Combat Mission Black Sea
Released Jan 2021
Combat Mission Black Sea is a military grade simulation depicting a fictional series of escalations between Russian and Ukraine which results in open conflict in the summer of 2017
81% positive · 576 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence
Where to buy
Prices in USD, as listed by each store.
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Evaluation
Combat Mission Black Sea launched on Steam on January 21, 2021, alongside its Battle Pack 1 DLC — both released on the same day. The store description notes the game is "supported for the long haul with patches, upgrades, and expansions," but in practice, no additional expansions or DLC beyond the launch Battle Pack have materialized on Steam. The sole post-launch update of note was a March 3, 2023 patch (v02.18.00) adding PBEM++ multiplayer tournament support and a couple of bug fixes — a feature patch rather than new content.
The most significant development came on August 27, 2024, when Matrix Games (Slitherine) announced the acquisition of Battlefront, the original developer. The acquisition post describes plans to "enhance the series with cutting-edge technology and innovative gameplay," and confirms the entire Battlefront team is joining Slitherine. Games will continue to be available on all current platforms. This is a forward-looking statement about the Combat Mission franchise broadly, not a specific commitment to new content for Black Sea in particular.
There is no unreleased DLC listed on the store, no announced roadmap or named upcoming content for Black Sea specifically, and no post-launch major content releases beyond the Day 1 Battle Pack. The acquisition announcement speaks to the franchise's future generally but does not constitute a concrete content commitment for this title. With only one DLC (shipped at launch) and a single minor feature patch in over five years, the game launched as a complete product and has not established a post-launch content cadence.
Evidence
Combat Mission Black Sea launched on Steam with four campaigns, 22 scenarios, and the Battle Pack 1 DLC available simultaneously at launch.
Matrix Games announced the acquisition of Battlefront, with the full team joining Slitherine. The post expresses intent to enhance the Combat Mission franchise going forward, but makes no specific content commitments for Black Sea.
Content
1 of 1 released · no outstanding content
Media
Details
Developer
Publisher
Matrix Games
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Unsupported
Players
Single-player · Multiplayer · PvP · Local/Split Screen
About this game
Combat Mission Black Sea is a military grade simulation depicting a fictional series of escalations between Russian and Ukraine which results in open conflict in the summer of 2017. As Russian forces move into Ukrainian territory the Ukrainians do their best to defend their country against a numerically and technologically superior adversary. Events surrounding the invasion cause NATO to send its advanced rapid deployment forces to check the Russian advance. A brutal scenario, for sure, but one which allows you to get a glimpse of what full spectrum contemporary near-peer tactical warfare is all about.
HIGHLIGHTS
At your command are detailed, highly researched American, Ukrainian, and Russian units from common brigade types such as Mech Infantry, Motor Rifle, Stryker, Armored, and more. All the capabilities one expects on the modern battlefield are included, such as Active Protection Systems (APS) swatting incoming threats, UAVs hovering around the battlefield transmitting valuable intel, and precision guided artillery munitions that find their mark in one shot. Well, as long as the enemy's electronic warfare attempts fail, otherwise you might find your finely tuned fighting machine isn't so finely tuned after all. Take all of this for a spin with four high-stakes campaigns, 22 standalone scenarios, and a plethora of Quick Battle maps to test your tactical acumen.
FEATURES
- Tactical warfare at battalion and below scale in a true 3D environment
- Command individual vehicles, teams, and squads
- Expansive simulation of "soft factors" such as Morale, Experience, and Leadership
- Innovative systems portraying Fog of War, Spotting, Line of Sight, Command & Control, and Objectives
- Unmatched realistic physics, ballistics, and battlefield effects
- Fight in a wide range of weather and lighting conditions, all of which realistically impact fighting abilities
- Unique hybrid system for RealTime or WeGo (turn based) play
- Full featured Editor for maps, scenarios, and campaigns
- Quick Battle system sets up deliberate or randomized battles based on player specifications
- Single player and head to head play, including Play By Email (PBEM)
- Supported for the long haul with patches, upgrades, and expansions
HIGHLIGHTS
At your command are detailed, highly researched American, Ukrainian, and Russian units from common brigade types such as Mech Infantry, Motor Rifle, Stryker, Armored, and more. All the capabilities one expects on the modern battlefield are included, such as Active Protection Systems (APS) swatting incoming threats, UAVs hovering around the battlefield transmitting valuable intel, and precision guided artillery munitions that find their mark in one shot. Well, as long as the enemy's electronic warfare attempts fail, otherwise you might find your finely tuned fighting machine isn't so finely tuned after all. Take all of this for a spin with four high-stakes campaigns, 22 standalone scenarios, and a plethora of Quick Battle maps to test your tactical acumen.
FEATURES
- Tactical warfare at battalion and below scale in a true 3D environment
- Command individual vehicles, teams, and squads
- Expansive simulation of "soft factors" such as Morale, Experience, and Leadership
- Innovative systems portraying Fog of War, Spotting, Line of Sight, Command & Control, and Objectives
- Unmatched realistic physics, ballistics, and battlefield effects
- Fight in a wide range of weather and lighting conditions, all of which realistically impact fighting abilities
- Unique hybrid system for RealTime or WeGo (turn based) play
- Full featured Editor for maps, scenarios, and campaigns
- Quick Battle system sets up deliberate or randomized battles based on player specifications
- Single player and head to head play, including Play By Email (PBEM)
- Supported for the long haul with patches, upgrades, and expansions
Are these done yet?
Last evaluated Jun 23, 2026
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