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Combat Mission
Combat Mission is a turn-based 3D tactical game
series which premiered in 2000. The original game engine consisted
of three games set in the Second World War:
A second series of games with a new game
engine premiered in 2007. The game engine itself has been dubbed
"CMX2" while the second series, revolving around a "near-future"
theme of tactical combat set in Syria, is named Combat Mission:
Shock Force. A new marketing system includes "families" of
games, with Titles and add-on Modules. The first family consists of
one Title and three Modules:
An independent title, called
Combat Mission: Afghanistan was also released in 2010, depicting
combat during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
The second Family was
announced with a Second World War theme, and release of Combat
Mission: Battle for Normandy occurred in May 2011. There have been other Families
with a Second World War theme also announced by the publisher; to
date these are:
-
Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy
(2011)
-
Combat Mission: Fortress Italy
(2012)
-
Gustav Line (2013)
-
Rome to Victory (2019)
-
Combat Mission: Red Thunder (2014)
-
Combat Mission: Final Blitzkrieg
(2016)
-
Combat Mission: Cold War (2021)
A second
modern/near-future module set in Ukraine was released in 2015.
Game Family |
Game Engine |
Release |
Title |
CMX1 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
4.0 |
Jun 2000 |
CM:BO |
Release |
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|
Sep 2002 |
CM:BB |
Release |
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Nov 2003 |
CM:AK |
Release |
|
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|
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Jul 2007 |
CM:SF |
|
Release |
|
|
CMSF2 Jul 2020 |
Sep 2010 |
CM:A |
|
Release |
|
|
|
May 2011 |
CM:BN |
|
Release |
Dec 2012 |
Aug 2014 |
Dec 2016 |
Aug 2012 |
CM:FI |
|
|
Release |
Aug 2014 |
Dec 2016 |
Apr 2014 |
CM:RT |
|
|
|
Release |
Dec 2016 |
Feb 2015 |
CM:BS |
|
|
|
Release |
Dec 2016 |
Apr 2016 |
CM:FB |
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|
|
Release |
Dec 2016 |
May 2021 |
CM:CW |
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Release |
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Game |
Nationalities |
Regions |
CM:
Beyond Overlord |
USA,
Germany, Britain, Free France, Canada, Poland |
NW
Europe (Jun 44 - May 45) |
CM:
Barbarossa to Berlin |
Germany, USSR, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Romania |
Finland, North USSR, Central USSR, South USSR (Jun 41 -
May 45) |
CM:
Afrika Korps |
USA,
Germany, Britain, Free France, Canada, Poland, Italy |
North
Africa, Italy (1940-1945) |
CM:
Shock Force |
US
Army, Syrian, Insurgents |
Syria
(2009) |
CM:SF - Marines |
US Marines |
- |
CMSF: - NATO |
Germany, Canada,
Netherlands |
- |
CM:Battle for Normandy |
USA,
German Army |
Normandy (Jun-Aug 44) (Sep 44 with MG) |
CMBN - Commonwealth
Forces |
Britain, Canada, Waffen-SS,
Luftwaffe |
- |
CMBN - Market-Garden |
Britain, Canada, Waffen-SS,
Luftwaffe |
Netherlands (Jun - Sep
44) |
CM:
Fortress Italy |
USA,
German Army |
Italy
(Jul 43 - Jan 44) (Jul 44 with GL) |
CMFI - Gustav Line |
Britain, Canada |
Jul 43 - Jul 44 |
CMFI - Rome to Victory |
German Air Force,
Brazil, India, Free France, South Africa, Waffen-SS |
Jul 43 - May 45 |
CM:
Red Thunder |
German
Army, USSR |
Russia, East Europe (Jun 44 - Sep 44) |
CM:
Black Sea |
USA,
Russia, Ukraine |
Ukraine (2016) |
CM:
Final Blitzkrieg |
USA,
German Army, Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe |
France, Germany, Ardennes, Netherlands (Oct 44 - Jan 45) |
CM:
Cold War |
US Army, Soviet
Union |
1979-1982 |
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Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord
Three playable public demo scenarios
were offered at various times, the first being a Beta Demo offered
pre-release in October 1999. A Gold Demo was released later; because
file formats had changed during production of the game, two new
scenarios were included that were not compatible with the earlier
Beta version. Neither demo included access to the mission editor,
but did permit solo, hotseat, and email play. TCP/IP play was not a
feature that shipped with the initial release, but was added in
later via a patch.
