Canadian developer Beamdog has announced their intention to release a digital version of the famous World War 2 themed board games, Axis & Allies. The digital edition is going by the name Axis & Allies Online and will allow players to play against one another online as either side of one of the greatest global conflicts in world history, also sometimes zombies are involved.

The game has no set release date yet but will be released on Steam as an early access title, costing $19.99 at launch, and will also be available across all 3 of Steam's supported platforms, Windows, Mac, and Linux. The rules featured in Axis & Allies Online will be based on the rules from the second edition of Axis & Allies: 1942 a revision which saw one of the biggest shakeups of the core rule set in the games 35+ year history.

The announcement was accompanied by a teaser trailer, although it gives little information away beyond some art assets and music, showing no sign of early gameplay. According to Beamdog, the game is going to feature interactive maps, combat reports, real-time and asynchronous multiplayer (so players can take their turn and pass it over), AI foes, and dramatic music and sound effects. Beamdog CEO, Trent Oster, said "We love the board game and we're incredibly excited to bring that experience to the desktop." promising fans of the game that the adaptation would stay true to the spirit of the original board game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrydcwNV4BY

If the digital adaptation hopes to remain true to its roots then the game will almost certainly be a strategy title, but it is interesting to see how the game's mechanics will be adapted to work in a digital medium. Hopefully, over the next few months, Beamdog will update us all with information about potential release windows and beta access.

How do you feel about digital board game adaptations? Are you looking forward to trying Axis & Allies Online? Let us know how you feel in the comments below.