Arma 3 slims down for free Lite version of the alpha

Being an alpha release hasn't stopped Arma 3 from scouting out the top end of the Steam sales chart. It's probably because of the hyper-realistic military simulation scenarios that the game offers. But if tactically significant turtles aren't enough to persuade you to part money at this early stage of development, Bohemia have released a free Lite version. It does, however, come with some caveats.

With the Lite version you're only getting a small taste of the full alpha package. Specifically, multiplayer and modding support have been stripped out. What's left are the singleplayer showcase missions - giving you a chance to play with the game's infantry and vehicles. And go scuba diving.

For everything else, you'll need to upgrade, which will also provide access to the eventual beta and full release.

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.