Beta Demo
Last Defense and Riesberg
were included with the original beta demo. At Christmas 1999, an
add-on entitled Chance Encounter was added to the beta demo.
Gold Demo
Chance Encounter
and Valley of Trouble were released as the Gold Demo.
Chance Encounter depicted a fictional meeting engagement late in
the war between an American rifle company supported by Sherman
tanks, and a German rifle company supported by assault guns. The
terrain depicted a rural crossroads overlooked by a forested hill.
Chance Encounter has remained a popular scenario and versions of
this battle have been recreated by third parties in Combat
Mission: Afrika Korps and even Combat Mission: Shock Force.
Valley of Trouble was a brand new scenario for the Gold Demo
that depicted an American assault through a fortified valley.
Key Dates:
Game announced: |
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Preorders
announced: |
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Beta Demo
released: |
October 1999 |
Beta Demo Add-On
released: |
December 1999 |
Gold Demo
released: |
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Game released: |
June 1, 2000 |
Patch 1.01
released: |
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Patch 1.11
released |
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Patch 1.12
released |
February 1, 2001 |
Special Edition
released: |
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Combat
Mission: Beyond Overlord |
Developer: |
Big Time Software |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2000 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Operations (linked
scenarios on dynamic map) |
The original release came with
no packaging and was sold directly from Big Time Software
via internet only. The disc was packaged inside the pages of
the rulebook; opening the padded envelope often caused a
shock to new customers expecting to see a jewel case or box
containing the software.
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Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin
Two playable public demo scenarios were
offered before release; one set in the Battle of Kursk in 1943 and
another in 1941 in the fighting outside Moscow. The first
highlighted new steppe terrain and changes to the AFV gameplay such
as the "death clock" of knocked out tanks, as well as the
organization of vehicles into platoons, and the interaction of
various types of vehicles such as heavy Russian KV types and German
medium PzKpfw IIIs. The latter scenario emphasized changes to the
infantry game, particularly the effect of machine guns on infantry;
the ability to mass for human wave assaults was also permitted in
the demo.
Key Dates:
Preorders taken: |
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Demo released: |
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Game released: |
Thursday, 19 September 2002 |
Patch 1.01 released:
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Wednesday, 20 November 2002 |
Patch 1.02 releaed: |
Monday, 10 February, 2003 |
Patch 1.03 released: |
Wednesday, 4 June 2003 |
Vista Patch (v1.04)
released: |
Thursday, 23 July 2009 |
V1.04 Demo released: |
Thursday, 23 July 2009 |
Special Edition released: |
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Thursday, 19 September 2002
We are very proud to announce that
Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin (CMBB), a
realistic 3D WWII ground combat simulation of warfare on the Eastern
Front, from 1941 to 1945, is NOW SHIPPING!!!.
CMBB is available for purchase online
through our webstore, or from our distribution partner
[CDV
Software Entertainment AG] which is releasing the PC version
into most European countries.
Also shipping is the
Combat
Mission: Bundle Pack which includes both Combat
Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin and the original Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord at a deeply discounted
price.
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Combat
Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2002 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Operations (linked
scenarios on dynamic map) |
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Combat Mission: Afrika Korps
On 18 November 2003, battlefront.com
announced that Combat Mission: Afrika Korps had gone gold. That same
day, they announced that they were opening up preorders for the new
game, as well as releasing a public demo, containing two scenarios.
(The title of the new game was something of a
misnomer, as the Italian theatre was also included).
Multi-turreted vehicles were modelled, and thus one scenario
featured M3 Lee tanks in a desert scenario set in North Africa,
which also showed the new dust cloud effects. A second scenario was
set in Italy with new terrain types including vineyards.
Key Dates:
Preorders taken: |
Tuesday, 18 November 2003 |
Demo released: |
Tuesday, 18 November 2003
|
v1.01 Patch released |
Saturday, 31 January 2004
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Australian Department of
Defense version licensed |
Thursday, 20 May 2004
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v1.02 Patch released |
Sunday, 14 November 2004
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v1.03 Patch released: |
Thursday, 18 November, 2004 |
Full text of the announcement on 18
November:
Tuesday, 18 November 2003
It is with a great deal of pride that
Battlefront.com is announcing that Combat Mission Afrika
Korps has gone gold is currently in production and should
be shipping by December 5th.
