Link to the full video with battle footage:
Hello, comrades! For those hearing from me for the first time — my name is Sergei Kuzmin. I’m one of the founders of Steel Balalaika Studio, and some of you may know me by my old nickname, Serega Samara. Some of you may have also watched my Wargame: Red Dragon videos roughly 7−10 years ago.
Today, I want to talk openly and directly about the game and its future — just as things really are.
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Looking back at the past year, we spent too long trying to make the gameplay as comfortable as possible, primarily for newcomers. To achieve that, we reduced lethality, increased TTK, slowed down aim−times, and gradually moved away from the gameplay we originally wanted to create ourselves.
We now believe that this approach has run its course. Above all, player comfort should come from other areas: in−game tutorials, clear visualization of less obvious mechanics, and quality matchmaking that allows players to compete against opponents of a similar skill level and gradually learn the game. At the same time, more experienced players shouldn’t have to sacrifice the quality and depth of their own gameplay simply to keep the barrier to entry low, eventually losing the enjoyment of the game after a couple hundred hours.
However, it’s fair to say that we can’t simply change everything overnight. It’s not only about the risk of rushing into fairly controversial hypotheses, but also about the fact that many people simply don’t like change. That’s how we ended up with the current model of a public test branch.
Let me answer the main question right away: “Who decides which changes make it from PTE into production?” Starting with patch 1.1.1 on July 30, I am personally taking responsibility for all such decisions going forward. I will base them on my own vision, as well as test results, statistics, and your feedback.
Yes, this is a fairly difficult process. Changing the course of a project that has been evolving for many years is never easy, but I am convinced that this is the right direction. The only right one. The idea behind this new approach to game design is actually quite simple — every unit is sufficiently effective within its intended role, while the right decisions made by the player provide a significantly greater gameplay payoff. In practice, this translates into three current areas of work:
Gameplay Improvements. All major changes will go through PTE. We are continuing to work on increasing lethality, tactical depth, the predictability of game mechanics, and the balance between different ways of engaging the opponent.
New Content. We decided to split the DLC release into two parts. New units, maps, and a couple of co−op missions will be released in August, while the single−player campaign and the remaining content will follow in the fall. This approach will allow us to release content updates more frequently, without tying them to the lengthy development of the campaign missions, while also giving you the option not to purchase the full DLC if you’re only interested in part of it.
Technical Debt. Game performance has noticeably improved over the last couple of patches, and campaign saves and replays will be added in upcoming updates. We're also continuing to work on network stability, QoL features, and other technical improvements.
I have one request: please don’t rush to conclusions about our move toward greater lethality. Try all the changes for yourselves on the upcoming PTE first, and then make sure to leave your feedback.
To sum up, I’d say that the past year has been a real test for us. I’m grateful to all of you for your trust and for all the feedback you’ve shared following the patch — it’s what gives us the strength to keep moving forward, prepare for the next PTE iteration, and work on the new DLC. This project truly means a lot to us, so we experience all of its successes and failures alongside you.
See you again, and good luck on the battlefield! — Steel Balalaika Studio