Hello commanders! We hope you are well. In today’s DevBlog, we will preview a previously announced (but kept slightly hush-hush) [i]free[/i] mini-expansion coming to [b]Steel Division 2[/b]: the [b]Aces[/b] DLC. Please note that the following is still a work in progress, including the DLC’s name and release date. Today, we’ll look at the upcoming [b]Allied[/b] [b]Aces[/b] first. Let’s go! [b][h2]A batch of old and new[/h2][/b] As we mentioned in our recently [url=]updated roadmap[/url], we are going to release a [i] free-to-all [/i] mini-expansion for [b]Steel Division 2[/b] owners, containing a host of new [b]Aces[/b]. For those who don’t know what [b]Aces[/b] are, they are [b]Steel Division 2[/b] units based on historically noteworthy soldiers, commanders, or airmen. They have a unique golden-rimmed portrait, markings, and personal paint job. Keep in mind that they [i]don’t[/i] offer any gameplay advantage. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/9766ad733bafe50495c48b252451908508eb775f.png[/img] The new [b]Aces[/b] DLC will feature two sets of [b]Aces[/b]: several from our original [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b] who haven’t made their appearance yet in [b]Steel Division2[/b], and number of completely new ones. The total roster is [b]10[/b] [b]Aces[/b] in total! Today, we’ll focus on all the [b]Allied[/b] [b]Aces[/b]. [b][h2]Allied Aces[/h2][/b] Let’s gaze upon the ranks of [b]Allied[/b] [b]Aces[/b] looking for a new [b]Steel Division 2[/b] home. [b]Leo Major[/b] The Allied Canadian [b]3rd Canadian Infantry Division[/b] will feature [b]Leo Major[/b] as a [b]sniper-scout[/b]. This [b]Ace[/b] was originally featured in [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b]. Without a doubt, one of the most badass soldiers of World War II. This one-eyed Quebec pirate/sniper scout was a verifiable one-man army. He set foot on Normandy soil - specifically Juno beach - during D-Day and specialized in reconnaissance, sniping, and lots of bravado, creating a legend from France to the Netherlands. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/722ce91ab6bd48323417d016242fa9a417d4f26d.jpg[/img] Major emerged victorious from pistol shoot-outs, capturing vehicles, secret documents, and over a hundred prisoners in the course of the war. He is also most famously known for charging and single-handedly liberating the Dutch town of Zwolle, forcing out its entire German garrison. [b]Pierre Clostermann[/b] The Allied French [b]2e Division Blindée[/b] will feature the pilot [b]Pierre Clostermann[/b] in a [b]Spitfire Mk. IX [/b]. This [b]Ace[/b] was originally featured in [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b]. With 33 confirmed aerial victories, [b]Pierre Clostermann[/b] is France's number one fighter ace. Studying in the United States when the war broke out, he enlisted in the Free French Air Force, flying a multitude of missions. After D-Day, he was one of the first Free French pilots to land in Normandy. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/e6e38c7c9dc2efdce864c9919287e4fbf1cd512a.jpg[/img] He served both in the “Alsace” squadron and RAF’s 602 Squadron, participating in everything from fighter sweeps, shooting down V1 flying bombs, to battling Me 262 jet fighters later in the war. Clostermann’s post-war memoirs, [i]The Big Circus[/i], is a must-read for any World War II air combat buff. [b]Major John Howard[/b] The [b]6th Airborne Division[/b] will feature [b]Major John Howard[/b] as a British [b]AB Leader[/b] unit. This [b]Ace[/b] was originally featured in [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b]. Made especially famous after the war, [b]Major John Howard[/b] might be best remembered by the phrase [i]”Hold until relieved…”[/i]. A starring role in the epic [i]The Longest Day[/i], our British paratrooper officer was the commander of the first combat group to land in Normandy on D-Day. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/62b48cda4889fbb4bf62f04cdb58ec26b8825a0c.png[/img] His mission was to secure and hold the “Pegasus Bridge” over the Caen Canal intact until Allied troops would join up from Sword Beach. Major Howard and his soldiers accomplished the mission with flying colors despite heavy German counterattacks. [b]Lafayette Green “Wardaddy” Pool[/b] The Allied [b]U.S. 3rd Armored Division[/b] will feature tank commander [b]Lafayette Green “Wardaddy” Pool[/b] as a [b]CMD M4A1[/b] unit. This [b]Ace[/b] was originally featured in [b]Steel Division: Normandy ‘44[/b]. The inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in the movie [i]Fury[/i], [b]Lafayette Green “Wardaddy” Pool[/b] was a Sherman tank commander during the Normandy fighting, ultimately surviving three of his tanks being shot out from under him. All three were named [i]In the mood[/i], with the last kill seriously injuring Pool. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/5120de33c73a400aa93e4f5b4e7bb351057c0207.jpg[/img] With only fighting for four months, from Normandy to Germany, “Wardaddy” was credited with 12 confirmed tank kills and the destruction of 258 other armored vehicles, making him the greatest American tank ace up to this day. [b]Ivan Savel’Evich Kravcov[/b] The Allied [b]7. Eesti[/b] will feature Soviet pilot [b]Ivan Savel’Evich Kravcov[/b]. He will fly in the [b]La-5FN fighter[/b]. This is a brand-new [b]Ace[/b]. A naval aviator and instructor with the Soviet Baltic Fleet, [b]Ivan Savel’Evich Kravcov[/b] fought in all the campaigns on the northern front. He got his first taste of combat during the defense of Leningrad before participating in the Vyborg offensive against Axis Finland in 1944. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/33563925/e2e70f264e3d15f737f39da439ede58457cb9a3c.png[/img] Later he accompanied the Baltic Front’s advance in Estonia. By this time, Kravcov was the regimental commander, having flown on LaGG-3, lend-lease Hurricane, and La-5 fighters. Our [b]Ace[/b] would be credited with 29 individual kills and 4 shared ones by the war's end. [b][h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2][/b] That’s all for this DevBlog. Note that the [b]Eugen[/b] team is partially out of office due to some May bank holidays. This means that next week, there will be no [b]Steel Division 2[/b] DevBlog. However, in two weeks, we’ll return and look at the new [b]Axis[/b] [b]Aces[/b] to be featured with our [b]Aces/[/b] DLC! Don’t forget that the latest [b]Steel Division 2[/b] expansion has just been released. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2873780/Steel_Division_2__Tribute_to_Normandy_44/ Join the [b]Steel Division 2[/b] community on our [url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/919640/eventcomments/]Steam forums[/url]. The latest [b]Steel Division 2[/b] news can also be encountered on our [url=https://www.instagram.com/eugensystems/]Instagram[/url]. Looking for an online game? Visit the [url=https://discord.gg/TEeBArm]Discord server[/url] or [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Steel_Division/]Reddit page[/url] and get involved with the lively [b]Steel Division 2[/b] community! See you on the battlefield, commanders!