Matrix Games

Come celebrate ten years of Panzer Corps with us

Before we plunge into the detail of our first Development Dairy, we are pleased to announce that we will be celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the Panzer Corps Franchise. The celebrations will start on Friday, the 9^th of July and will kick off with a live event on Twitch. There will be discounts, a new announcement, the opening of a new tournament and even a live interview with the creator of Panzer Corps: Alex Shargin.

The action will kick off at 4pm BST on our official twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/SlitherineTV and will be sure to be highlight for Panzer Corps fans like us. 



 

First detailed look into Axis Operations 1942

With the 1941 campaign putting the Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations Grand Campaign on the path to Russia, Axis Operations 1942 is doubling down with a new campaign that is (almost) exclusively set on the Eastern Front of World War II. 

In this latest DLC campaign of 17 scenarios, Axis Operations 1942 contains all the more Panzer Corps 2 gameplay our players have been enjoying since launch, but also includes some pretty radical twists to keep the gameplay fresh.

In this fifth chapter of the Axis Operation Grand Campaign, there are some new, high quality prototype tank models to look at, a variety of additional German and Soviet unit camo skins, and a entirely new type of scenario: Close Air Support.



Close Air Support Missions
This is something we only very lightly experimented with in the past, in scenarios such as Dunkirk from the 1940 Axis Operations Campaign, but now we are seeing this concept taken to a very advanced state.  It represents several different aspects of the game (Aircraft base mechanics, the mechanisms of AI partners, and bonus objectives) all coming together to form something very new and original. 

In Axis Operations 1942, there are going to be several missions that will only allow the player to deploy their aircraft to the battles!

Not only does this represent a new type of gameplay, but it is very much rooted in history.  As the war waged on, stretching the German military across Europe, the Luftwaffe often found themselves called in to support far flung operations.  This also gives Panzer Corps 2 an opportunity to explore more historical WW2 battles that are practically never seen in other games, and in this particular case that battle is the Channel Dash of 1942.

It will be up to the player to provide air cover as three German warships attempt their daring passage right through the English Channel in Operation Cerberus.

And later on, more Close Air Support missions will appear on the Eastern Front.  One scenario has Hungarian AI allies requesting your aircraft to aid them near Voronezh.  It must be said, it is quite satisfying to have several squadrons of Stuka coming in to the rescue of your allies by diving in to blast a column of Soviet tanks!

Fear not, players who play with Denied Air Force, these missions are all optional, and you can still deploy your stocks of captured aircraft if you really want to engage with them without a standard German Air Force.
 

Historical German Leadership

After the positive reception to the appearance of Rommel in the Axis Operations 1940 Campaign, we're beginning to dive more into this concept by having even more legendary German leaders appear in and participate in the scenario briefings.

While the appearance of these historical figures cannot replace the loss of characters we've previously seen, they definitely add both context and perspective to many of the battles players will be engaging with in Axis Operations 1942.

The first figure is one players have potentially already seen in a few scenarios, but instead of serving as a fighter pilot hero, newly promoted General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland takes his historical place in Operation Cerberus to brief the player on their upcoming battle.

Another figure who will be making appearances now is Generaloberst (soon to be Field Marshal) Erich von Manstein.  A legendary figure of the Eastern Front, players will see Field Marshal Manstein in several critical battles, and one often overlooked one on the outskirts of Leningrad during the Autumn of 1942...

New unit models

Panzer Corps 2 already contains an absolutely massive library of WW2 equipment models, but there is always room for just a few more.  Accompanying the release of Axis Operations 1942, the following units are being added to the base edition of the game.  These models, as before, are for all players to enjoy, but they get special highlights in the new Axis Operations 1942 campaign content to specifically showcase them.

• Tiger (P), the Porsche Tiger

• Just before the start of Operation Barbarossa, there was an idea in Germany to mount their impressive 88mm gun on a heavy tank design.  That idea, plus the surprise of encountering Soviet made medium and heavy tanks during Barbarossa, is where the story of the Porsche Tiger begins.
• But after a series of test trials, this design would lose out to the legendary and iconic Tiger I that is now so instantly recognizable.
• Several Tiger(P) can be acquired by players who perform above and beyond the call of duty, but it not a tank destined to ever be put into full production.

• Improved Panzer IIIM and Panzer IIINs

• Panzer IIIM now has extra turret side armor
• Panzer IIIN now has extra turret side armor and extra hull side armor!
  
   

• FW-189 Recon Aircraft

• The very unique looking Focke-Wulf 189 aircraft was designed with a single role in mind: aerial reconnaissance.  And to this role, it proved to be an exceptional design.
• The FW-189 served extensively on the Eastern Front and was known for being very difficult to shoot down thanks to its extreme manoeuvrability.  And unlike other recon type aircraft that are completely unarmed, the FW-189 has some limited armament that it can fight with as well.

• Barrage Balloons

• Barrage Balloons are by no means normal blimps or zeppelins and serve their purpose from a stationary position.
• Barrage Balloons can block the airspace over a target, requiring them to be destroyed before bombing can commence on targets below.
• These units also serve as target practice in training scenarios. This gives fighter aircraft an airborne target they can engage with to fast track their experience levels.
• Barrage Balloons are also units on the 'air' layer that are not tied to airfields like normal aircraft!

• Ju52 and Me323 on the ground

• Similar to the inclusion of various Soviet aircraft appearing on the ground, these German transport aircraft, when on the ground, will serve as special objective units, especially as objectives to defend. 

• Hungarian Toldi IIa tank

• A new development by Hungary, the Toldi IIa tank represents a significant improvement over the Toldi light tanks that have been made available to campaigning players during their 1941 campaigns.
• Superior stats at a lower slot cost will make these vehicles extremely valuable, if you can get your hands on them.

• Soviet Po-2 Biplane Bomber

• More commonly designated  as the U-2, which primarily served a role as a training aircraft or reconnaissance aircraft, the Po-2 designation refers to the light bomber variant of this Russian biplane.
• The most notable operators of the Po-2 bombers were the Night Witches, a Soviet bomber Regiment that was comprised exclusively of female pilots.  Their earned their particular name not only from their female orientation, but also for their night time attacks against German positions during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Influencing the Eastern Front

Ever since the Panzer Corps 2 Axis Operations Campaign has started, there have been players who have been looking for more strategic control of the war's course.  While grand strategy is a bit too far outside the scope of Panzer Corps 2, this idea has been our radar for a while now.

And the content approaches the Mid and Late War Eras, we believe the Axis Operations campaign is finally reaching the point where meaningful exploration of alternate history paths can begin.

This is exemplified in Axis Operations 1942 having two different endings!  How this will affect future content, as history and alternate history continue to diverge, we are extremely excited to unveil.  At the very least, it will continue to pave the way for more original content to arrive as we explore uncharted territory alongside the traditional historical battles players may already be familiar with.

Your Feedback

As always, we are reading and listening to your feedback.  Many thousands of posts and messages have greatly improved Panzer Corps 2 for its entire player base, and we encourage you to continue to share your thoughts and wants for the game into the future!

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this extended preview of the upcoming Axis Operations 1942.  Axis Operations: 1942 is currently finishing its testing phase, and is scheduled to deploy in mid July 2021.

In the meantime, don’t forget to join us for our 10 years of Panzer Corps celebrations. The celebrations will start on Friday, the 9^th of July and will kick off with a live event on Twitch. The action will kick off at 4pm BST on our official twitch channel: www.twitch.tv/SlitherineTV and will be sure to be highlight for Panzer Corps fans like us.

We look forward to seeing you there.