It’s only been two weeks since the amazing launch of Gallipoli, yet we’re already getting ready for the first big content update: Ali Al Muntar. If you didn’t catch it during the FPS Games Show, have a look at a teaser of what’s to come: The Ali Al Muntar Expansion arrives on Oct
It’s only been two weeks since the amazing launch of Gallipoli, yet we’re already getting ready for the first big content update: Ali Al Muntar.
If you didn’t catch it during the FPS Games Show, have a look at a teaser of what’s to come:
The Ali Al Muntar Expansion arrives on October 1st, bringing along a free new map that features mobile tanks for the first time in the series, 4 free new weapons, and 2 new paid cosmetic DLC!
We’ll do a full deep dive into the map and its history in two weeks, but for now, here are some of the highlights of the map:
Tanks escort the attackers in a cinematic opening of the assault.
The area features hills and farmland growing lots and lots of cacti, one of the main exports of the region.
Rows of cacti break line of sight at ground level, segmenting the farmland and creating corridors.
The final sector is set atop Mound Ali Muntar, crowned by the Ali Al Muntar shrine (or maqām).
The new weapons will be revealed in due time, but maybe you can already guess what’s coming by their silhouettes on the roadmap?
Finally, the two new paid cosmetic DLC featured on the roadmap above are also coming on October 1st. These are:
Khaki Pack, introducing the West Kent subfaction.
Black Watch Pack, introducing the Scottish subfaction.
Both these DLC are part of the Second Expedition, so they’ll automatically be added to your game when they release if you already own the Second Expedition Season Pass.
That’s all we’re revealing for now, but stay tuned for more details to appear throughout September.
Gallipoli Reviews & Coverage
In other news, quite a few critic reviews came in since the launch, including an astounding 9 out of 10 from IGN, DualShockers and CGMagazine! On OpenCritic, Gallipoli is currently sitting at an average critic rating of 84, a number we’re very proud of.
Many content creators also checked out Gallipoli since the launch. Here are a couple of them, be sure to give their videos a watch!
Soldiers, grab your gear and head out to the battlefields of the Ottoman Fronts… Gallipoli is OUT NOW! Get Gallipoli with a launch discount Gallipoli is €29,99 / $29,99 USD / £24,99 / $9,99 MENA and has a 25% launch discount on Steam, Epic Games Store, and PlayStation 5, or 20% o
Soldiers, grab your gear and head out to the battlefields of the Ottoman Fronts…
Gallipoli is €29,99 / $29,99 USD / £24,99 / $9,99 MENA and has a 25% launch discount on Steam, Epic Games Store, and PlayStation 5, or 20% on Xbox Series X|S! Get in early and be part of the Expedition that started it all.
The game is accompanied by a selection of cosmetic DLC to expand your wardrobe, each priced at €6,99 / $6,99 USD / £5,99 / $2,49 MENA.
DLC packs for Gallipoli have a different setup compared to Isonzo; individual packs are now smaller, cheaper selections aimed at one subfaction each, but all uniform items included are way more flexible than before! For more information on the new setup, check out this blog.
There are a couple of editions available if you’re looking to pick up multiple DLC packs along with Gallipoli itself, giving you a discount on the total price. Check the overview below!
As always, the DLC packs are purely cosmetic and allow us to keep a sharp price on the base game, as well as continue expanding it with free content updates. Many thanks for your support!
Learn more about Gallipoli
Earlier this week we summarized everything you need to know about Gallipoli, from the historical context to all the maps, factions, weapons, uniforms, and new gameplay features.
Gallipoli only just released, but we’re hitting the ground running! The next free content update is already in its final stages and set to release quite soon: Ali Al Muntar.
Just like with Isonzo it’s our ambition to cover as much of the wider middle eastern and Ottoman fronts as possible. We have an ambitious roadmap planned for the coming years. We have divided this into several “Expeditions”, the first of which goes live at launch. Each Expedition contains multiple free content updates with a map, weapons, and new features.
Each of these has a specific theme. For instance, we look forward to bring you the battle of Chunuk-Bair and the New Zealand involvement in the Third Expedition.
We also look forward to the Caucasus front, and including the significant French Participation in future expeditions.
In these updates and in-between we will also focus on ongoing quality of life features such as engine improvements, bot AI, onboarding, and much more. We are also grateful to incorporate any feedback we receive from the community as we build the Gallipoli campaign and the wider Ottoman fronts together with you.
Interview with Indy Neidell
We invited Indy Neidell to the Gallipoli Press Event at Seddülbahir Fortress on V Beach, and sat down for a talk! Join our conversation about the game, the Ottoman Fronts, and the beautiful location they're at.
It’s a true privilege to be able to work on the ww1 game series for our fourth game already. We want to especially thank the players who been with us since the 2012 early beta days. We’ve spent the past 14 years building the franchise and trying to do justice to World War I.
Gallipoli is an important step for the WW1 Game Series, allowing us to explore a lesser-known front of the war and bring the Gallipoli beach landings to life in multiplayer. We’ve also taken the graphical fidelity and gunplay to the next level, while staying true to what defines our series, with its authenticity and intense close quarters combat dialed up to 11. We can’t wait to see players experience the Gallipoli campaign and the wider Ottoman Fronts together.
Just like with Isonzo we’re looking forward to our extensive roadmap and exploring the Ottoman fronts!
Now, it’s about time you jump into Gallipoli. For King and Country! Zafer Bizim Olacak!
Gallipoli is releasing in just two days, and we’ve revealed quite a bit of the game since the announcement last year. So to get you ready to jump into the game the second it’s out, here’s everything we’ve revealed so far, and a little bit more! Before we start, there's another ep
Gallipoli is releasing in just two days, and we’ve revealed quite a bit of the game since the announcement last year. So to get you ready to jump into the game the second it’s out, here’s everything we’ve revealed so far, and a little bit more!
Before we start, there's another episode of our collab with Jonathan Ferguson and the Royal Armouries! This time, we talk in-depth about the pistols the Ottomans used in WW1!
Keep in mind that everything here is heavily summarized. For more detailed info, check out the linked blogs.
An Authentic WW1 PVP Experience
As you’ve come to expect from the WW1 Game Series, Gallipoli aims to let you experience the battlefields of WW1 in an authentic and grounded way, while not sacrificing the ‘fun’ of a multiplayer FPS game. It’s a Milsim-lite, offering a fast-paced, hardcore one-shot-one-kill experience at a level of accessible realism.
Many new features and changes in Gallipoli make the game much more immersive, elevating the strengths of our game and making you more of an actual soldier, someone who can get exhausted and struggle to keep a steady hand under pressure.
Gallipoli has been developed with assistance from historians and museums to make sure we get the details right, so you can fully immerse yourself in the intense combat of WW1, and the Ottoman Fronts especially.
Gallipoli is named after the infamous beach landings of the Gallipoli campaign, but the game features much more than that. Fight battles across the Ottoman Fronts, from Lower Mesopotamia to the Sinai desert.
One more map of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, which you’ll see when you launch the game!
Every map is closely based on the real-life locations. They are not 1:1 recreations – we’ve taken some creative liberties to make sure the maps are fun and balanced – but they’re designed to reflect the actual locations and the challenges soldiers had to overcome during the battle.
Both Anzac Cove and V Beach allow you to experience the beach landings themselves. British forces start seaborne in boats or the SS River Clyde, and will continue to do so until the beach is secured. And as you might expect, these small boats don’t offer much in terms of cover!
Two main factions are available at release: the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The former is split up into three subfactions to pick from: the British, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, and the Indian forces.
Not every subfaction was historically present in every battle, and you’ll find this reflected in Gallipoli!
Expedition Mode
The game mode of Gallipoli is Expedition Mode, a 25 versus 25 battle of objectives and sectors all about maintaining momentum, based on the expeditionary warfare often seen on the Ottoman Fronts. Objectives are semi-randomized, so you’ll need to adapt on the fly as the battle progresses. But instead of writing it all out, a visual explainer made by Flakfire may be better!
We’ve put in a lot of work in elevating the overall gameplay to the next level.
Gun play
Weapons and weapon handling feel deliberate and realistic, while looking stunning! You have a cumbersome hunk of steel in your hands, and gun play should reflect that. Weapons drag when you turn, your hand wobbles when you try to aim and your arms get tired when aiming for a long time. Reloads are slow and methodical, but are split in many stages (or checkpoints) so you don’t have to repeat the entire process if interrupted.
When bullet fly by or explosions go off in your general vicinity, you’ll be suppressed. This is more than just a visual effect, it also makes you perform worse in combat! Early stages of suppression increase sway and recoil, but continued suppression will build up into a panic. Your hands start shaking and swaying, near misses cause you to flinch, and you may struggle to close the bolt at the end of a reload.
There’s now a bigger difference in damage fall-off between weapon types, and bullet drop is a significant factor at each weapon’s maximum effective range. Hitscan is also gone, there’s now bullet travel time depending on each weapon’s muzzle velocity and ammo type.
Stamina has been expanded! Sprinting, meleeing, jumping and vaulting all tire you out. This causes your aim to sway more and you can’t sprint as fast before.
At maximum stamina, you’ll be able to dash across no man’s land quickly. However, your stamina limit will be lowered if you get wounded in battle, and even more so if you’ve been downed.
You can now also sprint whole crouched or prone. This won’t be as fast normal sprinting, but has the added benefit of keeping a low profile.
If you’ve taken enough damage in a non-vital body part, like a limb, you’ll be downed on the ground instead of killed. In this state, you won’t be able to fight anymore; you can only try to crawl to safety and get your allies to help you back up.
Working with your squad is very important in Gallipoli. Not only do some classes depend on teamwork, the type of squad you’re in also benefits for a specific role on the battlefield, like giving specific classes more slots.
Infantry: all rounders with support options for ammo, suppressive fire and health.
Scouting: squads focused on intel gathering and spotting.
Support: units to support themselves and other squads through ammo and health.
Assault: squads great at destructive charges and capturing objectives, with strong aerial support and mobility.
Machine Gun: sections carrying around a Heavy Machine Gun capable of locking down an approach, with support options for ammo and spotting.
Officers get to call in specialized aerial support depending on the squad type they’re leading. Their selection is tailored to the role of the squad. For example, a Creeping Barrage is a great option for an aggressive push, weakening enemy defenses and leaving behind a blanket of dust in its wake that the attackers can use as cover. Additionally, aerial support can now be called in from anywhere, allowing Officers to play a more active role in battle.
Additionally, each squad gets a Squad Beacon that give you a forward spawn position. The attackers can place these where ever they’d like, and the defenders' beacons are pre-placed at key positions.
Including the different variants of weapons, there are 150 different weapons in your arsenal! There’s a wide selection of truly iconic weapons like the SMLE MK.III, Mauser M1903, Luger P08, and Colt M1911, but also some deeper cuts soldiers obtained through private purchase. Beyond the firearms, you’ll also have a selection of makeshift clubs, bayonets used like sabres, and static weapons like the Toffee Apple mortar.
You’ll see the full arsenal in-game, but here are a few more new previews!
Classes
The amount of classes and their flexibility has been expanded! There will be 10 classes, introducing 4 new classes compared to Isonzo:
Officer - The leader of the squad, capable of providing buffs and calling in aerial support.
Rifleman - A man with a rifle, who focuses on fighting and taking objectives. It’s honest work.
Ammo Bearer (NEW!) - Carrying around extra boxes of ammo, these go around placing ammo boxes or giving ammo to allies directly.
Engineer - Equipped with the tools needed to place extra defensive equipment, or sabotage that of the enemy.
Light Machine Gunner (British Empire Only) - Brings massive firepower while remaining decently mobile
Heavy Machine Gunner (NEW!) - Brings even more massive firepower with static Heavy Machine Gun placements that require time to set up.
Bomber (NEW!) - With a belt full of grenades, they trade firepower for extra explosives and mobility.
Spotter - Equipped with binoculars and flare guns, they provide spotting and intel for their allies.
Sniper - Take out or suppress distant priority targets as the only class equipped with high-magnification scopes.
Stretcher Bearer (NEW!) - The lifeline of the squad, they keep everyone in the fight through healing and faster pick-up times of downed allies.
Additionally, each class has 2 subclasses that specialize even more into a specific role.
Progression for both weapons and classes see some changes.
You’ll now have all weapons available to you at the very beginning, allowing you to experiment and find your favourites straight away. As you use any specific weapon, you’ll grow more accustomed to it! Every weapon gets a selection of perks that improve specific aspects of the weapon, and you unlock those as you gain more experience.
