- Assassin's Mace | Dev Diary and Release date - 7 September 2026
Hi everyone! We’ve been continuing to work on ICBM: Escalation and now that the major AI update is out, we’ve been making small fixes and improvements where we can, but our attention has been mainly focused on our new upcoming DLC. As you may have been able to guess, from subtle hints like the new loading screen and Steam trading card featuring the DF-41 mobile ICBM, or less subtle hints, like that time we openly said it in the last DLC dev diary and then publicly announced it later, our newest DLC is focused on what I think many people would agree is the most obvious contender. With a substantial nuclear arsenal, a huge roster of unique indigenous units, a massive army and considerable geopolitical sway, our next DLC is about China! Like our last two DLCs, this one will feature new Chinese unit cosmetics as well as an 11-mission campaign spanning from shortly after the end of WWII and…
- [EDIT] Update 1.1.4 – Improvements, AI Freeze Fix and Clarification on DRM - 7 August 2026
EDITWe've released a hotfix (1.1.4b):Fixed incorrect video memory detection on startup -------------------------------------------- Update 1.1.4 is now available for ICBM: Escalation.Alongside the latest gameplay improvements and fixes included in today's patch, we'd like to address an issue that has recently generated a lot of discussion within the community. Some players reported freezes that were initially believed to be related to the game's DRM implementation. After an extensive investigation, we can now confirm that this was not the case.Before diving into the details, you can find the full 1.1.4 Patch Notes below.1.1.4:Fixed the problem with war planner targeting dead citiesAircraft no more can enter other faction's airspace during ceasefireFixed some performance issuesfixed a potential crash in war plannerFixed the performance drop associated with torpedoes going ashoreChanged t…
- ICBM: Escalation - Assassin's Mace | DLC Revealed - 22 July 2026
We’re excited to reveal Assassin's Mace, the next DLC for ICBM: Escalation.Assassin's Mace follows the rise of the People's Republic of China from the aftermath of World War II to its emergence as a global superpower. Lead China through decades of conflict, unifying the nation after the Chinese Civil War, leverage asymmetrical tactics, clever countermeasures and massive reserves of manpower to disarm and overwhelm technologically superior opponents, and transform from an underdog peasant nation into a global superpower.The DLC is now entering beta, and we’re inviting you to sign up and help us test before release. Your feedback will be essential in shaping the final version.Sign up for the beta and learn more on the official product page.Assassin's Mace - BetaLast but not least, we've released a selection of ICBM-themed Steam Community items. You can now collect trading cards, badges, p…
- Update 1.1.3 — New Beta — AI Rework Next Steps - 4 June 2026
Hi everyone, a new update for ICBM: Escalation is out now. It focuses on AI behavior, QoL improvements, fixes and more.1.1.3: Fixed the extreme performance drop caused by helicopters hanging on top of the army baseFixed the AI factions issuing the same Unban Geneva requests concurrentlyFixed the problem with the AI factions suddenly releasing helicopters they don't really have from Army BasesFixed naval monitoring station not auto-engaging against submarines with their naval helicoptersAdded a timeout before the AI players can unban tech/weaponDepth Charges and ASROC now check the fire trajectory the same way as torpedoes, to avoid firing through land massesFixed the midcourse ABMs ranges not showing on radar mapAdditionally, we are opening the beta sign-ups to test never-before-seen content. Be among the first to join and help test and refine what's coming. Last but not least, thank yo…
- AI Rework Release + S.N.A.R.E. Campaign free content - 11 May 2026
AI ReworkThe team fully reworked the game’s AI. This is a fundamental overhaul, heavily driven by community feedback and incorporating many player-suggested tactics and improvements.The new AI is more strategic, adaptive, and less predictable in its behavior. Depending on the selected difficulty, it creates constant pressure and makes the world feel truly “alive”, with territories frequently changing hands through ongoing regional conflicts.It now handles diplomacy, conventional warfare, and nuclear escalation in a far more balanced and coherent way. Conflicts can evolve naturally over time - from early conventional engagements, through limited nuclear use, and ultimately into high-stakes, full-scale nuclear endgame scenarios.In addition to these gameplay improvements, the update also delivers significant performance optimizations, resulting in a smoother and more consistent overall exp…
