Matrix Games

Hello AB II fans. We are happy to announce that the Steam version of Armored Brigade II will be out April 8th, 2025.

The team is still hard at work on feature updates, and that leads us to the second part of today's announcement.

Today's update brings you many new unit models - especially for the Finnish army. You can admire them in all their unique glory.

Heres the link for update v1.583.

The Finnish Army has numerous obsolete vintage vehicles in service like the Stug 3 or Charioteer

Finland also has a variety of Soviet vehicles in service like the T-54/55, T-72, and BMP-1

Additionally, more specialist West German infantry formations have been added such as Gebirgsjägers, Pioneers, and Fallschirmjägers.

German motorized infantry rapidly redeploy

FXAA has also been implemented along with new smoke and fire effects, more varied light building textures, and a Black/White thermal imaging mode.

The wrecked hulls of a failed attack looking better than ever!

Observe the battlefield with a new night vision mode

We will also be releasing a dev diary next week to go over all the changes introduced with this update, so keep a look out for it!

You can find the full changelog below. Have fun everyone!

--- Changelog ---

v1.583

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

Fix: Certain map graphics (e.g. the LOS tool preview) had a wrong offset.
Fix: Some map grid coordinates outside the map (West and North) were miscalculated, e.g. allowing craters beyond edges.

[database] Fix SKOT-2 commander.
[database] Fix wrong coax side on T-54/55 and T-62 tank series.
[database] Soviet motorised mortars.
[database] Add a Landsverk Anti II model, Marksman, ZSU-57-2 and XA-180 models, APC/IFV/tank models, and some minor improvements.
[database] Renamed the Finnish T-54-3 and T-55A into T-54 and T-55.
[database] Add West German Bofors 40mm Gun.
[database] Add Erkundungstrupp scout formations, West German support squads reworked and motorised variants added.
[database] Add British and German MILAN models.
[database] Add UAZ-469, motorised AGS-17 team for Soviets, and improved Ural-375 texture.
[database] Add Jäger (dismounted infantry) and Heimatschutz formations.
[database] Add Grenadier formations.
[database] Add Gebirgsjäger formations.
[database] Add Fallschirmjäger formations.
[database] Add Pioniere.
[database] Add Panzerpioniere (M113 and Fuchs).
[database] Reworked PzGren and mech Jäger formations (HS.30, Marder, M113 and Fuchs).
[database] Add motorized PzGren and Jäger formations, add PzAufklZg in TPz-1 Fuchs.
[database] Add Munga and Iltis jeep, Unimog 404 and 435, TPz-1 Fuchs with MILAN firing post.
[database] Reduced PzF-44 max range to 400m, changed sound for 73mm HE rounds, made a distinction between bolt and semi-auto single shot rifles.
[database] Add Polish gunners.

[engine] Implement Return Suppressive Fire; units can suppress undetected enemies by firing back at suspected enemy positions.
[engine] Implement the Battle Replay on the 3D map, using 2D icons.
[engine] Integrate FXAA (Fast approximate anti-aliasing) into the rendering engine as a post-processing effect.
[engine] Implement UTF-16 support for folder names.
[engine] Generate only every 3rd objective on the player side of the no-man's land in meeting engagements.
[engine] Reduce the AI maximum smoke shelling distance as it advances.
[engine] Use the scripted initial pathfind setting for formations.
[engine] Improve the fire and smoke from wrecks.
[engine] Add light building and small heavy building texture variants.
[engine] Increase the fence draw distance.
[engine] Decrease the bloom blur amount and increase intensity.
[engine] Implement White Hot and Black Hot night vision visuals.
[engine] Do not render shadows or skyboxes in the night vision mode.
[engine] Do not use the damaged/burnt unit colors in the night vision mode.

[scenarios] Fix SAPPER to SAGGER typo in the 'Attack in Bullenhausen' scenario.
[scenarios] Add 'Night Ambush', 'Valley of Death', and 'Hammer and Bridges' scenarios.
[scenarios] Add an updated 'The River Elbe Crossing' scenario.
[scenarios] Add 'Walk on Water' and 'Winter Desolation' AB1 scenarios.
[scenarios] Add a 'Beyond Water' AB1 dynamic campaign.
[scenarios] Adjust anachronistic formations in 'Twin Valleys', 'Rear Guard', 'Armored Cavalry Squadron(-) vs. Tank Regiment', 'East of Fulda', and 'Attack in Bullenhausen' scenarios.

[ui] Add a 'FOV vignette' graphics option.
[ui] Do not allow using Shift + Mouse Wheel to increase the FOV to be greater than the graphics option value.
[ui] Show helicopter weapon/LOS circles when placing a BP.
[ui] Make the settings launcher UI scale up based on the screen resolution, and auto-select a preferred game UI scale.
[ui] Improve the database editor UI scaling.
[ui] Prevent the map marker line drawing system from creating or loading lines that have length less than 1.0.
[ui] Rename 'Easy mode' to 'Reduced delay'.
[ui] Use the degree symbol in vehicle hit messages.