Classes work similar, but a bit different. As you gain more experience with any specific class, you get a perk that scales in strength, making you better at your job over time! In between perk upgrades, you’ll also unlock a cosmetic item or two to flex your expertise.
The cosmetic customization has been expanded, with uniforms split up into multiple slots:
Subfaction (where applicable)
Upper body
Equipment
Lower body
Face/Body type
Headgear
Facial Hair
Facial Accessories
You can now mix and match items in different slots to make your very own uniform!
There are some limitations on who can equip what. Certain gear may be limited to a specific class or subfaction. For example, you can only equip Punjabi turbans as an Indian soldier, and most Officer’s equipment is exclusive to them.
You’re quite up to speed now! There’s still a lot to discover once the game launches in just two days, like a whole bunch of weapons, a new map, more cosmetics, and a lot of small improvements across the board that will elevate the game as a whole. We can’t wait to see you all jump in-game on August 20th, and you’ll likely see many of the dev team around as well. See you then!
Hello everyone! Hosted by the Directorate of Gallipoli Historic Site (Çanakkale Savaşları Gelibolu Tarihi Alan Başkanlığı), we organised a Gallipoli event at Seddülbahir Fortress, the very same fortress that played an important role in the landings at V Beach! Here, press and con
Hello everyone!
Hosted by the Directorate of Gallipoli Historic Site (Çanakkale Savaşları Gelibolu Tarihi Alan Başkanlığı), we organised a Gallipoli event at Seddülbahir Fortress, the very same fortress that played an important role in the landings at V Beach! Here, press and content creators from Türkiye and around the world were able to watch the Gallipoli Launch Trailer and play the game early.
A small delegation of the BlackMill Games team went there and were heartily welcomed by the Directorate. Before the big night, we travelled to the ancient city of Troy, visited Anzac Cove and finally the location of the event, V Beach.
Here, we met up with the fantastic Onur Çobanoğlu, one of the two voice actors who recorded the Turkish voice lines in the game, and did vocals for the Main Theme of Gallipoli as well. We also invited Indy Neidell, known from the The Great War YouTube channel and his current project, The Korean War. Jos and Indy recorded a podcast together on location, which is currently being edited!
The main event started off with a signing ceremony to solidify our official partnership with the Directorate. This was followed by a 1 minute of silence to remember every soldier lost fighting on Gallipoli. Members of the military were present as well for this commemoration.
Content creators from around the world were flown in to Istanbul and driven to V Beach by bus. During the main event, they got to see the Launch Trailer of Gallipoli early, and play the game on PCs prepared at the fortress. This was even streamed to the big screen on stage so everyone could watch along, while enjoying a cocktail and the music of a live classical band.
Turkish press was also at the event, including the newspaper Hürriyet, and CNN TÜRK!
We’re still taken aback by the enormous enthusiasm for the game from everyone. This event, on location, was a great honor to have experienced. An incredibly sincere thank you to the Directorate of Gallipoli Historic Site for hosting this incredible event and all their work that has gone into it. For the location, the decor, the PCs, flying in everyone, and making sure they have a place to sleep and stuff themselves with fantastic food.
The historical sites the Directorate manage make up a large part of the peninsula, making sure the scars and memories of the war are well maintained and protected. There are dozens of monuments, museums, foreign cemeteries, and key locations to visit and learn, as well as some beautiful hiking trails.
You can visit the website for information and an interactive map of all the sites managed by the Directorate!
We are very glad to have this partnership, and are looking forward to working together on future Gallipoli projects! For now, there’s only one week left until the release of Gallipoli and we’re beyond hyped to get the game into your hands.
Hello everyone! Today, our favourite historian Dr Chris Kempshall is back to round up your Gallipoli history course with the other side of the equation: the perspective of the Ottoman Empire during WW1. But first, to get you in the right mood, listen to the Main Theme of Gallipol
Hello everyone!
Today, our favourite historian Dr Chris Kempshall is back to round up your Gallipoli history course with the other side of the equation: the perspective of the Ottoman Empire during WW1. But first, to get you in the right mood, listen to the Main Theme of Gallipoli: Gallipoli Marsi.
With Gallipoli Marsi stuck in your head, let's get to the blog:
In 1915, the Ottoman Empire faced an existential threat to its survival. The allied attack on the Dardanelles Straits and Gallipoli peninsula could, if unchecked, lead to the occupation of the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. In the end, Gallipoli would prove to be a huge triumph for the Ottoman military but would also lay the foundations for its eventual defeat and collapse. It would also play an important role in the creation of a new modern Turkish state.
When the nations of the Entente Alliance and the Central Powers went to war in 1914, the fighting was unlikely to be restrained simply to the Western and Eastern Fronts.
For some countries, such as Italy and the Ottoman Empire, the war represented an opportunity to either claim or solidify their place as one of the European Great Powers. Being on the winning side would provide them with the opportunity for territorial expansion and the weakening of their primary rivals.
Many of the other Great Powers had come to view the Ottoman Empire as the ‘sick man of Europe’ in the years before the war. An old empire, but one that was politically and militarily weak and unstable.
Joining the war and emerging victorious would be a powerful way for the Ottomans to dismiss such accusations. However, when the war came to the lands and territories of the Ottoman Empire it produced one of the greatest threats they had ever faced.
This is the historical and strategic background to the Ottoman Empire’s experience in the Gallipoli campaign.
Historical Context
The Ottoman Empire’s route to joining the Central Powers in 1914 was a complicated one and was heavily influenced by long time rivalries and the treatment of its previous allies.
In regards to territory, the Ottoman Empire covered a huge spread of land from the Caucasus to Mesopotamia and from the Dardanelles to the Sinai Desert. Within this territory there were a mix of valuable resources - like the oil fields of Mesopotamia - as well as a substantial number of different groups, peoples, and tribes.
Such a mix of potential nationalities each with their own interests and desires put a great deal of internal pressure on the Ottoman state. The Ottom,ans were not unique in facing this issue at the beginning of the 20th century. It was a driving force behind Austria-Hungary’s decision to pursue war in 1914 and had been a concern for various nations since at least the mid 1800s.
The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 had been aimed against the restrictive and autocratic rule of Sultan Abdülhamid II and, for a while, it appeared that a more modernised and united Ottoman Empire would emerge. However, it soon became clear that the other Great Powers of Europe did not want a reinvigorated Ottoman Empire to sway the balance of power on the continent.
The closest rival of the Ottomans was the Russian Empire. They had tried repeatedly, particularly during the Crimean War, to expand into territory and areas that were thought to be part of the Ottoman’s ‘sphere of interest’. The Russian desire to access a warm water port for both trade and military influence put them at odds with the Ottomans, especially given that they both shared the Black Sea.
Both Britain and France had fought alongside the Ottomans during the Crimean War to prevent a Russian victory but this was not a sign of any warmth or regard. Right up to the start of the First World War there had been supposedly strong diplomatic ties between London and Constantinople as previous allies but the British did not disguise their disdain for the Ottomans. They believed them to be largely lacking as a military power and this was one of the reasons they had not immediately been keen to formalise a more modern alliance. Many within the British government and military were unconvinced that the Ottomans were an ally worth having or one that could pull their weight in wartime.
Some of this disregard for Ottoman military strength was a result of the defeats they had suffered in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 which had seen the Ottomans lose a great deal of their territory in Europe.
However the territory occupied by the Ottoman Empire - particularly the way access from the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas into the Black Sea had to pass through the Dardanelles and Constantinople - was to have a significant impact on the course of the First World War.
The lack of interest from Britain and France in making a formal alliance with the Ottomans ahead of the outbreak of war was mirrored in Germany. They also had doubts over whether the Ottoman Empire would be able to muster the military strength needed in case of war. However they also feared the consequences of the Ottomans joining the Entente. If that happened - then a supply route through to the Russians would be possible and the Central Powers would face another threat to the south beyond the Balkans.
There were other benefits to bringing the Ottomans onboard. The work on the much-anticipated Berlin-Baghdad railway was still not finished in Mesopotamia by August 1914. But the section of track which linked Berlin and Constantinople was completed and this meant that the Germans could provide military supplies and support directly to this potential ally who could likely be counted on to threaten Russia. Additionally the decision by the British to break a contract with the Ottomans for several dreadnought battleships that were under construction (and keep them for their own use) further pushed leaders in Constantinople towards the Central Powers.
The Ottoman Empire signed a secret treaty with Germany on 2nd August 1914 - the day after Germany had declared war on Russia but before Britain and France had formally entered the conflict. The Ottomans would not make their participation known until late October 1914 when, in a plan formed between the Ottoman War Minister Enver Pasha and the German Admiral Willian Souchen (who had recently delivered a small squadron of naval vessels to the Ottomans), their ships shelled Russian ports in the Black Sea.
The Ottomans were now at war with the Entente. On the surface it appeared much of their efforts and focus would be directed at the Russians, who subsequently invaded Anatolia in November 1914. But the deadlock on the Western Front and the possibility of removing the Ottoman Empire both as a participant in the Central Powers and as an obstacle to supplying the Russians was very tempting for Britain and France at the end of 1914.
The Ottoman Empire at War
Whilst the greatest danger to the Ottomans would come at the Dardanelles in 1915, it was not the only theatre that their forces fought in. The British landed imperial troops in Mesopotamia in November 1914 to capture the oilfields at Basra. From there they began to move along the Tigris River where they captured the town of Kut. The end point of this march was hoped to be the strategically vital city of Baghdad but the British would eventually be stopped at Ctesiphon and then besieged in Kut by Ottoman forces.
However, whilst this attack was eventually halted it did cause concern for the Ottoman leadership. The huge size of their empire meant that forces could not easily be deployed everywhere at once. The hope had been that, in the case of an invasion in Mesopotamia, the local tribes that lived there - although not all were particularly loyal to Constantinople - would see the attackers as outsiders and slow them down until Ottoman soldiers could arrive. But this did not happen. Many of these tribes seemed to view the invaders threating the central Ottoman state as not really being their problem. Russian advances in the Caucasus also threatened the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire. The internal cracks were already beginning to show.
However these threats were nothing in comparison to the realisation that Britain and France aimed to try and force the Dardanelles Straits and capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. Such an attack could potentially bring the entire empire to the point of collapse and not simply knock the Ottomans out of the war but possibly out of existence.
The Ottomans had known for centuries the importance of holding the Dardanelles Straits given they could act as a gateway through the Sea of Marmara right up to Constantinople. The entrance was guarded by ancient castles at Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale and, along the narrow straits themselves, various artillery forts and positions had been prepared in advance. Many of these were placed so that they could shell any passing ships but the enemy weapons could not return fire. To further protect themselves against enemy fleets, the Straits were prepared with underwater mines that could easily sink a much larger vessel.
The British and French attempt to try and force their navies through the Straits on 18th March 1915 was a disaster with a number of ships either sunk or damaged. Whilst the Entente were forced to retreat the potential danger was not lost on the Ottomans. Their enemies had shown the resolve to try and make the naval journey to Constantinople and had only been halted by the defensive forts. If those forts at the Dardanelles were lost then the outcome could be apocalyptic.
Gallipoli and the Ottoman Empire
Whilst Britain and France undertook their planning and preparations for staging landings that would threaten the defences of the Dardanelles, the Ottomans could not be entirely sure where the enemy attack would land. With the two banks of the Dardanelles covering both the European and Asian sides of the Straits, it was feasible that any landings could focus on either, or both, of them.
When the attacks came on 25th April 1915, the weight of them fell upon the Gallipoli Peninsula on the European side. In the early hours of the morning Ottoman sentries spotted the approach of small boats towards the beaches of Gallipoli. As these boats, and the soldiers within them drew closer to the shore, the Ottomans opened fire and began preparations to fall back.
The rifle fire they directed at the boats began to inflict casualties on the approaching attackers and, in a bid to avoid being hit, some jumped overboard and drowned as they were pulled under by their heavy kit. At places like V Beach, where the British used the SS River Clyde as a trojan horse to deliver their troops directly onto the beach, the Ottomans managed to hold the invasion for the entire first day.
Across the peninsula the Ottomans had the advantage of prepared positions designed to help repel an attack. But the scale of the attacks, and the initial loss of the beaches pushed them to breaking point. The Entente armies appeared set on capturing various strategically valuable peaks and high points along the peninsula. If they succeeded before Ottoman reinforcements could arrive then the operation could be a success.
