Easy Red 2 · publicbeta, public · first seen
It has been a while since our last update.
During this period, we've been working on plenty of exciting new content and have shared a lot of news and progress updates on upcoming campaigns. These include new weapons, vehicles, animations, and gameplay mechanics, as well as progress on some of our most anticipated campaigns: Khalkhin Gol and Iwo Jima.
Let's take a look at what's new and what's coming next!
In 1939, tensions along the Far Eastern frontier escalated into a full-scale military confrontation between the Soviet Union and Japan. What began as a series of border clashes would soon develop into one of the largest armored conflicts of the era.
In the battles of Khalkhin Gol, featuring 9 unique missions, you'll experience the major stages of this historic conflict across the vast grasslands of Mongolia, from the initial border skirmishes to the massive offensives that would ultimately decide the fate of the battlefield.
Take part in the early clashes between Mongolian cavalry and Manchurian forces, face the Japanese 23rd and 7th Divisions, and fight against the Soviet 36th Motorized Division. Witness the fierce armored engagements around Bain-Tsagan Hill, the Soviet counteroffensives led by Zhukov, and the eventual encirclement and retreat of Japanese forces.
From escalating border tensions to large-scale armored warfare, from daring advances to desperate counterattacks, every mission brings you deeper into the events of the summer of 1939.
Battles of Khalkhin Gol introduces Mongolia and Manchukuo as new represented factions, complete with dedicated voice acting, uniforms, weapons, equipment.
The vast grasslands of Khalkhin Gol await. Prepare to take part in one of the most decisive conflicts on the Far Eastern frontier!
A prototype of the new Dynamic Operations is now available!
Using a seed-based generation system, the mode creates a different battlefield experience each time you play, while also allowing specific battles to be reproduced using the same seed.
Capture zones across the map to earn victory points and reinforcement tickets, which can be spent to call in better-equipped units and gradually strengthen your forces. Every captured zones brings you closer to gaining control of the battlefield.
Future development may introduce additional battlefield assets, including in-world artillery, aircraft spawn points, ammunition crates, and static weapons distributed across the map, offering even more tactical possibilities.
What's particularly interesting is that this prototype is built entirely through in-game mission scripting, demonstrating just how much can be achieved with the existing mission tools.
This update introduces a new In-Hand / Melee System, bringing new close-quarters combat mechanics and animations to the battlefield.
The system currently supports melee weapons such as the Japanese Gunto and selected bayonets, each featuring dedicated animations for different actions, including slashing, stabbing, and blocking.
You can hold the melee button to draw or put away your bayonet as a knife (gamepad and keyboard).
Key 3 cycles the melee weapons in your inventory, and swapping between two melee weapons (also from the inventory and quick menu) no longer brings your gun out in between.
AI soldiers can also make use of melee weapons autonomously. If you get too close to an enemy AI, they may abandon their firearms and draw a melee weapon to attack you at close range. Unarmed AI soldiers always draw the bayonet and charge enemies within reasonable distance.
Beyond melee combat, this system is designed to serve as a foundation for more in-hand interactions in the future. Planned possibilities include holding and throwing grenades, cooking grenades before throwing them, and dedicated animations for handling other specific items.
This is just the beginning of a more comprehensive in-hand interaction system, opening the door to a wider range of combat actions and battlefield interactions in future updates.
This update introduces a new deployable/portable Grenade Discharger (Knee Mortar) for the Japanese faction as we planned from our last roadmap.
The weapon features an adjustable range scale, allowing players to modify its firing range, alongside a set of dedicated animations specifically created for operating the mortar.
AI grenadiers can operate the Knee Mortar in response to artillery orders issued by squad leader. They can also use it autonomously without receiving any specific orders, provided their squad has spotted enemies that are not within their direct line of fire.
We've also introduced dedicated Japanese grenadier squad, each consisting of 3 grenadiers, with each grenadier carrying 8 Type 91 grenades to use as ammunition.
These additions bring a new infantry support option to the Japanese faction, expanding the variety of weapons and squad compositions available on the battlefield.
UI
Added an in-game changelog menu to easily notify players about recently added assets and missions.
