Strategy developer Eugen Systems, most well known for their Steel Division and Wargame series, are unleashing their World War III simulator WARNO into Steam Early Access today. Standing for ‘warning order,’ WARNO is a tactical strategy game set in a Cold War gone hot. NATO and the Warsaw Pact face off in epic battles featuring infantry, tanks, helicopters, airplanes, artillery, logistics, and much more. Players become the commanders-in-chief in command of their respective armies, leading them through individual battles and massive turn-based strategic campaigns.

While WARNO is released into early access, the developers have made it clear that they intend to work with their players as the game nears its final release in regards to fixes and general game direction. Their goal is to have the ultimate World War III battle-simulator, and a spiritual successor to their Wargame series. The original release onto early access will only have the two primary factions, NATO and Warsaw Pact, in skirmish battles versus the ai or online opponents but have definitively stated the game will have much more content upon launch.

Eugen Systems has learned a lot from their previous war simulators, and they want to show it off with a whole new game engine and in-depth community feedback to make this game their greatest yet. On the Steam page, they write: “Early Access does not mean buggy or unfished. Our goal is to offer a game that is stable and fun to play from the get-go. We aim to have the same recommended specs needed as for Steel Division 2, our previous World War II RTS. Rather, our vision is to roll out different major features and segments, each playable from start to finish, during our Early Access program. We want to grow WARNO together with our community so that over time it becomes the best version of itself… much like a fine bottle of red wine (we are French after all).”

The full game is expected to come out sometime in late 2022, but that is subject to change. Check out WARNO on Steam Early Access and let us know what you think!