northern Front and test your tactics in one of the Cold War’s most strategically critical theatres. The Armored Brigade II Complete Bundle is now available, combining the base game and Scandinavia in one package. Discounts are also available across the franchise for a limited time, this is the perfect opportunity to expand your Cold War arsenal.

Hi everyone, we are glad to announce that the Scandinavia DLC launches on February 26th.

Ahead of release, one of the developers joined Shermanator on YouTube for a detailed interview discussing the new nations, units, and design decisions behind the expansion.

You can watch the full interview here:

and just below you’ll also find a summary of the conversation.

INTERVIEW

SHERMAN: Nikola, please feel free to introduce yourself.

NIKOLA: Good afternoon and thank you for having me. I’m Nikola, one of the Armored Brigade 2 developers. I mainly work on the database and on some of the game content.

SHERMAN: Awesome. Thank you for sitting down and having a little chat with me. Let’s jump right into the questions. First: what made the team decide to go specifically with a Scandinavian DLC?

NIKOLA: Well, first of all we wanted to complete Europe in terms of the Cold War setting. Sweden was basically the last fully unique army left to cover. We actually had Sweden many years ago when Armored Brigade was freeware, and we decided to reintroduce it now across the full time span.

Adding Sweden naturally led to including Norway and Denmark as well. Each of them is interesting in its own right and fits very well into a Cold War context.

SHERMAN: So basically, once you were doing Sweden, it made sense to include Norway and Denmark and complete the trio?

NIKOLA: Exactly. In the past we usually released two countries at a time, but this format felt more appropriate. Norway and Denmark have relatively small armies, so combining them works well.

We already had Finland, since Juha Kellokoski — the creator of the game — is Finnish, so now we basically have the whole of Northern Europe.

They also bring very different climates, terrain, and especially doctrines. Sweden in particular had a completely different approach to warfare compared to typical NATO or Warsaw Pact armies. And their equipment is extremely unique.

SHERMAN: Perfect, let’s talk about equipment.

The DLC includes three new armies — Sweden, Denmark, and Norway — and over 500 new air and ground units. Could you pick one favorite unit from each nation and explain why you like it?

NIKOLA: For Sweden it’s hard to pick just one because they have so many unique systems, but the obvious choice is the S-Tank, the Strv 103 turretless tank. It wasn’t a tank destroyer; it was a proper tank, even without a turret, which is an endless debate in the armor community.

Sweden also modernized many vehicles with roots going back to World War II and kept them viable almost until the end of the Cold War. Their equipment is almost entirely domestic, aside from the Centurion, which they heavily modified.

They were also among the first Western users of explosive reactive armor. Norway and Denmark, on the other hand, relied more on mixed foreign equipment — German, American, British, sometimes Swedish — which makes their forces interesting in a different way.

For example, Denmark used the M41 light tank all the way to the end of the Cold War, upgrading it and using it as both tank destroyer and reconnaissance vehicle. Norway used the even older M24 Chaffee into the mid-1970s and kept some in the Home Guard until the end of the Cold War — modernized with a new French gun and fire-control system.

And something very characteristic of Norway (also used by Sweden) is the Bandvagn, basically a tracked transport vehicle, extremely important for mobility in the far north.

SHERMAN: The store page mentions a Swedish branching campaign, a Danish linear campaign, and three standalone missions. Are all of these played from the new nations’ perspectives?

NIKOLA: Mostly yes. There are over 15 missions total, though the branching campaign makes counting difficult. Some missions are from the Soviet and East German perspective. Poland was historically intended for Baltic landing operations, but since we plan to rework the Polish faction, we avoided including it in the campaign to prevent future compatibility issues.

So overall the focus is the DLC nations, with some additional flavor from Warsaw Pact forces.

SHERMAN: You mentioned 500+ new units, are those only for the three Scandinavian nations, or will other factions also receive additions?

NIKOLA: These are purely Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian units.

However, base-game countries are periodically updated with free patches. The next one will likely include Poland, since that faction needs a rework based on new documentation.

