The New Front: Old-School WW2 Shooter 'Battalion 1944' Unveils Huge Update Ahead of Open $50,000 Tournament - News

While Battalion 1944 may still be in Early Access that's no reason to not have a tournament! All the details you need are below and our first Preview can be found here,

---

The New Front: Old-School WW2 Shooter

'Battalion 1944' Unveils Huge Update Ahead of

Open $50,000 Tournament

Bulkhead Interactive's flagship is heading to Amsterdam this September

London, UK - 24 MAY 2018: Having made a big splash entering Early Access on Steam® earlier this year, Square Enix Collective® and Bulkhead Interactive™ are excited to announce that Battalion 1944™ players will be treated to a huge, comprehensive update ahead of a four day long $50,000 tournament later this year - all as part of the ongoing commitment to support and update the game throughout its Early Access period.

The update is set to roll out on June 12, 2018, which includes a complete overhaul of the game's main competitive mode (better known as Wartide 2.0), a new map, Savoia, set on the streets of Italy, and a new 'BattleRank Season' where gaining XP unlocks new skins - much like 'battlepass' systems in other games but, in this case, completely free.

All this comes alongside significant matchmaking improvements, new character models, a new sound system, a reworking and rebalancing of some of the game's guns, and an extensive visual overhaul and performance upgrade, amongst various other updates and new additions.

With Battalion 1944 fully tooled up with a brand new arsenal of toys and tricks, regular players will be able to spend the following few months mastering the fresh gameplay ahead of the first official Battalion 1944 Blitzkrieg Major Tournament, heading for the Esports Game Area between September 27-30, 2018. The event will feature both open qualifiers and invited team, with a total prize pool of $50,000.

"If launching Battalion 1944 has taught us anything, it's that a game where anticipation is high offers a steep and very public learning curve - both for the studio as a whole, and myself personally," says Joe Brammer - Studio Lead at Bulkhead Interactive. "Listening to the community has been our most powerful tool and a lot of what's in this update is based on suggestions - from improving the graphics to making certain weapons more powerful. We've listened, and considered everything to try and push play forward in the way players want."

It's as a result of a lot of this feedback, Brammer claims, that Bulkhead decided to both modify and add to Battalion 1944's existing roadmap for the future, building on the studio's bold plans.

"Fans of the studio know I don't tend to hold back, so I'd like to offer a genuine thanks to players who have helped to improve Battalion 1944 these last few months. We've been listening, and we've been working hard."

The huge update this June will include: -

• New competitive game mode, Wartide 2.0, including a complete overhaul of the game's main competitive mode;
• Matchmaking improvements that get players in-game and firing hot-lead faster than ever;
• A brand new 'BattleRank Season' to unlock new skins by gaining XP, similar to Battlepass systems in other games, but free;
• New character models;
• New map, Savoia, set on the streets of Italy;
• Complete design and visual overhaul of existing maps (added ladders!);
• New weapons - Grease Gun and the MP28;
• Movement rework and huge gun balance gameplay changes  - including sniper and jumping nerfs;
• New sound system (gunshot sounds react to distance away from player and if walls are blocking sounds);
• Over 60 new unlockable skins through BattleRank and the new 'Aces High' War Chest; and
• Visual overhaul & performance upgrades.

Bulkhead Interactive previously worked on The Turing Test™ back in 2016, a celebrated puzzler also published by Square Enix Collective®.

Battalion 1944 is currently available on Steam® on Early Access for $14.99/€14.99/£11.39.

Article by Pierre-Yves

Read More

BATTALION 1944 - PC Preview

Battalion 1944 was unveiled last year through a Kickstarter campaign and it was mentioned that they did not have a large enough team size, nor the funds to create the envisioned WW2 shooter. Within 3 days they reached their goal of £100,000 and ending up with over £300,000. Call of duty had set a bar when it came to ww2 shooters with CoD2 making this a tough bar to pass for any future ambitions, especially from a company use to making Puzzle Games: such as The Turing Test and Pneuma: Breath of life.

