The digital strategy card game World War II: TCG, offline since 2022, is being revived. Games for a Living (GFAL), a studio based in Barcelona, says mobile testing begins on 26th November and an open beta opens two days later on 28th November.
Only members of the GFAL community can join the closed test on 26th November. On 28th November the open beta goes live on iOS and Android via the App Store and Google Play. During the test GFAL plans to gather feedback on gameplay, after which progress will be wiped, so anything earned in the beta will not carry over. The full mobile launch follows.
What the game is
The original version had players assemble decks from tanks, infantry, aircraft, ships and submarines. Cards drew on real units and equipment, including Japan’s A6M Zero fighter and Germany’s Tiger tank. A single deck could combine units from several armies, and their abilities worked together with equipment and orders cards.
Players received three action points per turn, which went toward either deploying cards or promoting units already in play. Promoting a unit boosted its stats and could unlock new abilities. If a promoted unit was destroyed, it returned to the deck with its upgrades intact and could be drawn again. Historical missions, ranked multiplayer, crafting and co-op raids were also part of the original.
Why it went offline, and why it’s back
World War II: TCG first came out in 2014 from FrozenShard Games, following a Kickstarter that brought in $18,001 from 199 backers. It debuted on mobile and reached Steam afterward.
The shutdown came when GameSparks, the game’s backend provider, closed. A 2022 notice from the developer said it had searched for alternative providers but judged a migration too complex, since a large share of its games’ features depended on GameSparks. In September 2022 FrozenShard removed the game from Apple’s App Store, Google Play and Steam.
That connection is what brought the game back: two FrozenShard co-founders now hold roles at GFAL, with Christian Gascons as chief operating officer and Marc Tormo as chief creative officer.
Web3 features and other platforms
After the beta wraps up, GFAL says eligible digital collectible cards will be ownable and tradable on the GFAL Marketplace. According to the company, the web3 side is optional, and players can build decks and compete with no crypto wallet connected. GFAL has not given a launch date for the marketplace or said which cards will qualify for trading.
A PC version for Steam and the Epic Games Store is also planned.
GFAL announced the revival in October alongside two other titles: Legends, a football management game, and Diamond Jewels Solitaire. The studio’s roadmap has all three entering testing in the fourth quarter, with an alpha for Legends and a beta for Solitaire.