In response the Ottomans dedicated themselves to extreme measures. At Anzac Cove - the site of the landings of Australian and New Zealand soldiers - the primary commander was Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal. Recognising the dire situation before him he issued a now famous order to his solders:
“I don't order you to attack. I order you to die. By the time we are dead, other units and commanders will have come up to take our place.”
The Ottomans resolved to fight to the last man if needed . They launched repeated counter-attacks throughout the 25th April. Whenever the invading forces managed to get a foothold inland of the beaches, they were quickly forced back again. So disruptive were the Ottoman defenders, that by the end of the 25th April, British commanders were giving serious thought to evacuating the peninsula entirely to avoid being pushed back into the sea.
However, despite this, the Entente forces clung on. But they would never make significant headway towards their primary objectives. Whilst multiple attacks were launched against the Ottomans who held the high ground throughout the campaign, the Entente were unable to threaten the forts that guarded the Dardanelles.
In August one of the largest Entente attacks was a combined operation which involved a further landing by British soldiers at Suvla Bay (in an attempt to widen the front) and attacks by New Zealand forces at Chunuk Bair and Australians at the Nek. Again, these attacks provided a real degree of danger to the Ottomans. Mustafa Kemal was saved from serious injury when a piece of shrapnel struck a watch in his pocket. After days of fighting, the Ottomans once again held the Entente at bay.
With the attacks thwarted the Entente began to realise there was little prospect of breaking through and ever threatening the forts of the Dardanelles.
By January of 1916, with the invasion completely stalled and with rumours that the Ottomans would shortly receive heavy artillery from the Germans - guns that could wipe the invasion force off the peninsula - the Entente quietly evacuated their positions in the dead of night on 8th January. The most serious threat to the Ottoman Empire of the entire war had been defeated.
Aftermath and Legacy
In the immediate short term the Ottoman Empire’s prestige within the Central Powers had significantly grown. They had defeated a concerted effort to knock them out of the war, although it had come at the cost of thousands of soldiers wounded, captured, or killed.
The defence of the Dardanelles and the defeat of the Entente powers had also brought Bulgaria into the war as a member of the Central Powers. Their position in the Balkans would help protect the supply pipeline from Berlin to Constantinople.
However, Gallipoli was not the only battlefield that the Ottomans were having to commit their strength to. Fighting had continued in Mesopotamia, the Caucasus, and in Palestine. The effort expended by the Ottomans at Gallipoli had been formidable but it had also weakened the Empire. They continued to lack the industrial infrastructure to maintain participation in a total war. Additionally the internal divisions and competing identities that existed within the Empire were beginning to come apart.
Across the entire war the Ottoman Empire had mobilised in the region of 2,850,000 million people. Their military losses were initially estimated at 325,000 with 85,000 combat related and 240,000 were due to diseases. However the true figures may be much higher with a total military death toll (including diseases) of around 650,000.
Much like Austria-Hungary and Russia - the Ottoman Empire began to unravel in the face of such extreme military pressure and ongoing losses. In 1918, British forces smashed the Ottoman armies at Megiddo. It quickly became clear the extent of the disaster and, with the situation on the Western Front also deteriorating, the Ottomans sued for peace. They signed the Armistice of Mudros on 30th October 1918.
British fleet entering the Dardanelles 12th November 1918. Australian War Memorial
By the 12th November, the British fleet finally, years after their first attempts, passed through the Dardanelles Straits and occupied Constantinople. It was the beginning of the end for the Ottoman Empire. The ensuing Turkish War of Independence saw the emergence of two competing governments. One loyal to the Ottomans and operating out of Constantinople and the other, a Turkish National Movement led by Mustafa Kemal - the hero of Gallipoli - who now went by the name of Ataturk. It was his force that would eventually prevail and lead to the breakup of the Empire.
During the war the British and the French governments had made plans for how to divide up the territory formerly occupied by the Ottomans into their own new holdings. Elements of these plans would now come into being with recognisable nations like Iraq, Syria, and Palestine coming into being - operating in the ‘sphere of influence’ of the triumphant Entente powers.
In 1923, with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the new state of Turkey signed an updated peace agreement - the Treaty of Lausanne - which established and recognised their new borders and returned control of Constantinople to the Turkish people. Many historians have come to view this moment as the true end of the First World War. With the treaty signed the occupying forces returned to their ships and sailed back down the Dardanelles and out into the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
Ataturk has come to be seen as the founding father of the modern Turkish state and his heroism in the defence of Gallipoli in 1915 was a crucial part of his image. It was through his leadership and the heroism of the many soldiers who fought there that Çanakkale - as the Dardanelles were known to the Ottomans - remained impassable.
If you own any of the cosmetic DLC for Isonzo, you’ll know that those DLC were big packs containing a uniform for every class in the game, for two factions. For Gallipoli, we’re approaching it differently! The fact that supply lines on the Ottoman Fronts weren’t the most reliable
If you own any of the cosmetic DLC for Isonzo, you’ll know that those DLC were big packs containing a uniform for every class in the game, for two factions. For Gallipoli, we’re approaching it differently!
The fact that supply lines on the Ottoman Fronts weren’t the most reliable meant many soldiers had to make do with the equipment available to them, instead of fighting in complete standardized uniforms. This however allows us to not only change how we approach customisation without breaking immersion, but cosmetic DLC as well. Instead of large packs containing six class-exclusive uniforms for two factions, for Gallipoli we’re releasing smaller packs each containing two uniforms for one faction.
This new setup should be quite beneficial to you. The equipment you get is more flexible; it can freely be mixed and matched across classes within a subfaction, with the exception of Officer uniforms being exclusive to the Officer class. Additionally, each pack will be cheaper, and combined with the more granular approach, you can be a lot more selective with which uniforms you get!
As always, getting any of these DLC is entirely optional. To enjoy all gameplay-affecting content Gallipoli has and will ever get, you’ll only need the base game. These DLC are extras to support us through growing development costs while allowing us to keep the price of Gallipoli itself at €30!
Now that you know the new setup, let’s take a look at the cosmetic DLC Packs available on launch.
Sunburnt
‘Sunburnt’ is inspired by the soldiers of the British empire who experienced the war near the Sinai desert. In February 1915, the Ottomans staged a daring raid on the Suez Canal that was defeated by the British defenders. In 1917, the men of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force crossed the Sinai to attack Ottoman forces in Palestine.
In comparison to the rain and mud associated with the Western Front, the soldiers fighting in the Middle East experienced very different conditions. The ‘Sunburnt’ pack introduces new clothing (or indeed lack of!) as options for British soldiers, based upon these experiences. An officer shirt with rolled sleeves and headwear with neck covers are included. Players also now have the option to go into battle with a bare-chest, if you really want to attempt a proper tan!
‘Conscript’ is inspired by the soldiers who were brought into the Ottoman Empire’s armed forces in order to cope with the requirements of fighting on multiple fronts during the war. The Ottoman Empire was vast and included many different races and emerging nationalities. In order to fight in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, Palestine, and the Caucasus, the Ottomans needed to make use of all the manpower they had available.
In order to deal with the war’s demands, the Ottomans conscripted thousands of Arab men to fight in their army. This new DLC introduces new options based on these conscripts. For officers, there is a stylish officer's Ghutra with Agal and an officer's tunic representing the rank of Kaymakam (Lieutenant Colonel). Along with new uniform options for regular soldiers, a Keffiyeh headdress with a simple Agal is also included for the infantry.
‘Light Horse’ is inspired by the iconic Australian Light Horse, who served in Gallipoli and the Middle East. As mounted infantry, the Light Horse provided invaluable service across multiple theatres against the Ottoman Empire. They are perhaps most famous for their doomed attacks across the Nek in August 1915 at Gallipoli.
The Light horse’s uniform had many distinctive elements that reflected their role as soldiers who served both on horseback and on foot. We have reproduced them in this pack. These include the famous slouch hat with emu feathers and the new Light Horse uniform and webbing designed for the cavalry. We’ve also included the famous ‘greyback’ undershirt to ensure you look your best before battle.
‘Ordered to Die’ is inspired by one of the decisive moments of the Gallipoli campaign. As British, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers landed on the beaches of Gallipoli on 25th April 1915, the Ottoman defenders faced the most serious threat to the Empire for the entire war. With reinforcements not yet arriving to bolster their numbers, the situation looked dire. Near Anzac Cove Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk) gave his most famous command to his soldiers: ‘I don’t order you to attack, I order you to die. By the time we are dead, other units and commanders will have come up to take our place’. The determination of these Ottoman soldiers ensured that the landings failed.
This pack is inspired by the Ottoman forces who resisted the Gallipoli landings in 1915. It provides new uniforms for Ottoman soldiers and officers to wear, whether defending the beaches of Gallipoli or fighting on the battlefields of Mesopotamia and beyond. It includes a Staff Officer's uniform, as well as an alternate version of the kalpak with the grey outer lining and red top. For regular soldiers, a fez with a tassel is now available as headgear, along with a short pocketless tunic variant and standard trousers in darker colours.
These four packs make up the first season of DLC, which we call the First Expedition! You can get them on August 20 with the release of Gallipoli.
Additionally, the Second Expedition of DLC will kick of with the release as well. This season’s DLC will gradually be released alongside free content updates to the game. The first of these is Besieged, available on August 20!
Besieged
‘Besieged’ reflects the experiences of the soldiers who were trapped in Kut. Following their defeat at Ctesiphon in Mesopotamia, the 6th (Poona) Division of the Indian Army, commanded by General Townshend retreated to Kut where, from 7th December 1915, they were besieged by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans launched multiple attacks to take the town but, whilst the defences held the soldiers within began to starve. Eventually Townshend surrendered his forces on 29th April and the survivors were taken prisoner.
New uniforms and customisation options are included here for both Indian and British soldiers, inspired by the defenders of Kut. The new items reflect the experience of a prolonged siege, with equipment - such as empty ammo pouches - indicative of dwindling supplies. Many of the defenders were Indians and a worn variant of the Punjabi Musulman turban, an open version of the Indian Kurta (tunic), and bare feet are included to represent their experiences.
The other packs included in the Second Expedition will be revealed as they release.
We hope you like the look of those! Now that uniforms have been split into multiple parts, we’re really curious too see what kind of combinations you’ll come up with. The release of Gallipoli is only 3 weeks away now, so be sure you have the game wishlisted to be notified of when it goes live! Even in this final stretch, it still really helps us out.
Hello everyone! Did you enjoy the Gallipoli release date reveal last week? We hope you're as excited as we are for the release on August 20. If you didn't see the trailer yet, you can watch it here: That's not all either. We invited Flakfire to explain the Expedition Game Mode, w
Hello everyone!
Did you enjoy the Gallipoli release date reveal last week? We hope you're as excited as we are for the release on August 20. If you didn't see the trailer yet, you can watch it here:
Now that you're up to speed, let's proceed with the blog.
Progression in Gallipoli receives some major changes compared to the previous games. Our aim was for goals to be something extra on top of what’s already available, instead of gating already available content behind a goal. That means that when you launch Gallipoli for the first time, you’ll immediately have all available classes, weapons, and tools unlocked. Neat.
So, what will you actually be getting when you reach certain goals?
Keep in mind that any numbers mentioned and UI elements shown in this blog may be subject to change.
Class Progression
Back from Isonzo, class progression allows you train any class to gain additional perks. Additionally, you unlock some new cosmetic uniform and equipment options along the way.
The perk each class gets are unique to the class, and allow you to do your job that little bit better. The strength of the perk increases as you reach specific level thresholds. As an example, let’s look at the Bomber that gain benefits from, uh, exposure therapy.
Bomber
Level 02: Grenade Training - Stunning received reduced by 34%
Level 06: Unlock M1909 Equipment - Bomber
Level 10: Grenade Training - Stunning received reduced by 50%
Level 15: Unlock P1908 Haversack - Bomber
Level 20: Grenade Training - Stunning received reduced by 75%
And an additional example of the Officer, who gets more charismatic with experience.
Officer
Level 02: Leadership Training - Points bonus area effect increased by 50%
Level 06: Unlock Sun Helmet - Wide
Level 10: Leadership Training - Points bonus area effect increased by 75%
Level 15: Unlock Wolseley - Officer - Squashed
Level 20: Leadership Training - Points bonus area effect increased by 100%
As you can see, the benefit you get from a perk can get quite substantial, either improving your specialty or tackling your weakness. However, to get your level 20 reward, you’ll need to complete a Class Challenge as well. This Challenges ties in with your role, so we don’t expect these to be an issue if you do your part.