Combat Mission: Afrika Korps
is the third game title released to date in the award winning Combat
Mission series and focuses on the Mediterranean Theater of
Operations, from East Africa in 1940, all the way into Italy 1945.
Combat Mission:
Afrika Korps sells for $35 (USD) and can
be Ordered directly from here:
Combat Mission: Afrika Korps Order Page
We are also excited to announce a new
Combat Mission Bundle Pack, featuring both CMBB and CMAK.
This new bundle replaces the old bundle which included CMBO and CMBB
and is also expected to ship by December 5th..
The new Combat Mission Bundle
Pack sells for $60 (USD), a savings of $10
over the cost of each game separately and can be Ordered directly
from here:
Combat Mission Bundle Pack (CMAK&CMBB) Order Page
In addition to Combat Mission
Afrika Korps being available to Pre-Order we have also
released the playable demo today! The 95 megabyte CMAK Demo
comes with two thrilling scenarios and you can download it
right now from here:
Combat Mission: Afrika Korps Demo Download Page
And as if that wasn't enough already,
we have also reduced the prices on both Combat Mission:
Beyond Overlord and Combat Mission: Barbarossa to
Berlin.
CMBO is now on sale for
$20
USD and CMBB is now on sale for $35 USD.
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Combat
Mission: Afrika Korps |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2004 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Operations (linked
scenarios on dynamic map) |
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Combat Mission:
Shock Force
Pre-order Edition: a special edition was
available to pre-order customers, which included a foldout battle map
showing units and locations included in the Task Force Thunder
campaign, as well as a pre-printed mousepad showing hotkey
configurations for the 1.0 release version of the game.
A retooled Version 1.30 Demo released in
October 2010 included sample scenarios with forces from all three
add-on modules as well as a preview of the scenario editor.
The Game Engine 4.0 version (called
Combat Mission: Shock Force 2) was announced in 2018, along with
engine upgrades for all the add-on modules. In August 2020, BFC
partnered with Slitherine to make CMSF 2 available via Matrix Games
and Steam.
Key Dates:
Game announced: |
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Game released: |
July 27, 2007 |
V1.01 Patch
released: |
July 27, 2007 |
V1.07 Patch
released |
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V1.08 Patch
released |
April 2, 2008 |
Marines module
released: |
September 26, 2008 |
V1.10 Patch
released |
3 October 2008 |
V1.11 Patch
released |
22 December 2008 |
British Forces
module released: |
August 2009 |
V1.20 Patch
release |
14 September 2009 |
V1.21 Patch
release |
10 November 2009 |
V1.21 retail
upgrade released |
21 December 2009 |
NATO module
announced: |
May 13, 2010 |
NATO module
released: |
October 21, 2010 |
V1.30 Demo
released |
October 26, 2010 |
V1.31 Patch
released |
November 26, 2010 |
V1.32 Patch
released |
July 13, 2011 |
CMSF 2
pre-orders announced |
8 Aug 2018 |
CMSF 2
released |
December 7, 2018 |
CMSF 2 V2.01
Patch released |
January 1, 2019 |
V2.04 Game
Engine 4 Patch released: |
Saturday, 18 July 2020 |
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Combat
Mission: Shock Force |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows |
Date
of Release: |
2007 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
Modules: |
Marines
(2008)
British Forces (2009)
NATO (2010) |
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Combat Mission:
Afghanistan
Developed by Snowball, a Russian
software company, and distributed by Battlefront, this game depicted
combat during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Key Dates:
Game announced: |
November 18, 2009 |
Game released in
Russia.: |
September 3, 2010 |
Game released in
the U.S.: |
September 13, 2010 |
V1.01 Patch
released: |
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V1.02 Patch
released: |
October 28, 2010 |
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Combat
Mission: Afghanistan |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows |
Date
of Release: |
2010 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
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Combat Mission:
Battle for Normandy
Details of the demo were not made public
until the day of the release. Two scenarios and a tutorial were
included. One scenario was set in what the Americans called the
Battle of Normandy proper, on July 11, 1944, depicting an attack of
a company of the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division on
the Martinville Ridge. The other was set in the "Breakout" period.
