A new Dev Blog is here! We share an update on the maps and Career mode for Odessa and Leningrad in Great Battles.

[FTB_Berkut]

еще бы добавили самолетов за финскую сторону, которых нет до сих пор, на 41 год: В-239, бленхейм, фоккер D-XXI, за СССР  дб-3 все модификации, включая дб-3Ф(ил-4), СБ-2, ТБ-3 (все участвовавшие типы, в том числе звено для карты одесса), р-10, су-2. да много еще каких нехватает

[Drewm3i-VR]

5 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

Wow these maps both look insane for old IL2 GB. Well done. 
 

Any chance they can give this team a crack at updating all the GB maps to this standard? I love all the custom and unique buildings. You can tell a lot of love and care went into making these maps. 

Many of the maps look good, but the Rhineland needs an update. 

[JollyJack]

Overall that's very good news .... ! HaMaHa15 was working hard with others on Rheinland when he alas passed. He told me that he was in contact with IL2 about integrating his works. Maybe someone knows more what happened with the extensive edits f.i. around the Belgian Ardennes and Netherlands he showed us?

Some old forum stuff here: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/78266-mods-index-lists-by-category/

Edited September 9 by JollyJack

[Aapje]

9 hours ago, Husar said:

Thanks for the information. Any chance 1C  know what the progress is on the unfinished planes? I know those 3D models were built outside 1C, but there hasn't been any information about them since 2024. Was the project dropped, or are they still in development?

My understanding is that Karttakompania 'only' does the map-making, as a group, and that there are two guys who make the models for the planes on their own. Karttakompania & 1CGS are now fully focused on finishing the maps, so they may not check in on the plane guys that often.

Edited September 9 by Aapje

[Husar]

30 minutes ago, Aapje said:

My understanding is that Karttakompania 'only' does the map-making, as a group, and that there are two guys who make the models for de planes on their own. Karttakompania & 1CGS are now fully focused on finishing the maps, so they may not check in on the plane guys that often.

Once every two years isn't that often, but eventually they have to do it. FM/DM is 1C's field of work, and there is also a development schedule.

[Avimimus]

On 9/9/2026 at 10:06 AM, FTB_Berkut said:

еще бы добавили самолетов за финскую сторону, которых нет до сих пор, на 41 год: В-239, бленхейм, фоккер D-XXI, за СССР  дб-3 все модификации, включая дб-3Ф(ил-4), СБ-2, ТБ-3 (все участвовавшие типы, в том числе звено для карты одесса), р-10, су-2. да много еще каких нехватает

Also the Ju-87B/R... would make sense (at least as AI).

Were there any Pe-3 on the map? I believe they were operating further north in Karelia, but was that closer to Archangelsk? They certainly were present for Moscow and Stalingrad.

For that matter - were any DB-3 bases actually on the map? The last time I looked into Db-3/Il-4 unit histories it seemed that they were on some of our maps - but only while flying over them, as their bases were further east and their targets were further west! 😄

 

[Avimimus]

On 9/9/2026 at 8:34 AM, Husar said:

Thanks for the information. Any chance 1C  know what the progress is on the unfinished planes? I know those 3D models were built outside 1C, but there hasn't been any information about them since 2024. Was the project dropped, or are they still in development?

At the end of the development update that "Our friends at Karttakompania are working on adding Finland to the Pilot Career on the Gulf of Finland map."

Looking at the wording - it doesn't rule out the addition of aircraft for the Finnish campaign, but it also doesn't promise them - and it places responsibility for the design of the Finnish career with the third party. My own interpretation based on this sentence is that they are keeping the door open for a more extensive Finnish campaign, but they don't want to promise anything until Karttakompania has completed its work. This makes a lot of sense as third parties are often working on their projects part time and development timelines can be unpredictable as a result.

So, it could end up being just the Bf-109G - or it could end up being a DLC with five aircraft... or somewhere in between - we can't know for sure until the artwork is finished. But I do see this sentence as definitely keeping the door open for something.

[Enceladus828]

We’ve been deprived of a Pe-3 for too long, make it happen!!

And of note I do not wish to see another Bf-109 or Fw-190 in the game. The devs had their chance but did the Ta-152 instead.

[Avimimus]

39 minutes ago, Enceladus828 said:

And of note I do not wish to see another Bf-109 or Fw-190 in the game. The devs had their chance but did the Ta-152 instead.

Well, it is arguably a Fw-190 variant... I might enjoy a Bf-109G-8 to be honest. There might also be a bit of an argument for a Fw-190A4. But, in general, I share your sympathy for the idea of having aircraft which are more unusual or not just additional variants of those two.

[Enceladus828]

2 hours ago, Avimimus said:

But, in general, I share your sympathy for the idea of having aircraft which are more unusual or not just additional variants of those two.