Bomber: Stun 20 enemies with grenades
Officer: Kill 50 enemies using call-ins
Weapon Progression
New in Gallipoli is weapon progression, allowing you to grow accustomed to the weapon in your hands. The system is similar to Class Progression: level up your weapon through usage to gain perks. Unlike Class Progression however, some weapons may have multiple different perks instead of one perk that increases in strength.
The types of weapons you can level are as follows:
Rifles (3 perks)
Pistols (3 perks)
Light Machine Guns (3 perks)
Melee weapons (2 perks)
Grenades (2 perks)
Certain rifles have variants with certain attachments, like sights, bayonets and rifle grenades. For weapon progression, rifles with specific sights are considered different weapons from variants without sights. Let’s take a look at a couple examples:
SMLE MK.III - Default, Bayonet, Rifle Grenade
Level 5: Endurance Runner - Stamina drain when sprinting reduced by 25%
Level 15: Expert Shouldering - Weapon kick reduced by 25%
Level 20: Practiced Reload - Reload speed increased by 15%
SMLE MK.III - Telescopic Sights
Level 5: Gunbearer’s Arms - Weapon arm fatigue reduced by 25%
Level 15: Iron Lungs - Hold breath time increased by 33%
Level 20: Eagle Eyed - Scope usage improved by 50%
FN MLE. 1903
Level 5: Endurance Runner - Stamina drain when sprinting reduced by 25%
Level 15: Snap-sight Drill - Aim speed and smoothness increased by 100%
Level 20: Nerves Of Steel - Weapon hand wobble reduced by 33%
Type 2 Infantry Grenade
Level 10: Grenadier’s Arm - Grenade throwing distance increased by 25%
Level 10: Trench Brawler - Stamina cost to melee attack reduced by 25%
Level 20: Charge Discipline - Stamina cost to melee charge reduced by 25%
Including the different weapon variants (sight vs. no sight), there are 150 different weapons to level up when Gallipoli launches!
Prestige
Once you’re level 20 in a class or weapon, you can prestige it! For classes, your class challenge needs to be completed as well.
Prestiging grands you a medal as well as an icon so you can show off your expertise. For your class, this icon is next to your name on the scoreboard. For weapons, the icon sits below the weapon icon in the killfeed. However, prestiging resets your level, locks your perks and increases the XP needed to level up again!
The Prestige Levels are the same as Isonzo, which are as follows:
Bronze I, II, III
Silver I, II, III
Gold I, II, III
Gold ⭐
So, we hope you like these changes! We think it opens up the early game significantly, while still properly rewarding you for grinding out a single class or weapon. See you again soon!
You’ve been asking about it, and we’re glad to finally reveal the new release date of Gallipoli. Of course, this announcement comes with a brand new trailer! Gallipoli is now releasing on August 20th! The trailer highlights a bunch of feedback points we’ve received from you over
You’ve been asking about it, and we’re glad to finally reveal the new release date of Gallipoli. Of course, this announcement comes with a brand new trailer!
The trailer highlights a bunch of feedback points we’ve received from you over the years. These are a handful of the ones we’ve addressed in Gallipoli, so we hope you’re excited to jump in next month! Let’s take a look at them in more detail.
Movement Improvements
Movement has gotten a lot more flexible and snappy. Instead of the binary system of ‘you can only sprint if you have stamina', you can now also sprint while out of stamina, albeit more slowly. If your stamina is full, you’ll also run faster than in Isonzo for a short while, allowing you to charge the enemy or run for cover a bit better.
You can now also sprint while crouched or prone, allowing you to keep your head in the trenches without sacrificing too much speed. And if you have a bayonet on your rifle or a melee weapon in your hand, you can charge down your foe with a burst of speed and all the yelling you’d expect!
If you’d like to learn more about the movement improvements, check out this devblog:
There’s a larger emphasis on squads in Gallipoli. Coordination with your squad is more important, especially with the addition of teamwork-focused roles like Stretcher Bearers (medics) and Heavy Machine Gunners. You can now also ping any location or marker to help steer your squad towards it!
The type of squad you join determines the roles you should focus on. Your Squad Type gives you more slots for specific classes and gives the Officer specific off-map support – both will steer your squad in a certain direction.
For more info about Squads and Call-ins, check out this devblog:
A lot of effort has been put into making Gallipoli as immersive as it can be. Through intricate audio design, VFX, and detailed environments, we really think we’ve made a convincing slice of the Ottoman Fronts for you to immerse yourself in, and we hope you’ll agree.
This also extends to gameplay! Explosions kick up sand and dust that lingers around and slowly disperses. This is more than just an annoyance – these dust clouds can be used as cover for a brazen assault or a tactical retreat.
Crossplay
Last but definitely not least: Gallipoli has full crossplay! Squad up with players across PC, XBOX Series X|S & PlayStation 5 and work together as one.
We still have a lot of exciting things planned from now until the release of Gallipoli on August 20th, from new game details and collaborations with content creators and historian alike. Be sure to wishlist and follow Gallipoli to stay in the loop with all that!
Hello everyone! We wanted to give you some historical background on the events depicted in Gallipoli, so we asked historian Chris Kempshall to help us explore the real-world context behind the campaign. In this first blog, we’ll be looking at the strategic thinking and circumstan
Hello everyone!
We wanted to give you some historical background on the events depicted in Gallipoli, so we asked historian Chris Kempshall to help us explore the real-world context behind the campaign. In this first blog, we’ll be looking at the strategic thinking and circumstances that led the British and their allies to attempt the Dardanelles operation, and how those decisions ultimately shaped the Gallipoli landings of 1915.
At the end of 1914, combat on the Western Front of the First World War had begun to enter a deadlock. The emergence of well-defended trenches and fortifications that stretched from the Belgian coast down through France to the Swiss border made attempts to break through costly and dangerous.
This was a significant problem for the Entente allies. It was their lands now being occupied by a German army that seemed happy to dig in and keep what it had gained. Defeating them would either require a solution to trench warfare or something imaginative that could remove the need to attack on the Western Front.
Map of the stabilised front Jan 1915 - Dec 1916, Emerson Kent
On the Eastern Front the hoped for Russian steamroller had failed to materialize. Huge losses during the Battle of Tannenberg had weakened the Russian military and were worsened by an inability to properly supply their soldiers in the field.
If a solution could be found to the deadlock on the Western Front and the supply issues of the Eastern Front then the Entente may yet be able to emerge victorious. Such a solution might just lead straight through the Ottoman Empire which had joined the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
This is the historical and strategic background to the Entente’s experience in the Gallipoli campaign.
Historical Context
Before getting to the events of 1915, there are some important historical details that we’ll need to cover relating to the alliance of Britain, France, and Russia first.
In many ways it was quite an odd alliance. Revolutionary France and Czarist Russia had very little in common with each other except the threat posed by Germany. Britain and Russia had been long-term rivals, due to concerns about Russia gaining access through territorial expansion to India.
Battle sites during the Crimean War (1853-1856), Britannica
In fact during the 1850s, Britain and France had allied with each other to help the Ottoman Empire fight against Russia to prevent them from capturing the Crimean peninsula. Through various quirks of geography, Russia had no access to a ‘warm water port’. Capturing Crimea would have strengthened the Russian position in the Black Sea and undermined the Ottoman Empire. If that nation were to collapse then the possibility existed that the Russians may be able to find a way to access the Mediterranean Sea.
In the 19th century this was viewed as absolutely unacceptable by Britain and France. Russia was bottled up and reliant on sea routes either over the top of Scandinavia (which was only really feasible in summer), through the Baltic Sea (having to pass above Germany), or from Siberia on the far side of Asia. All of these outcomes could be controlled or influenced in ways by the other Great Powers of Europe.
But at the outbreak of the First World War, Britain and France suddenly became very invested in finding solutions to Russia’s supply problems. Russia did not have the industrial power to supply its own forces with the arms and ammunition they would need to successfully fight the Central Powers. The British and the French could provide these weapons - but how would they get them to Russia? Now access to a warm water port would be of great advantage to Russia and the alliance as a whole.
There was one potential option, and it was the same one that had interested Russia during the Crimean War. The Ottoman capital of Constantinople lay at the joining point of Europe and Asia. Shipping could pass through it between the Black Sea to the east and the Sea of Marmara to the west. Beyond the Sea of Marmara, on the other side of the Dardanelles Straits, lay the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.
The British in particular were already taking a great interest in the possible strategic advantages that could be unlocked by capturing the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Some of their considerations were fairly sound. For example, an attack on the Ottomans would enable the Royal Navy to make a potentially decisive impact on the war. With fighting on the Western Front entirely land-based so far, the British navy had no opportunity to influence events.
Also if Constantinople was captured a new front could be opened against the Central Powers in the Balkans. Germany and Austria-Hungary would be forced to try and divert forces away from their existing positions, and that would help the Western Front a lot. It might also allow British, French, and Russian forces to fight shoulder to shoulder and spread the burden around.
However, the British also held a big misunderstanding about the nature of the alliance between the Central Powers. They believed that Germany was not capable of waging war without the support of Austria-Hungary and the Ottomans. That if one, or both, of these allies were to be knocked out of the war then Germany would collapse. The reality was that Germany was propping up both of its allies and supplying them with the supplies needed to fight. This misunderstanding led some within the Entente Alliance to believe that capturing Constantinople could be an immediately war-winning move.
The Dardanelles Straits
For any Entente naval vessels to move east from the Aegean and the Mediterranean Seas and threaten Constantinople, they would have to pass through the Dardanelles Straits. These were a narrow sea route between Europe and Asia that was never more than 4 miles wide at best, and less than a mile at its tightest.
The Ottomans had long recognized the strategic importance of these Straits in defending the route to their capital. Fortresses and artillery positions existed on both the European and Asian sides and the mouth of the Straits was guarded by castles at Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale. The Ottomans also placed mines at narrow points of the Straits which could easily sink even the largest enemy ships.
To capture Constantinople, the joint British and French fleets would have to force the Straits, run the gauntlet of guns and mines, and push on into the Sea of Marmara.
So determined were the Entente forces to attempt this operation, Britain and France also promised control of the Dardanelles to Russia if Constantinople were to be taken. Which is an astonishing change from their determination in the 1850s to keep Russia out of the Mediterranean.
The British and French made several attempts to attack the Dardanelles but the most determined came on 18th March 1915 and was disastrous. The Ottoman artillery forts that lined the Dardanelles were often placed so that they could hit any attacking ships below but those ships could not easily return fire. Additionally the Ottomans had laid substantial numbers of mines just below the surface of the water. The combination of these defenses took a heavy toll on the Entente fleet with three ships sunk and a number of others damaged.
The British and French decided to withdraw back the way they had come. There is still ongoing historical debate about whether this fleet could have pushed forwards and through the defenses but their commanding officers believed it to be impossible. If the Dardanelles were to be forced then the artillery forts that defended them would need to be captured or destroyed. The only way to do this was to land ground forces and attack the forts from behind.
These landings would become the Gallipoli campaign.
Gallipoli
The landings at the Gallipoli peninsula were not the only use of land forces against the Ottoman Empire. The Mesopotamian campaign had been ongoing since November 1914, but for the Entente these landings represented what they believed to be their best chance to win the war against the Ottomans. For the Ottoman Empire it represented the most dangerous situation of the entire conflict.
In order to undertake the landings both Britain and France drew upon the armed forces of their empires. Alongside significant numbers of Scottish, Irish, and English soldiers the British also drew upon Australians, New Zealanders and Indians. Gallipoli has become synonymous with the Australians and New Zealanders in particular - these were the men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, or ANZACs. The French Corps Expéditionnaire d'Orient consisted of a mix of soldiers with some from Senegal and Algeria. By using imperial and colonial soldiers both Britain and France would not have to weaken their own forces on the Western Front to launch the Gallipoli landings.
The actual landings themselves were divided across multiple beaches that were selected either because of strategic significance - such as V Beach beneath the fortress at Sedd-el-Bahr - or because of potential suitability as a landing spot. The British forces would make the actual attack at the Gallipoli peninsula on the European side of the Straits, whilst the French would launch a diversionary landing at Kum Kale on the Asian side.
