Combat Mission Cold War

Combat Mission Cold War

Released Nov 2021

CM Cold War is set in the tipping-point years of a conflict that gripped the world for 45 years. Between 1979-1982, both the NATO and Soviet Warsaw Pact militaries began the shift away from industrialized warfare of the early 20th century and towards the modern digital battlefield of today. 

60% positive · 240 reviews
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence
Done
All announced content has been released
Medium confidence

Where to buy

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Evaluation

Combat Mission Cold War launched on November 16, 2021 with a full set of scenarios and campaigns. The developer Battlefront was acquired by Matrix Games/Slitherine on August 27, 2024, with all original staff retained and the series explicitly committed to continued distribution and development. The sole DLC — British Army of the Rhine — launched on September 25, 2025, adding new NATO and Warsaw Pact nations, three campaigns, dozens of scenarios, and a new training region. This is the only DLC listed on the store and it has shipped. There are no unreleased DLC entries, no announced future content, and no roadmap pointing to additional expansions. The acquisition announcement in August 2024 spoke broadly about enhancing the series going forward, but that general statement has been plausibly fulfilled by the British Army of the Rhine DLC release a year later. The last developer communication of any kind was the DLC launch post on September 25, 2025. With one major post-launch DLC now shipped and no further content announced, the game's content appears complete as of that release date.
Evidence
British Army of the Rhine DLC launched, adding UK and Canadian NATO forces, Soviet airborne units, three campaigns, dozens of scenarios, and a new Canadian training region
news post · Sep 25, 2025 source content shipped
high
One DLC listed — British Army of the Rhine — marked as released. No unreleased DLC entries exist on the store.
dlc listing · Sep 25, 2025 source content shipped
high

Content

2 of 2 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 Cold War is set in the tipping-point years of a conflict that gripped the world for 45 years. Between 1979-1982, both the NATO and Soviet Warsaw Pact militaries began the shift away from industrialized warfare of the early 20th century and towards the modern digital battlefield of today. Combat Mission Cold War simulates several “what if” conflict scenarios between US and Soviet forces centered on the strategic Fulda Gap and environs in West Germany.   

The game also simulates the early days of the US National Training Center (NTC) as US forces began to rapidly transform away from Vietnam era doctrine and towards the revolutionary AirLand Battle concepts that would define warfare in the modern era.   

Combat Mission Cold War is intended to be a sandbox for experimentation, for example how would a situation unfold when equipped with M-60A3s or M1s in 1982 facing off against T-80s?  How about the same situation with M-60A1s or M-60A2s in 1979 against T-64s or T-62s? The game allows a player to do just that! 

Combat Mission Cold War comes with 15 standalone scenarios set in the US V and VII Corp sectors of West Germany and 3 full length campaigns: 

  • The NTC Campaign. The National Training Center in the California Mojave Desert was established in 1982, right at the end of Combat Mission Cold War’s time frame.  The NTC campaign puts you in command of a US Army Company Team as it begins its rotation and trial by simulated fire against the premier Soviet style formation in the world, the NTC OPFOR (Opposing Force).

  • The US West German Campaign.  Set in the southern Fulda Strategic Corridor between Fulda and Hanau, the US campaign unfolds across historically accurate maps as player take charge of the 2nd Bn TF of the 28th Infantry Regt in a race to stop the Soviet juggernaut. In keeping with the sandbox theme of Combat Mission Cold War, there are two versions of the US Campaign, 1982 and 1979 to allow players the opportunity to see and compare the differences in equipment between the two periods. 

  • The Soviet Campaign.  Set north and east of Fulda, the Soviet Campaign follows the “Ride of the 120th Motor Rifle Regt” on the opening 48 hours of a fictional “what if” West German invasion.  Players will fight on historical battlefields “that never were”, such as Eiterfield and Alsfeld as part of the first wave of Soviet troops racing towards their divisional objectives. 

Features:



  • Take command of either US or Soviet tactical formations, centering on the Company Team or Battalion Task Force between 1979 to 1982. 
  • Tactical formations include highly detailed, historically accurate organizations, equipment and modeling of weapons effects that is second-to-none within the wargaming industry.
  • Full suite of era-accurate tanks and mechanized infantry fighting vehicles, including many not available in any other Combat Mission franchise: (M48, M60 series of tanks, M150 TOW, M1 (105), T64, and T80, etc.
  • Full suite of aircraft effects modeled on legendary platforms such as the iconic US F-4 Phantom and A-7 Corsair.
  • Scenarios range from small platoon-based actions to large Battalion battles. 
  •  The Soviets bring with them their service workhorses, the infamous Mig-23/27, the Su-17, the rare but powerful Su-25 Frogfoot, and the well-known Mi-24 series gunship, including the first “Hind A” version and the famous “Hind D.
  • Combat Mission Cold War also includes new and reoccurring battlefield innovations such as the introduction of Single and Dual-Purpose Improved Cluster Munitions delivered by both air and artillery support. 
  • The early days of electronic warfare is modeled giving players a sense of the impact an encroaching digital age would have on warfare
Last evaluated Jun 23, 2026
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