Wargame: European Escalation announced

Developer Eugen Systems has announced it is developing a new RTS game to add to its growing stable of franchises in the genre, this time with the alternate history title Wargame: European Escalation.

Set in the "rarely explored period of 1975-1985," Wargame: European Escalation focuses on two sides of a growing battle: the United States and Western Europe versus the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries. "The specter of nuclear warfare loomed large over the real Cold War, but this catastrophic outcome was the ultimate last resort as everyone knew that the first one to start nuclear hostilities would end up wiped out just the same," a press release detailed.

War. What is it good for? Video game settings, primarily.

In this "what could have been" scenario, players will battle for control of the globe. It is called Wargame, so what else did you expect?

Eugen Systems' best-known property might be the Act of War series, which launched on PC in 2005. In 2010, the Paris-based developer released R.U.S.E. with publisher Ubisoft for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Wargame: European Escalation is expected to arrive in the "first quarter of 2012", under the publishing arm of Focus Home Interactive. The PC-exclusive is planned to hit retail stores and digital platforms. Details and screens are sparse now, but Eugen promises a full reveal at E3 2011.