Generals,
Greetings from a sun-drenched Stockholm! I’m Batya, the Game Director for Hearts of Iron. As summer settles in, most people—including our development team—are trading strategy maps for well-deserved time off. However, before I head out, I wanted to touch base regarding the Open Beta sessions we’ve hosted over the past few months.
Whether you participated in the Naval balance tests or explored the Anniversary patch, your feedback has been invaluable. Collaborative development is the backbone of our process, and we are committed to strengthening that partnership moving forward.
To that end, I am pleased to introduce our new beta initiative, codenamed ‘Sommarfältprov’. The primary focus here is a comprehensive re-balancing of several core game mechanics. We are taking a hard look at areas that missed the mark in previous updates, specifically Regimental Support, (Sub)Doctrines, and the frequently debated subject of Line Artillery.
Zwirbaum will be spearheading this project throughout the summer and will serve as your main point of contact for updates. I’ll let them take the helm from here.
Enjoy the summer, everyone!
— Batya
Hello! I’m Zwirbaum, a Game Designer for Hearts of Iron. Welcome to our new Open Beta: Summer Edition™. Following the structure of our Spring Naval Balance Beta, I am expanding our scope to address broader game balance issues and lingering pain points within Hearts of Iron IV.
What’s changing regarding the cadence?
During the spring, the weekly update rhythm proved taxing, leaving little room for deeper analysis or community discourse. Consequently, there is no strictly scheduled update cadence for this Beta. Expect more irregular, concise posts—keeping things light for the summer season—while we focus on experimental changes that require extra time to reach maturity.
What’s staying the same?
As always, there is no guarantee these changes will reach the main game client. Integration depends entirely on the stability of these systems and the feedback you provide. For granular details on specific changes, please refer to the developer commentary sections within the Patch Notes below.
Thanks for your continued support, and I’ll see you on the forums!
— Zwirbaum
How to Join the Open Beta
This beta client is Operation Postern v1.19.2.0.40eb (f387). To join:
- Right-click the game in your Steam library.
- Select Properties.
- Navigate to Betas.
- Select the branch titled open_beta.
If you are already opted into an Open Beta branch, your client will update automatically. Please use the dedicated bug report forums for any issues, ensuring you clearly state your version number so our team can process your feedback efficiently.
Open Beta Summer Edition™ Patch Notes
Gameplay
- Battalion Adjusters now scale based on the actual Equipment and Manpower status of the sub-unit. For example, Super Heavy Artillery utilizing Siege Artillery sub-doctrines will no longer provide army-wide Soft-Attack bonuses through sheer force of will when the necessary equipment is absent.
- Implemented “Essential Equipment” blocks for various units, including Heavy Weapons Companies, Flame Tanks, and various Staff units.
- Adjusted Essential Equipment requirements for Med-Evac and Transport helicopters.
Developer Commentary: This addresses “stat-padding” where players could retain powerful modifiers despite lacking the required equipment or suffering from attrition. Furthermore, tank crews in “ghost” Flame Tanks will no longer confer invincibility bonuses when they aren’t actually equipped for the fight.
Balance
- Admiral Traits & Positioning: The Superior Tactician trait now grants +15% Positioning (down from +25%). Surface Detection and Admiral Maneuver skill impacts on positioning have also been reduced to allow for more natural in-game combat variance. Naval retreat speeds have been increased to help fleets disengage more effectively.
- Division Experience: Combat bonuses from experience have been tuned. Green Divisions now receive a -20% penalty, while Veterans scale up to +60%.
- Air Spirits: Mastery gain factors have been consolidated. We have replaced design cost reductions with dedicated mastery track gains, making these spirits more competitive without trivializing Air XP.
- Naval Bombers: Targeting values for fully screened Capital ships and Carriers have been increased to encourage more spread-out damage across enemy task forces.
- Artillery & Anti-Air: Support Artillery penalties have been adjusted, and Motorized Anti-Air now falls under the unified “Anti-Air Artillery Support & Line” category.
- Special Projects: Facility costs have been adjusted to make early-game entry more accessible for smaller nations, while higher-tier facilities remain a premium investment.
Regimental Support Companies
Regimental Support companies were previously overperforming relative to their economic cost. We have adjusted their organization, strength, and equipment requirements to bring them back into alignment. Armored support companies are now excluded from general “Tank Destroyer” categories to allow for more granular balancing of their specific bonuses.
Line Artillery
To improve the viability of Line Artillery without further bloating combat stats, we have increased their Max Strength and adjusted equipment stats to provide better Breakthrough and Piercing capabilities. This allows infantry divisions to utilize artillery as an offensive tool more effectively.
Land Doctrines
We have performed an extensive pass on Land Doctrine rewards to refine scaling and remove unintended bonuses. Significant adjustments have been made to Mobile Infantry, Defensive Postures, and Assault Infantry trees to ensure that specialized units function as intended within their respective roles.
Developer Commentary: This is a foundational pass. We are prepared to iterate further on these doctrines based on your feedback. Naval and Air Doctrine tweaks are slated for a future update.
As you were!