In solidarity with the oncoming winter, of which I most detest, I have painted up some Ghost Bears. I’m hoping this somehow bestows me with frost resilience if not outright resistance to the cold, onrushing ice. I doubt it will. Truly, I am the worst Canadian.
But no matter! Despite rapidly dropping temperatures, Sarna is once again here for you with all the news from the past month. Let’s dive right in!
PAX Unplugged Brings More BattleTech Product Updates, And Aces Is Here!
As always, we begin with a bunch of new products. We’re getting fewer than expected releases for November, largely because Aces has sucked all the air out of the room, but that’s fine because BattleTech Aces: Scouring Sands is finally here! CGL had a bunch of these available at PAX Unplugged (more on that later), and they all sold out. I’m getting reports that pre-orders in the US have started deliveries, and the rest of the world will have to be patient as shipments work their way around the globe. Randall said at PAX Unplugged that Aces is the fastest-selling BattleTech product so far and is on track to dethrone Gothic, so things are looking good for the remaining Aces boxes to come! (also more on that later).
Elsewhere in November, we’ve got the release of the C-scale Gothic Atlas, the re-release of Unlimited Honor by Michael Stackpole with its updated cover art, and the new Tales of the Bounty Hunter Anthology, which is available to Mercenaries Kickstarter backers for free. We’ve also seen the release of the long-awaited Brush Wars: Operation Guerrero, which is available digitally on Catalyst’s store. For December, Catalyst is making some adorable cardboard Christmas ornaments, so stay tuned for how to order them.
Now, let’s get into the big update from Randall provided at PAX Unplugged. Lorcan helpfully provided a summary, and I’ll relay the big highlights here.
- Kurita ForcePacks pushed to January.
- Brush Wars: Operation Guerrero is just the first chapter, with future chapters covering other smaller conflicts coming out as PDFs in the future.
- Hot Spots: Draconis Reach scheduled for upcoming summer.
- Battlemats: Fire & Ice, Map Pack: Volcanic coming in spring, Map Pack: Glacier coming in the summer.
- Camacho’s Caballeros ForcePack confirmed from Big Red’s announcement video, will contain remodeled Grand Titan and Hunchback 4P. Barnes & Noble exclusive releasing next autumn.
- Illician Lancers Command Lance previewed by Li Ya, Ostwar, Ostroc, Ostsol, and honorary Ost-’Mech Scarabus, coming next spring, also B&N exclusive.
- Clan Wolf Support Star with Glass Spider, Orion IIC, Phantom, Lobo, and Ice Ferret D scheduled for next spring/summer.
- Viking IIC coming in Snowblind, next Aces box, coming next year, will also have Fire Moth G, Arctic Cheetah A, Rime Otter, Mongrel A, Nova Cat B, Grizzly, and Kingfisher C.
- Abominations ForcePack confirmed, aiming for spring release.
- Map-scale Leopard shown, 3 hexes, usable with new AeroTech rules, spring release.
- New rulebook (currently in playtesting) to release at Gen Con, will replace Total Warfare and BattleMech Manual
- Next BattleTech Continuum product will be Rockets & Rayguns, production end of next year, expecting to release new Continuum product every 18 months.
- Mechnificent Seven Season 2 debuts in December.
There’s also an update for late Mercenaries backers still waiting on their shipments, which you can read about here. Sounds like things are moving, but there are some logistical hiccups that still need to be resolved for the rest of the world.
Finally, pre-orders for December’s edition of Shrapnel are available now. Be sure to pick up the latest Shrapnel wherever fine books are sold.
BattleTech Playtest Updates New Aerospace Rules, Mission Rules Coming Soon
As mentioned in previous news updates, Classic BattleTech is currently playtesting new rules to be included in next year’s rule book. We’ve already had some significant changes made to Ultra Autocannons, ammo explosions, and leg destructions, and now we’re looking at playtesting new Battlefield Support: Aerospace rules. The 1.01 release of the playtest was recently updated to the 2.01 release, which includes several changes and additions outlined here. You can download the Aerospace playtest here and provide your feedback on the forums on the official playtest site. The new mission generator playtest will be arriving on December 1st.