Eventually we aim to complete everything.

SHERMAN: The DLC page talks about unique doctrines and tactical challenges. Can you give an example of how that affects gameplay?

NIKOLA: Mostly in campaigns and scenarios.

Norway, for example, historically relied heavily on infantry and wasn’t suited for balanced dynamic battles, so missions are designed accordingly.

Their platoons include heavy machine guns at a lower level, giving strong base firepower. Sweden, meanwhile, equips infantry with large amounts of anti-tank weapons, including HE rounds for recoilless rifles, far more extensively than other countries.

Large-scale doctrinal differences — battalion-level tactics — are best represented through scenario design rather than purely mechanical rules.

SHERMAN: You previously mentioned possibly expanding beyond the Cold War. Any plans for other eras? Maybe World War II?

NIKOLA: For now, we’re focusing on Europe. We plan to re-release original Armored Brigade countries like France and Yugoslavia using the improved engine features.

Some upcoming features — like first-person drones — are primarily intended for modders. We’re adding flexibility so other time periods can be represented better, though I can’t disclose specific projects yet.

SHERMAN: And finally, the question everyone wants answered: when does the DLC release?

NIKOLA: February 26th. We’re currently beta testing to ensure stability. Players will be able to try the campaigns and units next week.

This DLC is also significantly larger than previous ones — more than double — partly because Sweden turned out to be almost as large as the US Army in terms of formations once I accessed Swedish military archives. I was expecting something much more…

SHERMAN: Compact…?

NIKOLA: Yeah exactly. I expected around 300 units, it became 500.

Research for Denmark and especially Norway was harder, but also fascinating, sometimes relying on records from former servicemen because archives were destroyed.

SHERMAN: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I really appreciate you coming on.

The DLC releases in late February 2026, so make sure to check it out.

Greetings, Commanders!

Before proceeding with the Dev Diary, Scandinavia is getting close to release and we need your help testing the upcoming content. Join the beta here and let us know what you think. Enjoy the Dev Diary below.

Norway as Strategic Constraint

Armoured forces existed, but in limited numbers. By the late 1980s, Norway fielded just over one hundred main battle tanks, fewer than a single Soviet division, primarily Leopard 1s supplemented by older M48 variants, along with a number of lightly armoured tank destroyers. Greater emphasis was placed on mobility, infantry, and specialised vehicles, including over-snow carriers such as the Bv 202 and Bv 206, which were far better suited to the environment.

Why Trelleborg?

Even if a full-scale invasion of Sweden remained unlikely, more limited objectives were entirely plausible. One such option was the forcible creation of air corridors. Overflight routes across Sweden would have allowed Soviet aircraft to strike far deeper into the Norwegian Sea and central Norway, directly threatening NATO’s ability to reinforce and resupply the Northern Flank. Sweden, for its part, planned to deny such access. Its air force dispersed upon mobilisation, operating from road bases concealed in forested regions and designed to survive initial strikes. Neutralising this system would have required unconventional measures, including pre-emptive action against command structures and personnel, an aspect hinted at by several Cold War intelligence incidents that remain only partially understood.

The Campaign Focus

Without spoiling too much about the campaign background, it is worth noting that Warsaw Pact amphibious planning for the southern Baltic is well documented, but the historical record also makes clear that these plans were highly conditional. For example, Polish forces lacked the means to conduct major landings independently and depended almost entirely on Soviet transport aviation, naval lift, and air cover. Even on paper, there was uncertainty over whether sufficient aircraft and vessels could be made available in time, as the Soviet Baltic Fleet faced competing priorities, including multiple planned landings across the Baltic. This uncertainty is reflected in our focus on those operations most consistently identified as feasible in the opening phase of a wider conflict, and in the limited margin for error faced by local commanders.

Greetings, Commanders!

The Conscription Reality

• Right Click Armored Brigade II (in list)

• Select Properties

• Select Betas

• In Beta Participation list (top right) select "beta - beta branch"

Greetings, Commanders!

