Strategy sequel Jagged Alliance 3 set to release this July

Strategy sequel Jagged Alliance 3 is coming out on July 14th, publisher THQ Nordic have announced. The last numbered entry in the series was released almost 25 years ago, and Jagged Alliance 3 continues the tradition of eccentric mercenaries who politely wait for their turn before shooting people. Take a look at the latest trailer below to see what the game is and is not, plus some pumped-up voicework ripped straight from an early 2000s MTV reality show:

The studio behind Tropico and Surviving Mars, Haemimont Games, are leading the game which takes the tactical turn-based fights to West Africa this time around. Jagged Alliance 3 asks your ragtag group to rescue a missing president and shoo away a rogue military faction, preferably with murder. Some fan-favourite characters are returning here, and there’ll also be an online co-op mode for friends.

THQ says that mod support will be a major post-launch feature as well. At first, basic mod support will let you tweak weapons stats and difficulty levels, and even add in the chance-to-hit stat found in more modern tactics games. From there, mod support will be expanded to allow for custom campaign creation, all new mercs, and more.

The above trailer boasts about that missing chance-to-hit stat, explaining that its omission encourages more creative thinking and experimentation from players. Our Katharine thought the omission was more - ahem - hit-and-miss in her Jagged Alliance 3 preview, saying it left her “feeling frustrated and annoyed rather than daring and excited.” Katharine also had gripes with the game’s “embarrassingly juvenile” dialogue at times, which even made a Dad Joke enjoyer like me wince and crease my forehead.

We’ll see how it shakes out later this summer. Jagged Alliance 3 is launching on July 14th and will be available to buy on Steam for $45 / € 45.