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Press release:
Montreal — December 10, 2025 — Canadian developer Athelan Games, a two-person indie team, has today announced its new turn-based, tactical PvP game Athelan Battlegrounds. The title is a free-to-play, turn-based tactics game built for players who want strategy without shortcuts.

With no meta progression and no Pay-to-Win, Athelan Battlegrounds focuses entirely on clean, skill-based combat. Build your team of champions, experiment with tactics, and take on other players or sharpen your skills against AI opponents. A playable demo will be available on January 17th and will take part in the Steam Next Fest in February.

Athelan Battlegrounds is built to give players real strategic freedom. Two core PvP modes (10v10 and 5v5) offer both ranked and unranked play, letting competitors jump into large-scale tactical clashes or tighter, more intimate duels. For those still finding their footing, the game’s adaptive enemies provide a way to practice, experiment, and explore new tactics at any pace. Players can also use the board editor to assemble unique team formations, decorate their boards, and save multiple layouts so they can quickly pivot between different strategies before a match.

Beyond the battlefield, Athelan Battlegrounds’ full release scheduled for Q3 2026 will include a suite of tools to help players grow and stay connected. The development team is committed to building the game in close collaboration with its players, actively encouraging feedback through Discord, streams, and community content to help shape the future of the game.

The full release will include the following features (and more!):

Two PvP Modes: 10v10 and 5v5, each with both ranked and unranked options.

Adaptive AI Training: Practice against AI opponents of varying skill to prepare for real matches.

Board Editor: Build and customize your own champion teams with a flexible layout system.
Board Customization: Decorate boards and save multiple layouts to switch strategies quickly.

Profile Tools: Edit your player profile and review replays to analyze your matches.

Community Interaction: Join global chat channels and connect with players across the universe.

Level Editor: Create or play entirely custom levels, a limitless sandbox for learning, experimenting, and having fun.

Match Replays: Review your matches in a play-by-play analysis to hone your skills.

For more information, please visit
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3572070/Athelan_Battlegrounds/.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4146750/Athelan_Battlegrounds_Demo/

Follow the game on X, Discord, and Instagram.