Choosing to spotlight an army that hasn’t fought a major war since the Napoleonic era as the first nation of the ABII debut DLC might, at first glance, seem an eccentric decision. One could argue that more conventional European mainland armies would have been the predictable choice. But predictability is precisely why Sweden makes such a compelling starting point. Beneath its long stretch of neutrality lies an armed force shaped by geography, strategy, and a national mindset that produced some of the most distinctive military solutions of the Cold War. And for those keeping an eye on the base game itself, this diary also brings news of several major features arriving in the next beta build.

One of the few exceptions to Sweden’s otherwise domestically focused procurement was the British Centurion. It went on to have a long and successful career in Swedish service, undergoing continuous upgrades that culminated in the Stridsvagn 104 — featuring an American engine, a state-of-the-art fire control system, and making Sweden one of the earliest adopters of ERA.

Sweden maintained a solid and sizable arsenal, though without the grandeur or global reach of the era’s superpowers. Its designs were not built to project power abroad, but to solve Sweden’s own strategic puzzles within a strict budget: a process that often led to solutions as unorthodox as they were effective. Swedish designers seemed to live by the principle that if something conventional worked well enough, then something unconventional could work even better. The result is a force structure that is well trained, efficient, and unmistakably Swedish in every sense—a military built not to impress on parade, but to make any potential invader think twice, then think again.

And there is no more iconic example of Swedish ingenuity than the Stridsvagn 103, better known as the S-tank. Designed and employed doctrinally as a true tank, it combined a turretless layout with the world’s first operational gas turbine in an armored vehicle and an autoloader capable of sustaining a remarkable practical rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute.

This mindset ran through Swedish doctrine during the Cold War. Strategically, Sweden understood that any invasion would likely begin with the odds heavily stacked against them. The country’s defence planning was shaped by this sober assessment: the need to delay the enemy early, fight for as long as necessary, impose costs continuously, and, when conditions allowed, retake what had been lost. It was a patient, measured approach, built around resilience and depth.

But as soon as the discussion shifted from the operational to the tactical level, caution gave way to a very different spirit. Swedish tactical thinking was built on aggression and initiative. Attacking and ambushing first, maintaining momentum, and refusing passivity were considered essential. A commander hesitating at the wrong moment was more dangerous than a commander choosing the wrong tactic. It was a philosophy that encouraged action, creativity, and occasionally a touch of audacity — perfectly aligned with the character of the machines Sweden produced.

While our first articulated vehicles in-game were Finnish tractors (also widely used by Sweden to motorize infantry in creative ways), the concept reaches its full expression with the Bandvagn series. Designed as all-terrain carriers for the challenging landscapes of northern Sweden, these vehicles offer the best terrain-traversing capability of any unit in the game, letting players slip through forests, swamps, and other difficult ground with far fewer constraints and opening up entirely new tactical possibilities.

This blend of unique equipment and organization defines the army we are introducing as the first nation of the upcoming Scandinavia DLC for Armored Brigade II. Sweden brings a distinct rhythm to the battlefield: a force designed to absorb the opening blow yet constantly poised to counterattack, disrupt, and seize the initiative. Its equipment, doctrine, and overall posture come together to create a playstyle that feels distinctly different from other major armies in the game, and we are excited to finally show it.

The Swedes were also among the longest-lasting adopters of the “assault gun” concept. While older, StuG-like vehicles were eventually replaced by the more modern Ikv 91, the role remained the same: to deliver fire support and anti-tank capability to infantry brigades, whether as small attached sections or as concentrated formations committed to halt enemy breakthroughs.

Alongside our DLC work, we are preparing a new open beta build for the base game. This update will introduce an experimental mouse-wheel zooming system for more fluid camera control, the first foundations of AI stances designed to make battlefield intent clearer and more expressive (more on them in separate DevDiary), and a revamped anti-air missile model where guidance types and countermeasures play a much more significant role. Some of these features are still young — embryonal, even — but they already pave the way for a more nuanced and reactive battlefield simulation.