Crescent Hawks’ Revenge, Inception On Xbox Game Pass
Crazy news!!! Crescent Hawk’s Inception and Revenge are now available on Xbox retro Game Pass (not sure if it’s via streaming but still cool to see) www.trueachievements.com/news/xbox-ga…
— Art of Battletech & Mechwarrior (@artofbattletech.bsky.social) 2025-10-16T16:06:56.044Z
I missed this in the wild rush of news last month. Both Crescent Hawks’ Inception and Revenge are now available on Xbox Game Pass via the Retro Classics section. This includes a number of other classic retro games, like MechWarriors 1 & 2, but now you can play the MechWarrior precursors that eventually birthed BattleTech‘s longstanding videogame franchise. Thanks to Emil of the Art of BattleTech for this tip.
King Crab Versus Gothic-Inspired Monster ‘Mech
Matt plog made some art inspired by BattleTech Gothic
byu/knightmechaenjo inbattletech
Given the electric bunny logo on the charging King Crab, I’m guessing this isn’t something that appeared in the official BattleTech: Gothic box. I’m noticing that the Abomination also doesn’t really have Gothic vibes, either. More like an anime-inspired monster with all those biomechanically fused components. Whatever Matt Plog does is pure gold, though.
Wolves Wave 3 Shipping Soon Alongside Multiplayer Update
It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Wolves, the free-to-download MechAssault fan game. That’s because the folks over at New Day Fiction have been working tirelessly to get Wave 3 into a playable state—a task which is nearing completion. Wolves Wave 3 is coming soon, and after that, Wolves will move to more traditional updates. Alongside all the Wave 3 ‘Mechs, Wolves will also be shipping its long-awaited multiplayer mode, allowing you to take on endless waves of enemies alongside your closest pals.
Wolves would update sooner if it had a few key positions filled, such as Unity/C programmers, Sound Designer, and 3D modelers. You can read more about what’s coming in the Wave 3 update here, and help New Day Fiction with its big MechAssault dreams by heading to the Wolves Discord. You can download Wolves Wave 2 (and Wave 3 when it releases) here.
MechCommander Gets Dedicated Website For Free Download And Online Forums
MECHCOMMANDER NEVER DIES!
byu/Embarrassed_Bid_3236 inbattletech
MechCommander has been free to download and play for quite a while if you knew where to look. Recently, however, a new website has emerged to become a central hub for this classic tactical ‘Mech combat game. You can now head to mechcommanderonline.com to download the most current version of MechCommander and find like-minded MechCommanders to play with.
This website, which provides the most recent version of MechCommander, which includes player-made updates and even a few new weapons, and the associated YouTube channel is all the work of Ninjutsu, perhaps the biggest MechCommander fan there ever was. They’re also growing the classic MechCommander community via a dedicated Discord channel, so if you’re looking to get into this classic game or perhaps experience some nostalgic bliss, head to any of these three locations to dive back into MechCommander.
Have Some More BattleTech Propaganda Posters
Battletech Propaganda Posters PART 3!
byu/Squirrelnuts5000 inbattletech
I know I already showcased Squirrelnuts5000’s propaganda posters last month, but I just love them so much that I had to get the rest of them this month. Sue me. Or sue Squirrelnuts5000.
This Fooled Me Into Thinking It Was An Official Render
I love the Centurion OmniMech. And then this thing showed up in my feed one day, and it was so clean that it fooled me into thinking that Stinger410 had actually posted an official redesign. I was less fooled by the MechWarrior 4-style Gladiator, but it still looks pretty sweet.
MechWarrior 5: Clans Clashes With ComStar In Wolves Of Tukayyid DLC
I don’t think I’ve ever been correct about my predictions for either MechWarrior 5: Clans or Mercenaries, but I’m at least consistently pleased to be wrong. For the next DLC, MechWarrior 5: Clans is jumping the timeline toward the most iconic fight in BattleTech history: the Battle of Tukayyid.
