U.K.-based developer Milky Tea has revealed its latest game, a World War II tactics title called Grit and Valor — 1949. Its set to launch in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
While Milky Tea is the developer, the publishing side is being handled by Megabit. That’s a new arm of Aonic that will handle the company’s first- and third-party video game publishing efforts. Grit and Valor — 1949 will be one of the publisher’s first releases.
Described as “dieselpunk,” Grit and Valor — 1949 is a real-time tactics game set in an alternate history where World War II is still going as of 1949. To stop the Axis, which has gained control of Europe, players team up with a resistance group to deliver an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) bomb to the Axis’ mech production factory.
I saw a gameplay demo of the project in March at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) that explained the flow of battle. It draws clear inspiration from indie tactics game Into the Breach, as players are dropped on a small square grid and must control a squad of mechs. The gameplay I saw showed off some familiar tactical play, as the person in charge of the demo looked to clear out incoming Axis machines with chess-like moves.
While there are some clear similarities to Into the Breach, like its roguelite structure and level objectives, Grit and Valor — 1949 is bringing some new ideas to the table. For one, its a real-time game rather than a turn-based one (though there’s still a square grid that helps players map moves). Waves of enemy mechs also flood in over the course of a level, adding more of a survival element. Terrain plays a major role too, as the game pulls more from strategy titles like XCOM. All of that, combined with its World War II setup, makes battles feel a little more action-packed.
Grit and Valor — 1949 launches in 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. You can wish-list it now on Steam.