As mentioned in our previous diary, the patch will also include a brand-new Shadows over Giessen campaign, which utilizes the new branching campaign feature.

In summary, Sweden arrives as a faction shaped by clarity of purpose and a very particular vision of national defence. The ongoing improvements to the base game will evolve alongside it. Together, they mark the next step toward the deeper, more flexible, and more characterful simulation we want Armored Brigade II to become.

The latest update for Armored Brigade II brings a series of refinements and adjustments. Check out what’s new in version 1.595 below:

v1.595

• Fix: The key binding for 'Place markers & draw lines' did not work.

• \ Adjusted Mot-Schützen squads and formations (including dismounted infantry).

• \ Added Sniper and MANPADS Teams to DDR company HQ.

• \ Added DDR LAW, light MG teams, and medium MG teams.

• \ Aligned DDR dismounted ATGM teams.

• \ Added AT-7 to East German Fallschirmjäger.

• \ Added motorized formations for AGL and mortars (DDR).

• \ Added 85mm D-44 Field Gun, 122mm M-30 and D-30 Howitzers with transports (DDR).

• \ Fixed early T-64B coaxial machine gun, and W50 Truck exhaust.

• \ Show no text instead of 'Undefined' for undefined key bindings.

Greetings, Commanders!

It’s been a while since our last Dev Diary, but we’re back with news following last week’s announcement of the first Armored Brigade II DLC, Scandinavia, and the release of our 12-month roadmap outlining the major features and improvements currently in development. Each of those topics will be explored in dedicated diaries, but today we want to focus on the just-released Patch 1.594 and several upcoming near-term improvements that haven’t been mentioned before. These are features we have been tirelessly working on behind the scenes.

One of the most notable additions in the latest patch is the highly requested key rebinding feature, allowing players to customize controls according to their personal preferences. AI counterattacks in defense are now more aggressive, and infiltration mechanics have been refined to make them a more rewarding tactic, particularly when executed by highly trained reconnaissance assets.

This patch is part of our continuous effort to enhance not only overall accessibility and usability but also sound effects, an area we began improving with the August update. The current focus is on ambience (nature, explosions, weather effects etc.), as well as a new distance delay DSP system, where sound delay matches visual distance for a more immersive experience, especially for hardcore players. In the same spirit of improvement, we are finalizing testing on a new camera system that introduces mouse-wheel zoom, which should feel more intuitive to players coming from mainstream RTS titles.

Wiesel, The Last Tankette: a remarkable armored vehicle with a rich history that makes it a highly coveted addition to Armored Brigade II. This compact and agile platform, equipped with a 20mm cannon or the formidable TOW anti-tank missile system, offers a unique blend of speed, versatility, and firepower for tactical scenarios.

Other than the large number of improved models, the update also introduces a completely new Giessen map, along with a selection of new units that bring a distinct air assault atmosphere. The Bundeswehr is now complete with the legendary airborne vehicles of the Fallschirmjägertruppe, including the Munga jeep with M40 recoilless gun, Kraka motor cart, and the Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier, available in both cannon and ATGM variants. You can put them to the test in the new Operation Steinbrücke scenario.

At the beginning of the 1960s, the German armed forces were seeking a cross-country, air-transportable weapon carrier for their airborne units. After nearly a decade of prototype testing and various mission kits, the Kraka was finally delivered to the Bundeswehr Airborne Troops in 1974, where it went on to serve for more than 20 years.

But that’s not all. Another exciting addition is the WP-8, a Polish airborne multiple rocket launcher. While the MRL class of units was introduced in the third Armored Brigade I DLC, it had not yet been functional in Armored Brigade II. The WP-8 now provides players with the ability to rapidly saturate an enemy position, offering new tactical possibilities on the battlefield and paving the way for additional multiple rocket launcher systems in the future, where historically appropriate.

