Old-school WW2 FPS Battalion 1944 holding a beta next week

Last December, developer Bulkhead Interactive released a behind-the-scenes trailer for Battalion 1944, their openly old-school WW2 shooter. The trailer launched alongside a tease for another trailer released today, announcing Battalion's Steam Early Access release date—Thursday, February 1.

As previously reported, Bulkhead expects Battalion to stay in Early Access for around one year. In a press release, the studio confirmed it will launch with six game modes. The studio previously said Battalion will retail for $15, which is lower than the bottom tier of its Kickstarter campaign (which was fully funded in just three days, by the way). As such, Kickstarter backers will "gain access to unique backers-only skins, multiple cosmetics and vanity-focused loot crates."

A statement on Battalion's Steam page clarifies its stance on Early Access pricing: "Battalion 1944 will retail for a cheaper entry price during Early Access with the intent to raise the price at full release. This is to reward and encourage those who invest in Battalion for the long term during Early Access. All extra DLC content will be free."

Ahead of the Early Access release, Bulkhead will hold a closed beta from Friday, January 19 through Sunday, January 21. Battalion's Kickstarter backers and Humble Bundle supporters are guaranteed access to the beta, and other players can bid for a slot via this site. The beta will feature two maps and game modes: 'domination' mode on the map Manorhouse V1, and 'wartide' mode on the map Liberation.

Austin freelanced for PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree, and has been a full-time writer at PC Gamer's sister publication GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize that his position as a staff writer is just a cover-up for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a focus on news, the occasional feature, and as much Genshin Impact as he can get away with.