BattleTech ‘Heavy Metal’ expansion now available

BattleTech’s newest expansion is available starting today. The turned-based strategy game is adding a handful of new battlemechs alongside a new weapons system and a Flashpoint campaign that will bring you “face-to-face with two legendary characters from BattleTech lore.”

In addition, update 1.8 brings some new free features and content, one of which being official mod support. Paradox warns players to mod at their own risk because although new mod management UI has been included, in-game modding tools are not.

According to a press release from Paradox Interactive, players will also be treated to:

Classic BattleMechs

• MARAUDER (75 Tons): perhaps the most iconic ‘Mech in BattleTech, known for its ability to hang back and snipe from a distance. Its Lance Command Module decreases the damage taken by it and its allies and gives a boost to Called Shots.

• WARHAMMER (70 Tons): known for dealing devastating particle cannon strikes, it exists to destroy other ‘Mechs quickly and efficiently. Its Optimized Capacitor Feeds increase the damage of all equipped Energy weapons.

• New Maps: Two new maps bring even more variety to your contracts: Jumbled Karst (an iconic rock formation set between two valleys), and Boulder Field (rolling hills and rocks dot this battle scarred landscape)

• New contracts: Over 40 new contracts, including new recurring allied and enemy NPCs, and new contract variants that mix up the missions you’ve seen in new and unexpected ways. Battle a dangerous solo mercenary, train a group of overly enthusiastic rookies, and serve as the personal bodyguard of an arrogant noble.
• New Events: We’ve added a slew of new mercenary travel Events to “enhance” your mercenary life.
• New Star Map Weapon Store Filters: We’ve added a new filter dropdown to the star map that lets you view planetary industry by type and a tooltip that tells you what you can find in each star system.
• Rebalanced Stores & LosTech: We’ve completely overhauled how weapons and equipment appear in our stores. Finding items is now more straightforward. We’ve also given LosTech items a boost in power to fit their legendary status.
• New Mech Viewer Get a close-up, rotatable view of your ‘Mech and customize its paint pattern directly in the Mech Lab!
• New Merc Company Crests Scads of new emblems to choose from for your mercenary company, drawn from notable factions throughout the Inner Sphere. Roleplay your heart out!