What’s Next

Looking ahead, the next patch will continue expanding the airborne theme with the addition of East German Fallschirmjäger and Luftsturm formations from the 1980s. It will also introduce more conventional forces, including Volkspolizei-Bereitschaften motorized and mechanized units, new Grenztruppen and KdA company formations with historically accurate structures, as well as East German Flamethrower Platoon and Pionier troops. This update will also come with a reworked East German support tab, featuring motorized transports and additional options.

Finally, a new linear Soviet campaign is in development, continuing the story of the 120th Motorized Rifle Regiment after the events of the first campaign. This time, players will face new operational challenges with a strong emphasis on combined-arms coordination, and a few surprises along the way.

In parallel, we are refining several systems that are less visible but essential to the overall experience. The most significant of these are exit objectives, which will enable new scripted scenario types such as evacuations and breakthroughs, along with the introduction of primary and secondary objectives, giving scenario designers greater flexibility to fine-tune their missions. Our goal is to make every update feel like a tangible improvement in both gameplay depth and overall polish.

As always, community feedback remains a cornerstone of our development process. Your reports, suggestions, and discussions help us shape Armored Brigade II into the most authentic and flexible tactical sandbox possible.

Thank you for your continued support, Commanders. Stay tuned for more updates, and see you soon on the battlefield.

Today at Home of Wargamers we had an interview with Nikola Sandic, one of the developers behind the Armored Brigade series. In the interview, he talked about the evolution of the series from ABI to ABII, shared future plans, and also announced the next DLC: Scandinavia.

Here below you can find the roadmap with all the upcoming content:

Matrix Games 25th Anniversary Free Content

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Matrix Games, we are happy to release a free master map set in Germany, called Giessen. Giessen’s terrain offers a mix of wooded ridges, river crossings, and open farmland, creating both obstacles and opportunities for maneuver. This combination of strategic importance and varied battlefield conditions makes Giessen a natural setting for high-stakes operations.

UPDATE 1.594

Additionally, we released the latest update for Armored Brigade II. You can find the changelog below:

v1.594

• Fix: Clicking on the Mission Editor 'setup zones' button caused a click on the map, and moved the zone boundaries.

• Fix: Aircraft countermeasure sounds were never played if the aircraft was not spotted by the player side units.

• \ FK 20 and FK 20-2: added towed model with normal and specular maps for all models, reduced time to fire, increased ammo per burst on FK 20-2, adjusted tracer delay to synchronize with sound effect.

• \ Added GAZ-63 and replaced GAZ-66 as transport in early Soviet mortar sections.

• \ Added Polish WP-8z MLRS (static and towed).

• \ Added Munga 4x4 with M40 RCL mount.

• \ Added open top Iltis 4x4 with MG3 and MILAN mounts.

• \ Added West German jeep driver.

• \ Added Kraka airborne weapons carriers (20mm FK20, MILAN, TOW).

• \ Added Wiesel 1 AWC (MK carrier and TOW variant).

• \ Fixed Airmobile Infantry Company 1971 availability and West German M113A1G HQ availability; fixed minor inconsistencies.

• \ Lowered early Marder 1 and 1A1 visibility to average to reflect lack of thermal pointer/heat detector.

• \ Raised night vision detection to 1000m for Marder A1 variants (passive IR sight) and increased ready ammunition to 500 rounds for the 20mm double-feed cannon (versus 420 on single feed).

• \ Added a motorized Fallschirmjäger company under Heerstruktur IV.

• \ Added armed Unimog 435 and Iltis vehicles equipped with MG3 machine guns.

• \ Reduced Bo 105 loiter time to 2 hours for reconnaissance variants and 1.5 hours for anti-tank variants.

• \ Added East German reconnaissance assets from divisional reconnaissance battalions and regimental reconnaissance companies.

• \ Added BTR-60PA APC for East German forces and updated East German BMPs vehicle parameters.

• \ Increased rate of fire on ZU-23-2.

• \ Lowered Finnish T-54 AT platoon availability to limit AI purchases and reduced T-54 acceleration.

• \ Adjusted T-54/T-55 values for DDR, added T-54 model with turret stowage box; made T-55AM available from March 1987 and T-55AM2B from October 1989.

