Arma 3 release date announced, leaves beta next month

It may not feature a campaign any more - that's now planned for inclusion in three separate chunks later down the line - but Arma 3's official launch is still going to be a significant enhancement for pretend soldiers, their pretend commanders, and the very real jerks who just want to mess with people . All of them will be able to get their hands on the full game, when it leaves beta on September 12.

Of course, if holding a single date in your head is too much to ask for, you can regularly check this countdown page instead.

The biggest change will be the addition of Atlis, the game's 270 km² main island - which will join the current 20 km² Stratis. In addition, Bohemia promise: "12 singleplayer showcases, 3 faction showcases, 9 multiplayer scenarios, 10 firing drill challenges, more than 20 vehicles and 40 weapons, 5 factions, the scenario editor and modding support."

You can still access the beta right now, for £29.99/$44.99/€34.99 . Both alpha and beta purchasers are guaranteed the full version on release.

Phil has been writing for PC Gamer for nearly a decade, starting out as a freelance writer covering everything from free games to MMOs. He eventually joined full-time as a news writer, before moving to the magazine to review immersive sims, RPGs and Hitman games. Now he leads PC Gamer's UK team, but still sometimes finds the time to write about his ongoing obsessions with Destiny 2, GTA Online and Apex Legends. When he's not levelling up battle passes, he's checking out the latest tactics game or dipping back into Guild Wars 2. He's largely responsible for the whole Tub Geralt thing, but still isn't sorry.