The hoped for plan was that soldiers landing in the early hours of the morning would overwhelm any Ottoman defenders in the area - and some of the British commanders held a fairly low opinion of the abilities of their opponents - and then begin to march inland capturing key strategic high points on various hills and ridges and, from there, begin operations to capture the artillery forts of the Dardanelles from behind.
The landings would take place on 25th April 1915 and would feature soldiers arriving on the beaches in row boats and, at V Beach, something much more inventive. The British converted the collier ship SS River Clyde into a Trojan Horse. The ship was intended to beach itself just offshore and then disgorge British soldiers down ramps directly onto the beach.
The converted steamer 'River Clyde', anchored at V-Beach, Gallipoli, Spring 1915, National Army Museum
But this attempt, along with those on the other beaches, swiftly ran into problems. Firstly the Ottoman resistance was much stiffer than had been expected. Partially through fear of being overrun but also in likely recognition of how dangerous the situation was, the Ottoman forces in the area - led by Mustafa Kemal - put up an incredibly strong fight and launched repeated counterattacks to recapture positions that had been lost. Many groups of British and ANZAC soldiers struggled to even get out of their boats and off the beach under heavy fire. Pushing inland soon brought them into ongoing hand to hand combat with Ottoman soldiers.
The attackers soon learned that the terrain was much harder to navigate than had been expected. The Gallipoli peninsula is a maze of gullies and sharp ridges. At places like Anzac Cove the land rose up steeply straight from the beach and soldiers would sometimes have to climb on their hands and knees whilst under fire. Soldiers got lost. Battalions and regiments got spread out and couldn’t remain in contact with each other. Trying to resupply forces that had vanished into the landscape proved incredibly difficult.
By the end of the first day the situation was so grave that some commanders tried to convince General Sir Ian Hamilton - the commander of the Mediterranean Expedition Force - to evacuate the beaches entirely to avoid their soldiers being pushed back into the sea. But Hamilton resolved to hang on. Whilst the worst case outcome was avoided, the landings had failed in their prime objective. The various attempts to move inland had universally failed. Many soldiers didn’t get much further than the beaches themselves.
What followed was a grinding and attritional campaign fought in harsh conditions. The heat and the landscape were very different to what was being faced on the Western Front. Many ‘trenches’ at Gallipoli were little more than ditches scraped into the dirt or the rocks.
During the days the temperatures could rise very high and drop dramatically at night whilst flies were also a constant problem. The Entente also struggled to provide enough supplies, ammunition, and drinking water to their forces on the beaches and reinforcements and hospital ships that travelled from Malta and Egypt were vulnerable to mines and torpedo attacks by German U-boats who were attempting to disrupt the operation against their ally. Soldiers had to develop inventive solutions to the situation they faced. Trench catapults and jam tin grenades were created to make up for the shortfall in weapons and the need to fight a more vertical war than was being experienced in Western Europe. Whilst there were offensives across 1915 to try and push the Ottomans off the high ground that they occupied, none were successful. The largest of these came in August 1915 with the landings at Suvla Bay and the attempt by New Zealand forces to seize Chunuk Bair - a large ridge in the area - whilst the Australians ran the gauntlet of Ottoman machine guns at a narrow strip of land called the Nek. These attempts also failed at the cost of significant casualties.
But for the New Zealanders who engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat at the top of Chunuk Bair they were very briefly able to gain a view of something that no other soldiers in the area had done so far. On the other side of Chunuk Bair, down through the valleys and scrubland beyond, was a strip of silvery water. The Dardanelles Straits. The whole point of the operation. They could see it. But they could not reach it. Having been relieved on the 9th August by British soldiers, the top of Chunuk Bair was lost in an Ottoman counterattack on the 10th. Never again would the Entente forces on the peninsula get so close to their objectives.
Evacuation and Aftermath
By the end of 1915 it became clear that whatever hoped for outcome of the Gallipoli campaign was never going to transpire. Rumors of heavy artillery pieces arriving from Germany concerned the British and French who feared they could be used to drive their soldiers back into the sea.
The Gallipoli campaign, April 1915-January 1916, IWM (Q 13679)
In the dead of night on 8th January 1916 the Entente forces at Gallipoli secretly evacuated the peninsula and escaped. It was the only part of the entire campaign that went exactly to plan and the Ottomans were not aware it was happening until the evacuation was completed. The Entente forces at Gallipoli had sustained over 220,000 casualties (which includes wounded, missing, and dead) out of 500,000 men deployed.
The consequences of failure were severe. There would be no resupplying of Russia through the Black Sea. Already greatly weakened they would have to struggle on alone. In 1917 Russia would collapse into civil war. The success of the Ottoman defense had been a huge morale boost for them and they had survived the most serious threat to their capital of the entire war. Additionally, having seen the failure of the Entente attacks, Bulgaria had joined the Central Powers in October 1915. It now blocked any route into the soft underbelly of Austria-Hungary and Germany through the Balkans.
Not only had the attempt to force the Dardanelles Straits and capture the peninsula failed, they had collectively made the strategic picture for the Entente significantly worse.
However, despite the disastrous nature of the campaign, the Entente would eventually emerge from the war victorious. The huge strain of fighting on multiple fronts would eventually cause the Ottoman Empire to collapse and seek a separate armistice in October 1918. After the war, when the allied powers moved in to occupy Constantinople they did so by finally sailing their navy through the Dardanelles Straits. For Australia and New Zealand the Gallipoli campaign has taken on a hugely important role. Gallipoli was the moment that both nations really took their first steps out onto the world stage and fought as recognizable states. In the years after the war many Australians and New Zealanders came to consider that the modern versions of their countries were ‘born’ on the beaches of Gallipoli.
Hello everyone! Today we'd like to give you a little update for the Ctesiphon & Anzac Cove maps. We've last shown them not long after the initial announcement of Gallipoli, but they have not been gathering dust! While the general lay of the land has not been changed, both map
Hello everyone!
Today we'd like to give you a little update for the Ctesiphon & Anzac Cove maps. We've last shown them not long after the initial announcement of Gallipoli, but they have not been gathering dust! While the general lay of the land has not been changed, both maps have received lighting work and changes to weather.
While it may be hard to spot, we've also made balance changes to both maps based on the results from rigorous testing by our QA team and all of you participating in the Closed Playtests. Most of these changes are related to cover, either hard cover like sandbags or visual cover like smoke. We're saving the deep dive into map creation and map balancing for later down the line.
One final thing before we get into the screenshots: the long awaited third episode of our collab with the Royal Armouries and Jonathan Ferguson is here! Grab a brew and put your legs up.
Attacker starting position, looking at the beach and sector 1 halfway up Plugge's Plateau.
Defender view at the beach, looking at the starting position of the attackers.
Attacker view at left side of sector 1, with Plugge's Plateau and the Sphinx in the background.
View at left side objective of sector 1, looking towards the right side objective.
Defender view of left side objective of sector 1, higher up Plugge's Plateau.
Attacker view of right side objective of sector 1.
The Sphinx from the side of Plugge's Plateau.
Defender view at sector 2 objective near the head of the Sphinx.
Defender view at sector 2 objective further down the slope leading to the Sphinx.
Defender view at right side objective of sector 2, down the slope.
Approach of the sector 3 objective at Russell's Top, from defender view.
Sector 3 objective from defender view.
Inside sector 3 objective.
That's it for today! There are a lot of things happening behind the scenes and we hope to bring you news on the new release date of Gallipoli soon. In the mean time, we'll show you more and more of the game – while keeping some surprises as well, of course.
Before we get started with the blog, we’d like to highlight the announcement we made last week. Thank you all for the kind messages we got following this announcement! We hope to bring you news on our next steps sometime soon. For now, enjoy a new Gallipoli blog! Cosmetic Customi
Before we get started with the blog, we’d like to highlight the announcement we made last week.
Thank you all for the kind messages we got following this announcement! We hope to bring you news on our next steps sometime soon. For now, enjoy a new Gallipoli blog!
Cosmetic Customization
Hello everyone!
In Gallipoli, we're expanding on the cosmetics system we introduced with Isonzo. There will now be more item categories that will be modifiable:
Subfaction (where applicable)
Upper body
Equipment
Lower body
Face/Body type
Headgear
Facial Hair
Facial Accessories
As there’s quite a bit to how these options work together, let’s go through the list one by one!
While Gallipoli is about the battles between the British Empire and Ottoman Empire, there are several subfactions of the British Empire to choose from: the British, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the British Indian Army, with some limitations depending on class selection. More subfactions will be introduced for the Ottoman and British Empires later down the line.
Your selection of subfaction and role then determines the gear and clothing pool from which you can then start building your look. Many options like tunics, undershirts and equipment and headgear are shared across multiple roles. Uncommon gear and clothing is available and limited to specific role types, notably officers and specialised troops.
The look you end up with will be saved to the subclass/role you were editing. With one setup for each role, 9-10 roles for each faction, and the multiple subfactions, there's a lot of dressing to do!
Keep in mind that subfactions are reflective of the maps you are fighting on. For example, Kut-Al-Amara will see only Indian and British troops represented for the British faction. This means that if you don’t want to run the default equipment, you should have your customized looks ready to go – or quickly throw something together while waiting for the battle to commence.
Gearing up
Once you’ve selected your subfaction and class, you can get into the individual equipment pieces available to you.
Headgear
You can select a series of headgear types per (sub)faction. These include headgear with different cap badges, wear/tear and angles at which they're worn, as well as other details . Iconic pieces of headgear seen on this front are available (where applicable!) including the famous Wolseley sun-helmets, AIF slouch hats, Punjabi turbans, and Ottoman Bashlyks, Kabalaks, and Kalpaks.
Upper Body
Tunics, shirts and other options will be available in this option. These may vary between neat tunics, tunics with undone buttons, undershirts with long sleeves or rolled sleeves. Further options like whether the equipment is worn high or low are available particularly with the Ottoman forces. The British forces will have access to field modified undershirt variants like those commonly seen in photographic references from the time.
Lower Body
Everything trousers, leg-wrap, boot, and/or shorts related! We have a range of items available for the lower body which include some really interesting looks, unique to these fronts. There's different ways of wearing legwraps as well as the option of shorts for British troops.
Equipment
There's a wide range of equipment available across both factions and variants of said equipment. This may include lighter setups – a belt, bayonet and some pouches – to the full kit: pouches, bayonet, entrenching tools, packs – the lot!
We've put a lot of effort into creating the correct kit & gear with both factions, with the British having a wide selection of P1903, P1908 and Sam Browne options and beyond. Similarly the Ottomans have a wide variety of their German type field equipment, as well as the many different ways of wearing them. Ottoman troops also have some particularly fancy bandoliers in their stores too.
Body
A series of body & face types are available. With new details including body hair, teeth variation, and sunburn being something we have included.
Facial Hair & Items
Across all factions, a medley of facial hair and facial items will be available for you to adorn your mug with! Historically influenced moustaches, beards, glasses, goggles and of course tobacco pipes & cigarettes. Smoking is dangerous, but participating in a battle is far worse!
Combined, there's a smorgasbord of looks and fits to achieve! as well as in game unlocks which will help fill out your wardrobe further.
We aim to allow as much freedom as possible with the character customisation but there will be some items where compatibility might not be entirely historical, particularly when considering subfactions. There will be some combinations of outfit that can't be used together; these are few and far between, but an important consideration in our approach.
As with Isonzo, we'll expand the number of items across all categories beyond launch! However, this is a topic for another day.
Hello everyone! Last week, we announced the release date of Gallipoli to be May 21, 2026! We really hope you enjoyed that trailer. Today, we’d like to dive into some new mechanics you can expect to see in Gallipoli. If you didn't see the Release Date Trailer yet, watch it here: G
Hello everyone!
Last week, we announced the release date of Gallipoli to be May 21, 2026! We really hope you enjoyed that trailer. Today, we’d like to dive into some new mechanics you can expect to see in Gallipoli.
If you didn't see the Release Date Trailer yet, watch it here:
Gallipoli puts a strong emphasis on squad gameplay. Each squad is kitted out for a different purpose; one may be best for scouting, while another for capturing objectives or locking down an alleyway with suppressive fire. Nothing prevents you from going off to do your own thing, but staying with your squad and playing to your strengths will give you an edge over an enemy that doesn’t.
Squads get benefits and unique advantages in three categories.