Wiki in the pause menu (PC only, at least for now): shows the wiki.easyred2.com articles about the stuff in the mission you're playing (weapons, vehicles, guns, map, mission, campaign).
Added Steam Rich Presence support.
Redesigned the cinematic camera control panel.
Gameplay & Settings
Added a prototype of a new game mode: Dynamic Operations.
Added new In-hand/Melee system.
Added an optional setting to adjust gun sight size (only for weapons with very narrow metallic sights).
Added the ability to take bayonets in hand and use them as knives.
Added support for built-in bipods and bayonets on weapons, including non-detachable bipods and foldable bayonets.
Added a new system for handling foldable bayonets.
Added support for DualSense Adaptive Triggers on Windows in both Steam Input and Direct Input modes.
Added support for DualShock 4 and DualSense gyro controls through Direct Input.
Note: The PlayStation Crossgen SDK does not support Adaptive Triggers without a native PS5 build, so this feature is not yet available on PlayStation.
Weapons
Added Type 89 Grenade Discharger
Added a Flak 36 variant with a protective shield.
Added Arisaka Type 44 carbine.
Added AVS-36.
Added DT-29 machine gun.
Added Type 26 revolver.
Added Nagant M1895 revolver.
Added Arisaka Type 30 & Manchu variant.
Added Liao Model 13 rifle.
Added Type 98 20mm AA gun (Also a wheeled variant).
Added Type 38 Kai 75mm howitzer.
Added Dadao sword.
Added Cossack M1927 Shashka.
Added Type 95 Shin Gunto.
Added Browning M1917.
Reworked Nambu Type 14.
Reworked the textures of the M101A1.
Reworked Bofors AA Gun.
Added a new historically accurate tank-mounted Pak 43 gun sight.
Reworked the M3A1 Grease Gun and added the basic M3 version (animations still to be reworked).
Vehicles
Added I-15 and I-15 (RBS-82) & I-153, I-153 (RBS-82).
Added Mitsubishi Ki-30 Light Bomber.
Added BT-5.
Added KhT-26 (OT-26).
Added Humber Mk. II.
Added BA-20.
Added Type 97 Te-ke.
37mm cannon variant.
7.7mm MG variant.
Reworked M3 Lee & M3 Grant.
M3 Lee (75mm M2)
M3 Lee (75mm M3)
M3A5 Lee
M3 Grant I.
Reworked Type 94 Truck.
Reworked BT-7.
Added BT-7 obr. 1937
Added BT-7 obr. 1935
Reworked Cromwell, now designated Cromwell IV Type D.
Added Centaur Mk. IV.
Added Humber Mk. IV.
Reworked P-51-D15/20
Reworked Sdkfz 251/C.
M3 and M3A1 half-track variants armed with the M1917.
P-51D now carries bombs.
Reworked I-16 textures.
Added new Soviet early-war gunner sights on BT-7, T-26, KV-2 and BA-10.
Added new Japanese MG sight for tank hull and rear MGs.
Added new British reconnaissance unit decals for tanks and armored cars.
Changes in camos for Japanese vehicles.
Coaxial, hull and rear MGs of Soviet tanks are now DT-29 instead of the Maxim belt (T-34 family, KV-1, KV-2, IS-2, BT-5/BT-7, T-26)
Uniform & Gear
Added various US pilot uniforms and gears.
Added various German uniforms.
Added new Japanese tank crew uniform.
Added new Mongolia and Manchukuo uniforms.
Added Soviet early war tanker uniform.
Reworked Soviet tanker uniforms.
Reworked Japanese Type 5 uniform variants.
Reworked various German & Hungarian & Soviet gears.
Reworked Japanese headgears.
IJA and SNLF field caps
Type 98 sun helmet
Type 90 palm camo helmet
"Sakura" helmet
US uniforms now show the unit patch on the left shoulder only.
Added various US headgears.
Wool Knit 1941 (Known also as ‘Jeep Cap’)
HBT 1942
USN Deck Crew Headgear
Reworked US Tanker & Gunner Helmet and added different variants.
Animation & Sound
Added UNERTL pull.
Added experimental MG42 reloading and barrel changing while deployed on a bipod.
Added BAR bipod animations.
Added FM24 bipod animations.
Added bipod deployment and retraction sounds.
