[b]Commanders, it’s been a glorious year for the Resistance.[/b] To cap off our 2024, we’re rounding up some of our Grit and Valor highlights and briefly hinting at what’s to come in 2025. [h2]Unveiling Grit and Valor – 1949[/h2] May 30th 2024, was the day we revealed Grit and Valor to the world. To cast your mind back, here’s a look at that very first reveal trailer. [previewyoutube=QReoFOX8Y2k;full][/previewyoutube] In our [url=https://www.milkytea.com/grit-announce]press release[/url] we described the game as “A dieselpunk real-time tactics roguelite...set in an alternate reality Europe where World War 2 rages on and the Evil Axis controls the continent. As the last hope to end this brutal conflict, players must join the resistance and escort an EMP device into the heart of enemy territory and destroy their mech production and communications headquarters – Machine Tower.” We were massively grateful for the positive reaction this initial announcement received – it spurred us on to get something playable into your hands... [h2]Our First Public Demo[/h2] July was a big one for us. Just over a month after our announcement, we released our first public demo. We were eager to bring you along with us for the journey, and allow you to provide direct feedback to help shape the future of our game. [previewyoutube=ZxVolxS9pGg;full][/previewyoutube] It was also significant for us to see swathes of great influencers and content creators getting to grips with their mech squads. Our teams were thrilled to see people they were already big fans of - such as [url=https://www.twitch.tv/barbarousking]Barbarous King[/url] and [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAVBHNoPahs&t=164s]Splattercatgaming[/url] - experiencing something they’d had a hand in creating! [h2]Taking Grit on the Road[/h2] We’ve also been lucky enough to bring Grit to players, press, and industry heads at a bunch of events throughout the year. In June, shortly after its announcement, Grit and Valor had a presence on the show floor at Guerilla Collective’s ‘The Mix’ event in LA. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45039714/b42f635d864ec1b1f9188e652e8c240d20b2632a.jpg[/img] Later, in August, the Grit Team were in Seattle during PAX West to showcase Grit once more at a great Guerilla Collective event. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45039714/2bcceea026e57bfe7afe01381389b32fcdee0dbd.jpg[/img] Then in late September, Grit had something of a homecoming when we brought it to FORMAT Liverpool – held a stone’s throw from the studio in which it’s being developed. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45039714/44ae0a26ca6f33ea79dea40ad9f0dd267127123f.jpg[/img] We’re eagerly anticipating further events appearances in 2025. [h2]The British Isles Boss Reveal[/h2] Boss Battles were absent from our first demo, and remained a well-kept secret here at Grit and Valor HQ. In November, however, we let the cat out of the bag with our British Isles Boss Reveal. [previewyoutube=5G1qwG7b9tE;full][/previewyoutube] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=estRGnnmBEE]PirateSoftware’s stream[/url] then detailed this entirely new aspect of gameplay. We’re really proud of the way it changes the dynamic of Grit’s strategic play. [h2]Our Closed Beta[/h2] Instead of winding-down for the festive period, we ramped up. In early December we launched a closed beta, giving players access to both the British Isles and Scandinavian campaigns as well as their respective boss levels. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/45039714/5cbd841b3e1c717d97493e027f96b0b1e35a42e4.png[/img] Mid-way through the ‘closed’ beta – we decided to open it up to everyone, allowing you to get hands-on with an improved version of the game that you’ve helped us shape. This made it our largest playtest yet, and we’re grateful to have a treasure trove of fresh feedback to delve into in the new year. [h3]A Special Thanks For Your Support![/h3] To our honourable Commanders, Ahead of 2025, we’d like to take a moment to sincerely thank you all for your contributions to Grit and Valor. Your support - be it providing insightful feedback, sharing our content, or simply interacting with us across socials or in our Discord– has been fundamental in helping us build a head of steam on the track to launch. What’s next, you ask? Well, in case you missed our last update, a second public demo is coming at some point in Q1. And then? Launch! Happy Holidays to you, Commanders. We’ll see you when you report back for duty in 2025. The Grit and Valor Team