• \ Added T-72 ÜV-1 and updated DDR T-72 values and availability.

• \ Added DDR tank scout platoons.

• \ The AI counterattacks are more aggressive.

• \ The infantry unit icon follows the height of buildings more closely, and infantry stays closer to the center of the cell when in buildings or entering/exiting a building. This fixes the 'floating' infantry icon outside buildings.

• \ Increase the infiltration attempt success chance.

• \ Storm clouds put out fires more quickly, and more white smoke appears when it happens.

• \ Rotate a driver with the turret if the driver position is in it.

• \ Do not render a non-vehicle 'hybrid' weapon gunner when the unit is moving.

• \ Jaguar 2 model.

• \ Added GAZ-69 jeep model and textures for DDR, Poland and USSR.

• \ Added new ZU-23 and ZU-23 towed models.

• \ Added ZU-23 gunners for DDR, Poland, Finland, and Soviet Union.

• \ Added the 'Giessen' map.

• \ Added the 'Operation Steinbrücke' scenario.

• \ Added a soft vehicle movement sound, and improved existing vehicle movement sounds.

• \ Added a rocket artillery single shot sound effect.

• \ Reduce sound attenuation distances of incoming shells, rockets, and bombs.

• \ Implement key rebinding.

• \ Adjust various UI element sizes and positions to match the font size.

• \ Show dynamic/linear campaign savegame types in the savegame menu.

• \ Show a 'No terrain file' message when there is no terrain file in the map editor.

The wait is almost over: Home of Wargamers 2025 is coming on September 25th, bringing you the biggest updates from the world of strategy and wargaming. Home of Wargamers 2025, the yearly live showcase that we stream on Twitch and YouTube, is coming on September 25th. It will bring you the biggest announcements, updates, Spoilers and behind-the-scenes insights from the world of Matrix Games.

This year’s edition will showcase some of the most beloved franchises in our catalog, as well as exciting new projects. Developers and producers will take the stage to share exclusive previews, reveal upcoming expansions, and discuss the future of their series. Be ready to know more about Shadow Empire, Combat Mission, Armored Brigade, Strategic Command, WEGO, Rule the Waves 3 and more. During the event, the developers will share new details and future plans for Armored Brigade II, don't miss it.

Hi everyone, a new update for the game has been released, here below you can find the changelog.

Changelog

v1.591

IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE - Due to updates to the Database, some savegames involving battles with Polish and East German troops may not work anymore.

• Fix: If a platoon position and other states were set in the Mission Editor, but the formation was not given any waypoints, it was not automatically detached from its company when the scenario was loaded, so it copied some states (e.g. rotation) from the company level formation.

• Fix: An initial mounted/dismounted state in a scenario script was not used, only the state in scenario.xml.

• \ Tweak 'Beyond Water', 'Over the Hills', and 'Defending Fulda'.

• \ Alouette II helicopter model added.

• \ Added H-34 Choctaw transport helicopter for the US and West Germany (CH-34 and H-34G).

• \ Added Soviet, East German, and Polish Mi-2 helicopter models.

• \ Added Polish armed Mi-2 model variants.

• \ Added British GPMG and gunner models.

• \ Fixed MMG Team in British Light MG sections.

• \ Fixed Jaguar flight configurations.

• \ Reduced TPN-1-49-23 night sight vision range to 800m, and to 1000m for TPN-3-49 and K13 sights (T-64, T-72, and T-80 tanks).

• \ Added Mi-2 and Mi-4 transport flights to Poland.

• \ Added Robur light truck (DDR).

• \ Adjusted penetration and range values for 85mm ammunition in the T-34-85 tank and D-44 gun.

• \ Revised East German T-34-85M (postwar additions and removed HEAT shell).

• \ Increased air-to-air missile speed and reduced minimum range.

• \ Added TS-11 Iskra model.

• \ Turreted vehicles do not rotate their hull if the angle to a target is less than 30 degrees.

• \ Increase the chance of a mine going off.