Added bayonet and gunto animation.
Reworked Pattern 1914 Enfield animation.
Reworked FG42 animations, including new bipod animations.
Added new Mongolian and Manchurian voice.
Added Firing audio for DT and Type 13 Liao.
Remade Bullet Passby and Medium Caliber Cracks.
Remade Generic Terrain and Water Footstep sounds.
Remade Tank turret audio.
Environment & Maps
Added a new Meadow grass set for the Map Editor, featuring 12 grass types and 4 wildflowers.
Added five new Beech tree variants.
Added new anti-aircraft cover props.
Tunnel holes are no longer visible from far away before the tunnel entrance loads (avoid seeing trough terrain)
Adjusted the colors of Maple and Ash trees.
Added new broken tree stumps and additional tree stump props.
Added 21 new trench pieces.
Added several yurt variants.
Added GrassSummer variants.
Reworked NormandyFarm4 building.
Reworked NormandyFarm5 building.
Reworked the textures of sandbags.
Reworked several buildings on Normandy farm maps.
Editor
Added official soldier scale references to the props section for map makers.
New rectangular-shaped objectives.
Added keyboard input for slider values in the Mission Editor.
Added an option to prevent specific Map Editor objects from being destructible.
Added the ability to reorder objective letters (e.g., changing which objective is A or B).
Items from DLCs the player does not own are skipped, with a message displayed in the F3 console.
Modding / SDK
New MeleeWeapon class for swords and katanas, held like knives, with custom first and third person animation sets for future usage when animations will be created (also for bayonets).
Added support for modded uniforms to respect the "Force Hide Hands" setting when sleeves are rolled down and a short-sleeved variant exists.
Lua Script
New & updated Lua scripting API
vehicle:moveTo(position, radius) — Orders a vehicle's AI crew to move to a position.
vehicle:holdPosition(radius) — Orders a vehicle's AI crew to hold a position, allowing it to act as a sentry or patrol an area. Gunners continue engaging enemies from that position.
squad:followLeader() — Releases the crew from its assigned vehicle position orders.
soldier:addItemToInventory(itemID) — Adds weapons, magazines, bandages, helmets, or other items to a soldier's inventory.
er2.spawnItem(itemID, position, rotation) — Spawns a physical item in the world that can be picked up. The item is synchronized online and can only be spawned by the master client.
er2.bindKey(key, callbackId) and er2.bindKeyUp(key, callbackId) — Execute callbacks registered with er2.setCallback when a key is pressed or released.
er2.unbindKey(key) — Removes a keyboard binding. These bindings are local only and are ignored while a menu or the chat is open.
Lua scripts on placed props: any prop placed in the mission editor can now carry Lua code (new Lua script button in the prop panel). It runs once at battle start with myself set to the prop.
Lua seasons: er2.setSeason("summer" | "autumn" | "winter" | "auto") changes the vegetation on the fly
Full scripting documentation: https://easyred2.com/wiki/scripting.php
Vehicle & Infantry AI
AI soldiers now draw their bayonets when encountering an enemy while their guns are empty.
Crews ordered to retreat no longer stop to fight on the way + some fixes over mechanics behavior.
Added vehicle AI movement and position-holding commands through the Lua scripting API.
UI & Localization
Improved localizations.
Added further localization updates.
Missions & Squad Loadouts & Stability
Added several new squads (United States faction)
Japanese tank crews now carry the Type 26 revolver instead of the Nambu
Japanese officers carry the Type 95 Shin Gunto.
German pistol loadouts get one more P38 mag.
Dadao added to Chinese loadouts
Improved various maps and missions.
Increased the appearance of the Citroën U23 and Fiat 626 in various missions.
UI
Fixed several minor UI issues.
Gameplay & Settings
Made bipod deployment slightly easier.
Improved mortars.
Improved gamepad vibration to better match each weapon's rate of fire.
Improved the gamepad gyro system.
Improved bipod placement.
Improved the bipod system when firing from the prone position on very steep terrain.
Improved the close-up blur effect when aiming through gun sights.
Fixed various bipod system issues.
Vehicles
Fixed British and Soviet vehicle camouflage patterns.
Fixed Spitfire Mk.IXe wing texture.