There's also the fact the game goes up to March 1945 so planes like the Ta-152 and Spitfire Mk.XIVe are only there historically for a month and no heavies means that the Ta-152 cannot be used for its intended purpose so what's the point? I'm not saying that they never should have been in the game I'm just saying that planes like the Bf-110F-2 and Pe-3 are better options since we can use them in multiple places in the game over much longer time periods.

Edited September 10 by Enceladus828

[kama1]

@Kubert @BlackSix 

no russian units on the map?

okaaaay, so what? like the Ta 152 on the Rhineland map with I./JG 11?

or Fw 190 A-3 with I./JG 51 on the Stalingrad map?

😅🥳🤪

i just want more equality between the content/lenght of Odessa an Leningrad.

 

Real Luftwaffe fighter career for Odessa:

- 1941 only 2 months

- 1944 only 3 months

 

Real Luftwaffe fighter units for Leningrad:

- 1941 for 8 months!

- 1944 for 6-7 months!

 

Soviet side: Odessa 10 months,

Leningrad 16 months!

 

since i dont play soviet, nor romanian, nor finnish side, i just beg for a week more figth with Luftwaffe in Odessa.

 

By the way: @LukeFF

I Really hope there will be content for 22.06.41 from dawn till dusk!!!! (get postet to the unit on 22nd, first flight on 23rd will be another disapointment

since 06.06.44 in normandy is totally missing!!!!!

 

 

Edited September 10 by kama1

[Avimimus]

1 hour ago, Enceladus828 said:

There's also the fact the game goes up to March 1945 so planes like the Ta-152 and Spitfire Mk.XIVe are only there historically for a month and no heavies means that the Ta-152 cannot be used for its intended purpose so what's the point? I'm not saying that they never should have been in the game I'm just saying that planes like the Bf-110F-2 and Pe-3 are better options since we can use them in multiple places in the game over much longer time periods.

I agree about the desirability of some of the remaining aircraft with more historical impact. I will quickly point out that the Ta-152 did not engage heavy bombers in its actual combat service. So it not engaging four engine bombers is accurate. However, in this thread, we should only be discussing aircraft with a direct impact on the Odessa or Leningrad careers. This is getting very deeply off-topic.

[IckyAtlas]

I must admit that the improvements on the map overall are visually impressive.

I forgot to mention, but is it possible that with all this effort done on GB, with bombers and maps, and mainly with flyable twin engine bombers that can deliver a nice bombing punch in a formation, we do get rid of this 4 crater limitation? It seems that you are committed to keep GB at the top so... When you attack an airfield as an example (but it is true in cities, roads, railways, and that after the attack (even during the attack) it is all pristine with just 4 craters remaining somewhere as only the last four stand. Please it should not be such an enormous work but much of a more realistic outcome. We keep on with this limitation since ten years now. I cannot imagine that is an engine core limitation. In all those years we had such progress in RAM capacity, CPU power, GPU power and memory. That limitation should be addressed. I do not ask for nicer or better craters, that's addressed in Korea. I just ask more of the same craters.

[Kubert]

On 9/10/2026 at 7:32 PM, kama1 said:

okaaaay, so what? like the Ta 152 on the Rhineland map with I./JG 11?

I never defended Ta-152. In my opinion it has no purpose in the game, at least from singleplayer perspective. I don't even bought this one.

On 9/10/2026 at 7:32 PM, kama1 said:

i just want more equality between the content/lenght of Odessa an Leningrad.

Normandy vs. Bodenplatte have around the same unequal lengths, little over 4 months vs. 6-7 months. 

On 9/10/2026 at 7:32 PM, kama1 said:

since i dont play soviet, nor romanian, nor finnish side, i just beg for a week more figth with Luftwaffe in Odessa.

Even when flying Luftwaffe, soviet bases are needed. NPC's need land somewhere. Other solution would be despawn them mid-air, which is in my opinon lame. Imagine you pursuing an enemy, the game turn you back because map limit, you look over the shoulder and see *PUF*...enemy just disappeared like UFO. Missions near map borders were always too restrictive, so I consider dev's decision to move starting date as correct.

[PaperPilot]

On 9/11/2026 at 12:50 AM, Avimimus said:

Also the Ju-87B/R... would make sense (at least as AI).

Were there any Pe-3 on the map? I believe they were operating further north in Karelia, but was that closer to Archangelsk? They certainly were present for Moscow and Stalingrad.

For that matter - were any DB-3 bases actually on the map? The last time I looked into Db-3/Il-4 unit histories it seemed that they were on some of our maps - but only while flying over them, as their bases were further east and their targets were further west! 😄

 

Interesting. 

Edited September 12 by PaperPilot

[RNAS10_MITCHELL]

Fantastic!  Now do Flying Circus. 

[OAE]

The German forces and Erich Hartmann's squadron (III./JG 52). Nice map also

Edited 1 hour ago by OAE