- AI Rework - Beta Progress and Update #5 - 15 April 2026
Hello everyone, here’s the next iteration of the Beta AI. This update focuses primarily on fine-tuning existing systems rather than introducing entirely new mechanics.Nuclear Escalation BalancingOne of the biggest challenges for the new AI - still not fully solved - is determining when to escalate a conventional conflict into full-scale nuclear war.In the early technological eras, this decision is relatively straightforward. Factions rely mostly on conventional forces, nuclear production is limited, and delivery systems are inefficient. As a result, nuclear weapons tend to be used in a tactical role, such as eliminating hardened targets.As the game progresses and tactical nuclear weapons become more advanced - particularly nuclear MRBMs - the situation becomes more complex. Factions begin to build up their arsenals, and conflicts can quickly escalate into regional nuclear exchanges that…
- AI Rework - Beta Progress and Update #4 - 26 March 2026
The open beta is now approaching the point where the majority of the planned features have been implemented and are ready for testing.Beta 5 introduces several important improvements to the AI.Smarter Defensive PlanningFirst, the AI is now more deliberate in how it builds and deploys its defenses - both anti-air and anti-missile systems. It attempts to produce and position these assets more strategically, while also supporting them through appropriate research and auxiliary units such as over-the-horizon radars and satellites.This becomes especially important in the late game, when players begin to deploy nuclear arsenals and more advanced delivery systems.Alternative Naval-Focused AI StrategyThe second major addition in Beta 5 is a new alternative AI strategy. While the original strategy focused primarily on land-based ICBMs, the new one emphasizes naval forces and SSBNs. This signific…
- AI Rework - Beta Progress and Update #3 - 12 March 2026
What’s New in Beta 4Hi everyone,We’re releasing a new Beta, and this update focuses mainly on bug fixes and expanding the nuclear component of the game.The general idea behind the Conquest game mode is that conflicts should evolve over time. Wars begin as smaller regional struggles focused on land grabbing, but gradually escalate as factions deploy increasingly powerful weapons. Early on, conflicts rely on conventional forces. As tensions rise, chemical weapons may begin to appear, followed by tactical nuclear weapons, and eventually strategic nuclear strikes.During the early conventional phase, conflicts can last for quite some time, with factions gradually reinforcing the frontlines and maneuvering for advantage. However, the late stages are meant to become far more brutal. At that point, a rapid exchange of nuclear strikes can quickly decide the outcome, potentially leaving one side…
- AI Rework - Beta Progress and Update #2 - 27 February 2026
What’s New in Beta 3Beta 3 is finally ready. This update primarily focuses on optimization and general improvements based on your feedback.Originally, the plan was to emphasize the “nuclear” aspect of the game more heavily. However, smoothing out the game “stuttering” caused by the significantly increased CPU demands of the updated AI required far more effort than anticipated. While working on the planned optimization steps - and thanks to the save files many of you sent - I discovered additional opportunities to further improve performance, especially in the late game. As a result, I decided to prioritize performance improvements for this update.I genuinely hope you’ll feel the difference.That said, because the changes to the underlying execution engine are substantial, there is unfortunately a higher risk of occasional crashes. If you encounter one, please follow these steps:Go to Doc…
- AI Rework - Beta Progress and Update - 9 February 2026
Big thank you to everyone who participated in Beta 1, and especially to those who sent in saved games to illustrate different issues. Saved games are extremely important for us - they’re often the only way to truly see and understand what’s going on. Screenshots or videos usually give very little insight into the actual cause of a problem, which makes them much less helpful.Reminder: the best way to send a saved gameZoom in so the “problem” is centered on your screen. This makes it much easier for us to spot later.Press Esc → Save, and create a new save with a sensible name. Please don’t overwrite an existing save.Go to Documents → My Games → ICBM-Escalation → SAVES.Find the save folder with the highest number in its name (e.g. SAVE12, SAVE43, etc.).Compress this folder into an archive (zip, rar - anything works).Post the archive along with a description of the problem on the game’s Dis…