This time around, you’ll be jumping into ‘Mech of a very famous Clan Wolf MechWarrior: Ranna Kerensky, granddaughter of Natasha Kerensky, lover of Phelan Kell, and a future Star Colonel in Clan Wolf’s Alpha Galaxy. Wolves of Tukayyid, however, takes place during an earlier time in Ranna’s career when she’s a mere Star Commander in the 13th Wolf Guards. This particular unit takes part in some of the heaviest fighting Clan Wolf experienced during the Battle of Tukayyid, so expect this 20-mission campaign to be a slugfest.
In addition to the new campaign, Wolves of Tukayyid brings six ’Mechs to MW5: Clans: the Linebacker, Ice Ferret, Shadow Hawk IIC, Incubus, Bane, and, for the first time since Ghost Bear’s Legacy, the Naga. That means we’re getting Arrow IVs, and because Clan Wolf doesn’t eschew artillery like other clans, we’re also getting artillery support as a game mechanic.
On top of that, a refreshed Mech Lab will bring back the TRO-style view of components, and jump jets are getting additional functionality. We’ve also got a few new shorts depicting Rana and her Starmates from the MW5: Clans YouTube channel. Wolves of Tukayyid arrives on December 4.
MechWarrior 5: Clans Mod Editor Now Available
ALL HANDS ON DECK: The Mechwarrior 5: Clans Mod Editor is now publicly available – everyone go get going on the modding! store.epicgames.com/p/mechwarrio…
— Art of Battletech & Mechwarrior (@artofbattletech.bsky.social) 2025-11-04T20:31:49.433Z
The closed beta test for the MechWarrior 5: Clans mod editor has completed, and it’s now available to the public. Looking to make some changes to MechWarrior 5: Clans? Now you can, thanks to this handy editor, available on the Epic Games Store here. Now get out there and port MechWarrior Online’s ’Mechs into Clans before PGI can do it officially!
Shadow Of Kerensky On Track To Be Best-Selling Mercenaries DLC
Congratulations to Piranha Games and the Mechwarrior 5 team – Shadow of Kerensky is on track to be the best-selling DLC for Mercenaries. Hopefully this success continues with the upcoming Wolves of Tukayyid for Mechwarrior 5 Clans in December!
— Art of Battletech & Mechwarrior (@artofbattletech.bsky.social) 2025-11-11T12:13:26.317Z
From publisher EG7’s latest financials, Shadow of Kerensky is on track to become MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries’ best-selling DLC ever. That’s good news if you’d like more Mercenaries DLC, perhaps one where we fight on the side of ComStar during the Battle of Tukayyid. But I’m not going to prognosticate as I’ll almost certainly be wrong.
Naga (And Naga II) Also Coming To MechWarrior Online
It’s no surprise that PGI will add the Naga to MechWarrior Online as well as MechWarrior 5: Clans. What IS surprising, however, is that it’ll also add the Naga II, one of the newest ‘Mechs to enter BattleTech‘s extensive roster courtesy of the ilClan Recognition Guides. The Naga Pack, which ships January 20, will include both the Naga Prime and B variants, as well as the Naga II Prime, A, B, C, and H variants. As exciting as the Naga II is, I don’t see what it brings to the game that the Gargoyle doesn’t already, but the regular Naga has Arrow IVs, which will almost certainly shake up the MWO meta.
Something else that’ll shake up the MWO meta is the November patch and its extensive weapons rebalance! Almost every single weapon in the game has been changed, with some getting buffs and others getting nerfs. Some are relatively small changes, like Clean Beam Laser seeing its heat reduced from 3.2 to 3, while others are fairly substantial, such as the Rail Gun’s charge time increasing from 0.75 to 1.0 seconds. The Cauldron expects more tweaks to be on the way after this comprehensive weapons pass.
In comparison, the ‘Mech quirk tweaks seem fairly light. There are no real standouts here except that all Huntsman variants (minus the H) now have more leg armor and 5% less heat. Also, the Black Knight BL-7-KNT can boat Light PPCs a bit more effectively. Other than that, you’ll have to check the patch notes for the full list of changes.
The Coalition Wins The MWO 2025 Grand Finals
As happens every year, MWO also hosted the Grand Finals earlier this month, and this year’s Grand Champion is The Coalition! A dominant performance in the finals pushed this team of MWO veterans to the pinnacle of the game. Congratulations to The Coalition, and enjoy your many MWO goodies!
