Unity of Command 2 Releases November 12th By Joe Robinson

Update: We've had a communication through from 2x2 HQ - Unity of Command 2 is officially releasing on November 12th, 2019. We've got review code and despite a slightly tighter turn-around time than we'd prefer, we should have our official verdict ready and waiting for launch next Tuesday. It's taken longer than the actual Second World War to make, but we're confident it'll have been worth the wait.



Original Story:Hey, remember that time when we were joking that Unity of Command 2 was never (probably) going to release? Well, jokes on us, because developer 2x2 Games has decided to go all Galaxy Brain on us by actually announcing a release date. Sort of.

Yes, you heard that right, we now have a concrete, bona fide release window - the new turn-based war game will be launching in November! When in November? Nobody knows! If you’ve not heard of Unity of Command 2 before now, here’s a trailer from earlier in the year to set the scene:

The first Unity of Command was an excellent tactical wargame although since it harboured some hidden Panzer Corps DNA it was arguably more puzzle than it was ‘true’ turn-based tactics. Still, it had a very nice visual aesthetic, was very accessible, and yet maintained a pretty serious challenge. It was even published by Matrix/Slitherine, which should speak to its calibre somewhat, although Unity of Command 2 is going down the self-publishing route.

The release window is not the only bit of news though - the developers also want to run a beta test in the weeks leading up to November. From October 21st, you’ll be allowed to participate in a Windows/Steam test that will run up until the game’s release. You can apply for that here.

Only hotseat multiplayer is included in the build so you won’t be able to test online play, but you can play around with the scenario editor. Speaking of the editor, that’s just one of many new features that UoC2 wants to bring to the table. Here’s a recap of the rest (from today's press release):

Dynamic Campaign — Rewrite the history of the Second World War with a branching campaign where no two playthroughs are alike.

— Rewrite the history of the Second World War with a branching campaign where no two playthroughs are alike. Headquarters — This new feature places army headquarters on the map, from which you will direct unit reorganization, bridging and resupply. Headquarters are not only essential to reinforcing and recovering lost unit strength, but are also able to deploy special abilities such as Emergency Supply, Motorizing units using HQ trucks, and many more.

— This new feature places army headquarters on the map, from which you will direct unit reorganization, bridging and resupply. Headquarters are not only essential to reinforcing and recovering lost unit strength, but are also able to deploy special abilities such as Emergency Supply, Motorizing units using HQ trucks, and many more. Theater Assets — This feature from the original game is greatly expanded in Unity of Command II. Wreak havoc behind enemy lines by sabotaging infrastructure. Order your aircraft to provide aerial recon, deliver devastating bombing runs, or sustain units behind enemy lines using air supply assets.

— This feature from the original game is greatly expanded in Unity of Command II. Wreak havoc behind enemy lines by sabotaging infrastructure. Order your aircraft to provide aerial recon, deliver devastating bombing runs, or sustain units behind enemy lines using air supply assets. Bonus Objectives — Participate in optional history-altering “what-if” objectives — lead the Western Allied charge to beat the Soviets to Berlin, or cancel Operation Market Garden to reinforce Patton’s army.

— Participate in optional history-altering “what-if” objectives — lead the Western Allied charge to beat the Soviets to Berlin, or cancel Operation Market Garden to reinforce Patton’s army. Fog of War — Deal with your enemies — but you’ll have to find them first. Reveal enemy positions by capturing stragglers, upgrading the HQ and using its special abilities to uncover enemy special defense markers.

— Deal with your enemies — but you’ll have to find them first. Reveal enemy positions by capturing stragglers, upgrading the HQ and using its special abilities to uncover enemy special defense markers. Deep Operations — Unity of Command changed the world of turn-based strategy games forever by introducing its signature feature, supply lines. Keep a watchful eye on your logistics while planning to strike deep beyond enemy lines, sever supply lines and encircle enemy units.

— Unity of Command changed the world of turn-based strategy games forever by introducing its signature feature, supply lines. Keep a watchful eye on your logistics while planning to strike deep beyond enemy lines, sever supply lines and encircle enemy units. Accessible Scenario Editor — Unity of Command II features a full-fledged Allied campaign, with the addition of several defining battles of WWII that can be experienced from the Axis side. The game comes with a built-in scenario editor, allowing players to create and share new battlefields using the integrated Steam Workshop support.

A lot of these new features have been fleshed out on the developer’s website through their semi-regular dev-blogs. There’s also a new ‘card’ system which you can read about here.

There’s not been many ‘top-tier’ wargames on the docket for 2019, but this was definitely one of our most anticipated and I am going to take immense pleasure on, finally, crossing it off our 2019 War Games list. With any luck, it will quickly appear on our list of excellent WW2 games because with the amount of work that’s gone into this, it’d have to be an ultra-galaxy brain move to have taken this long to make a game that’s actually a little bit naff.

A more precise November release date for Unity of Command 2 will be revealed at a later date.