• \ Small arms are not fired at buttoned-up medium/heavy tanks or MBTs.

• \ Increase on-map artillery unit cost by +20%.

• \ Reduce towing speed by -20%.

• \ Read selectable windowed mode sizes from a resolutions.ini file in the Documents folder.

• \ Removed IR spotlight on Finnish T-54 tank.

• \ Fixed SU-122-54 texture issue.

• \ Corrected Leopard 1 and 2 model scale.

• \ Tweak 'Twin Valleys'.

• \ Implement a new wind sound system.

• \ Add a sound distance delay DSP effect and an option for toggling it on/off.

• \ New or improved sounds: dogs, church, separate vehicle/infantry pop smoke, end of round, cinematic hits, insects, varied individual soldier footsteps, aircraft countermeasures, water splash, autocannon metal impact, thunder, birds, infantry grunts and close combat, projectiles, wind, DPICM, cannons, autocannons, mortar, explosions, fire, DP-27 MG, illumination flare.

• \ Gradually changing dawn/dusk bird and insect sounds.

• \ In accelerated time, play a sound effect for the last shot of an artillery volley only.

• \ Formation Join is automatic after using Split and then loading units into transports.

• \ The 'Load' order is available for a passenger unit.

• \ Add a 'Loading/Unloading' status text for transport passengers, and show the remaining time.

• \ Edit camera movement/rotation/speed option and hotkey text labels to be more understandable.

A new update for Armored Brigade II is out now, packed with fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and a host of new database additions. The dev team has been working tirelessly to polish and expand the experience, and we're incredibly excited to showcase something new this September. It's shaping up to be a great winter for all Armored Brigade II fans. --- Changelog ---

v1.588

• Fix: A Windows user folder non-ASCII character issue prevented from deleting save files and editing scenario files.

• Fix: Weapon wrecks were rendered twice, potentially causing performance and other issues.

• Fix: Vehicles were set on fire too often when destroyed.

• Fix: Detached AI squads always used a Contact waypoint instead of Advance, so they were not advancing anywhere if player units were in sight.

• Fix: The AI side platoon-level waypoint syncing did not always work.

• Fix: The defending AI rotates its units to observe player units, and this sometimes prevented scripted waypoints from being used. Now it is not done if a platoon/company has waypoints.

• Fix: The AI loaded infantry back to their transports even after the script had made a formation split.

• Fix: Now the AI should never 'hijack' a formation to guard a captured objective, if the formation or its attached company formation have any disabled waypoints. This way the AI does not ruin the script.

• Fix: Use a different drawing function for on-map colored squares (e.g. the LOS tool), hopefully fixing their misplacement on some systems.

• Database: Fixed the Towed Rapier (lacked the passenger trait).

• Database: Updated the Rapier and Roland 1 & 2 missiles with revised data.

• Database: Fixed Panzerfaust 3 formation with the correct unit.

• Database: Added IFA W50 truck for East Germany.

• Database: Aligned East German BTR-50, BTR-60, BTR-60 values with Soviet vehicles.

• Database: D–442 and D-944 models added.

• Database: Weapons and crew added for East Germans (AGL, ATGMs, MMG, HMG, MT-12, mortarmen, SPG-9 and ZSU-23).

• Database: Added MG3 weapon model and gunner.

• Database: Added model for Pak-40, adjusted emplacement time and added a towed version.

• Database: Increased PaK 40 combat load to 40 rounds.

• Database: Reduced 100mm gun muzzle flash on BMP-3 to 36.

• Database: Added D-44 and D-30 gun models; added East German artillery commander.

• Database: Added D-44 field gun and D-30 howitzer for the USSR (both static and motorized variants).

• Database: Lowered traverse rate of emplaced AT and field guns; added emplacement times.

• Database: Added M-30 howitzer model and Finnish artillery commander, including Finnish towed sections for both M-30 and D-30.

• Database: Added Valmet 365 tractor (with and without trailer) for the Finnish Army.

• Database: Finnish 82mm mortars and PaK-40 now use tractors for transport.