Don’t Make A Sound!
Elder Jester’s back with this incredible diorama that I simply had to share. Incredible lighting and posing for both the Flea and the Raven. Even though it’s a still image, you can cut this tension with a knife. Absolutely perfect, as indeed are most of Jester’s dioramas. You should check ’em out.
BattleTech Pride Anthology and Pirate Point 3 Now Accepting Submissions
Submissions are open for PIRATE POINT #3
byu/VersusJordan inbattletech
A couple of BattleTech fanzines have put out an open call for submissions. The BattleTech Pride Anthology is looking for submissions for its fourth year, with 2026’s soft theme being the Magistracy of Canopus. Submissions should be between 4,000 and 5,000 words, with details on submission guidelines found here.
We’ve also got Pirate Point 3 accepting submissions in the 500-1000-word range, but they also accept drawings, photos of minis, and many other pieces of media for its queer-punk aesthetic. You can get the details on submitting to Pirate Point 3 here, and join the Star League Discord if you’ve got any questions.
Long Live The King
This very British Black Knight has seen better days, but so long as you return with your sword and not on your shield. Thanks for sharing, Zaku.
Speaking Of Kings…
This Regent looks like it could be the cover of an upcoming novel, but it’s really just Fidel89 commissioning Orniris Terensi to portray his custom mercenary unit. There’s also a Hammerhead, which leads me to believe these guys have a direct connection to a Sea Fox arms merchant. I’m jealous.
Retro MechWarrior Short Film Series Ends With A Bang
Earlier this year, Polys & Pixels revealed their love letter to MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries with a pixel-perfect animated short. That series ends this month with the finale, ‘Remains of War,’ where our heroic Marauder finally gets the bad guy and goes home. I certainly hope we get to see a new series start up soon!
This Is Not The New Albatross, But It Should Be
After giving us his take on the Grand Titan earlier this year (preceding the official Grand Titan redesign by just six months), here we have Matt Plog once again redesigning another Marik assault ’Mech. This time it’s the Albatross, an appropriately-named machine that has always looked cool even though everybody hated it (in universe, at least). Shrapnel 13 provided us with some new Albatross variants, albeit without new art, but perhaps we’re just half a year away from another official redesign.
Yes, we double Plog-ed this month, but only because the Albatross is one of my favorites.
MegaMek Adds Playable Handheld Weapons And Retires Against The Bot
The MegaMek has skipped several version numbers and gone straight to its 0.50.10 release. Why? Apparently, .08 and .09 refused to compile, despite the MegaMek team’s insistent pleas. No matter, as 0.50.10 is here and adds several key new features and fixes numerous longstanding bugs.
The biggest deal is that handheld weapons are now playable outside of the MegaMekLab. Not only that, ’Mechs with hands can now pick stuff up, allowing them to carry small vehicles or Battle Armor in their arms. Unfortunately, you can’t throw stuff (yet), but I expect to see someone hurling a Savannah Master as a projectile sometime next year.
MekHQ has also seen the end of the Against the Bot era. StratCon takes over as the main campaign system as it offers everything AtB did and more. There are also various other changes, such as the addition of Anti-Radiation Ammo and new optional salvage rules, but you can read all about ’em in MegaMek‘s patch notes.
Fire Support: When Everything Else Outruns You
The UM-R70 UrbanMech is an ideal support platform with its Rotary AC/5, but it still doesn’t have quite enough ammo to fire its main weapon for long. Still, it’s a better option for long-range fires, except for the Arrow IV variant. Thanks for sharing, Masaka!
MechWarrior: Living Legends Returns With A Few New Coders And An Open Playtest
MechWarrior Living Legends is making a comeback baby.
byu/ChinPokoBlah11 inmechwarrior
If you’re looking for Battlefield-style combat in the BattleTech universe, look no further than MechWarrior: Living Legends. This former Crysis mod-turned standalone game is still going strong, and now they’ve got no coders parsing through lines to go on a bug-squashing spree. Join the Prerelease Test Environment if you’d like to help out and report any bugs on the MWLL Discord Server.