- AI Rework - Open Beta + Dev Diary #5 - 29 January 2026
The AI Rework is getting closer to release and is finally ready for an extensive multi-week testing phase.If you’d like to help us test and refine the AI ahead of the final release, please follow these steps: Here are the standard steps to join a beta branch on Steam:Open Steam and go to your Library.Find ICBM: Escalation and right-click it.Select Properties from the context menu.In the Properties window, open the Game Versions & Betas tab.Under “Selected Game Version”, you will see a list of available versions.Select the Open Beta AI rework.Close the Properties window.Steam will automatically download the selected version. To leave the beta, repeat the steps and select “Default Public Version”. (PLEASE NOTE: If you can't see the AI Rework branch, close and re-start Steam)Previous DiariesWhen we reviewed the AI in ICBM: Escalation, it became clear that the issue wasn’t balance or tuning…
- AI Rework - Dev Diary #4 - 13 January 2026
AI SteamrollingAs discussed in the previous diary, the original AI did not actively prioritize territorial expansion. As a result, it was often perceived as passive. For human players, opportunities to invade undefended or weakly defended regions are usually obvious, and experienced players tend to “steamroll” opponents rapidly capturing territory with little to no resistance. For the AI, however, this is a far more complex problem. It must first determine what actually qualifies as a weakly defended region and decide where to strike. From there, it needs to plan the logistics: assembling invasion forces, positioning supporting units, and executing the attack. During the invasion, it must respond to resistance and recognize when to withdraw if the operation fails. Over-the-ocean invasions add another layer of difficulty, especially when capturing isolated territories without access to a…
- United States of Annihilation - Out Now + 1.1.1 Update and 25th Anniversary - 27 November 2025
United States of Annihilation is officially out now for $6.99. Step into a bold alternate history where the United States pursues global dominance from 1949 to 2042, navigating international crises, covert operations, and nuclear escalation across 11 new missions. This DLC also features all-new U.S. unit cosmetics, giving American forces a visual identity tailored to this unique timeline. Launching alongside the DLC is the massive Update 1.1.1, bringing major improvements, refinements, fixes, and enhancements across the entire game. CHANGELOG 1.1.1Fixed a crash when loading points distribution file from uncompatible modNow not dropping the lasting effect if the damage is 0 and only target's missiles are affectedNow auto-formatting the mission description text to fit into the description windowFixed the Execute For not saving correctlyFixed the problem with unit unique names being lost o…
- AI Rework - Dev Diary #3 - 13 November 2025
Smarter Wars – Rebuilding the AI for Conventional ConflictOne of the biggest changes in the new AI is how it handles the distribution of its assets.As I’ve mentioned before, the original AI was designed primarily for all-out nuclear war. It focused heavily on the positioning of strategic assets, while “conventional” elements (such as army bases, divisions, and SRBM launchers) were treated as secondary.While the old AI could technically plan an invasion or allocate forces to defend its territory when invaded, it suffered from several serious limitations.Limitations of the Original AIOne-Front Thinking The old AI could only manage one invasion or defense operation at a time. It wasn’t built to handle a two-front war. Its choice of invasion targets was mostly opportunistic — it often picked a more valuable but well-defended region, ignoring nearby undefended ones.Reactive Defense The AI la…
- Price adjustment for Poland - 6 November 2025
Hi everyone, We’ve got a small but meaningful update to share, we’ve just introduced a custom price for Poland. We know how important fair regional pricing is for our community, so starting today, ICBM: Escalation will be available at a new price of 89.98zl on Steam. Our goal is to make sure players in Poland can enjoy the game at a price that feels right for the local market.We really appreciate all the support from our Polish players, your enthusiasm, feedback, and passion mean the world to us. If you already own the game, nothing changes for you, but if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to jump in, this might be the perfect time. Thank you again for being part of our community, and see you in the game.