My first experience with Battalion was quite interesting upon first launch my game would not load, it would turn my screen black. A few reinstalls later I managed to get it working with the help of my brother and our screen was green. After turning it into a borderless windowed the game was finally up to 100% playable it was time to game!

Battalion is a very quick passed game from ranked to unranked or even deathmatch, all it takes is 1 random stray bullet or a well-placed sniper shot and down you go. Luckily the re-spawn time does not take long. At the start of each round you can modify your loadout for weapons as well as change it after each death. If there is ever an occasion that you run out of ammo, the games design allows us to pick up fallen players guns and continue going. Run and gun has never been so accurate for a game style, not that it’s a simple turn the corner unload and wait to re-spawn with full hp and ammo but instead of this game really does not feel camper friendly (which im sure many will love). Keep moving.

The game play feels smooth and great, I love how the ambiance, and the sounds of gunfire are so well done it only adds to the thrill of combat, the map I played was small the scores were even and when all you hear is the gunfire in the distance echoing it adds a strange something I just couldn’t put into words but it built anticipation and adrenaline it felt fantastic!

Learning is a huge part of this game, not simply just learning to fire properly or how to maneuver through the controls, but learning the entire maps. Each room has what feels like 3 to 4 ways of getting into the room, because of this remembering that even if you sneak up on a target or two and get the drop on them it doesn’t mean that others will not get the drop on you the same way. Any gunshot is a signal to the others of your location and with maps so small they will not be far behind you.

Overall I find the game to be quite well done, they nailed a solid game, the only thing left to wonder is if console players are going to have to wait too long to play this gem or not, but worry not I hear they are simultaneously being developed at the same time. In a world where FPS E-Sports are on the rise, I would not be surprised to see this one join them in the future.

Game Information

Platform:
PC
Developer(s):

Bulkhead Interactive

Publisher(s):

Square Enix

Genre(s):
First Person Shooter
Mode(s):
Multiplayer
Other Platform(s):
N/A

Source:
Provided by Publisher

Article by Marc L.

Read More

Old-School WW2 Shooter ‘Battalion 1944’ Hits Early Access - News

Back in March... of last year, takes time to get used to the year changes, the Square Enix Collective signed up Battalion 1944. Just about a year later, here's more info as it heads into Early Access at the beginning of next month!

----

London, UK - 10 January 2018: Having set out on a mission to reignite the spirit of the old-school shooter, Bulkhead Interactive and Square Enix Collective are both proud and excited to announce Battalion 1944 is heading for Early Access on Thursday 1^st February.

Derby-based studio Bulkhead Interactive, which previously developed The Turing Test, has created an experience designed to both capture and build upon the close combat mastered by FPS games in the early 90s. With the genre having since shifted direction, Bulkhead took to Kickstarter to bring together a community of gamers eager to jump back into the old-school multiplayer arena.

Now Battalion 1944 is ready to entertain its loyal following, with the studio coupling this announcement with the launch of a brand new worldwide reveal trailer, both setting the scene for the WW2 inspired action ahead and featuring actual gameplay from the latest build.

"It feels good to get Battalion 1944 into the hands of gamers after working on it so hard," says Joe Brammer - Studio Lead at Bulkhead Interactive. "We've been testing the game behind closed doors with our Kickstarter backers. It's now time for us to extend our testing to Early Access to help what I believe can one of the best competitive FPS games ever."

Ahead of this, Bulkhead Interactive will also be running an exclusive beta of Battalion 1944. Kicking off from Friday January 19th through to Sunday January 21st. For a chance to take part, head on over to beta.battaliongame.com. Any Kickstarter or Humble Bundle backers will automatically gain access to the beta, with streaming and content creation using the beta allowed.

"We're going to be using the beta to run domination on the Manorhouse V1 map, as well as showing off our new competitive mode 'Wartide' on the map Liberation," continues Brammer. "It's one last chance for us to test out our wares with FPS players before we make the leap to Early Access."

What players won't fail to notice during the beta is the combination of tightly crafted multiplayer maps and perfectly honed weapons designed for well-balanced encounters with an aesthetic that taps into an authentic WW2 feel.