Pre-order Edition: special features of
the pre-order edition were a "steelbook" case.
Key Dates:
Game announced: |
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Game title
announced: |
Thursday, 23 December 2010 |
Official forum
opened |
Thursday, 23 December 2010 |
Demo released: |
Wednesday, 11 May 2011 |
Download version
of game released: |
Tuesday, 17 May 2011 |
Commonwealth
Forces module released: |
Monday, 5 March 2012 |
Updated V1.01
Demo released: |
Monday, 19 March 2012 |
V1.10 Patch
released: |
Wednesday, 21 March 2012 |
V1.11 Patch
released: |
Friday, 7 December 2012 |
V2.0 Upgrade
released: |
Wednesday, 12 December 2012 |
V2.01 Patch
released: |
Friday, 15 February 2013 |
Market Garden
module released: |
Friday, 11 October, 2012 |
V2.12 Patch
released: |
Tuesday, 26 November 2013 |
Game Engine 3.0
Upgrade |
Sunday, 10 August 2014 |
Vehicle Pack
released: |
Friday, 24 October 2014 |
V3.11 Patch
released |
Tuesday, 18 November 2014 |
Game Engine 4.0
Upgrade |
Saturday, 24 December 2016 |
V4.03 Game
Engine 4 Patch released: |
Saturday, 18 July 2020 |
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Combat
Mission: Battle for Normandy |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
17 May 2011 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
Modules: |
Commonwealth Forces (2012)
Market Garden (2012) |
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Combat Mission:
Fortress Italy
Details were first announced on 21 June
2012. A special pre-order version included a tin CD case.
Key details included five campaigns, 12
standalone battles and 250 Quick Battle maps, as well as the debut
of the second generation "v.2.0" game engine.
The demo was released five weeks after
the game debuted.
The upgrade to the 4.0 game engine took
longer than for the other existing games as apparently the TO&E had
to be rebuilt from scratch, causing a nearly four month delay.
The release of the Rome to Victory
Module was a bit different in that the module was combined with a
V2.10 patch.
Key Dates:
Game announced: |
Thursday, 21 June 2012 |
Game title
announced: |
Thursday, 21 June 2012 |
Official forum
opened |
Thursday, 21 June 2012 |
Download version
of game released: |
Wednesday, 2 August 2012 |
Demo released: |
Wednesday, 12 September, 2012 |
Gustav Line
Module announced |
Monday, 18 February 2013 |
Gustav Line module released: |
Monday, 20 May 2013 |
Demo released: |
Thursday, 20 May 2013 |
Game Engine 3.0
Upgrade |
Sunday, 10 August 2014 |
Game Engine 4.0
Upgrade |
Saturday, 15 April 2017 |
Rome to
Victory Module announced |
June 28, 2019 |
Rome to
Victory Module released |
Saturday, 30 November 2019 |
V2.11 Game
Engine 4 Patch released: |
Saturday, 18 July 2020 |
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Combat
Mission: Fortress Italy |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2 August 2012 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
Modules: |
Combat
Mission: Gustav Line (2013), Combat Mission: Rome
to Victory (2019) |
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Combat Mission:
Red Thunder
Details were first announced on 30
January
2014. A special pre-order version included a tin CD case. Key
features included the debut of the 3.0 game engine and a return to
the Eastern Front set during Operation Bagration in June 1944.
The demo was released just over 7 weeks
post-release, and included one of the release scenarios, and one
custom scenario which was subsequently posted on the Battlefront
Repository.
Key Dates:
Game announced: |
Wednesday, 30 January 2014 |
Game title
announced: |
Wednesday, 30 January 2014 |
Official forum
opened: |
Wednesday, 30
January 2014 |
Download version of game released: |
Friday, 4 April
2014 |
Demo
released |
Monday, 19 May
2014 |
V1.02 Patch released |
Monday, 17
November 2014 |
Game Engine 4.0
Upgrade |
Saturday, 24 December 2016 |
V2.02 Game
Engine 4 Patch released: |
Saturday, 18 July 2020 |
Fire and Rubble
Module preorder: |
30 Jan 2021 |
Fire and Rubble
Module released: |
29 April 2021 |
|
Combat
Mission: Red Thunder |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2014 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
Modules: |
TBA |
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Combat Mission:
Black Sea
Details of the new Combat Mission title
featuring combat in the Ukraine in the near future were announced in
November 2014. From the developer's website:
Combat
Mission: Black Sea is a military simulation depicting a
fictional 2017 conflict between NATO and Russia in Ukraine.