- AI Rework - Dev Diary #2 - 5 November 2025
Let’s dig deeper into the new AI features and examine how the AI handles regions protected by SAMs and ABMs. Remember: the original AI was tuned for all-out nuclear war, where aircraft were treated as expendable — you’d usually fly a one-way mission, drop a 10-megaton bomb, and that was it. In a conventional-war setting, however, the air force is a support arm: aircraft are expected to perform many sorties, delivering AGMs and GBUs against enemy formations. That raises the question: what happens when those units are operating under a SAM umbrella? The new AI factors that in. When the AI loses aircraft to anti-air defenses it logs the area as hazardous — and, if possible, identifies the specific enemy anti-air asset. The AI then suspends further attacks that would intersect those danger zones until the threat is mitigated. To resolve the threat it tries several approaches:Prioritize the…
- AI Rework - Dev Diary #1 - 8 October 2025
Hi everyone!In today’s diary, we’d like to share a closer look at Conquest Mode. What it was originally meant to be, what challenges we’ve seen with the current implementation, and the big changes we’re working on to bring it closer to that vision.The Original VisionConquest Mode was always designed to be the longest form of play. Slower research, slower build times, and a strong emphasis on territory control rather than outright destruction. The idea was to create a more measured, “light grand strategy” experience, where players advance through all the tech epochs in a controlled escalation.But as it stands today, the AI doesn’t really shine in this mode.The Current ProblemsRight now, the AI’s primary goal is simply to win by points. That means:When it feels ready, it will attack almost anyone—just to maximize score.Even when it’s not ready, it will still launch attacks once pollution…
- United States of Annihilation - Dev Diary #1 - 18 September 2025
Hi everyone!If you’ve been following the news on ICBM: Escalation, you’ve probably heard that there’s a second DLC in the works! The new DLC, aptly named ‘The United States of Annihilation’ focuses on the United States. Now, anyone who’s familiar with the original single-player campaign is probably feeling a bit of deja vu. After all, the first 6 words in the campaign synopsis are literally ‘Take control of the United States’ so why is there a second American campaign? Well, the short answer is, because we wanted to make a campaign that plays differently than the others, and this one is gonna feel a LOT different.Here’s a screenshot so you don’t have to check. Six words. The ‘United States of Annihilation’ DLC focuses on the core tenets of what makes the ICBM series what it is: Nuclear weapons, a complete lack of respect for the consequences of using them, and an abhorrent amount of des…
- United States of Annihilation - Announcement + Beta - 2 September 2025
We’re excited to reveal United States of Annihilation, the next DLC for ICBM: Escalation. This new campaign explores an alternate history where the United States rises from WWII determined to impose its will on the entire world.The DLC is now entering beta, and we’re inviting players to sign up and help us test before release. Your feedback will be essential in shaping the final version.Sign up for the beta and learn more on the official product page. BETA
- Update 1.1.0 & 1.1.0a - 21 August 2025
the developers have fixed the issues that occurred with the previous update, so the changelog for version 1.1.0 is now validated. The latest update is version 1.1.0a, and you can find its changelog below: 1.1.0a Fixed the excessive aggressiveness of aircraft units when not in war,Fixed the occational crash with the modded game handling transport queue,Fixed the problem with MP games failing to perform region transfer,Fixed the crash when loading MP autosave,Fixed the Endgame achievement in single player in some cases,Fixed the incorrect result of the REGION_ORIGINAL_OWNER event function ---------------------------------------------- Hi everyone, a new update for ICBM: Escalation has been released. v. 1.1.0Fixed the MP saves not loading when more than 255 units are in reserve,Fixed the problem with loading saves for Mission 6 of DLC,Fixed the exploit with the possibility to rearm your SS…