Uniform & Gear
Fixed USN sailor uniform clipping in first person.
Fixed Soviet officer uniforms incorrectly displaying shoulder boards.
Fixed Soviet M35 tunic textures.
Better face proportions on the rigged characters to better prevent clippings with hats.
Applied minor fixes to US paratrooper uniforms.
Animation & Sound
Fixes with Bipod system
Fixed various third-person animation issues.
Fixed FG 42/I stripper clip reload (ammo count, clip visibility).
FG 42/II no longer accepts stripper clip reloads.
SVT-40: reworked first person animations with the same timings, better idle and scope positions, fixed bullet visibility while reloading.
M1903 Springfield: improved animations, idle moved further from the camera, UNERTL bolt cycle fixed.
Improved animations of Mannlicher 31M
Improved idle of FEG 37M.
Remade Grenade Impact Sounds to be more noticeable
Loudened Mannlicher Straight Pull Action Ping Sunds
Environment & Maps
Furniture props placed in missions (tables, chairs, couches, beds, shelves, desks, barrels, lamps, radiators, fireplaces…) are now destructible.
Fixed collision issues with trench pieces.
Editor & Modding
Fixed the vehicle:addNewItemToCargo function.
Items now have the correct types.
Cargo contents are synchronized online.
Items from owned DLCs are now accepted.
Improved the stability and performance of the Lua system.
Fixed various Lua scripting issues.
Vehicle & Infantry AI
Improved vehicle AI control through the updated Lua scripting API.
Improved infantry behavior when engaging enemies with empty guns by using bayonets.
UI & Localization
Applied additional localization fixes and updates.
Missions & Stability
Kwajalein and Roi-Namur map fixes.
Changes in Kwajalein and Pacific US anti-tank fireteams.
Improvements in various maps and missions.
Fixed various mission-related issues.
Applied additional fixes based on reports from the community feedback channel.
Iwo Jima trades the wide open steppes of tank warfare for the savage close quarters infantry fighting amongst the jagged volcanic rocks and black sand.
While still a work in progress, Easy Red 2 seeks to represent the island at a scale never before seen by a video game studio.
Currently including many iconic locations (many of which are known only to Iwo Jima historians); Hills 362A, B and C, Charlie Dog Ridge, The Bloody Gorge, Cushmans' Pocket, and Hill 165 just to name a few.
The looming feature of Mount Suribachi has not been forgotten! And thanks to new assets and AI systems, the mountain will feature a complete tunnel system with access from sea level to the summit!
Most of Iwo Jima is crisscrossed by tunnels, so there is much to explore beyond just fighting!
Will you discover General Kuribayashi Headquarters?
Iwo Jima is currently scheduled for release in December 2026. More details will be revealed in upcoming Frontline Dispatches, so stay tuned!
The Normandy Rework is still actively in development, but it won't be arriving this year.
More details will be shared at a later date, so stay tuned!
We are honored to announce our collaboration with Tripwire Interactive to bring you a special bundle featuring Easy Red 2 and Rising Storm 2: Vietnam!
Two distinct World War II and Vietnam War experiences come together in one bundle, offering players the opportunity to explore two different eras of large-scale infantry warfare.
Whether you're fighting across the battlefields of World War II in Easy Red 2 or experiencing the intense jungle warfare of Vietnam in Rising Storm 2: Vietnam, this bundle brings together two titles dedicated to delivering immersive and authentic military combat experiences.
We're grateful to Tripwire Interactive for making this collaboration possible, and we hope players will enjoy discovering both games through this special offer.
Easy Red 2 base game is currently available at a limited-time 35% discount, while all other DLCs are discounted by 20%.
The discount runs until November 15.
As a reminder, Easy Red 2: Blood on the Danube is currently 20% off until November 15.
This is a good opportunity to join the battles for Budapest and the final major operations fought in Hungary during the closing months of the war.
You can also join the Easy Red 2 community to share feedback, report issues, publish your creations, participate in ongoing tests, and follow future development updates:
Join Easy Red 2 Discord Community
Visit the Easy Red 2 Steam Workshop
Thank you for reading, and we will see you on the battlefield!
Marco and the Easy Red 2 Development Team
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