Officers are able to call in off-map support in many shapes and sizes. The type of support you get to call depends on your squad; your options are tailored to the mission of your squad. For example, squads that focus on scouting and intel get call-ins that are more agile or gather intel for you, like the Recon plane! Assault squads instead get heavy bombardments that can easily clear an objective if the enemy doesn’t take cover.
Each squad has two different options for call-ins, which can consist of a few different shell types in a couple different form factors.
For shell types, we have:
Airburst Shrapnel: Strikes that split off into shrapnel before impact.
Mortar: Numerous smaller explosions, less destructive but more numerous.
Howitzer: A couple larger explosions, more destructive but less numerous.
Percussion Impact: Howitzer shells with delayed impact for stronger concussive effect and kicking up lots of dust.
Airburst Shrapnel strike.
For barrages, there are:
Standing Barrage: Continuous barrage that saturates a large area.
Creeping Barrage: Walking barrage that slowly moves into a specific direction, only available for attackers. Covers more ground and provides great cover for a force advancing right behind it.
SOS Barrage: Donut-shaped Standing Barrage, intended to be called on your own position. Only available for defenders.
Precision Barrage: Small salvo fired in a precise location, great against static targets like machine gun nests.
The shells and barrages are mixed and matched in many different ways. For example, Howitzer strikes exist as Standing, Creeping or SOS Barrages, while Airburst Shrapnell is available as Standing, SOS or Precision Barrage.
Howitzer Creeping Barrage strike.
Additionally, there are a couple options for aircraft support:
Recon: Spotting over a large area.
Strafing Run: Aerial machine gun fire, good at suppression.
Bomber: Drops a bundle of grenades that roll around on the ground before exploding. Don't use uphill!
Dust
Speaking of explosions, they kick up dust in Gallipoli, which obscures vision and generally makes things even less pleasant on this front. The amount of dust depends on the size of the explosion and any other special properties the explosion may have. This applies to grenades, but the more powerful explosions of call-ins take this to the next level. Even if your call-in didn’t get any kills, it can still offer some much-needed visual cover.
Beacons
Beacons are buildables that provide a benefit to any teammates nearby, even if they’re not in your squad. Allies can grab more ammo, grab water for a temporary boost to sprinting speed, or locate enemies and their equipment in a small area. Additionally, one of the most powerful features of a beacon is that the squad can use them as a forward spawn point!
Each squad can only have one active beacon at a time, and they can easily be destroyed by an enemy, especially so by Engineers specialized in sabotage. How beacons function depends on what side you’re fighting for.
Attackers
On the attacking side, anyone can build a beacon, but doing so will disable the existing one. You’ll be warned if there’s already an active beacon and how far ahead of or behind your current position it's placed. They should be placed in a safe position close to the action, but maybe not in the middle of combat.
Defenders
On the defending side, each squad gets one pre-placed beacon per sector. They cannot be rebuilt once destroyed, so it’s in your best interest to protect them! Beacons are placed halfway each sector, so they function as forward spawns for the defending forces. However, this also makes them prone to sabotage.
Bonus Slots
Finally, your squad type gets you a couple bonus slots for a specific class best suited for your mission. For example, Support squads get extra Ammo Bearers and Stretcher Bearers, Scouting squads get an extra Sniper, and Machine Gun squads get more, well, machine guns, with an extra spotter!
Squad types
With all of this mentioned, our selection of squads and the advantages they get will look something like as follows:
Infantry: all rounders with support options for ammo, suppressive fire and health.
Scouting: squads focused on intel gathering and spotting.
Support: units to support themselves and other squads through ammo and health.
Assault: squads great at destructive charges and capturing objectives, with strong aerial support and mobility.
Machine Gun: sections carrying around a Heavy Machine Gun capable of locking down an approach, with support options for ammo and spotting.
Do keep in mind that while some squads types may excel in certain areas, they still have slots for every class in the game. Even if a specific squad type isn't as useful in a certain situation, they can still hold their own in battle just fine. If needed, you can switch squads in the middle of battle if you’re not currently deployed and another squad has an empty slot available.
There are some differences between squads of the British and Ottoman Empires, but they’ll mostly mirror each other. All this information can be found upon selecting a squad, so you’ll know what your mission is and what you have available to help you succeed.
That’s it for today, but we’ll soon be back with more info! Make sure to wishlist Gallipoli ahead of its release, as it really helps us and you get notified the moment it releases.
The landings of the Gallipoli campaign were launched in the early morning on April 25th, 1915. The forces of the British Empire and France stormed the beaches at what they dubbed Anzac Cove and Cape Helles. The landings were a success, but a lot of lives were lost to achieve it.
The landings of the Gallipoli campaign were launched in the early morning on April 25th, 1915. The forces of the British Empire and France stormed the beaches at what they dubbed Anzac Cove and Cape Helles. The landings were a success, but a lot of lives were lost to achieve it. What followed was almost a year of fighting over the Gallipoli peninsula that ended in the Ottomans coming out victorious and maintaining control.
The day of the landings is now remembered as Anzac Day, for the bravery and sacrifice of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps at Anzac Cove specifically. Australia and New Zealand were Dominions of the British Empire and were brought in from the other side of the world to lay down their lives for a war they weren’t directly involved in.
To commemorate Anzac Day, we’ve dedicated the Release Date Trailer of Gallipoli to the Landing at Anzac Cove. Check it out!
That’s right! Gallipoli is releasing in only a month, on May 21st!
About Anzac Day
25th April is a day of national remembrance in Australia and it marks the first major military action that was undertaken by soldiers from Australia and New Zealand during the First World War. It is timed to coincide with the date in 1915 when Australian and New Zealand soldiers undertook their landings at what would become Anzac Cove on the first day of the Gallipoli Campaign.
The first Anzac Day was marked in 1916 both across Australia and in London and was seen as an expression of patriotic support for soldiers still fighting. Since the 1920s it has become a day of national commemoration in both Australia and New Zealand. An important part of this ceremony has become the Dawn Service which is marked across Australia, New Zealand and at Anzac Cove itself.
Anzac Day has become an important moment in Australian national identity and marks the point when Australia took its place on the world stage. It plays a similar level of importance to New Zealanders though they also recognise the attack on Chunuk Bair in August 1915, as a moment of national importance.
A small part of the BlackMill Games team is at Gallipoli right now participating in ceremonies to mark the anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign and the soldiers from all sides who fought and died there. This includes the Dawn Service at Anzac Cove which is held each year to commemorate the more than 8,000 Australian soldiers who died during the campaign.
Below, you can find a summary of everything of Gallipoli we’ve revealed so far in terms of maps, weapons and improvements on all fronts of gameplay, so you’re up to speed with what you can expect. Of course, you can expect much more info about Gallipoli between now and May 21st!
Gallipoli Campaign
Anzac Cove
The Australian and New Zealand soldiers of the British Empire land on the beach at Anzac Cove to capture various key points beyond the ridges near the coast. However, the defending Ottomans are more than prepared to die to prevent the Diggers and Kiwis from moving inland.
British Forces use the SS River Clyde as a Trojan Horse to take V Beach at the mouth of the Dardanelles Straits. However, the castle of Seddülbahir gives the Ottomans an imposing bastion from which to defend the beach.
After British Forces landed in Lower Mesopotamia and captured Basra, they moved further inland to secure the oil fields. Following the capture of Kut Al Amara, Baghdad now seems within reach. However, they’ll need to get past the Arch of Ctesiphon and the Ottoman defenders waiting there.
The Ottoman Army defeated the British at Ctesiphon, pushing them back to Kut Al Amara. Here, the Ottomans lay siege on the town, making multiple attacks to attempt to break through the British defenses.
We do have another surprise in store for you; there’s one more map from another campaign coming to Gallipoli on launch! However, you’ll need to wait until the release of the game to find out which.
Gameplay
Weapon Handling Mechanics
Gallipoli features excellent weapon handling, with very detailed animations and deep mechanics, like suppression! Every rifle feels unique, with its own strengths and weaknesses you’ll get to know.
The Expedition Game Mode in Gallipoli has you fight like they did on the Ottoman Fronts, through Expeditionary Warfare! As the attacker, you’ll need to stay agile and be ready to adapt to the situation; the objectives of each sector are randomized.
Gallipoli gets a bunch of new classes, as well as some returning from Isonzo. Some will let you build fortifications, some make you better at supporting your peers, while others make you better at locking down your target.
When you receive non-lethal damage, you’ll be downed and still able to move around. You cannot fight back however, so your focus is getting to safety so your allies can pick you back up.
Now you’re caught up with everything we’ve revealed! Be sure to check back regularly for more information, and be sure to wishlist Gallipoli to be notified of the release on May 21st.
Hello everyone! It’s time to dive into V Beach, the second map on the Gallipoli peninsula! Here, British forces attempt to capture the southernmost tip that protects the entrance to the Dardanelles Straits, using the SS River Clyde as a trojan horse. Before we get started, do che
Hello everyone!
It’s time to dive into V Beach, the second map on the Gallipoli peninsula! Here, British forces attempt to capture the southernmost tip that protects the entrance to the Dardanelles Straits, using the SS River Clyde as a trojan horse.
Before we get started, do check out the first episode of our interview with Jonathan Ferguson! We sat down in the weapons vault of the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds to discuss the weapons used on the Ottoman Fronts, and also got to fire a couple. This first episode: British Rifles!
Having been thwarted in their attempts to force the Dardanelles Straits in March 1915, the Entente allies planned a series of amphibious landings on the Gallipoli peninsula. The intention was for infantry to land onto the beaches and then march and fight their way overland to attack and capture the Ottoman forts and guns that protected the Dardanelles.
A series of landings were planned for Cape Helles, with landing sites being assigned an identifying letter. V Beach was located near the village of Seddülbahir and had strong defenses. The beach lay beneath an old castle which protected both a nearby harbor and the village itself. On the left were a series of more modern fortifications whilst, further inland, the ruins of a pre-Byzantine fort lay atop Hill 141. The castle in particular would be heavily shelled by British warships in preparation for a landing.
Sedd el Bahr fort photographed from the SS River Clyde, IWM (Q 50473)
In order to safely deliver soldiers to the beach, the British chose to be inventive. They converted the collier ship, SS River Clyde into a trojan horse. It would, whilst accompanied by smaller steamtugs with row boats in tow, beach itself before releasing the infantry aboard directly onto the beach. However, the River Clyde became beached further out than anticipated and many soldiers drowned or were killed by the Ottoman defenders as they tried to get ashore. Pinned down on the beach, it was only after nightfall and the eventual success of landings and reinforcements on their flank that the attackers were able to move inland, and capture the village itself.
The battle starts with the landing of the British forces on the beach, consisting of numerous smaller rowboats and the SS River Clyde. Choosing to spawn in a rowboat will get you to shore quicker, provided you can stay alive for the trip. If you opt to board the River Clyde, you have much more cover and a scenic view, but it takes a bit to run aground and come to a complete stop.
Once the River Clyde is parked, you can walk across the gangways and lighters – flat boats used as a bridge – to make it to shore with mostly dry boots. This is now the quickest way to get ashore, but the rowboats remain available if you’re looking to take another avenue.
At the beach, you’re already close to the objectives of the first sector. On the right side from the British perspective, you have the old castle that provides the defending Ottomans with a lot of cover. The closest tower already took some big hits, but the walls give excellent elevation and cover from arrowslits, while the narrow entryways force the Brits to funnel into potential machine gun fire. The central courtyard serves as the objective!
On the other side, the Ottomans are dug into the grassy incline with a clear shot on the water. It may not be a castle, but this position can still hold its own against a frontal assault. If the British manage to capture the castle first, they could try to use the elevation to help with capturing this objective!
Moving towards the second sector, we’re entering the village of Seddülbahir. The densest part of the village follows on the side of the castle, with two main streets leading you to the next objective. While combat can get close quartered in the side streets and many homes can be entered, these main streets create long sightlines where snipers will feel right at home.
The objective itself is in the remnants of a large building struck by artillery. With half-collapsed walls and debris covering the floor, as well as allies and enemies shooting from across the street, it is sure to be an interesting fight.
This sector’s other objective sits in a more open area of town, right next to the graveyard. How morbid. This position provides low-wall cover and has been prepared with sandbags and a few small trenches. There are also gravestones that work as basic cover, but you wouldn't, right?
For the third sector we move back out of the village, into the farmlands. Following the incline, this open area takes you to the final headquarters of the Ottomans at the top of the hill. With only some bushes to break line of sight from the machine guns and artillery impacts to dive into, this final stretch will be a difficult one to cross for the Brits.