Following the events in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014, the
Kiev government and Russia continue to clash over the status of
the contested regions. This culminates several years later in a
dramatic announcement by Ukraine that they will be joining NATO
and the EU. Tensions explode as Russia perceives a direct threat
to Russian citizens and deploy troops to the Ukrainian border
again, while Western governments, welcoming a chance to expand
NATO and EU influence eastward, mobilize as well. The escalation
continues until the summer of 2017, when a large firefight
erupts between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the Donetsk
region. The next day fighting flares up on the border, and on a
dark early morning in June 2017, pre-positioned Russian and NATO
forces roll forward into Ukraine.
The game featured the 3.0 game engine.
Game announced: |
Tuesday, 4 November 2014 |
Game released: |
Wednesday, 11 February 2015 |
Demo released: |
Friday, 20 March 2015 |
Game Engine 4.0
Upgrade |
Saturday, 24 December 2016 |
Battle Pack 1
released: |
25 Apr 2017 |
V2.14 Game
Engine 4 Patch released: |
Saturday, 18 July 2020 |
|
Combat
Mission: Black Sea |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2015 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
Modules: |
TBA |
|
Combat Mission:
Final Blitzkrieg
Details of the new Combat Mission title
featuring combat in Northwest Europe following the time period
depicted in Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy were announced in
early 2016.
-
Base game covers
the western front from October 1944 to January 1945, although
emphasis is placed on the winter battles of December and
January.
-
Regions depicted
include the Ardennes, France, Germany, and Holland.
Game announced : |
2015 |
Game announced
for pre-order: |
Wednesday, 23 March 2016 |
Game released: |
Friday, 8 April 2016* |
Demo released: |
Friday, 1 April 2016 |
v1.01 Patch |
Monday, 14 November 2016 |
v1.02 Patch |
Saturday, 21 May 2016 |
Game Engine 4.0
Upgrade |
Saturday, 24 December 2016 |
V2.14 Game
Engine 4 Patch released: |
Saturday, 18 July 2020 |
*This was the date
the game release was announced on the forum. The game was actually
available before, but BFC instituted a "soft release" policy,
presumably to
ease strain on their download server. |
Combat
Mission: Final Blitzkrieg |
Developer: |
Battlefront.com |
Platform: |
Windows/Mac |
Date
of Release: |
2016 |
Scale: |
Squad |
Genre: |
3-D WEGO and
RT strategy |
Players: |
1 or 2 |
Campaign Type: |
Linked
scenarios |
Modules: |
TBA |
|
Game Engine 4.0
Not tied to the release of any
particular game, the 4th generation game engine premiered in
December 2016 as an upgrade for CM:FI, CM:BN, CM:FB, CM:RT and CM:BS
only.
At long last,
Combat Mission moves from Game Engine 3 to Game Engine 4! In the
Store you will find Upgrades for CMBN, CMRT, CMBS, and CMFB.
CMFI's needs a little more time in the oven, but it will be
along shortly.
After we have a little time to recover there will be a central
page of information about Game Engine 4. For now just visit one
of the supported CM Families in the Battlefront Store and look
for the various Upgrade options. The details are there for your
viewing pleasure.
We offer a bunch of different purchase options, including
product specific Upgrade 4 installers, specials for both Upgrade
3 and Upgrade 4 (where applicable), and the Upgrade mega pack
with all 5 Families covered (including CMFI). It was a last
minute rush of minutia to get them out to you, so enjoy!
Also know that CMBN, CMRT, CMBS, and CMFB Base Games and Base
Game Bundles are all using Game Engine 4 now. CMFI, once we get
some details ironed out, will also be at Game Engine 4.
The patches were relased 18 July 2020 for
CMBN, CMSF2, CMFI, CMFB and CMBS. |
|
Combat Mission: Cold War
Set in the years 1979-1982, depicting a fictional was
in Central Europe between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces, with some
scenarios set at the National Training Centre in California.
Game announced for
pre-order |
16 Feb 2021 |
Game released : |
6 May 2021 |
|
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