Close Combat: The Bloody First is coming out this year

The Close Combat series, first launched in 1996, is getting a new release this year. Close Combat: The Bloody First, which has languished in development limbo since 2014, will be released sometime in 2018, according to the series’ publisher, Slitherine.

Close Combat is a series of World War II-themed real-time strategy games. Designed from a top-down perspective, players take the role of a unit commander, issuing orders to soldiers in the field. Morale is a significant factor in every engagement, as are the principles of command and control. Push too far, too fast, and your units will lose contact with their leaders and, likely, the will to fight. The series predates the WWII bubble of the early 2000s, that included shooters like Medal of Honor (1999) and Call of Duty (2003). It’s closest contemporary is the Combat Mission series.

Close Combat: The Bloody First was originally slated for release in 2014, but the team went silent last year. Moderators announced on the game’s official forums just a few days ago that they would have a “‘proper’ update [...] soon.” Polygon has reached out to the publisher for more information about when to expect the game.

The news comes via GoG.com, which has put five classic titles in the series up for sale. Each game is compatible with modern PCs. The sale includes the following titles:

• Close Combat 2: A Bridge too Far (1997) for $5.99, discounted an additional 10 percent.
• Close Combat 3: The Russian Front (1999) for $5.99, discounted an additional 10 percent.
• Close Combat 4: Battle of the Bulge (1999) for $5.99, discounted an additional 10 percent.
• Close Combat: Panthers in the Fog (2012) for $13.99.
• Close Combat: Gateway to Caen (2014) for $13.99.