The Arsenal
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a gas operated light machine gun invented by the American Isaac Newton Lewis. He established Armes Automatique Lewis in Belgium to produce the Lewis Gun, but the production didn’t kick off until the Birmingham Small Arms Company purchased the license, resulting in its adoption by the British Army a year later.
The US Army never adopted the Lewis Gun, going as far as taking the gun away from US Marines in France and replacing it with the Chauchat. This was allegedly done simply because General Crozier just really disliked Lewis and his gun.
The Lewis Gun struck a healthy balance between ammunition capacity, maneuverability, and versatility. It was well regarded among the troops that used it.
Maxim M1909
The MG09 was one of several export models from Germany based on the MG08 and purchased by a multitude of nations including the Ottoman Empire.
Mounted on a tripod (rather than the sled more common for the MG08) its form and function was the same as other Maxim guns from the period. It was, however, chambered in the ottoman 7.65mm cartridge rather than German 7.92mm Mauser.
These weapons are frequently seen with optical sights and would wreak havoc on the large open battlefields seen on the Ottoman fronts.
Jam Tin Grenade
Jam Tin Grenades were improvised grenades ‘designed’ by Anzac Troops as a response to a lack of equipment on Gallipoli. They were produced by a ‘factory’ set up in Anzac Cove where soldiers could churn out around 200 grenades a day made from used tins. Incidents weren’t unheard of.
The official recipe for Jam Tin Grenades is as follows:
“Take a tin jam pot, fill it with shredded guncotton and tenpenny nails, mixed according to taste. Insert a No. 8 detonator and a short length of Bickford's fuse. Clay up the lid. Light with a match, pipe, cigar, or cigarette and throw for all you are worth.”
Don’t try this at home.
Type 2 Grenade
The Turkish Type 2 Grenade is similar in design to the British No.5 Mills Bomb. The grooved design made it easier to grip with muddy hands and its form factor was excellent for long-distance fragmentation.
It has a fuse in an elongated brass cap as opposed to the Mills Bomb’s percussion cap. Its inscription reads “Type 2 Infantry Grenade”.
That's what we got for you today! We're really looking forward to seeing all of you aboard the SS River Clyde. A part of the team is at the Gallipoli booth at PAX East in Boston as this blog goes live. If you're attending, find us at booth 15102 and play some Gallipoli!
Remember to check out the video we did with the Royal Armouries Museum. Part 2 is coming soon, see you there!
Hello everyone! Today we’re taking a look at how classes work in Gallipoli, as well as the classes you can expect to see! Gallipoli has a new class system, with each class having a perk and “Kits”, or subclasses, to choose from that give you various advantages and equipment optio
Hello everyone!
Today we’re taking a look at how classes work in Gallipoli, as well as the classes you can expect to see!
Gallipoli has a new class system, with each class having a perk and “Kits”, or subclasses, to choose from that give you various advantages and equipment options tailored to a specific role you’re looking to fill.
Each class has two kits to pick from. A kit comes with a perk, equipment, a choice of a primary weapon and sometimes a choice of a secondary weapon as well. Based on everything you’ll be carrying around, each kit also has a set weight and ammo count.
To illustrate the new class system, let’s look at an example: the Ottoman Engineer. Do keep in mind that Gallipoli is a work in progress and everything mentioned in this blog can still be subject to change, especially when it comes to balancing.
Engineer (Ottoman)
Construction Training
Faster construction and sabotage
Saboteur Kit
“Seek and destroy!”
Barbed Wire Spool
Automatically spot nearby enemy equipment
Weight: Light
Ammo Count: Medium
Equipment
Sapper Spade
Tourniquet
Water Bottle
Barbed Wire
Primary (choose 1)
FN1903
C96
S&W No.3
Secondary (choose 1)
Tufenjieff
Type 2 Grenade
Frontline Builder
“Fortify the line!”
Engineer Backpack
Extra construction marker
Weight: Medium
Ammo Count: Medium
Equipment
Sapper Spade
Tourniquet
Sandbags
Barbed Wire
Primary (choose 1)
M1905
Peabody 1874/12
Peabody 1874
FN1903
Secondary (choose 1)
Tufenjieff
Type 2 Grenade
Stielhandgranate
In general, your kit options include a more offensive option that provides mobility, better weapon handling or capture weight, as well as a support or defensive option, granting buildables and improved suppressive abilities. You can tell what role each kit fills by the name and the ‘task’ next to it.
Looking back at the example above, the Saboteur Kit with the task “Search and Destroy” is great for a more offensive role, with passive equipment spotting, a water bottle for stamina and a pistol primary weapon to keep you lightweight. Frontline Builder is generally better to “Fortify the line!”, with defensive structures and rifles to choose from.
Selecting a kit
When you’re in a match or the barracks and wish to select your class and kit, the progress is largely the same as in Isonzo. Once you’ve picked a class, you can select a kit right next to the class button. Here, you’ll see all the same details from the table above. If you select a class, it will default to the last kit you’ve used.
Your weapon selection will be saved within the kit, just like with classes in Isonzo. The same thing goes for cosmetics, so you can dress the part for each kit!
Classes
With the explanation out of the way, let’s see what the classes of Gallipoli are! A couple return from Isonzo, but there’s a bunch of new ones we’d like to highlight!
We won’t give you all the details quite yet, we do want to keep some surprises for launch, but we’ll give you a general description of each.
Ammo Bearer
The Ammo Bearer supports their allies by supplying them with plenty of ammo! They have the ability to spawn on squad members and move faster when holding an ammo box.
The kits allow you to pick between an offensive role or a defensive role, with the former allowing teammates to resupply from your backpack, and the latter allowing you to place extra ammo crates.
Bomber
If you see a Bomber running towards you, you better start running the other way. Bombers carry around extra grenades, ideal for clearing trenches and suppressing enemies, but don’t carry much else. They themselves have increased resistance to being stunned by grenades.
One kit makes you faster and gives you more grenades, but you can only use a melee weapon. The other provides an extra grenade slot, allowing you to carry two different types of grenades at once.
Heavy Machine Gunner
These units excel at throwing lead down range, receiving less suppression while on an HMG and allowing squad mates to spawn on you while you’re in your element. Not to mention they can build HMG positions in most places.
Their job is to pin enemies in place with suppressive fire, either opening an opportunity for their allies to attack, or deny the enemy’s approach. They’re a sitting duck however, easy targets for Snipers.
The first kit allows you to fortify your position with sand bags and gives you more benefits while on an HMG. The second kit decreases HMG build time and cooldown, allowing you to change position a lot quicker.
Stretcher Bearer
Finally, the Stretcher Bearers are the medics. They carry syringes and medical crates, move faster while holding a syringe and can spawn on squad members. Their place to be is right behind their squad, ready to patch wounds or pick downed allies back up.
The first kit allows teammates to heal from your backpack, while the second gives you faster heal speeds and additional medic crates.
Other classes
From Isonzo, you’ll also recognise:
Officer
Rifleman
Engineer
Light Machine Gunner (similar to Assault)
Spotter (previously Mountaineer)
Sniper (previously Marksman)
They’ll fill the same or similar roles in Gallipoli, but with new perks, equipment and buildables from their kits that better suit the Ottoman Fronts.
That’s all the classes! The abilities and equipment provided by subclasses are mirrored between the British and Ottomans, except for Light Machine Gunners, which are exclusive to the British Empire. Of course, your weapon options do depend on your faction.
We'll see you again soon with more Gallipoli information!
Hello everyone! Today is a very exciting day, as we have a brand new trailer in store for you. This brand new look at Gallipoli focuses on the Siege of Kut, where the Ottomans attacked the British Army holed up in the town of Kut Al Amara in lower Mesopotamia. The Siege of Kut Th
Hello everyone!
Today is a very exciting day, as we have a brand new trailer in store for you. This brand new look at Gallipoli focuses on the Siege of Kut, where the Ottomans attacked the British Army holed up in the town of Kut Al Amara in lower Mesopotamia.
The Indian Expeditionary Force (IEF) captured the Mesopotamian town of Kut al-Amara in September 1915. Situated in a horseshoe bend of the River Tigris it provided a base of operations for the British to consider a further advance towards Baghdad. However, after a defeat by Ottoman defenders at Ctesiphon in November of the same year, Major General Charles Townshend’s 6th (Poona) Division retreated back to Kut, where the Ottomans laid siege.
The British built trench lines out across the horseshoe and incorporated an old fortification - what the British referred to as the ‘Mud Fort’ - into their defensive lines. The Ottomans, commanded by Khalil Pasha, made numerous attacks on the outer defenses but could not break through. With the town besieged - and enough rations for around 60 days - the only hope for the British was for a relief force to be dispatched from Basra to break through the Ottoman lines. In order to accelerate this intervention, Townshend misrepresented his supply stores in messages back to Basra, claiming he had less food than he did. As a result, an ill-prepared British force was defeated by the Ottomans at El Hanna.
Charles Townshend and Khalil Pasha after the surrender of Kut, IWM (Q 79344)
With no prospect of relief, the supply situation became desperate and some defenders began to eat the animals within Kut. Townshend attempted to negotiate with Enver Pasha - then Minister for War - but he refused any terms. Townshend then surrendered the town after 147 days of siege and was taken to Constantinople. However, his army underwent a series of forced marches to prisoner of war camps where an estimated 70% of the British-Indian rank and file soldiers died during their captivity. The Siege of Kut was one of the worst defeats for the Entente of the entire war.
Kut Al Amara in Gallipoli
Kut is a map of two halves. The battle starts out of town in a no man's land of a scorching desert, dominated by the sun and heavy shelling. The other half transitions into full-on urban combat, with alleyways and doorways allowing threats to pop up from around every corner. However, let’s go back to the start of the battle and follow the Ottoman approach.
As the Ottomans begin their charge across the open dunes, their first obstacle is the lovingly nicknamed ‘Mud Fort’ and the fortified redoubt connected to its trench network, both of which make up Sector 1. It has been softened up by prior shelling already, but the British will still be able to put up a fight here; they have cover, the Ottomans have not.
Once past the fort, more opportunities for cover arise. On the left, along the river Tigris, you can ditch the sand and opt for mud instead. As the region’s lifeline, the Tigris allows for vegetation in the shape of palm trees to grow, providing you with some much needed cover to mask your approach to the objective. On the right side, the frontal assault option won’t be as punishing as before. The terrain here has a lot more trenches and prominent dunes, leading you to the kilns that mark the other objective of this sector.
Pushing past the palms & kilns, we dive into Kut proper. Entry into the town is divided into a left and a right approach by a large central building, with some sneakier options in the middle. Once beyond this building, we’re a short jog away from the objectives of Sector 3: the historical British Headquarters on the left and the Mosque on the right. Don’t get too comfortable though, as some of the rooftops are accessible and offer prime ambush opportunities. If you don’t see the enemy in front of you, you may need to look up!
As we approach Sector 4, the final sector, a perpendicular road opens up a whole lot of options. You can pick from any of 5 lanes that will take you through or past the Bazaar (or Souq) straight to the final objective, but all will bring chaos. The streets are cluttered, there are fires all over the place and the British have dug themselves in for their last stand. Some doors take you to the adjacent lanes, others are a dead end, while others still allow you to hide to reload or ambush a foe.
The long sightlines are a prime opportunity for machine gun fire, but if you manage to break through, you’ll find the final Headquarters in the warehouse at the docks of Kut.
The Arsenal
Martini-Henry Mk.IV
The Martini-Henry is a breech-loading lever action rifle from 1871. As it was replaced by the Lee-Metford, all existing Martini-Henry variants were converted to .45 calibre to limit the amount of different calibres in service, creating the Martini-Henry Mk.IV.
Even though the Lee-Metford had also already been replaced by the Lee-Enfield by WW1, the Martini-Henry Mk.IV saw service during the war, as reserves of the newer rifles started to run out – especially on the Ottoman Fronts.
Peabody-Martini M1874
As the Ottoman Empire was unable to purchase Martini-Henry rifles from the British, they bought rifles identical to the Martini Henry Mk.I from the United States. The main difference between the weapons was the lack of barrel rifling that gave the Martini-Henry the ‘Henry’ part of its name. Instead, it took the name of the Peabody action both rifles have.
Much like the Martini-Henry, the Peabody-Martini was already replaced long before WW1. However, it continued to play a role in Ottoman culture as the every man’s rifle, appearing in tales of outlaws and folk heroes like Hekimoğlu. During WW1, it reappeared on the battlefield as the Ottomans started to run out of Mauser rifles.
