Here’s one of those announcements that makes an entire event feel worthwhile, at least for me. In fact, among all the Gamescom 2025 big Triple-A reveals that don’t really fit with TBL’s focus, this morning brought something special: MENACE, the new title from Overhype Studios, the creators of Battle Brothers, will have a demo launching this September.
Alongside the demo news, there was also an update on the game’s early access release date. Originally slated for Q3 2025, it now looks very likely that the launch will be delayed.
In any case, in this article, I’ll not only share the demo release window, which will arrive in late September, but also highlight the latest three devlogs, which detail fresh updates on gameplay and missions.
- How the Strategy Layer works.
- New details about the combat system.
- Information on weapons and their associated skills.
- Squad Leaders, Stats, Supplies, and Equipment.
- Suppression And Ship Improvements.
- How Perks And Promotions Work.
- The Pirate Faction.
- Action Points, Missions, Morale, Weather System, and more.
- Special faction, Tactical deployment, Concealment, missions
- Major Tactical Upgrades, Vehicles, Squads, and More
Rogue Army’s Assault Gun
In #29 diary devlog, the focus falls on the Rogue Army’s Assault Gun, a behemoth with 400 hitpoints, 600 armor durability, and armor thick enough to shrug off most infantry fire.
With 180 armor at the front, 140 at the sides, and 100 at the rear, standard rifles and SMGs, usually hitting for around five damage, are practically useless. Players must bring dedicated anti-tank gear at the cost of general firepower.
The pirate Laser Lance can punch straight through even the front armor for heavy damage, but its narrow utility makes it a specialist’s tool. Flanking with RPGs or rocket launchers to strike at weaker rear armor is a more flexible choice, with the RPG capable of two shots per turn and enough punch to trigger crippling defects at half health.
Slow turning speeds and poor vision make tanks vulnerable to positioning plays, while close-range attacks with anti-tank, incendiary, or thermite grenades can work if squads survive the approach.
Remote explosives and mines offer high-reward ambush options, and high-tech tools like EMP weapons or hacking through an Operational Capability Improvement system can disable vehicles for a turn.
Tanks themselves can mount countermeasures like reactive armor, smoke launchers, and ceramic plating, often relying on escorting infantry to protect their flanks and suppress anti-tank threats.
Strategic Assets
The #30 diary moves up to the operational level, detailing how Strategic Assets and Enemy Assets affect MENACE’s branching Operations.
These mini-campaigns run three to five missions, with damage carrying over and mission choices shaping the path to a final battle. Strategic Assets are mission outcomes that grant advantages for the rest of the operation, or permanently in some cases, ranging from rescued local squads joining your army to ambushes that cut enemy supply, hunters assisting in alien hunts, or captured pirate weaponry.
They vary by mission type, can differ even when replaying the same mission, and often force players to choose between short-term boosts or long-term rewards. Enemy factions can secure their own version of these perks if the player skips a mission tied to them. Known as Enemy Assets, these can grant bonuses like improved armored durability or better morale recovery, raising the challenge in later battles.
In longer operations, enemy benefits can stack, making mission selection as critical as the fights themselves.
Infantry Armor
The latest to date #31 diary explains how MENACE’s infantry armor system is structured, modeled after real-life body armor classifications. Armor ranges from Class I to Class VI, with each higher class offering more protection at the cost of mobility and supply costs.
Like real armor, each class is rated by what caliber it can withstand; for example, Class III stops SMG fire at range, while Class IV protects against assault rifles.
Two key design elements expand the system:
- Variants act as sidegrades, adapting armor for specific roles (e.g., assault troops with more pouches, commandos with camouflage).
- Tiers are direct upgrades, modernized versions of existing armor that improve protection and usability for a higher price.
The diary then lists the baseline infantry armors:
- Class I – RMC Fatigues: basic uniform, no protection.
- Class II – Soft Armor: protects mainly from shrapnel, not bullets.
- Class III – SAPP: stops SMG rounds at range; Marine variant MIB offers better design within Class III limits.
- Class IV – Improved SAPP: blocks assault rifles with limited penetration; Marine variant MTAP gives balanced protection and mobility.
- Class V – ESAPP: for assault units, trading speed and awareness for strong defense against rifles.
- Class VI – XSAPP: near-walker-level protection, but heavily restricts movement and vision; Marine variant BAS-H offers maximum defense for boarding commandos at the cost of agility.
That’s everything new I had to share about MENACE. Here’s the game’s Steam page. Make sure to add it to your wishlist. Ciao