Project Helios Showcases Act 2 Gameplay In New Trailer
Project Helios Act 2 is set to arrive on New Year’s, but before then, we get to see more of the MechAssault total conversion mod in this new gameplay trailer. It’s bona fide MechAssault action in a MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries package. You can really see the new assets that MonkeyMann and friends have created specifically for the mod. There’s also a quality-of-life update coming to Act 1 for those of you who’ve already played. If you’d like to support the team or be first in line to download the mod, head to MechAssault Discord here.
Happy Turkey ’Mech!
Happy Early Thanksgiving Mechwarriors
byu/Sea_Phase_5979 inmechwarrior
We’ve seen this turkey before, but the appropriately-painted Huron Warrior? Beautiful. I’ve eaten my Thanksgiving a month ago, but I hope you Yanks enjoyed your more recent meal.
And Uh… Whatever This Is!
Happy Thanksgiving from Mechbay (my art)
byu/geergutz inmechwarrior
Geergutz, I know you like doing your own versions of iconic ’Mechs, but I need to know what you just cooked for these hungry boys. It looks delicious.
And that’s it for November! Join us next month after I’ve hopefully had plenty of time to play Aces!
And as always, MechWarriors: Stay Syrupy.
Thank you, a nice round-up as always.
One minor error: Operation Guerrero itself isn’t being released in parts. All of it is Chapter One of Brush Wars Volume 3, the other two chapters covering Xin Sheng and the First Combine-Bear War.
ugh I really wish we’d get something to break up guerrero and xin sheng for those of us who don’t enjoy capellan wankfests
LOVE the artwork of the King Crab going up against the whatever-that-is Mech(?)! Makes the Black Marauder rather tame-looking in comparison! I also like that Turkey-Mech mini you guys show this time of year! What would it be if it were a working Mech, like it’s stats and weapons? It could be VERY deadly if done right, and MechWarriors would DEFINITELY give thanks that they didn’t have to face it! GOBBLE-GOBBLE-ZAP!!!
GBLR-101 Gobbler incoming!
Hey thanks for sharing my diorama! Really appreciate it!
Sean, don’t sweat being a “bad Canadian ” – were talking about a country whose population is almost entirely within 200 miles of the us border.
I was out in a 4×4 convoy in north (central) BC and we had to rescue some Vancouver people who had locked themselves out of the rental car. Bears (not ghost bears) would have found them eventually…
Most Canadians are “bad” Canadians!
As for the urbie, I designed a 20 ton “suburbanmech” with a large laser. If you cut the armor down to a 3.5 tons (or use endo steel), you can move 5/8/5. Runs hot with SHS. But they’d be a good mini trashcan escort for the heavier weapon urbies.
Crescent hawks revenge was one of the best games around that era. Maybe an early “RTS” but more realistic of course without the building aspect. Had to really be careful with green troops who would always run too hot and shut down their mechs. “Fire defensively ” and keep tight grouping. And of course use JJ mechs when you can. I really cannot imagine getting off dieron alive without stumbling onto those 4 new crusaders… those vehicles were spent! What were they a fww skulkers and a wee APC? The heavy stuff by then was toast.
And the training app at the end was great replayability. Shame that the canon IS 3050 era mechs never matched infocoms predictions for maxed out firepower from marauders, Warhammer, shadow hawks, Phoenix hawks, and especially that rifleman with dual LLs and dual PPCs. What a monster.
Kurita Force Packs in January? Man…weren’t there supposed to be several House and Clan specific force packs released by this time? Sure would be great if Catalyst focused on core product to get that out instead of wasting time and money on ill-conceived spin-off nonsense.
LOVE that Cent Omni , that’s what the official Centurion should look like , not the abomination (sic) we’re saddled with . . . also gotta dig those Steve Zodiac shoulders ( IYKYK . . . )
What’s wrong with the Albatross? Love the new pic you guys put up, by the way! True, the design was built in a hurry, but from what I’ve seen, there are no basic problems with the Mech! It seems powerful and tough enough to do the job, right? It’s still in service by the ilClan era, so the Free Worlds League did alright with that Mech! And leave Canada and it’s people alone, okay? I’m Minnesotan, and as we border Canada we have a LOT in common with our neighbors of the Great White North! Besides, they have to put up with US!