"Getting to grips with the intense nature of the Second World War is something that's been key to our process," offers Howard Philpott - Creative Producer at Bulkhead Interactive. "That's something I also think comes across in this new reveal trailer - the action in a Battalion 1944 encounter is as feverish as it is credible. We've looked to bed the play down in maps that are both competitive and authentic, for which our trips to Normandy proved immensely useful".

The Early Access version of Battalion 1944 will come with six modes, to be announced later down the line.

Last month Bulkhead Interactive and Square Enix Collective revealed Battalion 1944 will retail for £11.99/€14.99/$14.99. As previously noted, that's actually less than the bottom tier during the game's Kickstarter campaign. As a result, those who backed Battalion 1944 when it was being crowdfunded will gain access to unique backers only skins, multiple cosmetic and vanity focused loot crates.

Battalion 1944 will hit Early Access on Thursday 1st February. You can watch the worldwide reveal trailer here.

Article by Pierre-Yves

Read More

News - Square Enix Collective Exclusively Signs Old-School WW2 Shooter ‘Battalion 1944’

The Square Enix Collective is on a role for the titles that they've been picking up of late and Battalion 1944 is no exception. Several members of the team are fans of shooters and I think this one will easily with a home with us.

Here's the Press Release!

---

Square Enix Collective Exclusively Signs Old-School WW2 Shooter 'Battalion 1944'

Return to raw, skill-based multiplayer FPS on PC, PS4 and Xbox One

London, UK - March 9 2017: Square Enix Collective®, the platform that brings diverse and quality indie titles to market, has inked a deal with Derby-based Bulkhead Interactive™ to exclusively publish 'old-school' multiplayer WW2 shooter Battalion 1944™ on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

This time last year Battalion 1944 smashed its crowdfunding campaign with a promise to recapture the core action of classic multiplayer FPS game and propel WW2 into the next generation. Having grown up playing the sensational WW2 shooters from the turn of the century, the designers at Bulkhead Interactive have utilised the most up-to-date industry technology to create a visceral and heart-thumping multiplayer experience featuring raw, skill-based infantry combat across tight, focused, and competitive maps.

After the huge success of last year's The Turing Test™, Bulkhead Interactive chose once again to partner with Square Enix Collective for their latest title. Fans are the heart of multiplayer games and by choosing to work with Square Enix Collective, Bulkhead Interactive knows the task of expanding and nurturing Battalion 1944's community is in very experienced hands.

"From having partnered with Bulkhead before on the hugely successful The Turing Test, we know they're a very talented studio making great games", said Phil Elliott, Director of Community & Indie Development at Square Enix® Limited. "We trust Joe and the team as we know what they're capable of and we see them actively listening to their community. Our relationship is built on a foundation of minimum publisher interference with maximum support where needed. We'll help nurture and grow the community while Bulkhead can focus on crafting a fantastic FPS experience with Battalion 1944".

"We received some strong offers from other very big publishers on Battalion 1944. But ultimately, the one team that really stood out for us was Square Enix Collective", said Bulkhead Interactive's Senior Game Producer Joe Brammer, "Why? Because they published our previous game, The Turing Test on PC, so we've gotten to know them well and that means we know how they work. Crucially, we know that the relationship will be based on trust; and that's something which works both ways".

Joe continued: "On the one hand, we know that Phil and the team will come to us with suggestions or ideas but they'll leave us to make the creative decisions. On the other hand, from past experience we know they'll trust us (as FPS players) to make those decisions in the best interests of the game and its community and that we'll keep our heads down, work hard, and design the best game possible. Not only that - and it shouldn't be assumed even now - but the deal enables us to keep all IP rights to Battalion, and it was exactly the same thing with The Turing Test. So what Collective is doing is helping us build a sustainable business".

To announce their partnership, the team at Bulkhead Interactive released the following video explaining why Square Enix Collective is the ideal publisher for Battalion 1944: youtu.be/Ub1kUg670LU

- 30 -

Article by Pierre-Yves

Read More