• Database: Added Finnish ATGM gunners and ZU-23 gunner.

• Database: Added Finnish gunners for mortars, indirect artillery, and PaK gun.

• Database: Added Finnish infantry formations with tractors.

• Database: Added smaller motorized Plt HQ squads for Finnish infantry and Jaeger troops to account for employed drivers.

• Database: Finnish early 1970s infantry platoon was using Lt RCL Squad instead of Team.

• Database: Added B-10 and B-11 recoilless rifle models.

• Database: Eliminated Cyrillic "A" in Soviet cannon names.

• Database: Added Maxim MG model and respective gunner.

• Database: Added Marder 1A3 model.

• Database: Added 95 S 58 recoilless rifle model with respective gunner.

• Database: Added West German models for FK 20-2, Cobra ATGM, M40 RCL and TOW missile with respective gunners and commanders.

• Database: Added ZPU-2 model.

• Database: Adjusted ZPU-2 and ZU-23-2 emplacement times.

• Engine: Implement vehicle trailers and towing.

• Engine: Implement contour lines.

• Engine: Implement trails for aircraft, missiles, and rockets.

• Engine: 'Limited elevation' limits an indirect fire weapon elevation to 30 degrees instead of the standard 45 degrees.

• Engine: Improve tracer colors.

• Engine: Adjust bloom and color saturation.

• Engine: Improved the drifting pattern of particles from destroyed vehicles, so now it is more like a sphere instead of a cube.

• Scenarios: Improve 'Winter Desolation'.

• Scenarios: Improve 'Frontal Assault'; the AI opponent now uses its tanks to support infantry.

• Scenarios: 'Midsummer Inferno': Replace the 3rd mission Finnish heavy RCL sections with motorized ones.

• UI: Increase the maximum scroll speed setting.

• Fix: Units in the march formation drove into minefields and other dangerous map cells.
• Fix: A unit carried by a transport helicopter appeared on-map in the AAR phase if the unit was never unloaded and the 'show hidden' option was enabled.
• Fix: The square kilometer grid flickered when moving the camera in the top-down position.
• Add the 'Western Guard' and 'Midsummer Inferno' linear campaigns.
• Added new dismounted Finnish infantry formations according to historical TO&E tables (infantry, Jäger, Border Jäger, and Security infantry).
• Added motorised Jäger formations (truck).
• Added KB-45 and A-45 light trucks.
• Revisited Finnish reconnaissance formations.
• Added Finnish pioneer units (dismounted and mounted).
• Replaced Finnish pillbox unit with a Maxim MMG instead of a generic LMG.
• Revisited XA-180 mech formations.
• Added BTR-60 with Jägers post-1989.
• Revisited Panssarijääkäri (BTR-50 extended post 1971 until 1991, BTR-60, BMP-1, and BMP-2).
• Added wartime MT-LB PsJ formations from 1989.
• Finnish support unit revisited and updated with mounted options.
• Added AT-5 section for Finland.
• Revisited and updated Finnish tank units and formations.
• Added Finnish PT-76 Light Tank Company.
• Added West German FK-20 AA Gun model.
• Inserted German F-4F flight with 2x Mavericks (not yet used).
• Improve Return Suppressive Fire, multiple units in a formation can fire back at suspected enemy positions.
• Implement foxholes and improve dug-in positions.
• Implement building damage textures, windows, and snowy roofs.
• New models and textures for some buildings.
• Added KK 62 LMG and PPSh/Suomi SMG sound effects.

• Motorized PzGren/Jägers – Light infantry with improved mobility, allowing for more flexible tactics.
• Gebirgsjäger – Mountain troops trained for rugged terrain and harsh conditions.
• Fallschirmjäger – Elite airborne infantry with a well-known reputation.
• Aufklärungstruppe – Diverse reconnaissance units, offering specialized scouting capabilities and enhancing battlefield awareness.
• Pioniere & Panzerpioniere – Combat engineers, capable of breaching obstacles and minefields.