Hotchkiss Portative Mk.I
As we’ve established, much of Kut Al Amara provides great opportunities to dig in behind some sandbags or a low wall with a machine gun in hand. So let’s take a look at one of the options for the British Empire!
The Hotchkiss Portative is an Austrian design sold to Hotchkiss in 1893. It was improved upon by the American manager of the manufacturer and saw limited production by Springfield and Colt. Production officially began in the Hotchkiss factory in Paris, but the factory was moved to Lyon when the Germans threatened the city. The following year, Hotchkiss was invited to set up a factory in the UK, where 40,000 units were made. Quite the journey.
That’s everything for today! We hope you enjoyed the new look at the game and are excited for Kut Al Amara. If you haven’t already, add Gallipoli to your wishlist! It really helps us out by giving us more opportunities to spread the word about the new game.
We have some exciting collaborations coming up soon as well as some substantial news next month. See you soon!
Hello everyone! Today we’d like to take a look at the movement improvements we’ve made to Gallipoli. Not only have we really improved the animations when switching stance and improved collisions so you don’t run into smaller objects, we’re also making gameplay changes to stamina
Hello everyone! Today we’d like to take a look at the movement improvements we’ve made to Gallipoli. Not only have we really improved the animations when switching stance and improved collisions so you don’t run into smaller objects, we’re also making gameplay changes to stamina and sprinting. Let’s get into it!
In Gallipoli, stamina plays a bigger role than before. Many more actions will now drain your stamina: sprinting, meleeing, jumping, vaulting will all tire you out. However, we’ve also changed stamina to be a bit more forgiving. You’ll never be prevented from doing an action if you’re exhausted. Your movement is less rigid, your aim sways more and you’ll sprint slower, but you can still get the job done.
Your maximum amount of stamina depends on your state. As you get hurt more and more, the limit is decreased more and more, until about half if you’re downed. This means that if you’re injured, you won't be able to run as far, or keep your weapon as steady as before.
The speed at which you regenerate your stamina depends on the equipment and weapons you have on you. Heavy weaponry like the Lewis Gun will slow regeneration down quite a bit, while only carrying a humble side arm will get you back on the road in a jiffy.
Sprinting
How fast and far you can sprint varies. If your stamina is nearly full, you’ll sprint faster. As it starts to drain through your actions, like sprinting for a longer time or getting involved in a brawl, you’ll slowly lose speed. Once you’re out of stamina, you’ll still be able to run, but at a slower pace. If you’re not smack dab in the middle of no man's land, it may be better to catch your breath instead of running on.
If you’re in need of a momentary speed boost, be sure to take a sip from your water flask. Hydration is important!
Crouched Sprinting
If you start sprinting while crouched, you’ll no longer stand up automatically. Instead, you’ll sprint while remaining crouched, combining speed and a low profile. Very useful if you’d like to keep your head in the safety of a trench while still keeping pace, but you’ll drain stamina quicker than regular sprinting, and you’re not as fast.
Proned “Sprinting”
You can also “sprint” while prone. I wouldn’t really consider it sprinting per se, but you can get out of a sticky situation while keeping the lowest possible profile a bit quicker, at the cost of much of your stamina. Useful when you’re suppressed!
That’s it! You’ll be doing a lot of running around in Gallipoli, so we hope these improvements and extra features will make movement more grounded and tactical.
The keen eyed amongst you may have noticed that Gallipoli is listed in the IGN Fest lineup. ‘Tis true! We have a brand new trailer to showcase live during the event, so be sure to tune in.
Hello everyone! We’re here to kick off the new year (halfway through January) with one of the biggest new additions to Gallipoli: the Downed State. In a previous blog, we briefly talked about health and making damage calculations more granular. While before we distinguished betwe
Hello everyone! We’re here to kick off the new year (halfway through January) with one of the biggest new additions to Gallipoli: the Downed State.
In a previous blog, we briefly talked about health and making damage calculations more granular. While before we distinguished between the head, arms and body, it’s now split into neck, belly, pelvis, upper limbs, lower limbs, hands and feet. This is one of the reasons for this change.
Imagine this: you just got shot in the thigh from some distance away. First things first: Ouch! However, the damage is unlikely to be lethal immediately. Instead of you biting the dust immediately, you’ll be downed; you’re lying on the ground, extremely busy bleeding out. If any allies remain close by, they’ll have the opportunity to bandage the wound and get you back into the fight in a severely wounded state.
While downed and shouting for help, you have two options: either lay still and try to slow the bleeding to give your allies more time to pick you back up, or try to crawl to a safer position, hopefully making it easier for your allies to help you. However, crawling around will make you bleed out faster. You can also just give up if you’re done with the war.
You’re unable to pull out your weapon or melee while downed. Your only focus is the fact you’re about to bleed out and need help immediately. Taking any amount of damage or bleeding out will finish you off, giving the person who downed you credit for the kill.
On the other side of the engagement, we’ve made sure this all feels fair. Hitting centermass within a weapon’s intended range, shooting someone at close range, shooting someone in the head or meleeing will kill without downing a target. Your target is more likely to be downed when you use a weapon outside its effective range, or if you hit someone’s arm or leg from medium range onwards. Explosions can down you if you’re outside of their lethal radius, but close enough to take considerable damage.
Our Intention
The Downed State is about giving someone who positions well and works with their squad a second chance if they were grazed by a bullet. If someone is downed in a trench close to their squad, it’s likely they’ll be revived. However, if someone is out in the open with no allies in sight, getting downed will still leave you alone, out in the open, and thus easy to finish off.
The one shot, one kill gameplay we’ve always had is still here. This puts a bit more emphasis on being accurate on the shooter’s side, and teamwork & positioning on the target’s side. Balance-wise, killing targets at long range is a bit more of a challenge now, especially if you try to do so with a pistol.
That's it for today! We hope you're excited for this addition. Be sure to wishlist & follow Gallipoli to be the first to know about the many more details coming soon.
What do you mean you’ve already had way too many recaps this year? Hello everyone! We hope you’ve had a great 2025! For the WW1 Game Series, it was a very special year. We’ve been very busy behind the scenes preparing for the release of Gallipoli in 2026, but let’s take a moment
What do you mean you’ve already had way too many recaps this year?
Hello everyone!
We hope you’ve had a great 2025! For the WW1 Game Series, it was a very special year. We’ve been very busy behind the scenes preparing for the release of Gallipoli in 2026, but let’s take a moment to look back on everything that happened in 2025.
The Moschin Expansion & free DLC Upgrade
Isonzo got its final expansion: Moschin! This map is the only night map in Isonzo, set in the burning woods of the Grappa massif. As the Austro-Hungarians attempted to circumvent the Piave river in June 1918, they commenced a heavy bombardment on the Italian defenses. However, the Italians knew what they were up to, and counterattacked at just the right time.
Along with the map came the Beretta M1918, an Italian semi-automatic carbine with an incredible fire rate and capacity, perfect for aggressive manoeuvers. For the Germans looking for a grenade with a bit more bang for your buck, the M1917 Geballte Ladung 6x is all you need!
The Avanti Savoia Units DLC that came for free with Isonzo for those who got the game in the first week of launch had a huge uplift. It’s now a fully- fletched DLC with over 50 rare and late-war items. The best part: if you already had the original DLC, this upgrade is completely free. Thank you for your continued support!
Of course, the highlight of the year is the announcement of Gallipoli! This fourth game is taking the series to the Ottoman Fronts, where the Entente, notably including Anzac and Indian forces, open up the attack on the Ottoman Empire.
For Gallipoli, we put a big focus on the look & feel of the game, taking the immersion and simulation aspects to the next level. It’s set to release in 2026, so be sure to add it to your wishlist if you haven’t already!
Anniversary Trailer
We celebrated the 12 Year Anniversary of the WW1 Game Series with a huge sale and a compilation trailer for a trip down memory lane!
In the months following the announcement, we started sharing more info about Gallipoli.
Expedition Game Mode
We first took a look at the game mode of Gallipoli: Expedition. This mode captures combat as it was like on the Ottoman Fronts, revolving around momentum and all-out assaults. Objectives are now also randomized to a degree, so work with your squad to make decisions on the go!
For the full explanation of the Expedition game mode, check out the blog!
Next, we looked at two of the maps coming to Gallipoli!
Ctesiphon is set on the Mesopotamian front, where British and Indian forces landed to secure Basra and the oil fields further inland. This is an arid region with vegetation along the banks of the river Tigris, but it’s prone to sandstorms. You may want to take shelter by the Arch of Ctesiphon!
Anzac Cove is known for the landings by the British and Anzac forces on the shores of Gallipoli. Their goal was to capture Constantinople and knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war, but they faced much stronger resistance from the Ottomans than expected. The terrain consists of ridged hills and vegetation that can provide both some cover and make you cross wide-open areas.
Then, we shared some of the work-in-progress gameplay changes planned for Gallipoli. From pacing to animations, damage and ballistics, we showed a lot of the improvements coming to the game. Take a look for yourself!
Now with Gallipoli coming together, we’ve taken a close look at the scope of the game. To better reflect the fronts outside of the Middle East that saw Ottoman action, like the Gallipoli campaign itself, we’ve decided to change the subtitle of Gallipoli from “Middle Eastern Front” to “Ottoman Fronts”.
In the upcoming months, we’ll reveal more maps coming to Gallipoli at launch. Stay tuned!
Movember Returns!
Back in Isonzo-land, the Movember Handlebar moustache is back! If you’d like to stick this mighty moustache on your upper lip, be sure to get it now. It’s still available until January 5th!
Proceeds are donated to the not-for-profit Movember Organization in support of their cause.
The Christmas Truce just went live! Be sure to join the festivities, throw some snowballs, write a Christmas card and challenge friend and foe for a little game of football. Find out more here:
Those are the highlights of 2025! We have a lot of Gallipoli news and showcases in the works for early 2026, so please look forward to that. For now, we really hope you have the merriest of Christmases and a great New Year.
December 24, 1914. On Christmas Eve, 5 months after the hostilities started, war was still raging on at its fullest around the Western Front. Even still, roughly 100,000 British and German troops were reportedly involved in the informal ceasefire along the Front, later dubbed 'Th
December 24, 1914. On Christmas Eve, 5 months after the hostilities started, war was still raging on at its fullest around the Western Front. Even still, roughly 100,000 British and German troops were reportedly involved in the informal ceasefire along the Front, later dubbed 'The Christmas Truce'.
The Germans began the celebrations with singing Christmas carols, soon met with carols in return from the British lines. What followed were friendly calls of Christmas greetings across No Man’s Land, eventually leading to soldiers from both sides meeting in person where they exchanged small gifts. Artillery had also fell silent, which allowed the burial of the fallen from both parties, and hold joint services. In some areas the truce lasted through Christmas night, and in others it continued all the way into the New Year.
To get a glimpse of what the Christmas Truce in Verdun was like in 1914, select Christmas Truce from the Play menu to join others in a peaceful ww1 inspired winter setting. Once inside, you can take part in festive activities like snowball fights, friendly football matches, exploring decorated trenches, or warming up around the fire. Just as they did 111 years ago! You can also send digital Christmas cards from the front using the post offices scattered around the map.
The Christmas Truce runs from December 18th to January 5th, 2025, and participating earns you the special Christmas Truce medal!
Map of Ottoman Empire in 1914, URL: 
The Changing Waves of Migration from the Balkans to Turkey: A Historical Account - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: 
Admiral Souchon and his officers in Ottoman Navy uniforms. By Garitan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 
Three maps, showing the advance on Baghdad and first and second battles of Kut. Unknown artist, United States Military Academy, Department of History, map 47 b, 
Turk Soldiers, Gallipoli. Bain News Service, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington 
The British Army In The Sinai and Palestine Campaign, 1915-1918. Imperial War Museums Q 12310 
Sykes-Picot Agreement. Institute for Curriculum Services, 
Map of the stabilised front Jan 1915 - Dec 1916, 
Map of the Russian Empire in 1914, 
Map, pictorial of Gallipoli campaign, 
Church service on HMS 'Queen Elizabeth', 1915, 
The converted steamer 'River Clyde', anchored at V-Beach, Gallipoli, Spring 1915,
The Dawn Service at Anzac Cove, 2019, 
Sedd el Bahr fort photographed from the SS River Clyde, 
